The Semi-Retired Foamer has been a railfan since he was around 5 years old, oh yes a very young age, an age when one really should avoid being involved with the gunzel community to any great extent. A few rather unsavoury people bringing that fact home.
After a few decades of train chasing, one decided to break with protocol and get married, thus leading to a severe cut in railfan activity.
Subsequent dealings with hate breeders, lunatics, mental defectives and self-appointed preservation overlords lead to an even greater decrease in my hobby participation.
However things have changed thanks to our small group of trusted mates, interest has returned, and now I have become a bit more involved yet again.
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Over the years I have tried my best to further both the hobby, as well as the friendships that it brings. I have done this by setting up proactive groups both here in Australia, as well as the Philippines. It is with huge honour that I am often considered the founding father of the railfan hobby in the Philippines (my second home).
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I don't take the hobby too seriously and I am a friend to anyone who is good and genuine. But never forgive those who have used their hate to destroy my hobby or hurt the friends within it.

Let's Make The Hobby Great Again!
I aim to share the era that I considered mine, the 80s and 90s. I also like to help promote, and even raise funds for, the various heritage societies that keep the era alive
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**** LOCOMOTIVE/ PUBLICATIONS ****
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We occasionally publish information on the locomotives, and rollingstock, from railways in Australia and the Philippines.
All are available for
FREE at our ALR WEBSITE.




Please email me should you wish to use anything from this site !



Monday, December 7, 2015

44 CLASS - WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Technical Details - Liveries Worn - Current Situation

Check out our latest 44 Class listing on the SMUT Modellers Group website.




Another project from




Sunday, December 6, 2015


ANOTHER RED RATTLER FEAST

The first selection of red rattlers from the days of old in Sydney.
On the eve of a restored heritage set again roaming around Sydney on tours, it was thought a good time to trawl through the collection in search of spark type memories.





The background here in Rhodes is now one more of units than industry.






Back in the day when we had open days.
Poor old C3413 was not looking happy at the Chullora/Elcar Day.



Zoo train made an impression as it went by.




Would partake in my work lunchbreaks down at the Campsie footbridge watching the old reds going to and fro. The four tracks on the left most line is a weighbridge which, like the train set and even the bridge I am on, has disappeared from the scene here.




Contrary to what the caption says, this is actually Clyde.





This Red Rattler be looking a little blue.
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More Rattlers coming very soon.
Try to exercise some sort of patience.


Thursday, November 26, 2015

WARWICK FARM RACECOURSE
LAST DAY OF OPERATIONS

  It is perhaps timely that I share these shots given that the recent development at the racecourse has seem much of the remaining rail related infrastructure wiped from the face of the earth.
  The signalbox survives at the Rail Transport Museum in Thirlmere, but most everything else here is no more than a distant memory.












Quarter of a century later and the 'Strange Modelers of Universal Trains' run a tour that saw me again return to the racecourse station, this time by bus.
For more details regarding this group and their future tours, check out the website.



Coming Soon:
More delicious Red Rattlers.





Monday, September 14, 2015

FORMER ESSO TANKERS AT FYSHWICK

Owned by the ARHS (ACT)


Esso operated fuel trains out of their former terminal at Banksmeadow (Botany Goods Line) to various locations in New South Wales.

A file showing these locations will appear on here shortly.




NTAF 7061 46,000L tanker built by Tulloch


NTAF 7085
Last 26t, 45000L built by Tulloch for Esso.
Initially used from the Esso terminal at Banksmeadow.


NTAF 7117
46,000L tanker built by Tulloch.


NTAF 7126
Details of this tanker are currently not known.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015


THE SMUTTER E-ZINE
S*M*U*T TOURS





Are you missing out on our groups organised tours, or reading our free railway publications?
Then fret no more my friends, the answer to your horrid problem is below


THE SMUTTER Ezine

UPCOMING TOURS / EVENTS

SMUT WEBSITE

AUSTRALASIAN RAILWAY EZINES

So, no more do you have reason to gripe about missing something.
It is all here for you to drown yourself in.





Sunday, August 9, 2015

HELLO AGAIN - I'M BACK

  Yeah, I have been somewhat slack in my duties to this blog.
  A combination of my business, running a model train social group, tours and moving one's place of residence has prevented me from partaking in the important task of keeping railfans entertained.
  I would love to be able to assure you that these delays will not occur again, but I would be lying to you. You don't want lies do you?

  For my first post this century, I have a number of juicy BHP Port Kembla shots for you to devour.
  I'v
e recently been working on a number of related project and many photos have come forth.



Back in the days of pride, many of the BHP owned BXLA coal hoppers were painted up in special liveries to promote local organisations or company products.
BXLA154 was decorated for the Wollongong Wolves.



D44 on a coil steel shunt in the steelworks.
Sadly this locomotive is now withdrawn and, despite preservational interest, Pacific National is hell bent on cutting all her type up.




8236 hauls the official train at the opening ceremony for Dendrobium Mine (formerly Kemira).



Believed to be a former PT flat placed upon the bogies of a Torpedo wagon for heavy weighbridge testing.



A scene never to be repeated, D51 and D49 have been scrapped, while the Wongawilli lines very infrequent usage nowdays.



IRON KEMBLA at the Port Kembla steelworks.



Another loco to now be withdrawn and awaiting the Pacific National gas axe is D29, seen here on a torpedo shunt in much better days.



A shortage of locos saw two Silverton 442S class join the BHP fleet very temporarily.
Time was running out, the takeover of operations by Pacific National was not that far in the future, a change that now sees the historic English Electric fleet in the process of being removed from existence.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015


Locomotive Fleetlists



Does locomotive information excite you?
Does locomotive trivia get you all shakey and quivering?
Do locomotive photos have you break out in a sweat?

Check out the new S*M*U*T Modellers Group 






Locomotive Fleetlists



Does locomotive information excite you?
Does locomotive trivia get you all shakey and quivering?
Do locomotive photos have you break out in a sweat?

Check out the new S*M*U*T Modellers Group 





Tuesday, March 10, 2015