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..
_
 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).
_
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, May 26, 2025

THE LOCOMOTIVE DIARIES - GONINAN / GE PT1



Howdy folks!

One major drawback of years of neglecting to catalogue over 300,000 photos is that I'm now playing catch-up. While I've managed to organize thousands of images on this blog across various themes, there are still countless others sitting around waiting for their moment.

To tackle this backlog, I'm embarking on a mission to sort through and categorize a substantial number of these photos in the coming months. Expect to see posts dedicated to locomotives, carriages, infrastructure, trams, and buses, catering to those with even a passing interest in these subjects.

Prepare for the approaching tsunami of photographs from the 80s till today.

If you have an interest in locomotives, check out our
Australian Locomotive Rosters website.


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2823 passes over the Babinda Creek trestle in Far North Queensland.
Operational with Aurizon.
Photo: Brad Peadon


GL107 GL111 GL108 with a down light engine headed to Goulburn. Legendary railfan Jamie Fisher is up front.
Rebuilt from 442 class ALCo units and all still with Rail First Asset Management.
Photo: Brad Peadon


9212 leads a loaded coal train towards Kooragang Island.
Photo: Brad Peadon


CF4404 'Americain' shunting the steelworks exchange sidings at Cringila.
Photo: Brad Peadon


Above and below.
6029 CF4401 6028 with an up coal to Kooragang Island passing Sandgate station.
The former Sandgate Cemetery branch used to run to the right back around where the big trees are.
Photos: Brad Peadon



Above and below
Aurizon 6011 and 6006 shunt the Cringila exchange sidings at the Port Kembla steelworks.
Photos: Brad Peadon




Brand new 5007 at the Goninan plant on the day of the official handover of the 5000 class..
Photo: Brad Peadon


5012 / 5011 passing Branxton with an up Mt Arthur coal.
Photo: Brad Peadon


5035 passing over the Hunter River and to Kooragang Island.
Photo: Brad Peadon


GWU007 doing the same as above..
Photo: Brad Peadon


NR46 heading north with the former 'Great South Pacific Express' to Brisbane.
Cowan Bank.
Photo: Brad Peadon


NR64 AN4 NR104 roll down into Wingello with Melbourne bound 4BM4.
Photo: Brad Peadon


XRN012 at Greta.
Photo: Brad Peadon


XRN012 XRN023 XRN001 with an up Ulan coal passing through Branxton.
Photo: Brad Peadon




5002 5011 pass the rather iconic burnt out house at Pitnacree (John Hourigan) Bridge, East Maitland.
Photo: Brad Peadon


GL112 GL109 shunting the CTAL terminal at Port Botany.
Rebuilt from 442 class ALCo units and all still with Rail First Asset Management.
Photo: Brad Peadon


2826 and 2824 passing through Stuart in Queensland.
Photo: Brad Peadon


2844 passing through Bohle (Townsville, Queensland) with a nickle train.
Photo: Brad Peadon



NR97 watches the far more interesting D44  as she returns from a CRM shunt.
Port Kembla North (South Yard)
Photo:  Brad Peadon


4701 with a short rake of flats from Port Botany.
Gelco on the Botany line in Sydney.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


XRN019 XRN007 XRN001 empty coal to Ulan passing through the beautiful Branxton station.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


2609 undergoing work at the workshops in Redbank (Brisbane, Australia).
The class were withdrawn during 2011 and 2012, all being exported to South Africa. As of 2020 it was leased to 'Trans-Zambesi Rolling Stock Solutions'
Photo:  Brad Peadon


NR19 'Maitland' at the Cooks River Staff Hut in Sydney.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


9212 9305 TT120 crossing the Hunter River to Kooragang Island with yet another load of coal for shipping.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


NR121 (ex NR3) and NR54 pass Lake Knockout as they roll into Port Augusta with MP5. We would chase it as far as Hesso.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


NR92 NR23 DL43 on PM5 stopping at Tailem Bend to dump the DL before racking off forth to Melbourne.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


44209 44211 NR1 passing through Warabrook during trials of the brand new class leader.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


GWU009 - Branxton
Photo:  Brad Peadon


GL107 and Linx G516 approaching Botany yard with containers for the port.
The GL is a rebuilt ALCo 442 class, while the G class originated in Victoria and today is owned by Swift Transport.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


CF4401 in the ghastly Aurizon yellow that passes for a livery nowadays.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


GWU011 in a far more acceptable livery :-)
Photo:  Brad Peadon


NR10 NR104 slowly make their way through Ocean View before negotiating the Illawarra Escarpment down to Port Kembla.
Photo:  Brad Peadon



EL54 sitting on the Patricks siding at Port Botany.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


A good livery comparison with EL54 above, EL62 is seen at Leightonfield (Sydney) in her original Australian National green and gold.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


Western Australia built NR65 'Horsham' sitting in the Broadmeadow Goninan plant at Newcastle.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


NR101 'Crystal Brook - Redhill' at Cooks River.
Photo:  Brad Peadon


GL112 T383 GM10 departing Botany yard.
Should you care, that T class is in the 'Rail Technical Services' livery which, I think, was only worn on two locomotives.
Photo:  Brad Peadon

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Bradly Coulter and Mel Turner 
Australian Locomotive Rosters
Wikipedia

 


Australian Locomotive Rosters

UGL Rail - 5000 Class Handover Ceremony

Botany Railway Line SIG

NSW Railways Past & Present
Australia's Leading Rail History Group.

UGL Rail

UGL Rail - Wikipedia

Rail First Asset Management

Check our new Linktree site above for piles of dreary transport entertainment.
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Video: Walk From Belmont To Redhead Back In 1986.
Inc some views around Newcastle.
Coming soon. 




































































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