Railcars, Rail Motors, and Regret: A Love Story
Hey there, rail motor and railcar enthusiasts... or, as I like to call you, “rolling stock romantics” (you know who you are).
Yes, still sorting photos. Still. As in, I may actually be trapped in some sort of digital purgatory where the folders multiply faster than the most frisky of rabbits.” Despite my best efforts—which mostly involve staring blankly at a hard drive and sighing, or griping about it to Dr Cooties—I’ve managed to wrangle a few thousand images into themed posts here on the blog. Progress! Kind of. Maybe.
But let’s not get too excited (like those aforementioned rabbits). There’s still an avalanche of train-related pixels waiting for their moment in the spotlight. And because I clearly hate myself, I’m diving headfirst into yet another batch over the coming months. Expect a flood of posts so thrilling, they’ll make you question every life choice that led you here: locomotives, carriages, infrastructure, trams, buses—you know, all the sexy stuff.
This time around? It’s New South Wales’ turn, with a focus on the noble, wheezing creatures known as railcars and rail motors. Think of them as the diet version of electric trains—same charming awkwardness, but instead of overhead wires, they’ve been blessed with a diesel engine and a whole lot of "meh."
With some fleet changes coming up, I’ve even managed to remove myself from the climate-controlled safety of the office and stumble into the scary world full of the general public, an actual effort was made. Yeah, I know I probably just stunned a few of you.
So here it is—another glorious (?) collection of railcar-related guff that you’ll either mildly enjoy or passionately despise, depending on where you fall on the rail enthusiast rage scale. Honestly, I’m just here to upload stuff and quietly question my decisions.
Oh, and while I’ve got your attention...
A few people have reached out asking to use my photos in articles. If you’re one of those brave souls and need images for a magazine, book, or interpretive dance piece about transport history, feel free to contact me. Whether you want to grab something straight off the site or need a high-res rescan of the original (assuming I can actually find it), I’m always happy to help—if only to avoid sorting more folders.
Right then. Enjoy. Or don’t. Can only be one way or the other to be perfectly honest.
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721/621 on a Telarah bound passenger stopping at Maitland.
Now preserved by The Railmotor Society
Photo: Brad Peadon
Above and below.
XP2006 leads a Sydney bound XPT service out of Cootamundra.
Photo: Brad Peadon
XP2011 on a Melbourne bound XPT service flying through Illabo.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Endeavour set 2857 / 2807 at Bomaderry, the terminus of the New South Wales Illawarra line.
Photo: Brad Peadon
761 661 ? ? sit at Dungog station prior to working a service back to Newcastle.
Today 661 operates the world's first solar powered train up at Byron Bay, while 761 would go on to be destroyed in a fire at the State Mine Museum.
Its probably also worth noting that 761 / 661 provided services for the last day of Toronto branch operations.
See three photos below.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Unidentified XP at an unidentified location on the North Coast that was taken on an unidentified date.
Photo: Brad Peadon
How the XPT sets are supposed to look.
Taken between Menangle and Douglas Park on the Short South.
Ohhhh how I hope to see a preserved one like this one day.
Photo: Brad Peadon
XP2013 (with XP2015 up the rear) are approaching the Cootamundra South signal box as they prepare to stop at the local station.
Photo: Brad Peadon
729 / 629 stop briefly at Maitland station.
Now owned by 'The Railmotor Society' and under restoration at Paterson.
Photo: Brad Peadon
626 / 726 sitting at Dungog station before racking on back to Newcastle.
726 is now the other car in the Byron Bay solar train set.
626 was at Coolac in the Riverina, but is nopw a cafe somewhere in the Hunter Valley winery region.
Photo: Brad Peadon
629 / 729 again, this time Newcastle bound passing through Georgetown.
Photo: Brad Peadon
623 / 723 on a tour along the now closed Tubemakers branchline at Kembla Grange.
Photo: Carl Millington
621 /721 on another Newcastle bound service stopping at Warabrook station.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Obviously spent a lot of time at Warabrook station before trees ruined the spot.
Same Newcastle bound operation as the two above, but this time with 729 / 629.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Endeavour set 2802 / 2852 stopping at Maitland enroute before completing the final stretch to Telarah.
Photo: Brad Peadon
729 / 629 pausing at Hamilton station on a service from the former Newcastle station.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Endeavour set 2856 / 2806 at Berry station in the Illawarra proving that I am not 'always' in the Hunter region.
Photo: Brad Peadon
631 / 731 departing Hexham station.
Photo: Brad Peadon
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2753 / 2703 approaches Newcastle station on this now abandoned section into Newcastle City.
Yeah, yeah ..... I know.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Endeavour 2859 / 2809 on a down passenger at East Maitland.
Photo: Brad Peadon
2753 / 2703 Up passenger departing East Maitland with the new 'John Hourigan Bridge' in the background.
Photo: Brad Peadon
2751 / 2701 departing High Street for Maitland and Telarah.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Unidentified 2 car set passing over the Stony Creek bridge just out of Toronto prior to the lines closure.
Photo: Brad Peadon
2502 heads a Exploder set headed to Moree and Armidale.
Taken from 'John Hourigan Bridge' (Pitnacree) at East Maitland.
Photo: Brad Peadon
623 / 723 on a tour seen passing the old smelter at Port Kembla. All the structures behind have since been obliterated.
Photo: Carl Millington
623 / 723 on a tour at the end of the Metropolitan Colliery branch south of Sydney.
Photo: Carl Millington
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Bradly Coulter and Kevin Medley.
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