Well, Look Who's Finally Organising 300,000 Photos...
Greetings, loyal readers. And also those of you who arrived here accidentally while searching for "vintage trains," "understanding females," or perhaps "gerbil breeding."
So here's a fun little fact: if you ignore a collection of roughly 300,000 photos for long enough—somewhere between a few years and a geological epoch—you eventually reach a crossroads. You either start organising them, or you assume a new identity and move to a remote island. After careful consideration, I've sorta come to a combination of the above.
The identity is remaining, but I am racking off out of here to an island nation where I both plan to be away from, but seek retribution for, many years of hate.
Anyway, as a result, I am currently knee-deep in what can only be described as digital archaeology. Layers upon layers of forgotten photographs are being unearthed, so many memories from a life devoted to this guff, being catalogued, and occasionally stared at in confusion while I wonder what possessed me to photograph that particular signal box from seventeen different angles. LOL.
To my own surprise, thousands of images have already been dragged kicking and screaming into some sort of themed order on the blog. This creates the illusion that I am a responsible adult with a functioning filing system. Please do not investigate this claim too closely.
Every request for photographic help often sends me into an uncontrolled panic as I look for what is requested.
Of course, there are still countless thousands waiting their turn. Entire folders of forgotten adventures, railway expeditions, transport oddities, and random moments that seemed important at the time are patiently sitting on hard drives wondering if they'll ever get their moment in the spotlight.
So what's heading your way over the coming months?
Well, prepare yourselves for an avalanche of transport-related nonsense. Locomotives. Carriages. Infrastructure. Trams. Buses. Signals. Stations. The occasional thing with wheels that probably shouldn't have been photographed but was anyway. If it runs on rails, rattles down a road, or spends its life blocking level crossings, there's a fair chance it'll appear here eventually.
Before excitement levels become unmanageable, however, I should point out that this particular post takes a brief detour away from the glorious masterpieces of ALCO and English Electric engineering. Yes, I know. Thoughts and prayers.
Instead, we turn our attention toward the humble products of Clyde/EMD. Not necessarily bad locomotives, of course. Just... different. Think of them as the railway equivalent of that kid in school who always tried really hard in sports but somehow still managed to run into the goalposts.
Still, every locomotive deserves its day in the sun. Some just deserve slightly less sunshine than others.
Whether you're here for the locomotives, the historical photos, the infrastructure details, or simply to witness the consequences of decades of unchecked photo hoarding, there should be something for everyone.
Or at least something.
Photos spanning from the 1980s right through to today are about to emerge from the archives. Some are excellent. Some are historical. Some make me question my photographic judgement. All of them are finally escaping captivity.
So buckle up for the ride ahead.
Or don't.
The visual garbage is coming either way.
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If you even find some moderate amount of enjoyment would you consider giving us even a little bit of
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4907 sitting at the Delec Locomotive Depot in Enfield (Sydney).
Now renumbered MM01 with Manildra Mills.
Photo: Brad Peadon
4901 in the green/yellow metropolitan livery that only three members of the class carried.
Seen here at Port Kembla Depot back during the short period they were in regular Illawarra usage.
She has since been scrapped, while her sister 4910 behind has done better, now owned by Southern Shorthaul Railroad.
Photo: Brad Peadon
42220 sitting on the departure roads at Delec Depot in Sydney.
During 1980, 42220 had been wheeled into Clyde Engineering's Rosewater workshops for what could best be described as a major makeover rather than just a mid-life crisis. Out went much of the old gear, replaced with an AR16 alternator, an entirely new electrical system, and Super Series wheel-slip technology to help keep all that horsepower pointing in the right direction. The rebuild also turned the locomotive into something of a guinea pig, testing many of the features that would later become standard on the highly successful 81 class.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Above and below.
At the time of compiling this, the 90 class have all but finished. Three lingered on for a short while, but even they now look to be withdrawn, and scrapping of many has commenced at Werris Creek.
With time fast running out, 9015 9032 and 9019 ar seen passing through High Street Maitland, doing what they were built to do, haul coal.
We are working on covering them on our 'Australian Locomotive Rosters' website in the near future.
Photos: Brad Peadon
Also becoming more rare are 82 class in the original Freightrail Blue livery as seen on 8253 as it leads 8255 (Pacific National livery) on a grain at High Street in Maitland.
Photo: Brad Peadon
The colourful combo of 8251 G538 9204 and 9210 on an empty coal train at Maitland during the period the G class saw use on the coal roads.
All still remain with Pacific National.
Photo: Brad Peadon
8236 8228 8230 8237 on an empty coal train from Port Kembla, seen passing the huge Enfield Yard in Sydney.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Another empty coal train from Port Kembla, this time at Heathcote with 8256 8217 8208 8218 up front.
Photo: Brad Peadon
8170 8177 winds its way through Exeter on a southbound freighter.
Photo: Brad Peadon
8143 leads an, as yet unidentified, sister through Calwalla on the Unanderra - Moss Vale cross country line.
Photo: Brad Peadon
8102 goes for a joyride on one of the Broadmeadow turntables.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Above and below.
4901 again, this time on a tour around the BHP Steelworks at Port Kembla.
Above: Brownsville
Photos: Carl Millington
Brad Peadon Collection
4201 passing through Eskbank station with a tour train returning from Mudgee. The Lithgow-Mudgee section was done with two Indian Red 49 class.
Photo: Brad Peadon
1435 on a container rake from Port Botany, seen here passing the old Mascot level crossing..
Photo: Brad Peadon
1428 doing the same but in the other direction.
Both with QUBE Logistics.
Photo: Brad Peadon
2201 42210 GM42, with 7340 dead attached, passing through Marrar with a grain train headed to Narrandera.
The 73 would become the plant shunter there.
2201 (ex 42205): Now scrapped.
42210 & GM42 now with Aurizon.
Photo: Brad Peadon
8201, with the more impressive ALCo 48103, sitting in the morning sun at Port Kembla loco depot..
Photo: Brad Peadon
4909 and 4911 departing the former Flemington Markets sidings in Sydney.
4909 was subsequently scrapped, while 4911 survives with Southern Shorthaul Railroad.
Photo: Brad Peadon
G518 and 42203 sit side by side in Port Kembla North (South Yard).
42203 With Watco as HL203, based in Western Australia.
G518 would be written off in a serious head on collision at Ararat back in 1999.
Photo: Brad Peadon
8235 and 8135 sitting on an empty coal rake at Morandoo in Newcastle.
Photo: Brad Peadon
2188 passing through Garbutt near Townsville in Queensland.
Locomotive went to Transnet (South Africa) as their 35-808, but was returned to Australia by Watco who reverted her back to the oiriginal number.
Photo: Brad Peadon
2414 still in her original QR Blue livery, prior to any cab rebuild that would destroy that classic look
Callemondah Depot, Queensland.
Photo: Brad Peadon
2123 2145 on a freight near Kingsthorpe, Queensland.
2123 went to SAFLog in South Africa as their L30.
2145 would be rebuilt as 2273.
Photo: Brad Peadon
2173 sitting at the Willowburn Loco Depot in Toowoomba.
Unit has since gone to Transnet in South Africa as 35-801.
Photo: Brad Peadon
4014 at Callemondah depot.
Photo: Brad Peadon
1769 inside the Redbank LMD in Brisbane.
Another that has racked off to South Africa, now being SAFLog L39.
Photo: Brad Peadon
1773 on a sugar syrup train at Babinda in Far North Queensland.
Yep, South Africa again, RRL Grindrod and apparently still carrying this number.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Above and below.
What is left of 1710 used as a train simulator at the Workshops Railway Museum in Ipswich.
Photo: Brad Peadon
1746 inside the Redbank LMD in Brisbane.
Surprisingly, this one appears to still be in Queensland.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Preserved English Electric 1650 keeps 2373 company at the Redbank LMD in Brisbane.
Photo: Brad Peadon
1504 and 1519 enjoying the arvo sun at Gladstone in Queensland.
1504: became Interail 42301, but has since scrapped.
1519: went to FCAB in Chile and renumbered1457.
Photo: Brad Peadon
2213 approaching Stuart in Townsville with a load of something.
Like so many others in this post, 2213 has buggared off overseas and is now 2213 with Ferronor in Chile.
Photo: Brad Peadon
DL47 and DL49 waiting to the leave the former Dunmore Quarry branch on the NSW Illawarra line.
An Endeavour railcar passes on the main.
Both DLs have been in storage at Werris Creek for some time and the future does not look bright at the time of writing.
Photo: Brad Peadon
BL27 and BL33 on a down ore train.
Both are in the former Steellink livery, but now wear the Pacific National blue and yellow.
Photo: Brad Peadon
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