SPENCER STREET
Yeah I know it has some new fancy name and a new design that looks, at best, like a tragic accident between a B-Double and a Mini Cooper, however we are reminiscing back in 1987.
Yeah, its hard to imagine that once this lovely station actually looked like a railway station. Back in the days before the current sort of trash was considered acceptable and used to litter the landscape where once nice structures stood.
Grrrrrrrrr
Anyway, we are here to talk about trains.
Oh and what a great place Spencer Street was for trains. As a young foamer I used to always salivate in anticipation of the Overland consists. Any combinations of S and X class could be found, however more importantly, those awesome 930s also put in a regular appearance.
Having not got to South Australia by this time, something I still regret, I was only able to witness the 930 class in use around Melbourne. Their use normally limited to the Overland or interstate freights, think they often called them 'Jets', between here and Adelaide.
Back issues of Newsrail are littered with more interesting workings they were involved in while camped out in Victoria. One that, for some reason, always aroused was a trip to Bendigo Racecourse. I think a shot of this movement even made the front cover.
Anyway, a boredom type decision on the 3rd of March 1987 saw me walk from the Victoria Hotel to Spencer Street station to see what was around. It was the middle of the day and at best I was likely to see a N class or a DRC (as opposed to DFC, plenty of which still hang around this station).
So it was that I slowly bollocked my way across to one of the platforms to photograph N456 preparing to depart for Ballarat with a less than exciting rake of passenger cars. The driver hung out the loco and yelled out something that was less than audible over the noise created by Y113 shunting nearby.
The reason for the yelling was soon revealed as 939 chundered up a huge plume of classic ALCo smoke and made her way through the track maze to join the N for her journey westward.
Never did ask the reason why the 930 was there, I was to busy satisfying my carnal railfan desires photographing and checking the loco out.
Obviously I was so excited I never considered a run to the opposite platform for a more sunny side shot.
Still it is one of my favourite 'EARLY' shots in a hobby that still continues to this day, more or less.
What of the locos today!
N456: Well she is still busy hauling passenger trains out of Spencer Street. Hard to believe they are well over 20 years old now. Never really had an appreciation for them back then, though I suppose I have in more recent years.
939: Probably now a Hyundai in Brisbane, having been scrapped back in Adelaide many years ago.
Y113: This unit, along with sisters Y102, 104, 108, 121, 125, 138 and 143, is now owned by the 'Victorian Department of Infrastructure'. They have been in storage around Dynon for as long as I can remember and no word has been mentioned about the future plans for them.
Anyway, can't prattle on here all day, have a party to get to and free Tanduay is on the cards, along with suitably drunken women.
Night
Brad
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