Hurlstone Park Brings Back Throbbing Urges!

Morning to anyone who cares,
Well again I have been remiss in my efforts to post here on the blog. I suppose you can attribute it to ol friend 'Railfan Blues'. All as dribblies go through it from time to time, a period when you can't be half buttocked to do anything involved in the hobby.
I suppose the pathetic attitude of many rail staff is a driving factor behind it for me, not to mention the weird nature of many railfans that lead to said attitude. Lets also not forget the constant need to protect ones bott bott from possible invasion by those with, shall we say, different tastes to those what were originally intended for us.

However these 'Railfan Blues' tend to come and go, their departure often helped by some enjoyed involvement in the hobby, preferably lineside and not in public toilets after model rail meets.

So it was that I arranged to meet the world famous Colonel (very occasionally know as David A Phillips) at Hurlstone Park for a good steamy session of gunzeldom and hornbag photography.


The Colonel has become an icon of the railfan community and a legend to the Fijian drinking one. Show me a man who can take a better photo after two bottle of port and a 6 -pack and I will be duly impressed. Indeed show me any man who could stand after skulling same and I will buy him a Ferrari.
Actually - no I wont. Just forget that.



The Colonel is a pillar of society, to such an extent that he even has his own church of devotees. Pacific National would be wise to throw whatever money it takes to obtain his services.
Anyway, before Colonel gets a throsby no hornbag could fix, I think we should move on to the story at hand.
At least while I can still type, sitting here swigging on a lovely mix of rum and coke. Ahhhh yes, the nectar of gods.

It was last week that our fine ol mate The Colonel rung with the suggestion of a day around Hurlstone Park. The instant tingling urges indicating that I was in full agreement and that we would meet, along with Tezza, at the station around 9am.

One wrong turn, resulting in the missing of my 452nd photo of 4903 and 4906, resulted in a slightly late arrival of 09.10. The Colonel, who was strangely sober at the time, was eagerly awaiting my arrival from the up platform. Actually I think he was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the office hornbags and I was just a convenient thing to talk to between their showing up.

So what delectable delights were we treated to while I was there?
Take full control of your groin as we journey through a session at Hurlstone Park.

Twas not long after one dragged ones furry butt down onto the platform
that a noise was heard to the west. In aged old gunzel tradition one heads to the chosen location in
preparation for photographing the oncoming train. Upon first seeing the ARG 22 class we were taken back to the past weeks when efforts were made, not incredible efforts mind you, to get the last runs of the Manildra services. Brief pantal stirrings were soon quietened down when it was realised that this was actually the Yennora service utilizing 2208 and
a forever sexy 42105. The time was now 09.23.

4850 later passed light engine on its way to pick up an XT car.

Neither of us are sure what the heck this train was doing. It headed past at 10.18 on the up with a load of derelict flats that, I am pretty sure,
were used on the Manildra services. GL103 was hauling the train, obviously, but where it was off to is a mystery. Anyone know?

Hmmmm ALCo - Rumour has it that they can cause pregnancy in woman. 4461 push/pull 4708 containers to Botany from Minto. 10.22

Less than an hour after I had one of those railfan type whinges about not having seen one of these FUGLY MZ class in a while. 1431 1435 1443 up containers 11.03

The 4850 comes back with the earlier mentioned XT carriage. No idea what carriage it was and have not lost sleep over not knowing.

Anyway thats it for this posting. I am still suffering from a lack of a scanner, so older stuff and rail related documents are still impossible. If you have something that may be of interest, please feel free to email me. Plans are afoot for a day down around Wingello - so don't be surprised if I ramble on with endless bollocks about it here on the blogsite.

Thanks for your interest, or lack of it, as the case may be. I leave you with a random hornbag!