~~~ MENANGLE PICCIES ~~~

The result of a day around Menangle recently.

~~~ MELBOURNE TRAMWAY MEMORIES ~~~

Without a doubt Melbourne's streets will never be the same without

the virtual obliteration of the W type tram.

Below is a selection of ones I saw back in the 80s, a decade

that saw me nearly a resident of the shopping capital.

Enjoy!

~~~ RANDOM BUS PICCIES ~~~

From The Days Of Old!

An old Mk2 Leopard sits out its final days in a scrap yard at Port Kembla.

ANSETT buses, as extinct as the airline itself.

High Street - Maitland

Blue Ribbon - Maitland

Strange bus used at Port Botany Depot for a while.

Above three show buses used around Sydney to cope with 2000 Olympics.

Ex-Sydney Mk1 Merc at Ayr (Queensland)

~~ BARGO TO MT COLONEL RAILFAN DAY ~~

A GRUBBY NR ADVENTURE

It has been a hard couple of months, a new business seeing no time for railfan activity, while the board vermin of the RIHSPI society in Manila making me seriously question my future as a railfan (Tiongson, you are not god).

7-8-2010

After many weeks of disappointment, I was finally able to arrange a weekend off that coincided with the Colonel. Having moved between rail operators, ol Colonel does not have the wonderful benefit of weekends off, although he does get to enjoy some strange jobs.

So it was that I set forth just before 8am headed to Menangle, with a subsequent plan of following the line to Picton and the 'Shrine of Colonel'.

Thanks to a warning from Doctor Hibbert as I was on the approach to Menangle Park, I decided to head for the south end of Menangle itself for 6MB4. Having just passed through Bargo, there was still a good half hour to wait, this being passed by ringing the Colonel about the delay.

2803 2853 - up pass - Menangle - 09.23

NR10 NR7 - 6MB4 - Menangle - 09.40

Having got this important photographic duty out to the way, it was onward south toward Picton to see the world famous Colonel, his beautiful wife and little Munchkins.

A cold morning, but sunny, it was all that could be hoped for in a perfect winters day of railfanning.

Arrival at the Colonel's was just after 10am and a quick phone call to Mr Hibbert revealed a bit of rest and chat time before our next pray, the Indian Pacific, would come into out hunting ground.

Just before 11 we took off again, discussing where the Indian would be got and, more importantly, did we have time to get to the well known beverage shop near the Thirlmere railway museum.

Time was on our friend this run, with a beverage shop stop, slow swoop of the 'Rail Transport Museum', bit of a look at Couridgah station, still seeing us at Bargo a couple of minutes before NR12 showed its grotty face in the lead of the well known Indian Pacific.

A quick run back to the car, and we were on our way, via expressway, to Shields Hill between Douglas Park and Maldon.

Here we ran in to well known railfan Rob Shaw, though it took some time and an introduction to remember who the heck it was. Don't you just hate those moments when you realise you know someone, but can't bloody remember their name?

Anyway the time prior to the Indian's arrival, the usual railfan discussion were carried out, including respective plans for the balance of the day.

Soon enough the familiar rumble is heard, followed by the Indian rolling into view - amazingly in between a few breaks in the ever growing cloud cover.

With news that we had a down steelie on the approach, attention turns to where we can get this. Shields Hill was useless, so, at the very least the Picton area would be required.

A quick stop at Maldon for another Endeavour, then up above Picton for the approaching steelie.

NR102 NR45 - NY3 - Maldon - 12.50

The need to record the number saw a quick run to the Thirlmere Road for a shot and taking of number records.

The south is not endlessly busy, so again we head back to the 'Shrine of Colonel' for some pies (lunch), a look throught the huge Colonel collection and to discuss a possible revival of the popular 'Lubricated Flange E-zine', previously suspended due to an idiotic idea that a society in the Philippines would put preservation before their own egos.

Some good ideas were passed about and now time will tell.

Soon enough, and with only two hours to go before needing to head on home to avoid major spousal repercussions, we decided to quickly head off to a new location the Colonel discovered during a recent rail trip through Menangle.

More a larger and steep hill, the effort to get up was worth it, revealing a truly spectacular location. Colonel being so impressed with his achievement, it was instantly named Mount Colonel, the flag planting ceremony to occur at a later date.

NR107 NR71 NR20 NR95 - Up Steel - Mount Colonel (Menangle) - 14.23

NR86 NR116 NR29 - Up Containers - Mt Colonel (Menangle) - 15.00