Welcome back. We be running out of month, but far from running out of 44 class.

It is quite possible the series will now run into May.

In the meantime, here be another juicy selection from the final years.

The end is nigh with the last loco hauled Goulburn train having arrived in Sydney Terminal and run around. It will shortly leave for the very last time.

This event was even covered by the media, with one Sydney major featuring a photo of the train, as well ad David Xuereb, the late Bruce Cook and the Semi-Retired Foamer himself.

Both 44s live on.

4484 and 4497 stop briefly at Taree with a north bound freighter for Brisbane.

Taree, at this time, was a hotspot for ALCo action, with no lesser makes to be seen.

Late one Saturday night we found 4403 sitting at Cooks River staff hut for a while. Twas awaiting its chance to buggar off towards Port Botany.

Obviously in those days I had not real life which, while quite sad, is worth it now.

The big Cardiff auction in 1994 where the fate of many a NSW ALCo was sealed.

4472 become one of the lucky ones and has survived till today.

Many an hour was spent at High Street station during the first half of the 90s, with the Coachstop Caravan park being the gnzel residence of choice prior to the Neath Hotel.

4470 is seen heading through the station on the down.

4486 4446 at Delec.

Preserved 4306 and 4401 depart Delec and pass Hope Street.

Inside the cab of 4401 just prior to withdrawal.

4442 still in service - now long since gone to the big depot in the sky.

4451 4804 4855 down freight between Douglas Park and Maldon.

Siggggh - days much missed.

Twas a sad, yet happy day really, the day of the Cardiff auction. So many good old ALCos went to scrap, but many more than though managed to survive. Neither 4469 or 4482 were among the lucky ones though and are now just consigned to history.

4401's regular service days were finished, but she would go on to preservation.

4463 leads two sisters through High Street (Maitland) enroute to Brisbane.

4468 is seen here mid-way through painting into the short lived heritage scheme.

The application of the yellow lining would see her return to traffic and also be a part of the historic last loco hauled passenger service from Goulburn.

4475 withdrawn at Delec.

4493 also withdrawn at Delec.

4484 awaits decision on her future at the Cardiff auction.

4486 and 4857 sit at Port Botany, awaiting permissione to head off towards Enfield.

Possibly one of the 44s that haunted me most, good ol 4467 is seen sitting at Hope Street with the ex-fiancee Julie hanging off the side.

4490 and 4401.

4401 getting an Indian Red repaint.

One of the lucky two 44 class, the other 4406, to achieve the important ranks of my favourite.

4460 is seen arrivingat Sydney Terminal on another Goulburn passenger.

4458 4427 4474 at Ariah Park on an up 3270 Griffith Speedfreight.

4458 at Barellan (Griffith line)

4457 stored at Parkes.

4456 at Sydney Terminal with the Sydney Express (ex-Melbourne) behind.

4456 in her lovely original livery passes through Campsie in the 80s.

Goulburn trains at Sydney Terminal are a reoccuring theme during our 44 class celebration. This reflects both their regularity on these services, as well as my frequent visiting the station for them.

This time it is the turn of 4442.

Not quite as happy look as the above photo, 4442 is seen stored outside Junee roundhouse.

4439 also joins the ranks of the stored and soon to be scrapped.

Broadmeadow locomotive depot plays host to ALCos 44225, 44240 and 4442.

4438 shut down at Sydney Terminal between passenger runs.

4438, now in Red Terror livery, at Broadmeadow.

The days are numbered for 4435. Heavily stripped, she sits outside Chullora workshops awaiting scrapping.

A similar story to 4435 above, but this one being played out at Sims Metal Mascot.

What is believed to be the last run of 4433, seen here at Bulli while returning from a passenger run from Sydney to Moss Vale via the Wollongong route.

A few days later she was noted at Delec withdrawn, subsequently taken to Cardiff where she was scrapped.

4433 At Broadmeadow.

4432 in Candy livery at Delec.

4432 in her original livery sits at Sydney Terminal.

4438 at Sydney Terminal

With the closure and wiping out of Delec locomotive depot, scenes like this could never be repeated, even with locomotives of modern classes. It is hard to blieve that this busy depot, which once saw my attendence nearly every weekend, is currently just a dirt plot awaiting redevelopment. Back when it was a busy locomotive servicing location, 4427 is seen shunting around.

Streeewth, am running out of month, but far from running out of 44 class.

4403 42220 8168 are passing Hope Street on their way to Rozelle yard to work the Griffith Speedfreight. The final weeks of the 44 class saw us here on many an evening in an effort to grab our last glimpses of these magnificent beasts in action.

4403 has since been preserved and just recently painted back into indian red (because there isn't already enough in that livery), 42220 is now CFCLA's FL220 and I suspect 8168 is running around the start in either Freightrail blue or the more attractive PN one.

4480 at Broadmeadow.

Distinguished from her similarly painted sister, 4480, by the lack of number on the nose door.

4403 at Port Botany

4471 and 42220 on a down limestone approaching Moss Vale station.

4474 idles at Taree on a southbound container service.

4489 has just arrived at the former Beachamp Road level crossing in Matraville and proceeds to run around before pushing back into the port.

44221 44211 4451 on a container rake up in the Hunter Valley.

4438s days are number as she awaits to be purchased in the Cardiff auction.

4483 on works train passing Concord West.

4492 at Delec

Steven Karas inspecting the awesome power that is a 44 class.

That beautiful ALCo nose. 4431 awaits scrapping at Junee, while 4486 had just been restored at Cowra.

This time it is the nose of 4446.

The final Goulburn passenger has arrived at Sydney Terminal and the locomotives will soon run around.