FLYING SCOTSMAN DOWN UNDER
I recently came across a stack of photos taken during our bicentennial year down here in Australia.
It was a great year for us railfans, lots of special trains running around and, in probably the best railway events we have ever held, the huge 'Austeam 88' event down in Melbourne.
Austeam saw locomotives and rollingstock from New South Wales, South Australia and, obviously, Victoria, descend on Melbourne for both tour operations and a big weekend display at Spencer Street. There were also heritage trams running in Melbourne streets and Puffing Billy put on a special event connecting with a heritage spark tour to Belgrave.
While it was all about the visiting diesels for me, others, with stranger tastes, were there for the kettles. Kettle numbers were high, with regular tours being run throughout the event, the highlight surely being the triple parallel run to Seymour (more of this in later posts).
However, the star of the show, if you don't count the 930, was special visitor 'FLYING SCOTSMAN' which was shipped to Australia to be part of the celebrations.
While it is not something I would normally admit to, I did spend a good portion of 1988 and 89 chasing her around New South Wales and, to a lesser extent, Victoria.
Sadly, the camera at the time was one of my earlier ones, so photographic quality is somewhat the dogs bollocks, however they are what they are and, I guess, they are marginally better than nothing at all......even if it isn't a diesel.
Anyway, for what it is worth, here are some images from the SCOTSMAN visit.
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Day trip to Moss Vale
Into the refuge at Picton for a down regular passenger service to overtake.
Only time I would get to see in the cab of Scotsman.
Moss Vale (in the days before railfans dobbed on each other).
Can't recall the details of this trip.
Just remember it was the middle of winter in the freezing town of Goulburn, I was in a hotel across the road , it was still dark and I heard a whistle across the road.
Unsuitably dressed in t-shirt, shorts and thongs, I dashed across the road for some shots as dawn broke. To this day, I still don't know how I tolerated the frigid temperature, or how I managed to still have children years later :-)
I am a tragic for collecting railway guff.
The SCOTSMAN visit was no different.
Melbourne to Alice Springs Tour - August 1989
This was our longest chase of SCOTSMAN while in Australia, though it did not turn out as long as originally planned.
We caught up with her at Violet Town and spent two days chasing her towards Parkes, our planned destination. However, luck was not on our side, the old Toyota Corona giving up near Bethungra Spiral, our needing to get her towed to Cootamundra.
All was not bad though, we ended up spending a few days there, which lead to a life long association with the town and the making of many friends there.
All trace of Bethungra station has since been wiped out.
Sydney to Perth Tour - 9th September 1989
Not a hard date to remember, and not a huge amount of photos take, this being the day of my 21st birthday. We chased it as far as Katoomba, before heading home to a significantly large party that night.
The Last Day - Gosford Shuttles
The last operational day for FLYING SCOTSMAN saw her do two return trips from Sydney to Gosford, with two visits to Darling Harbour, via the local goods line that is now a light rail.
Both trips were chased then, following coverage of the celebrations at Darling Harbour following arrival of the second trip, we were invited to Eveleigh to witness her drop steam for the last time.
The old 1976 Corona that was our chariot on many 80s railfan trips.
Very nearly didn't get my Corona back up the grade out of this Cowan bank location :-)
Union Street on her last from Gosford, passes the wharf area where she would soon be removed from Australian soil.
She is seen on what is now the light rail line to Dulwich Hill, with the Star City Casino somewhere on my left side.
FLYING SCOTSMAN, on what is now the light rail line, had just completed her second run from Gosford.
Sleep tight SCOTTY, you will soon be going home.
Eveleigh Workshops as her fire is dropped for the last time.
Thanks to David Henderson for gaining us permission to be part of this historic event.
Farewell Scotty - Leaving Aussie Shores
A sad day, as we return to Union Street (Darling Harbour) to see SCOTTY loaded onto a barge for transfering to Port Botany and subsequent shipping back to her home.
4403 was given the duty of hauling her to the wharves. SCOTSMAN's namesake (numbersake?) locomotive, 4472, had picked her up on arrival, and that was the loco we were half expecting to bring her back.
Either way, it was a lovely 44 class 'World Series' cab unit, so who were we to complain about it :-)
Not relevant, but of interest, is that both 4403, and 4472, still exist after most of their class were scrapped.
Saying my final farewell to a loco I had got to know well.
Photo: Peter Bubb (on my camera)
