The Semi-Retired Foamer has been a railfan since he was around 5 years old, oh yes a very young age, an age when one really should avoid being involved with the gunzel community to any great extent. A few rather unsavoury people bringing that fact home. After a few decades of train chasing, one decided to break with protocol and get married, thus leading to a severe cut in railfan activity. Subsequent dealings with hate breeders, lunatics, mental defectives and self-appointed preservation overlords lead to an even greater decrease in my hobby participation. However things have changed thanks to our small group of trusted mates, interest has returned, and now I have become a bit more involved yet again.. _ Over the years I have tried my best to further both the hobby, as well as the friendships that it brings. I have done this by setting up proactive groups both here in Australia, as well as the Philippines. It is with huge honour that I am often considered the founding father of the railfan hobby in the Philippines (my second home). _
I don't take the hobby too seriously and I am a friend to anyone who is good and genuine. But never forgive those who have used their hate to destroy my hobby or hurt the friends within it.
Let's Make The Hobby Great Again!
I aim to share the era that I considered mine, the 80s and 90s. I also like to help promote, and even raise funds for, the various heritage societies that keep the era alive _ **** LOCOMOTIVE/ PUBLICATIONS **** - We occasionally publish information on the locomotives, and rollingstock, from railways in Australia and the Philippines. All are available forFREEat our ALR WEBSITE.
Monday, July 27, 2020
BHP55 - BHP Newcastle Steelworks Shunter
Detail Shots
Builders #: 3275-9/77-051 Built: 9/1977
Built for the former BHP steelworks in Newcastle, BHP55 was sold to Austrac at Junee following closure of primary steelmaking in this location.
It, along with sister BHP57, were moved down to the Riverina town, where BHP55 was returned to service as the depot shunter and named FOLLY. She is often attributed with the number 104, next in line after ALCOs 101-103, but I am unaware of any time that she has actually carried this number. As for BHP57, I have heard two differing names that were supposedly to be allocated to her. 'FOLLY 2' and 'FILLY'.
Given the reasoning behind the FOLLY name, the former seems more likely.
However, I am not aware of any plans to restore her, so either name is likely never to happen.
Howdee fellow transport fans. Just like, what seemed to be half of Sydney, I went out on Wednesday to witness the departure of our final QANTAS 747. Before a certain NSW far north coast twit starts throwing ill informed hate and accusations around again, I was well within current Covid19 guidelines. While I've been a railfan for some 45 years, the increasingly dull rail scene has seen me gravitate more towards the aviation hobby since 2017. While I did take plane shots over the years prior, they were, regretfully, been few and far between. During most of this time, I have eagerly sought out the 747, knowing full well that a time would come when they become a much less common part of our skies. Still, you don't have to be a Plunzel to feel some pretty strong emotions as you watched our final 'Queen Of The Skies', VH-OEJ, taking off over Botany Bay for the very last time.
VH-EBC - Sydney Airport - Photo: Phyll Cockle - Brad Peadon Collection Living right next to the airport, with a balcony that lets me watch them all day long, I am used to looking up and seeing our beloved 747 pass by multiple times a day. To be honest, I don't think it has really sunk in that I shall never see our greatest aviation icon fly by ever again. Anyway, with little else better to do with my life, I set out to get the last couple of commercial flights arriving home in Sydney, eventually followed by the last two as they left Aussie soil for the last time. I've decided to chuck it altogether here on the blog. I am none too knowledgeable about things aviation, so please tolerate my mediocre tribute to an amazing plane. Please enjoy, or hate, even be indifferent, whatever you choose to feel about the below. --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second last arrival in regular (if that's the term) service.
VH-OEI From Johannesburg.
27-03-2020
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last arrival in regular service.
VH-OEE From Santiago
29-03-2020
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Second last 747 to depart Australia
VH-OEE To Los Angeles and into the desert
16-06-2020
Video
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sydney Joy Flight - Final time a QANTAS 747 will take off and land in Sydney on the same flight.
VH-OEJ - Joy flight around Sydney Harbour and back
13-07-2020
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- All Good Things! Last 747 to depart Australia, thus ending an era.
VH-OEJ To Los Angeles for two days and into the desert
22-07-2020
Following takeoff, she circled round and back over the airport, as she headed to the city for one final flight down the harbour.
From there, it was down to HARS at Albion Park to fly over their preserved 747, before heading out to sea.
But there was one last surprise in store, before she continued on to Los Angeles and subsequent retirement in the desert.
In closing. Just before OEJ left, we were treated to the arrival of UPS N609UP from Honolulu, which was a much needed reminder that, while our beloved QANTAS birds have all now flown the nest, the 'Queen' will still be around for us to enjoy for some years to come.
In a second installment, I shall drag out some older 747 shots taken around Sydney, and perhaps even Manila.
Into trains, buses, planes, trams, light rail, jeepneys and other guff that normal people only use to get from A to B?
Sadly, I have been most of my existence.
Over the years I have built up an extensive library of train related photos, timetables, documents and other stuff which basically does buggar all other than gather dust in the archive supercentre that is my railway room.
I had long wondered what to do both this assorted guff, and all the more current shots, locomotive news and other bollocks I come across while conducting my foamer business. It lead me to setting up this blog some years ago, a blog that I have only just recently started to devote more attention too again.
Through this blog I hope to share a lot of this stuff and bore you senseless in the process. Along the way one hopes you will put up with my somewhat unusual sense of humour. Most get my strange humour, many less intelligent get quite confused. Years of putting up with many in the hobby who, well, hmmmmm I suppose you could say lunatic fringe members and control freaks, has given me more of a view of the hobby as something that is quite a joke. Certainly not the serious thing it once was. Hope you enjoy the bollocks conveyed herein.
If you feel like contacting me, please go for it.
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alcogoodwin @ gmail . com (remove spaces) Brad
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