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 for
FREE at our ALR WEBSITE.




Please email me should you wish to use anything from this site !



Monday, May 31, 2021

PETRIE CREEK (CLARK'S) LIFT BRIDGE

 



The lesser known of the two Moreton Sugar Mill lift bridges crossed over the Petrie Creek in Bli Bli.

Unlike its cousin across the Maroochy River, which served many farms, along many different lines, this one only served a couple of farms at the end of the relatively short Clark's line.


While in the area researching tramway remains with my friend Andrew Palser (Maroochy River Lift Bridge Group), we decided to see if we could locate any remains of this old, long removed, bridge.
Note: These remains are on private property (Rivershore Holiday Park) and access was asked for and granted.


It took a while, walking around the shoreline looking for any clues.
When nearly about to give up, I finally noticed the surviving parts seen above, then soon after the only surviving bit of rail (below).





North side of Petrie Creek.



Formation of former Campbell (62) siding, one of the two loading points beyond the bridge.


Maroochy Shire Tramways Group

Maroochy Shire Tramways Website

Maroochy River Lift Bridge

Nambour Tram


Trains For Kids With Cancer Returning Later In 2021.


Friday, May 28, 2021

DELEC LOCOMOTIVE DEPOT PT9

 


Welcome to the second last posting in the Delec series.

 I've been unable to find more relevant documentation in the archives, and sadly have not received any from other sources.
Hundreds more photos, but will use them in other projects.

I hope the series has been of interest to some. It has been wonderful having this opportunity to revisit the years I spent there.

14-3-1993 - Not all listed

42208 42212

4479

4847

4907 4911

8004

8170

8632

19-5-1993

42202c   42205c

4446o 4467c

4602o 4609 4615 4629

8050

8149 8150 8173

Hope Street: 4439 4466 4839 7304 7311 7313 7331

4827 departs Delec and will soon take the track to the right towards Enfield yard.

2-6-1993

42217

4427rt 4464rt 4466

4601o 4604o 4605o 4611c 4613c 4615c

4903c

8004 8017

8172fr 8177 8179fr

20-6-1993

42202 42209fr    42211fr    42212fr 42214 42216c   42217c   42220o

4401rt 4403c 4405c 4427rt 4446o 4451c 4458 4464rt 4465c 4468c

4528c

4601o 4602o 4608c 4609c 4611c 4617c 4621c 4627fr 4630fr 4625c

4626c 4629c 4630fr 4636c 4638c

4808c 4812rt 4815rt 4817o 4818rt 4823rt 4824rt 4825r 4830o 4833c

4837rt 4838c 4843c 4888rt 4889c 4891c 4894rt 4896rt 4898fr 48101rt

4901g 4903c 4905g 4906rt 4907c 4908c 4909c 4911fr 4912c 4913c

4914c 4916c 4917o

8045r

8146 8151c 8155c 8168c 8170c 8172fr 8173c 8177fr 8184fr

8638

DEP ROAD: 8006o+8010b+8048fr+8003o (KB37)

HOPE ST: 4506rt 4508rt 4509rt 4531fr 4534c 4539 4540

4439 7304r 7311o 7313r

NOTES: 42211 newly painted in blue.

45 class at Hope Street going from Junee to Broadmeadow.

8045 accident repairs

1-8-1993

42205 42209fr

4427rt 4446o

4622

4835o 4836g 48119

4909c 4913c 4914c 4918c

8045

8114fr 8158 8173 8178 8180

8506fr 8510

HOPE ST: 7304 7311 7313 7331

NOTES: 8114 newly painted in blue.

4439 disappeared from Hope Street

4306 is at Delec for one of the open days they used to hold.

8-8-1993

4204

42204c 42206fr 42208c 42212fr 42213 42214c 42218fr

4403 4427rt 4446 4454 4461 4464 4466c 4468 4473 4484

4528

4601o 4617 4621c 4626 4627fr 4638c 4640wc

4801rt 4810rt 4812rt 4808c 4821o 4822o 4823rt 4825r 4826r 4827c

4828r 4830o 4832r 4835o 4838c 4839rt 4842c 4844c 4845rt 4847c

4848c 4850c 4852c 4853c 4857c 4881c 4887o 4888 4891c 4892

4895rt 4897rt 4898fr 48100fr    48101rt 48103c    48136c

4901 4902 4903 4904 4905 4906 4907 4908 4909 4911

4912 4913 4914 4917 4918

7306wc 7341wrt 7343wrt 7345wo 7350wo

8007 8042 8045

8127fr 8143c 8147c 8159c 8162c 8164c 8170c 8173c 8174c 8177fr

8182fr

8646c

HOPE ST: 7304 7311 7313 7331

NOTES: 4801 had accident damage.

8045 Repairs (Condobline accident)

8127 newly painted in blue

15-8-1993

42201fr 42203c 42205c 42206fr 42208c 42207fr 42216c 42218fr

4401rt 4403c 4448rt 4461c 4463c 4464c 4464rt 4467c 4468c 4469rt

44213c

4607fr 4613c 4614c 4621c 4625c 4627fr 4629c 4630fr 4636c

4801rt 4802rt 4805rt 4812rt 4815rt 4817o 4821o 4822o 4824rt 4825r

4830o 4835o 4838c 4842c 4846c 4852c 4855c 4857c 4859c 4888rt

4897rt 4898rt 48104fr 48136c

4901 4902 4903 4904 4905 4906 4907 4908 4909 4911 4912 4914 4916 4917 4918

8012o 8016o 8025o 8030fr 8034fr

8151c 8165c 8170c 8182fr

8613c

G518

ROTTEN RD: 4640 7306 7341 7343 7343 7350

NOTES: 8034 newly painted in blue. 

22-08-1993

42203c 42204c 42209fr 42213 42215fr 42217c 42220o

4401 4403c 4405 4448 4454 4461 4464 4468 4470 4471

4601o 4603o 4613c 4615fr 4623c 4624fr 4626c 4636c

4807fr 4814o 4826r 4831o 4833c 4834rt 4836g 4846c 4852c 4853c

4857c 4859c 4896rt 4887 4897rt 48108c

4901 4902 4903 4904 4905 4906 4907 4909 4912 4913 4914 4916 4917 4918

8021 8030fr

8133c 8148c 8153c 8159 8162c 8165c 8169c 8170c 8174c 8175fr

8178c

ROTTEN ROW: 4640 7306 7341 7343 7345 7350

NOTES: 4468 newly painted in heritage indian red.

4806, for a short while also known as BRUCE, is still sitting around here in 2021. It is said to be owned by 'Sydney Ports' and to eventually be placed on display.

29-8-1993

42214c 42214 42217c 42220o

4405c 4461c

4610c 4624fr 4625 4636

4808c 4824rt 4826r 4833c 4836g 4848c 4896rt

4905g 4907c 4909c 4911fr 4918c

8165c 8166 8167fr 8177fr

7-11-1993

42204 42208c      42210fr 42212 42213c      42214c 42220o

4403fr 4427rt 4451c 4458fr 4461 4463c 4465 4466c 4468o 4471rt

4499

44214

4613c 4622o 4624fr 4636

4802rt 4803fr 4806rt 4809r 4811c 4812rt 4817o 4819o 4823rt 4826r

4827c 4829r 4830o 4832r 4836g 4838c 4846c 4850c 4855fr 4887o

4889c 4890rt 4891c 4892rt 4894rt 4895rt 4896 4897rt 48101rt 48103c

48105fr 48112fr 48115rt 48125c 48122c 48138c 48140fr 48149c

4901g 4902g 4904o 4906rt 4907c 4909c 4912c 4914c 4916c 4917c 4918c

8005o

8150 8160 8161c 8170 8175fr 8176c

8601fr 8609 8618c 8620 8622 8630 8643 8648

ROTTEN ROW: 4640 7350

DEPARTURE RD: 4849+4913 4905

NOTE: 4855 newly painted blue.

13-11-1993

42205 42217

4454 4461

4818 4841

4905 4908 4917

7350

8160 8177 8179

8608

C504

G522

Bogie on an unidentified 48 class.

14-11-1993

42202c       42203 42206 42210fr      42211 42214 42216 42219 42220

4401 4448 4451 4458 4461 4463 4465 4467 4469 4470

4471 4474 4479

4601 4602 4603 4610 4613 4617 4621 4624 4626 4627

4628 4636 4639

4801 4807 4812 4818 4819 4820 4821 4824 4826 4827

4829 4838 4839 4841 4843 4844 4845 4850 4886 4887

4891 4898 48100 48101 48105 48128 48129 48143 48149 48165

4901 4902 4903 4904 4906 4908 4910 4911 4912 4913

4914 4918

7350

8001o 8008o 8049fr

8152c 8156c 8160c 8164c 8166c 8171c 8179fr

8603c 8607c 8611 8617c 8618c 8629c 8630c 8633c 8648c 8649c

WHEEL LATHE: 48165b

DEPARTURE RD: 4909+4907

ROTTEN ROW: 4640wc

26-9-1999

ROTTEN ROW: 8001

HOPE ST: 4805 4830 4902 4905 4908


1-1-2000

42203c  42210 42219

4638o

4806 4819 4851 4854 4855 4861 4873 4874 4876 4879

4883 48134 48152

4904o 4910

7322 7334

8004 8010 8011 8013 8017 8025 8031 8033 8039 8046 8047

8128 8133 8136 8138 8148 8151 8159 8160 8173 8177

8178 8179

8206 8237 8245 8251 8258

PRESERVED: 4908 4918

STORED: 44201 44207 44212 44215 44216 44218 44222 44228 44230

4901 4903 4912

8001 8008 8019 8029 8030 8048

8503

8620 8635 8648

NOTE: 7322 and 7334 in CRT livery.

4819 In RSA livery

8001 stripped with engine removed.

  8503 'That Accident'

2-2-2000

WHEEL LATHE: 4904


15-4-2000

42210 42219

4806 4819 4827 4846 48114

8132

9010

PL2

WHEEL LATHE: 4910

HOPE ST: 4804 4805 4809 4830 4902 4905 4909 4917

NOTES: 4819 and 4827 in RSA livery


6-5-2000

42203

4638

4806 4849 4851 4853 4873 4877 4884 48117 48118 48125

48145

7322

8025 8033 8039

8116 8170 8178 8182

8201 8208 8212

8607 8609

WITHDRAWN: 44222 4901 4912 8503 8648

HOPE ST: 4804 4805 4809 4830 4902 4903

NOTES: 8609 has the note ‘Hummy’

8503 'That Accident'

7322 CRT livery

    4638 NSWRTM

3-2-2001

42220

44212

4805 4806 4809 4850 4854 4872 4884 4891 48124

4902 4904 4905 4909 4910 4917

8001 8005 8008 8011 8016 8017 8021 8025 8029 8031

8033 8035 8040 8048

8115 8146 8149 8165

8215 8216 8234 8239

8503

8648

WHEEL LATHE: 4860 9013


21-9-2001

4889 48116 48122

8045 8050

8105 8110 8143

PL4

WHEEL LATHE: 4806

DEPARTURE RD: 8160+8132+8253

8010 inside Delec shed, wearing her 1988 bicentennial livery.

16-1-2005

4806 4855 4879 4880 4883 48139

8001 8005 8010 8011 8015 8025 8029 8031 8035 8040

8047

8159 8160 8171 8174 8178

PL4 PL7

WHEEL LATHE: 845


25-6-2007

4497

4861 4862 4879 4880

8004 8025 8032 8047

8178 8182

9002

WHEEL LATHE: CLP11


24-5-2008

42305

48159

8150pn 8151 8161 8162

X48




9013 visiting Delec for wheel lathe attention.
These heavy beasts would only venture out of Hunter coal traffic for this reason.


8176, 8158, and now scrapped 4850 and 4898, sitting around the Delec sanding shed.


8183 and 42216.
The 81 is still in service with Pacific National, while 42216 was more recently purchased by Southern Shorthaul and believed to currently be stored.


8012 bludges around Delec on August 15th, 1993.
According to Wikipedia, so take it with a grain of salt, she is currently in store with Pacific National.


Victorian C504 keeps NSW unit 8004 company outside the south end of the shed.
Today, 8004 is stored at Werris Creek (Pacific National), while C504 is operational, and in the ownership of Southern Shorthaul.



4832, seen here in the reverse livery, has since gone to god.


4827 outside the Delec wheel lathe, back before she went blue/white (as seen at top of posting).


No idea what the structure is above 4811, but whatever it is (I am sure someone will know), 4811 is sitting under it.
Anyway, unlike said structure, 4811 is still around and operation. It is now known as 48s36.


4898 and 48105 have both been scrapped, however 4815 survives as 48s34.
Just visible behind is the only red terror liveried 49 class. This be 4906, which is now preserved by the Lachlan Valley Railway.


4826, yet another unfortunate one that was later scrapped.


4853, yep scrapped.


Given a collision has rendered 8001 with the look of a Concorde, it is not surprising that has been converted into a Kia.  


8026 is one of those very rare 80 class to still remain operational.


A truly magnificent looking locomotive, worthy of appearing again.
4306 is at Delec for an open day.














Monday, May 17, 2021

HARDEN STATION 9-4-2021

 


Harden Railway Station

Opened: March 1877 (as Murrumburrah)

Sept 1878 (renamed North Murrumburrah)

Sept 1880 (renamed Harden)



Harden station was named after the county.
It is likely that it comes from the humorously named 'Harden Moore' in West Yorkshire (United Kingdom), the name meaning 'Hare Valley'.


Above: Looking towards Melbourne.


Above: Waiting room.
Below: Down platform looking towards Sydney.


Harden station is served by two Sydney/Melbourne XPT services, in each direction, each day.
It also is served twice a week by the Griffith Explorer service (To Griffith Wed & Sat, From Griffith Thur/Sun)


Above: Waiting room.
Below: What time does this place open :-)



Above: Heritage legend Mr Brian Leedham was in town.
Below: Up platform looking towards Sydney.






Above: access to Harden station is via a subway.
Below: Harden South Box is slowly becoming more and more dilapidated. 


Though NVJF-34044 is even more dilapidated.
This van was previously used to assist in shunting the nearby Cunningar wheat silo siding. The siding being a dead end meant that the train would need to push back to Harden.
Later, using 48 class at both ends of the train removed the need for the van, which saw it dumped aside in this siding.
Its future looks bleak at best.


Those Harden birds really have it in for us humans.


Thanks to:
Brian Leedham and Harold Forsyth

nswrail.net






You can’t lose a homing pigeon.

If your homing pigeon doesn’t come back, then what you’ve lost is a pigeon.