** THE LOCOMOTIVE DIARIES - EMD PT7

 

Well, Look Who’s Finally Organizing 300,000 Photos…

Hey there, loyal readers (and those of you who just wandered in here by accident while Googling “vintage trains” or possibly “how to organize your life”)!

So, fun fact: If you ignore a growing pile of 300,000 photos for a few years—give or take a decade—you eventually hit a point where you either have to sort them... or fake your own disappearance. I chose the former. Barely.

Yes, I’m now in full-blown catch-up mode. Think digital archaeology meets mild existential dread. I have managed to wrestle thousands of images into some sort of themed order here on the blog (because, you know, I’m a responsible adult LOL), but there’s still a mountain of unsorted memories waiting to see the light of day. Or at least the glow of your screen.

So what’s coming your way over the next few months? Oh, just a tsunami of transport-related guff: locomotives, carriages, infrastructure, trams, and buses type bollocks. Basically, if it runs on rails or gets stuck in traffic, it’s probably going to make an appearance.

Now, before you get too excited (or fall asleep), let me lower expectations just a tad. This particular post steps away from the mechanical marvels of ALCO and English Electric—yes, I know, tragic—and instead, we take a solemn, slightly pitying glance at the humble creations of Clyde/EMD. Think of it as the train equivalent of watching someone try their best in gym class.

But hey, whether you’re here for the glorious detail shots or just to marvel at how someone let this photo hoarding situation get so out of hand, you’re in for something. A ride, perhaps. A journey. Or maybe just several weeks of relentless scrolling/yawning. Either way, buckle up—or, you know, don’t. I can hardly tell you what to do.

Photos from the '80s right through to today are incoming. It’s going to be wild. Or mediocre. Depends on how much you like trains, really.

Stay tuned (or don’t). The visual garbage is coming either way.

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42206 GM27 pulls a rake of containers out of the CTAL at Port Botany.

42206 is now with Aurizon, and the GM with Southern Shorthaul.

Photo: Brad Peadon

9022 9029 passing through the coal unloader at Port Waratah.

9029 is believed to be one of the four still operational 90 class, the others being 9015, 9025, and 9027.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below.

Only a few minutes away from passing each other right here, we have 8177 8166 (in Freightrail and Pacific National liveries) passing through Wallendbeen with a loaded grainie, while on the down is an empty with 8113 8163, their liveries reversed.

All 81s are still with Pacific National, excepting 8150 which Wikipedia (yeah yeah I know) says has gone to Qube..

Photos: Brad Peadon

8122 passes through East Botany (Gelco) on the final part of its trip to the port.

Photo: Brad Peadon

At time of compiling the Hunter heavyweights, 90 class, are on their last legs, with all but a very small few now in storage either in Newcastle or Werris Creek.

Despite regular rumours, their future remains uncertain.

Photo: Brad Peadon

8141 8144 on a Manildra job between Scone and Aberdeen somewhere.

Photo: Brad Peadon

The good ol days of the candy and V/line liveries.

8154 G5xx on an up freight passing through a rather green Jindalee (just north of Cootamundra).

Photo: Brad Peadon

8201 is looking decidedly spiffing in her new Pacific National colour scheme. At time of compiling, only very few remained in the Freightrail Blue livery.

Photo: Brad Peadon

I guess someone probably likes these things, but they sure don't float my ferry.

QE004 005 003 were still sparkling new when captured passing through High Street station at Maitland (NSW).

Photo: Brad Peadon

Definitely my favourite era in Victoria when the A, N, and P class ruled the regional passenger service.

Sadly A81 has since been scrapped.

Photo: Brad Peadon

T396 leads an up freight from Tocumwal, passing through Katunga.

The locomotive would eventually end up with Pacific National, and later scrapped at North Geelong.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below

Definitely the highlight of the combined Semi-Retired Foamer & SMUT Modellers Christmas party was this mega combo on the Grainforce train.

C506 B61 4532 GM27 C504

Photo: Brad Peadon

With Melbourne putting on the best weather it has to offer, N462 prepares to depart Spencer Street on an evening run to Warrnambool.

Photo: Brad Peadon

The C class looked seriously sexy in the Silverton livery as seen here on Cs5.

Here it is seen leading ALCo 442s4 at the quarry in Martins Creek (NSW North Coast)

Photo: Brad Peadon

8120 and DL47 on an empty gravel bound for Dunmore passing the former Wongawilli Junction.

Photo: Brad Peadon

CLP12 GM44 CLP10 departing Bomaderry with a load from the local Manildra plant.

CLP12 is now with Southern Shorthaul, while CLP10 is preserved and under restoration as CL17.

GM44 went to Aurizon.

CLF/CLF - Australian Locomotive Rosters.

Photo: Brad Peadon

BL34 receiving some TLC at the RTS workshop in Melbourne.

Photo: Brad Peadon

2186F around Innisfail in beautiful Far North Queensland.

Later sold to Chile.

Photo: Brad Peadon

2188F, also in Far North Queensland, but a little further south in Townsville.

Believed to have gone to South Africa, but later came home and is now with Watco.

Photo: Brad Peadon

1766 and 1724 withdrawn and sitting around the Redbank Workshop in Brisbane.

1766 would go to South Africa, 1724 was stored (Queensland Rail) as of June 2025.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below.

1527 and 1528 withdrawn from service and sitting at Redbank Workshops.
Both went to Chile and were subsequently scrapped.

Photo: Brad Peadon

2200F Stuart Depot in Townsville.

Now with Aurizon.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below.

1723D spending the evening at Redbank LMD.

Now WRD1723 with Watco.

Photo: Brad Peadon

1757D at Willowburn Depot in Toowoomba, Queensland.

Another one that went to South Africa.

Photo: Brad Peadon

2199 and 2159 lead a cattle train north through North Arm in Queensland.

2159 went to South Africa, while the other stayed home.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below

42302 44206, with 42107 out of sight at the rear of the train. Coal train sitting at Craven.

42302 has since been scrapped, while the other two are still in existence.

Photo: Brad Peadon

L251 in rather clean Pacific National livery sitting around Port Kembla depot.

As nice as she looked, she has since been scrapped.

Photo: Brad Peadon

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If you even find some moderate amount of enjoyment would you consider giving us even a little bit of 

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Pretty please :-)

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Bradly Coulter & Carl Millington.

Australian Locomotive Rosters

Wikipedia

 

Australian Locomotive Rosters

Locomotive Diaries - Clyde/EMD Part 1

Locomotive Diaries - Clyde/EMD Part 2

Locomotive Diaries - Clyde/EMD Part 3

Locomotive Diaries - Clyde/EMD Part 4

Clyde Engineering - Wikipedia

Botany Railway Line SIG

Clyde-EMD / EMD Locomotive Model Numbers

Ettamogah Rail Hub

Seymour Railway Heritage Centre

Streamliners Australia - Facebook

Check our new Linktree site above for piles of dreary transport entertainment.

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Locomotive and tram status, details, and photography.

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WANSEY ROAD - LIGHT RAIL STOP

 

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  Two days were recently sacrificed at the Wansey Road Light Rail stop with the desire of fleet photography completion  — because obviously there is no healthier hobby than standing beside Anzac Parade muttering fleet numbers under your breath.

 Armed with a camera, a Coke Zero that got warm far too quickly, and a growing sense that the needed trams were actively avoiding me, I set up camp to stalk the elusive missing vehicles from the spreadsheet of doom. Every approaching Citadis 305 became a moment of hope: Is it 007? 053? Please don’t be flamin 002 yet again. 

Heck, it was usually 002 again. Why does this one constantly haunt me, stalking me like a deranged gerbil.

Randwick itself has been watched by over excitable transport tragics long before the modern light rail arrived in 2019. The original steam trams rumbled through Randwick in the late 19th century, later electrified and eventually ripped out in 1961 — because nothing says “progress” like removing perfectly good rail infrastructure. For decades, buses inherited the corridor, clogging Anzac Parade with diesel fumes and existential dread, until the CBD & South East Light Rail project finally restored trams to Randwick and Kingsford.

 The Wansey Road stop sits quietly near Randwick Racecourse, all sleek platforms and Opal readers — a polished descendant of a transport lineage that’s seen horses, steam, wires, and now air-conditioned optimism. 

And so there I stood, in the shadow of over 140 years of transport evolution, reduced to celebrating minor fleet variations in boring modernity like they were rare wildlife sightings. Commuters, though very few, came and went with purpose; I remained, squinting down the tracks like a Victorian signalman who’d misplaced his dignity. By day two, even the drivers seemed to recognise me — the slightly unhinged figure applauding when a long-missing unit finally rolled in (nah, just joking). Collection gap partly filled.

 Sanity slightly reduced (I still have many more to locate). History respected. Spreadsheet satisfied for today.

 And thus concluded another completely rational light railway pilgrimage.

Above and two below.

006 + 005 passes enroute to Randwick, then some time later passes again city bound.

Photos: Brad Peadon

 

002 + 059 Citybound alongside Wansey Road.

Photo: Brad Peadon

007 + 026 Citybound alongside Wansey Road.

The line drops down lower than the road it follows to avoid the same steep hill

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below.

005 + 006 makes a brief stop at Wansey Road.

When delivered, all these sets ran in consecutive numbers like here.

 Today this is far less common, probably due to a number of collisions requiring repairs.

Photos: Brad Peadon

Above and two below.

The well known Randwick Racecourse makes for lovely views from the Wansey Road light rail stop.

Second photo below appears to be abandoned horse stables.

Photos: Brad Peadon

Substation near the stop

Photo: Brad Peadon

007 + 026 curve from Alison Road into Wansey on their way to Randwick.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below

Consecutive numbered 027 + 028 stop briefly on another dreary run to Circular Quay.

Photos: Brad Peadon

Above and below

Consecutive numbered 026 + 007  'James Bond' now take their turn.

Photos: Brad Peadon

A wee bit of history about the Wansey name.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below.

Looking towards the Randwick terminus from the east of the stop. That is Alison Road to the left, while the tracks can be seen curving into Wansey Road in the distance.

Photos: Brad Peadon

14 and unknown along Wansey Road.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below

Consecutive numbered 037 + 038 negotiate the curve away from Alison Road.

Photos: Brad Peadon

037 + 038 approaching the stop on a different day.

Photo: Brad Peadon

Above and below

Signage around the corner of Alison and Wansey.

'END TSR' is believed to mean the end of a 'Temporary Speed Restriction' which is likely the 20>15 as seen in the sign below that was just before the curve.

Photos: Brad Peadon

Above and below

002 + 059, passing 055 + 056.

Photos: Brad Peadon

Above and below

During the brief quiet moments between the trams, one can entertain themselves with passing buses. While all of the bollocky modern type variety, I guess it is at least better than nothing.

Photos: Brad Peadon

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Mark Wight, Nigel Fairweather.

Semi-Retired Foamer

ALR: The Aussie Tram Project

NOTE: The video versions of these days out appear on the 'Semi-Retired Foamer' YouTube Channel .

 

ALR: The Aussie Tram Project

Footscray & Beyond - Part 1

Kooyong Station & Tram Square

Aussie Ding Dings - Part 1

Carlingford Revisited ..... Revisited

NSW Railways - Past & Present

Check our new Linktree site above for piles of dreary transport entertainment.

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Click HERE for the guide to Australian rail/tram museums

and operators.

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