The 'ALCo' Motorcade Of

A Lifetime.
1998
I had planned to sit down over a couple of beverages and write up an extended report on this fantastic long weekend motorcade up to Brisbane and Murwillumbah.
However another recent email attack on myself, followed by similar aimed at others by insignificant railfans, on irrelevant railway hate forums, has again left me feeling largely unmotivated. Of course, everyone knows that this is their aim, however, it is good that everyone does now what is happening.
This tour was probably one of the biggest ALCo events run by the 'Rail Transport Museum' since the museum restored 4490 and 4520 to active service.
  The tour was to operate from Sydney to Brisbane, via Fishermans Island (this diversion cancelled due to a massive storm taking out the local signalling.

In Brisbane, there was a local dinner trip to Gatton run, utilizing the restored 1009 (sse photo below).
We chased this dinner tour, then did a quick return run to Toowoomba (Willowburn Depot), before heading back to Gatton for a night time motorcade back to Brissie.

The tour would then resume from Greenbank the day after, heading back south to Casino, before being joined by 'Northern Rivers Railroad' locomotive 42109 for a run out along the now mostly closed line to Murwillumbah.
This beautiful line was probably the highlight of the trip, more so now that it is closed and likely to be turned into one of them vile rail train things.

Along for the trip were David Xuereb (above) and Motive Power supremo Stuart Ellis (seen below). We decided to wear out  a rented Pulsar, rather than any of our cars.

Sadly, the final day came along far too fast and we found ourselves on the final stretch back from Casino to the Hunter again. The further south we got, the more fans joined in the chase.
It was still a good time to be in the hobby and it was a long weekend that still rates as probably the best I have ever had.

Thanks to David and Stuart for being part of a great weekend away, thanks also to the many fans we also met along the way.
The railway hobby has certainly degenerated into something disgusting and full of hate, but at least we have memories of the better days that we leave behind.
Best of all, we still have ALCo locomotives.

Come Join The Fun Of This Event!

~~ CANBERRA MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION ~~

2011

Getting out of the rat race that is Sydney for a day in the bush is an all to infrequent pleasure nowdays. If I am not looking after the shop, then chances are babysitting and doing the regular dirty nappy pitstop.

The trip down to Canberra for the annual model railway exhibition was an on again, off again, plan up until a few days before we departed. Even how we would go about getting there was not really decided on the day we were departing, although we did know it would be by car and that at least one shop of the RTM Bundanoon tour was to be undertaken.

Departure from Moorebank was a rather late 9am one, about 15 minutes after hearing 3642 pass through Holsworthy station on her southbound trip.

This should actually be the last shot, but I forgot to add it to the site first and, quite frankly, am to bloody lazy to get it to the bottom of the rest.

This was the trip home, we had got some 30 minutes out of Canberra before I suggested to MrX that he was on the wrong road, the Yas 16km sign helping to prove the point.

Much to my enjoyment, the final hour of daylight was spent on back roads, headed in the direction of Bungendore and in search of the long lost Feral Highway back to Goulburn.

Mittagong signalbox.

Remember signalboxes? Where once real people actually worked, where trains would be controlled and one could approach for train running information at all hours of the night.

3642 on tour to Bundanoon is seen passing through Mittagong.

NR21 AN1 NR13 on the up at Exeter.

4520 and 44211 hauling the empty Bundanoon set back to Moss Vale.

Exeter.

Alas it was time to get the ol rears in gear and head on down to Canberra, via the Big Merino for a customary bacon and egg roll, to have enough time to actually take a look around the exhibition.

Yummy ALCos.

Falling asleep at the controls :-)

The above layout was perfectly situated alongside some stairs for some terrific elevated shots.

Interesting layout, but the teapot and cups seemed a tad out of scale.

4427 partaking in works train duties around Bargo on a very overcast Sunday back in the 90s.

About the only shots we got all day between the intermittent cats and dogs.

Up pass passing over the oldest railway bridge in New South Wales at Menangle.

4486 and 48112 shunting around the now closed Flemington Market yards.

Very early on a Moss Vale morning, 4484 is found preparing to depart towards Sydney.

Having just stopped in Taree, 4470 4495 and a 45 continue their journey south.

4490 and 4520 were only quite recently restored when they lead 4201 out to Manildra and back.

4498 at Eveleigh.

4423 and 27 sit around the Delec turntable. Neither survived into preservation or private use.

4498 at Broadmeadow loco.

4486 is turned at Cowra prior to her first run in preservation.

4497 4483 44222 on 7SP5 passing through Bargo. 4480 and one other ALCo would be added at Goulburn before continuing on towards Cootamundra and then points west.

New South Wales grand lady of the rails.