Tempe Basin Motor Boat Assoc Tramway 

Tempe, NSW

  It has been many, many, years since I dropped by to check out the tramway that was used to carry boats from Cooks River into a large nearby boat repair place.
  On my last visit, it was still very much in use and, while still mostly intact, part of the site has been redeveloped as a childcare centre and rail access between water and yard is no longer possible.
  A good three quarters of the boat yard is still there and, while full of boats and other guff, it all looks largely disused.
The old traverser is still in place, as is the numerous tracks that ran off of it. The new childcare centre covers the section that joined the main track that ran out across Holbeach Avenue and down into Cooks River.
  Given the future of the rest of the yard must be bleak, I thought I would snap off a few photos.

  Below be the result.

News report showing footage of the track prior to the 

childcare centre construction.

Photo of line into the traverser.


Photo of tramway in use.
Photo: Tempe Basin Motor Boat Association - Facebook

TEMPE - Mk2 LEYLAND LEOPARD

An Interesting Find.

This bus was found near Cooks River at Tempe on September 10th.
It's former Sydney number has not been determined, nor the reason why it has been sitting here for a while. The passenger area is sealed up pretty tight.
The 'ASB' on the side stands for 'Alien Spice Bar'.

The business is based in St Peters, so it may just be a convenient parking location.

Any bus experts able to identify her former number?

'Alien Spice Bar' by Futurlic.

Another delightful baby ALCo selection.

Part 5

The short Tubemakers branch left the main Illawarra line just south of Kembla Grange station. While unused for many years, it is only in more recent times that the junction was actually removed.

48125 4901 on the track to the disused 5th platform at Rockdale during trackwork.

48124 is the fourth loco in a quad again. Had it been at the front, it would have make a lovely set of consecutive numbers.

Almost a perfect set of Indian Red 48ers at Broadmeadow.
Only ruined by the flagon 4894, a sign of some local patriotism in 

the bicentennial year.

48126 shunts Albury yard in happier times.

Now awaiting her fate in far less happy times.

48127 and 8015 pass the former Banksia Street crossing in a view 

that is much changed today.
A huge footbridge now connects both sides, the units in the background are now finished and that well known Flame Tree is no more.

Until our next riveting 48 installment. _____________________________________________________________________

Maroochy Shire Tramways SIG

Covering the tramways of the Moreton Mill, Mapleton and Buderim districts.

GM3 had been at the Delec Open Day.
Now scrapped 8219 hauled it to Bathurst from Sydney, with 48116 then transferring it to Clyde at Kelso.
48116 is now 48209 with Graincorp.

48117's main claim to fame is that it is the first locomotive the photographer
ever cab rode on.
Alas, she has since been scrapped.

48118 has also gone to God.

48119 likely scrapped at Werris Creek.

48121 was scrapped at Werris Creek in 2015.

48122 was also scrapped at Werris Creek in 2015.

Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment of small ALCo goodness.

For more updates covering this blog and my YouTube channel, check out the Semi Retired Foamer Facebook page, or subscribe to this blog.

The next installment in our 48 class series as we continue our efforts to inflict over 100 mostly unneeded shots on an unsuspecting world.
Thanks to everyone for your lack of positive feedback on these wonderful, Goodwin built, ALCo locomotives that have served 'New South Wales', and elsewhere, for many decades.
The largest single class of diesel locomotive in Australian railway history and quite truly have were the backbone of the NSW railways.
Enjoy, or not enjoy, that choice is up to you.

Shunting Cooks River yard in Sydney.

Delec locomotive depot in Sydney. Enfield yard. 

Carrington is in the suburban area of Newcastle (NSW Hunter region). 

Warren is the terminus of a far western NSW branchline, branching off the former line to Bourke at Nevertire.
Since this photo was taken, back in the very early 2000s, damage to a bridge has seen trains truncated to a siding just out of town. Thus, trains can no longer be seen here in the traditional terminus.

Both Broadmeadow loco depot and Morandoo are located in the Newcastle area of NSW. Broadmeadow has since been closed as an operational depot.
More recently there were moves to turn the depot into a heritage precinct, but this seems to be suffering some sort of issue (the details of which I am unaware). 

This was the go to train every night when holidaying down at Cootamundra. While more normally a triple 44 class (DL500B) roster, sometimes it would throw up something different.
This night was certainly very different, with 48111 leading a recently returned 42107 on the journey from Griffith to Sydney. If memory serves me correct, the 421 class had cab issues and were restricted to second unit at the time.
Of course, memory often does not serve me correct, so feel free to whinge all over Faceook about any error.

The lovely station of Wallendbean, situated on the main south between Cootamundra and Harden.
The station still exists, but no trains stop here and the signalbox (in use at the time of the photo) is well and truly out of use today.

Another view of the former Broadmeadow locomotive depot in Newcastle.
48112 is wearing the reverse livery, while bigger ALCo brother, 4515, is in the ever popular candy livery.

For more information/photos on the 48 class, check out the '48 Class Appreciation Group' on Farcebook.


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