One of the saddest parts of devoting your life to furthering the railway hobby is the hatred it attracts from those who either do nothing or those with some belief that they have competition.
  In recent weeks the 'Strange Modeler of Universal Trains' (SMUT) has been subject to a number of false accusations, along with hints aimed at our honesty in dealing with helping museums.
  The one being dealt with in this article is the accusation that SMUT members do not get their hands dirty in preservation. Given that membership is heavily drawn from museum volunteers, these comments have caused significantly upset and anger.
  Yes, we are not blind to the fact that these attacks were never made to be factual, their sole purpose being to try to stop our efforts to help. Over the years we have witnessed many good people forced out of the hobby, their biggest crime is that that they did something good for the hobby.
  Is that really the hobby we want?
  Do we really want a hobby at all?

  So, in light of all this, I bring forth an interesting selection of images covering the important work done almost weekly by members of our group.
  Yes, I know that this will only provoke further lies and hate, but we are lucky to have so many people dedicated to preservation and I feel it is about time they are all properly recognised.

Nathan at Neath during a tour of SMR10 and 18.

Paul on his beloved MARJORIE.
Paul is a very regular volunteer at the Richmond Vale Railway Museum.

Aaron getting his hands dirty at Thirlmere.

Michael and Aaron (Brothers Hobson) caught in a busy moment.

Quite possibly the nicest guy to exist in the railway hobby, Zane does a huge amount for the railway preservation and modelling scenes.
State Mine is one of his more frequent haunts and it is where he is seen above.

Zane at it again. State Mine.

Hunter legend Ray on the Goodwin ALCo owned 4833,

The SMUT team who made the Naradhan tour possible.
Left to right.
David X - Tour help.
Brad - Organiser: seating, ticketing, promoting, magazine and PR.
Greg - Organiser: Train, sales, LVR liason.
David H - Tour jack of all trades.
Hendo: Buffet car manager.
Rodney: Barbeque Cookerer and road support.
Sean: Tour help.

Rodney attending to the cooking needs of the pre-Naradhan tour party at Cootamundra West (not on ARTC property).

Lenny, one of the hard working volunteers at the Crookwell museum.

Ben, another volunteer worker at the Richmond Vale Railway Museum.

Thanks to everyone who sent in photos for this article and thanks to all those S*M*U*T members who go above and beyond for the preservation scene.

 

~~ A STEAMY HUNTER ADVENTURE ~~

28-11-2009

Steamy? Yes, but because of the extreme temperatures, not for what your dirty perverted gunzel minds may be thinking.

A lunch at Mayfield to celebrate the aunties birthday naturally lead on to an afternoon of lineside bliss, and who better to spend this time with than Kurri Kurri's own kettle expert, Mr Nathan.
Despite the very brief amount of time, a number of good sights were seen, some even of the train variety.

Kurri local and international porn star, Mr Nathan!

The secret missle launching program at Kooragang is taking shape.

Hmmmm enough to boil the blood of any true gunzel.

Gunzel excitment was the order of the day as G539 BL26 48108 48165 and 4886 scream through Warabrook with a Cobar bound ore train.

The sight of MrNathan's new foamer chariot next to 8601 became all a bit to much for him.

Why Warabrook is loved by railfans everywhere.

Ahhhhh a sweet moment between god daddy and Tin Tin!

No, he did not have boiled lollies.

8601 again.

8251 8252 pass through Warabrook with an up Stratford coalie.

And crosses a Tranny.

Sadly just a western one, but as it was quite on the train front we took the opportunity.

McFuggly cars!

TT01.

This class is a bit of a focal point for the local Filipino community. TT in Tagalog means, ahhmmmm, well penis. Looks like Pacific National has got themselves a dickie locomotive class.

~~ NEATH WEEKEND #? ~~

PART 2

We start the second part of our story at the Neath Hotel on the 19th of September where various members of the 'Neath Hotel Railfan Group' attended the inaugeral meeting of the 'Merriwa Railway Society'.

Whi;le not officially members of the Merriwa group, as it is our local we felt it wise to be in attendence to ensure much rowdy behaviour would go on :-)

Please enjoy the following little look at the attendees of the meeting.

Left to Right

Brad Coultar (who looks like he just sat on a carrot), Andrew Tailby,

Paul 'SMR30' Bird and Jason Roberts.

Left To Right

The World Famous Colonel (aka davo1620), Mr Nathan and Brian

Leedham (Chair for the inaugeral meeting)

Trent Pegler's head starts to list to starboard.



Colonel donates large quantities to the Neath Hotel economy!




Birdie and Cooties feed their faces while, ahhmmm, whats his name looks on.

No wonder he is worshipped near and far!!!!!!

MrNathan just loves his Neath Hotel days and his gunzel mates.

Streeeewth - hope the wife dosen't see this Colonel!

Sadly all good Neath occasions must come to an end, however, instead of the usual collapsing in a room upstairs until morning (or the first passing coalie), the Neath gang headed on to the 'Richmond Vale Railway Museum' to see what was running.

Mr Nathan and Cooties help out by ensuring the track in in gauge.

SMR30 (the locomotive, not Paul Bird) heads towards Pelaw Main.

Seems the first gauge check was not good enough and they needed to try again.

BHP34 heading back to Richmond Main.

A bit closer - obviously!

Jason Roberts and The Colonal argue over whether the G sets are more

attractive than single deck trains.

Theres that pesky BHP34 again, heading to Pelaw Main.

And to finish off the day we headed back to East Maitland for some late afternoon piccies of trains passing the new bridge work that will

ultimately destroy this location (bastards).

Amongst many other delights were these two EL class on a down wheatie.

Thus concludes our coverage of the latest Neath Hotel weekend.

Coming up shortly is a look through the photos recently found buried in the bowels of the garage, along with special guest Cooties and his look at fellow foamers I have had the pleasure, or otherwise, of knowing over the years.

Thank you for coming and PLEASE mind the drool as you leave.

We are to tight to get PLI!

12453

~~ NEATH RAILFAN WEEKEND NUMBER ? ~~

PART 1

Ahhhhhh yes it was that time again, its spring, a time when a young man's thoughts to love and a foamers thoughts turn to the Hunter Valley.

While not really a weekend, given this was a one day venture north to sit in on the inaugeral meeting of the 'Merriwa Railway Society', much opportunity was taken to consume the Hotels fantastic food and delightful 'alcoholic' beverages, during a sampling of Colonel's finest orchestral instrumentation from the nearby gentlemans convenience.

As it was likely to be the last time I can drag my rapidly decaying frame to East Maitland prior to the most glorious of all hackspots, Pitnacree Bridge (aka Houro's Bridge), being destroyed by a brand new bridge catering for the ever growing needs of humanity. I thought this would have to be the go for the first few shots of the day.

Now I am not going to sit here and type up a whole pile of sightings for you to quickly persue through and soon forget about. Nah stuff it - I can't be bothered.
So instead - please devour the following selections of gunzel porn taken on the dribbly cam which will appear over two parts.

NOTE: I hold no responsibility for expansion of personal

body parts while viewing the following!

Just in case anyone cares - our first sighting was this flamin thing!

The Colonel brings along a sample of his new gunzel rag.
To be released in 2012

PL5 48120 48137 pass through East Maitland with one of two services out of Pelton

that morning. The afternoon services were cancelled.

NR92 NR83 NR52 scream through East Maitland with a load of containers

bound for the 'Shakey' city of Brisbane.

The excitment of the earlier Huntercar was way to much for Nathan and Colonel.

The elder-statesman of Hunter railway photography, Mr John Hourigan

as found in East Maitland waiting to pounce on the next exciting combination!

9005 9022 8241 up coal rooooooooooar through East Maitland 20kph.

A Broken Man - 8am and still no Bundy!

Buggar, didn't I just show this one?

Must have come back for a second run through.

8237 8217 8210 Down empty coal passing through East Maitland.

Yes, it was getting very hot. As a safety precaution much fluid was consumed.

Perhaps a little to much was consumed in retrospect!

Anyway, eventually 8226 8254 8129 9007 took centre stage with a rake of coal

headed to port.

Cooties, 3112 and the World Famous Colonel!

All members of the 'Neath Hotel Railfan Group', Facebook and AA.

5010 5004 make a welcome change to the endless Pacific National passings.

Despite being a hot and sunny day, the moon did make a brief apearance.

~~ COMING VERY SOON IN PART 2 ~~

In Part 2 we shall sit in on the inaugeral meeting of the 'Merriwa Railway Society', visit the Richmond Vale Railway and head on back to East Maitland for the final hours of daylight.

12126

You come back again - ya here?