FIJI MAQERE RANGES

An Adventure

  Way, WAY, back in 2006, I spent a week in Fiji sampling much of the 2ft action that the country has to offer.
  Mid way through the trip, we decided to head across to the small little out-depot of Tavua, a fascinating location with one of the most model-able little loco shed I think I have ever seen.
  In an incredible example of great timing, they were preparing to transfer the local track car back to the Rarawai sugar mill in Ba.
  We waited a little way outside the town for the track car to come past. Thanks to John Browning, one of my companions on the trip, I was privileged to have a ride across this spectacular mountain range.

Our vehicle for the adventure.

Not impressed that we violated his territory.

Their was much evidence of regular derailments.

Tell me that this is not just begging to be a tourist railway.
Some beautiful views of the farms and coastline along this section.

To finish up, more evidence of cane lost in derailments as I neared the end of the trip.

Earlier Fiji posting on the blog HERE. Including the above mentioned Tavua shed.
More to come as it is found.

 

BLI BLI (Now Lautoka #16)
The Prototype and The Model.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Come along and help us to help the kids most in need.

                                     ~~ HOSKINSTOWN - MOLONGLO RIVER ~~

  Starting at the very small platform and gangers shed that mark the location of Hoskinstown, we made our way towards the Molonglo River as we continued to head towards Captains Flat.
  Despite the Captain Flat portion of our trip being very railway biased, I have been surprised to find both my electronic game loving boys wanting to go back again.

Later this week, Bungendore through to Hoskinstown.

~~ CAPTAINS FLAT 2012 ~~

I had typed up a whole long article about this day and the town, but the pathetic service and reliability of the the Google Blogger sites has lead to it all disappearing AGAIN.

So you are left with only the shots.

Later this week I shall cover the rest of the line back towards Bungendore.

LAKE GEORGE MINE

In coming days we will cover the line further back towards the junction at Bungendore.

The Captain Flat Association is now on FACEBOOK.

~~ 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.