One Day in Newcastle
It’s 5am on Easter Monday and I can’t believe I’m up. Yesterday we drove over 1100km to get back from Newcastle and I should be absolutely knackered (we also did over 1100km on Friday to get down to Newcastle) but I’ve had 8 hours sleep and that’s about my limit.
We went down to meet a couple of the grandkids who were born since we were last in NSW so there wasn’t much time to look around and no chance to get any photos – although we did see plenty of coal trains including an up QRN coalie hauled by two 5000 class locos. They were absolutely filthy and the QRN scheme is one that doesn’t seem to look good when it’s covered in grime.
Early on Saturday morning we went for a drive into the centre of Newcastle and it was so depressing – boarded up shops, grimy streets, flies and cockroaches inside the McDonalds store in Mayfield and the staff didn’t seem to care – sad and depressing and not like the Newcastle we used to know.
A bit like this photo of 4706 taken by Brad Peadon at Carrington (Newcastle) in December 1997. The loco was destined for the Dorrigo rail museum.
It was good to get back over the border!
March 25th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Wow Stuart, sorry to hear you had such a shocker in Newcastle. I’ve always had such pleasant experiences. Just up the road from the station, there is a place called “Newcastle Bakehouse” which always gives a good feed for a reasonable price. There are also a number of good cafes and a nice pub opposite the station.
I do agree that there are far too many nice buildings boarded up in Newcastle, and apparently some of the uni students get a bit rowdy outside some of the major pubs/clubs on a Wednesday night.
I’ll be going back there on Wednesday this week, up on the Casino XPT and home on the Brisbane XPT, so hopefully I have a better time of it than you did!
Trent
P.S. Some of the 5000′s *are* really, really grubby, it’s a shame, innit?
March 25th, 2008 at 8:19 am
G’day Trent
Maybe we were there too early on the Saturday morning but everything around the station was closed. A crappy bed in the motel probably didn’t improve our outlook much either – I’ve slept on better mattresses in army barracks.
One high point of the trip was the coffee we got at Gloria Jeans on the highway at Kempsey. Toni and I like our coffee strong but man that cup just about put hairs on our chests and it sure kept us awake for the rest of the trip home
April 14th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
For a nice meal in Newcastle, well close to it, the Neath Hotel is recommended, esp the rump steak.
We are gradually turning the co-owner into a railfan
Also:
* Greasy Shop about 5 minutes west of Telarah station on the northbound side opposite a meat suppliers place.
* The grumpy Chinawoman takeaway just out of Cessnock on the road to Pelton.
* Seafood shop straight across the road from that Maccas you went to.
April 14th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
As for Newcastle itself.
We worked at the NJC twice last week and the main road into the city, especially around the Hamilton area, is absolutely disgusting. Has all the looks of a ghost town in a city fast dying.
April 14th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Brad the Hexham Bowling Club has a pretty good restaurant too but sadly there’s no view of the railway line.
And you’re going to have to enlighten me about the NJC – I’ve been racking my brain trying to workout what that stands for ever since I saw your post on your Foamers blog.
Stuart
April 20th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Newcastle Jockey Club.
It be at Newcastle, within earshot of T class horns as they depart for Pelton
We were doing an exhibition there.
Brad