Model Trains and Things

At the moment over on Railpage one of the discussion threads is about the demise of the various classes of Alco powered locomotives that once belonged to the New South Wales Railways. Evidently some people were wondering why the railways had decided to get rid of so many locomotives.

That was a rather sad time for many people because it really was the beginning of the end of a very interesting era. These days can you really imagine a time when the north coast line from Newcastle to South Brisbane was served by a class of 40 of the most decrepit looking locomotives you could ever hope to see?

Could you imagine 44 class diesels as being mundane? 47, 48 and 49 class locos were commonplace; 80 class locos hauled the western superfreighters while 81 and 422 class were all you ever saw on the main south.

And then there were those strange 35 class locos that lurked around Werris Creek and could even to be found at South Brisbane. Yep … those were the days … and they all came to an end with the giant locomotive sale at Cardiff.

All those old locomotives were brought into the railway workshops at Cardiff and sold off. Here’s one of the photos that Brad Peadon took in the workshops on December 6, 1994.

The three locomotives you can see here are 44226, 44213 and 44205. According to Brad’s notes on the back of the photo all three were sold to Morrison Knudson although 44226 was subsequently onsold to Silverton.

Whatever happened to the 44 class loco that John Currey – a train driver from Werris Creek – bought?

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!

Ok, so it’s been nearly a month since I last posted here. My conscience has been bugging me and telling me that I would feel a whole lot better if I actually got round to posting the last photo in this segment but unfortunately work … and lots and lots of it … has been getting in my way.

But now here I am to post the last interesting photo I took the last time I was in Newcaslte and here it is:

If you look back at the photo I showed you in Part 3 of this series you will see this train coming in the distance. It didn’t take long to arrive either because it was moving along at a smart pace despite the fact that this loco, like the Government steam locos, was in the twilight of it’s life.

The loco was one of three very similar 2-8-2 tank locos built by Kitson for the Richmond Vale Railway. The locos were numbered 9, 10 and 11. No 9 was built in 1908 and carried 4567 as its builders number.

No 10 was built in 1911 and carried 4798 as its builders number. No 11 was built in the same year and its builders number was 4834. Number 11 was scrapped in 1968 but 9 and 10 remained in service until 1974 and I believe that both are now preserved.

Toni and I are actually planning a very quick trip to Newcastle this Easter to meet a new grandson and of course I’ll have my camera with me so you never know what I might have to show you on my next trip to Newcastle

In part one and part two of this series we saw 5262 waiting in the exchange sidings at Hexham as 5476 clanked past with a down coal train consisting of privately owned non-air hoppers.

Once 5476 was out of the section the signalman could let 5262 out onto Up coal line to take it’s train down to Port Waratah and as soon as the lower quadrant signal dropped 5262 was on the move.

At the start of 1972 steam was still hauling trains between Gosford and Newcastle and Newcastle and the last colliery south of Muswellbrook. There were also steam locos shunting at 12 other centres around the State. By the end of February 1973  the last steam loco had been withdrawn from revenue service. So at the time these photos were taken in 1972 steam did not have long to go.

Although similar in appearance 5262 and 5476 were from two distinct classes. 5262 was one of 280 strong 50 Class and this particular loco was built by North British (in the UK) and entered service in 1915. 5262 was fitted with a superheater and a turret tender.

5476 was one of the last of the 190 strong 53 class. I’m not sure of which company built this loco but it’s likely that it was constructed by Clyde Engineering at the Granville factory. At this late stage in its life 5476 is also fitted with a turret tender.

Neither loco has been preserved.

Be sure to come back for the last in the series because there was another interesting steam locomotive I photographed from the footbridge at Hexham that day and if you look to the right of the first telegraph pole you can see it coming in the distance.

Yesterday, when I started this series, I showed you 5262 waiting in the exchange sidings at Hexham. You can find part one of the series here.

5262 was being held in the exchange sidings because 5476 was approaching with a string of non-air hoppers destined for another mine further north.

5476 is travelling on the down line reserved for coal trains while over on the Up main line there’s a 620/720 set ready to depart for Newcastle.

Looking north as the train rattles and clanks by.

Bringing up the rear of the trains is yet another CHG guards van. There were plenty of them around the Hunter Valley coal fields in those days.

You’ll notice that the guard is riding on the back platform and that’s where most guards who had to travel in these vans seemed to spend their time. Evidently the interior of a CHG was not what you would call salubrious.

You’ll also notice on the right of these two pictures that there’s an open wagon in the siding that’s being unloaded straight into the truck. In 1972 the New South Wales Railways would still carry single car loads of just about any commodity that you wanted to ship.

… and I had my camera with me …

… and there was a train around …

I went to Hexham and found:

5262 waiting in the exchange sidings to depart south with a string of non-air private hoppers. Sitting in front of the loco is a CHG guards van.

The date was 23 October 1972 and the camera was a Praktica L. The photo was taken from the footbridge at the northern end of the platform.

To finish off this little flurry of 48 class photos that I’ve been posting this weekend let’s finish up with this one from Brad Peadon

Brad took this photo on 20 December 1997 and shows 48110, 48118, 48130 and 48120 drawing a coal train through the unloader at Port Waratah.

All four locos are still listed as being in service and are currently owned by Pacific National.

Here is another 48 class in the weekend’s 48athon that’s running between here and Brad Peadon’s blog that you’ll find here. This time we have 48139 coming up the hill from Kelso with a shunting trip for the Uncle Ben’s Factory at Raglan.

The date was 14 June 1986 and the loco was wearing the candy scheme that was current at that time. 48139 entered service in September 1969 and is still in service and is currently owned by Pacific National.

Continuing on with the 48othon weekend I’m having with Brad Peadon of the Semi-Retired Foamers Blog here’s yet another shot of a NSWGR 48 class.

This time it’s 4869 double-heading with another 48 class grinding up Tumulla Bank with the Central West Express. Tumulla Bank was the very steep ruling grade between Bathurst and Orange.

The use of 48 class locos on passenger trains was not uncommon and they were the backbone of the Wollongong suburban service at one time but they were rarely seen on an express train. Once again I was remiss in not recording a date on the photo but it was probably taken sometime between 1978 and perhaps 1980 when mainline locos were in short supply.

Brad Peadon over at his railway blog has just started to post complete list of the 165 locos in the 48 class and their current status. You’ll find Part 1 of that list here.

Brad has also started to post a few of his many photos of the class and I jokingly suggested that he and I make this weekend a 48othon weekend so here’s my first offering.

 

It’s 4858 on Number 86 passenger – the early morning train from Orange to Lithgow. Here we see it just south of Ash Street and just a few kilometres into its journey. Even though No 86 was never more than two or maybe three carriages I don’t remember seeing many 48s on it during the short time that it ran.

For some odd reason I wasn’t putting dates on my photos at this time but it was probably taken sometime in 1989.