Today, Saturday the 16th of August 2008, Fred3801, Bwana and I decided to go down to the Southern Highlands to (hopefully) see the Indian Pacific and AK cars.
I left Mortdale on a bus at 7.52 and got to Riverwood at 8.05. Now that’s pretty quick compared to a train!
i met Bwana at Riverwood and we went to Glenfield to pick up Fred. It turns out ’someone’ had slept in and we had to wait another half hour. In the half hour that we were there we saw nothing. Then Fred showed up and we hopped in the car.
We hit the highway and went to Bargo, stopping at some places along the way.
When we got there, we saw the direct service to Central on the platform but it was nothing of intrest to us. We set up shot at the end of the platform.
Our first sighting of the day was a Light Engine 81 possible going to Berrima at about 10.30
About a hour later, we saw TM72 struggling up the grade at Bargo. It took about 10 minutes to clear the signal.
In about half an hour, we saw 7NY3 with two Vanilla NRs at the front, 8046* and a AN in AN Livery.\
Trailing shot(sorry leading didn
Then nothing came for the next 2 hours which was about the time we expected the AK cars and the up Indian Pacific(6AS8).
By now it was 12.30 and we were getting restless and impatient. When we least expect it, we hear the familiar honk on a NR. A IP NR was leading the steel train and I got a ordinary shot of it**.
A Indian Pacifc NR leads a Steel Train through Bargo
En route, we saw some little kids on the track and doing the right thing, we(well Fred had opted to out of all of us) told the SM at Bowral.
After the quick stop, we headed for Moss Vale for lunch. By now it was about two. After eating lunch in the park in which the coal hopper derailed, we headed to Werai expecting a ARG flour train to Manildra going the long way(via Parkes and Cootamundra).
But that didn’t show up so we moved to a cutting(no fence) just down the Mountain. And guess what we saw for the next 2 hours???!!! Nothing. By now we figured out everything was out of whack and the only thing we could rely on was the Indian Pacifc to be on time. \
At 5.10(it was due through at 5.18), we left to go back up the mountain. Half way up, Fred spots a headlight in the distance. The Indian Pacific, just as we expected to happen. We get some pretty mediocre photos and head home.
Indian Pacifc at Werai
Fred gets dropped off at Glenfield and I get dropped off Riverwood.
Now, it was about 6.30 and I expect to catch the 945 bus back home as I did in the morning. I read the timetable. Let’s see 945, last one left at 1.25???!!! Ah well, I had a day return to Glenfield from Mortdale so I went on the train which took about 20 minutes longer.
As I leave Mortdale Station, I hear a familiar roar that I heard a few times during the day. The Steel Train with triple Vanilla NRs. I wasn’t that fussed as anyone else. I bought myself a packet of Starburst(c) Tropical FLing(tm) which FYI was very nice and I went home.
