Hurstville1’s Weblog

On the afternoon of the 5th of September 2008, I went out after school to the city to photograph the city.

After school, I got my train home, got home, got changed, got my tripod + camera and I was off.

I headed to the station, where I got a train to the city which arrived almost immeadiately after I bought my ticket(a cityhopper).

I got off at Central where I walked into the ARHS bookshop where I bought this month’s Railway DIgest.

BY now, it was later than I expected so I boarded the train I was planning to photograph at Milsons Point which was a G set & I was only going to photograph it because I thought it was an OSCAR so I was kind of relieved.

After I got off at Milsons Point, it was pouring. So I walked down to Bradfield Park under the Harbour Bridge. It’s funny to think that us people who live here, don’t really do this that often.

I got some “rainy” shots of the Harbour Bridge & Opera House from the Park which was as you’d expect, very muddy.

Then I saw a wonderful photo opportunity. The Manly ferry next to the Opera House. So, I run. But as I told you before, it was very muddy.

Sprint, Sprint, Sprint, Slip, Sprint , Sprint, Slip.

After slipping twice, I finally get to the Harbour Edge of the park but the ferry has already gone.

Damn.

So, I move on and get some pretty good shots of the Harbour Bridge, in Sydney’s Pride.

The Harbour Bridge in the park.

The Harbour Bridge

Then, I move to Luna Park where I get some pretty average shots of the bridge & the big face at Luna Park.

The Harbour Bridge over the harbour

Then I go for a short walk along the foreshore, bypassing a large puddle about 20cm deep and about 1m sqaure big.

On the way back(I think this is what happened), “someone”you know who you are” sent me a SMS and I was sending a reply before I realised i’d been standing in that puddle for about 10 seconds.

Then I decided to go to Circular Quay to get more pictures of the harbour. By the time I left, it was almost dusk so but I went neither way.

Then I got a few shots of the harbour & city from the Opera House & left for home, in which while waiting for my train at Circular Quay Station, saw G21 & G26 both Hornsby G sets.

Sydney Harbour viewed from Circular Quay Station(note the ferry leaving the wharf)

Harbour edit

The Harbour Bridge in the dark

Sydney by Twilight

I was just wondering if either Dapto or Kembla Grange Racecourse were formery called “Kembla Grange”.

As you can see the station sign has formerly had Kembla Grange and the “Grange” is at the side so it had to end in Grange.

Today, I went down south to chase 3982 which i’d found out that morning, would have an intresting variety of motive power on it.

i left home at 10.50 for a connection to Sutherland for my train to the South Coast which was a 4 car OSCAR.

I alighted the train at Dapto since it was timetabled for a hour long stop there. When I got to Dapto about 15 minutes after my OSCAR had left, I was not dissapointed. About 10 minutes later, the flour train led by GM10 obediatnley followed by KL80, KL82 and 3102, pulled into Dapto.

Flour train roars into Dapto

What also showed up at Dapto, was 8203 who’d also been chasing it.

About 15 minutes later, the signal went green & before we knew it, the flour train had left early. 45 minutes early to be exact.

So, the chase was on. I hopped in 8203s car(and so did he just so you know) and we headed for Bombo. We knew that it was due in for a 13 minute wait there but the train was way early. So we went spot searching at Bombo and found a spot by the Highway & beach. Sooner or later, we hear the familiar roar of Alcos. Not to disapoint, the flour train roars through.

Flour train roars past Bombo

Then we set out for another spot to get it coming out of the loop and we got this of a V set while waiting for it to come out.

V set passes Bombo loop

Now, it was 2.15 & we had doubts over when it would leave. Then we see the driver hop out of the cab & come towards us. Being the good bloke that most locos drivers were, he told us he was sitting at Bombo until his timetabled departure time. So, we hopped back in the car & i got dropped off at Kiama for a train to the city which was the same train I got there in the morning.

It was a pleasant trip back home except the fact I can’t figure out a good position to sleep against the window.

Waiting in the loop.......

Signing off after  a long weekend of gunzelling; Vince

Today, I decided to sleep in.

The End

I left home at 12.30, going to Blacktown to hopefully see some diverted trip trains and a ARG train.

Leave home.Arrive Station.Buy Ticket.Get on train. Tried get to other carriage.Vestibule door broken.Stay in carriage. Get off at Redfern.

Then I changed at Redfern for Blacktown, not caring that if I changed at Central I could’ve caught a I.C.

On my Richmond bound train, on the way there, I knew there would be Works trains on the Inner West so I kept an eye out.

There were

B61

B65

3x MZ

4490 in reverse(who is it owned by?).

Then I get to Blacktown where I wait 30 mins. Nothing.

Then the desto says does not stop, then I start getting excited. Then I see Orange & Black. ARG, cool.

And I pull this off.

3109 leads a ARG Flour train

After it passes, I must wait an hour for the next freight train at about 3.40.

I thought, this must be a trip train.

Then the Indian Pacifc comes through which immediately after, I head back home.

Today, the 23rd of August 2008, I(Hurstville1) went out for a good day gunzelling as there wasn’t anything special today and I took advnatage of that.

With no real arrival/departure time, I left home at 9.30 to Hurstville Station. When I got there, I asked the SM if I could take pics and he said yes. It’s funny that you have one Station Master controlling about 10 people.

Anyway, I strolled down to Platform 1/2 where I saw the Desto for 1 stating “Special”. I thought OK, this is definately a freighter. I tried to find a spot on the Platform but with no sucess.

After waiting about 15 minutes, the Desto on Platform 2 stated special. I though to myself, can’t be anything special just a Coalie or the Ballast. But I was wrong. Also, i was in the middle of the platform where it is very dark. I saw a 81 and thought ballast. Then I see the two 48s and think what is going on?

Then I thought I knew it; a Light Engine movent to Inner Harbour. But I didn’t see the flats at the front. THEN I thought a wagon movement, until some containers showed up. Then I knew it. The Pacnat Train to Nowra.

Since it was so dark, I didn’t get any good shots.

Pacnat train roars through Hurstville.

By now, it was 11 and no other freight has passed. So I went up to the concourse and bought some lunch. While waiting for my train to Allwah I see a Coalie sitting outside the station. So I get this shot along with some sparks.

Geez it

Then, when I got to Allawah. I would wait for the next train to Carlton. While I was there I saw another Coalie

Coalie passes Allawah

Then i move to Carlton. As I switch Platforms, I see Black and Orange in the distance. Then I bolt down the stairs to my spot & I pull this off

2208 passes Carlton on 9881

4827 passes a worksite at CampsieThe footbridge at Campsie

The footbridge at Campsie

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.

Double 82s/81s head South

Today, (9/8/08) I went to Wolli Creek and Glenfield in search of the Tahmoor Colliery trains which were diverted.

I left Mortdale at 7.30 seeing there was a limited stops 6 before my train(mine was an all stops). I thought we’d beat that one since I was getting off at Wolli Creek.

I got on the 7.39 outta Mortdale and we were going smoothly until we stopped at Arncliffe. I wondered what was happening until I saw a T set on the Local and I thought ‘ That must be the limited stops’.

When I got there, it turns out all the limited stops were 13 minutes late which i’m guessing is due to a stuff up on the Cronulla Branch.

With the time I was there I saw 2 Endeavours and a Coalie

4 car Endeavour goes past Wolli Creek

Coalie heads South past Wolli

Then I went to Glenfield where I had some nice lunch from a bakery and a gunzel there with no freights.

Then I went to Central where I bought this months edition of Railway Digest and went back to Wolli Creek where I passed a Coalie at Wardell Road and got a shot of it at Wolli Creek.

After watching a few sparks, I called it a day and went home.

~ Get a good picture of an ARG train

~ Get a good picture of AK cars

~ Get a train game(probably Trainz)

~ See top tail NRs

~Get a shot of a rare movement

~ Go to the Hunter(with someone of course)

~ See a last something(ie; last run of ____)

That’s all for now I guess

It seems, I am now starting to understand the “communter life”.

It depends what happens. Normally I leave home for my train and get there with 30 seconds to spare.

But after, my bus is normally late and I normally make the 3.25 to Waterfall with 5 mintues left.

But today, I was a little late. I ran down the stairs for the platform and I heard the whistle blow. I pelted every harder and just made it.

Well, just another day.

Signing off, Vince

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