Thread: Train Rides

3803 in work stained condition
shortly before being withdrawn

Originally Posted by drivesafe

The original Ghan ran on trackage just like that.

I 1972, I had the luck of getting a cab ride in an NJ class loco ( similar in looks to a one ended version of an NSWGR 422 Class ).

Just north of Fink, the tracks were so undulating that in some places as the train climbed up steep grades, you could literally get out and walk beside the train.

According to my brother in law, who travelled by train from Brisbane to Cairns in 1942 (along with a lot of other troops and a number of vehicles including tanks) the theme song of QR was "I'll walk beside you". On a number of hills they had to unload the tanks and drive them to the top of the hill, and then reload them.

Much later than this, in 1963 I had to travel (with my Series 1) on a mixed train from Torrens Ck to Balfe's Ck (the road bridge at Torrens Ck had washed out). Travelled eighty miles in just on ten hours.

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Much later than this, in 1963 I had to travel (with my Series 1) on a mixed train from Torrens Ck to Balfe's Ck (the road bridge at Torrens Ck had washed out). Travelled eighty miles in just on ten hours.

John

A speed record.

They say that during one wet season, the Ghan left Maree and arrived in the Alice three months later.

JDNSW ..on trips between Jericho and Blackall in the early 60's I remember as a passenger having to get off and walk the gradient as the "rattler " as they were known had several attempts to get up.Then we would all pile on again en
route to Blackall.All the old stations of any size had pubs one in particular I remember was Hughenden in NQ which stayed open until the "Inlander" came in at 3am .Made a bloody fortune that one.
Moving on I attach two photos of the largest steam engines I've seen they are the 59 and 60 class of NSW railways.Monsters.I don't think I'd like to fire those two,you would finish as lean as a brindle dog.
John

AFAIK Firing the 60 wasn't too bad, auto stoker
Stories from old enginemen usually have the 59 being preferred to the standard goods engines as they were tabled for the same loads but were slightly more powerful and had better steaming boilers. Of course the 59s and 55s as oil burners would have been greasy but relatively easy jobs for the fireman

Here's a photo of one of the trains I've been working around lately.

Apparently those ore trains are working in 8th notch when they are near the end of the train when loading. That's how heavy they are and still going slow enough to load. That's what a friend told me He was a fitter doing trials on them. That was a while ago..........

Any body over there remember" Pendennis Castle" The BR loco that was bought by Hamersley Iron to run on there system. After they ran into insurance issues and the management staff moved on it sat in the shed for a long time till it was bought and shipped back to the UK.......