any one an aussie railway man? check this out.

[bob10]

My grandfather, in the early days of Qld, my father, as his last job, my brother , leading hand of a thermite welding gang in central Qld, with a gang of Torres strait islanders [ lots of interesting stories there] , were railway men. Here's a story. Bob


Extreme Railways : Australias Outback Railway - YouTube

[d@rk51d3]

Dad was on the sledgehammer gangs down here, driving in the dogs. SA to NT I think.

[bob10]

An old Qld railway song, Bob Click on Sgt Small, then follow the link to the song, the arrow


Sergeant Small or Down and Outback

A song by unknown author
Tune by Brad Tate©Brad Tate 1974


I went broke in western Queensland in Nineteen Thirty One
Nobody would employ me so my swag carrying begun
I came down into Charleville through all the western towns
I was on my way to Roma destination Darling Downs

My pants were getting ragged my boots were getting thin
But when I stopped at Mitchell a goods train shunted in
I heard the whistle blowing and looking out could see
She was on her way to Roma it was quite plain to me

Chorus
I wish I was about twenty stone only seven feet tall
I'd go back to western Queensland and beat up Sergeant Small

Now as I sat and watched her inspiration's seed was sown
I remembered the Government slogan: Here's the railway that you own
By this time the sun was setting and the night was getting nigh
So I gathered my belongings and took her on the fly

When we got into Roma I kept my head down low
I heard a voice say "Any room Mate?" I answered "Plenty Bo"
"Come out of there my noble man" came the voice of Sergeant Small
"I have trapped you very nicely - you've ridden for a fall"

The judge was very kind to me he gave me thirty days
Saying "Maybe this will help to cure your rattler jumping ways"
So if you're down and outback boys I'll tell you what I think
Stay off those Queensland goods trains they're a short cut to the clink

Notes

From Brad Tate's Down and Outback which is also another title for this song. Brad writes "My setting of a poem by Terry Boylan, chorus by Tex Morton. Boylan's verses appeared in the 'Australasian Express' London 1974. Though not connected with Morton's banned Depression song about a NSW policeman, the themes were so familiar I combined them".

It is sung here by Ian White from his 1980s LP "Waiting For the Rain".

0 comments

[Ranga]

Me, my old man, 3 of my uncles, my brother, sister, brother-in-law all served time in Qld Rail. One uncle and brother-in-law are still waiting for an early release for good behaviour

Unfortunately not the "big family" QR used to be. Not a real nice play to be these days, so my ex-colleagues tell me. Despite what you hear on the streets, a lot of people indeed put a lot of time and hard-work into the place, but there's little passion left there now.

[drivesafe]

I had the luck to have been on the old Ghan in the early 70s.

I have not had another train trip to equal that one.

I was on the job in NSW and the crews let me ride up front during daylight hours.

Just incredible, but the new line is totally justified.

[Debacle]

Been working on the suburban trains for a few years now, found out a little while ago when catching up with people at my mums funeral that I have a few ancestors in the past have been in the railways years ago.

Love hearing some of the stories and bull**** when some the older traincrew get together.

[bob10]

My youngest son just finished an apprenticeship with Q R , signals electrician. So the tradition continues. Some of the stories told to me by my brother about the thermite welding gangs in western Qld. are just , well, almost unbelievable. I just hope somewhere the history has been recorded, working with Torres Strait Islanders, rough bush camps, the characters , some of whom would not be found in a city.


I remember travelling from Brisbane to Rockhampton by steam train, in some places you could get out & walk as fast as the train. Dad always bought extra news papers when he could, the fettlers would stand beside the line, calling out " PAPER ", the only way they could get the news, out in the bush camps. Bob

[BMKal]

I had the luck to have been on the old Ghan in the early 70s.

I have not had another train trip to equal that one.

I was on the job in NSW and the crews let me ride up front during daylight hours.

Just incredible, but the new line is totally justified.

Travelled up to Alice Springs on the old Ghan in 1966 when my father moved to a new job in what is now part of Kakadu. Was an interesting trip.

Years later, worked for Westrail for a few years and got to work / travel on a variety of different trains and lines. These days, have occasionally a bit to do with the iron ore railways up north in the Pilbara. Things have certainly changed.

[Bigbjorn]

My youngest son just finished an apprenticeship with Q R , signals electrician.

There was a heavy engineering works on Brisbane's northside that had the traditional "Positions Vacant" notice board alongside the gate. This one carried the notation "Railways trained tradesmen need not apply"

[sam_d]

The thing that fascinated me the most about this video this that the cab driver he gets from the airport is the same guy that I drove me around for 4 out of the 6 cab rides I had in Alice Springs when I was there just a fortnight ago.