It wasn't too hot at the time those photos were taken. Actually, it's been a fairly cool summer over here so far. We've had a few heatwaves, but they're over within a day or three, then it's back to rain and cold to mild days.
Here's some more from late last year. December was pretty much the month of the "Bulldog" or "Bullnose" - whatever name you prefer. I'll call them "Snouts" for simplicity. Plenty of trains running with these veteran units up front on revenue freight trains. 'Hood' units were also well represented during the month as well.
Sunday 6/12/20, the Melbourne-bound SCT Dooen goods was again the target. CLF2+C501 were still up front, although modern Chinese built CSR007 was along for the ride to help on the grades. Thankfully, the crew must have like trains, as the CSR was placed behind the two elderly units. First spot was at Great Western, where the camera had to be shielded by the photographer to prevent water ingress. Luckily, the rain broken off just in time.
Tatyoon crossing loop.
A little further down the road at Mininera, a magpie takes flight as train passes through the freshly harvested canola fields.
Passing the fairly shallow Deep Lake, near Nerrin Nerrin.
Pura Pura. The remains of the station building can be seen on the left.
A couple of hours, and around one hundred and thirty miles later, P14+T363+S302 haul a loaded wheat train down Broadway, at Wycheproof.
Passing the site of the loco depot. Statically preserved 2-8-0, K167, can be seen on the right near the disused turntable.
Teddwaddy just on sunset.
Arriving at Maryborough.
Finally, rolling through Ballarat.
Saturday 12/12/20, I drove across to the main North East Railway to hopefully get CLF1 on the front of a loaded wheat train from NSW. A couple of trains passed through before the "main event". All photos were taken at Donnybrook, or "Dunnybrush" ("Dunny" being Aussie slang for a toilet) as it is also known. First up was RL309+1101+8037 with an empty Qube wheat train for Coolamon in NSW.
The Sydney bound XPT. Many of you will recognise these as HST's. This was one of the first to run following pestilence border closures.
Finally after much waiting - and right on dusk, CLF1+GM22+RL306+RL302 roll out of the crossing loop with their payload.
Sunday 13/12/20. CLF2+C501+CLF4 work upgrade out of Stawell with the Dooen goods. CLF4 had re-entered service the week before.
A few friends were waiting for the above train. A few hours before, I'd found out that CLF1 was heading back up to NSW that afternoon, with the same locos as the previous day. I mentioned it to my mates, who pretty much agreed that it wouldn't be possible, and I'd miss it by miles. To get the train required a three and a half hour haul across to the North East line at Violet Town. I made it quite comfortably, without breaking the speed limit. I had about three minutes to get the camera ready before the level crossing lights were activated, and I took my spot lineside. On the 7/2/1969, there was a horrific head-on collision between the Southern Aurora express passenger train, and a goods train at this very spot.
Two shots from Bowser.
...And a little closer.
Wenkes Road, Chiltern. The last time I was here was in early 2003 to photograph a derailment with my mate, Chris. Oddly enough, I called Frank, one of my friends who was at Stawell earlier in the day to tell him I'd made it across. He was rather surprised, but wouldn't tell me who won the bet they had going on how much I'd miss the train by...
Barnawartha.
Across the border in NSW - my first visit since early last year. This is at Table Top, which is just north of Albury.
Around fifteen miles up the line at Gerogery, the SSR train crossed 8037+1101+RL309 with the loaded Qube wheat train from Coolamon.
I left the SSR train, and headed back to Wodonga to get the Qube train crossing the Murray River bridge.
16/12/20, and I'm off work - thank you, gastro! At the tail-end of said ailment, I headed up to Langi Logan to photograph the Perth-bound SCT Superfreighter. Normally, I wouldn't bother, but due to a motive power shortage, CLF4 was put on the front of the train. The CLF only went as far as Tailem Bend in South Aus (about an hour east of Adelaide), as the South Aus SCT crews weren't qualified on the CLF, so another loco was sent up from Adelaide to swap over. The CLF came back as a trailing unit on a Melbourne-bound train the following day, and was dropped off at Dooen to resume it's duties on the local goods. CSR009 is the trailing unit. One can only suspect that the crew were rail enthusiasts as well, as usually the CSR would lead.
After a bit of a chase, I finally managed to get far enough ahead to grab another photo. This is approaching the Marmalake grain terminal, a good sixty miles from the previous photo.
After some usage of the backroads to by-pass Horsham, enough time was gained to wait for the train at Pimpinio crossing loop. Here it is, crawling in for reasons unknown. As far as I am aware, the crew change took place at Horsham, and there were no other trains to cross that I remember.
The time that the train stopped at Pimpinio was used to get ahead for a final shot. A spot between Gerang Gerung and Kiata was selected, and the train finally made it's appearence at sunset. I did chase it a little further, but it was going a little too fast and the light was rapidly dying.
17/12/20. Went out the next day again, as I still had a spare day just incase the dreaded returned. First up was the Perth-bound steel train with NR73+NR28+NR82 on the front at Nerrin Nerrin.
About twenty minutes later, a Perth to Melbourne Superfreighter glided past with NR31+NR23. NR31 is painted in the 'Great Southern' livery, for a special train which runs throughout Australia. It's currently on hiatus due to the pestilence.
NR100+NR91 with a steel and container train for Melbourne at Great Western.
CLF2+C501+CLF4 with the container train from Dooen, between Wal Wal and Glenorchy.
Passing through Stawell in dying light.
Great Western.
And finally, Ararat.
Saturday 19/12/20. Word was getting around that one of the locos on the Ultima hay train had failed a few nights before, and a couple of locos were sent to Ultima from Melbourne (around two hundred miles away) to rescue the train. The two locos, VL356+VL360, are quite rare on this run, as they can only run with around 5000 litres of diesel to reduce their axle load to an acceptable weight for the lighter rail on the line. I thought it was a good enough deal to go up for a look. A friend told me that they were timetabled for a 18:45 departure, but they could leave early. They were still shunting when I arrived in Ultima, and two 1952 vintage B class units were also on the train. I waited about half a mile out of town, as the shadows were starting to grow long. It looked quite impressive with five locos on the front - VL356+VL360+B80+B76+G521. G521 was dead attached, being the loco which disgraced itself.
Approaching Lalbert.
Passing through Lalbert - line speed is currently twenty miles an hour due to the condition of the track.
Approaching Quambatook in the late afternoon sun.
Crossing the Avoca River bridge in Quambatook.
Last light at Oakvale.
Passing the old semaphore signal on the way out of Boort. This is one of the few somersault type signals still left in service in Victoria.
On the way home, XR559+G523+BL30 were found at Dunolly shutdown on an empty wheat train.
24/12/20. Another SSR wheatie from NSW to Melbourne, this time with GM22+CLF3+CLP12+RL302. This is between Locksley and Avenel.
Tried a few places, but the light wasn't in the right spot, or the train beat me there. The following were taken at the Maribynong River viaduct, in the Melbourne suburb of Keilor East. This is the highest railway viaduct in Victoria.
A wider view.
AN3 and NR75 were found lounging about at the Locomotive Provisioning Centre in West Melbourne.
At Appleton Dock, the SSR train can be seen going in to load in the background. G529 is on the Warrnambool goods; XR557+XR555 on the Tocumwal goods, and CLF4+SCT007+SCT009 wait to be put on the front of the Dooen goods.
Hope you all enjoy these. I'll post some more in the next week or so.
