The Great Steam Train Day goes pear shaped!

When our train got back to Lithgow, we alighted and I managed to get a couple of contrasting pics of the old and the not so old... Here we have a Sydney Terminal bound, V set.

16102010_Two Motive Powers Elec and Steam

We watched our steam train head back to Katoomba, and headed for the car to take an adventure into the Newnes State Forest. After all, we had plenty of time... right?

16102010_LVR Train

We drove through Lithgow to see Mr S relatives house, and then up Scenic Hill that overlooks sleepy old Lithgow. We stopped at a lookout (only for a couple of mins, it was bloody cold) before the left turn at Clarence Station and into the State Forest. The roads are all reasonably good, but although muddy and slippery due to the snow, I locked it into 4wd. I showed Mr S and Mr L the way out to the Glow Worm Tunnel (for another day) and headed back into Lithgow via the Tunnel View road and we waited in the car until the scheduled time for the Dinner Train to Tarana...

16102010_DirtyGV Rear

NOW, I had always thought it was a 5.35pm departure time, and when we got to the platform and into the waiting room, I felt as though I wanted the world to open up and swallow me, as I had made us MISS the train, as it left at 4.45...

We weighed up options, a cab out to the pub would be cost prohibitive, and so we simply headed BACK to Katoomba for some dinner there, MY SHOUT!

So there it is, out in the open, I STUFFED UP in the train time causing us to miss it and miss the dinner train to which I was looking forward to. Another time maybe!

Hoo roo for now...

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The Great Steam Train Day continues...

Continuing from the last post, sorry for the delay, but I have been a little out of sorts...

Once we had boarded our train to Wallerawang, and started to pull out of Katoomba, I started to get a couple of pictures, but due to the snow, cold and not really ALL that much to see, we ended up having some morning tea. Mr L went up to the dinning car to get something for him and Mr S to eat, and coffee's to drink, something to warm the cockles due to it being cold. Here we can see Mr S having a look around at the old photos that were hung in the cabin we were in (know as 'dog box's' in the day), whilst Mr L is well into his VERY hot pie and below it, an example of the photography used (Taronga Zoo Hippo)!!

Mr S & Mr L enjoying Morning Tea

Hippo photography

On our way to Lithgow from Katoomba, we passed through the Zig Zag Railway, which was once the only way to cross the Blue Mountains. There was also a similar trip up/down on the Sydney side in between Emu Plains and Glenbrook. But here, we can see some of the old rolling stock which is under storage. I will talk more about the Zig Zag later.

Garrat Restoration Zig Zag

Once past, we then entered the 10 tunnels, which by-passed the zigging and zagging, and we were soon entering the Lithgow Yard, which once house a locomotive shed, carriage workshops and the like that was all very necessary as part of its mining history. But now, there is only a very small remnant of these buildings and so on, and here is an old turntable.

Lithgow Yard Turntable

Once out of Lithgow, we then headed further West, towards Mudgee, and off onto a small branch line that would take us past the Wallerawang Power Station. Here though, we are under a Diesel power, as the steam engine is to the rear and will pull us back to Katoomba!

Turning For Wallarawang

Disused Wallerawang Platform

Once in the station at Wallerawang, we were given a 'party' type arrival, with show motorbikes, a Rotary Sausage Sizzle and entertainment abound... We were even allowed to walk up and get close to the Steam Engine Lachlan (or 3237 Class). Here I managed to get a couple of shots of her workings, and of the men that keep her a well oiled machine...

3237 Wallerawang

Engineer Oiling the Piston

Main Wheel Piston

"Lachlan"

Taking On Water

4701 OLD Candy Livery Wallerawang

I will do another post about the remaining afternoon, TOMORROW (I promise)!

Hoo roo for now...

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Steam Train Day (and some snow!)

Yesterday, I was invited up into the mountains, for what could ONLY be told as, well, interesting... I was awake early, 4.34am, and out and on the road not long after that heading for Lithgow. Yes it was a cool morning and the wind blowing, but noting too bad. That is, up until I got to Mt Tomah. Here, I glanced down at the clock that doubles as a temp gauge, and I noticed the little 'snow flake', so it must be cold... And cold it was, it was saying it was -2c! I went along a little further and just as I hit Mt Wilson, it started to SNOW!!!! You cant really see it too well in this picture, but it was howling like nothing else and snowing.

Wind Blown Trees

I pushed ahead, and when I rounded the bend just near Bell where the Bells Line of Roads crosses the main Western line, you could see the snow drifts and flurries a little more clearly.

Bell Crossing Western Line

So I parked the car and caught the awaiting train back down to Katoomba, where I was to later catch up with some friends before joining the Steam Train for the day. When I got to Katoomba, I headed out (in the bitter cold) to the Savoy where I had some breakfast and a hot chocolate. Across the road from the Savoy, was The Carrington Hotel, a very famous hotel/pub.

Carrington Hotel

I headed over to the Station again, and my friends were not to far behind me. The train was on its way down to us, so we headed out to under the overpass (for protection from the weather) and waited. A quad loco coal train wandered through, and as you can see from the platform, Katoomba has a bit of a curve in it, which makes it a little difficult for the guards to ensure all passengers are on before closing the doors!

Katoomba

Downward Coal

Katoomba Platform

Finally, our little steam engine arrived, and here she is coming into Katoomba for us to join the train...

3237 Katoomba Arrival

More to come tomorrow!

Hoo roo for now...

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Festival of Steam at Thirlmere

It goes without saying that this last week has been hard, DAMN hard. But today, I was supposed to go for a drive up to Newcastle and meet up with a friend for coffee. BUT, unfortunately, Mr 2yo was not well and we postponed... So instead, I headed down to Thirlmere for the Festival of Steam (FoS).

Festival of Steam (Thirlmere) 7 March 2010, originally uploaded by AussiePomm.

1. FOS1, 2. FOS2, 3. FOS3, 4. FOS4, 5. FOS5, 6. FOS6, 7. FOS7, 8. FOS8, 9. FOS9, 10. FOS10, 11. FOS11, 12. FOS12, 13. FOS13, 14. FOS14, 15. FOS15, 16. FOS16, 17. FOS17, 18. FOS18, 19. FOS19, 20. FOS20, 21. FOS21, 22. FOS22, 23. FOS22, 24. FOS23, 25. FOS24, 26. FOS25, 27. FOS26, 28. FOS27, 29. FOS28, 30. FOS29, 31. FOS30, 32. FOS31, 33. FOS32, 34. FOS33, 35. FOS34, 36. FOS35

I had a lovely morning catching up with friends from work and their families! AND, it had been YEARS since I was last down here, I think it was before I could drive! Now I have simply called them all FOS, but they are all in order...

When I was leaving, the train from Sydney was coming up from Picton, but it needed some help from an additional steam engine on the front AND a newer locomotive at the rear! By the time I got home, it was getting somewhat windy and muggy, I hope it is leading to a storm later tonight.

In other news, the house next door to me was up for auction on Saturday afternoon. There was about 50 people there and opening bid was strong, VERY strong! But the bidding was heading north quickly in $10,000 lots before slowing (quickly) to $1,000's. It finally finished with a young chap buying the property for $497,000. AND, in even better news, he wants to move in ASAP instead of the typical 42 day settlement period, so its not a developer! I quickly went and introduced myself to him, thus how I know he wants to move in ASAP, to say HI and to mention that I will not be here when he does move in as I will be overseas. Welcome to the street mate!

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Back to work I go...

Well, its happened... I have gone back to work!

I went to work yesterday, although it was incredibly hard, and it was as though it was only the day before I had left! There was nothing changed on my desk, no pile of stuff to do but the only problem I had was that whilst I was away, they had updated the PABX phone lines and I had to reset my password & Welcome message!

It was hard to get out of bed, not so much that I didn't want to go, but that it was a cold morning... Truth be know, I didn't really want to go, but it was something that had to be done... Everyone was great, and whilst there was only a couple of people 'dancing around' the issue (and I reminded them that it was not necessary), all went well.

I had to drop off my car to the mechanic to have some work done on it yesterday afternoon, which meant, for the first time in ages, that I had to get a train to work. I did not pick a very good day to do this, as it was the first day of a really cold snap, which made it even harder to get out of bed, out of the house and walk to the station. The walk was good, fresh VERY fresh, but pleasant enough. There was this old chap on the platform who I noticed he seemed to know everyone who walked past. That was until I noticed a young lady leave him rolling her eyes and shaking her head; but still had a smile about the conversation they had just had. He went from discussing the safety of upcoming planned track work (to the young lady), to his non event fishing day (he would rather go to the station and talk to strangers???...) where he knows of this little spot where no one else knows... Sounds a bit fishy to me (pardon the pun).

First thing I noticed when stepping onto the train was the fact that there were seats available... This was almost never the case when I was commuting by train before! The only thing I did notice, and was not overly impressed with, was as the train filled up on its city bound trip, was a guy in a couple of rows ahead of me sitting in the middle of a seat not moving to let anyone else sit there... A bit rude I think, do you?

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