Re: Looking Back... Tas 1974 - Part 4

["ben scaro" <bscaro@hotmail.com>]

Aus loco discussion mailing list

Hi Melanie

Thanks for this- great write up.  Why did the goods trains depart and arrive 
at the passenger platforms ?  Was it so passengers could travel in the DBs ?

Cheers

Ben

>From: "Melanie J. Dennis" <meld.asg@netspeed.com.au>
>Reply-To: "Aus loco discussion mailing list" <Ausloco@listbot.com>
>To: "AusLoco List (E-mail)" <Ausloco@listbot.com>
>Subject: Looking Back...  Tas 1974 - Part 4
>Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2000 11:53:35 +1000
>
>Aus loco discussion mailing list
>
>Part 4:   Thursday 7th February - Hobart.
>
>Alas - how family commitments can play havoc with one's interests!  I 
>missed the morning rush, arriving at Hobart station only in time to see 
>articulated railcar DP29 slunking by the end of platform 3 at 09:29, 
>heading back to the shed.  It had probably come in on #23 ex-Cadbury's or 
>#25 ex-Zinc Works.
>
>However, two minutes later, the chortling English Electric song of what 
>sounded like two 'Y' class turned out to be yellow Y2 coupled back to back 
>with faded red XA1 as they departed from platform 1 on a very short 
>freight.  XA1 had been fitted with a Mk.2 motor ('Y' class) in November 
>1967, but aside from providing a spare Mk.1 motor for the 'X' class, I'm 
>unsure as to why the experiment.  Also, I believe the governors were set so 
>that the horsepower developed was the same as the standard X/XA.
>
>The brief consist was a tarp-covered open 'CC' wagon (probably containing 
>superphosphate), empty bogie cattle wagon HC5 and guards van DB35 - not 
>likely to 'make wages'!  I'm not sure what train number this was:  it could 
>have been a Derwent Valley service but whatever, it would have most likely 
>increased its payload at Derwent Park Junction and perhaps Bridgewater 
>Junction.
>
>I then poked around the carriage sidings alongside platfrom 5, taking the 
>opportunity to photograph redundant wooden bodied, compartment cars BBL5 
>and ABL9 in a rare moment of full sunshine that highlighted what was left 
>of their green paintwork.
>
>A walk down to 'loco' at 09:52 found yellow Y1, red Y5 and red XA5 that had 
>arrived some time earlier off one of the Main Line freights and would later 
>be split up for local services.  Things were very quiet this morning.
>
>A drive out to Derwent Park Junction was rewarded with the sight of yellow 
>Y8 (No.1 end) on a Hobart-bound freight standing at the 'Up' face of the 
>island platform at 11:06.  'Y' class locos had door in each end: in the cab 
>front and into the nose of long hood and these were often damaged.  Spare 
>doors were in a base paint scheme so yellow Y8 was running with a red cab 
>door (without the cream lining for the red livery) and yellow Y1 was 
>sporting a plain yellow door (without the black 'tiger' stripes) in its 
>hood nose.
>
>Speaking of which, the distinctive nose of Y1 charted its course throught 
>the forest of semaphore signals on the 'Down' line at 11:17 heading #48 
>Mixed to Cadbury's: consist being box vans EGX7 - E54 then cars SS1 - SP3 - 
>SS8.  A minute later, at 11:18, the more traditional sight of railcar set 
>DP23 - PT6 - DP21 appeared in the 'Up' platform, Hobart-bound.  I couldn't 
>work out which suburban service this was supposed to be and came to the 
>conclusion that it may have been an 'interurban' - the 'Parattah Motor' 
>(#33?) which was usually the preserve of the articulated series (DP26-29 
>were the only four remaining of the original six).
>
>In between all these, V13 (red) was working the busy Derwent Park goods 
>yard.  I had now photographed three of Hobart's quartet of 0-6-0DM 
>shunters.  This loco is now on the Zig Zag railway, back in green and named 
>"Mt. Lyell".  Zig Zag are V13's fifth owners and ironically, if Zig Zag 
>agree to sell, the loco may return to its original home on the re-born Mt. 
>Lyell railway.
>
>At 11:55, yellow pair X30 + Y3 (traditional back to back) departed towards 
>Hobart with #35 freight.  Leaving Derwent Park, a short drive north to 
>Rosetta (for lunch) caught up with railcar twins DP11 + 12 at 12:24.  These 
>two were inbound, possibly ex-Austins Ferry as #37.  This sighting added to 
>previous ones of railcars running towards Hobart with their tail discs (End 
>of Train markers) still uncovered on the leading ends.  These white discs 
>comprised an upper semi-circle painted on the body, whilst the lower half 
>was hinged, painted white on one side to complete the cirlce when folded 
>down.  When folded up, the red side was visible and this covered the white 
>upper half.
>
>At 13:04, the earlier Cadbury's Mixed (#48) returned as #39 with the same 
>consist sans the EGX grover bogie box van, whilst Y1 was now No.1 end 
>leading.  Next sighting was the ever-present dynamic duo of DP12 + 11, 
>again crossing the Bridgewater causeway at 13:51 on #45 and I followed the 
>pair to Claremont Junction (14:02) where the short, steep Cadbury's branch 
>met the Main Line and double track commenced for the eight or so miles into 
>Hobart.
>
>It would appear that DP11 and 12 were being intensively utilised with a 
>three minute turn-around between arriving in Hobart with #37 (ex-Austins 
>Ferry) and leaving with #52 (to Bridgewater Jcn.).  After reversing at 
>Bridgewater to become #45, arrival in Hobart would allow a thirty minute 
>breather before departure to Cadbury's as #60 at 15:00.  According to the 
>timetable, arriving #37 was to cross departing #52 at Hobart, not become 
>#52 although there was a three minute overlap. This did allow the motorman 
>plenty of time to change ends, gaining a few valuable seconds by not 
>bothering to change the tail-discs at either end!
>
>Meanwhile, back in Hobart station yard, at 15:34, DP23 + PT6 + DP21 arrived 
>(without a rear tail disc showing) as #49 from Cadbury's and headed for one 
>of the back platforms (either 3 or 5). This allowed the remnant of the 
>afternoon 'Big Zinc' (#64) to depart platform 2 at 15:40:  Y8 had been 
>turned after it's late morning arrival and the consist was SP6 - SS4 - AAR1 
>- AAL10 - SSD1: a mixed collection!
>
>Seven minutes later, red Y4 (cab leading) arrived in platform 1 with #159 
>goods that included seven loaded 'QG' grover bogie ballast wagons, 
>four-wheel box van E245 and guards van DB17.  I didn't note what happened 
>next but the train was probably reversed down the 'Dive' - the steeply 
>graded line from Hobart Junction Box down to the loco and goods yards 
>throat.
>
>The contrast to the motley appearance of the 'Big Zinc' showed at 15:55 
>when yellow XA4 (cab leading) departed platform 4 with #66 to Cadbury's 
>hauling the uniform appearance set of SSD2 - SS6 - SS2 - SSS1.
>
>Despite having red paint on the running board valances, the new Safety 
>Yellow loco livery did not match the red and cream car stock as well as the 
>old livery (red with cream lining).  Only when both loco and coaches were 
>dulled with road grime, did the colour disparity become less obvious.
>
>Yet again, fading light and familial obligations then halted play for day 
>7.
>
>Melanie Dennis
>Australian Steam Group
>
>
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