Steam scenes from Victoria.

[bevanwall@ozemail.com.au (Bevan Wall)]

Aus loco discussion mailing list

G'day all.
Just got back from spending a few days chasing steam action in
Victoria. A few scenes taken from some of the digital video shot can
be seen at:
www.geocities.com/bevan_wall/vic.html
Just a few comments. Its been a long time since I've been on such a
hectic, crowded chase as Friday's parallel run. I didn't have a lot of
local knowledge on the best locations and in many cases I'd arrive at
a good spot only to find a crowd of onlookers and photographers
already strategically placed making video difficult. Fortunately I was
in contact with the the crew of the 38s so that once I had found a
good location I could ask them to position the train appropriately and
to put on a bit of a show, consequently I didn't get many shots but
what I did get was spectacular. (This wiil be available in a video
being produced for the NSWRTM)
On Saturday I was set up at Diggers Rest to record R761, R711, GM36 &
T320 when I got a phone call from the tour organiser to inform me that
they had just departed Spencer Street but that they were now running
via Bacchus Marsh. I had never been there, and had no idea how to get
there so after frantically driving and navigating from a lousy map I
got to the top of the grade on that amazing hoseshoe curve just west
of the town about five minutes in front of the train - just enought
time to set up the gear and work out how to shoot the scene. I had
seen video shot at this location but did not appreciate how truly
spectacular this location is. What type of traffic now runs through
here? Are there more locations as good as this further along the line?
It must have been awesome watching heavy interstate freight climbing
this grade! Only one other person with a video camera arrived in time,
and I think I saw one carload of still photographers in the vicinity.
I should imagine that there must be a lot of dissappointed enthusiasts
who missed the sight of the tour blasting  through this spectacular
location. (One advantage of chasing/waiting for trains in NSW is that
we don't have many alternative routes that trains can take if there
are problems - if you wait long enough you will eventually see the
train.) By the time I got back out onto the highway  I could see the
smoke from the tour miles ahead of me so realising that I had little
chance of catching it (especially with no local knowledge) I turned
around and headed back into the metro area to record 4201 crossing
that spectacular bridge over the Maribyrnong River (we don't have
bridges like that in NSW!)
Sunday was spent recording J515 working through some very photogenic
locations around Yarrawonga and climbing the grade out of Tungamah
before heading back to Sydney, leaving it up to the really keen NSW
gunzels and Vic locals to chase the 38s around the countryside.
Bevan Wall.


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