Illawarra Sightings

["Melanie J. Dennis" <meld.asg@netspeed.com.au>]

Aus loco discussion mailing list

On Saturday 09/10/99:
Just after leaving Wingello, the southbound XPT raced past through the trees at 10:35 hrs with 2008 at the rear.  
Fifteen minutes later, the Griffith train was spied with candy 42203, power car and two sitting cars.

As we arrived at Moss Vale, a coast-bound Wheatie was seen passing through the back platform road as it made its way to the wye and onto the single track to the coast.  We went to Robertson where the Wheatie, headed by 8143 and 8168 went into the loop at 11:37.  Five minutes later, a south-bound empty wheat headed by 8142, 8241, 8221, 8214 roared into Robertson and kept going.  The full train then began the descent to Unanderra.

At the Port Kembla wheat unloading loop, 8146 and 8133 were already waiting their turn to proceed round the balloon loop.  Before them were 8135 and 8134 which departed with great gusto at 13:10 to head back up the escarpment.
At the National Rail sidings, 8115, bereft of any ex-Freight-Corp ID (but with lighter blue patches where the transfers had previously been), was idling away as yard shunter.  8120 was shut down but attached to the NR Dunmore stone hoppers.  No DL's were in sight.  On the out-bound track, consecutive NR's 114, 113 and 112 sat, shut down.

A trip around to Port Kembla station found 4849 shut down south of the road overbridge and a four-car Tangara in the platform.  In the loco yard were: 8138, 8110, 8162, 8179, 8158, 48114 and an '82' class that couldn't be seen clearly enough to get its number.  Long-term stored residents 8018, X118 and X212 were also noted.  Spied in the distance rounding the balloon loop and heading very slowly north were the two DL's, running (read crawling) light engine - too far away to get numbers.  

Older railcars TC727, NTC737 and 637 were seen dumped on private property beside the station loop - any idea as to the owner of these and their likely fate?

On the Illawarra line, a four-car Endeavour set was seen leaving Bombo and heading north.

Melanie Dennis
Australian Steam Group
meld.asg@netspeed.com.au


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