Re: N class (was H220 was surviving R class etc)

["Forster Family Inc" <noelmel@wantree.com.au>]

. They are reliable, fast, gives good ride quality
> and not to mention head end power, cut down the operation cost, easy
> maintenance and short turn around time. For me they aren't rubbish at
> all, at least they saved V/line.

Dear oh Dear oh Dear oh!!! The youth of today would not know what a decent
loco was even if was able to turn around and bite them on the bum!

If people who replied to my original post think the Ns (and Gs,81s,82s,90s,
Qs and Ss) are true locos then they are poor misguided individuals. Heavily
silenced boxes on wheels!

Other than the VR Ns ( which disappeared when I was 14).I can vaguely
remember the Cs & Xs as my  grandfather was a stationmaster in various parts
of Victoria and my father was a boilermaker at Ballarat North shops. They
introduced me to VR steam at an early age and the Cs,Xs,Rs Ns & A2s were by
far my favourite locos.

But of course time moves on and you would have to agree ( and I'm sure you
wont) that there were nothing like any GM with a 567 engine, any Alco, the
QR 2600 class, the WAGR X (A & B) class and reluctantly any EE product. They
were locos which had a degree of 'soul'.

In the transistion from steam to diesel in the mid sixties in Ballarat many
of the old steam drivers took to the 'new fangled' power like ducks to water
and I was soon hooked when some of the drivers used to put a pair of S class
or a brace of Ts from notch 1 to 8 very quickly starting up the short pinch
out of Ballarat station Ararat or Maryborough bound.

I may be considered to be rambling but I'm afraid if I was a young rail
enthusiast today there is nothing much to be enthused about in the modern
motive power. Fortunately there are small enclaves around where 30+ year old
motive power still abounds and I envy those enthusiasts who are fortunate
enough to capture it on film.

Cheers

NMF