Re: Pt Pirie question (was longest train)

[Michael Kurkowski <mk@netstra.com.au>]

Mark Bau <markbau@altavista.com> said:

>What happens at Pirie now, yard still work, the wharf, loco depot?

AFAIK, stuff still runs to the wharf, and there is a loco depot. When I
went there between Christmas and New Year last year, I made my first
moving Alco ("gurgle gurgle gurgle") sighting (without running with any
GM dead attached, like November). An 830 was moving some wagons across
the road, still in AN livery (with ASR decals applied). 

The station building itself is now a tourist information centre, with a 
replica of GM22 sitting at the platform with two restored carriages. All in 
CR livery. A while back someone posted which GM it actually was, but the 
real GM22 (which was there before it, afaik) is now running around happily 
in GNR service. 

>I ask because just this week I have been printing some old (1978) negs.
>I took the BG to Pirie and basically wandered around the place all day
>taking as many pics as I could before reboarding the BG back to
>Adelaide. That train was called the "East/West" wasn't it? Strange cos
>the damn thing went north/south!

Hrm, I was unlucky enough to be born in 1979, and only taking a proper 
interest in trains by about 1996-1997. I never got to ride what is 
seemingly out of service today. To see the place now is rather depressing. 
Sitting in the open, all over the place are former NG Ghan cars painted 
white (for works trains?), derelict. Over behind the loco depot is a Budd 
RDC railcar awaiting scrapping. 

An (albeit, poor quality scan) image of this Budd RDC railcar is at: 

http://www.netstra.com.au/~mk/scans/budd.gif

I have many more photos from Port Pirie that will be scanned along with 
other pics when I get my slide scanner in a month or two.

Regards

Michael