Re: Whats your fav loco?

["Rod Young" <freight_man@hotmail.com>]

Thommo <mjthom@hdc.net.au> wrote in message
Tg6%4.15$FP3.1334@vic.nntp.telstra.net">news:Tg6%4.15$FP3.1334@vic.nntp.telstra.net...
>
> Michael Kurkowski <usenet.spam@gunzel.net> wrote in message
> >
> > Nothing looks better than a flat top T long end leading with a rake of
> GY's
> > and variants thereof, with a Z van at the rear (:
>
> Ah yes I can clearly recall the nights when these trains ruled the rails
on
> the Toolamba Echuca branch during the 79-80 bumper wheat harvest. As a
train
> got the stick upon leaving Kyabram away she went with the T barking at
full
> notch breaking the crisp night air and having the sound gradually fade
away
> into the distance with the echo being reverberated for up to 10 minutes or
> so marking each crossing as it passed. Thankfully  audio recorded.
>
> T to a Tee Thommo

Yes I remember them too...standing at the short end door, trying to hold the
kit and the billy in one hand, and open the door, crack your head on the
frame as you try to push in past the control stand!
and if you happen to miss the frame skin your scalp on the roof, because
everything was so tight inside.
Finally the stick would come off, and after climbing over the Drivers seat,
you would lean back, crick your neck as you reached for the whistle cord and
blew out.
Ah yes it was 0100 on the Hasler and only 2 degrees on the thermometer in
the bosses office as you headed out towards Bandiana with 4 vlx for
Tallangatta, 12 Ms for various places, and 2 VLx and 4 oil pots for Cudgewa.
Over High Street, the Heaters and Hotplate all on high, the fog had closed
in to about 50 meters, and the billy was starting to fog the inside up
already.
the tiny long end window was already wet on the outside, but of course the
wiper blades never touched the glass anyhow.
after a while we start to climb and as the track speed was never much over
30 , and most of the curves were 15 it was a long cold haul up to Shelley,
and a tough slow run down to the end of the line.
The sidings were single ended and you used a cable to haul the M's to where
they needed to be placed. The sanders on 413 never worked so we took it
turns to place ballast on the track to get traction. We placed handbrakes on
loosely to descend the bigger grades, and we were very glad to get off the
engine back at Wodonga some 10 hours later.......yep I remember!
But give me a new X or a C on a SG goods, sit back and relax!

--
Hey Thommo, gonna show us your video with sound or not?
Rod Young
http://hobsonmodelrail.rrdepot.com/

A Victorian Copper pulls over a Ute with NSW plates. He says to the
driver, "Got any ID?" The driver says, "Bout what?"