Re: Tall tales (and true)

["Barry Campbell" <campblbm@ozemail.com.au>]

Chris Stratton wrote in message <8bbcc4$d5a$1@gossamer.itmel.bhp.com.au>...
>"Derick Wuen" <cullend@webone.com.au> wrote in message
>38d8ab66@iridium.webone.com.au">news:38d8ab66@iridium.webone.com.au...
>>
>>
>> There we were on the night shift at Darling Harbour and Pyrmont in the
>> 1950's, riding the shunter's trucks and directing the crew of the 19
class
>> put and take trucks from all over the yard, including the wharf tracks.
It
>> was a cold dark damp night and the yard lighting was on the murky side of
>> dim. Towards the end of the shift we had to shunt a loaded S truck onto
>> Pyrmont No 21. It was uncoupled and given a shove by the 19. It rolled
>onto
>> the wharf, when the shunter designated to apply the yard brake tripped on
>> some junk and fell over, thankfully clear of the wheels. The S truck
>rolled
>> on, and oh s**t over the stop block at the end of the wharf and into the
>> water.
>>
>> Shunters, driver, fireman all gathered around the end of the wharf
>> unhappily. None of us could work out how to explain the disappearance of
a
>> loaded S truck, or pass it off as a mere trifle. Nothing for it.... it
was
>> reported to the SM's office.
>>
>> Next day we gathered around the end of No 21 to watch the diver (rubber
>> suit, metal helmet, airlines, pumping gear, lead boots and all) who had
>been
>> sent to "ascertain the whereabouts" of the errant S truck. He descended
>all
>> bubbly into the oily murk which passed for water in Darling Harbour. He
>was
>> down for about 5 minutes when he reappeared. We helped haul him out and
>> opened the little window on his helmet.... well? we all asked did you
find
>> it?
>>
>> What number was your S truck?  he asked. Why the effing hell do you need
>to
>> know that? we replied. Well, he said I need to know the number to tell
>yours
>> from the other three which are down there.
>>
>>
>If you substitute Port Kembla and No6 Jetty for Pyrmont and No21, I've
heard
>the exact same story.
>--
So have I, and I would have beleived an empty S truck being left there and
forgotten (lets face it, there were 10,000 of them) until I worked for a
port authority. Dredge crews would find out about debris that big pretty
quickly.


Barry Campbell