Re: Coal train in Queensland in 1970

Thanks for the information Pete, that certainly sounds like the same train. I was only working with the Main Roads; I've just remembered that was the name of the department I was working for; for about three weeks. The coal train was the highlight of the day for us because we where out there on our own and only saw the gaffer twice, when he dropped us of at the new camp and again when he brought our wages and drove me into Mackay.

My mate and I had jumped ship in Cairns and we had hitched lifts or jumped trains to get south as quickly as possible. We jumped one freight train as it sat in the loop at Mackay, or maybe Townsville it's a long time ago now, and climbed into the car/wagon at the rear. It had steps up each side and a small platform and you entered through the rear door. I had six or eight seats in it and as the train pulled out our car/wagon was pulled through the station so we dropped onto the floor only to find two well worn faces and a strong smell of some 'excellent Aussie sherry'?. After we cleared the station we all got up and passed the sherry around for a couple of hours before falling asleep.

When we woke up the two hobo's had disappeared and we were trundling along in the middle of nowhere for a couple more hours. When we stopped we looked around but we couldn't see any sign of life let alone buildings and another hour or more went by before dust started rising some way off and a herd of cattle emerged from the slowly drifting cloud. Another two or three hours and we were off again having no idea where we were or where we were going, yes you guessed it - Mackay again - Shit. We dropped off the train found a soft spot on the ground out of the way and went off to sleep.

Waking up we were rather hungry, very dirty and in need of clean laundry so we visited the local church where we got a wash and brush up, five dollars and directions for the Manpower office. Next stop was the Main Roads camp in the middle of nowhere but at least we had food, water and something resembling a bed.

After a bust up I left and the gaffer gave me a lift back to Mackay via his house which was in a magnificent setting on the side of the hill with a superb view, I remember thinking that it might be worth coming back this way some time in the future. Never did though.

I took a train from Mackay to Rockhampton and I found a job at the single workers accommodation camp sort of place for the guys that worked at the Aluminium factory, foundry or whatever it was, and spent a month or so riding a lawnmower, drinking Castlemaine XXXX and improving the old bronzie into the bargain. Finally after a month I had enough money together so I left and went by coach to Sydney via Brisbane and walked into Monties (Montgomery's Hotel, now under a six lane highway I am told) which was the nearest pub to where we had been docked a couple of months before. My mate was just about to buy himself his first midi having arrived in Sydney about an hour before me, we were mates again and spent the next few months living in Harris Street having a great time until we got nicked, some bird had bubbled us to the police, and returned home to England straight into snow.

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Bren

God Bless the Arsenal and All Who Sail With Her