Re: Steamfreight 99 - Hightlights and not-so-highlights

[Peter Williams <williams@eck.net.au>]

Michael Kurkowski wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> After spending what was a seemingly short but certainly tiring weekend at
> Steamfreight 99, I have a few comments. Morons doing anything to ruin your
> photo being my main highlight of this year.
>
> I had a great weekend up in Maldon. Spent most of yesterday catching trains,
> and most of today photographing them. According to the GPS we had walked
> something like 30km :-) Mind you I am rather stuffed now.
>
> I did not at all care for the cancelled services. It is something that is
> expected anywhere, and adds slight variety from what you could see on the
> timetable. To all the people who whinged like school children about cancelled
> services, wake up to yourselves. At least the preservation society exists! Or
> would you rather see K160, F212, T333, RM58 and numerous passenger cars and
> freight wagons in: new cars, firewood, paddocks rotting away, food tins, etc,
> you get the point.
>
> I do however have one gripe with the changed timetable. The last train was the
> F class with the bouncing passenger lounge and a few other pass. cars. The
> problem was the DERM which was MEANT to be the last service for the day ran
> attached. Many people nearly missed out on the last train back to Maldon
> because of this. The result was that me and the person I was with had to go
> train chasing, literally. About 200m up the line (imagine running through soft
> ballast up the grade between Pipeline and Sinclairs Lane) the train finally
> stopped because the guard saw us and waved the flag. It would have either been
> nice to tell people of this, or run at least the DERM as tabled.
>
> Despite last year being colder than this year, I preferred last years weather.
> The ice added a spectacular effect back then. This year it was wet and windy. A
> snow making machine was a nice instant brainwave that i instantly dismissed :-)
>
> Proud owner of a red Subaru registered NET-580, if you can read this, you
> parked your car right in front of where I set up to get a photo. As the train
> passed you got your prize photo jumped into the car and stormed off to probably
> ruin someone elses photo. In addition, I was in the spot for at least 10-15
> minutes prior to your arrival.
>
> Me and two other people from this newsgroup set up in the paddock near the
> trestle to take photos of the mixed headed by the T and the K. Old moron parks
> trackside near the trestle (that was not so bad) and begins walking his 4
> grandchildren (or whoever the kids were) right in front of our line of fire,
> despite many yells to tell him he was in our shot he continued to ignore us and
> walk right to the trestle, while the train was passing. One of us had a word to
> him on his way back (straight after the train passed) and all he could say
> "Well I dont see any problem, you need some life in your shot, you should have
> appreciated it". If you can read this, you will know very well who you are,
> congratulations, you're a moron.
>
> Reggie with his human impersonating microphone. All I heard him do all weekend
> was whinge about what should and should not have happened this year. i.e. kids
> should be banned because they were a nuisance and wouldnt contribute anything,
> VGR should just pluck money out of the air and convert RM58 back to it's
> original state (i.e. before refurbishment), last night's listening stop train
> was not good enough, complaining about their incompetance because of having to
> cancel trains, etc. Well reggie boy, let's see you try and do better.
>
> High levels of inconsiderate cars travelling trackside. Okay, I don't mind so
> much allowing cars but for gods sake, if you are going to drive trackside BE
> RESPONSIBLE! If you see a group of photographers nearby, or maybe even just
> one, be considerate. They were there first. Don't park your car near what would
> be considered someone's line of fire. Better still, do what most people,
> including me did. WALK, CATCH A TRAIN. Why are there the four stops that most
> pass. trains stopped at? For people who wanted to be track side.
>
> Aside from all that, thank you for bringing us all, gunzels and non-gunzels
> alike, a great and successful weekend. I hope to be there next year as well,
> and along with that, hope to see some more faces familiar to this group!
>
> Regards
> Michael

Hi Michael.

If I may I would like to correct a minor error  in your report. You mention among
other rolling stock seen on the day RM 58. Perhaps this should read RM 61 as RM 58
is a long term resident of the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre and is still in its
original condition apart from the GM diesels fitted in the 50's.

Yours etc.

Peter Williams.