Ruminations and reflections

There has been some weird stuff going on in the blogger-sphere around these parts.  

And I am not talking about the odd (very odd) person who offers a range of personal services to my few readers, by commenting on posts about wheat loading at Eumungerie in 1931 and providing a link to a place on the Internet that gives wheat lumpers a completely different connotation.

No, I am talking about the stuff that happens when you write a post and then it disappears, completely, into the Bermuda Triangle of blogs. If this cost goes through, and it is looking promising, it will be attempt Number 3. And that is a shame, because the last two attempts had vastly superior prose.

Colin's thoughtful comments on my last post actually put me back quite a bit.  And its certainly not your fault Colin - your observations made me sit and think, neither of which are my strong points.  The 'essence' - yes, that is what I am after, the essence of a location or a geographic area.

I will get back to the month of ruminations in a minute but part of my thinking has been given to the girth of my layout.  I am very fortunate, Dubbo is not a stretched-out location.  Most of the yard is crammed into 760 metres between the eastern (Fitzroy Street) and western (Darling Street) level crossings.  And I do have plenty of space, as Colin noted.  It means that longitudinally, I only have to compress about 10% to get everything in.

But what about width? Dubbo's railway precinct is also bounded by Talbragar Street on the southern (town) side and Erskine Street on the northern side.  I had paid almost no attention to the width of Dubbo - it was just what I could fit in on an 800mm wide board.

The 'width' of the real Dubbo yard is about 270 metres, but I had limited myself to 125 metres stretching from the dock sidings in the south, to the second or third up siding in the north.  It turns out, that what I am trying to model requires about a 1400mm wide board, and I am giving myself about 60% of that width.  

The compression issue is more acute once you factor in the things that can't be compressed, like station platforms, loco shed, water tanks and coal stages.  Sure, you can nip a few millimetres of each but so many of the NSWGR's pieces of infrastructure were just plain squat and sturdy. 

So that is why 'essence' is back on the table.  

For me, the essence of Dubbo is hearing wheezy, clapped out 30Ts roughly shunt four-wheelers into each other, and the smells of oil, steam and BSVs drying out in the sun.  This latter smell will last with me until death. Hope the others do too.

But I am modelling sight, not sound or smell.  Although DCC Smell might be an innovation which should be pursued.  So, for sight, this is why I haven't been blogging much this past month. 

I have spent many hours scrolling through all the family photos of Dubbo, plus others I have collected along the way.  Thanks to several Facebook groups, and generous participants in those groups, a simple word search of 'Dubbo' uncovers the most amazing treasury of photographs.  Mid-way through this I was lucky enough to 'win' an eBay auction held by an esteemed reader of this blog.  My 'prize' was a bound set of Roundhouse magazines from the early 1980s when the quality of writing and photography was well beyond what you should ever expect from a fanzine.  And the last article in the volume - Dubbo!!!!

I even started charting where most of the memorable steam-era photographs were taken.  It gave me a result not unlike a dogs breakfast. Don't try to read too closely - the green arrows going everywhere give the flavour.

The green arrows have helped me identify the bits of Dubbo that are important to me, which resulted in another scribbly diagram. It left me with what I call the Five Cones of Interest.  Of course, this should be of little interest to anyone other than me, but here you go for posterity.  The dark blue dots are where a person would be standing to view the 'cone'.

The Five Cones now means that I am much more interested in getting five key (for me) spots on the layout just right, not the whole thing.  Sure, I would like the whole thing to smell of Dubbo, but until someone 3D prints a 57 class boiler just so I can tip it on its end and point it skyward, it will be missing from this layout.

Anyway, the Five Cones has led me to better understand that the essence of a location can be found in just a few angles.  One of the important for me is Cone 3, standing on the eastern end of Dubbo platform, looking across to the loco shed.  Here's a snap of 3144T and 3203 being prepared for a tour on 10 April 1966, which apparently was a bright, sunny day.

All of a sudden the task  isn't as big as it once was.  To get something I might be happy with will involve:

* finishing off my loco shed to a crappy standard (good at that)

* dropping a commercially available water column and yard lights in at the right spots

* figuring out what the wagon on the ground is (is it a KKG?) and replicating

* knocking up a couple of very plain fibro huts.

And of course, I will be modelling this scene 10 minutes after the locos have been put back into the shed for the night, so I don't have to clean any loco wheels.

So, for me, until scratch and sniff sheep wagons come onto the market, the essence of Dubbo will be my Five Cones.

Now, who reckons that is a KKG on the ground?  Maybe it was the culprit for all those smells over 50 years ago?

And very finally, on behalf of the many more readers that the Essence blog has, Colin, we are all eagerly waiting for Moblayne to rise!

June 2020 update

This update is principally a salute to the good people who have authored the Autumn 2020 edition of the Roundhouse, which is published by the NSW Rail Museum.

I have had a bit of a mixed relationship with the Roundhouse over the years. In the early 1970s I would grab it eagerly to get the colourful inserts advertising steam tours, only to find that most have been run the previous weekend.  

In the late 1970s the Roundhouse hit its heyday, with a series of detailed and well-polished articles by Robert Booth and others, which ultimately became the Byways of Steam publication.

More recently, I stopped reading the Roundhouse when it became little more than an advertorial for a very misguided organisation, ignoring its failures and over-blowing its few successes.  More recently it seems to be taking a more thoughtful approach, and is certainly worth the $10 it costs.

When I saw the current edition's cover, I reasonably concluded it was all about a big green steam engine.

But no! Its really all about the painting of another big green steam engine, 3144T!  

Tucked down the back of the magazine is a ripping little article from Percy Suckling, retired Dubbo driver who turns out to be the Michelangelo of the West.

Percy's great article explains how the painting of 3144T and 3028T into green and blue respectively, all came about.  I am not going to regurgitate the article, which has some great insights about how it all went down.  

The information in the  article gives me my first opportunity to use the 'table' function in the latest version of blogger so here goes...

Locomotive	Arrived in Dubbo	Repainted	Left Dubbo
3028T	1966	29 Jan 1968 - 3 Feb 1968	10 April 1970
3144T	1964	19 - 23 January 1968	14 January 1969

So, a great read.  The magazine also has a good article on the 44 class fleet by John Casey and a terrific bit of news about J & A Brown's Mersey Tank No. 5 (The Major) by Bruce Saunders.  

On the modelling side, things are inching towards an operating layout.  The shed containing the layout was hooked up the grid this week, many of the boards have arrived in town, the Dubbo station kit has been finished as far as is possible, Talbragar Bridge is under construction and the facade of Dubbo's distinctive Railway Refreshment Room has been constructed. So progress!

Cheers, until there is more progress or news 

Don

Three gems emerge

Things keep falling out of the family photograph collection as various family members self isolate.  I hadn't seen these three photographs until last Friday.  

First up, 3028T shunts a BSV bogie sheep van in Dubbo yard in the early part of 1968 when its locally-applied royal blue livery was still relatively unfaded. 

Probably snapped on the same visit to this region, just up the Newell Highway at Eumungerie the locals were celebrating the opening of their new wheat bulkhead. It wasn't just a great asset for the local farmers - when empty it was also a terrific indoor cricket venue.  It is difficult to imagine these days, but these facilities were routinely left unlocked which was just inviting inspection and nefarious use.

And this third photo is of 3289, crossing the Fitzroy Street level crossing in Dubbo, around 1970.  Although the loco's cab numbers are obscured, its at-the-time unique NSWGR sand box embellishment confirms its identity. 

If these sorts of photographs keep coming to light, I really have no problem with being isolated for another three months or so.

Cheers,
Don

Lost from the 50s

Just when you think that the family photograph collection has been 100% plundered for near-publishable photos of Eumungerie up pop a few more - this time from another uncle who is pleased to share his bounty.

Last Sunday four more photos arrived in electronic form from said uncle. This first one is a version of one I have already posted, showing a slightly blurred 30T, suspected to be 3004T, taking water at Eumungerie. 

I also suspected that 3004T (tbc) was on No. 5 down pickup, which was supposed to depart Eumungerie around 7:00am every day except Sundays.  My problem with that theory is that the loco should be horribly back-lit. Maybe it was a cloudy day? Maybe.  Anyway, here is the shot.

Now  the exciting stuff.  There is a companion photograph!  And its less blurred!

In this second photo the fireman can be seen more clearly on the back of the tender, as can the decent coal load.  The driver is down at the base of the water column - though it could be one of my bloody relatives making a nuisance of themselves.  Again, the shadows are worrying me.  Also worrying me is the lack of cab numbers - no, I haven't been into Photoshop removing things.  The most excellent fillum used by our family just managed to ignore this detail.  Or less likely, the numbers have been removed by persons unknown (said relative is in the clear).

Now, this third photograph adds to the theory.  It shows a rather new two car diesel working through Eumungerie. Its pretty early on - early 1950s I am guessing - as there is no ETP/EHO on the rear.  And the collection of wagons on the adjacent line are a rich tapestry indeed.  A couple of Ks or like stuffed with hay for hungry beasts, a steel (?) S wagon loaded with fuel drums and a decrepit looking louvre van form part of the load. To this sad case, its gorgeous. And don't get me started on the lamp room, the telegraph pole and point levers.

If No. 45 Diesel Train is running on time, this photograph was taken at 8:48am, and its a Tuesday or a Thursday.  And if these wagons belong to 3004T, it might just explain why the shadows aren't where they should be at 7:00am.  Its because the pick-up is running late. 

And now for the final photograph...

First of all, the shadows are where I expect them to be around 9:00am!

Here we have the station officer (from the waist coat and hat) squeezing between the pick-up and a RU wheat wagon which is lined up for loading.  What's special - the lack of ash as ballast, the wagons forming the Pick-up, or the blob in front of the goods shed just to the right of the RU? You are correct if you answer 'all of the above'.

So, I have still not convinced myself that all four of these photos belong with each other (certainly the first two do), or that it shows a busy Tuesday or Thursday morning in Eumungerie in the 1950s. But it makes a good yarn and a decent modelling proposition.

But the best news is that said uncle thinks he has more!

Until then, cheers!
Don

He's back - Part II

I have been a little quieter than normal over the past two months on this blog but to borrow a phrase from a well-known Halloween movie - He's Back!

The reasons for my absence are explained in the most recent post on my other blog (NSW Rail Rambler) but just lets summarise to say it was my own clumsy fault. I am still slowly recovering files from a near-dead laptop so while I continue in that chore I thought I would post a quick blog to keep the loyal few in suspense, to borrow a line from another Don(ald).

No blog would be complete without a photo so I thought I would post the following one of the front end of blue 3028T in Dubbo loco, circa 1968. The news that Austrains is contemplating releasing a HO gauge version of this very loco has made this humble and poor scribe very happy. I do hope that they accurately reflect the deterioration in the buffer beam correctly!

So, until I have recovered the remainder of my files, adieu!

Don

Stockies

Its been too long! I was scrolling through the diminishing list of photos of Eumungerie, thinking of what next to inflict upon you poor sods. Then I found these... four photographs taken over the course of a decade or so with one common element - beasts.

The first is from the mid-1960s and it has 3004T headed south with a two BSVs loaded with sheep and then a BCW. Probably a fair few beasts loaded into other wagons out of view too.

I thought the last photo was a bit strange in that wagons moving sheep and cattle were adjacent to each other on the same train - my otherwise tidy mind prefers to remember stock trains loaded with steaks or chops, but not mixed grills.

Then I looked at the next photo - its the four wheel version of the same thing. This time its a GSV immediately behind 3262, then a CW.  This time the beasties leaving the Coonamble branch were being accompanied by an empty ballast wagon, and probably others. Keen eyed observers may also identify another beast - in the form of a young laddie, scurrying away.

The pattern of beef and sheep is continued in this shot of 3203 headed north, with empties.  The date is 13 April 1966.

And finally, about a decade on, the motive power has changed but not the rolling stock. A morning northbound pickup, led by 4910, has a string of at least eight cattle wagons. Within that string there is still variety in style and hue.

Its time to leave the beasts of yesteryear - the steam powered, the internal combustion and the grass fed ones.

Ciao for now!
Don

A few memories of wheaties at Eumungerie

Given that I have written more about grain traffic on the Coonamble branch than any other human (how's that for a claim to fame?) I should really know 'stuff', but I don't. It falls to the generosity of time and spirit of others to improve my education, along with a couple of decent national institutions. I am going to drag a few of these influences together in this post.

First, a very straightforward explanation of peak season wheat train workings in the Eumungerie area provided by my father...

When the peak was on, a train of empties would arrive early and drop off the Eumungerie allocation on the silo track. These would be gravitated or barred to the chute and loaded. 

In the afternoon a loco (tender leading) and van would arrive from Dubbo and pick up the now loaded train and return it to Dubbo. The original would have continued on dropping off empties as allocated towards Gilgandra. 

As this area of land was marginal for wheat growing, there was extensive use of superphosphate.  This came from Newcastle or Port Kembla in tarped 'S' trucks. These were often added to the afternoon engine/van train and placed on the loading bank or near the crane.

Finally in the late afternoon the original loco would come back from Gilgandra and head to Dubbo with its loaded train.

Second, many will know of Col Hussey's most excellent blog Essence, worth reading both for the HO railway under construction and Col's explanation of real life operations on the NSWGR. Through the Aus_Model_Rail chat group Col recalled that during the large 1964/65 wheat harvest, trains that operated from Dubbo as far as Gilgandra were worked by bogie tendered 32 class as there was a triangle there to turn them there.  On specials that ran as far as Eumungerie they ran tender first out and engine first back. So, I think we have corroboration!

Finally, the benefit of having decently resourced national institutions? I refer in particular to the National Library of Australia's Trove website which contains 15,000 references to Eumungerie alone. It also has a series of photographs taken in December 1958 by a Mr J Tanner. I am reproducing several of the series below to illustrate the wheat loading process at Eumungerie.

First up, the morning train has been out and deposited a collection of BWH and RU hoppers on the silo road. One BWH has been loaded and a RU is in the process of being loaded.

Here is a close-up of the RU being loaded - great OHS!

Inside the road receival facilities farmers were either dumping bulk grain, or emptying bagged grain.
 

Emptying bagged grain would have been particularly lousy and hot work. Lucky this bloke is well dressed for it!

Finally, other farmers have a decent wait, especially if every bag needs to be emptied. Note the loaded BWH and directly behind it, a rare shot of the station officer's residence.

I strongly encourage everyone to log onto the Trove site - it is a national treasure.  I'll refrain from calling Col and my father national treasures, but they are very useful sources!

Ciao for now!
Don

Dubbo's steam shunters

Yes, it has been a while but for once it hasn't been my slackness or distractions... my 'telco service provider' hasn't been able live up to its name since the week before Christmas.

My last post involved LVR's esteemed P class, 3237. I don't have any shots of it at Eumungerie or working the Coonamble branch, but I do have a collection of steam locos shunting Dubbo yard in the 1960s which does include 3237.  So I thought I would dig them up.

When sorting the photos I have been a bit sidetracked by 30T tenders - the forthcoming 30T model by Shrike Models being in the back of my mind (and wallet). So, tenders is a bit of a focus for the first few photos. First up, 3055T with its bogie tender.

3080T has the standard 30T six-wheel tender.

3102T has the less common narrower, six-wheel tender nicked from a scrapped Z16 class loco.

Here is two shots of 3122T, and I don't know what chronological order they should be in.  They are evidence however that 30Ts swapped tenders from time to time. Here is 3122 with a bogie tender.

And here it is with a six-wheel tender.  OK, the front of the loco has been cropped off by the photographer, but the interest in this particular shot is the antiquated equipment being used to make repairs to the driving rods (note the slide rods cover is off).

The last of the 30T collection for the time being is 3142T in the distance. Take my word for it! I love this photograph for the quality of the roof on the shed and the ash stacked high in the S wagon in the foreground. Great character!

 
If you haven't had enough of 30Ts, scroll down to my post in May 2014 (or click this link) to see blue 3028T with a bogie tender and green 3144T with a six wheel tender and extended smoke box.  Unfortunately I don't have any photos of a 30T at Dubbo with a Baldwin tender! Leaving 30Ts we return to the loco which started this post - 3237.

I think I may have posted the following photo before? Anyway 3289 looks so nice it deserves another run.

For the last shot it is time to take a peak at Dubbo's own standard goods - 5408.

Its good to be back on the air... ciao!

Colourful 30Ts

In early 1968 Dubbo loco depot staff apparently took to their yard shunters with imagination and a nod to history.  The following two photographs record their efforts, some months after they occurred.  

Perhaps the most garish livery ever to be applied to a NSW steam locomotive in revenue service was that applied to 3144T.  Here it is in Dubbo yard, much faded, some time later that year.  The slide quality doesn't help, but you get the idea of the the inventive highlighting of the painters.

In a marginally less deteriorated slide, 3144T's stablemate, 3028T, was snapped on the same day.

Two very fine looking elderly ladies!

News that a HO scale 30T may soon hit the shelves of hobby shops has caused me to think of the possibilities of recreating the following scenes. Not by me of course - I am far too poor, but hopefully someone can...