A Steam Train Passes- DVD Review.

A Steam Train Passes, is a short film made in 1974. Here's a review by me-

The film starts off with a newsreel clip from 1943. It is of 3801 being built. It is titled "Monarch of the Rails" and what a name, for a clip about a C38! We see 3801, completely grey, blasting out of Sydney on one of it's first trips! The newsreel clip finishes with 3801 pouring into the night, with two raucous, but beautiful, blows of it's whistle.

The film goes from 1943 to 1974 and it is now at the now demolished Enfield Roundhouse. A cat strolls past loco 1709 and all is silent, until the fireman of famous loco 3801 comes to light up its fire. This is done and the big green giant stirs and starts to hiss. Soon the loco is awake and the fireman feeds the furnace coal. The driver checks the engine and give a signal to the fireman that all is well. The driver then climbs aboard 3801, releases the brakes and opens the regulator. 3801 begins to move out of the roundhouse and on to the turntable. '01 is turned and drifts onto the mainline, steaming past rusted steam locomotives to collect it's train.

Now 3801 is speeding out of Sydney, with a chorus of whistles. It steam through the outer Sydney suburbs and its black smoke can be seen over the houses. The gleaming iron horse steams across the Hawksbury River Bridge and in this special scene, the camera is on the front of 3801 (looking up to the nosecone) and the engine is going so fast that the camera is slightly shaking!

3801 is soon in the country side, steaming past fields. A man is waiting at a country station, waiting for 3801, but when the 38 comes, it does not stop. It blocks the view of the man and when it passes, the man is mysteriously gone! 3801 comes to a water tower and takes on water. As this is happening the driver cooks breakfast (Bacon & eggs) on the worlds hottest stove- the furnace of a steam train. The next stop for 3801 is a station next to a pub. Some world war 2 solders are having drinks in the pub, but when the steam train comes they run off to try and catch it. But they are to late, 3801's whistle blows and it steams off. It passes a church, that is being used for a wedding.

It is getting dark and a signalman (in polona signal box) is about to have his tea. He hears the sound of 3801 and goes out to give the signal that all is clear for it to go on. 3801 screams past him into the night. It is now completely dark and people are waiting in a waiting room on another country station. They hear the whistle of 3801 and walk out onto the station. The people board the train and 3801 steams off. As it chugs into the darkness, we see the man that was waiting on the station earlier, that disappeared and the WW2 solders that missed the train, both on the train! How did they get on!?

This film is very famous. I highly recommend it to anybody (even non train enthusiasts)!

Heritage Express: Gosford Trip (NSW).

On Sunday, the 22nd of November 2009, I went on a heritage train ride to gosford, hauled by a powerful, classic diesel locomotive (4490). This trip was originally scheduled to be hauled by steam loco 3642 (restored in 2008), but total fire bans for NSW on the day, ment that this train had to be hauled by diesel 4490. About 15 minutes after we arrived at Sydney Central Station, diesels 44211 & 4490 arrived in push-pull mode with a long train. For a reason not known to me, 44211 was detached from the train and only 4490 was to pull us! At 10:10 am 4490's horn sounded and we pulled out of the station. We sped through stations like Redfern. Near Redfern, I stuck my head out the window of the heritage carriage and looked over to the Large Erecting Shop (LES), wile thinking what future it has (probably not a good one!!). As we pulled into Hornsby station, a long freight train (hauled by Pacific National NR class diesel locos) passed us. Near Cowan we crossed another freight (hauled by an NR class, a 44 class & a DL class). We arrived at Gosford around 12:30 pm and left for Sydney around 2:20 pm.

It was a very enjoyable day. GOOD JOB HERITAGE EXPRESS!!!

Steam Events (November 2009 - May 2010)!

2009

November 21- Rail & Sail to Wolongong. (3642).

November 22- Central Coaster to Gosford. (Santa Steam Train, 3642).

2010

March 7- Thirlmere Flyer to Thirlmere Festival Of Steam. (3642).

March 7- Thirlmere Festival Of Steam. (2705, 3526 & 3642).

April 4- Thirlmere Flyer to Thirlmere Railway Museum. (Loco- 3526?).

April 4- Thirlmere Heritage Railway running, in conjunction with Thirlmere Flyer, Thirlmere Railway Museum. (2705).

May 15- Day Out With Thomas, Thirlmere Railway Museum & Thirlmere Heritage Railway. (Loco ?).

May 16- Day Out With Thomas, Thirlmere Railway Museum & Thirlmere Heritage Railway. (Loco ?).

A large gap!

PLEASE NOTE- WHEN YOU GET TO THE BOTTOM OF "PHOTOS OF MY BIRDS", THERE IS A BIG GAP. BUT IF YOU SCROLL DOWN, ALMOST TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, YOU WILL FIND "STEAM TRAIN TRIP TO KIAMA, WITH 3642!

SORRY ABOUT THE GAP!

Pictures of steam train 3265, on its first official tour.

Steam Locomotive 3265 is seen here at Sydney Central Station, before a round trip to Bankstown, on September 20th 2009. This was the locos first official run, after an 11 year restoration to operation!

Photos from Featherdale Wildlife Park.

Photos of my birds.

Steam train trip to Kiama, with 3642.

Many people know that I have two loves- railways and birds. I go on many steam train trips and my most recent was to Kiama, on the NSW south coast. The train (hualed by famous steam loco 3642 and vintage desiel locos 44211 & 4306) departed Sydney Central Station at about 10:30am and passed the large erecting shop, at Redfern about 10 minutes later. The old, stored Red Ratterlers and 48 class desiels at the redfern sheds had seen better days. About an hour and a half or more later, we arrived at Wolongong station, to pick up passerngers. As we were here

for about 25 minutes, I got to get some GREAT

Above- The 3642.

photos of there 36 class. Soon we departed wolongong, with a cloud of steam! We arrived at Kiama pretty much on time and huge crowd of people, wanting to see the steam train, greeted us as we pulled in.

We were at Kiama for about 2 hours and before we left, I got to go in the cab of the fantastic 3642.

We had a smooth and fun ride home and arrived back in Sydney at about 5:30pm.

It was a great day and I highly recommend riding behind one of these great machines, with the NSWRTM (a steam train operator), even if your not a train lover!

Chicks, chicks and more chicks!

Today was a very interesting day! When I went down to look at my pet Zebra Finches, I was delighted to find a healthy 3 week old baby Zeb, on the bottom of the avairy. I had been hearing chicks in one of the nestboxs for about 3 weeks and knew they were in there. There are at least 2 more chicks in the nestbox and hopefully they will also jump down soon.

Today I also caught on video a Pied Currawong feeding it's 3 chicks and hopefully I will be able to post that video on this blog soon! I also got some great shots of Rainbow Lorikeets feeding.

So today I have seen many chicks!!!