Raichase's Flickr!

[beeb375]

Nice collection as always, looks like quite a busy day on those lines! I'm gonna see if I can get any shots around London when I'm off to the airport next week (although they wouldn't be posted until I got back from my holidays )

[Raichase]

Those of you not following my blog (shame!) will like the following links:

Account of the day

Photos of the day

Video of trains from the day (mostly V-sets).

[Raichase]

Been spending a lot of time trackside recently, and as a result not had much time for TTF and TTD related anythings really (so, my apologies).

Another update:

Read about it, or perhaps you want to see the photos

When my friends go back to school/university, I will return to a degree of normality, but while they are free, we're making the most of our combined days off and going places to see things.

Planning a solo trip north tomorrow, to get my competition entry (I won't give details, but suffice to say it involves the Hawkesbury River, some early morning lighting, and a Cityrail Tangara. Maikha was saying not many people are bothering to snap Tangaras outside of Sydney, and indeed their days outside of Sydney might be numbered what with the introduction of the OSCAR or H-Set (as they are formally known).

Despite having plenty of chances to snap H's, I've shyed away, as soon, they will be more common than V's on some intercity runs, and I'll have plenty of time to snap them. The trains on the way out, we may not have long with though...

Next friday I'm planning a special trip south, to their haunting ground, to get some more Tangaras out of the metro area before that ceases altogether.

[Ameecher]

Some absolutely cracking shots. this one incidentally reminds me of the German V160 loco, perhaps Michael could enlighten us as to whether the two are related?

[Raichase]

Ameecher, thats an ex-Danish Railways MZ Class, numbered in the range of 14xx. A private freight company here that still uses leased motive power ordered about 10 of these units from the Danish Railways, and they have arrived here in Australia in the last few months. They were originally black and red, covered with graffiti, having been retired, but now they are silver with "Independant Railways of Australia" on the side.

Incidentally, I believe they are the only locos (plus a couple of ex-SRA 47 Class) that the company owns outright. Usually they lease their other stock from CFCLA, or HVT, but both companies were getting a little annoyed at the condition the locomotives were returned in (a lot of jokes are made about how they stopped being leased "jumbos" because they just ran the crap out of them and got them coated in graffiti, grime and exhaust discolouration).

Hence the name "dodgy bros".

It remains to be seen how long the new MZ's will last in their silver colours - so far I have not noticed a single loco with any sign of vandalism.

Thanks for the kind words

[Ameecher]

Well it sounds like they could be related to the V160 in some way what with Denmark and Germany being next door neighbours, interesting that you have a lot of freight operators (if not more than we do) instead of a nationalised freight business with a handful of other small operators. In the UK market there are 4 or 5 freight operators the main ones being EWS and Freightliner, from the pictures you took there are just as many, if not more?

[Raichase]

Ever since the privatisation of Freightcorp (around 2000), there have been heaps of "backyard operators" popping up.

It all started in 2000, with all of Freightcorp (NSW Government owned), and the Australian Government owned National Rail being sold to a joint venture between Toll and Patricks, as one large company called Pacific National. Since 1997, surplus rolling stock and especially locomotives were sold to a private company, CFCLA. They own a lot of ex-government SRA stock (State Rail Authority), as well as container flats, hoppers and other wagons they have bought themselves from overseas or locally. They don't run any trains of their own, they pay other companies to tack their freight onto other trains - when they get new locos built (such as in Adelaide), they pay Pacific National to use one of their locos to haul the shell and engine to be assembled.

Due to CFCLA being quite large, they lease (either short or long term) their rolling stock to other operators. Long term lease can involve the re-painting of locomotives and wagons, so that you are lead to believe that the company itself owns it.

It's made more complicated by the fact that a lot of seperate rail companies are owned by one major company, split up to avoid being attacked by the government for some reason... (the government tried to get Pacific National to sell off it's assets because it was becoming a monopoly).

Continuing the theme, the Queensland Government Railways are so sustainable, that they've expanded into NSW Standard Gauge (QLD being Narrow Gauge) with special locomotives and hoppers built to haul coal in The Hunter Valley, arguably the busiest railway in Australia (perhaps in the southern hemisphere). They also own "Interrail" another division. They run thrice weekly trains from Brisbane to Melbourne/Sydney, Adelaide and Perth too, iirc. They recently bought out ARG, a grain haulage company.

A lot of smaller operators, such as the SSR GM's I snapped are nicknamed "gunzel railways", because they are run as a giant railfan organisation - big kids playing with trains for a living. They will often honk the horn for the hell of it. Stories abound of a crew stopping their loaded train on the side of the Blue Mountains (some of the steepest, continuous grades in NSW), getting out, taking a photo of their train, and getting back in and starting it up. Should that prove TRUE, there would be major repercussions...

Lots of operators. Lachlan Valley Railfreight/Independant Railways of Australia, Southern/Silverton, SSR, Pacific National, QRN, ARG, GWA, Patrick Portlink (another company from Patricks, running trip trains from inland container yards to ports, such as the GL-lead train I shot at Hawkesbury River - that was a Patricks train), SCT, SHR, as well as preservation groups hiring out their rolling stock to other companies...

It's very complicated - have a poke around the "Pacific National" article on wikipedia for more info...

Best bit is, a lot of the rolling stock is ex Government, or purchased/leased from other operators, so you get a massive mix of rolling stock. You'll get Silverton locos still in the Victorian Railways colours, or the QRN G Class still in Freight Australia colours. All but a couple of the NR Class is still in National Rail colours. All the companies do, is not wash the train, and paint over the old logos, and stick their name on the side. So, lots of variety

[Ameecher]

I've just been looking through your flickr Raichase and it seems you have been spending a lot of time at Hawkesbury River. What a peculiar station that is! it appears to be in the middle of a causeway, some interesting and well composed shots, as ever. I ask this though? Will we get any shots from beyond the NSW area? or any beyond the wires at least?

[Raichase]

I've just been looking through your flickr Raichase and it seems you have been spending a lot of time at Hawkesbury River. What a peculiar station that is! it appears to be in the middle of a causeway,

Yes, the line comes off the Cowan Bank, one of the hardest grades in NSW to get into Sydney, and as a result comes down to the edge of the water at "Brooklyn", over a man-made causeway, then across the river at the bridge.

some interesting and well composed shots, as ever. I ask this though? Will we get any shots from beyond the NSW area? or any beyond the wires at least?

I have no plans on leaving the state at the moment. I do have plans to travel to Victoria eventually, but leaving NSW isn't an option without spending a lot of money.

As to beyond the wires, thats kind of hard. It's 4 hours north to get out from under the wires, and a couple of hours south. North is where my expertise lies, I know the line, I know the trains, I know the timetable. South is quite boring, and gets shocking DMU service. The Hunter, is very nice, but as I said, 4 hours north of here, so not something I can get done in a day.

Remember, most of those photos were taken on my day off, on a Friday.

Besides, apart from freights, nothing interesting outside of NSW, except perhaps in Victoria. I have no interest in QR Narrow Gauge passenger or freight operations (but I would still like to get up there), and only passing interesting in Victorian suburbans (their interurban trains and country trains are a bit more interesting).

[Ameecher]

You obviously have very extensive coverage with overhead wires. In the UK very few lines are electrified and you can easily get away from them in a few hours.

[Jose]

NSW has about 1700 km of electrified track out of 8700 km. It seems that we have a lot of electrified track because the 3 largest cities Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong as well as the blue mountains have overhead wires (different lines though) and that all the sydney suburban lines are also electrified. I live a bit over an hour away from electrified lines. Hey Raichase you think the south is bad with service, try getting out to Muswellbrook or Scone. And again very good shots! You must of went last friday as i saw that MZ and 44 come through Tuggerah at about 10:40 toward Sydney.

[Raichase]

NSW has about 1700 km of electrified track out of 8700 km. It seems that we have a lot of electrified track because the 3 largest cities Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong as well as the blue mountains have overhead wires (different lines though) and that all the sydney suburban lines are also electrified. I live a bit over an hour away from electrified lines. Hey Raichase you think the south is bad with service, try getting out to Muswellbrook or Scone.

Actually, I thought the service there was good, considering. I mean yes, for a Cityrail service, it's pretty poor, but I'm surprised they are still on the Cityrail network to begin with - I thought Countrylink would have taken them ages ago. Then again, due to their location, I see the Cityrail train as being a non-booked Countrylink style service. It's "the train" rather than "rock up to the station" kinda thing.

And again very good shots! You must of went last friday as i saw that MZ and 44 come through Tuggerah at about 10:40 toward Sydney.

Thankyou!

I too was pleased to see the MZ and the 44. I later read the WTT again and found that IRA now have a Wed/Fri slot back on the trimetable to run trip trains again, which is nice - I missed seeing them the last time they worked north.

When do we get to see your photos Jose? You're in a good spot

[Jose]

Yeah i should get out and get some photos, probably out at Sandgate. Although i have only a 4 pm camera and no tripod.

[Raichase]

Yeah i should get out and get some photos, probably out at Sandgate. Although i have only a 4 pm camera and no tripod.

After I got my tripod, I used it religiously. However, now I only bother with it at night and in low light conditions. I am looking at getting a video camera next, and filming with my tripod while photting with the camera.

[Raichase]

Forget about this thread often.

Blog Post 1 and Blog Post 2 both have all the info...

Photos are here

[Jose]

You should of seen the QR freight running south this morning (maybe you did) at around 9:30 at Tuggerah. A 6 loco (421, 423, X, and 3 CLP's) and 44 wagon monster. At first i thought that it was a engine movement, took me by surprise. It would of been a good day for gunzeling long coalies hauled by 81's as well.

[Raichase]

You should of seen the QR freight running south this morning (maybe you did) at around 9:30 at Tuggerah. A 6 loco (421, 423, X, and 3 CLP's) and 44 wagon monster. At first i thought that it was a engine movement, took me by surprise. It would of been a good day for gunzeling long coalies hauled by 81's as well.

Damn.

I was going to go to Sefton, where I would have SEEN said movement, among other things, but the BOM predictied morning thunder and high winds... it was a bit windy, and thats it.

I missed the days when QRN only ran two trains each way each week, when they were only G+X combos, now that they are all variety of locos, it's good, but I want more photos of G's and X's .

That would have been awesome to see though, a shame you didn't have a camera handy .

[Raichase]

Based on the theme of this months Photography Competition, and having seen 3801 a few times at Central before, I tried to focus on the people milling around the loco, rather than the loco itself. My aim was to capture the crew at work, and the enthusiasts and gawkers alike.

Find the whole set at the usual spot

[lobster]

please, Rai, could you ever visit and photograph this one for me?

[Raichase]

One day I'll travel to Melbourne and visit (among other train-things) Puffing Billy. However, the first interstate trip I travel on will likely be to Queensland, as they have some interesting railways up there.