RTL01 and former VR ballast hoppers

Today I went for an hour and a half trip to Muswellbrook to find the 

RTL and ballast hoppers that I had seen on Wagonfreaks blog.

1 Western Star truck, add highrail/railway wheels and you
have an RTL. This truck was once owned by V/Line and
Freight  Australia and now owned by Just Tracks. I don't
know too much about this oddities history except it was used
on log trains under its Freight Australia years and the horns
on the bonnet seem to be a new addition.
 

Former VR VZMA 67V now in Just Tracks green in
 Muswellbrook

Former VR VZMA ballast hopper now coded OHBA93R
Of note is the chain over the wagon body attached to the
bogies
 

Till next time

 Mathew Hughes

A modelling update

Hi All
 Just a quick little update on a few unusual projects.
 A Northern Models NZZA special load wagon.
Still needs a lot of work filling/sanding and scratch building but I'm
looking forward to the challenge of making it closer to the prototype.

The other wagon I'm playing around with is an unknown brand (I got it off eBay)
a RZXY wheel carrying wagon just have to weather it up and decal it

Till next time
 Mathew Hughes

442 class The JUMBO

Thirlmeres 44211 leading the Steamfest special

442s5 on an empty concentrate train

A very clean 44202 in QUBE colours

44208 in CFCLA livery

442s3 very dilapidated Silverton early livery for their jumbos

442s6 showing the later Silverton livery

Formerly owned by Siverton 442s1 now painted in Green Trains livery 

44206 (in green) and 44204 (in blue) in modified NSWGR colours

44206 repainted into the SSR scheme

44224 in reverse livery from the PTC era, at Cardiff workshops.
Picture from my Dads collection 

Till next time 
 Mathew Hughes

Steamfest the great race 2016

Hi All
  Today was the Steamfest Great Train Race with four steam locos vs four tiger 
moths. I decided to go to Warabrook station for the action and was not disappointed.
Four steam trains on four main lines at the same time was a very impressive sight.

4x82s going to Kooragang Island to unload

4490 leading 5917s train to the start line 

GL102 leading 3016s train to the starting area

GL106 leading 6029s train to the starting area

NTAF7079H former ESSO petrol tank wagon built by Tulloch
now used as a water jin for the Garratt
(thanks for spelling lesson Col)

Two of the four tiger moths flying around 

And last but not least 4001 leading 3642s train into position

And they are off and racing

And the obligatory trailing shot 

Till next time

 Mathew Hughes

The Steamfest transfers 8/4/2016

Hi All
 The 30th annual Steamfest is here and you know what that means a day off work to 
go train hunting. It was a good haul for the day both freight and heritage trains with
plenty of old and new running.

This is the first chance I've had to see the new Crawfords locos 
PHC002 and PHC001 completed and working

After seeing this rake of grain hoppers in the Carrington yard for what seemed
like forever it is good to see them being used on a Aurizon grainy
with 3215/32093221 up front

An ALCO doing what ALCOs do best
Maybe if they are short of a steam loco for Steamfest they
could use 48127

48127 hauling 9301/9302 to Port Waratah

8044 heading over to Kooragang Island with a short train

4894 taking 8 NHYH coal hoppers somewhere.
Good to  the 48s still in use (for now)

3016 leading the ARHS Canberra train

And what I really came to see the "GARRETT"

Oh and dont forget the little ALCO 4807 bringing up the rear

Triple heading ALCOs 4001/4803/4520 leading the Trainworks train

Good old faithful 3642 

With 4490 on the other end

What a great way to spend the day off work with plenty trains for the few hours 
I went train hunting.


Till next time

 Mathew Hughes

YN2 Steel train fire Cardiff 4/4/16

Hi All
 While I was at work today a co-worker told me that a freight train had caught fire near Cardiff
so in my morning tea break I text the misses and next thing I know she was sending some pics on her phone of the aftermath. The culprit was NR8  on YN2 steel train

NR103 and NR90 backing the train towards Cardiff EDI

Close up of the burn marks on NR8

And then for something different CEY002/007/004 came with its empty coal train 

pushing the 8 car V-set, which was also heading towards EDI Cardiff

All photos THE MISSES

Till next time

Mathew Hughes