Subscribe via RSS
13Jul/180

Melbourne Randomness – 2018

How do you post photos that (are really cool but) really don't relate to eachother and have been taken over a large period of time? You start a randomness-post! ...And so I present the following...

Here's Steamrail's Y112 passing through Hawksburn Station. Fortunately, I guessed the correct tracks and was in a good location.

DSC01609 DSC01611 DSC01612

DSC01613

A regular in my area, the steel train is always trundling past. Here it is traversing the mudholes below Cromwell Road.

DSC01632 DSC01634 DSC01635

And then again.. with an XR up front, this time.

DSC02069 DSC02070 DSC02073

DSC02072

Now we're off to Flinders Street Station. Here we get to see Steamrail up to mischeif again with a double-ended heritage passenger train. They were running shuttles in all sorts of directions.

DSC02470 DSC02477 DSC02489

DSC02494

One of the shuttles was off to Essendon, so I made my way to Kensington to see it fly though. Fortunately enough, SSR had their grain rake stabled there.

DSC02499

DSC02504 DSC02508 DSC02513

DSC02506

A further shuttle then saw the consist pass through Hawksburn twice.

DSC02515 DSC02516 DSC02518

DSC02536 DSC02533DSC02529

Hanging around North Melbourne Station saw a newly refurbished Comeng set shunt around. These have had face-lifts, amongst other changes. The gangways between carriages are also now covered.

DSC02603

DSC02607 DSC02620 DSC02615

DSC02627

Finally, another Steamrail shuttle was captured up north.

DSC02630 DSC02633 DSC02637

DSC02629

And then... another steelie, from the other side of the tracks... with my old apartment in the background. Boo hoo.

DSC02642

...the end.

31Jul/150

Chasing the Maryvale Paper Train

Well, not really chasing, more like just being in the right place at the right time. It turns out they've flipped the schedule on this and the UP service now runs through to the CBD at around 2pm daily.

This is nothing short of perfectly timed. The steel runs down around 3 hours earlier... it's therefore good to go and stretch the legs when these services come through the area.

Malvern Station

DSC09897

DSC09862 DSC09901 DSC09902

Armadale Station

DSC09699

DSC09622 DSC09674 DSC09695

Toorak Station

DSC09316

DSC09289 DSC09308 DSC09323

Hawksburn Station

DSC07825 DSC07827 DSC07830

DSC09751

DSC09729 DSC09745 DSC09757

Just past Hawksburn

DSC07832 DSC07834 DSC07835

South Yarra Station

DSC07583 DSC07585 DSC07589

Just after South Yarra Station

DSC09427 DSC09441 DSC09442

The curve after South Yarra, just before Richmond...

DSC07742

DSC07726 DSC07735 DSC07747

Richmond Station

DSC09927

DSC09918 DSC09931 DSC09934

Nice and colourful... no post processing on any pics!

8Apr/150

West of Melbourne – March 2015

It was Andrew's turn to come to Melbourne, so we went for a drive west to see if there was anything on the rails. Unfortunately, Sundays are usually the quietest out there. It was also overcast in the morning...

Manor Loop

The Regional Rail Link connects back to the main line here after branching off at Sunshine back towards Melbourne. It all looks very complete and very clean. There wasn't much going on and we only had the signals to tell us if anything was approaching. A Geelong-bound V/Locity came through... not overly-exciting.

DSC05834 DSC05839 DSC05852

As we were about to leave, we were presented with a V/Lo on the flyover. Serious luck.

DSC05860 DSC05867 DSC05873

Geelong

After our first bout of luck, we were itching for a second. A grain consist was waiting in the loop near North Shore.... pretty standard... but then IEV100 came through. This is a DMU rail inspection vehicle. ...If only the weather would pick up.

DSC05878 DSC05886 DSC05890
DSC05891 DSC05894 DSC05896

Between Cressy and Wingeel

The decision was made to drive further west in hope of sun and intermodals. Fortunately, we were met with both.

DSC05911 DSC05914DSC05915
DSC05916 DSC05917 DSC05919

Andrew had wanted to check out the SCT sidings at Lavertion... but there was a light-engine movement visible on the radar and we decided to stay put and hope for the sun to hang around. Everything lined up and we were rewarded with a 4-locomotive lash-up of a BL, an 81 and 2 Gs.

DSC05923 DSC05930 DSC05935

Gheringhap Loop

There was a steel train coming from the east, so we chose to catch it at Gheringhap Loop instead of waiting for it at Inverleigh where the sun would be in the wrong spot.

DSC05938 DSC05940 DSC05943

Another 81... I've never seen so many (even if they're attached dead) on the west line.

Just east of Bannockburn?

I haven't really checked this location out before. I initially intended to camp at the crossing to the west right near Bannockburn station. But the sun indicated that we should be as east as possible. It paid off well... I tried to be artistic and get shots of the light-engines from below... but Andrew's shots from above were much better.

DSC05959 DSC05961 DSC05962
DSC05963 DSC05964 DSC05965

Between Lara and Little River

One final spot... one final intermodal and a V/Locity. In the end it turned out to be a really rewarding day.

DSC05987 DSC05994 DSC06001

19Nov/140

Melbourne August/September 2014

Only two months behind... here's the highlights from South Yarra over August/September this year.

Metro's Inspection Train

Metro have converted an old passenger car into an inspection vehicle. It's known as IEV102 has equipment for monitoring the lines it is dragged over. You'll always see it top-and-tailed by T classes.

DSC03973 DSC03975 DSC03978

BG Steel with Green G

A green Pacific National G spent a weekend on the steel train.

DSC04032 DSC04040 DSC04042

Steamrail to Eltham

Not quite South Yarra, but venturing out to see a steamer very early was rewarded by a surprise sighting of the other Metro inspection vehicle: IEV100.

DSC04058 DSC04073 DSC04082
DSC04093

Railside in Cremorne

There is a pretty cool spot just before the Yarra river in Cremorne to take morning photos.

DSC04103 DSC04104 DSC04109
DSC04113 DSC04158 DSC04163

Batman St Overpass: Cremorne

And then there's the Batman St overpass, but it's a little too under-the-level.

DSC04225 DSC04226 DSC04227
DSC04228 DSC04230

Carpark ramp at end of Palmer Parade

If you keep wandering down Batman St and take a right on Palmer Pde, you'll find a carpark (that looks abandoned.) It has a ramp that gives you an elevated view towards South Yarra Station. Of course, you're then stuck in the wires and the shot Northbound gets a lens full of sunlight in the morning.

DSC04244 DSC04245 DSC04252
DSC04263 DSC04264 DSC04265

Y class to Long Island

But then, something cool happened... BL Steel with a Y Class loco transfer! This supposedly happens once a year.. the loco gets swapped out for routine maintenance back in Dynon.

DSC04259 DSC04261 DSC04262 DSC04266 DSC04267

Between Hawksburn and South Yarra

Turns out that you can get some pretty clean shots facing towards Hawksburn... although you really have very little time to get ready. Zero visibility doesn't give you too much warning.

DSC04280 DSC04284 DSC04290
DSC04298 DSC04299 DSC04303

And the final steel for the month...

DSC04305 DSC04307 DSC04308
DSC04309 DSC04310

17Aug/140

Hawksburn Station

Boredom made me hold the finger on the trigger....

Hawksburn Comeng

Who would've thought animated GIFs would ever be cool again?