Rail Motor Society Trip to Kyogle and Fisherman Islands

Today's adventure started with the 6:01am bus from my local stop to the city. A change of buses at the Cultural Centre stop and about 30 seconds later I was on my connecting bus to Roma Street Bus Station. I made my way to Platform Two and I was there at about 6:45am with plenty of time to spare. Actually 1 hour to spare, so I took a few photos of the XPT.

6 car XPT waiting to head south from Roma Street Station this morning

While the XPT was idling away in the platform and being cleaned before loading and heading south, the object of today's trip, the 620/720, sat in the headshunt at the other end of the platform.  It was being filled with water while it was waiting.  No sooner had I taken a photo of the railmotor and walked around a bit and turned around, and there was Darryl, Janelle and Chris.  Darryl and Chris are both NSW modellers and have been to my place a few times to run on Cassino.  About 30 seconds later Jim Hutchinson and his lovely wife Nettie, had also joined us.  Darryl and his clan were in 721, while Jim and his wife were in the same row as myself but on the other side of the aisle in car 621.

620/720 on the headshunt where it stabled overnight

As soon as the XPT departed, the 621/721 made its way into the platform. The QR 2000 Class Railmotor also came in on Platform 3.  The occupants of the 620/720 who travelled north yesterday, were going by QR 2000 Class Railmotor to Palmwoods, up around the Sunshine Coast.

The two railmotors at Roma Street

We were off on time at 7:45am on the dot. We had a pilot all the way to Acacia Ridge.  After dropping the pilot off we made our way south.  Apparently someone (v6hilux) captured us on video as we went south.  Here is the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gytcWdEMlXY&feature=em-uploademail

We ran past Lefty's place at 8:10am and there was no sign of him either on his back deck or at Sheepstation Gully a few hundred metres down the line.  We ran at a fast pace to Greenbank Loop and after we were a few kilometres past it, the train slowed. Apparently some hoons piled a whole lot of stuff (sleepers, fishplates, metal, etc.) on the rails on Saturday at this point and the railmotor hit it. There is a huge scratch on 721 on the right hand side from a piece of metal that came up from the impact. The crew took some more rubbish from the track today and then proceeded south. We were making good time.

I took a photo of the water tank at Glenapp

The Water Tank at Glenapp.  I will have to make a model of this.

We stopped twice on the Cougal Spiral. First at the top to look down, and then again at the bottom to look up at the top.

The track at the bottom and the creek that runs through the area.

As we were running ahead of schedule, we were able (apparently) to run the extra 5 minutes from Kyogle Loop into Kyogle platform and detrain. That enabled me to get some video footage of the Summerland Way going under the track, the Upper Richmond River and some detail scenery shots around Kyogle. There is a God! And he models NSW – not that large scale narrow gauge rubbish.

The Norco Building at Kyogle.  You can see where the Milk wagons used to load.

Looking north from Kyogle platform towards the bridge over the Upper Richmond River.

We proceeded north again and made a stop at Glenapp Loop.

Looking south from Glenapp Loop.  The disabled wagon siding is on the right in the distance.

Again we stopped short of Greenbank, at the point where Saturday’s incident occurred. Apparently our northbound stop was captured on video by v6hilux. I understand he is a Pac Nat driver based at Acacia Ridge.  Again here is the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwvPjDQ_8iY&feature=em-uploademail&noredirect=1

While on the topic of links, here is another video taken by v6hilux on Saturday afternoon of the 620/720 arriving at Acacia Ridge Yard.  Apparently it took on some fuel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMxndOj83EY&feature=em-uploademail

We then proceeded to Fisherman Islands, after a brief stop at Acacia Ridge to pick up our pilot again, and again at Signal DP15 at Dutton Park before attacking the viaduct. We then made our way to the end of track at Fisherman Islands at about 1:30pm and were allowed to detrain if we wished.  While there a double headed 2300 came past around the balloon loop to enter the coal roads to drop its black gold for export.  I was surprised by the number of coal trains at the terminal.

The 621/721 set resting on the main at Fisherman Islands.

At 1:45pm we back tracked to Dutton Park and signal DP15, and then reversed there at 2:23pm. We made our way to South Bank where we waited a few minutes and after an airport bound Gold Coast train went by, we headed into Roma Street and arrived at 2:42pm. Our 2000 Class Railmotor cousin was already in the opposite platform.

The 2000 Class was accelorating away back home.

Seconds after this photo above was taken, my bus to the Cultural Centre arrived about 15 feet to my left.  Yes the bus platform backs onto the rail platform - rather unique.  As my bus pulled out at the Cultural Centre, my connecting bus pulled in behind it and boy, didn't this driver have a lead foot.  I was back home at 3:40pm.  Now to try and download some of the video I took during the day.  However, I cannot find the manual.