NR18 Indian Pacific

With inside info, a trip to Keswick to see NR18 in the new yellow livery. Scheduled to haul the IP for a while, instead of been rostered on freights. So might not be seen in the Adelaide to Melbourne route for while. Have to wait for the Overland livery NR to appear from the paint shop.

Bordertown

Originally part of the South East narrow gauge system, though was never classed as a break of gauge station. The station building is the third for Bordertown. The first, built in 1883, burnt down in 1889 and was replaced with another wooden class 2 structure. But the town folks of Bordertown thought that their town deserved better, being an important agricultural centre; so a new, Art Nouveau style stone building was constructed between 1914-15.

"A modern, substantial and attractive building was seen as an indication of the prosperity and future of the town. The station was also handling much more traffic and needed a larger, more extensive building. Contractors began work in 1914, using stone from Jim Watson’s Cannawigara property and stone railed in from Keith."  Sources: Tatiara, The First 140 Years, Alan Jones, 1985.

On opening, the new signal box inside the station replaced two others in the yards. The narrow gauge track also reduced, eventually going altogether, when the South East was converted to broad gauge by 1954.

Station maybe closed and slowly falling down, though the building was repainted a few years ago, and the Overland still stops; passengers using the bus style shelter. Still an important grain loading centre. Bordertown has a 2180m crossing loop.

Two VHGF/Y models

Two models, same series of grain hopper. Auscision's to the left, has finer detail, slightly higher top rail, but the V/Line logo has to be said is terrible. Powerlines, to the right has finer pipe work at the base, not so shiny wheels and much better logo printing.

That Container again

Here is that container again. A bit sharper photo, but it had been placed in a well wagon, so the info about what it was all about was hidden.

Dimboola wagons

Passing through Dimboola, came across several VCHF cement wagons, now on the storage road, along with the usual VHGF grain hoppers.

VHCF 39 P

 

 

 

VHCF 29 H

VHCF 91 Y

SCT containers

To be surprised, Auscision Models released a 40' corrugated container early August. Had a chance to speak to Pete at the Caulfield Exhibition. Box number 126 was the one he had a photo of, then he selected 122 as the other. Unfortunately it was a bad choice.

The two model containers together on an 80' VQDW.

Here is a photo of the real Box SCT122. The logo is on the other end. As Pete said 'their is always one that is different, and when you randomly choose a number, it is the one you pick that is different.

Here are four more SCT boxes, all of the 40'Plus reefer type, each marked differently.

And one more. New 48' corrugated boxes loaded in a PWWY well wagon.

NR 25 Indian Pacific

On the day that NR 18 was been unveiled at Keswick Terminal in the new yellow Indian Pacific livery, NR 25 in the old blue IP livery ran second behind NR 77 in Pacific National livery with Stars. Seen passing through Mount Lofty around 9am in the morning. Trailing was DL39, acting as hills banker.

Also on this train was a Rail Containers box, with a colourful banner for advertising space, on the side of container, 'Take your advertising Australia wide everywhere the others are, PLUS where the others arn't.'