Featuring NSW trains around the turn of the decade 1990.
Flying Scotsman and 3801 returned from Victoria to NSW in December 1988 and we view the two as they blast out of Strathfield on the Main & Local tracks in the late afternoon. Flying Scotsman is then covered on trips on the NSW Main South where its 3 cylinder exhaust beat may be clearly heard on the rising grades. On another trip the differing speeds of big wheels and small are very obvious as Scotsman double heads with 5910 2-8-2. Regular Canberra XPT, Southern Highlands and Canberra Expresses enter the picture too.
Richmond Line's 125 Birthday celebrations of the extension from Riverstone on 2 December 1989 find triple CPH class wooden railmotors running the regular passenger service, AND keeping the tight timetable (just!) with lots of full throttle running, while 3001 4-6-0 tender loco alternates with 3112 tank on special passenger trains. A double head run is especially picturesque.
The end is just one day away for both the Brisbane Limited Express and the Pacific Coast Motorail as they pass through Concord West and the weather is shedding tears of rain in sympathy, while a down goods of oil tanks, hoppers & containers passes too. All headed by double 86 electric locos.
Our private railways segment looks at Port Kembla's new Red & White colour scheme diesels in the fascinating eerie atmosphere of the steelworks.
Big power on the Main South features GM power as 81 class & Vline move container and empty wheat trains while a pair of 80 class Alco powered units heads a re-routed "Indian Pacific" through Moss Vale.
Snow on the Blue Mountains is not a very frequent event, however our camera caught interurban electrics in a reasonable dusting of snow at Blackheath, Bell and Mt Victoria making a snowy fairyland in July 1990.
Captured mostly on professional Betacam, or 16mm film. Some older segments were taken on 8mm, super 8 and 9.5mm formats, professionally transferred, plus some professional Umatic. All has been edited on one inch tape and directly duplicated. The one inch tape master transferred to digital for release on DVD.
An Original Rowlingstock Production.
Approximate run time: 55 minutes.