Featuring New South Wales and some Victoria action from 1989 to 1992.
After a brief opening look at the Royal National Park Station and departing 4 car 2 deck Comeng, Goninan, Tulloch electric set, we take a short look at green 49 class Clyde GM & 5910 2-8-2 at Boronia Tunnel marking the end of the ban of steam on NSW tracks.
We then move to the main South, firstly video filming between Menangle and Picton where we are treated to views of 422 class GMs on passengers, 4 car diesel passengers, 2x 81 class GM on hoppers, 3x 80 class Alcos on coal and an 81 on the up Canberra express. At Demondrille, 8180 is at a crawl up the steep grade with goods and containers, then triple 81 class, all candy, work hard on a train of steel at Junee.
At Albury we briefly see a broad gauge Y arrive to collect a train, then at Seymour, a look at the broad gauge platform and waiting VLine Tulloch diesel rail car. An N class and an A class pass on a broad gauge tangerine passenger. The Melbourne express passes, then a VLine C on an Albury passenger and we take a look at some stationary track machines. At Albury, a VLine N arrives on a passenger from Melbourne.
Back in NSW at Bargo, the upper quadrant signal clears and Clyde GM 42217 passes on an up passenger, in all candy colour, from Goulburn. We next take a detailed look at some of the track rearranging, relaying, upgrading and re-sleepering of the Carlingford line. Included are night scenes under floodlights with the old signal gear being removed, oxy-propane cutting, points being lifted out complete, and the last view of the single slip crossing at Camellia. Alco 48101 is seen at work pulling a sled to lift track, to allow sleeper replacement. Fascinating. A hi rail Unimog, with bucket and crane, and an overhead Line car add to the enjoyment.
Trackwork on the system resulted in some unusual movements around Cooks River and Enfield, where we see 8180 on an all candy train running for the Riverina XPT, 42204 on Moss Vale via Wollongong weekend passenger over Cooks River, quad 86 Electrics on coal, (3 candy, 1 bicentennial). Several other locos appear including 3801 4-6-2 on Darling Harbour trips. Views of both South and North Enfield signal boxes, and an all blue XPT passes through the yard.
Finally, the Picton area is re-visited to see the Swedish Tilt train on demonstration, hauled by XPT locos, with the cars visibly tilting on reverse curves.
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.