The old and the older.
I never know what the train numbers are anymore but it’s 4.20pm and old Queensland Rail EMU set 34, trailing 38 has just arrived at Brisbane’s Shorncliffe terminus on a train from Cleveland on the south side and will head back only to Manly on the same line.
I was strolling around taking a few shots of these sets which are being withdrawn because of the entry into service of the new NGR fleet and realised there was enough room at the far end of the platform to stand and get a shot of the city end of the train in the sun. What I hadn’t checked was the scheduled departure time nor had I realised that the driver who brought the train in would not take it out again, so waiting for him to nonchalantly walk down the other end as a sign to get down that end for the shot before departure was not going to happen. As it turns out the turnaround times are so tight, 4 minutes in fact that the drivers flip over to return on the next train so they have enough time to go to the loo, powder their face or whatever.
Anyway, I always find out the hard way that I am well out of the knowledge loop these days. As I eventually walked to the other end of the platform and was about 10 metres from the front of the train the whistle (I guess make that klaxon) blew and poor tired old 38/34 set, even after nearly 40 years on the go showed a clean pair of wheels (ha ha) and left in a trail of “rubber” and dust! The next two trains were new NGR sets....hardly inspiring when you are shooting for the last of the oldies.
One day the last EMU* set will hurriedly depart into the sunset for the last time to meet its demise but perhaps not for a while. More recent troubles have arisen on our suburban trains as newer units are removed from service and schedules in thrown into disarray owing to .....mould. Seems our climate reversal from drought to lots of humidity and rain has caused an upsurge of mould growth in the new NGR trains’ air-conditioners in particular, which smells and is allegedly having some health impacts and they are having to be withdrawn more frequently for cleaning.
On another note, slow work has commenced on a restoration of the heritage Shorncliffe station. It was supposed to have been underway for some time but apart from some hoardings and a temporary ticket office and train crew room etc., little restoration has been done. An asbestos roof that has to be replaced is an initial project. Apparently also, preliminary works have turned up some very historic artefacts under the old building and these have had to be removed carefully also.
* All trains have some alpha or numeric code to designate their class. Just so happens that in Queensland, the Electric Multiple Units were given the classification of EMU.
Queensland Rail, Shorncliffe, Brisbane.
The old and the older.
I never know what the train numbers are anymore but it’s 4.20pm and old Queensland Rail EMU set 34, trailing 38 has just arrived at Brisbane’s Shorncliffe terminus on a train from Cleveland on the south side and will head back only to Manly on the same line.
I was strolling around taking a few shots of these sets which are being withdrawn because of the entry into service of the new NGR fleet and realised there was enough room at the far end of the platform to stand and get a shot of the city end of the train in the sun. What I hadn’t checked was the scheduled departure time nor had I realised that the driver who brought the train in would not take it out again, so waiting for him to nonchalantly walk down the other end as a sign to get down that end for the shot before departure was not going to happen. As it turns out the turnaround times are so tight, 4 minutes in fact that the drivers flip over to return on the next train so they have enough time to go to the loo, powder their face or whatever.
Anyway, I always find out the hard way that I am well out of the knowledge loop these days. As I eventually walked to the other end of the platform and was about 10 metres from the front of the train the whistle (I guess make that klaxon) blew and poor tired old 38/34 set, even after nearly 40 years on the go showed a clean pair of wheels (ha ha) and left in a trail of “rubber” and dust! The next two trains were new NGR sets....hardly inspiring when you are shooting for the last of the oldies.
One day the last EMU* set will hurriedly depart into the sunset for the last time to meet its demise but perhaps not for a while. More recent troubles have arisen on our suburban trains as newer units are removed from service and schedules in thrown into disarray owing to .....mould. Seems our climate reversal from drought to lots of humidity and rain has caused an upsurge of mould growth in the new NGR trains’ air-conditioners in particular, which smells and is allegedly having some health impacts and they are having to be withdrawn more frequently for cleaning.
On another note, slow work has commenced on a restoration of the heritage Shorncliffe station. It was supposed to have been underway for some time but apart from some hoardings and a temporary ticket office and train crew room etc., little restoration has been done. An asbestos roof that has to be replaced is an initial project. Apparently also, preliminary works have turned up some very historic artefacts under the old building and these have had to be removed carefully also.
* All trains have some alpha or numeric code to designate their class. Just so happens that in Queensland, the Electric Multiple Units were given the classification of EMU.
Queensland Rail, Shorncliffe, Brisbane.