N.55. - NARRABRI -NBI

Having just returned from the bad lands and seeing more trains than you could shake a stick at a post was in order on Narrabri , not to confused with Narrabri Junction or Narrabri West.
Which should be of interest to Blair.
                                                                                                                                                   
                                         Wheat train coming into Narrabri from Moree direction
                                          going under the Newell Highway overpass .
                                          Hauled by BL30  4894  and  4886 with no side numbers
                                          on the long hood or cab sides.

                                         Crew change at Narrabri Station before heading south

                                        Train Departure note no side numbers on 4886 and Shielding
                                        on discharge levers on trailing hoppers


 There where also some Danish Locos on a cotton train in the cotton siding on the north of town which is also receiving some grain loading facilities currently under construction.


                                                          Some Technical Stuff

                                                          From 1977 working Timetable

                                              

                                                           The Keys Excelsior Flour Mills

 Which situated opposite the main station and served by 2 tracks running into a covered loading area which was built on an angle to the rest of the main structure .The mill also had every conceivable type and style of silo on site.These photos where taken on the 6-98

The mill suffered a fire a few years ago and the following photos show whats left now.

     

                                                                                                                  

The station  building

                               

The Goods Shed

                                                 Sheds in yard area used by the Perway as at 7-11

The same area in 1998 

S008 Silo built in 1934 era

Probably the most interesting part of Narrabri yard is the almost completely intact Mobil Depot complete with tank farm and earth bundwall.

And then we went to Wee Waa which will be bloged next.Which has a very interesting petrol depot which I will use on my Mungindi section.

N. 43 G. - BARRABA -BBA

After a week camping out with the natives of Barraba. I Thought I should give you an update of Barraba station.Which isn't much these days after the line closure. Originally opened in Sept 1908 with Barraba 343 Miles from Sydney and being the end of the 60 Mile line which branched at West Tamworth.
The town was served by Passenger as well as freight trains with the main export in the dying days of the line being asbestos from the Woodsreef Asbestos's Mine being exported in containers.
I had the chance to ride the line on a  CPH in Sept 81.
While in Tamworth for tech the teachers decided to have a strike obviously they wernt happy about there career decision (not that unhappy that the would leave though )
So I caught the train to Barraba which connected with the North bound Glen Innes mail.

                                    

                                              CPH 7 awaits its return journey to Tamworth

                                          
                                                      Loading containers in the yard


Then returned on the same CPH which connected with the south bound daylight  900 DEB set from Glen Innes to Sydney.
On this particular day a Wednesday I think the CPH followed the Daylight down to Werris Creek for servicing.which the crew invited me along for .Giving me a chance to look around the Creek before catching the Northbound daylight back to Tamworth.
Not a bad day out.
The other option was to right myself off with Tech mates .

                                                          SOME TECHNICAL STUFF
                                                          ON BARRABA

                                             The Station area as at 7-11looking towards Sydney
                                                               (you cant see it from here)  

                                                               



          The small park thingy, as a memorial with some interesting info on the telegraph line which I will use on the Ashford sections.they shouldn't be to hard to make a master and then cast up .Being 3 sections of galvanized pipe slotted into each other with a galvanized top section for the insulators.
And being different to other pole lines should add some flavour.

                                     

                                                   And a original railway gate set up

                    The main attraction still in place is the Grain Depot located to the south of the main station area by about 2 ks Being a D150 15000 tonnes + a SO52  5200 tonnes same as Merriwa which Keiran is working on for me (and they say the gestation period for elephants is long )

                                       

GRAIN STORAGES

I have been working on some out buildings that are part of the scene around Grain Storage's.Built up with guesstimate's from pictures taken at Croppa Creek on a tour of duty, with modifications to suit what I wanted.They will be part of the Ashford complex.

The main admin and staff room from evergreen styrene profile sheet and shapes

The toilet block

Weighbridge and office

Sampling stand with soldered brass frame ,railings and etched expanded mesh floor.

This is the Croppa Creek one, but I actually modelled the Mt Russell One

The buildings in  rough positions