High noon at Dungog Station. Country Link and the local train is seen there a couple of times each day.

 Nother injun. CFCLA or Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia is part of rail transport and this could be a EL class loco built or reconditioned by Goninons who have works in several locations in this country.

part

Locos in all designs and colours can be seen around the Hunter Valley in the race to transport coal from the mines.  For example, it is believed that old locos from North America are given a new lease of life and a seachange before joining the locals.
  UGL (Goninins) at Broadmeadow, where the above loco is pictured, does work on trains from the ground up. Often, contracts go to overseas fabricators which makes no sense.   

High noon at Murrurundi just this side of a 'mountain pass' through the Great Dividing Range into the Hunter valley.
It looked as though the long coal trains from Liverpool plains or where ever are assisted over the range by two extra locos on the end.  But there was no sign of them here. They must have parted company prior to this point.

Melbourne Cup Day,  Horse power and Raymond Loewy - who is today marked by Google who shows us a rakish steam locomotive designed by Loewy.
An old paper clipping found tucked away by a relative is of the then biggest and most powerful locomotive in the world completed at the Schenectady works of the Northern Pacific Railway, America. "It will develop 6000 horse power, and with tender will weigh approximately 1,100,000 lbs." On checking the 'net it could be said that this loco is a 2 8 8 4, with those two sets of eight driving wheels, possibly a Yellowstone type and Northern Pacific was the first to order one in 1928. Seemingly built by ALCO connected with New York Central rail. Rail was hugh and soon traversed most of America. Imagine the classic syle of vintage rail cars some of which had interiors also designed by Loewy. Another loco, Big Boy is a 4 8 8 4 with Union Pacific and must be well known and restored examples may be seen. Just imagine a behemoth 2 10 10 2 type of 1913. The last of such big examples of locos were probably built in Russia as late as 1955. Mallet, a Swiss engineer, developed the amazing articulated aspects where the first set of driving wheels were free to enable the loco to drive around curves. Yesterday, I came across what seems to be the same train as the photo in a baby's first picture book.   

Sunset then evening on the XPT

The XPT is a more sustainable way to travel.  Look at all the fossil fuel being carted around in the tanker outside on the highway.
Yesterday's scientific report on climate change tells it as it is. Cut carbon now!
Then the train on a viaduct cast a shadow. Viaduct - that's my word for it.

Taree and bushfire.

Would the XPT get through?  The 'smoke signals' were no good.  Could be touch and go. But we made it south.
Ships passing in the night. A goods train and container.

Something nothing. A truck stop. Logs, cattle and everything go by road.  The old rail line is for excursion rides on Sundays by rail obsessives. 

What does it do for the overall integrity of humankind when public figures are often found out for perjury?
It's all about what you can get away with.

Beyond the headwaters of the might Styx, Tickhole Tunnel may be glimpsed. Yes, Tickhole. Between the stations of the suburb of Kotara and Cardiff.

At first it was decided not to add the idea that a rail crossing in the vicinity of Kotara station would be amazing and locals would find it very convenient.

Ticks, those small blood-sucking insects, are bad news for dogs and if undetected lead to an emergency dash to the vet. They can't be any good for children either.

We came under attack on our last camping sortie by ticks no bigger than a speck that delivered a whopping bite while they hung on. Oh! the great outdoors.

going going going .........gone!

Driverless transport and driverless video capture!  Not a recent effort.

All aboard at Kempsey Station. Many of these passengers were taking the train to bypass the flooded Pacific Highway which has been closed at this point for about four days.
The highway is roughly in the distance under the flood.waters which cover the cow paddocks. A viaduct crossed the high and wide river just south of Kempsey station which is on higher ground where a flood free 'suburb' has developed.
Surely it is the preferred area of development but not for the the big duopoly supermarts who have just established themselves down on the banks of the river in the original settlement. The highway is planned to bypass Kempsey township all together.
This afternoon, the New England Highway was in good enough condition except for a few patches, and pot holes were under repair near Murrurundi or thereabouts, police cars were active and the pot holes were largly all patched up in the Singleton area.
Coffs to Dorrigo and Armidale was a wonderful run,  notwithstanding narrow hairpin bends on the long steep climb through rain forests, a big semi trailer or two, several high fast waterfalls splashing the road as they thundered down and the road, which is narrow, has a very low wall between car and a vast sheer drop at several points. Not to be missed. 

Sunday driving. Red Ranga working on the rail line at Newcastle station. Is this a sign that the rail line will be removed in the future when the current upgrade is finished?
Lower, the big intersection had troubles what with road/drain works and a collision.

Up in the Hunter valley, close to a coal mine, the train line reaches its limit and loops back while gradually filling up under a coal loader.
Perhaps the train driver uses psychic powers to control the operation because the loading drops out of view when the engine creeps forward around the loop!

CityRail is the environmentally friendly way to go. The sign boards are displayed by a 'flick of a switch'.

Not many of these signs remain on the railway stations and this set is at Newcastle station which is on the end of a branch line, the closure of which is under debate.

A group of Priscillas (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) took the Elvis Express to the festival in Parkes. Parody was in mind.....I think!
Broadly speaking demographics reveal that more men than women are found in country areas.

Last stop
All trains of thought
Shunt off.

Here is a full scale Hornby-style model railway.
Silver trains, on auto, run back and forth, almost on the shore line. All Change! Toot toot!
Heroic-the-tug-boat and Shortland-the-Stockton-Ferry exchange 'hello' while Harry-the-Cafe-on-wheels-tram-car joins in and animates the conversation in a landscape full of authentic detail against the backdrop of old-hilly-city fanned by salty-sea-breeze.
'I do want to look my best for the new CCTV,' Ms City-rail is heard to say.

The inner suburbs are served by a short branch line and Newcastle Station is on the end of the line, a hop step and jump from the best beach and within spitting distance of the Harbour. These features might be considered quaint.
The GPT Group propose to transform the city and suggest removal of the the railway line along the harbourside section and a bus transit service instead - all of which has merit.
All the same, it was always wondered by me if the roadway along the foreshore was ideal as it divides and hassels and uses up a lot of the narrow tract of land along the foreshore.
Photo below: at the end of the line.

Mind The Gap!
Look beneath a train door and most likely it will be seen that it was made in Newcastle. Local companies seek out contracts to build trains and use their long-standing expertise and create jobs as well.

Emu just turned up. Update: Realized this animal is probably a Cassowary not an emu. Cassowary: any of several large three toed flightless ratite birds of Australia, New Guinea and nearby islands, superficially resembling the ostrich but smaller. (Macquarie Dictionary)

Transparent trading? The markets were closing at the end of the days trading.