the howie

Back in 2002 there was a man who became a hero of mine, well not a real hero as I couldn’t remember his name and had to sms Jem to remind me. Maybe more of a legend.

His name is Wallace Weaving (thanks Jem) and he is an old man that decided to take advantage of his $2.50 pensioner train ticket and travel the entire cityrail network in a day. you can read about him here.

I can’t wait until i’m 65 years old and then I can try and beat his record, it will be tough as there is a long wait until i’m 65. By then the cityrail network will have probably fallen apart, I say probably I mean defiantly.

Sure i could do it now but it would cost a fortune, the daytripper ticket designed to let you travel as much as you want in a day has boundaries that are well inside the extremities of the cityrail network so you would have to purchase separate tickets to travel out on each limb of the network.

So it’s not going to happen…….

…. Or is it?

Today I decided to take Oscar on a train adventure, just s short one but enough to fill in 2 hours so Jenny could rest a bit.

I went up to the ticket machine not really knowing where to go, but then read that the machine was out of order so i had to go to the window.

When i got to the window with Oscar in his pram the man in the window said “are you traveling with a child’. I said “yes” then he said “that’s $2.50 for you to travel all day on trains, buses and ferries, if you have a child it’s $2.50 every Sunday for unlimited travel”

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

They call it ‘Sunday funday’ stuff that! I’m calling it Sunday Bloody Awesome Sunday!

yes it does need the ugly green highlight.

So my mission is set, I figure every odd Sunday i should get me and Oscar into train training, or ‘training’ as i like to call it. We will train for the big one, then one day we will do it. And all for $2.50. It’s gonna be the best day ever.

Today we just went to Macquarie Uni station and back again.

Oscar’s favorite part of the trip was putting his index fingers in the holes in the window.

Today we went on a steam train as part of the great heritage rail weekend at Central.

It was super fun, I love steam trains. I love the smell and rattling of the carriages, the soot in your eye the heat of the engine and of course the “tooooot toooooot”.

And what made it even more super was that it was Oscar’s first steam train trip and he liked it.

In fact at central it was hard to get a photo of him looking at the camera because he was always twisting around just staring at the steam engines. That’s my boy!

All of us, from the back left. The Howie, The Wife,

front left, The one who kisses boys, The baby and then The one who kisses a girl.

A good day out. Next steam train hopefully the zig zag.

Tonight after dinner at our staff conference I decided to bail and head back to be with wife and baby.

I walked to the train station and then heard a train coming so made a runner for the train. (Yes i did validate my metcard).

I ran towards the train and the doors where just starting to close I made it most of the way in but then some how the door slammed into my rib. I wasn’t expecting it and it got me really hard. In sydney if the door closes on you it just sort of stops there is no pressure but the melbourne doors are determined to close no matter what obstacle lay in their way. So my rib copped a beauty. I spent the whole train trip home gasping a bit for air and every time i moved it hurt.

It could be bruised or maybe even cracked, who knows but it bloody hurts and still does.

No real use seeking medical help as they can’t do anything for ribs.

I went in to the office late this afternoon to do some printing, get my laptop and grab some flyers.

I got back to Central just in time to get the 5pm express home. I got a seat next to a business man and near some load girls whoe had just been to NZ on a skiing trip.

The train chugged along like normal, then suddenly there was a loud bang and a smash. The window in front of mine was hit with a big rock, it shattered the ourside pane of glass and broke a hole in the second one. There was some shouting and a few swear words. It was pretty crazy, a bit more force and the lady in front of me would have a different shaped head right now.

After letting out a few more naughty words she called the cops on her mobile.

It was as we where going past the brickpit skate park. But the Lady didnt tell the cops that.

When the train pulled in to Hornsby I went and found a cityrail worker, he was standing there with his flag, I told him what happened and he asked which carriage, So I pointed at the window. He then said “ok” and put his flag up so the train could leave, he wasn’t the slightest bit interested. I would have thought a rock smashing a window would be a serious deal.

I then decided to call the cops myself and tell them that i was on the train and that the rock was thrown from the skate park.

that is all.

My wallet is dying to death.

So yesterday afternoon I went to Macquarie Centre to go to the Oxfam shop to get a new wallet. they have this fun wallet made fomr plastic bags collected on the streets of Delhi. Now I could have just ordered the wallet online and it would have turned up in the mail. But we all know the real reason I didn’t order it online.

The real reason is that I love trains and the new Epping to Chatswood rail link is still providing me with much enjoyment.  I know it’s nerdy to like trains, but there is nothing i can do about it. At the moment it’s just enjoyment. But the problem is that as i age more and find myself wearing socks and sandals and a big floopy hat, I’ll probably be a nerdy trainspotter you know the strange old men who stand on rail bridges taking photo’s of diesel loccomotives and if you accidently start a conversation with them they star quoting model numbers,  and engine serial numbers and talk to you about guages and loops.

So please don’t let me be a trainspotter, and if you do start seeing me cross the tracks to the dark side please remind me to stand behind the yellow line.

I love steam trains, oh i love steam trains.

Here is my new wallet.

Today was Oscar day!

While the oscars where underway in LA, our little Oscar went on his first train adventure. We went to Epping to go on the new train to Chatswood. So we Caught an express from Hornsby to Epping, then went down towards the earth;s core to the nice new station that smelt like dust. And sitting in the platform was an Oscar train. They are using Oscar trains at the moment in the tunnel. some people think it’s a millenium train but Oscar’s are the new inter-city version of the millenuim, they are nice.

On the Express

Heading down to the new platforms, they are a long way down.

Two happy train nerds

Oscar and his traveling milk bar.

Oscar looking out an Oscar dreaming of one day winning an Oscar

It can be quite tiring being a train nerd.

After we got back to hornsby I headed off to westie with the little man to fill in time until his next feed. He wasn’t the most happy chappy and was screaming a bit in westie. and old lady came up to us on the travelator and said “you shoud put a dummy in that” and thn kept walking. I was very restrained and just looked at her.

Stupid old lady, he is 8 weeks old, he is doing what babies do.

the only downside to having a mac is there are no good train sim’s for mac.

nerd

this is my first blog post from on board a moving train with my nifty mobile broadband.

I feel like a nerd, but i like it.

now i must dash as other comuters wan to see what webpage i visit next.

If you are wondering how many train tickets I have managed to keep since the 4th of April 1997. It is 608

i’m glad I now work in glebe at least once a week because it has brought me much ticket love.

If there is a mecca for steam train and train enthusiasts I think it would be the entire UK.

its heaven

I think i’m going to have to  take control of organising the evens of each day on our UK trip in may. Soo much to see so little time.

This morning wife and I headed off to Glenreagh about 30 mins north west of coffs. They have a little steam train! And we all know how much I love steam trains. We found the plae, it was a litle shed in the middle of a muddy paddock. There where about 20 little old men and lades in bright orange vests scattered around the shed. They where all volunteers for this little train. We had to wait about 20mins for the train. It puffed on in and we got on and enjoyed the little 6km train ride.

then it was off to find some lunch. We first stopped at a little bakery that only seemed to sell burnt buns,cakes and bread. We bought a finger bun each, whilst driving away from the bakery jenny managed to drop half her bun under her car seat. The 10 second rule does not apply in our car!

we eventually made it to another place for lunch, I ordered a hamburger with no bettroot, I got given a hamburger with beetroot.

and that brings us up to date.

this is the old signal box building from hornsby station, its a 2 storey brick building and this morning when we arrived at work it was up on wheels ready to move off to a new home.

so cool.

today i finnaly got to go back to Eveleigh and play on trains.

I havent been down there since August sometime so it was tops to be back, although i did have to wait at the security gate for about 40 mins before i was able to get in.

I got to polish brass handrails on the outsides of train carriges and carry boxes of stuff from one train to another, and i got to see my favourite steam train the 3801 being shunted out of the shed. It painted all green again now it looks very nice.

oh i love the smell and the atmosphere and everything about playing with trains.

stupid government taking it all away.

Yesterday afteroon i had to catch a train to Lindfield.

I walked to hornsby station and bought my ticket, the indicator board said there was a train in 0 minutes and if i missed that there was the next one in 1 min.

So i went down to platform 1 and there was a train sitting halfway along the platform with its doors closed. the platform was quite busy lots of people standing around wondering why they couldnt ge ton the train. then the voice from above “the train on platform 1 is broken down please proceed to platform 2 for your next city service”

so everyone prceeded up and over to platform 2.

then we heard “passengers on platform 2 waiting on the next city service please note that this service will now depart platform 1″

So back up and over we all went to platform 1.

then onto the train.

Just beofre we got to gorsnon the guard came over the PA “due to the late running of this service this train will not be stopping at killar, lindfield or roseville”

So i got off at gordon and waited for the next train, as i was waiting there was an announcment “due to the late running of the next city service it will not be stopping here at gordon”

yay!

eventually a train came that picked me up from Gordon and it did stop at Lindfield.

the other day in all my nerdness i downloaded a little freeware game that is a train simulator.

most of the writting in the game inst in english but its still fun. I can only get to the 3rd station so far.

you can play too

I”m such a nerd

Yesterday i went down to the eveleigh sheds again.

This time i was wearing my coveralls, my work boots and an orange vest. I had a lot of fun, i polished all the brass hand rails on about 6 carriges, boy oh boy did they come up nice and shiny.

its so much fun playing with trains.

Yesterday was my first day volunteering with 3801 limited. I had a really fun day, My job was to be and observer and to see how they do stuff i also got to help people on and off the train and do the things that the other volunteers did. It was tops I was on the Cockatoo run a journey from central to roberstons and back again. 3 vintage carriges pulled by a big old diesel engine. We climbed the steepest grade of track in NSW to Summit tank a little platform overlooking lake illawara and srounds.

I even got to ride in the engine with the 2 drivers from Thirull to Hurstville.

oh so fun.

Today i got to visit dreamland. I woke up early and caught the train into Redfern. Then walked along a path to a gate where a security man was standing. i waited til a man came to meet me. he gave me and orange vest and ewcorted me to the sheds of the 3801 limited. We had to cross a few train tracks to get there and go past the maintene sheds for the xplorers and other countrylink trains. Then the 3801 shed was huge!!!!! it had about 15 old carriges inside it a few diesel engines and about 5 or 6 steam loccos. It was so cool. an old man showed me around everything and we climbed in and out of carriges and loccos and lokked and ones being restored and buit and others being cleaned. oh it was so cool. the old dudes who work there really love thier jobs it was awsome. I got to climb up inot the 3801 engine itself and that was cool in fact is wasnt cool it was quite warm, it was still warm from when it last went out which was on sunday, thats how how the engine gets that still on tuesday it was still warm.

oh it was so much the coolest ever. And the stupid NSW governemt wants to take it all away. So much work goes into maintaing trains and i want to be a part of it. I’m off on the cockatoo Run this sunday to experience that train and leanr the ropes a bit. then i’ll hopefuly be able to spend a few saturdays down at the sheds helping to maintain some of the old carriges and eventually be a passenger attendant on the 3801 train. Oh i was in little bot heaven, i’m sure its extremely dagggy that i love steam trains and trains in general so much, but bah what are you gonna do.

tomorrow i’m off to the Evenleigh railway yards for a tour of the 3801 workshop and a bit of an orientation to 3801 limited.

how fun, i get to walk across train tracks, and get up close to my favourite steam train.