Old things

Much of the old industrial and engineering Ballarat has vanished, very quickly, and it's hard now to see that the city used to make trains.

 I took a camera out shopping and wandered off while Yin bought the fruit & vegies this arvo, so I could get some pictures before this signal box is burned down or the crossing is modernised.

I'm fond of this corner of the city .

Looking across to Black Hill from the old boom-gate crossing and signal box.

Engines waiting for Steamrail volunteers to get them back on the tracks

Petrol pump -  discard or salvage?

Steam train joy

Steam Rail Victoria, a group of volunteer steam train enthusiasts, brought a couple of trains up to Ballarat again this weekend.

I love steam trains, and am fascinated by the rapidly vanishing industrial history of Ballarat, so I had the best trip today, travelling out of Ballarat station to Sulky and back - and travelling a little way into the past.

Look at this beauty, made over 130 years ago, when trains for the vast network of state railways were made in  Ballarat's Phoenix Foundry, right behind the town hall.

I was ecstatic to be riding behind this engine!

While she was being filled up with water,

the carriages were shunted up to the station by the engine with real muscle.

This is the train that the blokes all admired - you can see why.

It is a great old engine, made about thirty years later when the state railways had started to make their own trains.

The Steam Rail blokes got properly grimy and coal dusty.

We were travelling in the old wooden Victorian Railways country carriages.

I'd forgotten how much the old trains rock along. It was hard to get things in focus.

In these old, wood panelled carriages I had the ultimate luxury - not available on modern trains trams and buses - I could open the windows to the cold air!

I could taste and smell the coal smoke - lovely!

Unlike cars and buses, trains go by people's backyards. 

backyards tend to be unfussed and informal.

If you want to play around in a treasure trove of railway photos - bridges, crashes, railway footy teams, rope workshops - and all for free, try this link to the Public Record Office Victoria

Heritage weekend

The steam trains were back at Ballarat station for two days.

You could hear the whistles all through the city.

Lal Lal last Sunday

Here I am in the Lal Lal pub.

Outside the window is pretty much all of Lal Lal.

And in front are the memorial trees. Lal Lal is just outside Ballarat, and once it had iron and coal mines, not very big ones.

 The wattle was everywhere, the creamy-scented sort, I can't remember its name.

I'd come out to see the railway station again. It's a beautiful little bluestone building, and no longer in use.

It's pretty much intact.  Even the old wooden dunnies are still in place.

I wish they still ran passenger trains along this line - I'd catch the train out to the pub on a Saturday afternoon.

Looking across to the east.

Driving home.

Back behind Warrenheip