Even off the shelf engines get " the beauty treatment".
Tree roots have lifted up my track in places, and have added drama to my operations !
Paul
Just messing around today. Here is 25 cresting " Ay Carumba Hill". ( where the tree root lifted the track).
Happy Holidays to everyone!
My subscription has expired, and I will lose the ability to log in.
We will be moving soon, so we are in transition.
I have enjoyed joking around with everyone.
Until we meet again...
"...I will lose the ability to log in." I don't think that access to the forum requires being a subscriber, although there are "subscriber extras". You can also participate in the other Kalmbach forums.
Bob Nelson
True! You do NOT need to be a subscriber to post on the forum! So stick around!
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Well, shucks !
I know from times in the past, when I've let it lapse, within a month I can not log in. I know I can still read the forum, but I figured I would need to log in to reply.
But, I'll have to try it, I guess !
I still have so many bad jokes, and boring stories to share !
You're all in luck !
I think I was registered on the forums for ten years before I finally subscribed...
and that was largely because the local counter prices of "Trains" went up...
But to return to the original thread topic...
I visited Melbourne a couple of weeks ago around the shortest day of the year (it's winter in this hemisphere) and I went to the Latrobe Street Bridge which gives a view into Southern Cross station, the main terminal station in Melbourne. For those who've been to Chicago, it is like the Roosevelt Road bridge in relation to Chicago Union Station.
Anyway, the bridge has been there for around twenty five years (much less than Roosevelt Road) but as far as I know nothing untoward has happened on the bridge.
But temporary fencing about seven feet high had been bolted to the existing four feet tall railings. These had quite large openings in the mesh but too small for my Nikon lenses (except for the basic 18-55). I found that I could bend the wires apart for some better performing lenses with a longer zoom range. But overall photos of the trains are much harder and need much more planning.
But unlike Roosevelt Road, there are tram tracks on the bridge and the older trams mentioned earlier in this thread run across the bridge in both directions. You just have to get back to the fence quickly to avoid missing train photos.
I hope this example of making train photography much harder doesn't spread, although there are many other examples in Australia and elsewhere...
Peter
Hi Peter !
that was an interesting story about railfanning Melbourne. I am familiar with Flinders, and Spencer Street stations, but somehow I am drawing a blank about Southern Cross.
Did I miss something when I was there ? All these years I had recalled my train from Brisbane, and Sydney coming into Spencer Street. My hotel was across the street, so where would Southern Cross be in relation to Spencer ?
Sorry about that:
Southern Cross IS Spencer Street, renamed around ten to fifteen years ago as part of a major redevelopment.
At this time, or slightly earlier, two major streets, Collins Street and Latrobe Street at the north and south ends of the station were extended into the former freight yard and adjacent docks area which was turned into upmarket housing, offices and a sports stadium.
I'm sure the last part has happened often in the USA, without the renaming and upgrading of the station.
The station gained a strange and costly overall roof which took away many photo opportunities, but the Latrobe Street Bridge provided new angles that made up for all that.
Both Latrobe Street and Collins Street carried tram lines into the new areas of business and accommodation and Latrobe Street became part of the "City Circle" free tram service provided by upgraded tramcars built from the late 1930s to 1955. The most recent of these carry the old green and cream colours, and the Latrobe Street bridge is still an excellent place to photograph them. Taking train photos is more difficult with the new temporary fencing and I fear any more permanent fencing will rule out train photography altogether.
Thank you, Peter, for that explanation, and keeping me in tune with what's happening in Melbourne.I was beginning to question my recollection of things
( too many years,
or too many beers ?)
but thank you again for clarifying that the station has been renamed.
I am sitting here with a smile on my face imaging those vintage trams, that I loved riding, rolling along the city circle line, and the new bridges.
It doesn't get any better than that !
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