I was borne Feb.1968 .as a kid I watched steam drifting away. I love this video and the good old days. No graffiti back then. Just a time when people respected the railroad and the job it did.
It doesnt get much better than this. Australian Big Boys with brute force. Steam lover's dream. Perhaps the mightiest garratts and amongst the best steam locomotives ever built. Much respect and love from America. I had to buy an AD60 ho scale years ago. Lovin it!!
There was no pollution here, only dark coloured steam. I love the sight, sound and smell of these engines. They are simply gorgeous! Their pulling power was tremendous.
...still my favourite video on RUclips. Years ago I worked with railway men, hard men of wonderful character, who had risen to administrative level, first as firemen, then drivers, during the steam era of the NSWGR. From their stories, I was in awe of the Garratt, even before I knew anything about them. Still wonderful years then, even though we were overseeing diesel and electric motive power by the 70's. I'm so glad that the algorithm sees fit to toss this clip my way a couple of times a year. Thanks for putting it out there...
What a superb scene. In January 1972 just before they finished up I had the incredible experience of a cab ride in 6029 from Fassifern to Broadmeadow behind 6008. As a 14 year old it was a once in a lifetime moment, never forget it! Thanks for posting this great clip.
@@steveluckhurst2350 The AD60 class were Beyer-Garratt patent articulated four-cylinder, simple, non-condensing, coal-fired superheated, 4-8-4+4-8-4 heavy goods steam locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock and Company for the New South Wales Government Railways in Australia. So there your reminded.
I know diesel excites some people, but how can anyone not get excited by the demonstration of such sheer raw power as shown by the 3 D60s shown in this clip. Many thanks to those who filmed the spectacle and to those who have made it available.
Hubby and I would travel from Lithgow, rain, hail or shine to Fassifern and Hawkmount in the late 1960's to take photo's of these glorious beasts. How wonderful that people like Phil Belbin and others who took movies so we can relive the fantastic age of steam. It certainly keeps the memories alive. THANK YOU!!!
Outstanding footage. Quality sound and vision of one of the great steam spectacles of this planet. So little of such quality is available from any of the great steam routes in the 1960s: it's mostly dubbed sound you get of varying quality from just about ok to dreadful. Whoever filmed this did a tremendous service to followers of super power steam action. My very grateful thanks.
The guy's name is Phil Belbin, my husband and I knew him very well and we were also there with Phil. He was a mastercraftman. Unfortunately Phil is no longer with us. One of his son's has taken over his Dad's video's.
In those days, pictures and sound had to be recorded separately and reunited in post. So a lot of people were just recording silent video, with somebody else adding sound at some random later date.
@@brendabaker9925 I misread your comment as having an extra comma after "my husband". That changes the meaning to "The guy's name is Phil Belbin and he was my husband and I knew him very well" and I was thinking, well I should hope you knew your husband very well!
I was only thinking of the moment the other train passed downhill. Film being relatively expensive, I'm sure the filmer had a moment of "oh crap, I hope my shot of the uphill trains doesn't get ruined".
Some of the best footage I've ever seen. As a child, we used to visit Gorton where these beasts were built. They are leaking from every orifice, not good, it shows that maintenance had dropped off to nothing by the time that this was shot.
Yes, that second locomotive in the consist had so many leaks I was surprised there was any steam left for the cylinders! Nice to see they were still so powerful even when asthmatic! Cheers.
@@johnvarner3375 Was that because not enough draft or just boiler tubes, firebox etc hadn't been cleaned etc as they were near the end of their working lives?
I have yet to see anything better than this, that sound, both engines rolling in and out of synch, just amazing. My thanks to all concerned with the production of this
Absolutely love the Garratts such work horses. Hubby and I were married about 18 months when we used to go up to Fassifern and stay there all day, we drove from Lithgow that's committment for you. So glad one is now working and giving pleasure to a new generation.
So pleased to see a Garratt restored to working order. I fired them in South Africa and Dad drove them! Some mighty powerful locomotives for a 3ft-6” Gauge! The sight and sounds were incredible. Diesels are such cold and impersonal traction devices, compared to steam locos!
Sydney and Atlanta are 12 miles apart if you go off lattitude. So think West Virginia's ruggedness but with weather like Georgia or South Carolina. Australia is ancient compared to North America. So while America has higher peaks, Australia is more heavily eroded. The 100 mile 'Short North' Subdivision, (between Sydney and the major coal port of Newcastle) is never more than 12 miles inland, yet northbounds (like this train) face 11 climbs steeper than 2 percent. Yet this wasnt a mountain railway by NSW standards. Just west of Sydney is the Blue Mountains, 16 Miles of 1.6% AND 21 miles of 3.0%, climbing about 3,500'. New South Wales had branchlines with 4% grades worked by Alco's. Mention the Short North Sub and an older Australian railfan will start to get glassy eyed and talk about streamlined C38's on the Newcastle Flier. While Fassifern (1 mile of 2.5%) and Hawkmount (1.5 miles of 2.2%), drew railfans from around the world during this time, the Short North was known for seeing high steamers running high speeds, late running trains could be expected to reach the mid 80's. This was the subdivision schoolboys once dreamed of being on a late running Newcastle Flyer footplate. The steam record for the 103 miles between Sydney and Newcastle was 121 mins, the current record is only 6 minutes quicker. This sub was famous for the 20 mile high speed stretch between Ourimbah and Morriset. A tour train once averaged 70 MPH over the 1.5% grades that plague the section. Sorry for the long post but I thought it would be of interest for any North American viewers. Australian Railways are a weird combination of British and North American railroading
In the late 60's I used to travel to the Short North from the North West of WA to chase scenes like this. Brings back many great memories. Those two dislikes are not true steam fans.
As an American, I just want to say how much I enjoy this. Something about Aussie steam - heavy traffic like we have here in the states but almost a form of elegance that I think our engines (except maybe the N&W Js) never really had. Great shots!
+Joey Ferrito In my opinion the Garratt is an elegant design from itself, even the lumpiest looking ones like the South African GL class (one on display at MOSI in Manchester, UK) still look more elegant than any large Mallet. The Garratt was also better in technical terms, weight distribution is more balanced, less overhang in curves, the size of boiler and firebox is not restricted by any axles, and they are theoretical suited for higher speeds as well (Although most Garratts were used at moderate speeds, the fastest Garrats, the Algerian 231-132TB reaching similar speeds as the Challengers were capable of) I wonder what an US Garratt would have looked like, I think the AD60 is close to what that would have looked like, only some 30% larger.
Hard to tell from the outset as both engines were clearly working hard up the bank, but the second engine was clearly lagging behind, leaking steam, resulting in the leading engine having to work harder, rather like a sibling holding in there. I really begin to appreciate here why the Reverend Awdry, who created Thomas the Tank Engine, said a steam locomotive is "something pulsing and alive" to quote him from a source, and how he was inspired to write his stories by interpreting engines' personification by how they performed. Regards, Samuel Farris.
Unfortunately, that was a sign of a poorly maintained steam locomotive. Like most steamers, they were often poorly maintained and flogged hard in their final years.
FABULOUS!!! I haven't seen or heard anything like this since seeing these locos live back in the 60's. What a brilliant piece of footage!! Many, many thanks for the upload.
That was a struggle and a half. Love your Dad's work. I bet Warren and I were there too travelling from Lithgow. They were the days, so love steam, nothing like it. Nothing!!
The days of my youth and I knew that line very well. The one with the loaded wagons more than likely hauling it from the Awaba pit to Newcastle. Good footage of them.
Not sure if it's more dramatic, but at least they're worth the watch: "UP Challenger #3985 + 143 Freight Cars" and "UP 844 Assists a Stalled 11,620 Ton Freight Train!!!" are both quite impressive. (I don't trust youtube to not remove my links but searching for those titles should be enough, right? Right?)
ruclips.net/video/zV8rA3UE-lc/видео.html In this video there are to types of locomotives. There are 2 Y6 class 2-8-8-2 and 1 Class A 2-6-6-4. Total train load is like 10000-12000 tons
Superb! You can see the AD60's were near the end of active life, the maintenance isn't that good anymore, steam leaking out of every seal, especialy around the piston rods.
NOTABOOS actually, they were pretty badly maintained towards the end of their working lives, as this would have been in 1968. Even the once proud 38 Class passenger locos were starting to look pretty shabby at this point and were often displaced on the Newcastle Flyer by diesels and electrics. I’m glad I still have memories of steam in NSW in the late 1950s and early 1960s when steam was still king.
thank god we had phil belbin to paint pictures of and film all of this stuff . it would of been spectacular in its day , i wonder if he would of thought that 44 years later we would still be blown away by the noise , smoke, steam and earth shaking power of it all .
The last time I saw a 60 class in revenue service was in 1968 on down empty coal in full forward gear climbing the 1 in 100 bank from Canterbury to Campsie. I was on a Sparkes travelling home to Belmore. When stopped at Campsie station the blast from the 60 class as it passed under Beamish Road overbridge resulted in tremor/ shaking of ground and the pass. train. Smoke plume was quite high. Never forgotten even in 2022. In February, 2023, it's 50 years since revenue steam hauled services ceased officially althought the last was actually in late 1972. 🦘🌴
Grew up near Fassifern this brings back a lot of memories of the golden era of steam as a kid. My dad work at the mine there and a lot of memories of the Garrets and other steam trains coming out of the mine to Fassifern station and head north to Newcastle and some south to the power stations great footage.
Awesome video!! the Firemen who worked on Steam Trains must have had muscles of steel. It is a crying shame no one here tried to make Steam Locomotives more environmentally compliant. Any one who dislikes the sound of a Steam Train in full power hasn't got a pulse. Cheers All, Denis.
This is some of the best steam footage I have ever seen. Maybe even THE best! Railways are just not the same without steam.Thanks for sharing. Brilliant!
Two Garratts climbing 1:40 - impressive. 4 diesels struggling up a hill at 2 mph... big deal. Steam locos were 'alive'. I notice though someone forgot to remove the EOT triangle from the front loco. Perhaps it had run L/E to assist the train engine up the grade. Whatever, it doesn't detract from the video and its only because I was a signalman that I noticed.
I hope there were two people on site, one with the movie camera and the other with a still camera, what a golden opportunity for spectacular black and white photos.
I rode about 16,000 miles behind one of these engines on the East African Railway in the 1950s and 60s. One of the most powerful engines in the world. Sixteen drive wheels. Double articulated. Very unusual engine. One trip the engine derailed but stayed upright to a stop. One story that is wild is the engine that had left Lumbwa station going west. The grade is steep for many miles downhill, and an extremely long trestle comes before Fort Turnan station. The engineer somehow lost it by heading down too fast, and the story goes that he had the engine in reverse with the drive wheels spinning backwards and throwing sparks wildly. He lost it on the curve west of Fort Turnan, and I assume a number of lives were lost. It was a freight. This is a rather wild yarn, but railway people told the story.
One thing I never heard mention of from the era of steam was ice build up in colder climates. Obviously anything near the boiler wont develop frost / ice but there must be issues elsewhere.
The most awesomely stunning piece of steam footage on youtube. Only sorry I never managed to be there with a double header, though we chased a 60 plus 59 which was too fast to get ahead of, in 1971.
according to the gradient profile it changes from 1 in 50 to 1 in 40 about half way up the grade, so ya, about where the camera was.. The AD60's were mechanically stoked so an easier job for the fireman. I think the 60's are slightly larger than the EAR garratts, but have a lower tractive effort (63000 lbs)
In part they kept the Garratts for a while because they were pretty advanced for steam (mechanical stoker, for example) and one thing that was cheap and plentiful around Newcastle was coal. Double heading like that I believe they could haul 1,200 tons up that grade.
At ease!! I've worked out an answer, The coal is being carried on the up main south of Fassifern, probably headed for Sydney perhaps to be washed for export. (Remember R W Miller). The speed sign would allow passenger service to resume. Normal running speed having been slowed or stopped at Fassifern. Goods services would have been speed controlled by a set of yellow markers............ I forgot this is B/W film. As you were!! Stavros again
The train is climbing Fassifern bank on the down heading to Port Waratah. The 60 speed sign is applicable to trains on the up. It is the permissable speed, not a directive.
@TrevorHeath It will be great to see 6029 back to full working order after so many years of being Inactive i just hope to be able to see it pass by fingers crossed
" Fassi Bank " was a notorious grade . Northbound , there were 2 signals , and if you were over a certain weight , unless you had 2 greens , you had to wait. Doesnt look that steep in the video , but in real life , it was like climbing the side of a mountain.
I doubt that if a diesel was as poorly maintained as these giants they would have any hope of doing the job. And yer Steam just kept going. Great shots of Giants.
Thanks for the information. As I was watching the video I was thinking that those engines just had to be blazing through the coal at an amazing rate and that it didn't seem possible for one or even two firemen to keep up with the demand.
I was borne Feb.1968 .as a kid I watched steam drifting away. I love this video and the good old days. No graffiti back then. Just a time when people respected the railroad and the job it did.
It doesnt get much better than this. Australian Big Boys with brute force. Steam lover's dream. Perhaps the mightiest garratts and amongst the best steam locomotives ever built. Much respect and love from America. I had to buy an AD60 ho scale years ago. Lovin it!!
There is only one “Big Boy” and it would spank these locomotives.
Dang, they were working hard. I've always loved garratts since watching them in person in South Africa.
There was no pollution here, only dark coloured steam. I love the sight, sound and smell of these engines. They are simply gorgeous! Their pulling power was tremendous.
Cindy yep same here, it was that steam mixed with hot oil smell that I enjoyed
...still my favourite video on RUclips. Years ago I worked with railway men, hard men of wonderful character, who had risen to administrative level, first as firemen, then drivers, during the steam era of the NSWGR. From their stories, I was in awe of the Garratt, even before I knew anything about them. Still wonderful years then, even though we were overseeing diesel and electric motive power by the 70's. I'm so glad that the algorithm sees fit to toss this clip my way a couple of times a year. Thanks for putting it out there...
What a superb scene. In January 1972 just before they finished up I had the incredible experience of a cab ride in 6029 from Fassifern to Broadmeadow behind 6008. As a 14 year old it was a once in a lifetime moment, never forget it! Thanks for posting this great clip.
One of the most awesome steam videos on this site, also back in a time when Australia did stuff right.
Remind me again, where were beyer-peacock from? lol
@@steveluckhurst2350 The AD60 class were Beyer-Garratt patent articulated four-cylinder, simple, non-condensing, coal-fired superheated, 4-8-4+4-8-4 heavy goods steam locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock and Company for the New South Wales Government Railways in Australia. So there your reminded.
@@leokimvideo Thank you. Could you answer the question though, please? ☺
@@leokimvideo To be fair, some Garretts were built under contract in Belgium including the NG examples on The Welsh Highland Railway.
@@applecounty Sadly we seem to be dealing with a troll, enough said
I know diesel excites some people, but how can anyone not get excited by the demonstration of such sheer raw power as shown by the 3 D60s shown in this clip. Many thanks to those who filmed the spectacle and to those who have made it available.
Hubby and I would travel from Lithgow, rain, hail or shine to Fassifern and Hawkmount in the late 1960's to take photo's of these glorious beasts. How wonderful that people like Phil Belbin and others who took movies so we can relive the fantastic age of steam. It certainly keeps the memories alive.
THANK YOU!!!
Outstanding footage. Quality sound and vision of one of the great steam spectacles of this planet. So little of such quality is available from any of the great steam routes in the 1960s: it's mostly dubbed sound you get of varying quality from just about ok to dreadful. Whoever filmed this did a tremendous service to followers of super power steam action. My very grateful thanks.
The guy's name is Phil Belbin, my husband and I knew him very well and we were also there with Phil. He was a mastercraftman. Unfortunately Phil is no longer with us. One of his son's has taken over his Dad's video's.
Kent Yeti ain't that the truth
In those days, pictures and sound had to be recorded separately and reunited in post. So a lot of people were just recording silent video, with somebody else adding sound at some random later date.
@@brendabaker9925 I misread your comment as having an extra comma after "my husband". That changes the meaning to "The guy's name is Phil Belbin and he was my husband and I knew him very well" and I was thinking, well I should hope you knew your husband very well!
I was only thinking of the moment the other train passed downhill. Film being relatively expensive, I'm sure the filmer had a moment of "oh crap, I hope my shot of the uphill trains doesn't get ruined".
Between the AD60 Garratts and the 38 class, NSWGR had some of the most impressive steam locos ever made, if not necesssrily the biggest or fastest.
My opinion is this is the greatest steam train footage out there from any railway system in the world.
Incredible
Some of the best footage I've ever seen. As a child, we used to visit Gorton where these beasts were built. They are leaking from every orifice, not good, it shows that maintenance had dropped off to nothing by the time that this was shot.
Yes, that second locomotive in the consist had so many leaks I was surprised there was any steam left for the cylinders! Nice to see they were still so powerful even when asthmatic! Cheers.
@@GaryNumeroUno Thanks Gary..
All that steam surrounding them makes them look like ghost trains.
And the lead locomotive's heavy black smoke coming up the grade shows it was running dirty.
@@johnvarner3375 Was that because not enough draft or just boiler tubes, firebox etc hadn't been cleaned etc as they were near the end of their working lives?
Primal industrial alchemy in all its majesty. Never tire of this footage. Thankyou
20th century living, breathing dragons. Beautiful.
To see these magnificent locomotives operating live, in the "steel", so-to-speak, was awesome and created unforgettable memories.
Fire, water & iron - steam and smoke, the power of my youth and the memories they evoke.
That's a good line, very good. Is it yours?
I have yet to see anything better than this, that sound, both engines rolling in and out of synch, just amazing. My thanks to all concerned with the production of this
Despite all the steam coming out of everywhere it shouldn’t, the two leviathan locomotives power on undaunted. Superb footage.
Goes to show how well maintained the 60 class at Thirlmere really is
Absolutely love the Garratts such work horses. Hubby and I were married about 18 months when we used to go up to Fassifern and stay there all day, we drove from Lithgow that's committment for you. So glad one is now working and giving pleasure to a new generation.
Great days Brenda. Nice to hear from you.
wow, I understand the addiction
So pleased to see a Garratt restored to working order. I fired them in South Africa and Dad drove them! Some mighty powerful locomotives for a 3ft-6” Gauge!
The sight and sounds were incredible. Diesels are such cold and impersonal traction devices, compared to steam locos!
Now THAT.........is POWER! BEAUTIFUL machines👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻
Wow, this must be the Australian version of Blue Ridge Grade on the N&W in Virginia. Super cool! Gotta love all that steam and smoke.
Sydney and Atlanta are 12 miles apart if you go off lattitude. So think West Virginia's ruggedness but with weather like Georgia or South Carolina.
Australia is ancient compared to North America. So while America has higher peaks, Australia is more heavily eroded.
The 100 mile 'Short North' Subdivision, (between Sydney and the major coal port of Newcastle) is never more than 12 miles inland, yet northbounds (like this train) face 11 climbs steeper than 2 percent.
Yet this wasnt a mountain railway by NSW standards. Just west of Sydney is the Blue Mountains, 16 Miles of 1.6% AND 21 miles of 3.0%, climbing about 3,500'. New South Wales had branchlines with 4% grades worked by Alco's.
Mention the Short North Sub and an older Australian railfan will start to get glassy eyed and talk about streamlined C38's on the Newcastle Flier. While Fassifern (1 mile of 2.5%) and Hawkmount (1.5 miles of 2.2%), drew railfans from around the world during this time, the Short North was known for seeing high steamers running high speeds, late running trains could be expected to reach the mid 80's. This was the subdivision schoolboys once dreamed of being on a late running Newcastle Flyer footplate.
The steam record for the 103 miles between Sydney and Newcastle was 121 mins, the current record is only 6 minutes quicker. This sub was famous for the 20 mile high speed stretch between Ourimbah and Morriset. A tour train once averaged 70 MPH over the 1.5% grades that plague the section.
Sorry for the long post but I thought it would be of interest for any North American viewers.
Australian Railways are a weird combination of British and North American railroading
In the late 60's I used to travel to the Short North from the North West of WA to chase scenes like this. Brings back many great memories. Those two dislikes are not true steam fans.
As an American, I just want to say how much I enjoy this. Something about Aussie steam - heavy traffic like we have here in the states but almost a form of elegance that I think our engines (except maybe the N&W Js) never really had. Great shots!
+Joey Ferrito In my opinion the Garratt is an elegant design from itself, even the lumpiest looking ones like the South African GL class (one on display at MOSI in Manchester, UK) still look more elegant than any large Mallet.
The Garratt was also better in technical terms, weight distribution is more balanced, less overhang in curves, the size of boiler and firebox is not restricted by any axles, and they are theoretical suited for higher speeds as well (Although most Garratts were used at moderate speeds, the fastest Garrats, the Algerian 231-132TB reaching similar speeds as the Challengers were capable of)
I wonder what an US Garratt would have looked like, I think the AD60 is close to what that would have looked like, only some 30% larger.
@@Tom-Lahaye ,,,very knowledgeable post mate. I am late to the party here but i wanted to say it
What an insane spectacle. Love the sharp picture and crisp sound.
Hard to tell from the outset as both engines were clearly working hard up the bank, but the second engine was clearly lagging behind, leaking steam, resulting in the leading engine having to work harder, rather like a sibling holding in there.
I really begin to appreciate here why the Reverend Awdry, who created Thomas the Tank Engine, said a steam locomotive is "something pulsing and alive" to quote him from a source, and how he was inspired to write his stories by interpreting engines' personification by how they performed. Regards, Samuel Farris.
Raw living and breathing power. Magnificent!! I love the steam leaking out of every orifice.
Unfortunately, that was a sign of a poorly maintained steam locomotive. Like most steamers, they were often poorly maintained and flogged hard in their final years.
being winter it would have been more pronounced@@Crosshead1
a truly incredible machine both in functionality and beauty
indeed
the whistle on 6029 stands the hair up on my neck---beautiful!
Built a nation on the back of giants like these! Wonderful video....many thanks.
Freaking awesome! I love the steam era, have since I was a kid. I’m 62 now.
FABULOUS!!!
I haven't seen or heard anything like this since seeing these locos live back in the 60's.
What a brilliant piece of footage!!
Many, many thanks for the upload.
That was a struggle and a half.
Love your Dad's work.
I bet Warren and I were there too travelling from Lithgow.
They were the days, so love steam, nothing like it. Nothing!!
The days of my youth and I knew that line very well. The one with the loaded wagons more than likely hauling it from the Awaba pit to Newcastle. Good footage of them.
Some of the most spine chilling music ever!!
This piece is unmatched, if anyone can direct me to a more dramatic piece of steam footage from any where in the world then please do let me know !
The pacing shot of two South African 25 NCs going across the Great Karoo in 'Great Railway Journeys of the World' is pretty good.
Not sure if it's more dramatic, but at least they're worth the watch:
"UP Challenger #3985 + 143 Freight Cars"
and
"UP 844 Assists a Stalled 11,620 Ton Freight Train!!!"
are both quite impressive.
(I don't trust youtube to not remove my links but searching for those titles should be enough, right? Right?)
ruclips.net/video/NgijJgqXA40/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/zV8rA3UE-lc/видео.html
In this video there are to types of locomotives.
There are 2 Y6 class 2-8-8-2 and 1 Class A 2-6-6-4. Total train load is like 10000-12000 tons
Me and my beautiful ex at a steam bath, but I can’t show those pics.
Man! That thing was really layin' it down. Steam wheezing from every joint, doin' what it does best.
Superb!
You can see the AD60's were near the end of active life, the maintenance isn't that good anymore, steam leaking out of every seal, especialy around the piston rods.
NOTABOOS actually, they were pretty badly maintained towards the end of their working lives, as this would have been in 1968. Even the once proud 38 Class passenger locos were starting to look pretty shabby at this point and were often displaced on the Newcastle Flyer by diesels and electrics. I’m glad I still have memories of steam in NSW in the late 1950s and early 1960s when steam was still king.
thank god we had phil belbin to paint pictures of and film all of this stuff . it would of been spectacular in its day , i wonder if he would of thought that 44 years later we would still be blown away by the noise , smoke, steam and earth shaking power of it all .
An excellent video. Hello from the Tracy Mountain Railway in Colorado. ♡ T.E.N.
Hello Tracy Nation and thanks!
The power and the majesty, the grim and the dirt! ……Hᴜɢʜ…..ツ
I watched it a 100 times now, still cant get enough...
The last time I saw a 60 class in revenue service was in 1968 on down empty coal in full forward gear climbing the 1 in 100 bank from Canterbury to Campsie. I was on a Sparkes travelling home to Belmore. When stopped at Campsie station the blast from the 60 class as it passed under Beamish Road overbridge resulted in tremor/ shaking of ground and the pass. train. Smoke plume was quite high. Never forgotten even in 2022. In February, 2023, it's 50 years since revenue steam hauled services ceased officially althought the last was actually in late 1972. 🦘🌴
In a word MAGNIFICENT!
Grew up near Fassifern this brings back a lot of memories of the golden era of steam as a kid. My dad work at the mine there and a lot of memories of the Garrets and other steam trains coming out of the mine to Fassifern station and head north to Newcastle and some south to the power stations great footage.
That's a nice place to be a kid, Phil. Did you go to the school near the station?
Awesome video!! the Firemen who worked on Steam Trains must have had muscles of steel. It is a crying shame no one here tried to make Steam Locomotives more environmentally compliant. Any one who dislikes the sound of a Steam Train in full power hasn't got a pulse.
Cheers All, Denis.
WOW! What a film! Cheers, Jack
Great filming for 1968.
This is some of the best steam footage I have ever seen. Maybe even THE best! Railways are just not the same without steam.Thanks for sharing. Brilliant!
Fantastic ! Imagine if these locomotives ran today. People would run for their lives ! 😄👍
There's still a few around. At least one of them is still in operational condition and they run it on special occasions.
Wow, all that power, awesome footage thanks for sharing !!!
I've seen plenty of videos/movies of other trains, that's my first of that kind of particular engine in action, thanks.
Wow. Unreal footage.
Really "diggin potatoes" by the end.
The plants are loving it
:-) They don't mind the soot on the leaves, with all that lovely extra carbon dioxide to breathe!
Two Garratts climbing 1:40 - impressive. 4 diesels struggling up a hill at 2 mph... big deal. Steam locos were 'alive'. I notice though someone forgot to remove the EOT triangle from the front loco. Perhaps it had run L/E to assist the train engine up the grade. Whatever, it doesn't detract from the video and its only because I was a signalman that I noticed.
I hope there were two people on site, one with the movie camera and the other with a still camera, what a golden opportunity for spectacular
black and white photos.
I rode about 16,000 miles behind one of these engines on the East African Railway in the 1950s and 60s. One of the most powerful engines in the world. Sixteen drive wheels. Double articulated. Very unusual engine. One trip the engine derailed but stayed upright to a stop. One story that is wild is the engine that had left Lumbwa station going west. The grade is steep for many miles downhill, and an extremely long trestle comes before Fort Turnan station. The engineer somehow lost it by heading down too fast, and the story goes that he had the engine in reverse with the drive wheels spinning backwards and throwing sparks wildly. He lost it on the curve west of Fort Turnan, and I assume a number of lives were lost. It was a freight. This is a rather wild yarn, but railway people told the story.
One thing I never heard mention of from the era of steam was ice build up in colder climates. Obviously anything near the boiler wont develop frost / ice but there must be issues elsewhere.
Amazing! I’m stunned for words!
just to say ABSO;UTELY BRILLIANT
They were hauling coal. Reminds me of the horse that was kept to plow the paddock and plant the corn to feed the horse.
One of the best videos ever! Thank you.
1 of the greatest sights. A double header.
Those crazy Aussies even drive their trains on the wrong side of the road! :-)
And they didn't need to lean on the whistle or have a stupid bell sounding at all to go better than anyone else.
Great footage remember these Giants very well
Still the best ever NSW steam clip!
It looks like Dantes inferno coming up a hill
Incredible power, Awesome footage
Just wow and Oh my God fantastic.
I totally agree! I have shown clips of AD60s like this to people who like diesels and they have been converted straight away!
What a gem
The most awesomely stunning piece of steam footage on youtube. Only sorry I never managed to be there with a double header, though we chased a 60 plus 59 which was too fast to get ahead of, in 1971.
The second loco/engine seems to be having a heart attack...powerful show.
according to the gradient profile it changes from 1 in 50 to 1 in 40 about half way up the grade, so ya, about where the camera was.. The AD60's were mechanically stoked so an easier job for the fireman. I think the 60's are slightly larger than the EAR garratts, but have a lower tractive effort (63000 lbs)
Love these old videos
Outstanding!!! I'm surprised they didn't switch to diesel earlier. Thankfully they didn't!
The Garratts were withdrawn in 1970, probably little more than 18 months after this film was made. By 1972 steam was gone from NSW railways
In part they kept the Garratts for a while because they were pretty advanced for steam (mechanical stoker, for example) and one thing that was cheap and plentiful around Newcastle was coal. Double heading like that I believe they could haul 1,200 tons up that grade.
wow never got see double garrats - incredible and there just seemed to be steam oosing from everywhere! :)
Garrets are the bigboys of England and Australia
This film maker must have taken lessons from Winston O Link , amazing footage and sound and subject. WOW !!!!!!
At ease!!
I've worked out an answer, The coal is being carried on the up main south of Fassifern, probably headed for Sydney perhaps to be washed for export. (Remember R W Miller). The speed sign would allow passenger service to resume. Normal running speed having been slowed or stopped at Fassifern. Goods services would have been speed controlled by a set of yellow markers............ I forgot this is B/W film.
As you were!!
Stavros again
The train is climbing Fassifern bank on the down heading to Port Waratah. The 60 speed sign is applicable to trains on the up. It is the permissable speed, not a directive.
@TrevorHeath It will be great to see 6029 back to full working order after so many years of being Inactive i just hope to be able to see it pass by fingers crossed
Super film, thanks for sharing. The Aussies obviously made a much better job of Garratts than us Pommies. :o) :o)
Well... Still built by us brits so we didn't do too bad of a job
@@ScaniaVabis580 Yes, most folk forget Garratts were a British loco, despite where they were used.
such machines ! unbelievable
Nice video brother double head stem locomotive amazing
Great video! I hope they closed the windows when they went under the bridge. Can't imaging taking that through a long tunnel!
Raw steam power at it's best.
"I like the sound of the older trains
than the way they sound today."-🌐🌎🌏🌍🌐..
Thank you for sharing.
Those Garrett’s are sure working hard. I wonder if they had any tunnels to travel through?
Yes, the Tickhole tunnel is a few miles ahead of them and it's at the top of another hill like this so they'll be going into it under full power.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
I can hear the locomotives saying, "Got to get to Sydney, got to get to Sydney, got to get to Sydney ..." Is it cold up there?
Awesome video.
Also awesome there’s no graffiti on the coal wagons 👍
" Fassi Bank " was a notorious grade . Northbound , there were 2 signals , and if you were over a certain weight , unless you had 2 greens , you had to wait. Doesnt look that steep in the video , but in real life , it was like climbing the side of a mountain.
What a fantastic video!
In a word - WOW!
3:07.....classic .
Wouldint it be nice to have one of the other preserved 60 class' restored to active service, so as to replicate these workings?
I doubt that if a diesel was as poorly maintained as these giants they would have any hope of doing the job. And yer Steam just kept going. Great shots of Giants.
Epic (and we worry about emissions from wood burning stoves..!)
Thanks for the information. As I was watching the video I was thinking that those engines just had to be blazing through the coal at an amazing rate and that it didn't seem possible for one or even two firemen to keep up with the demand.
Mechanically stoked