Saturday, November 11, 2020 saw the mercury reaching 40.9° Celsius at 1314 hours. Precisely one hour later, at 1414, a mini-cyclone struck, with just 1.76mm of driving rain. It was all over within a minute or so — even the washing on my clothes line was not blown away, but was rather damp! The outside …
Continue reading "Progress Report 63: Mini-Cyclone Hits Pete’s Hobby Railway"
The short Report Stage 1 of beautification works at Loftus station have commenced.
Continue reading "Progress Report 62: Beautification Works Commence at Loftus Station"
For several years, Pete’s Hobby Railway has been distributing an annual rail-oriented Calendar to its regular volunteers as my way of saying “thank you”. Topics in past years have been of PHR itself or of railway operations, past and present, in the Riverina area of NSW. For the 2021 calendar year, I am proposing to …
Continue reading "Pete’s Hobby Railway Calendar 2021 available for sale"
Doubtless, 2020 will become known as the Year of the Covid. As it thankfully draws to a close with the dreaded disease all-but-beaten here in Australia, we at Pete’s Hobby Railway thought the least we could do to make things a little brighter was to get involved with our town’s Christmas Lighting Decorations competition.
Continue reading "Progress Report 61: Christmas (in the Year of the Covid)"
As I had resided in the Sydney metropolitan area of Loftus for over 50 years, the majority of my long-time friends and acquaintances also reside in the Greater Sydney area. Now I reside some 480 rail kilometres from Sydney, it is only occasionally that we are able to get together face-to-face rather than by way …
Continue reading "Visitors to Pete’s Hobby Railway"
Short Version Physical turntable installation completed. Basic track access from main line laid and connected. Initial track laid from turntable into Storage Shed laid over servicing pit. Hunslet steam locomotive now stowed under cover. Very temporary additional tracks off turntable for rolling stock storage. Additional works in progress prior to completion of project. Turntable tracks …
Continue reading "Progress Report 60: Turntable Access to Shed"
Friday, 28th August saw Pete’s Hobby Railway take delivery of its first bogie vehicle — an open goods wagon which last saw service many years ago on the Innisfail Tramway in North Queensland. It is one of approximately 110 built between 1900 and 1953. Known as H-type open goods wagons because of their similarity to …
Continue reading "Progress Report 59: Bogie goods vehicle obtained"
PHR announces the results of the EOI for disposal of Perry steam locomotive and tender: With a more than a little reluctance, Pete’s Hobby Railway is however pleased to announce that Timbertown Wauchope is the successful applicant for purchase of PHR’s Perry-built steam locomotive. Under the provisions of the Expression of Interest, Timbertown has exercised …
Continue reading "Perry Locomotive “Chiverton” sold to Timbertown"
The short version: Electrical works within new rolling stock storage shed undertaken, internal fit-out completed, first items moved inside shed. The longer version: Covers in greater illustrated detail what has been achieved.
Continue reading "Progress Report 58: Rolling Stock Shed Fit Out"
A brief encounter… “TORPEDO” returns to active service… and then withdrawn again. The Short Version After 18 months out of service with steam turret problems, PHR’s Hunslet steam locomotive “Torpedo” ran successful trials fitted with a new steam turret on Thursday 25th June.
Continue reading "Progress Report 57: Torpedo returns to active service — briefly"