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Vinyl Steam Action! Vol ume 1 AUstralian steam locomotives in action
Record Steam Action! Vol 1
Copyright ?
33 1/3 RPM Approx 12 inches
SIDE 1.
Scene 1. The calm of an early Southern N. S. W. morning is shattered to the roar of open safety valves as 3801 prepares to leave Culcairn with the Sydney bound "Riverina Limited Express".
A short whistle to acknowledge "Right of Way", and 3801 bounds out with her exhausts echoing off the wheat silos by the right of way, as she heads up the Main Southern Line destined for Sydney Central.
Two short whistles for a crossing and she is gone, a thin haze of smoke marking her departure.
Note in both these scenes, the noise from the rear Diesel Power Van. This power is used for air conditioning and train lighting system.
Scene 2. Our location this time is on the heavy grade north of Junee. 3801 the "Class Leader" is really hard at it now with the "Riverina" as she climbs towards us. Here we sense the effort required by the 68" drivered "Pacific" as she works past and on up the grade.
With rods and valve gear rising and falling, thrusting heron towards the summit we listen to the accompanying sounds of a "Front End" that is "Just Right", and doing its work perfectly.
Scene 3. On the crest of a rise to the South of Wyee on the Main Northern Line, we hear 3829 roar past at high speed with the "Newcastle Flier".
Compared with the previous two settings, here we find the 38 can be a race horse too, as 3829 is proving by hurtling past with her Walschaert Gear "Up" near centre, exhaust laying back and the dust flying in the wake of her going. This is "Steam Action".
Scene 4. Typically American both in appearance and sound are the 59 Class Mikados of the N. S. W. G. R. Built by the Baldwin Lima Hamilton Corp. of U. S. A. , in the early fifties, these engines were all equipped as oil burners, but some have recently been converted to coal burning. Here we find oil burner 5915 ascending the grade out of Wyee, with the slight wind playing with her measured exhausts as she works towards us through a light shower. Note the pleasant sounding "Baltimore & Ohio" type whistle, and the sounds from those definitely "Made in U. S. A. " siderods.
Scene 5. Ona fine morning in early January 1964, we find engines R 700 and R 769 fighting hard for way on the ascent to Warrenheip with maximum tonnage of wheat, bound for the Silos of Geelong. Soon after passing our trackside location, 769 loses her feet, but quickly recovers. Then 700 too, loses her footing, and the six foot drivers race away, until they also regain hold on heavily sanded rails.
Both engines settle down and continue fighting for the summit of Warrenheip. As the two 4-6-4's lift their consist, listen to the chatter of the background wild life awakening to yet another day of movement on the grade.
Scene 6. A quiet starry night finds us located on a road overbridge on the Sydney side of Wyee, to capture the sounds of NSWGR 's largest steam power. We hear Beyer-Garratt 6006 whistle out from Wyee and commence to hoist her tonnage to the sound of heavy articulated steam power in action. The fascination of her varying exhausts cause us to pause and listen in these days of impending Dieselization as one of Australia's finest examples of modern steam power, works up grade. She passes on underneath us, and her exhausts are soon lost in the mutter of draft gear and tonnage on the move.
Marshalled next to the PHG guards van we find a bogie hopper with flat wheels matching and drowning out the twin exhausts of 6006 as she passes into the distance.
Scenes 7 & 8. The Melbourne to Bendigo "Main Line" means heavy grades and hard work for any locomotive. These are the sounds of engine D3 639 hauling a Parliamentary Special to Bendigo and Swan Hill in February 1964.
We first hear the veteran ten wheeler on the rises between Sydenham and Diggers Rest. The time is about 10 p. m. , as a disturbed mastiff barks encouragement for the graceful but determined 639 as she whistles and fights her way over a level crossing towards us.
An hour or so later we again hear these 19"x 26" cylinders exhausting to the quiet deserted slopes of Mt. Macedon as she works up the 1 in 52 past the Black Forest. A slight slip but she quickly recovers and continues with her exhausts reverberating back in the still night air. A 1903 campaigner of the rails still battling on in 1964.
Scene 9. Fassifern Signal Box. Again fast main line steam action finds 3819 making time as she works past at high speed with a Sydney to Newcastle express. Listen closely as the various signal box sounds are brought into your own home, as the 38 fades in the distance. We were quite amazed how the old manually operated frame in the box stood up to the crashing levers as the signalman returned the "Sticks" to the stop position prior to lining them up for the UP main line.
SIDE 2. ***
Scene 10. We are inclined to regard the 60 class Garratt locomotives as slow moving drag freight pow er, when thinking of Steam Action.
In this scene however, articulated 6036 anxiously whistles twice before bursting through Fassifern, with a fast-freight from Sydney, making for Newcastle.
Listen closely as the driver opens her up, gaining momentum on the slight down grade, before attacking the 1 in 70 on the Newcastle side of the station. She rushes her consist past, then with a clatter the "Starter" returns to the "stop" position as we hear 6036 fighting hard for way up the grade ahead.
Scene 11. Not long after the Garratt has gone, we hear 3130, a 4-6-4 Tank, departing from Fassifern, with a Toronto local for Newcastle. Her driver whistles for the "Starter", but alas, it remains at the "stop" position, for the previous train (Scene 10) has not cleared the section ahead.
With single stage compressor panting, she comes to rest, halted on the 1 in 70. In the distance we hear the drumming exhaust of engine 3048 working fast towards us on the opposite line, cresting the rise that 3130 is about to climb.
"Off" comes the Starter and the trusty old "Suburban Tank" goes to work on the grade. She slips a little, but soon recovers and continues on her way as 3048 goes rushing past, and comes to a halt at the station. The scene closes as we hear 3048 whistle in the station at Fassifern.
Note - in order to keep "maximum interest", we have eliminated the three minute wait of 3130 at the Starter.
Scene 12. Deep amongst the tall trees near a grade crossing, finds us listening to a Two Foot Six Inch Gauge "Prairie" tank calling for the crossing as she works upgrade from the, Monbulk Creek into Belgrave Station.
"Puffing Billy", known to everyone, amazes us with his stack talk, as he blasts past with a trainload of his "youthful fans".
Long may the 2-6-2 continue to climb the grades of the Dandenongs, bringing pleasure to all who witness his sight and his sounds as he meanders his 2 foot Six Domain.
Scene 13. Our scene this time brings us to the "workhorse" of the New South Wales G. R. Here we find engine 5339, one of the systems old reliable "Standard Goods" 2-8-0's, leisurely climbing the slight grade out of Westvale, with the afternoon "mixed" bound for Blayney. As she passes and fades into the distance, the very marked similarity in sound with the VR D3 class engines will be noticed.
Scene 14. A still moonlit night finds both steam and diesel power working a heavy freight up through the tree clad slopes of Warrenheip. Here we find B 68 using all her 1500 horsepower to keep the draw bars stretched as she works past at the maximum.
Coupled immediately behind her is D3 654, a veteran ten-wheeler, not in steam, rolling quietly to her predestined extinction.
As the train passes on up the grade, we pick up the sound of engine N 493 shoving hard on thereat end, letting the world know that her 175 lb. and 20 x 26 inch cylinders are doing their share in lifting tonnage up the 1 in 52.
Note - the pulsating vibrations from the oil burner of N493.
Scene 15. Our second last scene finds an old favourite of steam lovers, performing work that is so typical of her calling. Can't you pick the deep throated exhaust of NSW 3651, as her driver opens her up, leaving Fassifern with a Sydney to Newcastle stopping train.
We notice however that she appears to be"lame" on one side as she digs in and starts working up the bank away from us. Her whistle seems quite unlike any 36 whistle we have heard previously in our travels on the 4' 8".
Note how a nearby magpie mocks her stocky bark as she gets under way.
Scene 16. All is quiet in the early morning at the small wayside station of Clyde, as we find R 707 leisurely climbing up the slight grade towards us.
She passes, her exhausts soon being lost in the clatter of four wheelers following; a whistle for a crossing, and she fades into the coming dawn.
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