Johnny's Pages - Old SAR Shunter

Johnny's Pages
Old S.A.R. Shunter's Memories

RAIL TRIP TO KALANGADOO
16th November 2005
with 2 French Railfans who flew out to Australia from France.

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After our Tantanoola trip, the next day there was a booked rail trip to Kalangadoo with passengers from Warrnambool who came over by road bus to Mt Gambier. They travelled the Red Hen train to Kalangadoo one way and their road bus picked them up at Kalangadoo for a return trip back to Warrnambool. We were very fortunate that LCR put on another railcar for us to do this trip for our two visiting railfan Frenchmen. Marvellous trip was again had by all.

Red Hens arrive at station for Kalangadoo trip

Éric (visiting Frenchman) and John.

Éric boarding train

Switches set for Kalangadoo this time.

Heading out around curve to Kalangadoo

Nice view of the Mt Gambier Centenary tower

Crossing keeper working Graham road Xing gongs.

Passing alongside second largest timber sawmill
in Mount Gambier.

Looking back semi waiting at Millicent Road Xing.

We had the leading car to ourselves

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Heading towards Wandilo, good speed here.

We just passed Wandilo as I never recognised it.

Nice wooden sleeper track view

Steel sleeper track view

Éric enjoying rail sounds & wind in the face

Luc also enjoying rail sounds & wind in the face

Going through dismal swamp

In older days the water here use to often lap the rails in winter, was even known at rare times to be over the rails. Okay for steam engines, but no good on traction motors.
This has not been seen in the latter years.

Éric & Luc firing shots off all the way.

Swamps starting to dry up

The typical Aussie windmill

Bird breeding lagoon

End of Lagoon. Some bird life.

Wepar, just before Kalangadoo

Cattle country

We must be getting close to Kalangadoo, Redgum country.

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Xing before Kalangadoo the bus is waiting

Bus driver seems not sure where station is.

We take the main line.

Kalangadoo, end of LCR line.

Map of Kalangadoo near station

Kalangadoo Station owned by Austpine now.

Red Hen at station platform

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Peter Savage who was the last Station Master at Kalangadoo opened his railway office (small museum) in the old station building for us to view his railway memorabilia. This display is a credit to Peter and an excellent collection of railway gear he has collected from many places.

Kalangadoo station (fenced in against vandals)

Peter Savage's small railway museum

I think he has every Weekly Notice in his collection.

Ticket date stamp box.

I sure remember these in my days at Jamestown in the 1960's, selling tickets for the road bus to Adelaide and the Peterborough and Port Pirie railcars.

Good old Electric staff and staff hoop.
Great memories here .

Left to Right: Éric, Luc and Peter Savage.

It was kind of Peter to give some small bits and pieces to our French friends as a memory of their rail visit to Kalangadoo.

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Now ready to return to Mount Gambier with us as 3 passengers on entire train.

Taken from other side of the old goods platform

Discussing old times. Okay, all in, is time to depart.

Luc having a relaxing moment

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We stop at Wandilo platform for a few rare photo shots

Since this line closed to operational traffic in April 1995, the huge pines are all gone, looks so bare now with only small young pines. To once hear the sound of the 900 class diesels thunder out of Wandilo with the morning *mixed passenger heading to Mt Gambier and of an evening to Adelaide with a good *mixed load was a fantastic sound, one never forgets that special sound. The shed at Wandilo also gone in a past bush fire.

*Mixed passenger, or mixed goods, means passenger cars and freight wagons on the same train.
Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights a mixed passenger left Adelaide for Mt Gambier. (The Blue Lake) On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights a mixed passenger left Mt Gambier for Adelaide.

Red Hens stop at Wandilo a rare occurrence

Hello, we have passenger at Wandilo.

Ah! Here is Luc ready to get aboard

Now John waits for Éric taking picture
and we then depart for Mt Gambier.

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Heading down the track towards Mt Gambier

Good track here with Mt Gambier lakes crater rim in the distance
We also do a nice speed along here

These were very nice views from engines on early morning trains into the Mount.

Down the home straight into Mount Gambier

End of the straight heading towards Junction

Mt Gambier Junction, Millicent line to the right

Mount Gambier Junction old cabin on right

The tracks to the left were once the sheep and cattle yards till the 1980's, then the stockyards were shifted out to Glenburnie. This area then became a holding yard for empty box cars for the Snuggery paper mills.

We leave main line heading into Marshalling yard

We head up No 1 track in Marshalling yard

Seeing no need to go to station, we alight here
Crew goes to other end to head into loco.

Red Hens head off to be stabled.
Was great trip.

And the nice end of another great rail outing.
Was a fantastic two days on the Mt Gambier Limestone Coast Railway

Heading back home to France

Next morning Éric and Luc flew out of Mt Gambier Airport for Melbourne in time to catch their flight back to Paris, France.
It was a successful trip Down Under experience. Jet lag going home was the only negative reaction for Éric for next few days.

Éric's own words when he arrived back home.
Since I came back from Australia, we have here a cold weather, like Winter was in advance.
No larger picture
Left an Australian late Spring, only to be greeted with a blast of an early French Winter.

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