Operations & Historical: 2007

December 2007 - Up Stock Special

On the prototype, Cudgewa stock specials (and regular goods) dropped off empty stock wagons on the Dn trip then picked up the full wagons on the Up. Here Ta411 has is picking up 2 Ma's from Beetoomba to add to it's train of three from Cudgewa.

Slowing through the Koetong Pine Plantation for the entry to Shelley yard.

With stub ended points at the Up end of some of the yards, rope shunting was not uncommon on the Cudgewa branch. Here Ta411 rope(wire!) shunts two more Ma's out of Shelley's livestock siding, positioning them mid-yard for easier collection.

December 2007 - A Christmas visit from a Relative

Some time ago I picked up a Bachmann Zillertalbahn U Class. Not sure what her ultimate use will be but here she is running in on Shelley Railways.

Ta413 shunts the cattle road behind Cudgewa station.

Dn Goods - 15.12.07

Ta 411 on the Dn Cudgewa goods has broken briefly from the forest to cross Boundary Ck trestle and is about to dive back in and continue down grade to Beetoomba.

Branch Operations - 9.12.07

Ta413 shunts the morning Dn goods in Cudgewa yard, decent super loadings are about to end with the season change from Spring to Summer.

D3a665 at Shelley on a Dn Passenger Special. Must remember to use the tripod for less blurry pictures! My apologies.

Branch Operations - November 17 & 18, 2007

Dn Saturday morning Goods straddles the Upper Murray highway as the guard attends van goods at Beetoomba.

Rolling slowly over Needles Trestle.

Shunting underway in Cudgewa yard with old loading being formed into the Up train and new loading placed around yard. Van has been placed at the station for parcels/van goods.

Late afternoon, Ta363 rolls around the curve at Cudgewa and is about to commence climbing into The Needles.

Sunday down Railmotor transits Boundary Ck Trestle.

October & November 2007 Two recent trains

27.10.07 - Ta363 leads the Dn morning goods down the grade across Beetoomba trestle

3.11.07 - Ta411 easily pulls a lightly loaded Up afternoon goods through the 1 in 40 curves en route to Shelley

22.9.07 Another dark early Spring Saturday on Shelley Railway's Cudgewa branch.

Ta363 shunts an M wagon off the Dn Goods at Shelley

Dn Goods stopped at Beetoomba for safeworking.

M wagons placed at Cudgewa stock yard ready for loading.

Inward loading placed at Cudgewa goods shed.

Local VPC forester turns up with a last minute package.

Up Goods has been formed and awaits time to depart Cudgewa.

Departmental wagon over the pit at Cudgewa shed.

Up Goods transits The Needles into afternoon light.

Beetoomba stock race sees no traffic today.

The Up Goods crew take a moment at Shelley.

The M wagon looks on from the stock siding.

c.2000 - c.2007 SMR 1 R.I.P

The public-unseen and sometimes unsung hero of Shelley Railways' fleet, SMR 1 was originally built as a shunter for Cudgewa yard and to trial the Life Like SW1200 chassis on which she (as the photos show) still used much of. However in practice the train locomotive accounted for Cudgewa shunting requirements (per prototype) and hence SMR 1's use then varied from occasional revenue trains, standing in for failed Shelley Railways locomotives, Snowy Mountain Railways (SMR) construction trains, and the myriad service trains for the layout - track testing after cleaning and/or rebuilding, testing new rollingstock, and demonstrating the layout to visitors.

The Life Like chassis has proven to be outstandingly reliable, very smooth running and quite powerful for it's size and weight.

Recently her chassis was considered for the coming Ya Class, and, having suffered cab damage during the last move, this will not be repaired and SMR 1 has now been effectively withdrawn from service pending her re-birth as a Ya.

Farewell good servant, Rest in Peace SMR 1.