G'day everyone. For as long as I can remember I have had an interest in not just trolley buses and trams, but trains as well, especially steam and electric.

As a little kid growing up in Kogarah I always loved the outings with my mother when we'd take the trolley bus to Kogarah, then the train to town. There were two basic services running through this station outiside of peak hours, being either all stations trains or the longer distance "through" trains. The all stations trains mostly started from Hurstville, three stations south of Kogarah, or from Mortdale, two stops further on if they were running out from the depot there. The through trains came from Cronula in the off-peak and after leaving Hurstville would stop at Rockdale, Tempe, Sydenham, Redfern, Central, Museum and St James. From January 1956 the trains continued around the now completed City Circle, but I think they ran clockwise in off-peaks aroound the City Circle and certainly did on weekends.

There was once when we were walking up the steps at Kogarah and a train was heading towards us on the "Illawarra Local" where most trains operated. I had a panic attack of sorts and told Mum to hurry up. She was a bit more laid back than I was and confidently replied something like: "Don't worry. That'll be the through train. Ours will be along in a few minutes." By the time she bought the tickets and a sixpenny packet of Eta salted peanuts (to no doubt keep me shut up for awhile) we had about a minute or two on the platform. She always rode in a steel bodied carriage, but tried to avoid the Tulloch cars because I could open the windows further.

The trains ran like clockwork, with the East Hills train pulling into Tempe just as we would be pulling out, with same being repeated at Sydenham for the Bankstown line trains. I loved it when we passed Eveleigh Loco Depot, full of 36's and 38's sitting there in steam. They looked their best on clammy, damp days.

The sounds of the motors whining, Westinghouse compressors ticking over, and the "toot" from the whistle when leaving the stations was magic.

Enclosed is a photo I took at Hornsby Maintenance Centre one afternoon in November, 1991. I was travelling from Melbourne to my brothers home at Ballina, and further to Tugun to stay with Fred Saxon. I had the car and drove around by the road entrance to have a look and a shunter there allowed me in
to take some photos.

Do you want to see any more?

-Ian.