Stepping back in time

Sunday

I am wet through, soaked through to my knickers. The weather here is a little damp and I've been out stalking a train. You can see why I have taken on the appearance of a drowned rat.

The Queensland Rail 150 years anniversary train is in town.

You wouldn't believe how many times this kind of situation happened.

It started its trip in Brisbane and has been working its way up the coast since the 15th of Jan.

It arrived in Cairns of Friday (13th Feb) morning. Being at work I missed out on seeing it.

But today they did a couple of short trips with the tickets being used as a fundraiser. It was very popular with the tickets being sold out in hours. Pity for me. Guess I need to learn to be the early bird or something like that.

It did however mean I had a very entertaining morning racing back and forwards like a headless chook between the city and Redlynch, a northern suburb.

It was a pretty popular train bringing out plenty of people round town to check it out.

I chatted to a fellow who reminisced about catching the steam train when he was younger, even catching one down to Melbourne. That is a trip and a half.

I also chatted to a bloke who was pretty creative in his photography. He put his 'go pro' in the middle of the tracks on a small cane train overpass (bridge)and got a video of the train coming over. Pretty cool really.

It was great to get to see a little of the yesteryear.

Or to pretend we were all on the set of Thomas the Tank Engine. "Hi Henry, nice to meet you."

Can't half tell which track is the main one, the used one.

When the engine got ready to slowly move off, the steam show was pretty cool.

Another fella told me that they have to let the steam go to get rid of the steam and water in the pistons (pistons go in and out) otherwise the pistons can't move, then the train can't move.

We got to watch the engine change tracks and then join back on the back of the train.

We then had to wait ... and wait ... and wait.

The Kuranda Scenic Rail train was expected to come through. It was a little slow compared to the old steam train.

It was pretty cool seeing the handling of everything on the tracks.

Then she was off, backwards this time.

Looked pretty strange. I don't think I've ever seen a train looking quite like this.

By the way her name of sorts is actually Bety.

Bety wasn't a puffing billy that is for sure. She got speed up. She even beat me and my car into town. A bit of life in her yet.

Tomorrow will test her though, she is heading up the mountain. I wish I could jump aboard but off to work I will go.