NSWGR Steam in the 1950s. Part 1. Around Sydney.

[@robertcameron2808]

A great little video one of the best i have seen i was at Eveleigh in the sixties.

[@BelbinVideo]

Thankyou Robert, glad you enjoyed it.

[@AustralianRailwayVideos]

Lovely video depicting what old Sydney looked like! Thanks for sharing!!

[@australiasindustrialage689]

Hi Graeme, I really appreciate you rescuing this footage and sharing it with us. It really brings the reality of the steam alive for those of us who were not fortunate enough to see it personally for ourselves. The scenes that really opened my eyes was the b & w footage of the 17 Class and the scene of the final run of 3402. How marvellous that someone was there to record it.

[@pgclift51]

Simply fantastic - thanks for posting these videos. I enjoy them immensely.

[@BelbinVideo]

I'm glad you're enjoying them Phillip. I love sharing them, too.

[@robertcameron5007steelwheel]

Thanks for the memories whist I was at evening we used to do a lot of work in Sydney yard and the harbour

[@Locoman3801]

Many Thanks for sharing these "Great" memories Grahame , you & Phil have captured many "Great" scenes from around N.S.W. for many years & we ( the rail enthusiasts of the world ) are in great debt to your efforts & as a person who's born in Sydney in 1966 - I remember many of those fond memories of steam hauled excursions in the 70's & 80's & that's 1 reason to model these in both HO & N scale model railways plus be a member of the N.S.W. R.T.M. for many years ; do keep up the great work!

[@BelbinVideo]

Thanks, I appreciate your kind comments. Yes, I model it in HO, also.

[@Locoman3801]

@@BelbinVideo Hey Grahame , just a thought , I'm looking for part 2 of this video , would you mind sending me the link to it please as I'm having a hard time in finding it at the moment ; Many Thanks.

[@BelbinVideo]

Locoman3801, not uploaded yet. I only put this one up yesterday.

[@ClamTram96]

7:36 Wow a 34, thats gotta be extremely rare! Nice catch

[@TrainBloke38]

Great scenes you got and some very rare footage of some locomotives classes

[@graemedurie9094]

Just found this - it's great thanks. All the way from express passengers behind a 38, to the much humbler mixed train making its way in after a different journey - perhaps from Richmond or Kurrajong, if the clip is early enough. Then into the carriage sheds before venturing into the suburbs. A great find, thank you for posting this.

[@TrainMedia00]

Howdy mate from USA love these classic Australian steamers rolling each other

[@ian_marshall_cofa]

an awesome collection - thanks for sharing these!

[@robertfleming2654]

Love watching these history of steam so sad that the past railway history is fading away.😢

[@chiefchook]

Epic; the film looks like it was exposed and processed yesterday. Another 10/10; thanks for posting. I live in hope that you will eventually discover some footage of pre-1970s Bankstown rail operations.

[@BelbinVideo]

Thanks John. I do have a bit of stuff in the general vicinity.

[@logotrikes]

I'm all about British steam traction, but since i now live in Australia, there's clearly a world of unexplored Australian steam traction for me to get to grips with. Be thankful for serendipitous finds like these. I know it isn't but at 4:52 it looks like a Thompson B1 on the turntable. Looks British at least...

[@samuelperrin5365]

NSWGR C36 with a round top firebox. Belpaire fireboxes were later fitted after 1953.

[@logotrikes]

@@samuelperrin5365 Thanks for the update Sam, I know almost nothing about Australian steam traction...

[@petergraves2085]

I used to catch red rattlers from Parramatta in 1965. There were regular steam trains coming through from Penrith - that would stop, but not pick up (supposedly). Making a phone call to Penrith at that time was a trunk call - had not been connected to the local system.

[@logotrikes]

Slow, dirty, noisy, finicky, high maintenance, but there's nothing quite like steam traction. Long may it continue wherever there's the desire, the expertise, the materials and the labour to keep it going. A hat tip to Dai Woodham, without whom much of what we see would be virtually impossible...

[@andrewr2825]

Along with my like-minded rail enthusiasts, we can only applaud your recent postings! I think my geography of Sydney is reasonably good, but at around 7:15 is that Pippita? Sure seems to be - minus the footbridge🤔🤔And that activity at the start at Redfern!! Keep ‘em coming - please!!

[@BelbinVideo]

Thanks Andrew. The station with all of the work being done is Blacktown and the B&W shot of the 57 is near Chullora Junction

[@andrewr2825]

Yep, of course!! That would be the Richmond line platforms?!

[@colinhussey5028]

Initially I thought Pippita but with the amount of other lines I was sure it was somewhere else. Did not pick Blacktown but on reflection and with little change when I worked as a fireman in the 60's it hit my memory bank.

[@fordlandau]

Also right at start a saddle tank engine. 20 class ? They were mainly out at Penrith. So much rare loco action here.

[@danielcook9032]

The saddle tank was a Z26 class, the Z20s were standard tank locomotives

[@BelbinVideo]

For the person who asked about the location at 6.10 with all of the work being carried out, I believe it's Blacktown.

[@larsjuhlin6907]

Awesome historical content, many thanks for sharing. Curious to know if the ancient 17 class not in steam and without it's side rods towed in load at around 5:15 was going to scrap?

[@BelbinVideo]

I believe it was, sadly. It sat on the "rip track" out at Enfield for many years but was utimately, scrapped.

[@danielcook9032]

From 7:26 is the rare 34 class This is the only video I have found on youtube that show them

[@paulusintas8627]

Super rare shot! Such a shame that none were spared

[@danielcook9032]

@@paulusintas8627 I think that the loss of the 34s and 58s were both a catalyst for the formation of the former NSWRTM

[@algrigg9039]

@@danielcook9032 The potential scrapping of the last 57 class (5711) was the trigger......

[@fordlandau]

Fantastic stuff ! Great locos. Tons of 38s. Round boilered 36 class. Archaic 4-4-0. 57 ? 58 ? However : The rolling stock was appalling even by 1950s standards. Cowboy cars probably already 50 years old. Non corridor dog box cars. Shabby 1930s stock. The only bright spot were the new air conditioned cars ( HUB ) for Newcastle and Riverina expresses. The NSWGR was chronically underfunded by this stage. But a great video indeed. Thank you.

[@davidathiessen3495]

El Belbin video 1950 part 2

[@fordlandau]

Gray Iain thanks. Gosh a 34.!! Rare. Not the greatest NSWGR loco.

[@billmago7991]

My great grandfather started at Everleigh in1906 as cleaner then 20 yrs a fireman then a driver he did the Lithgow run in the 1920s.....I have his official pay details ... Starts in 1906 with pencil entries then later typed entries, got sacked in 1917 then re enstated

[@garyquelch888]

The Belbin railway films would have to be the best in Australia 🇦🇺

[@fordlandau]

And not a diesel in sight !!

[@algrigg9039]

Well, two actually, right at the end!