Trains and Ghost Towns of the Nullarbor (filmed 1990)

[@patrickcoleman3]

Brings back memories, back in 1973 I worked on the transcontinenial railway as a fettler replacing track, from the short lengths to the long lengths was a boring job as we had to belt the anchors in with a sledge hammer after the track was dogged down, i worked out out Haig in Western Australia, we slept on a spur line off the main track in old carriages . there was a home gang that worked there living in old wooden houses must have been lonely, I was 22 at the time now Im 65. Great memories.

[@malcolmmathers2690]

hi pat I worked crg no1 and 2 been across the nullibor many times

[@billbland72]

Peter i lived there same time Billy Bland

[@billbland72]

Peter Ellacott m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1807806029446914&id=1721079298119588

[@billbland72]

Peter Ellacott join my page and add photos/comments share ect

[@billbland72]

Peter Ellacott , Ziggy

[@johnnyallen2090]

Wow just stumbled on this today. Brings back many great memories as I worked out there installing the Optic Fibre cable .Good comment you either get the outback or you don't.......there were many men that came out to work and just could not stand the isolation and long periods away from home. So sad to see most of the small stops deserted as they were occupied when we were there. Also gone is the Tea and Sugar Train ...boy did I look forward to Thursdays when it came along. Thanks so much for posting .

[@TheSlab24]

Amazing stuff - loved seeing this, as well as a few other interesting videos on your channel. Thanks for filming and taking the time to upload.

[@brickpaver1]

Now, in 2015, many of the 'towns' are all but completely gone. So sad that some of them couldn't be preserved.

[@R00RAL]

I grew up in a small Minng / Farm town of Southern Cross. I miss the old days, simple life. Community.

[@davidlock7572]

Remember when the tea and sugar train stopped at malbooma and there would be a number of station people getting supplies. 1976, 77. 1 was 7 yrs old

[@billbland72]

I remember it like yesterday (mid 70s) as a kid i loved it we made our own fun was like one big family some of the best times ,I remember these towns but we lived in Rawlinna and Coonana and had family in Cook ,the Cox family Sad 90% of the town are all gone . Thanks

[@smarty6329]

my sister and her man lived in coonana back then sue and mike my other sis married the school teacher .

[@billbland72]

I think i remember them but i was pretty young then

[@coralgordon6241]

I live at coonana back 1948 i think the school teacher name was Rodgers, there were 12/13 houses there then and the train was steam I wonder what happened to the houses

[@RGC198]

Excellent video. Love the Marconi Test Card at the start. Thanks for sharing.

[@angehay5699]

My great grandfather worked on this railway. The camp was moved every Sunday. He wrote his story of his time in Australia. Went out initially for the gold rush, as they experienced work in coal mines in West Wales. I'm thinking of getting it typed up

[@lighthouse-news]

Worked 1977-78 Loonganna and Forest W.A home gangs. Looking at those old house bought back some memories. Tea and Sugar for supplies, the Bomber on Saturday morning for water. Laying down in bed, hearing the clackety-clack of the Rattler passing through the camp and dissipating into a distant throb on the wind as she rode off into the night. Loonganna to Mundrabilla and down to Nurina the other way with a lunch time cook up of steaks and sausages grilled on our shovels over an open fire. Rain, hail, shine, lift, pack and re sleeper. Just memories now. Stories to tell.

[@colinl9018]

Some young fella's nowdays wouldn't know a hard days work if it bit them on the bum

[@pandoramurals7058]

I lived in Hughes in the green house! No electricity, outhouse bucket, wood hotwater, copper pot washing. Saw many ETs flying ships in the desert- anyone else?

[@JamieJoseph88]

I would love to hear your stories about any UFO sightings

[@jessesands4099]

The Truth Is Definitely Out There!👽🛸🏜️🇦🇺

[@pandoramurals7058]

@@JamieJoseph88 I was 18 in mid 1970s. The people who lived there told us how it was easy to see the UFOs as the horizon and sky views were so clear! Often as we sat outside at night you could see 2 or 3 lights flying quickly, suddenly they would stop for a few seconds and then completely redirect so fast! There were no satellites then and definitely no aeroplanes ever crossed over us! Plus we were shown where the nuclear testing had taken place (only over 600 in SA!). To this day I firmly believe that the Hole in our ozone, very conveniently over SA having now spread over Adelaide, was caused by those idiots!!

[@lincreed-nickerson2450]

In 2003 I took the Indian Pacific from Adelaide to Perth, which was when I learned Nullabor was not an aboriginal name, but Latin... Null Arbor = No Trees! Previously I had traveled Sydney to to Broken Hill. Now to ride that missing section.

[@Cannery19]

Wow! I was there in March '89 - drove north from the highway to Forrest, east to Reid and then south back to the highway. I just reread my journal from the time - boy was I young and stupid. I'd give up nowadays, but then I drove cross country for while trying to find the track north/south in amongst the miriad of deadends and false tracks.

[@vk3ase]

sounds exciting, like i would have done.

[@AllTerrainAction]

And here I am born on 3rd of march 89 and you were doing all that, crazy. Life is amazing ❤

[@martinhanley23]

Awesome great memories of the AN days

[@oncewereworriers]

I worked at Winbring as a fettler just West of Tarcoola around 1978, the 4 houses are no longer there.

[@davepitts2045]

Hiya, I was at Wynbring in 77 went to Ooldea as Ganger then Kingoonya Ganger No2 Gang, left in 79 and joined the Army Dave and Tina Pitts

[@oncewereworriers]

Hi Dave... when i was at Winbring a guy named John was the ganger... he was about 21 at the time, forgot his partners name but both originally from Whyalla i think. There was another young couple who started just after me, they were from Ballarat. It's a small world. :)

[@davepitts2045]

That would have been myself and my Good wife Tina, I went on to Immarna as Ganger and then to Kingoonya Ganger no2 gang before I chucked it in and joined the Army, How the hell are you ? See me on FB David Pitts, look for the green tree frog.

[@oncewereworriers]

Hey Dave, was your wife Aboriginal or part Aboriginal? That's the couple that i'm thinking of that started just after me, i left and they were still there. My wife's name is Shirley, she hated it there.

[@davepitts2045]

Thats right Tina is her name, Johns wifes name was Cathy, we had an Indian bloke and his wife and kids, and yourselves next door to us I think, I cant remember I think there was the mt lot then you and us?

[@peterbmarks]

Lovely stuff. I just bought an old Codan HF radio, have been listening on all those channels but not much to be heard over here.

[@vk3ase]

Outpost radio was much used up to the mid 90's but hardly anything on now. I still have my outpost licence, for $25 a year you have access to many spot hf frequencys from 2 to 8 meg

[@Vortex5Australia]

Very interesting Dave.. please keep adding more videos from your archive..

[@tranquilsaturn]

Wow, what a great home movie. I haven't seen Reid since I left in 1959. What a fabulous trip across the Nullabor this would be, so many historic towns with so much historical interest. Would the author be prepared to share the photos????? Please contact me if you happen to read this.

[@fractaldreams1822]

My parents and sisters were at Reid in 1954-55 unfortunately I don't have photos anymore. My mother spoke of the place as 'hell' because of the red soil and extreme heat after coming to Australia from a forested Europe.

[@michaelhayden725]

In my early aviation days the men who were stationed at the Forrest Flight Service Unit would talk about those tra, especially the Tea and Sugar which traveled East and West bound from Port Auguster to Kalgoorlie carrying fresh ( or sort of fresh) food to the families who lived in those old railway villages.

[@dobdoa3691]

Did the Sydney to Perth train ride in late January 1990. Probably saw ya and didn't know it. Cheers

[@lynayris7106]

So much potential to restore the railway lines in terms of cheaper transport and reactivating those outback sidestop train stations, which could inspire a resurgence of activity in and around those outback areas. We have so many wasted opportunities in Australia and its land.

[@vk3ase]

Music is from as follows. Adil Laresh "The Way" Wobzor "final Point" Sdxx "genesis" Eudorix "Trust Me" The music makes these films. Listen on big speakers "LOUD"

[@k.whiking4372]

Great clip. Thank You.

[@craigpayne5500]

After watching this I subscribed. Great video,thank you. Does make me jealous hehe

[@thunderpop20]

Good drive from Bathurst

[@shortmanaut1736]

nicely done!

[@JohnAlexanderBerry]

Interesting. A lot can change in 24 years !

[@BrekMartin]

I wonder what those houses would look like 30 years later! Can I squat in one until I own it? :D

[@jessesands4099]

Looks like an Eagle's nest Up One of the Telephone poles!🤔🦅🛤️🏜️🇦🇺

[@SpectreOZ]

Interesting clip thanks for sharing, wouldn't mind making a similar pilgrimage myself...

[@darylephillips6778]

Can i use you great video on a project i am doing ??????

[@vk3ase]

Yes anything i put up i don't mind being used as long as the whole thing is not plagiarized. A link to the original video should be put up if used on social media or a doco, small sampled bits excepted.

[@richards.6313]

Sad that those homes now go to waste..and the road looked pretty rough in parts..

[@billypoppins9138]

Cleanest windows I have ever seen

[@malcolmmathers2690]

I worked crg 1 and 2 mid 70/s to early eighties

[@FloydBromley]

great film, loved the music

[@jessesands4099]

Floyd Bromley dunno why!🙄

[@vk3ase]

I think the musack is great that is why i used it but every one has their own view and now i tend to not use musack in videos at all. May some time put up a no musack version.

[@jessesands4099]

This was filmed 29 years ago!🤨🏜️📽️🎥🎞️🇦🇺

[@jessesands4099]

Great sights of a lot of the Nullarbor communities along the Trans Australian Railway Line which no longer exist like Malbooma Hughes and Reid! Very Sad no graffiti at Hughes it's too remote!🤨🏜️🚆🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🛤️🐪🦅🐇🐰🦎🐍🇦🇺

[@jessesands4099]

Went through in 2001!🦅🦅

[@malcolmmathers2690]

crg no 1 crgc 2 mid 70/s early 80/s cross the nullarbor a few times pt germein thru to coonana

[@thunderpop20]

Why say to I was shot out

[@thunderpop20]

I follow that train

[@malcolmmathers2690]

the railways was a way off life in those days

[@thunderpop20]

Loise Sewell west or east

[@jeffpiper7430]

worked for a couple of yrs doing the change over from wooden sleepers to concrete ,very boring with very little over time ,hard work and no fridges except for the cook shack so the beer was hot (from under the bed) no women..tv..radio etc as all accomidation was on 32 volt electricity but for some reason I loved it

[@davepitts2045]

were you in the special gang that came trough Kingoonya around 78 79, I was ganger no2 gang

[@jeffpiper7430]

@@davepitts2045 yep, worked both werappera (not right spelling but siding before wommera) wommera and kingoonya doing the change over around 77-78 -79 did a couple of different stints as use to quit to got to mildura for the grapes and once to go mining at king island .. nick name was flea

[@jeffpiper7430]

@SAMUEL JESSE yep agreed but was still swing a 10 lb hammer all day , just in a different direction

[@jeffpiper7430]

@SAMUEL JESSE derailments were always fun , was often over 50 deg but luckily not much humidity though if that wind got constantly blowing blokes would start dropping

[@R00RAL]

Tea & Sugar ??

[@R00RAL]

Subbed

[@thunderpop20]

Have friends I here’s dreams

[@jessesands4099]

Pity about the awful Chipmunks music!😣🐹🎼🎼🎶🎶🎶

[@vk3ase]

Most replay devices have a control to turn off the sound if you do not like it.

[@thunderpop20]

Funny I drive find a place Kempsey with Ben self’s bender can techcme hill end

[@curtisjones4004]

It's perfectly legal to drive along the transline road, always will be.

[@jessesands4099]

Curtis Jones Not what I've been told!

[@johnniethepom2905]

@@jessesands4099 you probably right given the National Security issues Australia faces in these modern times .

[@thunderpop20]

Car broke down

[@thunderpop20]

Scared yet

[@thunderpop20]

Piper gliders

[@thunderpop20]

Any bees

[@thunderpop20]

Miner mtStewart

[@thunderpop20]

Man I’m black