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For Steam train lovers,

the Hunter Valley Steamfest is on this coming weekend, 21-23 April in Maitland.

I'll try to get out there and get some photos of those old locomotives.

Note that some of the trains leave from Sydney, so you could get some photos at Central, if interested, but warning, they leave early !

More info at their website:
http://www.steamfest.com.au/

Cheers,

André

Sounds like a very good photo opportunity.

I wont be there but hope to see some of the pics.

I'll be back to my DRP on Friday so there's a chance to be there with few other folks.

birddog114 wrote:I'll be back to my DRP on Friday so there's a chance to be there with few other folks.

Let me know when you plan on going if you decide to go, and I'll see if I can be there as well.

I was thinking of going to Paterson for some of the photos. Also, they have a photo op in Greta at the end of the day, so the light may be nice for that. Look at the link for the train timetables.

Cheers,

André

radar wrote:

birddog114 wrote:I'll be back to my DRP on Friday so there's a chance to be there with few other folks.

Let me know when you plan on going if you decide to go, and I'll see if I can be there as well.

I was thinking of going to Paterson for some of the photos. Also, they have a photo op in Greta at the end of the day, so the light may be nice for that. Look at the link for the train timetables.

Cheers,

André

Thanks Andre!
It depends on how's the weather on Saturday and Sunday.
I try to drag some Sydney folks to come with.

I'm interested. SUnday looks best since there's also a vintage car show on in Maitland.

André - The Greta photo op is described as Firebox Photo Opportunity. Is this a train (engine number shows as HVTC which doesn't look like a train engine no).

The 3830 in the Great Train race leaves Maitland at 2:30 pm and the 3801 leaves for Singleton at 2:10 so that may be a worthwhile time to be at Maitland station. The Richmond Vale rail museum might be worth a visit too, but it doesn't say how much the tickets cost.

So who's coming?

Gary? Leigh? other?

Hi Peter,

stubbsy wrote:I'm interested. SUnday looks best since there's also a vintage car show on in Maitland.

Sunday is probably best for me also.

André - The Greta photo op is described as Firebox Photo Opportunity. Is this a train (engine number shows as HVTC which doesn't look like a train engine no).

I was going to give them a ring to try and find out more.

The 3830 in the Great Train race leaves Maitland at 2:30 pm and the 3801 leaves for Singleton at 2:10 so that may be a worthwhile time to be at Maitland station. The Richmond Vale rail museum might be worth a visit too, but it doesn't say how much the tickets cost.

Maitland station around 1:30 sounds like the place to be

I'll ask them the price for tickets of the rail museum.

I'll post tomorrow what I find.

Cheers,

André

Hi,

just talked to the visitors centre and got a bit more info:

-entry to Richmond Vale Museum is $12. This is close to Kurri Kurri.

-The Firebox Photo Opp is held at the Hunter Valley Training Centre. They will be firing up a couple different enigines, the 3830 and class 10. They recommend getting tickets, they are $15. This happens on Saturday at 6pm and 9pm. This is in Teralba, Junction Street.

Then it is just a matter of picking location and time where one wants to see the various engines. As Peter suggested, mid-day Sunday is probably a pretty good time. There are a few prior to noon as well if one wants to get to Maitland early.

The Walka Water Works is also having special activities for Steamfest.

For a lot of these, have a look at the main page of steamfest:
http://www.steamfest.com.au/

At the bottom of the page, there are various links to Richmond Vale museum, Walka water works, etc.

Morpeth is also a nice historic little village that is close by, if anyone is interested, nice shops, restaurants, etc.

Cheers,

André

Finally making some sense of the train timetables.

There is a window on Sunday between 9 am and 10 am at Maitland station when all three steam trains and the rail motors are there:
9:00 - 3112 returns from Paterson
9:05 - 3830 leaves for Dungog
9:25 - CPH1/CPH7 leaves for Paterson (a diesel rail motor)
9:38 - 3801 arrives from Sydney
9:55 - 3112 leaves for Newcastle

After that the only train in Maitland between 10 and 11:46 is the 3801, (the 3112 returns at 11:46). The next time all three steam trains are in Maitland is 3;56 when the 3801 and 3830 return from Newcastle after the Great Train Race.

So I'd say Maitland between 9 and 10 am is better and after that we could then go to Richmond Vale and maybe take in the car show or thew Water Works.

Later in the day - at 3:30 pm, both the 3801 and the 3830 head through Broadmeadow on a parallel run as part of the great train race to Maitland (the 3801 leaves from Newcastle 7 minutes earlier so it gets to bmw at the same time as the 3830 leaves) so there could be some opportunites there too on the way home, but with less crowds.

Also Note: The only time there's a steam train in Paterson is between 7:40 am and 8:22 am - the rest of the time it's one of the diesel rail motors. So I'd say Paterson doesn't offer as much.

Just noticed there were mechanical problems today with the 3112, but it's being repaired and should be OK by tomorrow. Weather forecast is for a fine, but cool day on Sunday