On the VR Enthusiast discussion group Forthbridge asked about how the Victorian Railways delivered sleepers to their worksites. This reminded me of an incident when at the first Lake Condah Mission test excavations. When on returning from a trip to Heywood (14/09/1984) I spied a sleeper train at work on the line from Ararat to Portland (just south of Three Waterholes Road).
I deviated from my route and took some photos:
After I finished I took the next track through a pine forest back towards Condah Mission. I promptly got bogged so bogged that it took a 4wd and two tractors to get the Nissen Bluebird out. To be fair to me the 4wd bogged itself trying to get me out and one tractor also bogged itself.
My employers – the Victoria Archaeological Survey were not amused however members of the Aboriginal community who were with me thought it was a huge joke and I was often asked “seen any good trains lately”?
The images record an interesting scene of railway life.
