Off to Fiji - and a catch-up

Bula! After a gap of almost a year, I'm off at the weekend to Fiji again and hope to keep you posted from there.

I haven't been completely inactive in this period, although much of my time has been taken up collaborating on a new book Salute to the Hudswells about Colonial Sugar Refining's Hudswell Clarke locomotives in Queensland and Fiji. Publication day should be 11 October 2014 in Ingham, Queensland, so watch this space for more details.

In the meantime, I thought you'd like to see a few photos to illustrate a few of my visits since September 2013.

In October, I took Patrick Keef around a few of the local sights.

Malcolm Moore 3ft 6in gauge loco at Pioneer Steam Railway in Ipswich 

Patrick and Russell Savage with Russell's home-built bogie locomotive on the private 2ft gauge Tinbeerwah Mountain Railway

Patrick and Russsell in the line's impressive rail motor

On 16 October I visited the Beenleigh Historical Village to see 2ft gauge John Fowler 16249 of 1924

On 19 October I was a guest of management at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast to see their new Italian-built locomotive that had replaced steam haulage on their 2ft gauge railway.

On the weekend of 30 November I was with Brad Peadon and David Xuereb at the Nambour Historical Museum (in the rain).

The ex-Moreton Mill Fowler 0-6-0T EUDLO (16207 of 1924)

The following day I visited two tourist railways on the Sunshine Coast.

At the Big Pineapple SUGAR CANE TRAIN No.4 (Ruston & Hornsby 379072 rebuilt EM Baldwin 7807.1 11.77 in 1977) was in use on the revived 2ft gauge railway.

At the Buderim Ginger factory, diesel powered Krauss 4687 of 1901 still chugs around the circuit

On 30 March 2014, I went to check that this Fowler was still present at its storage site in the Brisbane suburb of Virginia.

Ex-Racecourse Mill 2ft gauge Fowler 0-4-2 17683 of 1927

I went up to Cairns to do a job in June and planned a couple of days chasing cane trains. Unfortunately, it was very wet and all the mills had ceased crushing as harvesting conditions were not suitable.

Com-Eng 0-6-0DH locomotives at Mossman Mill on 10 June

Ex Hambledon and Victoria Mills Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 1838 of 1950 stored on a property near Mossman

Ex Hambledon Mill Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 1549 of 1925 at Hambledon Gardens

Tully Mill's Walkers B-B DH TULLY-5 outside the loco shed on 12 June

At South Johnstone Mill on 13 June EM Baldwin 25 (L) and  Clyde 15 moving around in the rain.

Com-Eng, Clyde and Walkers locos sit outside the Mulgrave Mill shed

Lastly, a trip to give the grandchildren a ride on the Rosewood Railway near Ipswich on 29 June.

Ex Queensland Railways C17 class 4-8-0 No.720