October 1983 - A young railfan gets his first camera

It just occured to me that it's been 30 years since I began taking photos of trains.  Well, 30 years and 18  days to be precise, with my first pics being snapped on 11th October 1983.  Mum and Dad had just given me my first camera on my 11th birthday, and I was very excited at the prospect of capturing the trains I see on film.  Up until then, it had always been a case of see it, remember it, and write down the number!

After loading the Kodak 110 film, and possibly taking one or two test shots (I don't remember), I was off on my bike to the Napier Railway Station and of course, the locomotive depot.

And this was my first ever train pic...

Photo of DSG 3264, taken too far to the left

Brand spanking new, DSG 3264.  These locos were the talk of the town at that time.  Cabs were supposed to be near the end of the locomotive, not in the middle!  And engines were supposed to rattle and chug, not hum!  But the crews loved them. Spacious, and reasonably quiet cabs, powerful, and smooth riding.

But I wasn't thinking of all that.  I was onto my second photo.

And this was it...

Photo of DE 1337, taken too far to the left

DE 1337.  One of those things that rattle and chug, with a sharp sounding horn instead of one that echos.

It must have been a Saturday or Sunday, as I obviously didn't have school, and the depot was filled with locos, and free of staff, so we had free reign of the place.  In fact pretty much the whole yard was ours to wander around.  Not that anyone cared about such things in those days.  If you stubbed your toe, you stubbed your toe. Your fault, not anyone elses.

Then it was on to pic three...

Photo of DC 4853, taken too far to the left

Another brand new loco, DC 4853, only two or three weeks after entering service, fresh from Australia.  Although I didn't realise at the time just how new she was.  The higher numbered DC's, especially the 4800's, all looked very bright and shiny at this time, being the newest of their class in the land.

DC's were the biggest locos in the bay at this time, as neither the DF nor the DX classes were allowed to Napier in those days.  We still got the odd DA, but by and large, we were "DC country".

Then along came train 959, the daily express from Gisborne.  A DBR!  None of those in the depot, so off down the yard I went, to snap my fourth ever train photograph, during the few minutes it was in town, so the passengers could use the refreshment rooms...

Photo of DBR 1282, taken too far to the left

Whoops, cut off the nose!  That was an issue with those little 110 film cameras - you had to stand back a million miles to fit anything in the frame.  DBR 1282 was just over a year old at this point, but still looking very tidy.  They washed passenger locos in those days - even the roof and bogies.

Now, see what I was doing?  Three DSG's present, but I photographed just one. Several DE's present, but I photographed just one.  Lots of DC's present, but I photographed just one.  All I had to do was get a single photograph of each class, and my railway photo collection would be complete.  How simple it would be!  Three decades, and tens of thousands of photos later, and I realise how wrong I was.  Oh to be 11 again!

After 959 departed, it was back to the depot. This time I thought I would try my first multi-loco photo.

DC 4093 (still displaying her old number 1560 on the ends) paired with DA 322, DSG 3277, DE 1406, DSG 3304 and, just visible, DSG 3264 again.

I can't stress how odd those DSG's looked!  Nothing like a DE (obviously), and with that grid shaped end, and box-mounted headlights, they were something very different to get used to.  It's hard to think of them in this manner today, being so familiar to us all, for so long, the length and breadth of the country.


Then, it was up onto DE 1337 for a better shot of those DSG's...

Photo of three DSG's, taken too far to the left

And then up the backshunt for a shot of everything...

Then I thought, "I better get a shot of that DA front, to show how a DA looks different from a DC". Goodness, maybe there's more to take pictures of than I thought???

How a DA looks different from a DC

After getting home, I began to think of all the locomotive classes I had missed.  So within days, I was back in the depot.  Just a few more, and my collection will be complete...

Photo of DSA 361, taken too far to the left. Graeme's Raleigh 20, and my BMX, parked/dumped on platform

Photo of EB 1809, taken too far to the left

Photo of TR 494, taken too far to the left

A really old rust bucket in a funny old colour scheme that's different from all the DC's!

Graeme made the DSB look huge!  And yes, photo taken too far to the left

And so welcome to my new blog.  A place for idle thoughts, old pics, and occasionally, if I'm in the mood, an opinion to be offered.  Probably in the form of a rant.

Enjoy!