For the Fathers Day weekend we took a trip from Canberra to the tiny town of Bungendore on a vintage steam train.
I'd always wanted to do this and Tassy and I were so excited! We were more excited than Dave, who kept joking that this was more of a Mothers Day present on Fathers Day. My Grandpa was a train fanatic and often went for joyrides. Whenever a new train or new line was opened off he'd go to check it out. Here's my grandpa on the set of the 80's mini series Fields of Fire which was filmed near our house. {insert random photo of Grandpa and a train} :)
The train we took on the weekend was built in 1903 and all the cars were over 100 years old. They were so full of character and beauty. Check out the enormous stash of coal!
The driver called Tassy up into the... cabin (?) to have a look around. What a lucky girl!
Here's our car - so full of character!
I love this view between the carriages too.
Off we went! I loved all the steam, the soot and the TOOT-TOOT! It all made for the best atmosphere!
Here we are about to enter a tunnel. There were three long tunnels and they were so cool! Completely black, although a volunteer had turned on the lights in our carriage. I would love to have had them turned off. The first time we went thru a tunnel our carriage filled with smoke and the windows were all fogged up when we came out the other side. I loved that too. :) I hadn't really thought about the smoke not having anywhere to go when we were in the tunnel! I loved the beautiful brick entrances to the tunnels. They reminded me of the old movie
The Railway Children which my family loved. It's a gorgeous movie and always makes me cry. You have to see it. :)
A little over an hour after we left Canberra we pulled into gorgeous Bungendore station. It's now a craft shop. We had two hours in Bungendore which we spent it in a cafe having lunch and looking at the Woodworks gallery, an art gallery and a few other quaint little shops.
Then it was back on the train for the return trip.
And just to prove that I was actually there too, here's a photo Tassy took. (hi Dad!)
So that was the day BEFORE Fathers Day. Dave did get to do his own thing on Fathers Day. He ordered pancakes for breakfast, shopping, lunch at his favourite Asian restaurant and kite flying. It was a great weekend. :)
I'd always wanted to do this and Tassy and I were so excited! We were more excited than Dave, who kept joking that this was more of a Mothers Day present on Fathers Day. My Grandpa was a train fanatic and often went for joyrides. Whenever a new train or new line was opened off he'd go to check it out. Here's my grandpa on the set of the 80's mini series Fields of Fire which was filmed near our house. {insert random photo of Grandpa and a train} :)
The train we took on the weekend was built in 1903 and all the cars were over 100 years old. They were so full of character and beauty. Check out the enormous stash of coal! 
The driver called Tassy up into the... cabin (?) to have a look around. What a lucky girl!
Here's our car - so full of character!
I love this view between the carriages too.
Off we went! I loved all the steam, the soot and the TOOT-TOOT! It all made for the best atmosphere!
Here we are about to enter a tunnel. There were three long tunnels and they were so cool! Completely black, although a volunteer had turned on the lights in our carriage. I would love to have had them turned off. The first time we went thru a tunnel our carriage filled with smoke and the windows were all fogged up when we came out the other side. I loved that too. :) I hadn't really thought about the smoke not having anywhere to go when we were in the tunnel! I loved the beautiful brick entrances to the tunnels. They reminded me of the old movie The Railway Children which my family loved. It's a gorgeous movie and always makes me cry. You have to see it. :)
A little over an hour after we left Canberra we pulled into gorgeous Bungendore station. It's now a craft shop. We had two hours in Bungendore which we spent it in a cafe having lunch and looking at the Woodworks gallery, an art gallery and a few other quaint little shops.
Then it was back on the train for the return trip. 
And just to prove that I was actually there too, here's a photo Tassy took. (hi Dad!) 
So that was the day BEFORE Fathers Day. Dave did get to do his own thing on Fathers Day. He ordered pancakes for breakfast, shopping, lunch at his favourite Asian restaurant and kite flying. It was a great weekend. :)
7 comments:
Oh I'll have to look up the timetable for the steam train! That sounds like fun!
Fantastic. Your photos are great. You really captured the beauty of the old train. What were the photos at the end of the carriage on the wall. I used to love looking at them to see if I’d ever been to those places. They were always such grand photos.
Fancy Tassy getting into the cab. Grandpa would have really been impressed.
Dave…….you’ve cut your hair…..very short. You look so thin!
What a lovely story, lovely to weave Grandpa into it too. Who’s the ‘film star’ in the sunnies who went with you?
Love to do the trip sometime.
Wow what a wonderful way to spend the day! I know Riley would be beside himself going on a train like that. Love all the photos Yvette!!
Sheree xx
The steam train trip sounds awesome! I'd love to do it and i'm sure Cooper would love it too!!!
WV: Untee - not a tee-shirt.
Well its in your blood and Tassy's too - steam train fever - Did Dave enjoy it afterall? What beautiful carriages, I remember seeing lovely old ones like that on a special train at Gundagai in the 1970's. What a gorgeous era for travel that was with those old trains, so romantic. love aj
I loved reading about your great day out in Bungendore on a vintage steam train! How amazing to be sitting in a train that was built in 1903 - more than a century old!
I loved the photo you took of the view between the carriages. The tiny town of Bungendore sounds like a fascinating place to explore. Sounds like a memorable fathers day for each one of you!! (great that Tassy got such special treatment by the driver too)
I hope you don't mind me leaving a comment but I really loved reading this post!
Thanks Yvette. Peggy (Kims mum)
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