Heading out ...

Yes, Susan, Central Station (aka Sydney Terminal) is still operating as a railway station. Indeed, I think I would put it on my list of icons (just had to fix the spelling there, as my diplopia caused me to type "lust"), not just for my city of Sydney, but also for my state of New South Wales. In the affection of the hoi poloi, I suspect it would rank second after the "coat-hanger". We do, though, have a penchant for demolishing fine old buildings such as this, eg the original Stock Exchange in Bridge Street, and of showing disrespect and changing them into hotels and eateries for the well-off folk, eg the GPO (General Post Office) in Martin Place. Every two weeks, I catch a train from Central up to Gosford, about 60kms, or 90 minutes. I visit my brother in an aged-care facility. This train shown here, was the 8:15am Intercity, yesterday, Sunday. I can also take the 7:45 am City-Rail train on a Saturday, depending of how my fortnight is structured. I love to travel by train. It is soothing, and I can people-watch 'til my heart's content.

Travel by train (3/3)

Often, when I travel by train, I am one of very few in a carriage. I know I travel early in the day. I know, serendipitiously, I often get on at the beginning of a route. I rarely travel in peak hour, when trains and buses are loaded to the gunnels. I get scared in crowds, and the pressures inside my head beome intolerable. On a Saturday, if I am late returning from Gosford, and the train has four carriages instead of eight, we are packed in like sardines. To make matters worse, a large proportion of these travellers seem to have travel suitcases with them. Large travel suitcases. But, primarily, what you see here is how my journeys begin.

Travel by train (2)

When I visit my brother - my "big" bro'- I make tne outward journey from Sydney Central without change, to Gosford. The entire outward journey - walk, bus, train, taxi - takes three hours. The outward journey is via Strathfield, and Hornsby. The return journey is different. I take one train from Gosford to Hornsby, and then change trains to go down the North Shore line rather than the Main Western line. I shop in Chatswood, and then catch the 267 bus home with a 20 minute walk. It is a long day that starts at 6:30 am. The photo shows my connection waiting at the platform at Hornsby, as soon as my train from Gosford pulled in. It takes a while for me to shake off the movement of vehicular travel. Things are still moving, and the ground still swaying for about 10 minutes. And that is even when I bury myself in the single seat on the lower level of the carriage immediately adjacent to the stairs.

Travel by train (1)

I travel a lot by public transport. Not exclusively, but overwhelmingly. I am used to it now. It was a wrench being banned from driving, but I chose not to dwell upon it. Gosford is about 80kms north of my home in Sydney. I travel there to visit my brother. Yesterday, a steam locomotive had just arrived, full of day-trippers. In this tableaux, guess who the steam engine afficianado is.