Today’s historic pic: Exactly 40 years ago today, B69 in short-lived VicRail Teacup livery and an A class on double-length VLine Albury-bound train no 8339 at Violet Town, Vic, March 2 1986. This broad gauge track was standardised in 2008 and this line to Albury is now double-track standard gauge.

Bollard with a self-esteem problem?

It's hardly the biggest issue right now, but the Nobel Peace Prize committee will be feeling vindicated.

As I finish my succulent noodle meal, the waitress, who is of Chinese descent, clears my plate from the table. I say thanks. She says 'no wuckers'.

Evan makes a good point.

Today’s historic pic: The very first electric train to carry passengers in Sydney departed Central station for Oatley exactly 100 years ago today on March 1 1926. To celebrate, here's a pic of a Sydney single deck suburban electric train arriving at Redfern, NSW, February 2 1985.

Insider trading on war.

Year of the Fire Hose? Looks again - Horse!

Today's historic pic: SM83 class re-built 'Høka' tram no 262 running a Majorstuen-bound route 1 service in Inkognitogata, Uranienborg, Oslo, Norway, May 28, 1988. The last Høkas ran in the late 1990s and a new generation of Olso trams has since replaced them across the network.

A tram in Milan has derailed and crashed into the side of a building at speed leaving two dead and dozens injured. www.bbc.com/news/article...

A couple of years ago, on another social media platform, I told a story about a former work colleague. I was reminded of him again today, and I thought it’s worth re-telling the story to you good folk on BlueSky. It’ll be a lengthy thread, but I think it’s worth reading all the way through (1 of 27)

Today's historic pic: On the last day of route 77, SW5 class tram no 810 runs a Prahran-bound route 77 in Batman Avenue, Melbourne, Vic, November 1 1986. This tramway, which thereafter carried route 70, plus the roadway itself, were diverted in 1999, and this spot is now Birrarung Marr parkland.

Today's historic pic: H type tram 351 sits at the terminus at Glenelg, SA, April 25 1986. H types last ran regular services in 2006, but 351 has been preserved at the Tramway Museum, St Kilda. The Moseley Square terminus has since been re-modelled, and trams from Adelaide still terminate here today.

After my day out today travelling to two stations on the Melbourne train network I had not previously visited, I started ruminating about which bits of passenger route I have yet to travel and which stations in each state I have yet to travel through. Why not list them for the nice Bluesky folk?

I went to Middle Gorge and Hawkstowe stations today simply because I'd never been there. And I stopped at Keon Park on the way back to burn it into my brain. But I didn't go to Mernda because I am a weird sort of completionist who likes to leave something undiscovered. Mernda station is now it.

A couple of months ago, many of us on here had a crack at an online puzzle in which, without looking them up, we had to name every Melbourne railway station on a map. I got every station except one. I promised myself I would do penance and visit when the opportunity presented itself. Today I did.

In contrast to Middle Gorge, Hawkstowe station is an island platform. And it has a roof over the platform and tracks at the northern end. It's quite impressive actually.

Middle Gorge is a solid enough station design. It's nothing spectacular but it has plenty of capacity for a century of service in a growth area.

I have just travelled on a section of railway that I had never previously ridden, and am now at a station I have never before visited. Where am I?

Today’s historic pic: Exactly 42 years ago today, just after leaving Goulburn, Alco diesel 4808 hauls a Crookwell-bound tour train over the Wollondilly River bridge at Kenmore, NSW, February 25, 1984. Regular passenger trains ran to Crookwell until 1974 and occasional goods trains ran until 1985.

Here it is! The 300 page 'Business' case for Newcastle to Sydney High Speed Rail. I've not read it yet, that's for the rest of the week. Apart from my antipathy to the whole concept of Business Cases, I'll read it with interest. But normal people won't read it. media.caapp.com.au/pdf/j2IbcN94...

Today’s historic pic: A 3-car Hitachi train from St Kilda departs Albert Park, Vic, July 12 1987. When this photo was taken the line was less than three weeks from closure for conversion to light rail, and since November 1987, route 96 St Kilda Beach trams have run here.

The global chief executive of French high-speed train manufacturer Alstom told The Australian Financial Review that governments needed to get political consensus on high-speed rail routes before starting construction. Yep. And the community has to believe in and want it www.afr.com/companies/in...

"Mystery surrounds sinking of Brisbane’s iconic Kookaburra Queen." That thing has seen more than its fair share of drunken parties. www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/que...

What a steaming pile of crap this would be. I can't believe it will ever happen though. www.afr.com/property/com...

It was exactly fifty years ago today that AC/DC filmed this iconic clip from the back of a flatbed truck in Swanston Street, Melbourne. And it's still a long way to the shop if you want a sausage roll.

Today's historic pic: 4705, a 49 and a 48 class on a Grenfell line grain train at Cowra, NSW, January 24 1986. Cowra, 365km from Sydney on the Blayney to Demondrille line in central west NSW, last saw trains in about 2009, and the last train on the Grenfell line ran in the 1990s.

This sort of thing is like manna from heaven for tabloids. But the truth is, despite being annoying, teething issues are pretty much normal for any newly commissioned infrastructure. Jog on. thewest.com.au/news/perth/m...

Without even a hint of irony, this article discussing the injustice of probationary drivers being limited to a maximum speed of 90 or 100km/h is adorned with this lovely ad. BE MORE TANK. But yeah, not being allowed to drive fast enough is the problem. 🙄 www.drive.com.au/caradvice/ns...

For the first time in ages, a couple of weeks ago I was in the Victorian city of Ballarat. I had just a bit of free time, so I took some photos. We stayed at the Quest Ballarat station- it's a bit like a modern-day station hotel. The balcony decos created unusual photo framing opportunities. (1/15)

Today's historic pic: Exactly 40 years ago today, diesel loco X45 'Edgar H Brownbill', at the head of VLine Dimboola train no 8133 in platform 1, Spencer Street station, Melbourne, February 22, 1986. Edgar H Brownbill, (a distant relative of mine), was Chief Commissioner of VR from 1956 to 1967.

It took me more than a moment to realise this wasn't a story about the crash of a space satellite whose special function was tool-cutting. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Today's historic pic: Commonwealth Railways diesel hydraulic railcar NDH2 sits at Albury, NSW, June 11, 1983. Six NDH railcars, built in 1954 by the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company in the UK, ran Darwin - Larrimah and Port Augusta - Marree trains until the mid 1970s.

Today's historic pic: A 2 car British Rail Sprinter DMU running from Edinburgh to Dundee crosses the Tay bridge at Dundee, Scotland, April 21, 1988. Judging by the position of the doorways and the end gangway connection, this looks like one of the 85 class 150/2 units built by BREL in 1987.

Tracklaying on the Gold Coast Light Rail extension from Broadbeach South to Burleigh Heads is now complete. Test trams are running on the northern part of the extension, and they will run through to Burleigh within weeks. It will open to passengers later this year. www.facebook.com/7NEWSQld/vid...

Amused to learn that on Queensland Railways, whilst it was worthwhile adding a suffix to the classification code of railway wagons to denote the traffic they could carry, it wasn't worth distinguishing between Pineapples, Perishables and Passengers. www.publications.qld.gov.au/ckan-publica...

This is perhaps the least surprising news of the year so far.

Today's historic pic: The interior of the driving cab of VLine diesel locomotive S303 at an open day at South Dynon depot, West Melbourne, Vic, July 5 1987 Built in 1957, S303, a 1350kW Co-Co EMD streamliner powered by a 16 cylinder EMD 567 diesel engine, has been preserved and still runs today.

Today's historic pic: 4908 and an LVR tour train from Wallangarra head south near Deepwater, NSW, August 4 1985. I recorded this as Deepwater, and was usually accurate, but that bridge doesn't look quite right. Could it perhaps instead be the Yarraford bridge over Beardy Waters, north of Glen Innes?

High Speed Rail announcement?? PM Anthony Albanese teased an announcement on the nation's first high-speed rail line within weeks, saying the move absolutely makes sense. Albanese today signalled he is ready to invest in better connecting some of the major cities. www.9news.com.au/national/pri...

Given the current bushfire at Kerrisdale in central Victoria, I hope all at the Kerrisdale Mountain Railway are safe. www.victoriashighcountry.com.au/listing/kerr...

Today's historic pic: The interior of the signal box at Kuranda, Qld, July 26, 1986. Kuranda is 34km from Cairns on QR's 1067mm gauge Kuranda Scenic Railway. In 1986, as well as tourist trains from Cairns, Kuranda then still saw regular goods trains and railcars to Mareeba and Ravenshoe.

Today's historic pic: Exactly 39 years ago today, 930 class single-ended Alco diesel locomotive no 934 in Australian National green and yellow livery shunts before attaching to the head of the broad gauge Adelaide-bound Overland at Spencer Street station, Melbourne, Vic, February 16 1987.

Standing room only: Melbourne’s busiest tram routes revealed A heat map of Melbourne tram patronage by route by month from 2019 to 2025. Routes 96 and 19 are the busiest, whilst cross-suburban routes 78 and 82 are least busy. www.theage.com.au/national/vic...

What on Earth is that image??? We've moved beyond enshittification into, I don't know, shameless bullshittification.

Sounds like a Wallace and Gromit tale.

This image had me puzzled for a moment. It's an approach to Sydney Harbour Bridge north of Milsons Point station with railway tracks at left and an elegant but now gone tramway arch joining at right. A sad reminder of the loss of trams over the bridge. www.commercialrealestate.com.au/news/north-s...

Viaduct trackwork action - seen from above!

This made me look twice.

Today's historic pic: Exactly 40 years ago today, 42109, flat-end leading and the Cooma Mail at Queanbeyan, NSW, February 15, 1986. I chased, rode and photographed the Cooma Mail many times, but this was the very last photo I ever took of it. It was withdrawn just 3 months afterwards in May 1986.