Today's historic pic: 41 years ago today, EMD-engined double-ended streamliner A60, recently rebuilt from Victoria's first mainline diesel B60, heads a VLine Albury train at Spencer Street station, Melbourne, March 18 1985. Note the 'Train of Knowledge' school excursion train on the adjacent track.

Trump is dumbfounded by Iran’s response to US attacks “They weren’t supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East. Nobody expected that" Trump fails to realize that through DOGE, he fired the people who likely did expect and plan for that scenario newrepublic.com/post/207857/...

Today's historic pic: Queensland Rail 1460 class diesel no 1495 hauls a train of molasses tankers into South Yard, Townsville, Qld, July 24 1986. This pic was taken from Forkline Cabin. The signallers saw we three gunzel photographers watching trains and invited us up for a look around (Thanks guys)

With America's 21st century status as a solid #2 in peril, there's only one way out of this for Trump. He's going to have to make up something stupid and believe it.

What a relief. I'm sure it will be fine now.

One of the four urinals in this gents is not working. Didn't take a photo because you know, but and the shopping centre has placed an 'out of order' sign on it. Surely it should be 'piss off'.

Today's historic pic: 41 years ago today, Alco 48145 on a tour train to Bombala near Rock Flat, NSW, March 16 1985. This combined Bombala and Orbost tour ran to Cooma attached to the regular overnight Cooma Mail, then on to Bombala as this special train. This line has been disused since 1986.

Today’s historic pic. Broad gauge RedHen diesel railcar no 418 at Adelaide Station, SA, before running a train to Outer Harbour, April 10 1985. Redhen railcars, built between 1955 and 1971, were the backbone of Adelaide’s broad gauge suburban rail service until their eventual withdrawal in 1996.

Augmented train services to Bathurst now running. On top of existing Dubbo XPT and twice daily Bathurst Bullets from Sydney, there are two daily Bathurst to Mount Victoria trains connecting with sparks. Also have Mt Vic sparks been extended to Lithgow? Timetable: railmaps.com.au/routedetails...

If this really is representative of petrol prices in New Zealand, then Auckland's investment in their electric suburban railway network is starting to look very Smart right now.

On a bus right now on a section with more than one route. A 20 something guy at the next bus stop presents a very performative full-body X with his arms raised high to the driver as we approach presumably to signal this is not the bus he wants. More considerate than some, but it was laughably OTT.

Today's historic pic: 39 years ago today DERM 63RM and 43BPL on the return leg of a Seymour to Mulyarra day-tour cross Boosey Creek at Tungamah, Vic, March 14 1987. Tungamah is 240km from Melbourne on the broad gauge Oaklands line which was converted to standard gauge in 2010 and is still in use.

US coins have been re-designed to mark their 250th. They have kept the arrows and dropped the olive branch. What a bunch of dickheads. fortune.com/2026/03/12/u...

I think NSW will be just fine. And so will WA.

Liberal is morg, apparently.

Additional train and bus services Mount Victoria - Bathurst due to extended Highway closure as a result of failure of the Convict Bridge From tomorrow: Six free TrainLink buses each way each day Mt Vic-Bathurst From Sunday: Extra Mt Vic-Bathurst trains: TBA www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-and-eve...

Today's historic pic: A candy-liveried two-car diesel set, comprising driving car NPF633 this end and permanently coupled driving trailer car NTC 733 behind, running a northbound local train on the day before electric trains commenced, calls at Wollongong, NSW, December 14 1985.

On one hand, this is clearly not good. On the other hand - there's an opportunity here.... www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

Ed makes a good point over on Facebook. The electrical incompatibility of these two new Metro lines could become a repeat of the break-of-gauge arsepain that's plagued Australian rail for a century and a half isn't it?

Wondering how Melbourne football crowds would be handled now that MetroTunnel has opened and Cranbourne and Pakenham trains now no longer run via Richmond station (for MCG)? Well, tonight, they're running extra Dandenong trains from Richmond! But in the GTFS, they show as starting from Malvern

Canavan becomes leader of the Nats one day, then the very next day we're all using dirtier fuel. Some will probably say it's just a coincidence. www.sbs.com.au/news/video/a...

Today's historic pic: Just four months before the line closed for conversion to light rail, a broad gauge 'Grey Ghost' Harris EMU departs Port Melbourne, Vic, June 8 1987. This station opened in 1854 as Sandridge. The tracks just this side of the train once led to Station Pier.

Right, good, good. All fine.

“A leaked Secret Australian govt document states that since 2012 Australia has had Defence Planning agreement with UAE to help defend country in conflict with Iran. The report was found amongst a plethora of documents in government filing cabinets donated to a furniture reseller Canberra.” #auspol

Dear Meta Business Suite. When I click the little X to close the box suggesting I 'Meet Manus my new AI assistant', it means I was Manus to piss off. And to stay pissed right off. Ok?

Today, just now, I reached the milstone of my 2000th consecutive* day of walking 10,000* steps. Yep it's an arbitrary target, but once you get on a roll it serves as very effective motivation to keep it going when you might otherwise be inclined to say stuff it.

The Minister for climate change in the UK government is a lifelong car nut. And is proud of it. youtube.com/watch?v=_Xe8...

Today's historic pic: The Albury to Sydney 'Riverina XPT' passes through the then recently closed station at Binalong, NSW, November 2 1985. The Riverina XPT was extended to Melbourne in 1994, and XPTs continue to run through here today on their twice daily Melbourne-Sydney trips.

A minor update to my Melbourne train and tram map is now online. The main change is expansion of coverage to include Little River and Lara VLine stations, and I have added the new Lara to Avalon Airport connecting bus no 18 that commences this Sunday. Full map here: railmaps.com.au/melbourne.htm

This video is genuinely scary. Footage like this could have a major impact on the confidence of anyone still considering buying one of these things.

Today’s historic pic: Exactly 40 years ago today, double-ended streamliner B74 in VicRail tangerine and silver ‘Teacup’ livery hauls a VLine train away from Spencer Street station, Melbourne, March 10 1986. Six-month-old N451 and one of her early N class sisters (N452-N457) are visible at right.

Saul Eslake on ABC radio just now pontificating about the effect of higher oil prices on inflation. "Most of us don't have much choice about how much we drive".

Fire has destroyed an historic building immediately adjacent to Glasgow Central station. The station has been closed and no trains are running, but it appears that the station itself has survived, hopefully with just minimal damage. This could have been catastrophic www.scotsman.com/regions/glas...

Today’s historic pic: Exactly 41 years ago today, the northbound Cooma Mail from Cooma to Sydney hauled by SRA NSW Alco diesel locomotive 4422 passes Williamsdale, NSW, March 9 1985. The Cooma Mail was withdrawn in early 1986 and the last regular passenger train ran past here in 1988.

Stunning realisation when watching the latest @wtyppod.bsky.social podcast. The logo of the US Strategic Air Command was stolen from the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. The 1921 SEC logo was carried by the SEC's provincial trams in Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo. Never muck with trams!

I can't get past the use by Kenneth Medlock (Energy studies, Rice University) of the word 'matriculate' in this DW interview. At 11:30 he says 'if energy prices stay high, that will begin to matriculate through to the price of many consumer goods' (and again at 12:12) youtube.com/watch?v=VQov...

There's a blast from the past. Who remembers Global Corporate Challenge?

I haven't seen it in person myself yet but there are Interesting photos going around on tictoc and twitter showing one of the XPT power cars currently being refurbished at Auburn - freshly painted in the original Intercity XPT livery that was the inspiration for Candy.

Today’s historic pic: streamlined EMD diesel locos 42102 and 42110, both running no 2 end first, haul a Moss Vale to Wollongong train east of Summit Tank, NSW, December 14 1985. Regular railmotor services had been withdrawn 3 months earlier, but these weekend trains continued for some years.

I'm not really a cricket expert, but to my uneducated eye, that looks like a chuck.

Ummm?

Today's historic pic: SW6 class tram no 969, the last of the 120-strong SW6 class fleet to enter service in 1951, runs an outbound route 64 along reserved track in the median of Dandenong Road at Closeburn Avenue, Prahran, November 12 1988. SW5 843 on route 5 is in the distance.

Threads is not renowned for its humour. But this was not bad.

The most Australian of controversies. Actually a hybrid suffuptroversy.

The ALP today announced it would spend $3.5 million to run an Australian-first battery passenger train trial if re-elected in SA. The party promised to develop specific requirements for the Belair line, which is not compatible* with traditional overhead electric infrastructure. *Narrator: Says who?

Hang on, what? Three 'tram fires' in one week?? Is this a beat-up or is there something real happening here? www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...

And this, kids, is why we need Oxford commas…

Don't be screwed by high oil prices. Pantos up! (PR is my passion)

Today's historic pic: The Sydney-bound Canberra Monaro Express, run by a 7 car DEB set with HPF959 at rear, nears Queanbeyan, NSW, November 1985. The train is arriving from Canberra and is approaching the bracket home signal projecting the junction of the Canberra and Cooma lines

Two nations under different skies, with the same values and ambitions. The Land Down Under and the Truth North Strong and Free. 🇦🇺🇨🇦