I think Day 41 is the fourth complete day of this 73 day world tour that there were no organised plans. The first was in San Francisco, and two on board Queen Mary in Long Beach. Having slept off my travel fatigue, which was nothing like as bad as I had feared, I decided to fulfil another wish, and that was to spend the best part of a day at Australian National Railway Museum in the once heavily industrialized Port Adelaide. The hotel reception issued clear instructions on how to find the station from where to take the appropriate train. Station staff sold me an all day ticket which meant that I could take as much time as I wished at the museum. The 20 minute journey was on a diesel powered metro train. Adelaide’s suburbia seemed pleasant enough with interesting and attractive housing along part of the railway. With one simple instruction from a passer-by I had no difficulty finding the museum, in not the most inspiring of locations. (I have to say that York’s counterpart is similar, Leeman Road is not in an architecturally attractive surrounding). But in both places, treasures await. In Port Adelaide, I was encouraged to take the little train which circumnavigates the museum – twice. Although meant for small children, I did get an initial overview of what there was to see, and an opportunity for some rare video footage. Inside, a plethora of locomotives, coaches, wagons, all rescued from oblivion, along with smaller artefacts and a most impressive and large model railway. There was coaching stock from an earlier Overland, and the sleepers were even more compact than the one I jig-sawed myself into on The Ghan.
I took a lunch break in a small nearby mall, texting happily as I put away a chicken sandwich and coffee.
I returned to the museum at about 3.45, to be reminded that they close at 4.30. They did let me wander to anywhere I wished to, including places closed off to the public. All in all, a most fulfilling day out. I would meet a railfan on my way back to Adelaide and found ourselves comparing heart bypass operations! His was more recent than mine and still giving occasional problems. I suggested a coffee, but strangely, the opportunity to have an al fresco brew did not present itself. I purchased a new case for this phone; the other had become frayed and was prone to ruining pictures. Talking of pictures, here are a few taken today. Mainly trains.
Thanks for following my blog,
David
1 to 36 Views taken while walking around the Museum.
37 to 43 Walking from the hotel to the station.
David's Cruise 