Lineside Liaisons #11 Willowburn

Looking west to nowhere, Willowburn Railway Station.

Willowburn Railway Station stands just on the outskirts of Toowoomba city centre in Queensland, Australia. Funnily enough, this station was once the preferred stopping point for the weekly Westlander train to Charleville instead of Toowoomba's grand old station in the heart of town. Nowadays, this weather-beaten old weatherboard station is abandoned and at risk of falling down. In fact, selecting an angle to photograph the station building from proved difficult as the interior ceiling had crashed to the floor by the time I visited Toowoomba in May 2017. This shot is from my book Last Train to Brisbane, and not surprisingly inspired the accompanying poem in the book 'Willowburn Station's falling down'.

Lineside Liaisons #10 Allora

Allora Railway Station on Queensland's Southern Downs.

The old railway station at Allora, located between Toowoomba and Warwick on Queensland's Southern Downs, is not only still standing but in surprisingly good condition despite regular train service being suspended since 1995. This photo has become one of my personal favourites and commands a double page spread inside my 8" x 10" full colour book Last Train to Brisbane.

Lineside Liaisons #9 Imbil

Old railway bridge over Yabba Creek at Imbil, Queensland.

I love photographing old railway bridges, purely because in the case of abandoned bridges such as this one over the Yabba Creek in Imbil, Queensland, you don't have to worry about the risk of approaching trains. Imbil was the end destination for the old Valley Rattler tourist train up until the line's closure in 2012, and with plans to re-open the line gaining momentum, this photo taken in February 2017 may well have been my last opportunity to photograph and abandoned railway bridge before it becomes un-abandoned. The above photo inspired my poem Somewhere down the line and is featured in my book Last Train to Brisbane.

Lineside Liaisons #8 Lakeside

Taking water at Lakeside.

Taken at Lakeside Station on Victoria's Puffing Billy Railway in July 2015, I captured this timeless photo in the pages of my book 30 Years Chasing Trains. There's something about the necessity and charm of having to top up the water on a steam locomotive that still transcends time.

Lineside Liaisons #7 Flinders Street

Melbourne's Flinders Street Station after rush hour.

This photo taken shortly after the evening rush hour at Melbourne's Flinders Street Station had passed in July 2015 is from my book 30 Years Chasing Trains. There's something fascinating about watching trains departing at night time, no matter where in the world you are.