No.2 mixed from Narromine approaches Alectown West station, c1915.
By the time of this photo the 4-4-0 H(373) class (later Z17) had been relegated to
branch line duties. In this shot H380 hauls its train of goods wagons with passenger
coaches at the rear into the small station of Alectown West, between Peak Hill and Parkes.
The line between Peak Hill and Parkes had opened in 1914 and was one of a number of lines
built to the "pioneer line" standard. These lines were laid directly onto the ground with only
minimal earthworks. They were unballasted and commonly had stations built at track level,
ie without a platform. Eventually, locomotive ash from the nearest depot was deposited around
the sleepers in a basic form of ballasting. The track in this photograph was so new that ash
ballasting had not reached this point yet. Of note is the first wagon behind the tender,
this appears to be a six-wheel water tank, presumably built on the underframe of an old tender.