Platypus

Dear AdrianK, the magazine is no longer produced and the website is closed. The founding editor works for the CSIRO and presumably the demands of the job have prevented him from continuing. Additionally the other main contributors are the current editorial team for AMRM , so same job, different magazine. I think Casula Hobbies still have copies of all the back issues , of which there were 6. This is an excellent magazine, right up there with MRJ , and Iain Rice was quite a fan of it. Suggest you try ( www.aus7.org ) , who are finescale O gauge , both American 1/48th O and British 7mm /Scale7 O ( G-O-G ) standards, most Australian prototype O Gauge modellers utilize American O standards. I also understand that there is a small group in Victoria who models VR HO to 18.3mm( scale 5'3'' ) track gauge, and there are some UK based modellers who do VR and NSWGR HO to 18.2 ( EM ) and 16.5mm gauges respectively . Hope this is of assistance, Regards, Platypus

Dear Nile of Essex, Re your item on LNER N5 # 5943 dated 11 Sept 2014 message # 95 which I have just come across I have a number of questions please. Did you take the gear ( Romford ? ) of the motor drive shaft so as to ensure the gear holding screw is on a filed flat surface to ensure concentricy ? Is there a reason why you do not use thrust washers ? I also think you have done a very nice job on restoring this kit built loco into a runner, and I for one felt your description was both informative and helpful Best wishes and regards, Platypus

As an Aussie we should be proud of our killer wildlife, whilst North America has bears and Africa lions and hippos ( who are actually fearless killers ) we have a wide range of animals to choose from ! Seriously though if you take reasonable and sensible precautions you will be safe. Do NOT ignore signs like "crocodiles use these waters" , those taken by crocodiles in Northern Australia ignored common sense, like sailing in a tinny that is smaller than a crocodile in crocodile infested waters, or paddling in a river at dusk when the crocs go hunting is really stupid.

Women on the railways frequently get a hard time, and rotating shifts in Operations can be difficult, especially for relationships, as you are often rostered to work when family and friends have social events. Whilst swapping shifts is frequently indulged, taking a sickie is sometimes required. And every so often you get a new management type who clamps down on shift swaps and other unofficial flexible arrangements and then wonders why the absenteeism rate climbs. Unlike other area of the economy where women frequently earn up to 20% less than their male colleagues for doing essentially the same job railway classifications at least means women and men get the same pay rate for the same job. Even so too many Neanderthals do not treat their female colleagues well, and far too many management types go out of their way to give females a hard time and senior managers who legally should know better are complicit in this attitude. Ergonomic design is a nice idea, and from appearances the Cl 47 style cab layouts seem pretty good compared especially to the older EE nose cab designs, However I an aware from personal experience that getting sensible cab layouts, or other workplace designs is a very uphill battle for Union reps, as you frequently deal with well qualified ( and well meaning ) designers who will tell you in great detail why a design has to be and it is very difficault to convince these people that the way the location is actually worked, and the equipment and paperwork that needs to be utilised means that in practice their ergonomic design in some aspects is counterproductive to their intention. In my experience lighting, dimmers and stationary trays are a never ending scource of argument . Women's bathrooms and locker rooms are another bugbear as they are frequently overlooked, or given a half hearted space which is totally inadequate and obviously not designed by a woman and all sorts of spurious reasons are trotted out with great vehemence as to why that is all they are going to get. I find this attitude to be totally unacceptable, especially when women have worked on the railway since at least 1850, they definately deserve a lot better. Rant over, but I thoroughly enjoyed being both a railway worker and a Union rep, and I got to be well paid to play trains, wha more can a rail fan want ?