DavidB-AU

It's not that unusual for the IP to go via Stockinbingal and the Main South when there is trackwork between Sydney and Parkes. It happens a couple of times a year. But going via Wollongong is highly unusual. Cheers David

Due to bushfires cutting the Main West at Lithgow and the Main South at Picton, the Illawarra is going to be very busy tonight and tomorrow. All freights and XPTs are going via Wollongong. Tomorrow's Indian Pacific is going via Wollongong too. Cheers David

Some more pics of the fire damage. https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/1186737_10152284107882067_1895097219_n.jpg https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/q71/1384042_10152284107262067_1987775437_n.jpg https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/q71/1377305_10152284107337067_635338333_n.jpg https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/q71/1390673_10152284107757067_644656151_n.jpg https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/q71/1378544_408125519313253_1994239926_n.jpg Confirmed losses at Bottom Points are RM2016, accommodation carriages, six other carriages, the machine shop and the office. Damage at Top Points was confined to the relay hut. David

Update: One of the first photos from Bottom Points: https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/q71/1392011_10200973171998577_1083327492_n.jpg David

There has been at least one fatality from the fire and the number of homes destroyed is now in the hundreds. The news from the Zig Zag Railway is not good. All accommodation carriages, some operational carriages and 2 rail motors have been destroyed. The office has been destroyed and the workshop damaged. The carriages inside the shed, the station and signal box have survived. No significant damage to locomotives apart from paintwork. No word yet on Top Points, Edgecombe or track damage. Clarence appears to be intact although the fire came very close (houses were destroyed nearby). The nearby Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway has been spared, but this is how close it came. David

LNER looked at the Fliegender Hamburger (in service since 1933) for the Silver Jublilee but Gresley believed that steam could do better. Cheers David

Interesting discussion about 4-8-0s producing more power than similar sized Pacifics. Years ago I did a paper exercise to see if I could come up with any specs for a steam loco that could, at least on paper, match an HST. I'll see if I can find the notes. Just for the hell of it I tried to come up with specs for a steam loco that could match TGV performance. The only thing I could come up with with the right power and the right weight was a monstrous 8-8-8+8-8-8 with driving wheels that would make the Bristol and Exeter Railway proud. Cheers David

The second Carnival of Flowers steam train form the Sunday, which was supposed to be unassisted but it didn't turn out that way. It shows the two torturous climbs on the route to Toowoomba, the Little Liverpool Range just west of Grandchester (the second half of the first video) and the main slog up the Great Dividing Range where the line climbs 2500 feet in 29 miles. In first part of the second video you can see how much of the track (with orange tape beside it and/or new ballast) was completely rebuilt after the 2011 floods. If you know where to look there is also a brief shot of me hanging out of one of the windows. Cheers David

Adelaide's first electric train, first low speed test run on the Seaford extension. Note the dual gauge sleepers in preparation for Adelaide's version of the Great Western Great Regauging. Cheers David

4520 on yesterday's Southern Highlander. Cheers David

Last weekend's Carnival of Flowers steam trains. This is the Saturday trip with the longer train. I was on the Sunday train which was shorter and supposed to be unassisted all the way. There was some very spirited running until everything came to a grinding halt at Murphy's Creek. The new blend of Clermont coal burns down a lot finer than Blair Athol coal (which QR locos were designed to burn) and contains a higher amount of silica. As a result, a lot of hot cinders were escaping through the spark arrestor screens and setting fires. The hi-rail fire truck managed to deal with most of them, but one particularly bad one near Gatton required calling the local fire brigade. They didn't want to risk 1089 working solo up the range so 1620 was sent light to Murphy's Creek to assist. As a result a couple of Aurizon locos were borrowed to work one of the Spring Bluff shuttles. Cheers David

They could have, if the taxpayer was prepared to pay more. Bombardier in Victoria is building the 3-section E class trams for Melbourne at unit cost is $6 million including maintenance for 5 years. The 7-section Gold Coast trams built by Bombardier in Germany have a unit cost of $3.4 million including maintenance for 15 years. It comes down to whether you are prepared to pay nearly double to secure about 100 jobs in Victoria. Cheers David

Yesterday's media launch of the Gold Coast light rail, now renamed G:link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG0BlmFsGaE Cheers David

A bit of level crossing stupidity from Australia. This guy was lucky to walk away.

New NSW timetables out today, commencing 20 October. http://www.sydneytrains.info/news/2013/130917-timetable http://www.nswtrainlink.info/destinations/timetables The only one relevant to me is the Brisbane XPT. NSW has bowed to pressure to get it out of the Brisbane suburban area during the morning peak so QR can run more Gold Coast trains. The Brisbane XPT has been retimed so the northbound train arrives at Roma St at the convenient time of 4.53am and departs again at 5.55am. In summer, when NSW has daylight savings but Queensland doesn't, it will be an hour earlier! Cheers David

It's not my video, but it was a private charter and the person who chartered the train posted it so go figure, Cheers David

A cab ride (actually a camera mounted on the front) of a 45 class from Sydney Central to Blacktown. Cheers David

Why was Cinderella so lousy at football? She had a pumpkin for a coach and was always running away from the ball.

Under Rule 1 you could imagine a tunnel or bridge across the Thames somewhere around Woolwich, or possibly between Gravesend and Tilbury. Cheers David

They appear to be in the museum compound, but could just be stored there. Most likely they will be sold to one of the other private operators. Cheers David

Kate Moss bumped into Jeremy Clarkson at a celebrity party. She doesn't know who he is so asks "What do you do?" "Top Gear," he replied. "That's great," she exclaimed. "How much for a gram?"

A Boyd Munro private charter to Lavender Bay. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oACxY32qAM Cheers David

Another Steam Train Sunday in Brisbane, this time around the Sherwood loop. Cheers David

One day a farmer was out with his sheep when a flash looking car roared along the country lane beside his farm. The car screeched to a stop and out gets a young man in an Armani suit, Cerutti shoes, Ray-Ban (you know the type). He says to the farmer "If I can correctly guess the number of sheep, will you give me one?" "Fine with me," the farmer says. Whereupon the young man sets to work with laptop, GPS, mobile and after a while comes back with an Excel spreadsheet showing the result. "You have 427 sheep," said the young man. "That is correct," the farmer says. The young man gets himself a nice sheep, puts it in the car and the farmer asks: "If I can guess your occupation, will you give me my sheep back?" "Sure thing!" "You are a business consultant." "That's right! How did you guess?" "Oh that's easy. First of all, you showed up here without being asked. Second, you know nothing about my business. Third, you charged me a fee to tell me something I already knew. And finally, I'd like my dog back, please."

Steam shuttles on the Hurstbridge line, Sunday 25/8/2013. Cheers David