16Brunel

And peoplequery the names we give to places/things here in Australia!

We were evicted from our hole in the ground...

Leaving a tender behind? Ouch! (Hat, coat, door...) - Scott

As mentioned, I was parked (and personally absent). The other driver was parking opposite me - nose-to-nose with a raised footpath between the aisles, and those wheel stops thingies (like a railway sleeper, about 4-5" sqaure in cross-section). Didn't like the alignment, backed up and re-entered the spot, and obviously hit the accelerator not the brake... Pushed my Outback back about 20"/half a metre, the bonnet was like a humpback bridge and jammed shut, the radiator tilted backwards, headlights now cross-eyed, and the gaps between each front fender and their respective front door rendered non-existent. Insurance says it's all too much. The most annoying bit was that on perpetrator's little Kia Rio you had to look hard to detect a mark on it! A true automotive Liverpool kiss. Thankfully, the other driver was merely a bit shaken up. I hope your son is coping well, Lloyd. Now to plan my new railway empire...

Got told yesterday that my Outback is a ("repairable") write-off - it got beaten up in a shopping centre car park (I was in the shops at the time) by a little Kia Rio that looked untouched! So the plan to sell my daughter's car is off; we'll keep it instead of mine. Maybe there's a silver lining - some of the insurance money might end up going "choo chooooo"... And congrats on the triple century! - Scott

Your precedent, m'lord...

The BoM is predicting a warm, dry winter - El Niño awakening - so there's hope yet.

The Americans rarely let politics get in the way of profit.

They look like they're covered in Lego studs - more ways to adapt easily? - Scott.

I swear I can hear it snuffling along... - S.

Miss 27 there is a very pretty lady - I can see the attraction! Like most right-thinking people (eg the GWR), I believe that whilst cylinders and driving rods are perfectly acceptable in modern society, vulgarities like valve gear should be hidden from sight, solely a private matter betwixt driver and fitter (and hence a hell of a lot easier to model!). And I'm loving the Marvell reference too 👍 - Scott

If 5 exclamation marks are the sure sign of an insane mind, what do 5 question marks mean?????

Too right!

The Mk3 Shacks (with the tricycle/not tailwheel undercarriage) had a Viper turbojet installed in the rear of each of the outer Griffon nacelles. Fine as long as BOTH worked, nasty yaw if one went out! - Scott

Well, with the nod to the Underground that leads to the Rest of the World cassette yard, I figured you'd already filled your river-over-rails quota! Seriously, I too love designing layouts, I just wish I could get SCARM to work as well as everyone around here seems to! Just didn't want to end up with the situation where those roundtuit problems, eg the turntable, breed further issues. (I usually try to fit a short straight between a curve and a turntable, to give the wheels/ponies/bogies a chance to align themselves.) Thanks in particular to James and yourself Schooner, and all other participants in general, I'm enjoying this thread immensely - long may it reign! - S.

A few minor things: - I still think you'll have trouble getting on to the CA turntable from the engine shed; - perhaps move the Achingham engine shed to the other end of the train shed, to allow the goods dock to be shunted without entering the ES/disturbing the goods shed?; - I assume the junction will be getting a signal cabin; - what's the grey rectangle amid the trees near the river?; and - the track should probably go over the river, not vice versa. But generally pretty good, although I agree with Annie re: the CA headshunt (Annie, your dress seems to be slipping...) - Scott

Questionable access to the South Cassette Yard?

Correct - Domeless Engines from Duck and the Diesel Engine, featuring City of Truro.

"Facets" (what is the word for a series of consecutive short straight lines?) might be acceptable to the parsimonious Scots (no offence Jim!), but this is the GWR you're representing - the smooth curves are well worth the effort! - Scott

Looking very good, John! So, with Pentowan being sea-side, which way to the beach? Is it behind the sidings, the buffers, or on the platform side? Or is it a true peninsula, with water all around? - Scott

Down here in Victoria, some (higher) parts have received snow this week, so maybe the traditional Northern-style Xmas cards will be appropriate for us this year. Damned climate change... - Scott

This just caught my eye - I think there'll be issues making that turn onto the turntable at CA... - Scott

It gets a mention in one of the Science of Discworld books

Back around 1988/89 I was 16, and accompanying my parents to a dog show in Echuca - we live(d) in Melbourne. As we were driving up (northbound) the Hume Freeway we noticed a plume of smoke ahead. As we got closer we realised it was a steam engine on the standard gauge track parallel to the freeway. Cresting a hill, we were finally close enough to see the source of said plume - 4472 herself, charging along northwards with her train, having a ball :)

To prevent repetition, perhaps write/label "THIS SIDE TO WALL" on the wall side of the tray? Do it ugly enough and you'll never want to see that side again!