DavidB-AU

3237 on the Main South.

Yes I think you would have plenty of operational interest if you set up a card and waybill system for realistic switching. Something you might think about is an extra siding for the fencing company and a run around facility, plus replacing the fiddle yard with a simple sector plate to save space. Cheers David

I'll refrain from posting this twice in separate topics, so I'll direct readers to the video of quin bulldogs on Cowan Bank in the EMD 567 ear candy topic. Cheers David

That one is a Hunter railcar. Cheers David

"Dartford was but a small village until the middle ages, when the town enjoyed rapid growth thanks to the many pilgrims passing through on their way to Canterbury. They would assemble in London under the Charing Cross and pray for a safe day's journey. The tradition of praying at Charing Cross to get to Dartford on the same day survives even now." - Humphrey Lyttelton, Lyttleton's Britain.

As if Zig Zag haven't suffered enough, a few nights ago the remains of the damaged workshop were ransacked. A compressor and generator which had escaped fire damaged and stocks of brass and copper were stolen. Cheers David

The load trial of CFCLA's newest loco, CM3301. The CM class is a Wabtec MP33C, basically the same as the standard gauge CBH class in Western Australia. They have an 18 cylinder Cummins QSK78 engine. Cheers David

Some remarkable drone camera video of the Lithgow fire, including some of the damage to Zig Zag. Cheers David

I can recommend the Just 4 Gossip cafe. Really good coffee! Cheers David

1089 running from Brisbane to Landsborough last Saturday. I had hoped to go on this trip but had a convention meeting (shameless plug in my sig). Cheers David

Ex-LB&SCR D3 2365 Victoria was departing Lydd with a local passenger train on 27th November 1942 when it was attacked by two Focke-Wulf Fw 190s. The boiler exploded as one passed over which crashed, killing the pilot. The loco's dome was found 85 yards away with dents in it. The dome casing was 100 yards away with aluminium and fabric embedded in it. The driver was shaken but unhurt and the fireman received minor scalding. The loco received a new boiler and remained in service until 1952. I haven't seen a post-1942 photo but I have read it had a "kill" painted on the cab. Cheers David

Very doubtful. He started building it in 1933. Only the party elite were permitted to visit Carinhall. Cheers David

Göring, but I don't think anybody could be bothered finding the ASCII code for the special character. Cheers David

A box of buildings believed to be from the attic layout were found in storage with the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives unit in Berlin earlier this year. The rest of the models are believed to have been destroyed when Carinhall was flattened in April 1945. Cheers David

A 1945 colour photo of some of Goring's trains, taken by prominent propaganda photographer Walter Frentz. http://i34.servimg.com/u/f34/16/14/73/89/copy_o10.jpg Cheers David

Some other photos not included in the article http://i.imgur.com/grKU1.png http://ona.c.blog.so-net.ne.jp/_images/blog/_1d6/ona/Hermann20Goering20with20his20MC3A4rklin20model20railway20at20Carinhall.20The20other20fellow20could20well20be20Franz20von20Papen.jpg This is a photo from the German Federal Archives (Bundesarchiv) of Goring operating a different layout. http://cdn3.warhistoryonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/tumblr_lyxsubn4nJ1qa8xono1_1280.jpg Cheers David

If necessary the XPT could go to EDI at Kelso for minor work. The last resort would be taking it back to Sydney via Stockinbingal or Ulan. The bad news is that a state of emergency has been declared with the entire Blue Mountains region west of Penrith and Richmond now on alert. High temperatures and strong winds forecast for tomorrow, but the possibility of rain on Tuesday. However that could also bring more lightning. Cheers David

The NSW Main West hasn't fared well between Mt Victoria and Lithgow. NSW Trainlink posted photos of a communications hut at Edgecombe. http://www.sydneytrains.info/service_updates/service_interruptions/images/20131018-edgecombe_02.jpg http://www.sydneytrains.info/service_updates/service_interruptions/images/20131018-edgecombe_03.jpg http://www.sydneytrains.info/service_updates/service_interruptions/images/20131018-edgecombe_05.jpg The line is expected to be closed for at least a week. There is an XPT set trapped west of Lithgow, which has been running between Bathurst and Dubbo. But tomorrow it will be replacing the Broken Hill Explorer. Anybody in the far west of NSW might like to take the very rare opportunity to see an XPT. IRC the last time an XPT ran west of Parkes was in 2002. Cheers David

Still going through the photos from my Sydney trip 2 weeks ago. Here are some I took of the Inner West Light Rail. Current terminus at Lilyfield New trackwork at Lilyfield for the extension to Dulwich Hill. Glebe Tunnel Wentworth Park viaduct Variotram in original livery at Exhibition. New CAF tram at the depot. Cheers David

Zig Zag Reserve after the fire. https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1102412_408631842595954_1968087336_o.jpg

Fire tears through iconic Zig Zag Railway Fire damage running into the millions of dollars has crippled Zig Zag Railway, one of the Blue Mountains' renowned tourist attractions. The railway was, until Thursday, on the cusp of reopening train rides to the public when it became a victim of New South Wales' crushing spring bush fire disaster. http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/fire-tears-through-iconic-zig-zag-railway-20131019-2vt6v.html

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