DavidB-AU

At Thorneside. Not bad for a phone shot. Cheers David

Four new beasts for CFCLA. Cheers David

C17 974 is out again this Saturday (1 June) on an ARHS/SERT tour. Approx times. Roma St p10 dep 0931, Central (0934), Fortitude Valley (0937), Bowen Hills (0940), via Exhibition, Milton (0947), Indooroopilly (0955), Sherwood (1001), Yeerongpilly Down Goods (1009), Salisbury (1016), Kuraby (1029), Bethania p3 arr 1043. Bethania dep 1102, Kuraby (1117), Coopers Plains 1128 (crew change), Salisbury Down Suburban (1131), Yeerongpilly (1138), Dutton Park (1144), Manly 1224-1233(x), Lota 1238-1239(x), Thorneside arr 1244. Thorneside dep 1259, Manly 1307-1316(x), Park Road (1352), South Brisbane (1358), via Exhibition, Bowen Hills (1411), Fortitude Valley (1414), Central (1417), Roma St p10 arr 1420. The loco and water tank will be turned at Bethania and Thorneside. Cheers David

974 could be doing that in September for the Carnival of Flowers if the Bettys go into the paint shop before then. There is a chance both C17s could be in Toowoomba on the same day. Cheers David

The other main line certified C17 back in action. This is a very professional looking video! Cheers David

The double headed 32s we have dreamed about for so long! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HryxMybIwE0 Cheers David

Those are official names and are used as such in the NRM descriptions. "Household" is a very broad term and includes anybody who provides support to the Royal Family. No doubt some were used by SO14 too. Cheers David

From 1970 to 1977, the available Royal Train stock was: 109 - Royal Train Brake (ex-ECJS 1908) 325 - Royal Household kitchen/dining (ex-Mk 2B BFK 14112, retained post-1977 as 2907) 395 - King Edward VII's saloon (ex-ECJS 1908) 396 - Queen Alexandra's saloon (ex-ECJS 1908) 499 - Royal Family dining car (BR 1956, retained post-1977 as 2902) 798 - King George VI's armoured saloon (LMS 1941) 799 - Queen Elizabeth's armoured saloon (LMS 1941) 806 - Semi-Royal Saloon (LNWR 1903, withdrawn 1971) 2013 - Sleeper (BR 1958, ex-Mk 1 SLF 2013, retained post-1977 as 2908) 2900 - Royal Family lounge (BR 1955, retained post-1977) 2901 - Royal Household office (BR 1957, retained post-1977) 2902 - Dining car (BR 1956, ex-M399, retained post-1977) 5154 - Staff car (LNWR 1905) 5155 - Staff couchette (LNWR 1905) 9005 - Queen Elizabeth's (Queen Mother's) saloon (GWR 1945, retained until 1984 but not officially part of the 1977 Royal Train) 9006 - Queen Elizabeth's (Queen Mother's) saloon (GWR 1945, retained until 1984 but not officially part of the 1977 Royal Train) 31209 - Staff sleeper/generator (LMS 1941, retained post-1977 as 2910) 45000 - Special saloon (LNWR 1920, retained post-1977 as 2911) 45005 - Special saloon (LMS 1942) 45006 - Special saloon (LMS 1942, retained post-1977 as 2912) The 1977 Royal Train was consisted of: 2900 - Royal Family lounge 2901 - Royal Household office 2902 - Royal Family dining car 2903 - Queen's saloon (ex-HST prototype TF11001) 2904 - Duke of Edinburgh's saloon (ex-HST prototype TS12001) 2905 - Royal Household sleeping/generator car (ex-Mk 2B BFK 14105) 2906 - Royal Household sleeper (ex-Mk 2B BFK 14112) 2907 - Royal Household dining car 2908 - Royal Household sleeper 2910 - Royal Household sleeper, generator & brake van 2911 - Special Saloon 2912 - Special Saloon 2910-2912 were restricted to 70mph and the others were allowed 100mph. 2909 Royal Household sleeper (ex-Mk 1 SLSTP 2500) was added in 1981. New Royal Household coaches were converted from Mk 3 stock in 1985-86 and the Mk 1 and 2 stock was withdrawn. There were two very detailed articles on the Royal Train in Railway Modeller in 1981, the prototype in the July issue and modelling it in the August issue. Cheers David

SDSR mainly runs to Stanthorpe and Wallangarra, but there is a proposed trip to Toowoomba for the Carnival of Flowers in September. Cheers David

Southern Downs Steam Railway C17 971 made its first run into Toowoomba today. With QR Heritage C17 974 now back in service, there a now chance of seeing double headed C17s on the main line! Cheers David

On the original HOG, the siding on the lower right is the Georgia Central interchange track. The other siding on that same section is the Norfolk Southern interchange track. They would be the logical places to put exits to low level staging. The hard part would be designing the benchwork so the layout is still portable and the tracks down to staging aren't too steep. Cheers David

The HOG is designed as a beginner's layout, but you're right that a more advanced modeller could add staging. I might work on that..... Cheers David

Some of you will have seen the Heart of Georgia layout. Here's a version in N using Atlas code 55 track on the same sized baseboards. Instead of #6 turnouts on the main lines and #4 on sidings on the original, this version has #10 on the main line and #7 on sidings. While it's tempting to cram in more track, personally I'd take advantage of the smaller scale to run longer trains and have more variety of scenery (especially an urban scene). As it's designed as a better beginner's layout, everything shown is available off the shelf. Cheers David

Very unusual the 36 was leading. Usual practice is for the smaller loco to lead. Cheers David

Container trains on Cowan Bank. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gxBdiCEujk Cheers David

The average annual wage for a factory worker in 1950 was £296 for men and £146 for women. The average wage for an office clerk was £376 for men and £146 for women. Cheers David

And I claim my £5. Cheers David

Quad 49s hauling two Robel rail trains. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ0WMlKCI_A Cheers David

Yes there is an Angerthas Moria font. The first font in the image is called Kelt (very similar to the font used in the movies), the Elvish one is Tengwar Annatar and the Khuzdul one is called Dwarf Runes. The graphic is simply the words Hobbiton End in each font. I can't claim the phonetics are correct for Tengwar or Khuzdul, it was just an example. All these fonts are free so do some searching. The "English" words in illustrations and signs are presented as being translations of the Mannish language Westron or Common Speech. Hobbitish is a sub-dialect of Westron and names are presumed to have been translated. For example Meriadoc Brandybuck's actual name in Hobbitish is Kalimac Brandagamba. Cheers David

Will the station sign be multilingual? Cheers David

Some video from the Hunter Valley Steamfest. Delivery run of 3265, 3016 and 3642, Triple header of Sandgate flyover Great Train Race between 3265, 3016 and a de Havilland Tiger Moth. Stabled steam and heritage diesels. Locos returning to Sydney Cheers David

Vintage GMs on the Blue Zephyr wine train. 567 ear candy at 2:50. Cheers David

A procession of little wheat trains, plus a couple of container trains, on Exeter Bank. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZUDiGe_-ic Cheers David

There is a difference between British-built and British outline. Take for example the South Australian Railways 500 class 4-8-2, distinctly American outline even though they were built by Armstrong-Whitworth. Cheers David