DavidB-AU

The first day of the steam season at NSWRTM. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcRcy0Z7ylM Cheers David

Yep. The locos are G514-GM27-44204-44206 up front and 4910-4904-4917-48s33-GM22 banking. 48s33 was originally 4829. Cheers David

14,400hp moving a coal train up the Fassifern Bank. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF9NocJk8uU Cheers David

Just a couple of small coal trains. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1z8OpFstBo Each of those hoppers carries 100t of coal. Cheers David

Australia is going to get 3700hp GE PowerHauls. The PH37ACmai will be mechanically the same as a class 70, but outwardly will be very different. For starters, it will be narrow gauge for use in Queensland and Western Australia. It will also have the typical brutish single cab like everything else in Australia these days. The other end will house the massive radiator required for working in the hot Australian climate. United Group Rail, GE's Australian agent, is building two demonstrators. Not overly pretty but nowhere near as ugly as a class 70! Cheers David

In the 1980s there was a also a proposed single ended Bo-Bo class 18 to replace the class 20s (probably with a 58 cab) and a Co-Co class 88 (electric version of the 58). Cheers David

The Great Train Race from the 2011 Hunter Valley Steamfest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rnqWu9Dnpc 3265 is very sprightly for a 109 year old! Cheers David

In more ways than one. Barnstaple and Mallaig were the last two lines to have mixed trains. Cheers David

The US military operation against Libya is called Operation Odyssey Dawn. Several comedians have said the name sounds like a Yes album. Cheers David

There were Vanfits running to Torrington until 1982 if you want to stretch the timeline. Come to think of it, there were ex-GWR Fruit Ds on the Barnstsple mixed until 1981. Cheers David

It was bound to happen...

I used to live literally around the corner from Lloyd Sawyer of Lloyd's Model Railways. He retired several years ago and closed the business. The Lloyd's range of kits was taken over by AR Kits. DJH also does some NSW steam loco kits for AR Kits. The cheapest are the Z20 class 2-6-4T ($375) and Z12 class 4-4-0 ($395). Outside NSW, the South Australian Railways F class 4-6-2T is available as a kit from SAR Model Company for $399. Cheers David

Just so what the prototype does! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ymA53JTom8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbE0K6KEcY4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqTeMCIR8_w Cheers David

Under the Modernisation Plan, unrebuilt Bulleid Pacifics were intended to work the line into the 1970s. Cheers David

What did you use for the platform surface? Cheers David

It arrived in Newcastle today and should be in service tomorrow or Saturday. http://brians-pics.fotopic.net/p67458951.html Cheers David

The CSX livery looks quite good on the 66! If you need something with yellow on the front (and everywhere else) try Union Pacific. Cheers David

Fresh out of the Bluebird Rail paint shop in Adelaide.... I have to say the traditional Australian "flying brick" wears the livery quite well. Cheers David

Here is the forthcoming Melbourne Comeng train kit. And one of some parcels vans, swing door and Tait cars bashed from the VHC kit available some years ago. There is an injection moulded Tait in the pipeline. Cheers David

Samples of the Coming set kit are at the Caulfield exhibition this weekend. The first is the set in original form before Connex and NX had them rebuilt. I saw completed samples in VicRail orange "teacup" and Met green/yellow. Cheers David

There are several US shortlines which started off running freight then later added passenger operations with older diesels and sometimes steam for tourists. Cheers David

And if anybody wants to run freight on a preserved line layout, see Rule 1. Cheers David

As mentioned there have been many examples of freight running on preserved lines. Stone trains to Minehead in the 90s (which on a few occasions were rescued by steam) and East lancs have been mentioned. There's also British Gypsum and high speed loco testing on the GCR. MOD trains and TOC crew training on the Mid-Norfolk Railway. The Rail Head Treatment Train and Weedkilling Train have run on a few preserved lines. Another potential "what if" is regular trains running on preserved lines. For example there have been various proposals about FGW and CrossCountry running to Minehead. HSTs and Voyagers have been there. It's not that hard to imagine a 150 or Pacer running weekday Taunton - Minehead shuttles, or even Cardiff Central - Minehead trains with 158s or top and tail 67s. Cheers David

I think that livery suits the 180. I wonder how it would look in Stagecoach livery? (EMT or SWT) Cheers David

I have to agree with shortliner. A Brisbane or Perth suburban train would look more accurate in OO as 16.5mm in 4mm scale is closer to 3'6" gauge than standard gauge. There are a handful of people doing Melbourne suburban electrics in HO. There's no need to reinvent the wheel. Cheers David