dullsteamer

A lot of squabbling, back-stabbing and arse-covering over who would accept responsibilty for RAW Meiningen not being provided with a proper and complete specification for the new boiler. I have to laugh when I recall that most of the justification for returning '01 to Thirlmere was the claim that 3801 Ltd had neither the money or the resources to rebuild the engine within a reasonable time. If the engine is returned to traffic in late 2017 it will have been off the road for slightly over 10 years, so that must be a reasonable time according to THNSW and it's predecessors. I'm also amused by the comments regarding 3830 being repaired by Thirlmere while "respecting the conservation imperatives of MAAS." It was employees/representatives of the MAAS that buggered the engine in the first place. Mark

Unbelievable. Mark.

You probably saw a Y1: 611 now lives at Loftus. Cheers, Mark.

Andy, Dr G-F, As the QJs have inside admission valve chests and direct Walschaerts valve gear, the return crank should slope towards the front of the loco on both sides. That's independent of whether the engine is in forward or back gear, as the return crank is solidly attached to the crankpin. So your model of 6266 is correct, the model of 7207 isn't. What determines the direction of travel on locos with Walschaerts gear is the position of the radius rod in the expansion link. On a QJ if the radius rod is at the bottom of the link it will go forward, and if it's at the top of the link it will go backwards. The models represent a loco in mid-gear with the radius rod in the middle of the link. This animated GIF probably explains the whole thing better than I can! Cheers, Mark.

Andy, if you're referring to the red levers on the firebox sides, they're the operating levers for the blowdown cocks. Dr. G-F, I'm a little bit envious of you having a QJ. The models are lovely, and the real locos are very capable machines. Cheers, Mark.

This is 2535: The engine in the previous photo was miscaptioned/misidentified, it was as I previously posted an ex-24 class loco from Bunnerong power station, 2408: Hope this helps more. Mark.

My pleasure. I do have dimensions for the little loco, which is Chosi Dentetsu Deki 3, but again you'll have to wait until I get home tomorrow morning. All the best, Mark.

The key dimensions of the Tenshodo model of the Toshiba 40-ton steeplecab are as follows: Length over headstocks - 125mm Width over underframe - 33mm. Width over cab handrails 36mm Height over cab roof - 48mm. Height over pantograph at maximum extension - 72mm Bogie centres - 67mm Bogie wheelbase - 30mm Wheel diameter - 11mm. The pantograph on the model represents a TDK-C type, and is relatively small. The photo I posted cheats a bit, the pan isn't quite touching the contact wire. Although mainly used on 1067mm/3'6" gauge lines, there were versions of these locos on 1372mm and 1435mm gauge lines as well. The model has a very nicely designed and made mechanism that picks up and drives on all 8 wheels. The mech is fairly heavy so the loco has good hauling power for it's size. Lighting is by directional LEDS, and there is an 8-pin DCC receptacle tucked away under one of the hoods. The undecorated models like those in Alistair's post have a pack of detailing parts including handrails, brake pipe hoses and marker lights. As I mentioned earlier I have two of these locos, and I'm very pleased with their appearance and performance. The real locos were very durable and long-lived - even today there are still a few in service with Japanese private railways. But if you fancy something smaller... Cheers, Mark.

Yes, I can do that when I go home tomorrow. Watch this space! In the meantime, here's one of mine in Keisei Dentetsu livery: Cheers, Mark.

The prices quoted for these models on eBay are a joke. You can get decorated versions of the same model through Japanese retailers like HobbySearch for about US$120. http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10091042 I have two of these locos - they're very nice models with smooth, quiet and powerful mechanisms. Cheers, Mark.

Maybe something like this for an electric loco? Cheers, Mark.

They would be, but where's the challenge in that? If you didn't look quite so far south you'd find lot's of very interesting railways with great modelling potential... http://www.railwaysofthefarsouth.co.uk Cheers, Mark.

Lovely work Paul, definitely worth the effort. Cheers, Mark.

If not the zenith then very close to it. I only rode behind 611 once, but that trip forever impressed on me just how capable the Js were - and very user friendly as far as servicing on the road went. The man from Lima was right. Cheers, Mark.

Eddie, what task or role were they designed to perform? Cheers, Mark.

As David says, you aren't in the wrong. Here are some links specific to Australian law you should find useful: http://www.4020.net/words/photorights.php http://www.artslaw.com.au/info-sheets/info-sheet/street-photographers-rights/ http://www.overclockers.com.au/wiki/Photographers_Rights,_General_Privacy,_and_Copyright_in_Australia I've had similar experiences, and done the same thing as David, with the same results. If the person challenging you is still persistent, tell them that you'll contact the police yourself, and get them to come and sort the matter out. Based on my own experience they'll lose interest in harassing you very quickly. Nice photos, BTW! All the best, Mark.

I think that Continental Modeller featured drawings of these engines a few years back. Cheers, Mark.

Thanks Gary, I can see me getting a couple of these kits for a kitbash project. Cheers, Mark.

Dr, that ready mix plant, is it a kit or scratchbuilt? Good to see you're making progress again. Cheers, Mark.

My remarks have little to do with whether 6029 went "puff puff" enough today or not. My concerns are with the corporatisation and subsequent dumbing down of the NSWRTM. But don't let that get in the way of a good rant. Mark.

They do. Standard gauge 0-4-0+0-4-0 Garratt loco "William Francis" is preserved, though not operational, at Bressingham. And FWIW, I agree with the OP. Since the NSWRTM was assimilated by Transport Heritage NSW and became "Trainworx" enthusiasts have become marginalised there. Cheers, Mark.

No doubt about QR, they know how to do things right. I love the graphics on the gin. Cheers, Mark.

G'day Markus, Your benchwork looks very neat and professional. You might want to rethink the trackplan for Gorre though. As it's drawn you will only be able to run very short trains in and out of Gorre, as their length will be limited by the short headshunt/tail track that is shown on the right hand end above the turntable. I've highlighted this length of track in green below: Cheers, Mark.

10' by 10' or so is what I'd regard as an ideal sized space for a layout. It's manageable for one person to build and run, but still has plenty of potential for realistic operation and scenic development. The massive basement-fillers so often seen in MR strike me as being club layouts that just happen to be built in someone's home. Owning one seems more like being a project manager than a railway modeller to me. Fine if you have a good team, but after a day spent managing people at work the last thing I'd want to do is come home to do it some more. On the other hand, so-called planks and micros don't appeal to me either, as I think they don't have much potential for operating or scenery. As nice as some of them undoubtedly are, after a while they all look alike to me. All the best, Mark.

Both speeds are abitrary limits. The 40kph when running tender first is because the driver is now on the wrong side to sight signals, and the view when looking past the tender is very poor. 01 is quite capable of exceeding 120kph and has done so on a number of occasions when I was working her. More than once it was a thought to be good idea for the Hasler tape to be "misplaced" after a trip to avoid any awkward questions being asked. One trip in particular I remember very well. We had gone to Queanbeyan on a joint outing with the RTM ,and we'd lost a lot of time on the return to Goulburn with 3642. At Goulburn we picked up the 38, crewed by two enginemen well known for their skills on the footplate. After a very brief discussion they agreed to have a go and try to make up some time on the run home. And have a go is exactly what they did. By the time we sailed into Sydney Terminal we were only 10 minutes down on the table after a stellar performance by both engine and crew. And the fireman had put his last big fire on around Turella. By the time we reached town it had burned down to almost nothing, all she needed to get back to Eveleigh was a few light fires under the door and in the back corners. When we had put the cars way and were knocking the fire there was barely anything left in her to get rid of. Happy days! Cheers, Mark.