Thank you so much ! Those videos are great ! There are so many, I've only scratched the surface. I saw the NM25, and then got stuck on the 38's for awhile.
Still working my way through Garratt 6029 videos.
What a beautiful machine. We never had any Garratts, but it's a cool design, and makes sense to spread the weight like that. They worked in many countries around the world.
Different locomotive designers came up with alternate concepts to tackle the same problems. An example would be Shay, Climax, and Heisler in the logging world. They each put a different spin on the concept.
Firelock76 Peter, I know the Airfix name well, not for trains, but I built a hell of a lot of their model aircraft years back! More years back then I care to remember. Here's a clue, their World War One fighter kits cost 75 cents here in the US at the time! When I look at aircraft model kits now and the prices I have heart attacks! Wayne
Peter, I know the Airfix name well, not for trains, but I built a hell of a lot of their model aircraft years back! More years back then I care to remember. Here's a clue, their World War One fighter kits cost 75 cents here in the US at the time!
When I look at aircraft model kits now and the prices I have heart attacks!
Wayne
Of couse I built some of the early Airfix aircraft models. The Fairey Gannet is one of those I recall. The Royal Australian Navy had a couple of squadrons of those. they had Armstrong Siddely Double Mamba turbines, two turbines side by side driving (separately) contrarotating propellers. What could possibly go wrong?
Airfix made some quite nice plastic kits of freight wagons (British OO of course) in the early 1960s. There was a nice tank wagon moulded in black that looked really good. It ran as well as the TriAng equivalent. It was too light and the tank was too high to ballast effectively. It had X2F couplers, pretty non-standard for the UK.
The Chinese made trains came out in the late 1970s and were known as "Great Model Railways" if not at first. Both Airfix and their competitor Mainline came out with a rebuilt "Royal Scot" which polls had indicated was the most wanted model not in production. They also made a GWR Castle, which Horby Dublo had made years earlier. I have one of their "Pendennis Castle" models. It is in BR colours, not GWR, as the loco was in Australia, but the difference is pretty subtle, the position of the front number and the lining on the cab side, apart from the logo.
Hornby obtained those moulds, and I have two more Castles from them with better paintwork, but I'm keeping the Airfix example.
Peter
Postwar Paul Don't mean to impose on you, Peter, but if you are able to post a picture or two from your event that you just attended, that would be great ! My pictures are 35 years old. No worries
Don't mean to impose on you, Peter, but if you are able to post a picture or two from your event that you just attended, that would be great !
My pictures are 35 years old. No worries
I don't normally post photos to the web.
I haven't fully adjusted from taking film, I guess.
There are a few photos and videos of the day linked here:
https://www.railpage.com.au/f-p2080637.htm#2080637
I'll see whether I can do anything with my shots.
The group "Split Enz" were originally from New Zealand, as were a number of groups in Australia at that time. The name was a play on words "split (left) New Zealand" and the fact that many musicians of the time had long hair...
Firelock76 Hello Peter, aka M636C! I don't know if you've been to the "Classic Toy Trains" site before, but if not, welcome aboard! Good to see you over here! Stick around, there's a lot of fun here!
Hello Peter, aka M636C! I don't know if you've been to the "Classic Toy Trains" site before, but if not, welcome aboard! Good to see you over here!
Stick around, there's a lot of fun here!
Google " Luna Park Melbourne ". This is where I saw the "Split Enz".
you can google them too, and see what I was into in'80. There was a music scene going on at the time, and I was into it. Saw the " Police" in Melbourne, too. It was a fun place !
Also, the train outside of Cairns is the " Kuranda Scenic Railway "
and, it is very scenic. Check out the images ( on google )
Thank you for that ! The Melbourne trams went everywhere. I took them to the beach, to the train show, and to a couple of concerts, including the " Split Enz" in Luna Park. Molly Meldrum was there ( hope I spelled correctly).
I loved my time in Australia ! Glad to hear equipment is being restored !
Postwar Paul Interesting story about the Pendennis Castle, glad she's back home. For a short time, she was owned by Hammersly Iron in WesternAustralia. I met a man on my journeys who was a driver for Hammersly. They hauled iron ore in Western Australia to Port Hedland for shipment. Heavy duty operation! On that second trip, I went completely around the perimeter of Australia. From Perth, to Port Hedland, to Darwin in Northern Territories.From there to Cairns, Townsville, and back to Brisbane, which was my home base. Some notes about railroading in Australia : in Northern Territories, the railroad ties are made of stamped steel. Their ant proof ! In Cairns, there is a great train ride that goes over high bridges, past jagged rock formations, and a waterfall, or two. I have pictures of Queensland Railways' cream and torquoise diesels, and semaphores ! Railroading has a different flavor overseas. in steam days: New South Wales had a class 38, a green pacific type, with streamlining like a New Haven 1-5. Victoria had a beautiful class R Hudson, with a belpaire boiler, and smoke deflectors. And 5'3" gauge. New Zealand had K class 4-8-4's running on 3'6". sprinkle in a few Garretts, here and there. the approach is different overseas, but interesting to the student of the flanged wheel.
Interesting story about the Pendennis Castle, glad she's back home. For a short time, she was owned by Hammersly Iron in WesternAustralia. I met a man on my journeys who was a driver for Hammersly. They hauled iron ore in Western Australia to Port Hedland for shipment. Heavy duty operation! On that second trip, I went completely around the perimeter of Australia. From Perth, to Port Hedland, to Darwin in Northern Territories.From there to Cairns, Townsville, and back to Brisbane, which was my home base.
Some notes about railroading in Australia :
in Northern Territories, the railroad ties are made of stamped steel. Their ant proof !
In Cairns, there is a great train ride that goes over high bridges, past jagged rock formations, and a waterfall, or two.
I have pictures of Queensland Railways' cream and torquoise diesels, and semaphores ! Railroading has a different flavor overseas.
in steam days:
New South Wales had a class 38, a green pacific type, with streamlining like a New Haven 1-5.
Victoria had a beautiful class R Hudson, with a belpaire boiler, and smoke deflectors. And 5'3" gauge.
New Zealand had K class 4-8-4's running on 3'6".
sprinkle in a few Garretts, here and there.
the approach is different overseas, but interesting to the student of the flanged wheel.
I should have participated in this discussion but I was away at the Centenary of the Trans Australian Railway in Port Augusta (the anniversary of the first through train) on Sunday 22 October.
There was a display of motive power from Pacific National and Genessee & Wyoming, and Pichi Richi provided steam trains from Quorn and shuttle trains to Stirling North. They provided NM25 and W22 on the train from Quorn, from which NM25 worked the shuttle trains. Recently restored 2-6-0 Yx 141 was displayed in steam at Port Augusta. The line via Quorn was used as a connection to Adelaide to the Trans Australian until 1937.
https://www.pichirichirailway.org.au/
To revert to "Pendennis Castle", it was built in 1924 and thus was operated by the Great Western Railway until 1947, so 23 years. British Railways operated it from 1948 until 1964, so for 16 years. It was owned by Hamersley Iron from 1977 until 2000, so for 23 years.
Hamersley owned it for as long as the GWR and longer than BR.
To return to Melbourne Trams, several of the old cars work a "City Tram Circle" service serving many of the major downtown city areas, including Flinders Street station. Most of the cars are painted maroon with gold lining, but four, rebuilt with new AC traction motors are painted in the original green and cream. This is a free service and often heavily loaded. All tram services within the main city area are free now, although any service leaving the city needs a prepaid non contact card.
in Northern Territories, the railroad ties are made of stamped steel. They are ant proof !
In Cairns, there is a great train ride that goes over high bridges, past jagged rock formations, and a waterfall, or two.The train to Kuranda.
Penny Trains Firelock76 That's assuming the Virginia Transportation Museum's willing to let it out of their sight! Could be a problem... Ya think?
Firelock76 That's assuming the Virginia Transportation Museum's willing to let it out of their sight! Could be a problem...
Ya think?
Yeah, that one's a non-starter.
Now on the other hand, there is Nickle Plate 765!
"Today the Cuyahoga Valley, tomorrow the world!"
Firelock76That's assuming the Virginia Transportation Museum's willing to let it out of their sight! Could be a problem...
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Google "locomotive pendennis castle," I just did, you'll find the whole story. It's back in Britain now.
And it's going to be a while before that T1's ready to roll. How about sending N&W 611 on a world tour? OK, clearances might be a problem but where there's a will, there's a way.
That's assuming the Virginia Transportation Museum's willing to let it out of their sight! Could be a problem...
Don't mean to" flog a dead horse", but I've got another Australia story :
on the '80 trip, I was on a coach passing from Adelaide to Perth. The driver made mention that in a distant shed was housed the " Pendennis Castle", a Great Western " Castle" class from England. How, or why this engine was in Australia is unclear to me. This was the first time my American ears had heard the words "Castle Class". But I knew from the inflection in his voice, this was something special !
I think you're right.
We need to finish that T1, and send it on a world tour !
that famous 3 cylinder A3 Pacific, the "Flying Scotsman" of the London and North Eastern ( LNER) has toured the U.S., and Australia.
Postwar Paul Isn't funny how you can travel the world over, and people like the same things ? Japan, Australia, doesn't matter. Still see hobby shops, train museums,and train shows.
Isn't funny how you can travel the world over, and people like the same things ? Japan, Australia, doesn't matter. Still see hobby shops, train museums,and train shows.
Love of trains, and especially steam engines, seems to be universal. I was shocked several months ago to read there's a steam locomotive restoration under way in VietNam! Both for the tourist trade and for the love of steam. Amazing.
Maybe the key to world peace is in steam locomotives and toy trains?
I need to read that link again, but I think they said those tram cars sometimes run without the engine. Correct me if I'm wrong..
It looks like there was a time before 2001, when the diesel arrived, they were running without it. Near as I can decipher...
I was wondering about that myself.
That's a great question.
Why would the cars of the Diesel-powered "Botchan Ressha" train be equipped with bow collectors?
Bob Nelson
They're beautiful, beefy engines. I've got 2 2025's, both have aluminum stacks. Me thinks that be '47 production. Very smooth runners. I am just imagining a 2035, with all that weight, And Magnetraction!
All things considered, I feel fortunate, and have everything I need.
But if a 2035 were to pass my way again, I can't be responsible for what happens !
Penny Trains Postwar Paul The Lionel 2035 has slipped through my fingers 3 times Since I got mine last summer (2016) I've had a hard time letting anything else use the rails!
Postwar Paul The Lionel 2035 has slipped through my fingers 3 times
Since I got mine last summer (2016) I've had a hard time letting anything else use the rails!
Jeez, if they're that good I'll have to get one too! I've seen 'em, they're around...
Postwar PaulThe Lionel 2035 has slipped through my fingers 3 times
I was certainly gone by the next show I went to! Groan.....
You know the story :
if you hesitate and come back later, it's gone !
Oh yeah, things we should have bought, but didn't. I haven't missed out on any trains yet, but thirty years ago I was at a gun show and a bookseller there had a copy of General John J. Pershing's "My Experiences In The World War" and autographed by the general. He wanted $50 for the two-volume set, and I passed on it! I've been kicking myself ever since! WHAT was I thinking?
I wasn't thinking, that was the problem!
Here's a little tidbit, if you're interested:
as I mentioned, I took the trams everywhere in Melbourne. I even went to a train show in some distant, outlying suburb. In downtown Melbourne there were at least 2 hobby shops that were selling Astor live steam engines in gauge 1, for about $1,200 Australian. I had the cash in pocket, but I would have to cut my trip short. I chose the trip.
So, that's another example of the things that slip through our fingers. The Lionel 2035 has slipped through my fingers 3 times, and the GG1 twice !
It's amazing how common this gauge was, and in so many different countries.In Australia alone, this was the gauge in Western Australia, and Queensland, with New South Wales being standard gauge, and Victoria being " Irish Gauge" (5'3").
Not to mention that this is a very common gauge for street Railways, like Los Angeles Railways " yellow cars".
Pacific Electric had " red cars", and standard gauge.
lionelsoni The gauge of the San Francisco cable cars is also 3'6. This gauge is often called "Cape gauge."
The gauge of the San Francisco cable cars is also 3'6. This gauge is often called "Cape gauge."
The Newfoundland Railway was also built to the "Cape Gauge." It was cheaper that way, but it hurt them in the long run. Another story.
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