Philosophy Friday (Early Edition)

[richhotrain]

[Anonymous]

richhotrain

Truth be told, I live on the Isles of Scilly.

Scilly, Sicily or just Silly?

 

[dknelson]

And now I will totally highjack the thread by recommending a wonderful book "Shipwreck" text by John Fowles (the novelist) and photography by the Gibsons of Scilly.  The Isles of Scilly are some of the most treacherous for ships and the Gibsons photographed some spectacular wrecks and abandoned ships.  It is a 1975 book but well worth seaking out for those with a taste for shipping in the days of sail and dramatic photography.

Dave Nelson

["JaBear"]

That’s not a very good depiction of railways in Fiji, Rich. The railway from Nadi to the sugar mill at Lautoka basically followed Queens Road except when to avoid the grade it meandered around the coast.

To be fair, since I became persona non grata and haven’t been back, I’m not up with the play. There has been the 2006 coup and I gather that since 2009, the European Union has been withholding the US$50 million a year sugar subsidy, which would have hurt the local farmers. What the current state of the railway is now I don’t know but I see on the Fiji Sugar Corp site that the farmers had a record payout, 2014, and that there is a photo of a cane train on the weighbridge at one of the mills.

I should point out that top speed appeared to be about the same as a brisk walk, and walking along the line and seeing the general disrepair back then it was understandable.

Cheers, the Bear.

[richhotrain]

JaBear, good news.

I have decided to model Fiji and its railway system in my bathtub layout.  

Rich

["JaBear"]

richhotrain

I have decided to model Fiji and its railway system in my bathtub layout.

    

[BATMAN]

 

 

richhotrain

I have decided to model Fiji and its railway system in my bathtub layout.

 

 

    

 

Rich, that is a very cool and novel idea, Please assure us that if MRR ever does a photo spread of said layout or we ever come to visit in person, you promise not to be in the tub running said layout.

[richhotrain]

BATMAN

  

richhotrain

I have decided to model Fiji and its railway system in my bathtub layout.

  

Rich, that is a very cool and novel idea, Please assure us that if MRR ever does a photo spread of said layout or we ever come to visit in person, you promise not to be in the tub running said layout.

 

I can give no such assurance.  That is the very essence of a bathtub layout, sitting submerged so that you are at eye level with your floating layout.

[BATMAN]

That would be one memorable stop on a layout tour.

[peahrens]

We're vacationing and a few days ago made a day trip to York England and discovered the Britain Natl Train Museum. Pressed by the remaining time on the prepaid meter we breezed through in 20 minutes. It was teriffic, loaded with vintage trains, mostly steamers and their passenger cars. I took in each loco briefly. I don't think one could enter the luxurious cars but could see within.

Then, taking a train to London, the Manchester newsstand had 13 different rail magazines, mostly about prototypes but one nice one on modelling.  Mostly OO, O and some N. Lots of neat stuff available which got my interest up before seeing this post. Maybe someday.

While here, watched a teriffic tv show on the history of the diesel combustion engine, from early development to the monsters powering the mega container ships.

[GP-9_Man11786]

Let's see, if I couldn't model the Pennsy, or anywhere else in North America, my next choice would be post-grouping pre-nationalization England. Either the LNER or the Great Western. I admit I've always had a soft spot for British steam with their colorful uncluttered and clean boilers and all around ellegent looks.