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G'day, Yes, the mark one 44 class (4401 - 4460) denoted by painted road numbers and not number light box on the number two end cab, had GE governors. Plus originally GE traction motors which were later changed to AEI motors. The GE governor was a trap for the novice, in that there was no low lube tr...

G'day, Yes, I do adore my beloved Aussie Alcos that can belch out heavy plumes of black smoke when notched up after idling. http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/48220/48108%20Goobang%20Junction%2030%20Jan%201991.JPG http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/125181/4490%20Orange%201984.JPG They can also bel...

G'day John, Yes, I have some small knowledge of the vacuum brake system. Most Aussie railways adopted air brake, but Tasmania and Western Australia did have vacuum system. I did get to drive a Westrail train briefly with vacuum back in 1989. Being experienced mainly with Westinghouse B7EL brake valv...

G'day John, Crikey them metre gauge class 59 beasties are humungus for metre gauge. I do know that some rather massive things rattled around on the Brasillian metre gauge, diesels especially. My only exposure to metre gauge being when I trekked through Switzerland in 2008, being more subdued in dime...

G'day John, A 900 tonne passenger train is a decent drag for a pair of puffer billies, 22 cars worth. That equates to our Indian Pacific when running as an enlarged consist for the west wild flower period. Normally the IP has around 13 cars plus the motor vehicle carrier. I have been attempting to g...

G'day John, The NSWR AD60 class are standard gauge, built by Beyer Peacock UK. The QR, SAR, and Silverton had narrow gauge garratts, 3 foot 6 inch. Puffing Billy, aka the 2 foot 6 inch narrow gauge of Victoria had Garratts. There were also the worlds first revenue Garratts built for Tasmania, two fo...

G'day John, I have no knowledge of the GMAM or Class 59 characteristics. I do know that when a New Zealand society acquired the QR Kuranda tour train operations some years ago, they desired to run an ex South African puffer billy. I did know that the loco would not fit the QR loading gauge (3 foot 6...

G'day, The largest operating puffer billy in the southern hemisphere up For Sale. And, possibly now sold to remain here in NSW. NSWR AD60 class Beyer Garratt 4-8-4+4-8-4 unit 6029 entered service in 1954. It was acquired by the ARHS Canberra mob in 1998, and resurrected in 2015. I have only witnesse...

G'day David, Thanks for the welcome. The aussie modern day railway system does seem to change from time to time. Privatization has seen some company names appear and then disappear. My era was mostly the traditional state government networks which remained fairly constant. Today, there are more pain...

G'day, My only experience with European night trains was during my 2008 trek through Switzerland and Germany. I travelled by DB Talgo nachtzug from Munich to Berlin. The ride was a bit rough, being only single axles, the train found every set of points. When booking to ride this train, to basically ...

G'day again, Many people would have heard of the Buster Keaton films featuring railroads, The General and Railrodder, but I wonder how many have seen his Our Hospitality. Filmed in 1923, the story line features a feud over an inheritance. The train sequences for his journey to Trenton are superb Kea...

G'day, Yes, Human Desire, staring Glenn Ford as an engineer caught in a love triangle, produced in 1954. While the plot is a tad normal, the railroad sequences are of interest. Though, some editorial licence is employed in some of the railroad sequences. No credit is offered as to the actual railroa...

G'day, Yes, here in NSW, the use of sand for traction is strictly regulated. All locomotives must possess air blowers fitted behind the wheels to blow off any sand from the rail head after deposited for traction purposes. After the Hawkesbury River incident where automatic signals returned to clear ...

G'day, Having seen photos depicting the B&O CPL signals 1305.1 and 1305.2, I became interested in the potential bi-directional running. I now possess the CSX New Castle sub track chart which shows these signals plus Firestone yard. I am curious as to whether a westbound running on track number t...