| Author |
Message |
    
Bill Coburn
Grand Master
Username: bill_coburn
Post Number: 238
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, 30 August, 2004 - 10:41: |    |
Friday 27 August saw 21 cars sail into this inland New South Wales city with 38 owners drivers and passengers. Weather was great food and accomodation likewise. Cars ranged from A Silver Dawn to a '96 Brooklands. Ages ranged from 14 to 80! Played trains on Saturday morning in a big way and sailed up the Murrumbidgee in the afternoon while we had lunch. The afternoon was well filled with yours truly regaling owners about their cars during a technical session where I was supervised and frequently corrected/augmented by Bob Chapman our Southern State guru! Sampled magnificent meat Saturday night and Sunday morning visited the Southern Oil Refineries where they recover enormous quantities of oil from the stuff we dump out of our sumps. No breakdowns bonnets were only lifted to make sure the engines were still there. Whole exercise well planned and executed and the attendees were great company. |
David Gore
Moderator
Username: david_gore
Post Number: 286
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, 30 August, 2004 - 11:32: | |
Hi Bill,
Thanks for report and the number of participants is very encouraging - if we are not careful, the S.M.A.R.T. Register will overtake the Shadow group in enthusiasm and participation.
Also what is the connection between R-R/B enthusiasts and trains? I am guilty of this as much as everyone else and cannot find an explanation!! |
Bill Coburn
Grand Master
Username: bill_coburn
Post Number: 239
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, 30 August, 2004 - 14:21: | |
David I have always seen railways as raw engineering which is very visible. I instance the signal mechanism operated by one inch square section steel rods running between roller bearings. Crude but very effective. And the smell - devine. The trip to Wagga involved running alongside a disused line from Colac which I have yet to identify. When I drive to Cooma I usually run off the road trying to work out where the track is. My dying ambition is to finance restoration of that track and extend it from Bombala to Orbost where I can restore the track from Orbost to Bairnsdale and we will have an East coast railway! I'll put the bottle away now and get on with my work. |
David Gore
Moderator
Username: david_gore
Post Number: 287
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Monday, 30 August, 2004 - 16:21: | |
Hi Bill,
I thought the SMART group may have spent the afternoon at the Wagga Model Engineers who run live steam locomotives on a regular basis similar to the site we visited for the Goulburn "Bush Bash" for the Shadow Registry. |
Bill Coburn
Grand Master
Username: bill_coburn
Post Number: 240
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, 31 August, 2004 - 08:34: | |
David/ It must be the same place. I couldn't remember the details as I was just coming out of the previous nights anaethesia when we went there. It really is a remarkable setup - and they carry a $3000 PR policy (that is the premium). They are constructing at the moment a spiral. All the earth works are done and the rails are being bent. If the effort and enthusiasm of that Club could be imported I suggest we would have supercharged Shadows running on LHM queued up at the rally's. |
David Gore
Moderator
Username: david_gore
Post Number: 288
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, 31 August, 2004 - 11:12: | |
Now that is an exciting possibility - one of my fantasies was to convert a dead Shadow to steam power using the Doble steam car as the model but with a flash steam boiler and suitable condensing and oil/water separation equipment to give it a reasonable range. Firing had not been seriously considered but LPG,diesel and used sump oil would have been possibilities. Of course, Sir Henry's engineering philosophy would have prevailed.
Lotto/Powerball success is necessary before this could happen!! |
Bill Coburn
Grand Master
Username: bill_coburn
Post Number: 244
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, 02 September, 2004 - 08:40: | |
Now that beats the LHM conversion. I worry as to how we are going to get the accumulators up with steam. And the chimney - that is a worry for the stylists. Wood or oil - all those decisions. Should be a project to look forward to. |
Bill Coburn
Grand Master
Username: bill_coburn
Post Number: 270
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, 04 November, 2004 - 19:43: | |
As a follow on I saw my first Stanley Steamer at the Australia Museum repositary in Canberra. It is totally original and mind boggling. |