Steamin' in the rain

[Wayne Laepple]

On the 30" gauge Puffing Billy Railway in Australia. Notice engine 14A, which was converted to oil firing a year ago. Also the small Garratt G42. It is really hustling along in a couple of scenes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IOV0w6duHg

[Benjamin Richards]

They work those engines HARD. Or so it would appear from the videos. 8 carriages on 1-in-40 is nothing to sneeze at. The downhill run must be pretty exciting.

[Wayne Laepple]

The Puffing Billy is very much an up-and-down line, with steep grades in both directions. I believe the ruling grade is 1 in 30 or a bit over 3% in either direction. The line also features numerous steep curves.

[James Patten]

I saw a video a while back of the entire line taken from a camera strapped to the front of the engine.

Between that video and this one, I see a LOT of trees that look like they are losing their bark.  I hope that's an optical illusion or a natural process.

[Donovan Whittemore]

James, those are gum trees (eucalyptus) you see peeling away, they just grow like that. That peeling bark, incidentally, is filled with oil and burns like magic, a perfect way to get a campfire started, a few minutes of scavenging on the ground and you are set to go!

[ALAIN DELASSUS]

Thank you Wayne for sharing that steamy very well shot video from Downunder. I loved the sound track and the scenery that reminds me of NZ. I just shared it on my fb page.

[Wayne Laepple]

Puffing Billy has a two-truck Climax geared engine they restored and use on special trains. They burn that eucalyptus wood, and due to all the oil in the wood, it burns like mad. They call it "atomic wood." They also use it for firing up the regular steam locos.

[Carl G. Soderstrom]

Interesting roll up curtains on the open cars - Adaptable to Maine Weather?

[John McNamara]

Interesting roll up curtains on the open cars - Adaptable to Maine Weather?

Only the ones lined with goose down.