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Calthrop

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The Virginia & Truckee !

Based in Virginia City, Nevada

That's the one -- in Nevada, not Virginia or West Virginia...

The saloon floor is yours, pardner...

(theageofthetra, good thinking; but not the one I was after.)
 
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deltic1989

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Wasn't this to do with a driver error? AIUI 127's had a hydraulic transmission, which had D where 4th gear would be on a standard mechanical transmission. They were coded blue square so they could work with other mechanical transmission heritage DMU's. Until one day a driver forgot he had a mechanical transmission unit in tow and drove the whole way with the 127 in D, which resulted in the other unit going the whole way in 4th gear burning out the gearbox.

Open floor if correct.
 

Calthrop

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I've just realised that deltic1989 said, "open floor if correct": so if I can be forgiven for another transatlantic-type one:

Which part of North America had a rail system which started life on the 3' 6" gauge; was converted to standard gauge in the early 20th century; and was abandoned bit-by-bit in the late 20th century, that process being completed in 1989?
 

Calthrop

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No; Newfoundland was wholly 3' 6" from start to finish. You're pretty warm, though.
 

Calthrop

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Prince Edward Island - it's often forgotten what a busy system this was during the war years. Been closed quite a while now.

Correct -- your floor. The system as was, looks delightful on maps -- more than a touch map-wise, I feel, of the Rev. Awdry and Sodor. A pity none of it is preserved as an operational line.
 

theageofthetra

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Keeping the theme.... within days of opening the Canadian Pacific railway was chartering ships to bring goods to its railheads. Shortly after that it purchased its own ships due to being awarded which very important contract?
 

Calthrop

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Not anything to do with the Riel Rebellion, I suppose -- fetching British troops to help in putting same down? A total wild guess: this is a subject about which I know almost nothing.
 

theageofthetra

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Not anything to do with the Riel Rebellion, I suppose -- fetching British troops to help in putting same down? A total wild guess: this is a subject about which I know almost nothing.

Nothing military about this. A look at British colonial outposts west of BC will help...
 

Calthrop

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Something non-bulky, emanating from the Queen Charlotte Islands?? -- a place about which I know literally nothing...

Or am I allowed another thought which suddenly dawned -- tea from China via Hong Kong, to supply the British Empire generally?
 
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Cowley

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What about money/gold etc for payments in the area?
 

theageofthetra

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Something non-bulky, emanating from the Queen Charlotte Islands?? -- a place about which I know literally nothing...

Or am I allowed another thought which suddenly dawned -- tea from China via Hong Kong, to supply the British Empire generally?
HK is getting warmer. What would benefit from getting to UK a bit quicker?
 

Calthrop

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Opium? No -- if I remember history lessons rightly, that deal involved the stuff being supplied to the Chinese, not to us...
 

theageofthetra

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One more guess before I give the answer. Think what could get back to the UK quicker via the CPR & avoiding most Indian Ocean/South China sea typhoons despite the Suez being open.
 

theageofthetra

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Ok no one seems to have it. The CPR had the contract for all Royal Mail traffic & diplomatic dispatches etc from Hong Kong. I was quicker to send it via Canada and overland than by sea via the Suez canal.

Open floor.
 

EbbwJunction1

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What are these, and what specifically do they have in common? *

Chafer
Cricket
Melon
Termite

* There are two things, really, so I'll accept either.

Here's a clue ..... they are all forms of transport - any thoughts, please?
 
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EbbwJunction1

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What are these, and what specifically do they have in common? *

Chafer
Cricket
Melon
Termite

* There are two things, really, so I'll accept either.

Here's a clue ..... they are all forms of transport - any thoughts, please?

Okay, no-one seems to have got this one, so the answers are:

They were all names of GWR carriages -
Chafer - Invalid Carriage;
Cricket - Bogie Composite Carriage;
Melon - Bogie Third Class Van End Carriage;
Termite - Four Wheel Third Class Carriage.

The two things that they have in common are that they are all carriages and from the GWR.

Let's try another one:

These are codes listed on the Rail UK web site; what do they refer to?

CAN
STU
WBB
WBF.

I should say that I don't know whether they are official codes or just ones that have been created by the web site itself.

Let's give you a clue: These places were sad ones for enthusiasts.
 
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