QUOTE (ozwarrior @ 6 Sep 2007, 22:02)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Tony,
Although I now live on the Gold Coast I spent most of my life in Auckland. The two best shops for British were in Ponsonby and central Auckland. I've forgotten their names for the moment (boy I'm going senile!).
Anyway welcome to the forum...bro!
Les
Thanks for your reply Les . I have been into Stokers ( Great south Road ) a few times, but like our local shop their prices are far too high .The landed cost of items from high volume shops like Hattons or Rails works out about half of the local price.( this varies with the ups and downs of exchange rate of the NZ dollar of course) . I remember one other AK shop was Platform 1 their prices were better and they stocked a lot good railway stuff but they disappeared a few years ago.
I would certainly choose living on the Gold Coast in preference to Northland , three storms since March have dumped some 24 Inches of rain on us- AND we've had drizzle and showers in between times , Its a pity there is no way of channelling some of it over there.
A few years ago we had a good holiday in Queensland travelling from Brisbane to Cairns by rail, stopovers in Townsville northwards and Bunderburg on return I enjoyed the "drivers" veiw on the Tilt-train . The Sunlander was pleasant and interesting if a bit slow.
What do you model? I have often thought of having a go at 3'6'' gauge- not NZ raiways because of the smaller loading gauge .
Ozzie would be better , but better still would be South African Rlys or Rhodesian Rlys. I lived in Rhodesia for 15 years And still remember the power of those big Garretts with awe.
Dream on.
best wishes Tony( 10001)