[hilifta]

To Andrew and GC.
Andrew; Yes I was by myself, you NEVER take a female to Bathurst. They get bored after half a day, and you are there for the week.
NOT a good recipe!!!!.
GC;
This whole site was really quite bizzare. It must have cost and arm and many legs to transport all these trains from Melbourne. Ralph told me the trains were owned by a "mate", who had plans for them in Sydney. Goodness know what as, 50 or 60 of them!. Later he told me lots of people buy them for baches, addition and fishing cribs.
He told me that he has fully restored 8 Macks that "are locked up in a mate's barn", and he is now "over" the restoration bit. No idea where this barn is, and there was no offer to show me. My feeling is it is all bought on "spec", in the hope that someone will come along and buy items.. As some have noted most tyres were inflated and Ralph told me that they will all run, with the help of a battery.
He obviously has been hit with people pinching things like badges etc which is why he was initially a bit "sus" with me.
I can hardy blame him.
The aircraft were another story, I will not disclose exactly where they are, one is at the junkyard, right alongside the road, one is still at Bankstown airfield in Sydney. The remaining 5, 4xDC3's and 1 DH Heron, are at an airfield he has constructed.
Again, I struggle with the ecomonics of this. They could not come over the Blue Mountains from Bankstown, but had to come via Newcastle and Dubbo, a huge roundabout route, at some considerable cost.
What he intends to do with them I have no idea. One has just had a "C" check and all are all in quite good nick. He has just had 2 engines landed from the US for the Bankstown machine and I assume it will be then flown to the airfield.
You ask, are they (trucks and planes) for sale. I'd imagine "yes", at the right price.
If you drive from Syd to Dubbo, you can't help but see it all, but please don't just enter the property, (the dogs will get you!!), go to the house and ask permission. I found Ralph to be very helpful once he sused you out.
Believe me it will be worth your effort to get him onside, it is a fantastic place and he is a nice guy.
I just wish I had won Lotto and could to rescue some of those trucks.