he first time I saw Muswellbrook station, its associated yard and engine facilities in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales (NSW) was about 1999. What struck me about the arrangement of the engine facilities on that first visit was how the 75’ turntable and five stall engine house were tucked in against a road over-bridge and earth bank which would have required locomotives to make a zig-zag when moving from the yard to the turntable. While this arrangement is far from unique on the New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) incorporated into a model, it requires operators to take an extra step before entering loco: a disadvantage on the prototype, an advantage in model form. This feature also has the great advantage that it considerably shortens the length of the yard. Rather
