Uncoupler Magnets

On Monday this week, my last day of holidays, I decided to install a number of uncoupling magnets within the confines of South Brisbane Interstate yard.  I put 7 of these devices at the end of each of the sidings about 2 loco lengths from the end of the buffer stops - or should I say wall.  For these I used some cheap magnets I purchased on ebay a few months back.  I mounted them on their side and they seem to work very well after testing with a variety of wagons.  I then also installed one at Lismore in No. 2 Storage Siding.  Attention then turned to fitting some more to Murwillumbah's loop line and loco and motorrail siding.  I found a piece of paper lying around near Old Cassino that when I looked at it, revealed the locations of two more uncoupling magnets for Murwillumbah on it.  I must have spent some time a while back, when I last ran out of uncoupling magnets and used my motivation at that time to think about the locations where the next few magnets would be located when I finally got around to installing them.  

 

To install my uncoupling magnets I just cut the three sleepers out between the rails to enable me to drill some holes in the baseboard.  I used a drill bit that was the same thickness as the magnets I was installing.  I then remove all the baseboard between the holes I drilled and then push the magnet in to the hole that I made and ensure it is below the rail height.  This is a real tight fit I did not get around to installing the magnets for Murwillumbah but at least I did cut out the sleepers next to where the magnets will be installed on the layout.  I am also still toying with the idea to potentially install a three way point into Murwillumbah at the northern end of the platform which will allow me to potentially store a shunt loco at that location to help with the removal of the motorrail wagon at Murwillumbah from NL3.I just need t locate one at a good price and then I can see if it will fit into the track geometry.

 

Tuesday night we had the opportunity to head around to Arthur’s place for our regular Tuesday Nighter’s meeting.  We had a good time watching Arthur run a mixture of NSW and Qld trains.  We also all checked out Arthur's modelling desk and there was some absolutely great stuff being worked on - at the desk.  Some of that equipment is being put together to help illustrate a future presentation at the NMRA convention in September.

 

I went to the train club meeting yesterday and advised the guys I was planning on running a series of presentations starting in October that will attempt to demonstrate to our members how to build a small diorama with ballasted track, ground scenery, a road, a bridge, a tree and some rocks.  I will work with a few experts and cover a number of techniques so the guys, who have been crying out for this type of activity will get to get some hands on work going.

 

I have not been in the shed since Monday, as other activities have taken precedence this week. One of those activities was to take the kids into the Brisbane RNA show today.  We went by trains and also saw the BB18 1/4 doing a few laps around the Exhibition Loop anti-clockwise with a water gin and the silver set in tow.  Maybe next week I will get back down to the shed and continue with the next few uncoupling magnet installs and a few other tasks.