Layout Tours Galore

Saturday was the monthly NMRA meeting.  It started early with a pickup and travelling to Archerfield Airport, which will be the base for the day.  From there we visited Anthony’s HO Scale Southern Australian/Victorian Border Region layout.  Those attending for the first time got to run a train and got to learn how the car card system works.  Anthony had his Sheriff there (Brendan) helping.  From there we went to Malcolm’s place.  Also a South Australian layout (N scale) based on the areas between Belair and Murray Bridge Railway.  Malcolm also had two helpers.

We then headed back to base and a BBQ prepared by the help staff of Bob Tisdell’s airline company.  We then had our usual update from Paul and then it was a trip to two more layouts.  First was a stop at David’s Bakersfield to Tehachapi layout in a 6M x 9M shed.  Trains rose 1m above the base deck and were up to 8m long.  # locos, 19 wagons, 2 mid train locos and 18 more wagons and a van with 2 rear train pushers.  It had about 100m of track in its loop to loop track arrangement.  The running and sound was flawless, but scenery is yet to be completed.  We left then and visited Denis’s place just down the road.  Denis has West Ridge layout down stairs in the garage, which is impeccably sceniced.  Many mini scenes are ion this layout.  Upstairs in a bedroom is a British outline layout which was also impeccably sceniced, but trains are currently not running on this layout.

We then drove back to the airport, where we said our good-byes and then dispersed.

This morning was a similar early start, with Darren picking me up at 8:00am.  We drove to Brendan’s place, picked him up and then arrived at about 10:05am in Toowoomba for another day filled with layout tours.  First stop was Bill’s HO Tenterfield layout which is developing around his 6m x 6m shed.  After a viewing, we had coffees by our barista Smithy (who cannot count – he made 9 coffees for the 8 guys in attendance).  We then went over to Paul’s place about 2km away.  He had a shed, in which HO trains could be automated to depart staging and run around the layout and then return to staging.  They also can be manually controlled from his PC or from his Digitrax controller.  From there is was back to Bill’s for a BBQ lunch.  We then went across town and visited Steve’s place.  He has cleaned out his layout room and changed from HO Victorian, to O scale NSW since we were last there.  Currently he has all the track laid and kit building of locos is underway.  We also got to say g’day to Ben who was there all day and Doug who dropped in while we were at Steve’s place.

Following a drive back to Brisbane, I’m sure we are all railwayed out after 10 hours.  Darren had to drive to pick me up and then go home, so it was an 11 hour day for him.  What a great weekend!