Park Road and Sunnybank Develop

On Monday I did some scanning of photos that Darren Lee provided of some locations around Brisbane.  These relate to locations that I am building items for on my layout.

Tuesday I got to the shed and was able to hang my latest NMRA AP certificate for Volunteer, and a framed poem from my retirement drinks written by one of my nephews.  I also got thinking about Sunnybank on the layout.  I was originally thinking of only having a single island platform for Sunnybank.  However, I rearranged the track to make two platforms just like the real one.  This will also help in making the baseboard stiff with the platforms forming braises.  Of Course I will also install the refuge at Sunnybank, and this will be where all my freight trains will turn around at.   I will install a siding at the end of the Down track, after a crossover to the Up track, so I can potentially store a railmotor there.

I also moved the baseboard up onto the top deck of the layout.  I used plastic tubs to support the deck while I pondered.  I then reduced the height of the baseboard by about 2 inches.  I think I still need to reduce the Down end of the baseboard (South Brisbane end) by about another half an inch.  To do this, I will need to cut about a half inch off one of the layout posts that holds all the decks up.  I actually got around to doing this at about 3:45pm today between games on the TV.

The baseboard for Sunnybank, sitting above Acacia Ridge Yard.

Some steel rod is used to keep the baseboard steady and at the correct height above the lower baseboard.  There are also some wooden braces as well.

Another two braces supporting Sunnybank.

I have been building 4 more portals for my Park Road shed.  I needed to make a trip to my local hobby shop and picked up a couple of packets of styrene.  I walked into the store and saw that the styrene stand was almost empty.  My heart sank.  But I studied the stand and found that the packets of styrene that I needed were there and I got the last ones of their size.  I then had to build 4 more of these for the intermediate frames in each of the 4 sections that I am currently building.  I may go to a 5^th section in size for my model, but I will see how 4 sections look on the layout first.

The five portal frames and 4 intermediate frames.

For something a little different I went for a walk in the new bus tunnel under Adelaide Street in the city on Wednesday.  It was a nice stroll.  That evening Arthur Robinson sent me an email and it had a plan of the original Sunnybank Station.  Luckily I had guessed some of the trackwork.  However, I had the fettler’s siding facing the wrong way.  That was easy to fix. 

A view down the Adelaide Street bus tunnel.

Saturday some of the 2025 NMRA Convention organising committee got together for a lunch.  It was a nice relaxing time.  I got home in time to watch the Brisbane Lions win the AFL premiership.  What a great day!  Today I watched the Broncos Women win and go through the final next week and then the Broncos men do the same against Penrith.  Another big weekend next week on Sunday watching three finals, Burleigh Bears, and two Bronco Teams.  I also have an Operations Session on the Saturday.

I have arranged the delivery of my next lot of 12mm track, 4 x points and 12 lengths of flex to enable me to finish Sunnybank on the layout.  This will occur on my next operations day in October, next Saturday.

2025 Brisbane Model Railway Exhibition

This week was spent looking forward to the weekend just gone.  It was the 2025 AMRA Queensland – Model Railway Exhibition.  This year it was held at the sports stadium at Zillmere, not far from their Clubrooms.  For that matter not far from our Clubrooms either.  But a fair distance from my home.  The week started with the best intentions of working on my narrow gauge timetable.  I did nothing.  Of course I did more planning around Sunnybank Station.  I have started to lay out potential trackwork.  I have also sent out a few requests for people to respond with what the trackwork was like at Sunnybank back around 1991.  I await for evidence for this response. 

I packed my car on Thursday and went to the show on Friday at my allocated time to unload all my gear in my allotted space.  I said hello to a few mates and headed home.

Saturday was the big day.  Darren rocked up at 7:00am and we were at the Exhibition at about 7:50am.  We unpacked, then had a walk around observing who was there and what new layouts were there.  There was one new QR layout – Coolooawah.  It was very nice.  

There were a couple of other new layouts, Cloudland and Clandestine Operation.  These were also of a very high standard. 

On Saturday night after I watched the second half of the Lions vs Collingwood game, I got online with the British Region of the NMRA at their regular Brew and Natter.  I followed a discussion about layout safety briefings.  My attention then turned to my lack of such an event in my shed.  I will have to incorporate such a section in my Operations Manual as well as cover it in pre-Operations Session announcements and paperwork.  I have started work on this.

Sunday was a repeat of Saturday at the Exhibition.  Darren was at my place at 7:00am and we arrived at the Exhibition at about 7:45am.  Again we took our eskies, with sustenance in them, and then started roaming around the shed looking at layouts, shops and talking to people.  Over the weekend I caught up with many people I have not spoken to for maybe a year – some much longer.  I made one purchase of a book from the ARHS, as I think it might give me some background on some QR models, that I might scratch build in the future.  I actually did some modelling work yesterday and today at the Exhibition.  Many people were sitting in front of me, talking to me and watching me build numerous strings of pallets, one clothesline and then I got started on my next big modelling project.  This was even though I had not completed the Cassino Stations building and refreshment rooms on the layout.  My next modelling task is to build another Park Road goods shed, the one closest to the station.  I have a plan, a couple of photos and I have built the first portal.  I will probably build a second one later in the week and work on fine tuning them.  Then I need to work on building the structure between the portals.  My model will be about 4 or maybe 5 sections long, unlike the prototype which is 11 sections long.

I am amazed by the quality of work from the guys in my Club who produce the 3D prints of QR models.  They were in the corner of the exhibition showing off their models this last weekend.  I really want Guy to finish off his 2000 Class railmotor.  I will get an initial 2 car set, and then I will work on saving for a second set in the future.  I will also probably have to buy a set of the 3 car EMUs.  Maybe I will need a second set of them as well.  My wife will kill me with the expense!  However, if I ever build my dream future QR/NSW Dual gauge layout based on a Brisbane suburban location, I will need all these trains for the QR section, and then lots of space to build it, set it up, test it, and then scenic it, add all the structures and then I need somewhere to store it.  I then need transportation for it, in order for the layout to get to exhibitions.  Maybe I need a new car with a tow bar!  OMG I’m dead!

Ops Session Follow Up

This week I was determined to run some trains and go through the various comments made to timetable cards from the last Operations Session.  I fixed a power issue in Rocklea Sidings by re soldering a wire.  I added an uncoupling magnet to the rear dock siding at Murwillumbah used to load the car carriers so an engine can leave the motorail wagon there and do other tasks.  I realised that the wagons in Lismore Yard were actually in the correct tracks.  I thought three open wagons were located where four louvre vans should have been and vice versa.  Well I was wrong!  I relocated a loco South Brisbane Interstate Yard from the loco siding to track 4.  The timetable card said to leave the loco attached to the wagons.  I was checking out a couple of powerline 48 class locos that I was using to move some wagons to the Cassino Meatworks.  The locos was slipping on the slight incline.  So I tried two 48’s after I changed the Powerline traction tyres.  They still could not move the 5 wagons.  I replaced the 48’s with a 44 class loco with sound.   I did look at trying to add some weight to one or both of the 48’s with some lead I have sitting around, to see if this will allow these locos to return to service.  But they are not running well enough by this small include with 5 wagons.  I replaced some wheels on one wagon as it was creating a great deal of drag.  It now has less drag. I also swapped out some couplers on a wagon that was reported to be uncoupling in a location in the last Ops Session.  It had a scale coupler, and I changed it to a KD#5.

I also re-discovered the Activation and Cancelation button on the fascia under the Hotham Street level crossing to allow the automated level crossing lights to work like the button says.  When a train needs to leave the Up Yard at Cassino, the driver can push the activation button and the level crossing lights work as normal.  When a train from the Meatworks needs to go to the Up Yard, the level crossing cancelation button needs to be pressed, after the trains crosses the level crossing and the lights stop flashing.  I have now labelled the button on the fascia and I updated the Operations Manual.  I also labelled the Level Crossing cutout switch near the Cassino Meatworks.  This button allows for the outer sensor that usually activates the Hothan Road Level crossing for trains travelling south, to be cut out, so a shunting movement in the Meatworks Siding does not activate the level crossing.  When the shunting movement is completed, the switch can be returned to the normal position.  The switch and button waere also documented in a revision of the layout Operations Manual. 

I added a Table of Contents to the Operations Manual and the document is now 23 pages long.  This gets emailed to potential new crew before an Operations Session, as it gives them a good overview of the history of the layout and how it operates.  I also updated a couple of timetable cards for typos and re-printed them, and put them back into the mix.

The next Operations Session will occur on the 4^th October and the aim is to allow Geoff to close out his time requirements for the Dispatcher AP.  He will then have to do all the paperwork before submitting this as part of his SOQ (Statement of Qualifications).  Then we will work to get a few other guys to complete their hours for their remaining tasks for the Dispatcher AP.

On Tuesday night I was perusing power supplies online, and I got my son to use his Amazon links to purchase a 18V DC 3 AMP power supply (with free delivery) for use as the power supply for my ESU Switch Pilot.  It turned up on Wednesday afternoon.  I took it down to the shed and wired it in to the Switch Pilot.  I fired it up and gave it a test for the point motors in Park Road Station and the two point motors on the Park Road to Fisherman Islands angle.  Wouldn’t you know that the points both sides of Park Road station/crossing loop were wired in the wrong order.  I swapped the connections over, so teh panel sort of worked.  I then used the control panel and I noticed that the straight and curve outputs were reversed.  So the wires on each of the first two point outputs were wired back to front.  So I swapped the wires over, tested them again and within a minute after adjusting some screws on the point motors, the points were working perfectly.  Next was the point at the Park Road end of the narrow gauge angle.  I could not get it to fire in one direction.  After adjusting the point motor, eventually it was working.  However, when I used the control panel, I could not get it to work.  So I lifted up the control panel and one wire had come off the pushbutton.  So that was soldered back on and that was the third point now working.  The fourth point was on the Fisherman Islands branch and allowed access to the angle towards Park Road.  It took a while of adjusting the point motor screws.  But it was finally working.  So I am sort of happy with the result.

Focus now turns towards working on the narrow gauge timetable and working out what wagons will start where on the layout for the various trains to deliver.  I had a bit of a cleanup around the place on Friday and found some photos, articles and all my planning material for the narrow gauge.  However, I got distracted.  I started looking at the Sunnybank extension.  I cut up some baseboards and now have to work out how to support the baseboards above Acacia Ridge Yard. 

Saturday was NMRA meeting day.  I went to PK’s place and he drove to Ross’s place for the meeting.  We were lucky to have a look at Ross’s Sydney Central Layout in N scale.  This is just magic.  I remember looking at this layout when it appeared at a Modelling the Railways of NSW Convention some years ago in Sydney.  This may have been at Loftus TAFE.  After this meeting PK and I got an invite to visit Laurie's layout just a few kilometers away from Ross's.  Again, another very nice layout.

The clock tower on Sydney Central

The old tram lines outside Sydney Central Station.

A view showing some of the backscene.

Scanning further to the left, showing more backscene.

Another layout module that Ross had in his shed.

I thought that I needed some lengths of threaded rod to assist with supporting the light pelmet above The Risk, Loco Pilly and Clapham Yard.  It had started to sag a little.  On Sunday I went to Bunnings to get some threaded rod and ended up just getting some lengths if 6mm steel rod (no thread) but cheaper.  I have added three braces to the lighting pelmet at The Risk, Loco Pilly and the southern end of Clapham Yard.  It seems to have been a good decision.  While at Bunnings I picked up a length of 5.4m, 42 x 18mm finger jointed white primed pine.  I cut it up in the Bunnings carpark to fit into my car.  The  pine was cut to fit the station platforms at Sunnybank.  I have been roughing laying out the track and the platforms on the baseboard (which is sitting on the floor of the shed).  This allows me to test a few ideas.  I will have to purchase some more 12mm points next weekend at the AMRA Exhibition.  I have packed the items that I am taking to the AMRA Model Train Exhibition next weekend.  I am on a stand with Darren.

The rod supporting the pelmet at The Risk.

The rod at the other end of The Risk near Loco Pilly.

The support for the southern end of Clapham Yard.

Dutton Park Gets Fixed

On Tuesday I went to Jaycar and picked up a couple of rolls of wire to allow me to continue the wiring task to two point motors on the top deck.  That night the Tuesday Nighters all went over to Barnacle’s place and had a great night.  Just looking at his layout is good therapy.  Of course the discussion and stirring is also good for the soul.

On Thursday morning I set about feeding all the wires, from my newly acquired ESU Switch Pilot, to two more points around the Dutton Park angle from Park Road to Fisherman Islands branch on the narrow gauge trackage.  Later in the afternoon I soldered all these wires to the point motors and realised that the first two point at Park Road platform were wired to the incorrect terminals on the Switch Pilot.  So they were swapped over as the two Dutton Park points were wired in as well.  I also had to plug into two NCE Mini Panels with my Procab controller and program them for the new addresses that I configured the points in the ESU Switch Pilot.  To me the limitation on the ESU that you can only set the addresses in groups of 4 to be a archaic limitation.  They then have the hide to say that their gear is modern.  The NCE QSNAP runs rings around the ESU Switch Pilot in this regard.  Get with it guys!

The next task was to swap out the power supply that was not working for the string of LED lights above Glenapp Crossing Loop.  I removed the power supply that was not working, and tested the new power supply.  It would not light the string of LED lights.  Then I realised that I had not plugged the new power supply in to the 240V supply.  Doh!  So I then did that and turned it on, and the string of layout LED lights lit up again.  Another problem solved, although I no longer have any spare power supplies.  So I might have to order a few more, just to keep them on the shelf just in case.

My next job was to test some of the points connected to the ESU Switch pilot.  Basically while the ESU Switch Pilot was issuing a command to throw the Peco point, it could not do anything.  It was just useless.  When I pushed the button, the other LED lights on that whole power district dimmed.  That was another example of bad product design.  No built in capacitor discharge circuit.  So upon reading the manual, it says you should attach a 18V DC 3 AMP Supply to the second set of inputs on the ESU Switch Pilot.  Most other Peco compatible point controllers from other vendors have built in Capacitor Discharge circuits.  So maybe this ESU was cheap for a reason, it left a lot of features out in its design.  So I am not a fan of how it controls Peco point motors.

On Saturday I rigged up two LEDs with a common anode and added 1K resistors to the cathodes.  I then wired this into the ESU Switch Pilot to test the lighting function, which I am using outputs 5 and 6 on the ESU Switch Pilot.  So actuating the turnout address caused the LEDs to toggle on/off and off/on.  That was very nice.  So I then ran 5 wires from my ESU Switch Pilot under the baseboard through to the high up indicator LEDs that shows the setting of the turnouts at Dutton Park.  I started pulling out the old infrastructure that I had to work these lights.  I then tested the standard gauge lights and they were wired the same as my test setup.  Everything was good.  I then tested the narrow gauge turnout indicator lights and one worked and the other didn’t.  It was then that I found that one LED was wired back the front.  So I swapped it over and then it worked well.

On Saturday Night I ventured into my first attempt at remote operations on Aaron’s layout.  We had three drivers located in Brisbane, a Dispatcher located in Tasmania and the owner of the layout in Newcastle, NSW.  He was also driving trains on the layout.  This was apparently the first time Aaron has had three remote operators.  He has a CATs panel displayed on a webpage which is tracking the location of the various trains and there are also 4 cameras showing the various station platforms streaming to the panel, which we can all see.  We all get online in Discord and can talk to the Dispatcher, (and the other drivers) while we watch the webpage get updated.  Apparently we ran 36 trains in about 3 hours 15 minutes.  Most of the services were on-time.  Things went a bit haywire when a freight came through the middle of our electric services.  I don’t believe there were any derailments either.  This is a nice layout to operate on.

It was not until today (Sunday) that I wired in the 4 wires from the ESU Switch Pilot to the 4 pairs of lights on the indicator panel.  I also connected the 5th wire (the power line) up to the LED indicator panel.  I also had to install a 1K ohm resistor in line with each of the four wires from the ESU Switch Pilot.  I gave it a test and again everything is working well.  I removed the old Peco switches that sit on top of a point motor.  The ESU Light feature using two addresses works well.

The ESU Switch Pilot on the fascia.  the first 4 outputs are for points.  The next two are for the Indicator Panel and the last 2 are currently unused.

The Indicator panel showing that the Standard Gauge is set for South Brisbane Interstate and the Narrow Gauge line is set for the direction of Fisherman Islands.

On Friday night we went to my old work rooftop haunt and celebrated my retirement, which commenced 2 weeks back.  A few mates turned up as well as some family members and we drank our way through 185 Coronas.  Our aim was 200, but we had a few no shows for various reasons.  If they all rocked up, we would have sailed past the target. 

It had to start with one.

How it ended!

P.S.  I was functioning on all cylinders on Saturday morning.