On Monday I continued the creation of the baseboard from Sunnybank towards Rocklea Siding. I now have it all laid, and am was using ice cream buckets to temporarily lift the baseboards up from the level below. I also lifted up the storage shelf that I have sitting above Acacia Ridge Yard on the left hand side as you enter the shed. This was lifted by about 5cm. I think I need to take it up by another one or two centimetres still. The track has started to make its way further north from Sunnybank.
On Tuesday I made a pilgrimage to Bunnings and picked up some more steel rod and some threaded rod. It turned out that the 3’ length of threaded rod cost me $0.50. The guy at the checkout scratched his head at the price. I then cut up some rod and installed them around the next 6-8 feet of the Sunnybank deck. The progress is pleasing. I also did my flight check-in for the trip to Sydney.
On Wednesday I did a bit more baseboard stabilisation with the threaded rod keeping the baseboard at Sunnybank above Acacia Ridge as I worked back towards Rocklea Siding.
Thursday was the start of a big adventure. It was a trip to the airport with Darren and Geoff and then meeting up with another 9 people in our group for the beginning of our epic trip to Rosehill. We made it to Sydney and then met up with someone who flew direct from Toowoomba and someone from Perth. We then jumped into a car and bus and went to Campbelltown to our first night's accommodation. We checked in and then made the local trip to see Paul Cassar. What a nice layout. Then back to the RSL for dinner.
Friday was layout tour day. We had breakfast in Campbelltown then hit the road south. We visited Paul Barron’s place and watched a couple of trains out from his garage, as well as on his layout. Then to Steve Pettit’s place and a tour to his layout. Then lunch at a pub. Again we hit the road and went to Tim’s place and were blown away. An amazing layout. We then hit the road back to North Ryde, checked in and then had dinner at a 2nd rate Chinese Restaurant up the road from the Motel where they could not speak Engrish and mixed up many an order.
Saturday was the first of the days that really mattered. Breakfast down the road followed by a trip to Rosehill Racecourse for The Great Train Show put on by the Epping Model Railway Club. We saw quite a few Queenslanders and had a look at many great exhibits. I spent some coin and I am now in trouble with the boss. I caught up with quite a few people from NSW, Canberra and Melbourne, as well as a few banana bender mates. We went back to the motel, freshened up and then went to Marcus’s place. We bought some beers on the way and no sooner than we arrived and had a refreshing ale, we had our dozen pizzas arrive. This was followed by apple tart and ice-cream and then to the train room. A couple of the guys had not been there before and were running trains. I sat and discussed a few DCC issues and developments with Marcus, in between him servicing the train drivers. We finally got home late.
Sunday it was a bit of a rinse and repeat. Breakfast, Rosehill again, talking to plenty of people, and then buying some more much needed items. One item that was handed over to me was an item that Rohan picked up at the Secondhand Stall at the exhibition the previous day, of which I was texted a photo of just as the gates opened. I was awe struck and needed that item. Rohan purchased it, and finally handed it to me after a bit of a negotiation and a some stirring from him and mates that it was going to someone else's home. It is a Rails North 2 car 2000 Class railmotor kit set with mechanism. I have bogies and other detail items to complete the set, so I have given myself 3 weeks to build and complete this kit. I will bring it to Tuesday Nighters this Tuesday so a few others can check it out. We also saw Arthur andf Kerrie from up the road, down at the Rosehill Exhibition. Early afternoon we hit the road to the airport, and returned our hire bus at its home so we could catch a lift back to the airport. Given that their moves to the airport were in a smaller bus than ours, we had to repack our gear onto the bus and get back on it and go to the airport. Everyone had a laugh, but good thinking by the hire company staff. We had 11 in our 12 seater bus. Our plane left a bit late (12 minutes), but the pilot had his foot down all the way to Brisbane. We landed 15 minutes early just before the storm hit. We got off the plane, and the ground crew began unloading our luggage. But some of the luggage got off, but most of our group's luggage did not, and we had to wait about an hour and half to get it off the baggage carousel as two storms hit and the airport shutdown. No problem with that, but we could see it outside the luggage doors. That is wrong. Given that Geoff was bumped from our flight for a flight two hours later, Darren’s wife came and picked us up from the airport. But she herself had to wait for the storm to pass over.
What a great weekend. Thanks to all those who were a part of it. Plenty to plan for next week, so that will be discussed next weekend. There may be a mid-week post with actual photos of this last weekend. But what happens on tour stays on tour.
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