Holidays

I must apologise for no post last Sunday.  I even got reprimanded over it yesterday while at the loco train shop - Hey Dave!  I just spent 6 days down the coast across the road from the beach at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.  Great view, nice weather, not too hot and easy walk to the patrolled beach which was straight across the road.  Apart from the mobile phone ringing non stop and the hundreds of work emails I answered on my phone, I did not get around to check out the newsgroups, blogs and my private email all last week.  So that is the reason why there was no Blog update last Sunday.

Well while down the coast I spend a bit of time finishing off 6 NOCY wagons until I ran out of 0.030" x 0.040" styrene.  I picked up another packet on Saturday morning, so these wagons will have to wait until the Christmas break to be completed now.  I also roofed two little skillion roof signal boxes and I also put together a water tank from Casula and most of a nicely detailed wooden frame kit for the water tank to sit on.  I'm not sure where this kit will go, possibly Cassino Loco, as the water tank I need for The Risk is supposed to be on an iron underframe I think.  I should check the photos more closely!

Just before we went away, I spotted some Chiffon Wrap 18cm x 2m for $3.99 from a cheap shop.  I think this will make great HO fly screen for my houses and signal boxes.  I'msure its uses on the layout will be endless.  It is so much finer than the usual Tule we use for chain wire.

Saturday morning upon return from the Coast I also had to visit the Post Office to pick up our Club's order for Auscision CBQY, PRRY, and RQHY that Australia Post tried to deliver lastThursday while I was away.  My component of teh order was a set of PRRY and RQHY.  Boy is the detail fine!  I putthem on the track Saturday evening.  My concern is that the PRRY's emit a large amount of noise when going around curves.  The bogies, squeak and rub on the wagon end frames - Not happy Jan!  The RQHY's run much better.  All wagons roll fairly well on the straight, it's just the PRRY's don't like my 750mm curves where I just happened to put them on the track.  I might have to file the ends down slightly.  Not something I'd expect to occur on a modern wagon while on large radius curves.  Now if I had 18" curves fair enough!

I'd like to wish all my followers and readers of this Blog a Safe, Happy and Holy Christmas.  Have a great time with your family next Friday. See you again after the big fat fella leaves some Trains in your stocking next Sunday Night as usual.  In PK's case - he is the big fat fella wearing the stockings - couldn't resist mate!