Ballasts and Styrene Building

On Monday this week, my large package of Auscision Models Ballast wagons arrived.  Three mates at the Club got their wagons on Tuesday night and Saturday at the Club.  I finally put mine on the track today.  They are very nice indeed.  My 10 x NDFF's go well with my existing 25 ballast wagons, various ballast ploughs and a tool vans, along with 8 x concrete and 6 x wooden sleeper carrying wagons and various rail set wagons - one 8 car set for 110m lengths of rail and 2 x 2 car permanently coupled sets for bringing rail to Acacia Ridge for trans-shipment to the narrow gauge system.  Most of these wagons have all been scratchbuilt.

The new Auscision ballast wagons in Acacia Ridge Yard

My collection of Ballasts in Bonalbo Ballast Siding - mixture AR Kits, 1 Rails North and mine

Cassino Chockers with trains - Another 2 ballasts in the loop

My NCE MiniPanel has not shown up at the Hobby Shop yet so I needed to do something else this weekend.  So I decided to build a few more containers of the coil steel variety.  Auscision has some very nice models coming out, but I consider $29.95 for 2 steel containers slightly too much to pay - particularly when you get charged another 10 for postage and insurance - but at least it is per order not per pack like their other wagons.  So I made a few myself just to give it a go.  I completed the first two while the Monthly Club Meeting was chugging along yesterday.  I thought they turned out quite alright.  The first two were basic boxes, the third - which I completed today while watching Australia bat in the Cricket, had the fork lift prong holes in the base and the top even is removable from the base.  However, I did not put a coil steel frame inside - yet! - Shhh - no one will know!

My first two RH Coil carrying containers

This was #3 - with slots for fork lift tonges - and it does come apart

Another view of #3

Bob from the SCR Blog gave me some very good information about his fantastic bridges during the week.  He pointed me to the Mico Engineering web site and their products.  I will need to use modeller's license and selective compression to convert the Cougal Spiral from approximately 70-80' spans to 30' spans on my layout.  I will do a bit more planning around this subject over the next few weeks.

Next week I will be preparing for the Australian Model Railway Convention at Ipswich Workshops on the 27th Feb.  I have been asked to give a presentation on Building with Styrene.  My notes were completed over 2 weeks ago.  I just need to organise what I will take to illustrate the presentation.