Tuesday Nighters and December Deadline

This week started off with a visit from the Tuesday Nighters.  We were hoping for the planets to allign so three guys from my Club, whom are not Tuesday Nighters, could make the trip from the other side of Brisbane, for a coincided visit.   But reality got into the way and they were no show-ers.  Coupled with sickness, work commitments and people being away we only had 4 regular Tuesday Nighters come over. 

One of our regulars who made the trip on Tueday was Mad Mike - as a pillion on Geoff's motorbike I think - only kidding.  Mike is over 80 years young and has not been over for quite some time.  He doesn't get around much these days but when he does he is great company.  Mike was once a prodigious HO NSW scratch builder, but now dabbles in various On2 or there abouts scales.  He brought over about 4 or 5 models that he scratch built in his new scale.  Very Nice models indeed.  Mike also went for a scout around the layout checking out progress.  Over the last week he emailed me 5 or 6 old photos of Cougal Spiral.  They were just what the doctor ordered.  These photos showed off the bridge abutments which I did not have previous photos of and of which I have not yet installed.  I showed Mike my version of Cougal Spiral and it was nice to hear a complement about my scratch built bridge from the master scratch builder himself.

We also talked about some of the discussion threads in the model railway newsgroups this week.  We were stirring Geoff about the activity and discuss his thread generated but it trailed into obscurity behind others on standards and exhibitions this week.  These topics are best left alone.  However I must mention that I do spend time each night and morning, catching up on a series of newsgroups and the various blogs that I follow.  I think without this activity being built into my daily ritual, I would not be as active as I am in modelling in the shed.

On Tuesday Night I announced my intention to complete the basic scenery around the top deck of Cassino by Christmas.  To me that means I will be working flat out over the Christmas - New Year holiday period.  To complete this task, I will need to install the Upper Richmond River River Crossing just north of Kyogle.  This rather large crossing has a nice bridge that I may have to scratch build with a few different types of bridge either side of the main span.  Between both banks there is a road underbridge on either side of the river with different levels of terrain heights above the baseboard required.  I had previously decided that I would also add some depth of the area behind the Kyogle Platform.  I would include a road and the buildings on the other side of the road.  I would be able to show off a series of structures, fences, road, footpaths, gutters, etc. in this area as one of two places on the layout where I can put multiple buildings together in the one area.  When I said basic scenery being finished by Christmas, I meant without the trees, lineside fencing, telegraph lines and various detail items need to really bring the area to life.  It alone will take me about 5 years to build thousands of trees for the top deck.  I'm not looking forward to this.  There is another area on the top deck that also need to be completed, this is the area south of The Risk.  I'm also not looking forward to this as this area is the most difficult to reach.  But we will see.

Today I had an early morning working bee at the kids school and after watching the tennis late last night, I did not get to the shed today. When one of the kids went to a birthday party this afternoon - I caught up with a few zzzzz's - I was completely knackered. Yesterday was a different story. After lunch I went to the shed to potter around. I eventually ended up working around Kyogle and the Hotham Road Level crossing at Cassino.

At Kyogle I cut two sections of ply 1200mm long to increase the baseboard depth behind Kyogle station by approx 400mm.  These have yet to be actually joined in but that will be next weekend's task.  I also started terra forming using styrofoam the Upper Richmond River Opening.  As a first cut - so to speak - what has been achived is not bad.  I have also decided that I will incorporate a 300mm high scenic break behind Kyogle station and I will need about a 450mm high break behind the river opening.  Next week I will have to buy 2 sheets of 3mm ply for this purpose.  I will attach this to the behind of the extended baseboards at Kyogle before they are permanently put in place.

While I was in the terra forming groove, I decided to attack the next major bottom level area that needs some work done.  So I started adding styrofoam to the area around the Hotham Road Level Crossing filling in the open benchwork.  This area needs some more work, as I think I may need to move the level crossing slightly or invoke modeller's license or I may have to rip up a section of track and relay it.  Next week I provide more information on what has been decided.


Have a good week modelling!