All Ballasted Out

Yesterday and today I have spent some time in the shed.  That time was spent continuing to ballasting Cassino Yard and the track from the Richmond River Bridge to the south of Cassino Station.  I am now basically out of ballast.  The three kilograms that I purchased recently has now been consumed.  I need to buy a few more kilograms at the Brisbane Model Train Show.  I am thinking about 8 kilograms at least, to finish the major sceniced areas of the layout, That includes the northern end of Cassino Yard through to Cassino Meat Works, Fairy Hill Loop through to Kyogle and then through to Kyogle Stock Siding and then to Cougal Spiral.  I also have some more work through Running Creek between Border Tunnel and the next tunnel north.  I also have the large area of Lismore and its Yard to complete.  That still leaves a number of areas that can be ballasted at a future time including Old Cassino and the various blobs either side of Lismore and of course Murwillumbah and the track past Murwillumbah where the various industry sidings are located.  That does not include the southern end of Fairy Hill Loop around the blob and of course the Nammoona Ballast Siding.  I still need a truck load of ballast to have the layout anywhere near described as ballasted.

 

I have also fielded a few questions of late about my next running day which should be in late June.  There is still one loose wire on a point at the southern end of Kyogle that needs its wire soldered back on and I need to still reset some trains back at their start location in the timetable as that is where the next session will start from.  I also need to print off a new set of timetable cards and clean all the track that has recently been ballasted over to remove the glue from the rail tops.

I had forgotten that there is a modelling night this Friday night at Geoff’s until I saw the discussion on a facebook group early this weekend.  So I must spend some time one night this week thinking about what I will be doing and packing everything up to take.  I should then keep the stuff together as the following weekend is the Brisbane Model Train Exhibition at the RNA showgrounds Marquee in sideshow alley.  I will be working on the Structure Building Stand.  Unfortunately my partner in crime (Jim Hutchinson) will not be attending as he will now be in Sydney.  I have sought a replacement or two from various Club Members and someone from outside the Club.  So pop by and say g'day.

Starting just north of the Richmond River bridge the new ballasting work begins.

 

The work continues into Cassino Station.

The Cassino Yard has been ballasted but some of the back platform road and the carriage siding have not yet been completed.  The yellow paint on the side of the rail is the clearance point for trains in that siding.

At the northern end of Cassino platform, we see a change in ballast type in the carriage siding.

Looking north from Cassino platform.

 

This shot shows where the branch line begins behind the fettler's shed. 

Looking back south towards the platform.

The tracks near the Cassino Signal cabin.  Again the yellow paint showing the clearance points for the train drivers.

At the southern end of the platform, the road overbridge proved slightly difficult to ballast under.

 

The overhead booking office has been placed next to the road in this show, along with the steps to the platform.