The last
week started off with the public holiday Monday spent modelling at the kitchen table. Ah, the
life! I produced a few more models of the 40’ container flats with
a wire cage end. After this, my modelling efforts turned to checking out
the Hanovale Models FAM fit. The kit has all the components extremely straight and true, but I
did have to clean up a bit of flash, particularly in every window opening – that
that is not an issue. In preparation I drilled out the relevant holes in the body for
wire handrails, screws for bogie attachment and also joining the base to the
roof. I washed all the kit components in warm soapy water and allowed them to
dry on a flat surface. The rest of the week was totally free of modelling
except Friday night. This was spent down at the local hobby shop – Simon
Says at their now traditional first Friday of the month Modelling night. I was joined by Darren and Geoff
and we set about modelling with an absolute huge turnout of modellers - the biggest yet. I
put together another three models of 40’ containers with wire cage ends.
After that my modelling attention again turned to my FAM kiy. I started gluing the two
sides to the base and adding the two ends.
With
yesterday spent over at the Club chatting with everyone, it was not until today
that I did any more modelling. I left it until after the Great Race had
completed. I had to grind about 2-3mm off the end of the roof to allow it
to fit. But by doing this and trying to lever out the sides to get a tight fit, I made the sides come adrift from the base - Damn! I think I will
need to go over the carriage joins with some epoxy glue or get a better brand
of super glue.
So now the
kit has been reglued and is drying. The roof has been added and is just
sitting in the frame to keep the sides the correct distance apart.
So next
weekend I envisage that this kit will be cleaned up, washed again and a base spray coat of paint
will be applied. That might be followed by a spray of silver paint if I
can find any at home. While painting, I will try and paint up the rest of
my fleet of 40’ container wagons.
I have
asked the boss to keep a few tea bags aside for me and I plan to disassemble these and
then cut them out into the size of tarpaulin. It looks like I can get 2
tarps out of a tea bag. My tarps I'm modelling will be 24’ x 16’. But who will know their size as most will be folded up. I plan to drop
these into my standard stain mix and allow to dry. I will fold some up
for locating on my new container flats (and tie them down), while others will be installed folded
up in some open wagons already on the layout. I will also see if I can hide some
loads under the tarps on a couple of my new 40’ container flats. That is one of
the advantages of this hobby. You can try lots of things, if they do not
turn out, you try something else. I already have a few tarps rolled up
and left lying in Lismore Yard near one of the sidings.
During the
week, after looking at some other blogs out there (you buggers have got a lot
to answer for) I decided to commit to buying a Speed-e-gas tanker from
SDS. This wagons will be added to either my oil train from Grafton to
Lismore with an extra wagon of speed-e-gas added and the train continuing from
the oil siding at Lismore to another siding that I will activate at Lismore
behind the station. Alternatively, I will add the wagon to the
Murwillumbah Shunt train. However, this train is already too long to fit
into the back platform road at Cassino on its way around the layout. Maybe
I can add the speed-e-gas wagon to the front of the train? So anyway a
few decisions need to be made. Either way more changes to the timetables
are required.
I also saw
a photo of the SDS guards van. Damn the four letter coding van looks very
nice. Maybe I will add it to one of the trains operating around the top
deck of the layout from Acacia Ridge to Clapham Yard to Park Road Sidings and then
South Brisbane Interstate and back again. My wife will cut me in half if she
knows how much I am going into debt for these wagons as well as the RUB set
that I have not yet ordered with some add on wagons - $1000. Then there is the realisation that after
looking through various Brisbane Limited consists last week, that I needed
another three passenger cars to make up my true Brisbane Limited set after the
RUB cars are released by Auscision. I think I can purchase some of Bergs
HUB cars to add to my train – BH, SBH and BHA. Again that is another $200
that I had not budgeted for. As Dr Smith once said is an old sci-fi
series ‘Lost in space’ – ‘Oh the pain, the pain!”.
I’m still looking for a small Lotto win, to pay off my
model railway debts! Maybe next week.