For Thinking and Planning Than Modelling

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.