I could not wait for this long weekend to creep up on me. This marks the end of me being the acting boss at work. Now I'm back to my day job, which was what I was still doing when I was the boss. Saturday was an early start as I wanted to mow the grass before it rained. The rain held off for most of the day. At 3:00pm Brendan was having a modelling afternoon and a BBQ dinner for Darren, Geoff and myself. We all got there around 3:00pm, and inspected his progress on his layout. Brendan had pained the backdrop a nice blue colour (the day before we rocked up). He is also scratch building his code 70 points. His points including a couple of double slips look like pieces of fine artwork. I could never produce anything that well done. But I suppose soldering is his trade. So after chatting for almost an hour we adjourned to his dining room table, cracked open a cold drink and started modelling.
I had brought along my two already created examples of RKFX wagons to show the guys. My job on this day was to build a third. Well it did not take that long, but by the time I left at about 9:00pm, I had created that wagon number three. I also started cutting up a number of low sided spoil containers for the layout.. I do remember seeing a photo of a QR container wagon with two spoil containers on it. I thought I might have stolen a copy of this off the internet to my PC for reference purposes, but I cannot find it. So maybe I did not do that. These low height containers are just like the Auscision spoil containers. So I thought, why purchase, when I can just scratch build some of these containers. I cut up the pieces for 8 bases and 8 pairs of long sides while at Brendan’s. I had glued the long sides to four bases before I went home. We had a very nice time talking, and modelling. Thanks for organising mate.
Today I started early and I took the newly created RKFX wagon down the shed and gave it a quick run on the track and it did not derail. The next step was to give it a coat of all over green spray paint. I also cut the ends for the first 4 half height containers and attached these to the containers. I tidied these up and gave them an all over coat of International Orange. These will eventually be coated with Frosted Glass to dull them down and lightly weathered. Who knows I might even drop a few into Aurora trains next weekend and see if anyone wants a pair or two.
The RKFX wagon painted and lightly weathered.
The RKFX wagon side on.
Four of the Spoil Containers
The main reason for setting up the modelling equipment in the kitchen today was to try and execute on last weekends promise of building some rail loads for the RKFX wagons. I cut my 0.030” x 0.080” lengths of styrene in half - 180mm each. I then stuck some pieces of paper on my work bench where they aligned to the walls on the wagons. I then one by one, applied glue to the underside of these styrene lengths and then placed these onto the four pieces of paper. The glue sticking the styrene to the paper. I then applied glue to the next piece of styrene and placed it next to the first piece of styrene. Then one by one, I added more pieces of styrene. When I had 15 pieces of styrene, that was it. I lifted the pieces of paper up off the modelling table and let the whole assembly dry. I then took the load down to the shed, and applied by rail brown paint to it and voila, I had a nice rail load for my RKFX wagon.
The second of my rail loads
So after a while, I started on the second layer of rail with my second load. This was also painted and has now been added to the first RKFX wagon. The plan is to create a third and fourth layer of rail and maybe then start on at least two and a bit layers of rail on a second wagon. The two layers of rail load so far has taken just over one and half packets of styrene. I think I might have to buy another two packets of styrene to complete the second wagon’s load.
The RKFX wagon with two layers of rail loads
Tonight while watching the tennis, I will complete the next 4 half height container flats. I will then start cutting up some more styrene for the next batch of containers.
I also attached two backboards on Fisherman Islands
My new step at Clapham Yard. I stood on this to take the previous picture.
The north step at Fisherman Islands
The south step at Fisherman Islands
The Step at South Brisbane Interstate.
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