Still Loads of Fun

This week was again full on at work, so I was very happy to make it home on Friday afternoon, as that meant I had a weekend of modelling activities through social self-isolation to look forward to.  However, this was initially delayed because on Saturday morning I went to the hobby shops.  I had planned to pick up some styrene at Austral Modelcraft.  I picked up two packets for steel loads 'I' and 'H' beams, but the 0.040” rod and 0.040” x 0.040” strip sections in the styrene stand were empty - damn.  So off to Aurora Trains, and then I decided to buy way more than I thought I needed.  I cleaned him out of 0.040” rod by buying two packets and then decided to also pick up a 0.047” packet for good measure.  I also picked up the required packet of 0.040” x 0.040” strip, but this time I left more for other people.  I was not a same class at the 'Dunny paper' hoarders, or is that just a Queensland thing at the moment?

When I got home I went to the shed and started work on building some steel loads.  I cut up some styrene and made lots of dunnage.  I then painted the items.  I also received a late text from Brendan saying that there was a BBQ at his place tonight.  I assumed that Darren and Geoff were also going to be there and I was correct in my assumption.  We spent the first bit sitting around his large outdoor setting with just the 4 of us in his pergola.  Each having their required 4sq m to themselves.  After our feed of snags, we went to his layout and then assisted him solving a dilemma about how to fit the tortoise motors under his layout through maybe a 75mm foam base.  The brainwave came, and he spent his time at the modelling table creating an add-on brass attachment (prototype) to his tortoise point motors.  The first one apparently tested correctly and he is absolutely thrilled, and many more were churned out during the evening.  There may be a future article coming on his solution in a model railway magazine.

So when we retired to his dining room,I just sat at the far end of his modelling table, with the four of us at each end of the table filling up a greater then 16sq m dining room, again keeping to the governments recommended of 4sq m per person.  We also regularly disinfected our throats with adequate amounts of alcohol to keep the corona virus away.  I spent the time, assembling the components that I cut and painted up during the afternoon.  Just before I came home, I cut up the two packets of ‘H’ and ‘I’ beam steel so I could work on them today.

Today I went back down to the shed and continued utilising all the styrene that I had left over from yesterday.  There is none left now, all 6 packets are used up.  I also dipped into some other packets that I had around utilising some other styrene shapes, like square tube, round tube for other loads.  I painted up more loads of steel beam, steel rod, steel tube, wooden dunnage and also weathered two WAOX wagons after seeing some fantastic photos of Rohan Fergusson’s wagons on facebook.  I happen to glace at two WAOX wagons on my layout and they were pristine in appearance - I couldn't have that.  Not any more!  All of less than 5 minutes work and they are very acceptable for redeployment back on the layout.  They are now decrepit and very dirty, and back on the layout.  Thanks for the inspiration Rohan.

So I have completed about 6 loads, and just have to glue another 6 loads together.  While at it, I thought that I might make two other loads for my mate’s layouts.  One load will fit a BDX wagon, and another would kit a K wagon.  So next time I see these guys they will get a present.  That was to be this Tuesday but our get together has now been cancelled.  I really can’t complain about that in the current environment.  I wish the stupid people who continue to flout the rules when they have the disease just get locked up somewhere without medical care.  Good old Darwinism at its best.  Survival of the fittest.  I have two relatives who were on one of those cruise ships that docked in Sydney last Friday.  At least they will wait it out at their home for 14 days.  But again, I'm sure they don't have it as they were also self medicating with anti-bacterial alcohol while on board the ship.

Keep safe everyone.  I still have to go to work this coming week.