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On Tuesday night this week ten of us met at Dr Peter’s place for a great night of discussion and solving lots of modelling problems.  There were a few items changing hands between attendees.  People getting rid of excess items and others sharing in a mail delivery by one of the group and splitting postage costs.  This can be a great source of savings in your modelling budget.

This weekend started with a trip to some local train shops on Saturday morning.  I was looking for some evergreen styrene strip, but they didn’t have any so I only ended up buying a single length of code 40 rail.  I use small lengths of the rail as sign posts to which I add give way and stop signs.  That could be a job for next weekend.

Today I decided to revisit my styrene modelling desk and see what was buried on the cutting board.  Lots of paper, a magazine and then I found some QR HO and HOE wagons in various states of completion.  Also on my cutting board, was what appeared to be parts of a buildings I had cut out.  Now that had me stumped.  I could not work out what I was building.  After about 30 minutes of racking my brain, I worked out that that was the station building for Kyogle Station.  How could I forget that?  Well I did for a while.  This will be put back on the 'To do' list for an early December task when I’m on Holidays.

My main aim at the moment is complete the unfinished QR HO and HOE wagons and then scratch build maybe another 5 QR flat wagons.  I will then add all these new wagons to the narrow gauge timetable and work out where I can store these wagons on the layout and modify the timetable cards accordingly.  I then intend to run through the narrow gauge timetable at least twice before the end of December. 

Now back to the task of completing the HO and HOE wagons.  On the layout I had one painted QR HO wagon which does look quite good, as well as an unpainted but substantially completed HO wagon.  The cutting board had two HO wagons and 2 HOE wagons.  So I looked closely at some photos of QR HO wagons and realised that my substantially completed HO wagon did not have a lip on the wagon underframe.  So this was easily added with some 0.030” x 0.060” styrene strip added to the underframe and I feel that this wagon is now completed.  I then added the same underframe lips to the other 2 HO and 2 HOE wagons.  The two HO wagons have had some ribs added to the sides and ends of the wagons, as well as data boards, bogie bolsters, a wagon underframe and a wagon gunwale.

I also added KD’s to one of the two HO wagons. I ran out of time to do that to the second HO wagon.  I need a length of styrene that I will pick up this coming weekend on my way to the Club.  This styrene strip is to complete the underframe detail – on the wagon centre sill.  Next Saturday afternoon, I intend to paint the three completed QR HO wagons.  After that I will add some lead weight to the space between the wagon sill sides and these wagons will be ready to place and operate on the layout.

Next Sunday I will then start and hopefully complete the two HOE wagons, and maybe even get around to painting them as well.  Over the next few weeks, I think I will have to buy another packet of 5 pairs of 12mm bogies from one of the local hobby shops.  Then I can start the building of the next lot of 12mm flat wagons.  The earlier I complete this task, the earlier I can start the 12mm layout testing, before my next Operations session after Christmas this year.