Post Operating Session Fixes

So before the Monday Operating Session I discovered that one of my headset plug in points had a broken plug in connector.  Given that we had no North Coast Control (NCC) in operation, then we were not using any headsets so the broken plug in point did not cause any issues.  So on Tuesday morning I started doing some fixes.  The control panel at Murwillumbah was fixed.  The screw was adjusted and the wires re-soldered on.  

I found out that 8019, which wouldn't run, had its long address set to 0.  Whoops.  I was working on that loco prior to the Ops Session.  Maybe after a reset it I forgot to set is address again.  So that was my fault.  I then re-consisted 8019 back into its Brisbane Limited consist.  I inspected every ballast wagon on the ballast train and tested the wheels and they all ran well.  I gave it a run back and forth between The Risk Loop and Glenapp Loop and everything seemed fine now.  The next day I ran the troublesome ballast train from The Risk crossing loop to Nammoona Ballast Siding, and then ran it back again.  Guess what?  No issues.  So the work I did on every wagon the day after the Ops Session must have fixed what was wrong.  It must have been no use for 12 months that caused its issues.

As I was working the ballast train back to the The Risk, I noticed that some rails had not been painted.  So I then decided to paint some rails brown along the route.  Some points in Border Loop were also done.  I then started to look at a couple of narrow gauge wagons (12mm) whose bogies are slightly stiff.  I then turned my attention to two wagons that were bad ordered from the Oil train during the Ops Session.  One open wagon, was slightly high one end, but also very light.  So I removed one KD washer from one end and found some lead to put inside the wagon.  The second wagons was an oil tanker.  It has low couplers.  So I can add a washer above the bogies, but that makes the bogies unable to swivel.  The bogies are of the clip on variety.  So I am looking at maybe changing them to a screw in type.  We will see.  While fixing up these wagons from the Oil train, I got thinking.  The open wagon, which delivers full drums to the Oil Depot at Old Cassino, also takes full drums away.  The difference between full and empty drums is how they are packed into the train.  Full Drums stand upright.  Empty drums are laid down.  I have decided to add some more operations to the up and down Oil trains.  So after the open wagon is placed into the Oil Siding at Old Cassino from number 49 down oil train, its removable load of full drums will be replaced with a removable load of empty drums.  When train No. 50 gets back to Grafton Yard, the Empty drums will also be replaced with the full drums again. 

The loaded drums.

The empty drums

The wagon where the loads are placed

As a follow up to the previous week’s post about a loco (4836) not working this was the result.  I found that I had a spare NCE D13SRJ decoder laying around.  So I thought I would swap the decoder out of 4836.  I had an idea that it had a D13SRJ in it as well.  However, when I opened it up, it had an older hard wired D13SR.  So I had to unsolder and resolder all the wires to replace it with the newer D13SRJ.  It did not run.  So I took the motor out and eventually I got it running.  I have no idea why it would not run.  But it would tick away doing CV writes, but not move when full motor current was applied.  Anyway, I removed and reattached the motor wires, and used a 9V battery applied direct to the motor to test it and it ran.  I then tested the wires I applied to the motor and they then worked.  I then fully installed the decoder, and tested it and it was off and running again.  So maybe it was some sort of motor connection problem all along.  But that loco is now back in the roster.  I added this loco back into its 3 loco consist that I swapped it out from, and returned the loco that I swapped it with, back to being a spare loco.

I investigated three issues that Darren reported during the Operations session.  I adjusted three sets of point throws in the southern end of Cassino Yard and they now do a full throw in both directions.  The chance of derailments due to the blades not laying up against the stock rails here is now gone.  I also adjusted the fence line at the Rocla Sleeper siding and ran the car carrier through that location a dozen times and it now appears incident free.  I also fixed the power feed on the main at Rocla Sleeper Siding.  There is no more stopping when the point is set for the siding.

I also fixed a manual point throw at Kyogle that came out from underneath the Peco point.  I also found quite a few notes made to some of my Shunt lists from the operations session.  As trains have evolved over time, I may not have been too diligent in adjusting the current shunt lists.  I also realised that I could simplify a few timetable cards where the returning trains need to travel around the return loops at Grafton Yard before backing into one of the dead end sidings.  But to do so I will have to re-locate a train that sits on track 8A to somewhere else on the layout.  I will get around to that later on.  Today I updated the timetable cards and various shunt lists.  I found out that some of the changes I was to make to the shunt lists, were already made.  I just did not print new shunt list cards since the last session.  Again my mistake!  However, there were plenty of slight changes made to various instructions on the timetable cards and on some shunt lists.  I added the extra 2 cement wagons to the shunt lists for train numbers 3 and 4 the cement train.  I added the new wagons to the shunt lists for train numbers 49 and 50 the Oil train.  I also added the instructions to the timetable cards for the replacing the drum loads on those two trains as well.

Happy New Year everyone.

Running Session Wrap

Monday this week started with the phone starting to ring off the hook as the time for the December Operations Session approached.  Crew were dropping like flies.  Marty’s Dad had a fall and had a fractured wing.  He’d been up at the hospital from 4:00am and was in no state to drive up to my place and participate.  Glen had a sore throat and was going to get a covid test.  Jeff whom was waiting for his wife’s covid test for quite a few days finally got a Positive result at 12:30am – not something he was looking forward to.  Darryl, forgot the house number, given that new car port out the front probably confused him.

But at 11:30am the BBQ was fired up, and from midday the crew started to trickle in.  We had Darryl and his son Chris, followed by Darren, Arthur and Greg all rock up.  We had a few snags and a cold drink and a bit of a natter before heading down to the shed and kicking off Operations just before 1:00pm.  Given the small numbers, we decided to do away with North Coast Control and everyone was running trains, working themselves between crossing loops.  So if the next section was free, they could take the staff for that section and progress their train in accordance with their timetable card.

Everyone read their notices, the aircon was turned on, their throttles given cab addresses on my layout, the fastclock started and away we went.  So over the next 3 hours we had 28 trains operate.  A few trains that have sat idle in sidings for over 12 months without turning a wheel ran rather poorly.  My ballast train which is normally a great train to operate ran abysmally.  It was uncoupling, derailed at a few locations and on a couple of points.  It might need a service.  Loco 8019 which was in a consist with 8040 and was to drive the Brisbane Limited south from South Brisbane would not move.  Whoops.  So a jumbo 442 was substituted for the stalled 8019 and normal services resumed.

I had added a couple of wagons to the oil train since last running, and they had not been tested.  Guess what?  They were bad ordered.  So that is a job for me to fix up – post session.  Coupler issues and lack of weight in one maybe two wagons.

A gate on the Rocla Sleeper siding was causing some minor issues.  However, the fence along the outer edge of Rocla Siding had recently been sheeted in wire mesh.  It seemed that a few wagons going past were rubbing on the wire and gradually peeling the wire back along the fence.  I will have to look at that.  At that same location, the points at the northern end of this loop, were set for the Siding, but as the loco approached on the main, it stopped.  It appears that there is bad power feed in one rail at this location.

My CPH railmotor must have some dirty wheels, as it continually stops and restarts.  So that will get a service.  The 620/720 will also get the same service, as it was derailing more than usual.  Maybe it has a build up of gunk on the wheels.  I realised after the CPH left Kyogle that my track cleaning train was occupying the Loop at that location.  So I moved it from there to the Kyogle Butter Siding.

I just recently did some work with soldering wires onto the control panel at Murwillumbah.  But I need to do some work on the screws holding it in place.  It was wobbling all over the place.  That cause two wires to come adrift again.  So that stopped the points being able to be thrown for the Loop.  So that will also be addressed permanently post session.

A few trains went via some unusual routes.  The Gold Coast Motorail went via the sidings at Murwillumbah to gain access to the platform.  The ARHS CPH railmotor tour went via the wrong way around the return loops at Acacia Ridge and got stalled under Rocklea Sidings.  So it had to be rescued, and put on the right track.  A 44 class whose wheels were continually going out of gauge, was derailing.  So it was swapped over for a 442 Class and that caused the train to run a lot better.  That 44 class with have its wheels gears changed before the next session.

Darren was running one train with two locos and a coupling pulled out on the lead loco.  So I grabbed that loco and fixed the coupling and then after the glue dried, it magically was transported back onto the front of the train.  Darren also reported that some manual points in Cassino were not throwing fully.  They left the slightest of gaps between the point rail and the stock rail.  It might have caused a problem or two.  A few points were not throwing properly at Rocklea Sidings.  But pushing the button twice seemed to throw the point over properly.  I will check that out and also give that track a bit of a clean.  The pre-session track cleaning train does not operate through the various sidings at this location, so it is a manual job.  It wasn’t done before the session.

Given that the number of operators were down on normal, the number of trains running concurrently was down, so some trains were not in their required location before another was due to run through a location.  That then causes issues with the timetable.  A case in point, the Railbus which had just run from South Brisbane Interstate Station to Cassino, terminates in the back platform road.  About 20 minutes later it is taken on another run to the branch terminus of Murwillumbah.  However, before the Railbus could leave, a goods train from the branch was due to travel via the Back Platform Road and do some shunts across to the Cassino Yard.  It could not use the Back Platform Road.

A few points will be added to the Notices for the next operations session.  I few words will be changed on some of the timetable cards to be even more specific to the Operator to ensure they place the wagon sin the correct location, or go via the correct route.  I had the motor rail wagon stored at the wrong end of South Brisbane Interstate platform.  I will look at the timetable card to see if I can be more clearer.  I also heard some comments via some ex-railway staff, that these instructions were not written by someone who has done the job of shunting previously.  These are all backwards.  So I will revisit those instructions as well.  All in good fun, but I do enjoy being the brunt of all these comments throughout the session.

Soon after 4:00pm we had a cessation of activities due to excess hours and we adjourned to the pergola for a final drink of the crew’s favourite poison:- beer, soft drink, coffee, and a snack of some sweet biscuits and cakes etc.

Thanks for persevering guys.  We will be back again but it will be much sooner than 12 months this time.  Thanks for attending.

The 620/720 set is running from Cassino to Border Loop on the Goat.  It is just crossing Fairy Lane

The 620/720 set is about to take the Main in Fairy Hill Loop.

In the crossing Loop, the 620/720 meets the Railbus which is in the Loop waiting for the cross.

Arthur is shunting the wagons for the return Brisbane Limited at South Brisbane Interstate.

Chris and Darryl watching a train depart Park Road Siding.

Darryl is next to the Good Shed at Park Road Siding looking across to South Brisbane Interstate.

Arthur is doing another shunt, this time the Branch pickup goods from Murwillumbah to Grafton Yard.  It is here picking up 5 wagons that have returned from the Cassino Meatworks and were placed in the yard for this train to take them back south.

The meeting of the minds.  Darren, Arthur and Darryl.  They surround South Brisbane Interstate.  I think they are hatching something.  Maybe a cunning plan.

Bring It On!

So a Christmas update.  I hope everyone had a fabulously merry Christmas with their families.  Let’s hope that the big fella in red has dropped some model train related items under your Christmas trees.  I received my usual items:- Dilbert Calendar, Sudoku book, chocolate coated almonds and a few other items. 

On Friday afternoon, I tested another 5 locos.  I also electronically submitted my two NMRA APs for CIVIL and Electrical.  I have two hard copy bundles of paper to give to the local guru to check them out when he comes round some time next year.  I have also started reading through the paperwork for NMRA AP for Dispatcher.  I hope to have all of that complete by the end of the holiday period.  I realised that I need two NMRA mates to sign off the hours undertaken operating on their layouts.  So I just need to arrange a meet to get that elusive signature. 

On Friday evening I went to the shed and sceniced a small area about 2’ x 1’.  On Christmas Morning I went back down to the shed, after the normal family activities and did another small area of scenicing around the same size.  However, the main task for that day was to check out my headphone system.  I know that I have an issue with one set of headset plug in point.  So that was quite easily remedied, by soldering the wires back on.  However, upon testing the system, with no DCC power applied to the track, it appears that there is a rather large squeal through the headsets.  I always thought that it was related to the DCC signal in the track running parallel to the headset system, causing some inductance.  However, it appears not related to this.  So my next task was to unscrew all 24 headset plug in points and inspect everyone separately to see if I can see any issues before Monday’s Operations Session.  I could not find any incidents of wires touching, or wires off any of the pushbuttons, or plug in points.  Oh well, we will have to live with it until I can come up with a better solution.

The last task yesterday was to stock the fridge, and then clear the dispatcher’s desk at North Coast Control.  The table and chairs in the pergola were washed down.  The Boss got some snags today and a carton of milk for the shed, but who bothers to check the gas level in the BBQ.  I like to live on the edge!  Tomorrow morning the tea and coffee, sugar and coffee cups come out in the shed.   Marty is bringing his camera along tomorrow and will be following some drivers along with their trains.  So if it is to go wrong, it will tomorrow as Marty will capture it and the whole world will see it.

A late update from two attendees, is that they are late withdrawals.  Someone is awaiting a covid test result and the other has had a change of plans thrust upon them.

Bring it on!

Loco Testing Can Be Very Testing

Last Sunday night I ballasted the track for my last piece of trackwork for my AP- CIVIL.  On Monday evening, I cleaned the track and then ran a standard gauge and a narrow gauge train through the 3rd rail diverter track.  All ran well.  I then decided to also run through the first piece of track my dual gauge point.  The standard  gauge loco ran well in both direction through both routes.  The narrow gauge loco and its train ran well for about 8 trips and then it derailed in one direction twice.  So I swapped locos and it was OK again.  I think there might be something hanging down from the loco, like sanding pipes, that are catching somewhere.  I will look at it later on.

On Friday during the day I spent that time in front of the TV watching the cricket and redoing some diagrams for my Ap – Electrical.  On Friday evening after the cricket, I continued going through my blog looking for details of Operating Sessions I either gave or attended to justify my various hours of work for the various activities for AP – Dispatcher, which I am now working on.  I feel that my AP – CIVIL and AP – Electrical are both now complete.  They just need to be submitted and evaluated by the local boss before being sent to the national guy.

On Friday I also started to prepare for the upcoming Operating Session next week.  I identified the time to set the fast clock to at the start of the session, and I have been writing up a notice for the crew to set the scene of the day.  A mate who used to be very regular with his own operating sessions, used to be the absolute best with his paperwork to set the scene of the session.  But we have not had a session at his place for a couple of years now.  Hint, Hint Anthony!

On Saturday morning I went to the shed to do some loco testing.  It has been 12 months since some locos had turned a wheel.  So I tested the first four of them and then I got distracted.  I realised that Old Cassino did not have any fascias installed.  So guess what?  I cut up some white board and some strips of MDF and installed them.  Almost three metres of fascia.  I then painted the fascia black and now they fit in just nice, and it lifted the area slightly.  I also realised that there could be two holiday projects around Old Cassino.  One will be to do the pipe work around the old Oil Siding and paint the various tanks, and the other is to complete the last of the scenery around Old Cassino yard.  There are plenty of other projects on the list as well.

While testing some locos on Saturday morning I did find out that I had one wire come off a control panel in Murwillumbah, as one point would not throw.  So that was Sunday afternoon’s job, along with another two dozen locos getting tested.  A few locos were DOA.  I had to give them a decoder reset.  I got most of them back to life.  One loco in a three loco consist would not talk at all, even after about 6 resets.  I could control headlights, other lights, it would acknowledge every time I read or wrote a CV via the motor pulse.  But it would not move at all.  Any one got any ideas?  It has an NCE D13SRJ decoder in it.  But two other locos that were giving me some issues, did come back to life after a decoder reset.  I cannot for the life of me find the two boxes that two locos came in.  I must have put them away for safe keeping.  I think their manuals might be in that their boxes.  I will keep looking.

I also moved a few narrow gauge trains around to make some room in Acacia Ridge Yard.  Still some more work to do here as well.

On Saturday night I joined an online meeting with a few Aussies, a couple of yanks and about two dozen Poms for their fortnightly meeting.  This morning I watched most of the last NMRA-X for the year.  

There are just a few more locos (maybe 5) that really need to be tested before next Monday week.  Maybe a job for this Friday.  I am on holidays again from that day.

Let's hope that the big fellow in red delivers a very nice model railway gift to end the year on a high note.

The Countdown Begins

Earlier in the week I sent out an email to my operations crew about an upcoming Operating Session after Christmas.  Little by little the replies are dribbling in.  So far I have 6 YES's and a couple of NO's.  We have not operated on the layout since last Christmas.  But I have done quite a bit of scenery work, including ballasting, backdrops and building additions.  So it will hopefully be an eye opener for the crew.

After dinner on Friday night with nothing on the idiot box, I went to the shed and laid ballast on a gauge splitter piece of track, that I need for by AP - CIVIL.  That didn’t take long.  Next task was to come up stairs and pack my models and the items I was taking to the Club on Saturday into the car.  That allowed me an early get away on Saturday morning.  However, before I put the models into the car, I did a last minute adjustment on my two Grain wagons – Pain and Rain, I got my Panel Line Accent Colors out and did some more weathering work on them.  They had some rust added to the bogies and a few nooks and crannies got some black, and brown colours.  The walkways were weathered as well.  I also added some light greys.  I think the two grain wagons came up better looking than a wagon straight from the paint shop.

So I hit the road early on Saturday.  When I got there I saw that a tree had come down in the Club car park.  The result of a storm through the area on Wednesday afternoon.  

The tree in the carpark down after the storm

The BBQ was fired up after 11:00am and a very nice Christmas feast was cooked by the crew, with a few salads and bread rolls also available.  After that we had the various Christmas Hampers raffled off.  Unfortunately I did not win any of the 7 hampers available.  We had about 50 people turn up and there were a few presentations may as well.  Congratulations to those winners.  A very good day.  The main reason for attending was to enter my models into the modelling competition.  To put it bluntly, member participation was crap.  There was only 9 entries in the 3 categories.  I had 6 in one category alone.  So it was quite obvious that I won that category.  But it was tight between Me, myself, I, the winner, the runner up and the guy that came last.

I mentioned last week that ‘This sometimes works out to be a popularity contest and voters don’t take into account the work and modelling skills and effort that has gone into making any of the models.’ and my comment came true.  In one of the categories, there was a G Scale 3D printed train and an N scale scene on the Clubroom layout.  It was obvious what the N scale people voted for, when it was obvious to me where the modelling skills and effort were displayed.  I can say ripped off.

The beginner's category.  One entry and unanimous winner.

Fantastic Modelling here

The Border Loop signalman's house.  The winning entry.  Out the back are two water tanks.  on the verandah are some lounge chairs and a couple of side tables to but their cold drinks on.

The Kyogle Butter Factory.  this has graffiti on the back wall.

The QGA bulk grain wagon.  This one is called Pain.

The QGA bulk grain wagon.  This one is called Rain.

The QR WHOS wagon, made from a WHO wagon, with the blue ends painted on making it a WHOS wagon and a steel load added in a heavily weathered wagon.

A standard QR WHO wagon with a weathered inside.  A few pieces of dunnage and a few tarps are inside the wagon.

Anyway, I spent most of the time at the Club drinking a few tubes, talking to my mates and eating a packet of Cheezels that I bought along to share for the day.  PK dropped off my can of Yellow Oxide that he picked up a couple of weeks back.  Not bad for $4.00.  So the guys dispersed after 3:00pm and when I got home, I had time to mowed the grass.

So today I cut up some pieces of ply and made a deck for the access bridge over the Grafton Loops area, to allow quick access to the inside of the loops.  I also added some sleepers under my last piece of track required for my AP – CIVIL and then applied ballast.  So I will test the track maybe later tonight or perhaps on Tuesday before I head off to Tuesday Nighters.  Today I decided to build a portable NCE Powercab test track until I found out my existing 12V power supplies did not fit the PCP plug.  That was indeed a bummer.  The portable Powercab setup was to be used to provide power to clean the wheels of various locos in the leadup to the next operations session after Christmas, when I am in the house or even if I am online during one of the various online events that I attend during the week.  So I made a trip to Jaycar and found some plugs that allowed me to make a physical connection from the power supply to the PCP.  I manually wired the two intermediate plugs together.  I gave the test track a quick test and all is OK.  My test track is dual gauge so I can use it to test and clean HO or HOn 3 1/2 gauge locos.

Not many opportunities left to get things ready for my operations session.  So I must create a list, check it twice and actually do all the tasks on the list.  I calculate that there are about 5 ¼ work days available to do my stuff in the shed in perataion.

A Week Away

I spent most of week just gone down the Gold Coast.  It was quite wet on Tuesday and early Wednesday.  But I did get to the beach and the pool on every other day.  So I did some styrene building on Tuesday.  I made two strings of pallets.  However, that was my extent of my motivation to build anything.  I had plans to do lots of work, but never got around to it.  I did check out the local $2 shop at Coolangatta and found some LED flickering candles that were controlled by an infra-red remote on-off switch.  How good is that?  So I just had to buy a packet of 12 of these.  I experimented with two and by just directing the infra-red remote directly at the candle you can get one to turn on/off independently to the others.  I will remove the IR circuit from the candles and add it my various LED power circuits on my layout – car headlights, street lights, incinerators, and other items, so that I can now independently control them now without having a switch positioned on the fascia.

The only other activity I did during the week was draw up some track plans for my NMRA AP paperwork for Model Railroad Engineer – CIVIL.  That was completed and now I just need to tweak these diagrams and I am almost ready to submit that paperwork for assessment.  I also did some drawings for a stub ended set of dual gauge points for Acacia Ridge Yard.  That is on my future building list.  I also did some detailed planning for my walk over bridge above Grafton Yard Loops to gain entry to the access point inside the return loops so I can work on Acacia Ridge Yard and Rocklea Sidings.

When we came home on Friday night, I was able to spend some time modelling on Saturday and Sunday.  I started off doing some decaling.  I had two PGC Scale Models QGA grain wagons, that needed decals to be applied.  That was easily done and I might have tweaked the decals slightly.  I remember standing on the platform at Corinda station on my way to school in the late 70’s and seeing a grain wagon going around the angle from Sherwood towards Tennyson.  That wagon had ‘Bulk Rain’ on the side.  I assumed that some smart aleck had removed the G from the work Grain.  I always remember this sighting, so now I have one of those wagons on my layout as well.  Arthur advised that another wagon had its signage tweaked, was another  Bulk Grain wagon that was enhanced to become a ‘Bulk Pain’ wagon.  So I now have one of those wagons as well.  Settle down PK, there is no mistress here to inflict the type of pain you might be interested in.  I took the completed wagons down to the shed and gave them a run.  They look very nice.  I now have 16 narrow gauge grain wagons, in service, split into two rakes of 8 wagons.  While shunting those grain wagons in Acacia Ridge Yard, I had two other grain wagons lose their bogie screw sand the bogie fell off.  I almost had grain spilt everywhere but we were only travelling at low speed.  I had only just recently added these new 12mm bogies and screws and maybe I used a too thick drill to tap the screw holes.  So these two grains wagons were fixed last night.

I also spent some time yesterday applying Panel Line Accent Colors on a CGL models HWO and a HWOS wagon.  These came out just brilliantly.  The next task today was installing some styrene sleepers under a gauge splitter turnout in Clapham Yard.  This was completed and the turnout is now ready for ballasting - maybe a task I will complete one night this week.  I also painted the PC board sleepers in this turnout and in another piece of track that I must ballast before submitting my AP paperwork for Model Railroad Engineer – CIVIL. 

Next task today was to pull out some timber and start cutting it up to make the walk over bridge for above Grafton Yard.  A quick check on my screw supplies, revealed that I had enough to allow me to join some 90mm x 35mm pine together to make the bridge.  So the bridge was also completed.  I will add some ply to the walkway next weekend, and then think about the ladder to be positioned in the layout room aisle to gain access to the walk over bridge.

Next weekend is the Club Christmas Party and our modelling competition.  It is also the NMRA Divisional Christmas Party.  I can only be at one place at a time, so this time the Club event won out.  I plan on entering my two QGA grain wagons, and the HWO and HWOS wagons and a building or two that I kitbashed or scratchbuilt during the year, into the yearly modelling competition.  This only works out to be a popularity contest and voters don’t take into account the work that has gone into making any of the models. 

Step Ladder

On Friday afternoon I had to go to the shed and add some ply bracing to my ‘step ladder’.  That was easy.  I tested it in the middle of the walkway and it was good.  I then had to move it into the middle of the Grafton Loops return loops, so I could use it.  Hmmmmm!  However I could not get it to fit.  Damn!  So I took off the two sets of stabilising legs, put the step ladder on its side and pushed it underneath the return loops and brought it upright.  I then put one of the stabilising back on.  I temporarily fixed some handles to hold onto, as you are standing ontop of teh step ladder.  The ladder is only 700mm up in the air, and I gave it a try.  Well it works pretty damn good if I do say so myself!  I went in and out a number of times.  Certainly quicker than getting on my hands and knees and going under the layout.

A few guys (Darren and PK) came over on Saturday morning, to car pool, then we picked up another (Geoff C) and we then went to the local NMRA meeting a couple of suburbs away.  It was a good turnout.  Kevin’s layout is in its infancy, but he has a very good area to work with, and his wife is an artist so his backdrops are set to turn out very nice indeed.  At the gathering I was presented with two APs – Scenery and Master Builder - Structures.  Also at the same event Duncan, our Superintendent, was also presented with two APs.

After the Divisional gathering, on the way home, we visited a local auto shop in the hope of picking up a few cans of Yellow Oxide paint.  That store did not have any.  However, they advised which ones did.  So PK received an task to pick up some on his way back home.  Which apparently he did.  We dropped off Geoff, and PK and Darren came back to my place.  I showed off my ‘step ladder’ to get access to the centre of the Grafton Loops.  Together we enhanced an idea I had, and I will take this idea further this week,  This will be to walk over the Grafton Loops, standing on a platform.  So planning diagrams will be produced this week, construction hopefully occurring next Saturday and Sunday afternoons.   

Over the next week, I will hopefully be finalising the documentation for my next two AP applications.  I also have to so some decaling on a couple of wagons and building some pallets and clotheslines.

Stairs to Heaven

This week we all visited Geoff’s place on Tuesday night.  We had quite a few attendees and had numerous conversations talking across the table all at once.  It was a good night as usual.  On Friday I popped down to the shed early after a visit to the optometrist.  I did some pottering around.  I spray painted some styrene sheet to make then steel slabs and then added various colours – Black, Mission Brown and Yellow Oxide to add some weathering to the base grey colour of steel.  I also gave a 3D printed bobcat a colouring of yellow oxide.  This now resembles a dirty piece of machinery.  I will need to pick out the wheels and a few other items in matt black to complete the model.  I actually ran a track cleaning train on the layout from Grafton Yard to Cassino then onto Murwillumbah.  from there it was back to Cassino before heading though to Glenapp Loop, before heading back to Kyogle for staging.  It will work its way back to Grafton Loop one afternoon this week, and get put away into a siding in Grafton Loco.

On Saturday I had a visit from a mate from work and his 8 year old.  They had a tour of the layout and watch a train have a run.  I think the little fella enjoyed himself.  I showed then how I make steel loads.  I had a few strips of I and H beam ready for painting.  So I painted them Grey, and then added the various weathering colours, of Black, Mission Brown and Yellow Oxide.  All in under 2 minutes.  In front of their eyes they could see that the styrene was now lengths of weathered steel.  Not much later, I had Arthur pop over to take some more photos for supplement those already taken for my AP certificates.

Today I got the wood working tools out and made a set of steps for inside the Grafton Yard return loop.  This is a layout access point that I gain access to by crawling on my hands and knees under Grafton loops and come up inside the return loops.  I have been thinking for some time that I would go over the top instead of going underneath the layout.  I had a set of stairs for outside the return loop.  I then would step across the 8 return loops and land on the inside stairs and make my way down to ground level.  We will see how appropriate this method of access will be.  But I need some hand rails to steady my progress across the top of the layout.  I have not made the hand rails yet.  I still need to add some bracing ply to the stairs and potentially add one other cross brace underneath the top platform.  Next week's job

I am starting to do a list of things to do while I have a week off from work soon during school holidays.  I think I will work on three QR HWO steel wagons, adding some ‘decals’ that I am making, and then adding some weathering to the floors of the wagons.  I will also need some steel loads for these as well.  I will also put together about 30 steel wire loads for future use, about 15 long and 15 short.  I think I better make up the next lot of 50 or so pallets in case I get the phone call saying the someone wants some more.  I might also make up about a dozen clothes lines for the future.  I think I will also do the final copies of the diagrams and paperwork for the next two AP certificates – Model Railway Engineer – Civil and Model Railway Engineer – Electrical.  These could then be evaluated sometime in December by the local AP guru (Arthur) before being sent down south for ratification and whatever they do.

Quite a Bit Done - Good Progress -

So on Tuesday this week, there was only 4 or 5 of us online.  A rather small gathering.  On Wednesday there was still only 4 online for our QR night.  Again a small gathering.  I had Friday off and the day started with a haircut, breakfast at a local coffee shop with the boss and daughter, then a doctor’s appointment to tell me cholesterol is all good, and liver function is great.  Lucky I had bacon for breakfast is all I can say.  Hehehehe!  Next stop was a hobby shop to pick up 8 packets of styrene, then home and put that styrene into action.  I made about 18 steel loads for sale.  I still have some actions in my ‘To Do’ list which is create another 10 or so clotheslines and about 50 pallets.  I might leave for a couple of weeks when I'm on holidays.  At least I have cut up the hundreds of 0.030” x 0.040” strip to be used in the spacers in the pallets.

Saturday started with a trip to a local hobby shop and I sold a few items.  Next was a trip over to the over side of the city to the train Club Meeting.  We had a BBQ lunch and a pretty quick meeting.  I came home and then had to take the son to a 6:00pm 7-a-side football game.  They won 6-3, so it was a good night.

So this weekend I started to tick off a few things from my to do list.  I painted up about a dozen model tarpaulines.  I glued some sleepers under the dual gauge point that I will be entering into the NMRA AP program under Model Railway Engineer – CIVIL.  Once that glue was dry I ballasted that dual gauge point and then droppered some glue to secure the ballast down.  I will revisit this next weekend and see if I need to add anymore ballast, and reglue anything.  I tested the point with a few narrow gauge and standard gauge wagons movements through the points after the ballast was added and before it was glued down.  I then spliced a new narrow gauge point into the Acacia Ridge narrow gauge yard and connected up the diverging route and now have another run around in place.  This is located near where I will stage all my narrow gauge locos.  I undercoated some 3D printed land rover models I picked up last weekend.  I also painted up about a dozen steel slab loads.  I also cut up about 10 steel shape loads, ready for painting in the future.  I then cut up about 130 pieces of wire for future steel wire loads.  I then painted the bogies on three QR HWO wagons.  I purchased some white metal bogies from Canetode Flats at the May show this year.  I’m thinking about entering at least one of these wagons into the Club’s December Modelling Comp.  I will try and turn it into a HWOS (steel) wagons.  I will severely weather this wagon with lots of dust and grime and maybe graffiti it as well.  I will then make a steel load to put it in the open wagon.  I am also thinking of taking along the model of my Kyogle Butter Factory as another entry.  I might have to put a couple more signs on this building before I enter it.  Maybe an ‘Office’ sign above the door, and maybe numbers next to the sliding doors into the shed. I might even add a person or two. I may also add some detail items to the goods platforms. 

I may also try and see if I can successfully remove another building from the layout.  This being the station master’s house at Border Loop.  The only down side of taking a model like this to the Modelling Competition, is that I cannot take the fences that surround the house and the trees that have been planted here and all the other detail parts from the scene.  They viewer at the Club only get to see the model not what it looks like sitting in its scene, back on my layout

Now during this last week, we hear that there was an announcement for some new narrow gauge locos being produced by some manufacturers and due in Q3 next year.  This is being produced by SDS model and CGL models.  I’m up for a 1460 class loco and a 1502 class loco.  Most probably with sound.  I’m trying to rouse some interest at the Club and see if we can get a bulk order together.  Currently it looks like PK is showing some interest.  We will see who else caves in.  I was also looking forward to ordering a previously announced loco, the 1620 loco also from SDS Models.  I’m not sure if I can afford all three models.  But I will sure given it a good crack.  I just seem to be digging myself further into the mire with the wife.

Buy and Sell

Tuesday Nighters this week was at Arthur’s and we had about 11 there if my memory serves me correctly.  After talking to Arthur, I came to the conclusion that I had to ballast my pieces of track that I need to scratch build to satisfy my Model Railroad Engineer Civil AP.  Damn!  I was hoping to not ballast the whole top deck of my layout.  It looks like I will have to at least ballast the areas around my three pieces of track.

I have also been progressing my paper work for the NMRA Model Railroad Engineer – Civil AP and I should complete that next weekend.  Current plan is to have it assessed in December sometime.  So yesterday I painted the rails of the three pieces of track I need to complete and get assessed.  I also painted up lots of sleepers that I will slide underneath the track of these three locations.  Next Friday I will glue the sleepers in.  I will then start ballasting these pieces of track and I will see how they turnout.  A pun - that was funny.  I'm modelling a turnout!

On Thursday afternoon my wife received a package addressed to her, and much to her disgust, it only contained quite a few 12mm bogies that I ordered.  So on Friday afternoon I spent some time removing the bogies from my recently purchased standard gauge QR grain wagons, and swapping them over to 12mm.  I am not a fan for running narrow gauge trains on HO track, unless you are running in Sn3½ scale.

On Saturday around lunchtime I went down to the shed and did a bit of shunting of these now 12 mm wagons around Acacia Ridge Yard through various points and curves in one direction and then the other.  They ran quite well.  Now my decision is to determine if I end up with two narrow gauge grain trains or one really long one with maybe 2 locos or stick with a single loco for that train.

On Sunday morning (today) I headed over to the Club for the November Buy and Sell.  Boy was there some tables sold and some people coming and going purchasing items.  I had a profitable day, until I gave most of my profits back after finding quite a number of items that would look really good around Cassino.  Some of the additions were eight push bikes, a fire engine, five 3D printed Land Rovers of varying models, a 3D printed bobcat, and a fettler’s trolley in a box of stuff for $10.  I still had a positive bank balance at the end of the day.  Today I had many chats with people at the Buy and Sell.  I caught up with people I have not seen for a while and generally had a good time.  I understand that the sausage sizzle sold lots of snags and drinks as well.  One piece of sadness was that the other week, we must have had a lightening strike near the Club - most probably on the Telstra tower next to our grounds.  The guys inside the shed at that time apparently had kittens.  But no one went into the Trailer shed until yesterday.  Boy did they know something was wrong.  The freezer got zapped and all the snags for the Buy and Sell were on the honk big time.  So they had to buy some more snags yesterday for today's BBQ.  Hopefully we can get a new freezer on our insurance and maybe some of the cost of the snags.

Doing Some Planning

So this week I was talking online to various people on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.  On Friday, being a Public Holiday in Brisbane I did some shed time.  Basically my job over the long weekend was to identify why I had a power issue at Acacia Ridge Yard.  Well no sooner had I got down to the shed, turned power on, and I saw a loco in Clapham Yard (same power district as Acacia Ridge Yard) and this loco was derailed across a set of points and I thought this might be the cause.  Well I re-railed the loco and I then started running trains through Acacia Ridge Yard again.  Everything worked, but I never had any indication that there was an actual short in the area, as opposed to a wire off and no power.  However I will go back and revisit this investigation when time permits.  But all is working now.

I have never had a paper plan of the track layout of my top deck like I have for my other two decks.  So I thought that I would spend some time creating one.  I thought I would create a grid made from thin strips of paper stuck end to end and placed 30 cm apart on top of the baseboard.  The track locations from each grid could then easily be transferred to a paper plan made out of an A3 sheet of paper.  So I did this for Clapham Yard and included Loco Pilly.  I then started doing the same 30 cm grid from paper strips for Rocklea Sidings and transferred this to the same sheet of paper as well.  So I now have an A3 sheet of paper with the basic layout of the track from Rocklea Sidings through to Clapham Yard and Loco Pilly and heading towards Dutton Park.  There was a method in my madness in doing this.  I needed to create a scale track plan for my paperwork required to submit my Model Railroad Engineer – Civil and Model Railroad Engineer – Electrical certificates.  So after a weekend of writing documentation and drawing various diagrams, I am very close to having a good enough first draft of both documents to show off to our local Divisional accessor on Tuesday night this week.  I am then hoping to get some feedback as to what I have not done, what I have not understood correctly and what else I need to do to satisfactorily complete these pieces of documentation for official assessment.  Activities will now turn to doing better and neater diagrams of all the required information that I need to present.

So as part of the Civil requirements, I need to present three pieces of track that I have scratchbuilt and demonstrate successful operation of powered locos through these pieces of track.  So some of the various pieces of track that I have scratch built are in slightly difficult positions to observe their operation up close.  So I have chosen pieces of track that are more accessible for observing.  So my submissions might be slightly more complex than most, as I am presenting dual gauge pieces of track.  So I need to be able to run standard gauge (HO) and narrow gauge (HOn3½) locomotives through the pieces of track, in both directions and through the different routes in the case of a set of points.  Well I spent some time on Saturday doing these run through tests and adjusting the track on either side of these pieces of track.  So the result was that these three pieces of track were working pretty well.  Some pieces of rollingstock run through very smoothly, while one item of track causes a bit of a rock and roll through the narrow gauge route, but they all work.  I tried running slow, and running fast so I am confident they will work well.  Everything works better when you have power going through the various parts of the layout you want to show off!

Today I was obtaining information to add to my track plan, which was the DCC address of each of the point motors, and trying to find another document that I had in my hand a few weeks ago, but I placed it aside for safe keeping.  The issue is, it is too safe, and now I cannot find it.  While doing my DCC point motor address investigations today, I found one wire had some loose from a point motor, so that was fixed.  I then found out that a narrow gauge cross over in Clapham Yard does not seem to be working at all.  I can’t even find where the Digitrax DS64 is, which is controlling this crossover.  Another task for another day.

Another Slow Week

Tuesday this week, I had a full house at my place for our fortnightly Tuesday Nighter's Meeting.  I think we had 12 visitors attend.  They entered the shed and had a bit of a look around.  Apparently a guy called Bob, has appeared on my layout.  He seems to be lacking any form of clothing.  I'm not sure if he was related to the person who placed him on the layout.  The model, complete with a beer gut, happens to be standing outside Ron and Marg’s B&B.  The layout is so vast, that I wonder what else the guys might have left behind, that will take me quite some time to find.  During the evening, Arthur scored the last of my model entries in my AP entry for Master Builder – Structures certification.  While the attendees were wandering around the shed, Geoff said to me, was that I needed some track diagrams in Clapham Yard and Fisherman Islands Yard to indicate what point throw actuator does what.  So I worked on that during the rest of the week and now have a bit of a diagram, that eventually I will place on the layout fascia in a couple of places to assist the crews working those yards.  One of the issues is that these locations are very high off the ground, and you really need to stand on one of the small steps I have located around the layout.

On Thursday Darren and Geoff came to my place, and I drove them via Brendan’s place and then to went to Toowoomba and back.  We ventured up there to say farewell to our modelling mate Barry (Baz/Bazza) Freeman.  I have known Bazza since the mid 90s.  We caught up with a few other modelling mates and quite a few members of the Toowoomba Model Railway Club of which Bazza was a member.  Three of our modelling mates, Bill, Brent and Doug all spoke at Bazza's funeral of our shared attendances and experiences at many Modelling the Railways of NSW Conventions, and Armidale Conventions.  These guys speeches brought tears to our eyes.  Tears of laughter.  Gee we had fun and plenty of laughs at various trivia nights, maybe at some sort of watering holes or two, and at dinner somewhere.  We will miss ya Bazza!

Saturday this week was the local NMRA Div 1 meeting day at Glen’s place.  On the way to the meeting, I stopped off at Aurora Trains and picked up a modern police car, that George was keeping for me.  It was a large turnout at Glen’s place, with about 40 member there.  It was a great day of presentations, information sharing and watching trains run around Glen’s NSW based layout.  I sold a couple of items that someone was after from my detail item collection production line. 

While at the meeting, young Arthur asked me to sign something, and it appears he is endorsing another AP for Master Builder – Scenery certification.  I gave some paperwork to Arthur on Tuesday night for him to consider and advise if there was anything else I needed to put together for the information pack to support my AP application for that category.  I guess he thought that I did not need anything else.  I have also started looking at the Model Railway Engineer – Civil and Model Railway Engineer – Electrical certifications.  I think these will take me at least 6 to 12 months to get everything together and then I will consider moving onto Master Builder – Prototype Modeller and Chief Dispatcher certifications.  But that is potentially the year after’s work.

Last night I received a phone call from one of Tuesday Nighter’s crew.  Peter advised us that his lovely wife had passed away following her battle with the dreaded C.  We offer our deepest sympathy to Peter and sincerely wish him all the best and hope he resumes our fortnightly get togethers when he is ready, as he always has some wise words and explanations for us all at these gatherings.  So it has been a bit of a sad week.

Today I eventually got down to the shed sometime after 4:00pm.  I actually ran a number of locos around in Clapham Yard and Acacia Ridge Yard.  That is the first time in quite some time.  I ran both standard gauge and narrow gauge trains.  But it appears that I have now lost power in Acacia Ridge Yard for the 12 mm area.  So next Friday – a public holiday in Brisbane, I will go down to the shed and trace back and resolve this power issue.  I’m certain it is just a wire coming off some feeder, that I might have knocked while doing some other task on the layout.  But I did have a method in my madness today.  I was testing the track in a couple of places, as these pieces of track will be the ones that I will submit for my Model Railway Engineer – Civil certification.

Buy and Sell Bargains

I had Friday off this to do my tax.  It looks like I get something back from the Tax man, but I never see any of it.  However, in the morning on Friday I dropped in at Aurora Trains after they posted the night before that they had some new Noch figures in, among a multitude of other things.  I went through the packets of figures and eventually picked up a couple of packets that interested me.  My mottos is that there is no point being half broke, when you can be totally broke.  

Early on Saturday morning I went over to the AMRA Clubrooms for their Buy and Sell which started at 8:30am.  I parked at PK’s place and we walked down to the Club together, and met two other Club members who also parked in PK’s street.  The Buy and Sell seemed quite well attended, by both sellers and potential buyers.  I picked up some second hand (deceased estate) QR wagons from the boys from Toowoomba.  Very reasonably prices.  The only issue is that they had standard gauge bogies and not narrow gauge bogies.  But that is easily fixed by spending a bit more money.  My understanding is that the QR wagons (or what is left of them) will be for sale again at the RMCQ Buy and Sell at Brendale in 3 week’s time on the 7^th of November.  There was also a large collection of NSW wagons also at very reasonable prices for sale from the same guys – Bill and Brent - The Toowoomba men.  So after that purchase on Saturday my narrow gauge grain train is basically complete.  The only question is if I now go for two strings of grain wagons, or just a single one out of my now 16 wagon collection of wagons?  If I decide to do with two strings, my timetable can have trains yo-yoing around the layout between Acacia Ridge Yard and Fisherman Islands.  I might have to do some tweaking to the timetable, but I do have some reserved paths in the narrow gauge timetable for some of these out and back trains.  On my layout this train will be hauled by a 1720 or maybe two.  I might need to buy another 1720 or two if I go down the path of two grain trains each with two 1720 locos at the front.  Hmmmm!  If I bought another two 1720s, I’d have more 1720s than PK has.  Maybe something to ponder for for next year’s budget.

At the Buy and Sell I also picked up a very small USB powered vacuum cleaner.  I gave it a test drive today on the layout and it runs quite well.  I was able to pick up various wood shavings (left over from drilling holes in the baseboard), small bits of polystyrene and the remnants of a few geckos.  I am most impressed!  Down in the shed this afternoon I did a bit of painting of some Miniprints figures – a couple of action figure dogs and two forensic investigators.  I’m not sure where the forensic guys are going to be placed on the layout, although I have a couple of skeletons to place around in a shallow grave somewhere.  These items will be co-located.  Yesterday afternoon I knocked up a small dog house for a back yard that overlooks the Cassino Railway station.  I painted it the same colour as the house.  I also knocked up a few sets of multi-tier shelves that will go into someone’s shed or garage on the layout.  I must continue down the track for building house number three backing onto the station at Cassino.  This is two separate buildings and a shed.  The first building is half built.

Tuesday Nighter’s this week is at my place, and I think there will be a good crowd.  I will await some feedback from the crew on progress on my layout.

Adding Detail

With Monday celebrating Liz’s birthday, I had the day off.  I went down to the shed and started experimenting with the power source for powering the headlights on a car.  I had to have a separate resistor on the source to make it work.  I drilled my hole through the baseboard, a hole through the roadway and poked a hole through the 4 inches of foam.  I fed the wires from the car through the hole and wired them up.  Just like a bought one!  I also painted up some white metal fence posts and also a styrene made farm gate that I had sitting around.  Once dry these items were installed behind The Risk on a little roadway that runs beside the railway line.  The styrene gates was glued to the fence post and now can swing in styrene hinges and can be opened or closed.

The Risk Crossing Loop with the backscene attached.  The gates has also been attached to the fence post.

The Risk Crossing Loop looking from the other direction.

Other jobs I completed was adding a small section of wooden fence on the southern side of Railway Parade.  I added corrugated iron fencing to 4 panels of fencing around the water tank opposite the station at Cassino.  I installed the Blue House in its block of land.  I then decided that the house needed a letter box.  So I painted one a matching colour to the house and installed it above the front fence.  The rear of the Blue House looked a bit sparse.  So I added a bit of a paved area out the back and installed a clothesline.  See PK, I can do it in a day –

 why can’t you?

On Saturday afternoon I added some people to the backyard tiled area of the Blue House.  I still have a dog house and some kids toys in the form of a Billy Cart and maybe a scooter – don’t say anything PK.  That is next week’s project.  Hopefully completed before the Tuesday Nighter’s come over on Tuesday week.

The Blue House with some greenery added.  The family in the backyard having a BBQ.

A closeup of the family having a BBQ.  The Table and chairs I mad from styrene.

I started planning for the next house north along Cassino platform side.  So I need to build two structure and a 10’ x 8’ corrugated iron back yard tool shed.

I also decided to try my hand at some backdrop painting – so to speak.  In a couple of locations I have some 1200mm long backdrops, but they sit just proud above of the baseboard.  Thus there is a bit of backboard visible under near the backdrops.  So I thought I would mix and match some paint and add it to the bottom of the backdrops.  Well I’ll be…..!  I did just that and it sort of works quite well.  It looks quite good.  I also used the same technique to apply some paint to the bottom the of the printed backdrop that I took (and PK stitched together) at Glenapp Loop.  It looks even better.

Glenapp Loop with my backdrop in place.  I still need to do some more work fixing the wires up to the baseboard above.

Glenapp Loop, taken from the same position above, but looping straight on instead of down towards the signal box in the middle of the Loop.

Glenapp Loop looking from the south side back towards the signal box

Glenapp looking at the southern end, where the disabled wagon siding remains.  This is a photo backdrop.

I was pottering around at my work bench and got out some old kits for semi-trailers.  I assembled one set of wheels in a plastic kit for a semi-trailer and then assembled a Herpa kit of 8 pairs of truck wheels.  I might have to scratch build a couple of trailers with these items.

I added some more plant material around the backyards of the houses I am currently working on.  I also added some more plant material around the backdrops I have just installed.

Kyogle - Anzac Drive where an accident has taken place

Kyogle, the other side of Fawcett's Creek, with the flying pig and the guy walking his dog and it is using the tree as a convenience.

Park Road Siding.  The Fire crew are attending to the industrial bin which is on fire.

Saturday this week involved a trip to the Club for the world’s shortest Club meeting.  But I had a good chat to some of my mates over there.  The trip over involved stopping off at 3 hobby shops.  I may or may not have purchased some items.  

Last night I set about building a Walther’s kit.  More info on that as it comes together along with a number of scratch built items to compliment and/or supplement the kit.  I will do some more kit building tonight while the cricket is on TV.

Today I spent about 90 minutes watching an Ops Session on Dave Abeles’ Onondga Cutoff.  Darren and myself sat in a whereby room having a chat, while watching the live stream, before we were joined by Jordan and Andy for the second half of the session.  A great way to spend a Sunday morning.

Finishing the Blue House and Adding Various Lights

So this week, I spent my usual Tuesday and Wednesday nights online talking to some fellow modellers.  I also got online with a number of British Modellers on Saturday night. There were other Aussies there as well as a couple of Americans.  On Friday with a half work day under my belt, I started doing some modelling tasks.  First task was to make a door for the Kyogle Butter Factory.  I was thinking what I could do to make a door handle.  Then I remembered that lace pins were the way to go.  I then had to find were my packet was.  That took just 5 minutes.  A hole was drilled into the door, and the pin slipped through, superglued, and the back of the pin cut off.  The door was trimmed to size and then glued onto the model.  So that model is now complete.

Second task was to joined the two roof sections of my Blue House together.  These were the main roof and the hip section.  I then set that down for the glue to dry.  Next I then added the individual window sliders/dividers to the window panes on the Blue House.  Once these were dry, I gave the house another coating of paint.  You guessed it – Blue.  This was because the adding of the windows, the window sills and the window sliders were a different colour to the original house.  I then added corrugated aluminium to the roof structure using Aquadhere to stick it down.  We will see how successful this is in the long run.  I then started to make a couple of fence posts for the post and rail fencing to be slid into – located at Baker’s farm.  These were added to the fence on Saturday.

Also on Friday night I got some clear plastic out and cut it to the size of the windows and sliding doors in the Blue House.  These were glued in place with Aquadhere.

Saturday’s day started with a driving lesson for my son.  This was to Modeller’s Warehouse, HobbyOne and then to Aurora Trains.  I might as well make use of my chauffeur.  I picked up a fire crew and some sun flowers.  Saturday’s modelling plans in the shed were for adding a fence behind telegraph poles at The Risk.  This was easily accomplished in the afternoon.  The Blue House had its roof structure enhanced with ridge capping added, made from 0.040” rod and two pieces of 0.010” x 0.030” strip laid next to the rod.  The roof was painted silver.  Next some gutters were cut to size from 0.080” channel.  These were painted a different shade of blue. 

On Sunday morning, I touched up the blue gutters with a second coat of paint.  I then went to the shed and installed the fences around Cassino station near the road overbridge.  These fences have been laying on the ground for almost I think a couple of years.  I also painted up three coffins and converted a car into a hearse by giving it a paint job.  Later in the day, the hearse was positioned near the scene of a motorbike accident under the rail overbridge at Kyogle with a coffin ready to be used.  I also decided it was time to try and give my police forensics team a basic paint.  I will have to touch them up tomorrow with detail bits picked out.

Next up was installation of some street lights near Cassino Station on road overbridge.  That took some time but eventually I now have two street lights working on the layout.  The next task is to add a car with head and tail lights parked next to the Cassino Station in one of the angle parks.  But I need to use a 12V power supply for that.  I will test that tomorrow.

This morning I got the idea of staging a fire in an industrial rubbish bin at Park Road Siding and have the fire crew attending to it, to extinguish the fire.  As I now have a fire crew, I installed the fire inside the industrial bin, but I do not yet have a fire engine for the crew to be delivered to the site in, and to have their flashing lights working.  I guess I will keep my eyes out at an upcoming Buy and Sell.  I also planted my many sunflowers around the layout today.

Tonight while watching the football and maybe the women’s cricket Test, I will attach the guttering to the Blue House and it will be placed on the layout tomorrow.

There is certainly lots of little detail jobs being completed around the layout.  However, there is still many years’ worth of jobs to complete, before the layout can be described as anywhere near complete.

The Mountain Men Visited

On Tuesday this week we all assembled at Barnacle Bob’s place for our fortnightly Tuesday night get together.  We were all interested in seeing what new features Bob had implemented on Mosquito Creek.  There is always lots of little tweaks and occasionally new scenes to admire.  More on that later as I will post some photos from that evening.

On Friday I went down to the shed and did a bit of a tidy up.  I took the Peco track rubber to the track and managed to remove lots of glue and paint from the rails from a considerable number of locations on the layout.  The reason was that I did a considerable amount of scenery work across a number of locations on the layout over the last few months.  I however did not run any trains, and in particular my track cleaning train.  My track cleaning train is made up of two wagons with a metal weight with a chucks wipe rolled around the weight, and it semi spins in the middle of the wagon and does clean a lot of muck off the track.

The Mountain Men, Bill and Steve came down from Toowoomba on Saturday morning and were joined by Darren, Geoff and Brendan at my place around 10:00am.  This was the first visit for Steve and the first in quite a while for Bill.  I think even Darren, Geoff and Brendan saw some new scenes.  In particular some updates to my Park Road Trans-shipment Shed, complete with working lights and junk scattered in and around it.  I also showed off some A4 printed photos that PK stitched together for me.  A couple of years ago, we visited Glenapp signal box and had a talk to Rob and Den on a Saturday afternoon.  While there I took a series of photos of the mountain backdrop behind the crossing loop.  So now I am trying to use it.  I printed a series of the photos myself, and stuck them together end-to-end but they were not going together too well.  Differnet heights where they joined etc.  So I called for the help of an expert.  But one was not available, so I got PK instead to use his magic to stitch the photos together with his programs and then I printed them in a number of combinations, landscape, portait, etc.

PK's efforts in stitching my photos together

Today after watching the last session the NMRA-X online, and having a talk in the chat room, and then watching the NMRA Awards Show, I finally got down to the shed.  I decided to loop some wire around the four gates in the Lismore Gas Siding, and tied the gates to the adjacent fencepost.  This technique allows the gates to swing.  Next task was to apply white glue to the posts and rails of the front side fence of the Lismore Gas Siding.  I then place some painted tuile on the glue and let it dry.

The next task was to then take some of the stitched together versions and cut them down to remove the white boundaries on the printed A4 page, tape them together and attached them to the wall of the shed behind Glenapp Crossing Loop.  I then added another version of the photos to the end of the first multi page print and it sort of goes together and does not look too much out of place.  However, someone really looking at the scene will identify that this is not one continuous print.  I was most impressed with the end result.

And just because I can, I will post a series of photos from Bob's Mosquito Creek from Tuesday Night.

Sawmill with a blackboard outside the office

A couple of tree loppers after they got stuck into a tree

Koala running across the road

A load of ballast being dumped

The gate to the grain terminal.  The card swipes on either side of the gate are fantastic.

A gate onto the railway property.

Pigeons having a feed.

A humpy with an incinerator and a pot belly stove.  On top of the stove is a stove top kettle and a frypan with bacon and eggs cooking in it

The cement truck doing a concrete pour.  The bowl even rotates

The mangroves beside the creek.

The car that drove off the jetty is being retrieved.  

The undertakers are ready to take possession of the body. when it is removed from the car

The local pub getting a delivery of a keg or a dozen.

The local funeral home, I Burium Funerals.

A few bin chickens.  The future mascot for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games - Barry the bin chicken.

Bush turkeys

A local service station, with air and water for the locals.

This post is early today as I will be a little worse for wear tonight after some birthday drinks this arvo.  So better safe than sorry.