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.