Wait, One, Two, I Still Have Them. Good, I Must be OK

This week I was back at work.  On Friday my order of 4 x sugar wagons from Auscision arrived.  I certainly do not like the eco-friendly packing used to protect the wagons, I had paper everywhere but they did arrive safe and sound.  Only one coupler pin needed to be adjusted from the four wagons.  I placed the wagons on a track in Acacia Ridge Yard and the wagons proceeded to run away to the other end of the yard.  That was not good.  I will need to install some toothbrush bristles into that part of the loop, to hold the wagons in place when they are uncoupled.  I needed to acquire two left hand medium points to allow for a crossover between tracks 2 and 3.  So I decided to attend the local Buy and Sell on Sunday to see if anyone was selling some second hand Peco points. 

Saturday lunchtime was our NMRA Christmas get together at a local hotel.  Nice company, certainly very nice food, cold drinks and a great time talking to people.  When I got home I decided to do what I had not done for some time.  Run trains on Cassino.  The first train I ran was a container.  I noticed that the headlight and taillight on a 48 class where not working.  I pulled the shell off and could not work out why it was not working.  Everything seemed to be good inside.  I will take that loco to the Club in a couple of weeks and put it onto the JMRI controlled test track and see if JMRI will advise what looks out of place in the loco's configuration.  Another 48 class loco had one coupler too high.  I pulled the shell off it, and worked out that some wires were trapped on top of the motor, and once that was remedied, I had no further issues from the coupler height discrepancy.  As I ran this train, I oiled the track and noticed a couple of things to fix up.  Today after the AFLW Grand Final (where the Lions did not win – bugger), I went back to the shed and continued running about another 5 trains back and forth on the layout.  I am trying to test all the trains left in the timetable before my December Running Session.

So on Sunday morning, I went to teh Buy and Sell.  I walked in the door and the first seller was selling Peco points.  I bought 2 x LH Peco points and immediately put them in the car for safe keeping.  I should have stayed there!  On my way back in I ran into Clinton who was exiting.  He said there was no QR 12mm there.  Boy was he wrong!  I ran into the Toowoomba guys and gal, (Bill, Ben and maybe one was called Weed – I don’t know).  I picked up a 60’ turntable with a mechanism, but the motor did not run.  So I will get around to investigating this over the next few weeks.  I am planning on installing this turntable into Murwillumbah.  It will be an interesting exercise and a job for the December Holidays.

I continued around the Buy and Sell.  I saw some QR wagons.  In fact a train load (11) grain wagons.  Well they were coal wagons with a ecofab lid, converting them into QR grain wagons.  So I could remove the lids and turn them back into coal wagons.  Hmmmm!  I purchased 2 other 12mm wagons for a good price and then I walked around the Buy and Sell some more.  I ran into quite a few people that I enjoy talking to and hence spent quite a bit of time at the Buy and Sell.  I came back to the grain/coal wagons again.  Well, you guessed it.  I caved in.  I bought them.  Don’t tell Clinton, or the wife for that matter.  I’ll lose something that I’m rather fond of.  So I on-sold one of the wagons to Anthony, who had the same idea as me.  He was going to remove the lid and then put a load of apples in the coal wagon.  This occurred when apples were sent from Stanthorpe to the Golden Circle Cannery in Brisbane in about the 80s and 90 - I think.

So yes, I put the 12mm wagons on the track when I got home.  The couplers are a bit dodgy, but they run quite well.  The other two wagons have also made the layout.  One needed bogies and the other needs to have its wheels looked at, as it does not roll too well.  There is one wheel on each bogie that does not spin freely.

Plenty to do next weekend, as I will run more trains on the layout and fix some issues as they arise.

P.S. This is my 800th post on this blog.