2012 May 31

2012 May 31         Thursday   (Page 30 of 35)

May 31 is a special day for our family. Its the birthday of my wife Riitta who passed away in 2004 as a result of breast cancer. She was a smoker and enjoyed a cheeky white wine or three.
Today I had a visit from Alan Jeeves and we decided to do some work on the Railway. Shocking way to treat good friends, but he seemed to enjoy it
So this is what we did, and it was a good days work too.

 Setting up the supports for the Coal Siding Baseboard, and low enough to give the kids something to see 

 Looking along from the Northern end. Need to install the backdrop before fitting the facia panels in place.

 The West side lower level was almost finished some time ago. We decided to fix the five ply directly to the 70 x 19 frame, which meant that we needed to complete the boxing by fitting a 70 x 19 rear support board. Two 600 x 2400 5 ply panels cut to fit. I am going to support the 5 ply panels with a few more cross pieces. What a difference 5 Ply has made! THe old 11mm 3 ply buckled and bent and is supported every 10 inches.. What a waste of time and material.

 The back boards in position below the background sheets. Crosspiece ready to accept another 2400 x 600 panel.

 Long shot showing two levels. The legs need to be braced (after straightening them) and we decided to fix 70 x 19 braces from them back to the metal support in the centre.

 

This is the connection from the Trentham module to the new panels. Was not nice and has been smoothed out.

Looking North. (Well towards Albury, the direction is really South ) The bottom level is Wodonga Station! Looking towards the gates and a turntable which will tuck into the curved area yet to be built. This curve will open out to 1200mm radius The Trentham top module is about 900mm Radius. As you know after departing Wodonga for Albury, you enter a curve to the left, however it is only 90 degrees. At the same time a short 2% curve drops down into the Coal sidings.

 
 Trentham now fully working (Electrically) a few problems easily fixed.

 If you look at the bottom level, it is one bay short of the end support. Imagine a pear shape being constructed from here allowing the track to move over to the right before turning 180 degress at 1000mm outside radius and heading down to the Coal siding about 10 inches lower. I think it will look pretty good, and require double headed F Class Pilots to haul trains up to Wodonga for departure, just as we needed in 1974  

 
 In the late afternoon sun, a short goods arrives the Trentham Station.

 Looking towards the crossing
Well this is my last post for a little while. Making the trek up to Sydney, possibly Sunday, and visiting friend Col and the Epping Exhibition.
Then on up to the Gold Coast to visit my Mum and Dad.
Should get back about the 20th of June, and by then, I should have some good news about the layout.
Cheers All

Rod Young

2012 June 15th  Friday   Sunny Sunny Queensland.

AH!! sunny Queensland at last.... Got the new van set up on mum and Dad's front lawn. Hope the marks I left don't stay too long

 The Rover did a great job despite my recent problem with Diesel from United Fuel Station.
On the Pacific Highway,I had to drive through some of the heaviest rain I have seen in Australia. The last time I remember heavy rain like this I was at Nui Dat in Vietnam during the Monsoon season. Everybody started to slow from 100 to about 70 kph. However the trucks kept going at 110. They swerved in and out passing cars on both sides. It was just like being being dumped under a huge wave at the beach. Damn dangerous. Truckers are real idiots and should be held responsible for their dangerous driving. We could not pull off the road as the rest areas were already full as we arrived at them, and the verges of the road are not wide enough to park at.

Heading for home next Monday, possibly use some of this stuff when I get back into the railway Some nice stuff picked up at the Brick pit Exhibition last Saturday.

 Booty gathered from Brick Pit
Think I am getting close to the end of stage one track laying. Probably time to start dressing it up a bit  

tree foilage tunnels and backdrop buildings

Cheers All
see you all next week
Rod Young

2012 July 13    Friday   another cold day

Well as the rain thunders down upon my tin roof, I have to say that very little has happened for a very long time in the train room. Since getting home from my trip North, all sorts of things have been happening "not model railway" And I have found little time to do much else.
I have stripped down a few engines and arranged for work on the die caste chassis to make room for the sound units, purchased paints and started assembling a grain silo on the lounge room table (slowly about 6 weeks since I cracked open the Walthers box )

Anyway a visit to the Doctor soon after returning home introduced me to a new life, as I have joined the "one every two minutes club" not that I want to talk about that here, suffice to say, that my tests showed that I have had it for a long time, and treatment has made my life both better and more difficult. Best news is that I am feeling a lot better and have a better understanding of how I have been feeling these last 12 months or so. I hope that I can regain a lot of my energy and get a few things done around here

Tomorrow I am building a work trolley , and Graeme Schultz from Murray Railway Modellers is going to weld it up for me. I think I talked about the trolley before, however it will allow me to lay on my back and work under the layout, fixing wiring, point motors etc much more easily. When you see pictures of it, you are going to be amazed. It is totally over engineered, however material costs were about $300 ( a loco I will not be getting) however I have 40 point motors all, ready to mount, and I have been unable to mount them as I just cannot lean backwards, or lean forwards and bend myself under the layout and hold a screw driver or drill, and the unit in place (even with double sided tape!) all at the same time

This will work, and save me a lot of pain, I hope (Hmm a face guard to save me from the soldering iron might be a good purchase

So hope to show you a new me in the future
Cheers
Rod (Ah! the rain just stopped.. an omen? )

 2012 July 21 A sunny day, warmer than most these last few months, and no rain!!

Well its a bit different to the drawing, but here is the beast.  

a mechanics trolley with a bit of steel placed between the wheels and the plastic bed.
 The bed is attached to steel tube which slides up and down, and is pinned to the correct height

 
 The pins have yet to be fitted, and that will be done when I work out the best height for all the different layout assys (bench's) around the room.

So now!! Let the wiring begin Add the point motors and the rest of the stuff I had trouble with prompting this new tool.

Thanks to all that helped with this project, and particularly Graeme Schulz who welded it all together for me.

Well I guess the time for excuses is over!!

Cheers
Rod