2018_10_22 NSW visit

2018_10_22  Report on trip to Liverpool (late)

Friend and ex NSWGR driver Colin came down to Yackandandah to escort me back to his home via Goulburn, Liverpool and Hexam. We drove my new Everest on its first trip, with 102 km on clock to start us off.
These new cars almost drive themselves. Supposedly will when I know how to work all the gadgets Ha Ha.
About Ettamogah I asked Colin to watch the road whilst I tried to work out how to set the cruise control.  Got the lane limit control working, seemed to find a speed limit device, which accidently got set at 65 kph (on the Hume Freeway !!!!) and could not find out how to turn that off (Or on again for that matter ??)  Whilst I was staring at the controls we moved across the lane several times and was pushed back into middle by lane watch technology. Finally the car spat the dummy, accused me of falling asleep, and reduced throttle steering me into the verge and ordered me to take a break!!

Ok we sort of sorted the controls out, ie switched everything off, except cruise control, which I found out how to use. Cruise is just fine, but when you drive at the legal limit plus 3km :), you get passed all the time! Seems like NSW drivers run up to 120kph.  As they pull in front of you, my car quickly brakes (on its own) maintaining a car and a half space between it and car ahead. Then powers off at 113 as the passing  car pulls ahead. Don't like this, but cant seem to turn it off.

Eventually I got to relax and let Colin work out how it all works...and he did :)

Here I present some of the pictures taken on this trip. You have all seen the hundreds of Liverpool pics, so I will only include some Coolum Models buildings, that might find a place on my layout in the future.

First Stop Goulburn Shed.

Wonder if anybody makes these?  nice running lamps for several of my NSW engines.

I guess this is what a real 30 Class looks like. Interesting weathering :)

They just saved one of these and it will be restored
 

Nice little tank.

Would have loved to see one of these running, but too late for this one, I guess.

EDIT Ok  This picture was taken at Rothbury and of course matches the engine waiting for wheels.

I did look at another 59 at Goulburn, but did not get a picture of it as in the shed, behind the round house, it was too dark to see it. (Thanks Col)

This one is looking much better, however our guide was not hopeful that it would run again, anytime soon, if ever.

Liverpool, was pretty ordinary this year. So much so, that I came away with only 6 sheets of cork and a magazine.  Some nice layouts, however plenty of videos out there from others.

Stuart from Coolum Beach interested me, with a few buildings though.

 

We then stayed the night at Colins and saw his new house being built. This is Colins new inside train room.

traditionally Roger drives up with me, however it was not possible this year. So we met up at Liverpool and travelled up North as we usually do.

I bet Roger wished he was not so far away from Maitland, eh?

This is a huge room and knowing Colin, will soon have an enlarged version of his existing railway up and running, long before mine ever is.

It was not far to travel, to visit the home of R which is now fully converted to SG and awaaiting accreditation (I believe)  She is running!!

The team of restorers are doing fantastic work here.

 Face Book NSWGR 900/800/750 Class "DEB" Sets

https://www.facebook.com/groups/debsetrestoration/

I was here the week before the team in the post above arrived for a clean up. You are doing a great job boys and girls.

This 59 Class has been repaired. New wheels are ready to go underneath. This one will soon return to service. Cant wait to get behind it soon.

5917's tender in the shed at Rothbury (Wrongly posted in Goulburn section. Thanks Colin)

 THE VICTORIAN RAILWAYS R CLASS  R766

And there she is! Completed and ready for the main line, just needs the paint and numbers! But that is the easy part, the worst has all been completed. All praise to the guys at Rothbury.

Damn, I am getting too old for this.

 
Don't be surprised if you see this run on NSW metals unpainted, or was I being steered away from their real plans?
Thinking of my Father as I hang out the fireman's window. Would love to have fired for him, and wish he was sitton on the left hand side.

Cheers
Rod Young

2018_10_07 Wodonga Station continues

2018_10_07  Wodonga Station 

Have a look at this wonderful construction of Wodonga Station .

Designed and constructed by Roger Lloyd (who built Maryborough)

WOW !!

Rod Young

2018_10_02 Gopher C30 Test Run

2018_10_02  Video of my new engine

This little train will represent the school train into Albury on Friday on race weekend

https://vimeo.com/293078561

 

https://vimeo.com/293078561

Need to change whistle and dull the exhaust beet a little

Cheers

Rod

2018_09_10 (forgotten pics from 2018_08_18)

 2018_09_10 (2018_08_18)
Trainbuilder Brass Bogies

Insulating brass bogies and fitting pick ups (Harris car lighting)

Replace brass plate with styrene plate. Bogie held apart by cast bolster.

This is how it left factory

Connect bogie with 2mm nylon screws
Noticed that it is difficult to align side frames, but discovered after pic was taken, that I can glue top plate on with frames squared.
I have some Blacksmith brand phosphor wipers that will be held in place by nylon screws. I put them in a safe place........
I guess I will continue when I remember where that is :(

Cheers
Rod

2018_09_08-Dragged out of sick bed to do some scenery.....

2018_09_08  adding to Allansvale.

Graeme arrived this morning, and got me out of bed to work on scenery. Thank God for that as I was drowning in a lethargic mood, and needed to get back into it.
Had a cateract removed and a replacement lenses with a second one to be done next week. Already my long distance vision is clear. But as I do a fair bit of night driving, I elected to forgo the multi focal lenses and use glasses for close up work. Enough of that.

Graeme is a bit of a genius, and look what we changed here, and see how well we changed this scene.

 The Apex corner.

We blocked out the facia about 70mm which allowed the embankment on edge. looks good, I think

Thank you Graeme, my wounds are healing, and after I returned to shed, I covered the repaired eye and found I could actually use the screw driver once again Ha Ha.
Cheers
Rod

2018_08_11 A warm shed!!

2018_08_11  So I turned the heat on...

Today I ran the heat for two hours to see if it was going to be ok.
At 8.00am  the temp was 5C higher than usual (3C), possibly because it has rained for last three days.

At midday I was able to get into shed, and I turned the Air-Con on and set it to 24C

An hour later the interior had climbed from 8C to 18C  and was comfortable. It was hotter near the ceiling (of course) but strangely 15 m from the air-con was the warmest part of the building. I set the ceiling fan to winter and turned it on low and was able to work comfortably for another hour.

The outside temp had climbed to 10C and the inside was 19.5C

So I turned the Air-Con fan to Auto and lowered the temperature setting to 18C on the unit.
An hour later I felt the temp was still climbing ??
With Air-Con set to 18C the back of room was at 21C, but it felt more comfortable than before.

And so I stopped the Air-Con for a minute and then restarted  it, and noted that  it now ran quietly with fan definitely running slower, The temp maintained 20C for an hour and finally settled on 18C

Air-Con controller set to 18C Fan Max

 Electronic temperature showing 21C at back of room

Had difficulty focusing camera on screens.  But think the Air-Con settings were not running on Auto mode, or forcing the fan to run on max, was the problem?  I should not have a maintained 21C with the Panasonic 9kw unit set to 18C

Pretty happy with that.  So Al,  Peter and Graeme we have warmth at last :D

My Health

Going to be in the hands of my Doctor for a month, and hopefully back into things after that.
First problem is diabetes which is not really under control. Not enough exercise is my analysis.

But mainly its my eyes. I have Macular degeneration in my left eye and mild cataracts as well. Although my right eye is ok, the left eye was always dominant for me, and it had been causing problems since 2013. Probably a good reason why I have slowed down. Well add that to the Hot summers and cold winters up here?
Since 2013 my Macular has been treated (I found it virtually the day it happened)
Fortunately they were able to fix 90% of the problem with an injection that
dissolved a burst blood vessel in the iris causing the vision defect. I could not
see straight lines with that eye.

 The problem was discovered when my friend Roger was helping me lay track on the Wodonga Station yard. We went inside for the night, and next morning I went to the shed to find the straight track we had just laid looked like an earth quake chart! Or a picture of New Zealand main lines after such an event.

Gosh what happened?

 Roger had no idea what I was going on about, eventually I closed  one eye, then the other and worked out it was a medical problem.

Took me two weeks to get an appointment, and it was fixed as best as they can that day with an injection. I get another injection every 10 weeks, for life, or until they find a real fix for the problem.

So hopefully with two new lenses fitted in September, I should be back to work in
October, all being well.
Cheers all
Rod Young

2018_08_09 A breath of fresh warm air :D

2018_08_09 Two things Got my car back after losing it for a month and finally got a heater!!


Some pictures?

 The side of the Rover was damaged when brand new. The repair was warranted lifetime (or as long as you owned the car.  13 years later the paint faded and they honored the warranty. Just took time!

 The aircon could only go in one place. No body wanted to fit it there, but I insisted. Its 8kw cooling and 9kw heating. Hope it works!  I need to cover the top where it is cut into roof, otherwise it will be using air from roof cavity, and you know that wont work.

No wonder the price of these things, jumps about 30% Look at the size of the outdoor unit.

Cheers
Rod

2018_08_03 Do you remember when your train had a key?

2018_08_03 First I Thought I should wind you all up?

 My first train set? (Click here for video)



Then show you the next development in the Wodonga Station build.

Ray Pilgrim helped us produce some more 3D parts to help Roger with this project.

And at the same time, some longer sheets of roofing iron, arrived from England.

Here are some pics of the shapeways models.

So this will save a lot of time for not a huge investment

Ray Pilgrms site can be found here
Rays Shapways shop

2018_07_16 Wodonga update from Roger

2016_07_16 More pics from Roger

Today Al and I spent a couple hours wiring in bits of Albury laid so far. But finally cold chased us back inside. Still lot of work completed, but nothing to photograph.

Meanwhile Roger sent this update on Wodonga station building.
Enjoy :D

Gosh I am impressed with such great friends. Thanks Roger Wodonga is great even without the tin on the roof Ha Ha

Cheers
Rod

2018_07_05 Albury Yard continues...

2018_07_05  Al and I worked the South Box end of Albury yard

 Using a three way point  to set up platform, Through and Runaround roads at South Albury

 This time we are wiring all track work as we go, and fitting point motors and droppers. It is slowing us down, but at least this side is completed as we go. So many other places remain unconnected :(

 The BG crosses the SG and enters the yard loop towards Station Box, where it will cross over the SG, again, and head towards the flour mill and sheds.

The BG continues on into Albury platform and runaround.

Also setting up the over track lighting.

Cheers
Rod