2011 February 6

2011 February 6   Sunday   (page22 of 35)

Well despite the forecasts and even talk of evacuations at Bright and Myrtleford, the rains did not arrive last night. So instead of 200mm in a few hours we had a peaceful night. We already saw 107 mm in 4 days, mostly in short heavy falls. But it seems we are blessed here in the Yackandandah valley.

 The station at Bullio is connected to the new bench work using weathered micro engineering code 70 rail.
This was a bit of a problem, especially as the Trentham Exhibition layout was hand laid track using stripped down Peco N scale flex track. The rail profile was not even close although the height was very nearly code 70.
The gradient was mainly 1.5% with a short 2% near Bullio. The curve was kept to 36" Perhaps I should have tightened it.

  
At the bottom of the grade medium radius points lead into the junction station. 

 The curves, 30" and 32"

 Tony K has been extending the broad gauge helix along the East wall, allowing for the grain loop crossover and in this shot, I am sorting out the stone quarry siding.
First the lower three way point (reminiscent of Bowser and its three arm bracket signal)
the left track feeds the branch line platform (not like Bowser) then splits into a crossing loop before heading up the hill to Bullio.
The middle track is the BG main line
The right hand track crosses the SG and enters the quarry a bit like Kilmore East Quarry. The second crossover is a single slip to help compress the scene. I intend to run a 19 wagon rock train.

 Continuing on from the last picture the branch line loop runs beside the BG main line and the SG main line. The main lines will travel around to the west wall and eventually the East Helix.
The BG line which is second from the brick wall, will temporarily run to the rear of the island back drop, allowing a continuous run, at least on the top level 

Almost linked up about 2 m of track and a 100 m of wiring
Whoever suggested DCC was easy?

 And the gap leading up to the points.

 B60 waits for the goods to shunt the main line before heading to Bowser. Its been patiently sitting there for 9 months, I think

And that brings us to the conclusion of another update!
However many thanks to Graeme and Norma Hawken , who spent a day here recently and helped lay some track on their visit.
As well as Tony Kociuba who started linking up the top level on a recent visit. I guess they want to see trains running too Thanks friends, your encouragement means a lot.

Cheers
Rod

2011 February 15  Tuesday

Gee 9 days. I should get off my fat butt and lay some more track

Although I have not been completely ignoring the railway. I guess I need about another 120 droppers soldered in and I did wire in part of the Helix, and find a short as well... slowly but surely moving forward.
Cheers
Rod 

 2011 March 17  Thursday
Well people I have not been that well lately. Thought I might have been falling into a state of depression, and tried to pull myself up by the boot straps as I usually do, but just could not manage it this time.
So I guess my Doctor was thinking the big c might have been lurking around again, so I booked myselyf in for a CT scan and a heap of tests, which all came back clear, thank goodness. Today I just came out of day hospital after having a couple of cameras (well I hope they used two anyway) shoved up inside me, and it seems they did not find anything bad, so the big c has been ruled out definitely. Thank Goodness for that! However It seems I have been bleeding a fair bit, and the Doctor is hoping the internal bleeding is the cause of my loss of energy and general lethargy. So the cause of the bleed has been cleaned up with a laser, and hopefully by this time next week I will have my old self back up in the train room. Anyway I am feeling well already.

On the model front, despite going to Sandown this year with $2000 to spend, I came home with $1700 in my wallet, an Auscision N452 City of Wodonga accounting for the damage. I did buy a couple of San Mateo signals as well...
But can I ask the organisers of Sandown...Where were the Commercial stands?
Oh yes if I was running tabletop Hornby or any other brand the big 4 importers bring into Australia, I would be extremely happy!

However I did a 700km round trip to stock up, on all the things an Australian Railway modeller wants for his AUSTRALIAN model railway, and not one shop catered for the bits and pieces. Auscision who had nothing new to sell for a Victorian modeller, and Broad Gauge Models showing their interesting brass and white metal kits.
Piano wire? whistles, gates, fences, aussie buildings...nope nothing at all.
Sandown was again a failure and should be renamed The Australian Wholesalers and Allied Overseas Exhibition (If you want Australian then wait for Hobsons Bay at Collingwood in a few weeks)

 Cheers
Rod


2011 16th April  Saturday

Not a lot happening visually. Just wiring and point motors for the time being
However we got notification from the Mansfield works, who won the contract to assemble our latest Locomotive

Construction and assembly of all parts is near complete
A picture arrived today to share

(Click on pictures to enlarge)

 I feel like an expectant Dad
What a great job Mike has done, and that means we have reached the end of our Steam Building for the time being.
I hope that this one will pull a reasonable load up the helix, and time will tell
Cheers
Rod


2011 16th April  Saturday (continues)




http://dccsound.webs.com/        turn your sound down at first

"Aaron™ wrote:

Hi Rod,

What's the big box thing on the Tender? looks like a battery pack or I could be mistaken and it's a sub woofer.

-Aaron"

its eh?? Oh a live steam generator
The control module is nearby
Cheers
Rod