2011 January 12

2011 January 12  Wednesday (Bugger! so little done in how long? :( )   (Page 21 of 35)

ad602000 wrote:

no matter what layout you look at, model railroaders are amessy bunch arent they. Maybe we could make scenery items for TRS like hammers screws pliers laying around so they feel at home

You are right!!

However you should have seen it before I cleaned up for the pictures

Their is a reason for it all of course..You turn off your computer and the mess cleans itself up. If I clean up that takes hours and then I got to waste hours looking for the tools I put away
Cheers
Rod

2011 January 13 Wet and windy Thursday.
Ha Ha yeah!!
It was a lot easier when I was younger

Today Tony and I got stuck into a couple of places. Tony laid track from the Helix to just beyond the BG points and SG crossover accessing the large Wheat silos on the upper level. This was made difficult because the SG is code 100, and the BG code 75. To help out we used a code 75 diamond crossing and soldered code 100 ends to it, which allowed easy insulation joins. Looks great. He also started installing Tortoise motors.
His method of installation is first class, probably not much different to the instructions, which I have never read

Whilst Tony was laying track, I constructed the risers on the central branch line, marked out the track, and using a string line, set the gradient into Bullio and started to fix the base board in place.

I am thinking of driving over to the coast tomorrow, but will post some pictures when I can.
Thanks for your inspiration Tony. Came at a good time!

Just a short note to our friends in sunny Queensland. Everyone I know is watching our TV's, and admiring your ability to weather this terrible storm.
So many Victorians have moved up their in the last 40 years, that all of us have good friends and relatives in you fine State.
We pray for you, we worry for you.
We are all doing what we can to help. Please stay safe and we hope your recovery is swift and easier than we can possibly imagine.
God Bless !!

Cheers
Rod

2011 January 14  Friday

Its raining and its pouring, so decided not to go over the mountain today.
According to the rain gauge we have had 30mm since last night, which is about 100mm since Sunday
So we are out of the flood belt, although I do have the Yackandandah creek diverting through the bottom paddock at the moment.
Looks like the Western area of Victoria cops it this time. Tony left for Bendigo about 0600 this morning, He had to drive through flood water near Rushworth, and found several roads closed around Huntley where he lives. Maybe if he left an hour later he would not have got through.
More disturbing pictures from Queensland, as the huge clean up begins. Poor poor people!! I hope it goes well for you all.

You will notice the pillar top right? another one is out of shot to the left. The idea is to build a foam hill around these pillars, halfway up the back drop, which should get rid of them visually.
The space in between will be a wheat silo on slightly higher ground (as Glenrowan?) A run around long enough to hold 14 hoppers and an engine with a gravity feed from empty storage to loaded storage. Up trains departing the Helix will set back into the silo and place empties. Down trains will drive in and pick up loads.
I think it will look pretty good, and of course as Auscision have supplied me so many hoppers, I just had to add several silos to the plan.

 SG on the inside parallels the BG towards the rock Quarry at the other end of the room.

The BG, although connected, is still to be fixed into place. The SG divides here into a loop. In fact this will be detailed to look like a normal 970 m crossing loop. However it will in fact be a very long (37 m long) storage and staging loop, being the actual Helix itself. I envisage stacking trains in No2 Rd and allowing trains to circulate via No 1 Rd. Here the SG rails will be moved and laid side by side with the bg (yet to be fixed down) 

 Whilst Tony was laying such nice track, I moved onto the branch line. I cut all the cross pieces and ply out, and using a string line set the fairly steep gradient. Cut and fixed risers in place, glued and nailed the cut ply in position. The cut off ply was placed to support the foam.
I did receive a new hot wire cutter from Rail'N'Thusiast. Bought a Woodlands Scenics version which he had in stock. Now you all know by now, I live three hundred km's from the smoke! I rang the shop about midday, and the Postman delivered it to me at 10.30 am the following day... WoW!!
I know the kudos belong with the Post Office, but the shop keeper must have parcelled it up and dispatched it after hanging up the phone!! Now that is Service  

The string line is not shown off to advantage here, however the idea was to set it under the ply, so that the risers levelled to the line, allowed the ply to sit exactly where it should.

 The gradient is pretty steep, so I placed a fairly tight S Bend in to make it all look a bit better.

 Code 70 track in foam will connect and follow the edge. Foam will simulate steep falling bank.

And today I started to extend the new base towards the "Bowser" connection with the main line

So that's it for now, a little more accomplished and the dream takes a half step forward
Cheers
Rod

2011 January 19 Wednesday so far a cool day

Spent a few hours setting up the baseboard linking the old exhibition layout in the middle of the room with the main layout on the end wall. Moving slowly towards a connection, however I was rudely interrupted from baseboard building today when this was delivered  

 

  
 On its delivery run from the Caroline Springs Workshops.
The Norman Car will complete the BG Passenger train.
I am extremely happy with this carriage. At first I thought the purchase rather extravagant. But to see it like this, only reinforces my original decision to purchase. Eric you are amazing! 

 A view much loved by many thousands of Victorians, back doing what it was designed for.
Please do not get carried away with the rivet detail. The camera hides the illusion the model presents when viewed on the track. I had honestly not noticed till I saw the pictures  

 Full interior and complete under body detail. Good general finish, excellent painting and decaling, perfectly matching the earlier cars I purchased. I expect the mods to the Powerline cars will height match the cars as well.

 
I guess I need a dining car?

 How is that for an Interior?

 My previous diaphragm conversion needs to be closer coupled.

 mixing a few finished cars into the train. I have the two vans already, and managed to get some Argentine bogies from Eric when he still had the shop.
http://www.railscalemodels.com.au
If the site is still not working contact Eric
Eric (VHC) (Railscale​models)
eric@railscalemodels.com.au
I highly recommend this model to you!
Cheers
Rod Young

Edit March 2013 Unfortunately Eric has been very ill, and has had to close Railscale Models down, in Jan 2013)