2016_10_29 Another month done and dusted (almost)

2016_10_29  A Saturday work day. Lets finish the wall?

Al came another day, and so did Graeme Schulz.
Graeme is going to beat this backdrop issue, and he is determined.

I got up at 7.30 am and started cleaning up the floor, and carted all the boxes to the skip. emptied the contents and burnt the boxes.

About now Al shows up, so we decide to build the final wall section at the South end.

Some pictures....

I need to wire the modules together, but found some of the plugs were missing. A trip to Jaycar is on the cards, me thinks :)

I braced the track abutments to keep everything in place when I turn it all over  ...... next time.

So here is the "dirty corner" all cleaned up and wall ready for filling , sanding and painting.
Actually like meeting an old friend, that floor, went missing 6 years ago :)

Trying to brace the plaster against the brick pier so the cornice cement can stick it.

And just 5 hours of work, and my clean, cleared bench needs loving attention once again.  sigh's.......

Cheers
Rod

2016_10_27 Back on the job!

2016_10_27 Thursday! Work day :)  Al is here and Mick came too!

After last Friday, I had to go to Melbourne to get my caravan and visit Mum and Dad.
Arrived home early Wednesday  pretty exhausted and put the Caravan away, emptied the car and van, and did my washing etc. Exhausting week.
Mick asked if I would be at Club Wednesday, and I thought I might go.
Al was at loose ends and really wants to see trains running so he volunteered another work day on Thursday.

So as we have plenty to do. I agreed
.  Mick also said he would come visit, and he is a friend of Al,s that should not be a problem.
And it wasn't it was a good day.....  Thanks my friends, I appreciate your help.

 See the folding table sitting up against the layout? That was sitting right down the far corner loaded up with stuff, that I had no idea about. This has blocked the extension of the wall and needed to be gone!

So Al started on the broom and we moved all the boxes from wall, and cleaned up the place.
We sorted through screws, nails, bits and bolts and stored all away in a bin, marked for easy finding, of course.
We cleaned down the table top and sorted all tools from the rubbish, and tipped that outside for the dumpster.
Its hard to see here, however the far end is actually ready for the wall and then we can start on the second Helix..

Then we started building boxes to carry the single line track from Honeysuckle to the Helix Station, and return loop.
We got about as far as we could go, in this shot.
Al surveys the new baseboard installed and we notice how twisted the module we installed earlier today at Honeysuckle is. It really stands out and the picture shows it. In reality it looks worse. I already water soaked it, and loaded weights on it over bending it, and thought I had fixed it. Not so, it seems.

Single track connection to the reverse loop on top of the Helix.
Cut the ply, just need to fix it down.

The front left edge is too low.



Mick got the worst job, bending code 70 rail to fit the trestle bridges. Railcraft rail just refuses to bend easily. A real pain for those of us, used to Peco track.

Thanks Mick, all glued and pegged in place. Just need to fix the track to the embankments to finish off.

That's about it for today.
Cheers
Rod

2016_10_21 Continues..last thoughts?

2016_10_21 Addendum

Pic1/
Close up of area to move lever frame into. Just box it out and build scenery around it.

Pic 2/

Thinking about extending this end another module and fitting a small turntable in place, maybe a cattle race and silo?  Moving the modules North did not cause too many problems this end.
This picture and the next one show the SG track hidden in the rear and how much it has dropped even at 1.5 % gradient.

Obviously this out rigger could have been higher, blocking vision to Albury yard underneath. Will look at it when I finish this level, start working on lower level

Pic3/
All screwd and glued and tight level construction.

Honeysuckle is actually only clamped into position. I am going to get Tony to come visit and help sort through the wiring, before we screw it all down for the last time

Cheers
Rod

2016_10_21 Continue connecting it up (new territories)

2016_10_21 Al and I spend another day on the Branch.

Continuing on from yesterday, we now connect Honey Suckle and Bowser  via the trestle bridge.

Picture 1/
shows that we have four tracks (one on lower level) all coming off  the North wall  and entering West wall. The first track, was the hidden SG track on a 1.5% max descent to the new helix  which enables train to  enter Abury yard from Sydney direction.

Picture 2/

Making sure the trestle is in position and level.
The front of box removed. I may remove rear as well, but hoping scenery and foam will fill in the ground and creek.

Picture 3/
We had to build frames and add supports under the track to support it all.

Picture 4/
You can see the wood colour change where the two branch tracks join, to enter the junction and then Honeysuckle. The rear track is dead level, and the front track a short 2%. off the trestle.

Picture 5/
Going to move the lever frame off the top and fit it into scenery near yellow clamps.  Calling Tony!!
Might have to find out how to electrify the points and connect the frame electrically rather than by rods and levers as is now. To right of clamps is where the junction will bring two lines into station.

Ok y'all
And thanks to Al for motivation, great suggestions and pushing me along. Two very good days indeed :)
Cheers
Rod

Ps
Note for the day! You cannot have too many clamps. Count them, over 30 and still not enough. You cant have too many pencils...  Hidden around here are 7 sharp pencils and one blunt one. Guess which one you find all the time?
You need more than one battery drill. Two is cool, three better and four about optimum. But where are all the drill bits and screw driver bits?

2016_10_20 Break! We work in the new territories :)

2016_10_20 Al came for a visit today. So its bench work day :)

My intention was to lay a long hidden BG track absolutely level  but 70% behind the BG branch station.
But a recent visit by Roger planted a seed in my mind. Roger suggested we form a junction before the branch terminus and run all  BG trains through the station.
This meant we could install Honey suckle closer to the corner than intended, which exposed the BG main line all the way to the reverse loop at the end of the wall.
Maybe pictures will help :)

So here is the Northern end. One BG track comes off the bridge and forms a junction with BG track from the other half of room (Bowser to Peechelba?)
The extension piece increases the distance between points and allows for a longer platform.
Each module was leveled up and braces installed to screw all bits together and fix it all to the wall via the out riggers.

Al marks out the base for the modules, and checks for level.

Surprisingly it all goes together pretty easily. The bracing you can see under the modules is pulling the out riggers in square.and providing a level place to screw down the modules. (not yet done. Will need to guarantee wiring is all complete, before doing that.

 All three Honey Suckle modules plus one extra spacer in their final position. Ah, and found another mistake. The lever frame positioning, needs to be adjusted. We moved one of the struts under HoneySuckle and messed up the runners used to secure the Lever frame to layout.

Just looking at the board I need to add that will hold the new Junction
We are about ready to finish this for today. Al gets to sit down at last :) Thanks mate, we get heaps done together, don't we :)
Cheers
Rod

2016_10_08 to 2016_10_18 (Catch up)

2016_10_08 After adding a station, I had to rearrange the silo siding.

Took a while to sort out what I had to do, as well, life got in the way with visitors, visiting, and a funeral service to attend.

Here are a couple of pics, of me procrastinating over the amount of work here :)

 That double slip is not going to go  back where it came from.The crossover sits on top of SG where it will fit Then I need a point to service track around silo.

The point behind silo goes first. Bight the bullet and start again :)

 2016_10_10  Got a few track sections up and running

S317 hauls a 10 car "roarer" behind Wodonga as it heads towards the 'smoke'

2016_10_14 Another large parcel surprises me!

Now work this one out!    USA via Melbourne takes how long?
Remembering the  Club members who got their Aurora sets in 3 days if they lived in Albury, but it took a further week for Wodonga customers to get theirs after they were sent to Mebourne and returned via Seymour before heading to Wodonga for distribution.  People are not writing letters because of email convenience. So they lift postal charges, sack every second person , close distribution centers and damage a lucrative growing parcel business? Go figure!!
 But the parcel?

Its big and its heavy, and looks undamaged.

It arrived in Yackandanda for pick up at 10.00 am 14th.

It arrived Melbourne direct, bypassing Sydney after being received by shipping agents in USA on the 8 October. So the postal agent received it and sent it to Australia, arriving just 6 days later in my hands. Sounds like AUSPOST grabs a yank to run the system and USA picks up and we go down the shitter. Not good enough AUSPOST!

Ok lets open it up :D

Watch the fingers !!

This is museum quality. If you elect the rivet counter version, you can have a silent one for about half price.

Almost there! Their was a day not so long ago, that you could model Aussie, if you could totally scratch it yourself, or you modelled British, Eropean or US of A.
I chose US of A and I always lusted after the Hallmark Brass "Big Blow"
Apart from the fact that I needed an "arm and a leg" the cost of these things at that time, I still wanted one. Well today I finally got it.  Years too late, but will look nice on the shelf.

Temporary DCC rigged up just to hear her. And she is a beauty. Really happy with this engine.
In front is an enamel collectors badge and beside it a magnifying device with a super bright light, to help us oldies really see all the detail included.
2016_10_18  Been away for the weekend, mostly. But finally got a chance to run it in the first section bought on line after overhauling my DCC system.

This thing has three DCC chips, one in each part The rear one operates lights in that tender
The middle chip operates the turbine and lights.
The front chip operates compressor lights and the small diesel engine used to move the unit around when not running the Turbine. Very realistic it is too.

But did not play too long. as had some track to relay.

OK we have locked down all the track in the picture and located the double slip where it can go to avoid timber bearers underneath and line up with the silo shed. Not a lot to do now. Just connect the silo and the two store roads after I fit the slip in place.  Oh the wiring needs to be reconnected as well as all 5 point motors. Yeah maybe a few days there ;)
Cheers
Rod

2016_10_06 Continues

2016_10_06  Still trying to get the silo area looking right

Decided to install a platform, which needed more track rearrangement. I bought the station on E Bay a few years ago. Maybe someone will recognise it  :)

 Already I find the requirements needed to keep curves on the SG about 44" or above are going to force me to remove all the points and move them away from the BG points temporarily located (on top) near the platform.. The slip is roughed in, and this is not going to work.

The SG sneaks in behind, just as on the North East Line and the 80 footers are looking ok.

The station is fully detailed and has a goods shed on main platform. Not prototypical, I guess, but a nice little scene, none the less.

Cheers
Rod

2016_10_05 (addendum)

2016_10_05  Roger?

Just to let you know :D I did not stop (yet)
The wiring was attached and now I have returned to sorting out the mystery short. I thought it was fixed. However its not :(
Cheers
Rod

All the wiring is in place. The crimp terminals are very tight. In fact I cannot push them in without pliers (or get them apart)

Thought I could start fitting foam, but then I remembered that, depending on how the helix works out, I may shorten the out riggers to give a better view of the bottom level. Its a pity really.
Cheers
Rod

2016_10_05 ( 7 Days over Liverpool weekend)

 2016_09_30 Picked Roger up at the Station.

Its Liverpool weekend, and Roger Lloyd and I are heading North once again. Roger normally spends a few days working on my railway. The hope is that his inspirational presence will keep me going for another year ;)

Prior to his arrival, I had fitted the Wodonga goods shed into position, but had caused a few problems, one being the wagons were not able to clear the door.

Here is Roger fixing in a base for the model. We found some 9mm ply, cut out the track through the shed and laid thin caulk inside and found platform heights, and clearances were spot on. Like I said...inspirational :D

Cannot fit Wodonga yard in exactly, so will build car storage towards left of picture.

The ply lifts shed high enough. You can see the through track on rear wall? It is also lowered and will represent bitumen over track for vehicular access.

Long view with shed lifted and track roughed in.

The "Roarer" arrived  on BG ???? Modellers license is a mysterious thing :D

2016_10_03  Back from Liverpool

The new territory now gets some track!

The long SG link road is hidden track. It sits aainst the wall and drops 210mm over 17 m. Although hidden, the operator will be able to look over the top of the "blocker" and watch his train climb,or descend.
In front of the SG will sit a level BG track which runs to a reverse loop on top of the Helix, with a mail line station built into the S bend. then return via the same line.

Roger is planning the next move, which is stringing cable and laying track to connect to that cable.

Cable is in, and now he is laying track which has droppers pre-soldered to each length. Small strips of ply are screwd and glued to side to stiffen up the ply, and stop trains dropping to floor. Remember this is hidden track.

It is hidden because I decided not to use South Grafton in the space behind where Roger is standing. It was better to keep the open area, rather than close the acces down to 900mm

2016_10_04 Continued to lay track.

And whilst Roger worked this side, I ripped out part of the silo at the top end of the old helix. Had to relay the silo yard as well as the SG loop points after replacing the ply under it with one piece of 5 ply. This was needed because the surface was just not flat enough to guarantee safe passage of trains.

Whilst working here, the old mind was ticking over. You can see the white new ply under the piece of foam? Well that was the new bit. I have already placed the BG and started to put in the SG loop points at the furterest end..

Fitting out the SG loop points

Now that I have thought things out, I have decided to install a ready made station, I have, in front of the silos. That means, I need to sweep the SG track, back towards the Silo area in order to install the station, facing the passage way.

This shows the realignment of the BG towards the edge of the baseboard. The SG with train sitting on it, is also pushed back, opening up the space for the platform between the two tracks. I now have to remove the SG crossover and push it further away from camera and realign it to the new through track alignment. Just about run out of track too. So better order some more.

And as I reached the Quarry end of the long straight, Roger poked the SG through the gap behind the center modules.

Hey Al?  Look oat our clean floors :(  But at least we re-commissioned the table saw. Mind you, all the junk sitting atop it, is now sitting on the layout. I need more boxes for storing things :(

Thanks Roger and Al for getting me this far along.

Cheers
Rod