2019_10_27 Cut, Glue and Paint! The pretty bits Ha Ha!

2019_10_27 Another productive few days improving the look?

 Graeme surveys our handiwork. Basically gluing (no more nails) fascia over old damaged area to improve looks and assist with application of scenery.

 Waiting for glue to dry

 Might as well drill out the holes for our point controllers.

 Test fit them.

 Graeme used a Stanley knife to trim off the tops and match the contours.

OK next day, and time to remove the clamps and paint it all.

Again using a water based undercoat to bring out the rich green color of the top coat.

 Wait a day and apply the top coat.

 Still need to do some more trimming on top edge. Tried it but my Arthritis made it too difficult. Graeme will come back and do it.

Played around with the trestle. Painting the backdrop below deck level green, and if I paint the top blue, you wont be able to see the tracks behind it.

Graeme's point button holders 

Desk top cable tidy.  Simply push out the middle bit and discard.

Start up you 3D printer after drawing up a suitable insert, and print enough to fill all the holes in the fascia :D  Easy for Graeme eh? He has one of those new fangled things ;)

note: old farts definition  of fangle. obsolete : a silly or fantastic contrivance : gewgaw, gaud.

 Our two bits need to be brought together.

If you have your drawing right, press fit them.

And now your switches can be mounted into fascia with out you having to worry about catching them with your clothing as you walk past. And besides they look fantastic as well.

Here is a Tam Valley version with three holes allowing a push button and two LED indicators to be fitted.

 Of course the original version accepts a 4 pole double throw toggle from JayCar.

 We are pretty happy with how it all looks now. Soon it will be time to spruce up the scenery.

 Also it will be time to play around with permanent control panels. This is how Albury Station is looking to be. Stay tuned to find out how we go about this.

Cheers
Rod

2019_10_24 Albury develops a little bit more.

2019_10_24  Getting track down at the "busy" end.

The BG track with loop,closest to the wall comes together and then crosses over the SG tracks Its a difficult proposition in HO scale, and I could not duplicate the prototype track plan. 

 Platform road closest to camera crosses the BG then passes through a crossover. Straight ahead is the loop to the right is the main line to Sydney. The through road runs over the BG track to form the main line beyond the crossover.

RH large radius, will hopefully allow the Aurora and Daylight cars to cross over.

The through road crosses over to the runaround road. The picture shows me that I have forgotten to include a point to access the Loco and yard.

 So the first diamond will need to enter a RH point to acess the yard.

Some more green valences .......

Cheers
Rod

2019_10_12 Social Day!

2019_10_12  Al continues with track in Albury and.....

 With the BG platform roads completed, Al starts to feed in the loop servicing Bunge's as well as the transfer roads

Their was a dead end road this end, but I never saw it used. So at this stage I left it out.

Scenery and Valences

And Graeme came to show me some protected switch fittings he constructed using cable tidy covers and 3D printed tubes.

 He simply pushed the 3D printed tube into the  tidy cover and I screwed in a wired switch.

 Graeme drilled out the Valence and the switch protector just needs to be glued in.

 Simple hole saw used but here the switch did not fit in, so I used a spade bit and opened up room behind switch.

We simply popped out the cover that came with the surround.

 Looks pretty good eh?

 After installing the new valence and gluing in place, I waited for glue to dry , removed the clamps and undercoated the valiance. This time we exposed the back side gluing the white plastic side to the edge of base board. Paints much easier.

I stuffed this up yesterday when I drilled small holes and mounted switches before seeing Graeme's beaut covers.  So we cleaned the paint off the plastic surface and glued a new strip on top.
Then Graeme drilled out the necessary holes... much better :) Going to need about 50 of these, I wonder if Graeme is regretting showing me these? Ha Ha. Thank you for your help my friends. Its only happening because you are pushing me along, and I am so grateful

Cheers
Rod

2019_10_10 Albury continues and theres more!

2019_10_10 Its Thursday and Al is roaring to go.

(BG = Broad Gauge and SG = Standard Gauge)
Can't help myself :D  Running trains over part of the line is taking up a bit of time :)

The R shunted out of way, as it awaits repairs (need to add a capacitor to smooth out running)

BGM D3 helps the T haul the goofy's up the grade.

Still mixing trains on the gauges, however this will stop when the second helix starts working ;)

Laying track in Albury

Al laying track,  He seems to like it, and his track is superb too.
You can see how he "volunteers" to lay track, can't you

This is about 2/3 of the Albury SG platform. The BG platform is slightly reduced in length.
Was going to cover platform with sandpaper to simulate asphalt. However sitting the whiteboard on the cork is just level with the doors on the carriages. I might have to paint it instead.

BG and SG (top) enter Albury. The BG divides with one track crossing the SG and the other track enters the BG platforms

Painting and fixing up points

Its time to see how the fascia is going to look.

Cheers
Rod