Tuesday 23 July 2019

Update on modelling activity

Well, it's time for another post, or so my good mate Roy tells me.
What's been happening since February? In no particular order:
  • MRC
  • Adding hinge detail to roof hatches
    • finished detailing the roof, assembled the end ladders from an etch donated by Tom Pall
    • finalised assembly then dispatched to the Miranda Car & Waggon Works for painting, decals and weathering
    • project complete




Ready for the paint shops
 













One of the ladders from an Eddie Garde etch, donated by Tom Pall


Job done!
 
  • MBC
  • Roof fitted & filling underway
    • finished fitting of buffers, underfloor details etc, and sent for similar treatment by Roy
    • project complete




Job done!

  • KP
    • fitted replacement SDS bogies
    • finished detailing with handrails & sent for paint, decals & light weathering
    • project complete




Job done!

  • 42109
    • Auscision model acquired at Liverpool 2017
    • fitted Loksound V4 - my first sound install
42109 with the KP at the head of a mail train on Upper Hunter. The rest of the cars need a trip to the wheel lathe...or the fitting of AR Kits axles, if the proprietor ever fulfills my on-line order!
 
  • SMR22
    • now has a selection of 30 four-wheel hoppers and 2 brake vans to run with it









 
  • 7003
  • 7003 shunting Porkingham Smallgoods on Upper Hunter
    • needs some work, seems like gears are not meshing properly in one direction









  • China
    • a work trip in May resulted in spending too much on expanding the China Rail fleet
  • AMRA QLD
  • RM on a northbound train passing the Big Pineapple
    • I managed to fit in a visit to the clubrooms during a work trip, and gave the RM a run through the Sunshine State









  • Upper Hunter
    • visiting the club fairly frequently, running a variety of my gear including China Rail, US & NSWGR
Pennsy 2-10-4 Texas on the string of heavyweight PRR cars I acquried at Rosehill 2019. Modelling US is cheap ... $15 per car!

  • NSW Diesel Era Modellers running day in June
    • gave 42109 & 4914 a bit of a run on Binalong & Stockinbingal
    • 42109 with SIUs on Binalong
      • RUB set had a lot of issues, so was taken off an replaced with On-Track Models Suppliementary Interurban cars, built up with a few of Roy's kitbashes


42109 with additional cars on Stockbingal




42109 arriving at Stock from Parkes



























  • RUB Set
  • Adapting Powerline bogies & promoting Beyond Bitumen!
    Using an end mill to sort out the ride height of the cars
    • finished glazing
    • fitted most roof mounting blocks
    • sorted out discrepancies in ride height & standardised all sitting cars to run on salvaged Powerline 2AN bogies
    • started fitting Sydney Hobbies interiors
















Repositioning under floor detail to clear the bogies after the disasters at DEM running day

  • Beyond Bitumen
    • Roy & I participated in our second fund-raiser for Beyond Blue, travelling from Yass to Cowra via West Wyalong, Hay, and Wagga Wagga in late March



 That's it for now!

Monday 11 February 2019


Here's a collection of photos from the last 16 months, picking up from where layout construction had progressed to in early October 2017.

Layout construction:

Assembling L girders
The longest girder spliced together
Fitting leg assemblies to girders
Collection of assembled benchwork
Trial positioning of benchwork
The collection of stuff in the garage that needed to be sorted out
Strategic reogranisation of stuff
Proof that the 1200mm height would clear the spare washing machine!
Shifting the workbench & Brendan's layout to make way for the benchwork
All benchwork in position
Lukas & Jason at work making joists
The collection of joists
At this point (17-10-17), layout construction ceased and is yet to be resumed! The legs / girders were dis-assembled with assistance from Roy and relocated to storage at my parents' place two weeks later.

Locos:
4914 is a Trainorama 49 acquired from a First Monday Toy Auction. It wasn't advertised as being DCC Sound - sometimes you get a win! When I bid on it I was still a committed DC man.
At Woongarrah on Upper Hunter. I had a lot of pick-up related problems when I first tried it out.
Applying Ray Pilgrim's fantastic solution which he pioneered on Traino 44 class
Job done - no more decoder restarts due to pick-up problems!

4302:
This loco is a major kit-bash from a Lima 44. The original had some big issues with the chassis, so Roy donated a spare Lima 44 chassis for a rebuild. This also provided an opportunity to fix up the fuel tank which had never really been satisfactory.
Plating over the unwanted moulded detail on the Lima chassis with styrene
Fireman's side painted
Driver's side painted and fuel gauge added


Rollingstock:
The MRC had a 3D printed roof made some time earlier - but the resolution was somewhat lacking resulting in noticeable steps on the large radius section and roof hatches. The curve was corrected by application of "canvas" (masking tape), and the hatches were plated over with 0.005" styrene. Subsequently I have added hinge & catch detail to the hatches.

Showing the steps resulting from poor resolution with respect to radius of roof
Masking tape added as "canvas"
Plating over the hatches
RUB Set - adding details to the PHS:
Grab iron on roof
Handrails
Curved end handrail and steps

KP mail van:
This is an old Mains West kit (I believe) that had been mostly built before I acquired it from Roy. Adding some details such as hand rails, an improved roof finish, replaced the buffers, and new bogies.


Christmas 2017 - visit from my sister & family (Dad's funeral was just prior to Christmas) enabled me to start an education campaign for the next generation of modellers.
With my first train, a Christmas gift from Uncle Jim & Aunty Jean many years ago!
Gift to self! A work trip to China on Boxing Day gave me an opportunity to indulge myself - Bachmann China Railways RM Pacific
Callum was hooked on the DCC Sound RM!
My nephews Peter & Callum visiting Upper Hunter - a bit over-awed by the action packed into the club layout!
Callum soon took control of the RM, though...
SMR22:
I had seen a few examples of the excellent Southern Rail models product, and couldn't resist one. SMR 22 was the only one I saw in active service, way back in January 1987, so it had to be the one.
Crossing Paterson Bridge on Upper Hunter
Shunting the Coal Stage
Visits - a few enjoyable outings throughout 2017, including the FB NSW Disel Era Modellers group running day, other layouts etc.
Another FMTA acquisition, 1052 at Picton Loco on Paul Morcom's excellent layout

DEM running day - 4914 & X.207 on Mungo Scott's
DEM running day - 4914 at Binalong
DEM running day - X.207 shunting at Binalong
PRR 2-10-4 on Upper Hunter
The Texas at Bradfield on Roy Howarth's Langston Place layout
QJ 2-10-2 & RM 4-6-2 in Brisbane staging on Upper Hunter
O. Winston Link visits Bradfield!

In March, with my uncle Trevor, and Roy, I participated in a fund raising car rally for Beyond Blue. The event, known as Beyond Bitumen, traversed as many dirt roads & tracks as possible from Bathurst to Orange over four days. We raised $2,700 towards a total of $360k raised by the event.
Gunzel412 - complete with dragon (but without a St. George or Dragon Net) fanging along between Dubbo and Parkes
In October, with my good mate Glenn Ryan, I made a pilgrimmage to the Deni Ute Muster. Glenn took his WB, I took my caravan. We made a bit of a tour of it, including abandoned railway infrastructure and pubs along the way.
At the Royal George Hotel, Urana. Regrettably, no longer a licensed venue
Returning from the Ute Muster on the October long weekend, I spent the Monday at Liverpool on Keiran Ryan's clinic, building an RU wheat hopper from the ye olde Silvermaz kit. I don't like the new black material - too hard to see what your doing, and it melts, rather than cuts, when drilled.
Set up on the clinic, with RUs in various states of progress, plus tools, materials & references

Friday Train Model shop:
Purveyor of all that is good in Shanghai. I've managed three visits in four trips to China for work in 2018. Note he doesn't take Western VISA cards - go with plenty of RMB!



 
 
Last but not least - the challenge for 2019. The Shed. It's full (well, not quite as full as when I took these pics, but it's a massive job to sort & empty). When my parents bought the house in 1997, the shed was advertised as a "granny flat". No self-respecting granny would have lived in it, but I have grand plans! Some of the redeeming features (once you look past the fibro construction and necessary repairs to termite damage) are three-phase power, an instant hot water unit and a toilet & hand basin. The bath will go (as will the hand basin, to be replaced by one donated by John Curry from his ACM, ex the Werris Ck breakdown train).
 

From the entrance, looking to the left towards the bathroom
Looking right towards the far end
At the far RH end
 That's it for now - you're pretty much up-to-date with the fortunes or otherwise of Weddin Junction!