A Few Useful Bits

Recently I was asked by Joe Calipari to review a newly introduced range of detail parts sourced from the Rail Central Pc3 building kit. The review should be in the next AMRM but this post is to let people know that these parts exist and that they are available now.

The parts are of course suited to modelling NSWGR concrete pre-fabricated infrastructure and will be a real boon for those who are modifying the existing station buildings into the various iterations that were scattered around the state.

In my instance I have already done a double sided island platform version similar but shorter to Cumnock and Yeoval for Wollar on my layout. Pictures of Cumnock and Yeoval can be found on James McInerney’s Fotopic site.

Several of the parts are more than suitable for scratch building other Australian structures such as houses, shops, sheds, etc..

I figure that the double hung windows for would work well in a 1950’s ‘fibro’ (asbestos cement) house, the four panel doors could be hung either way up and the metal chimney can be used for a stove or a sewer breather pipe. I think that two windows or even three could be joined to form the classic front windows seen on those 50’s houses.

The goods shed sliding doors can be used for sheds, garages, rear shop doors and industrial buildings

Joe said that he would probably also release the diagonal station awning supports and he was kind enough to supply me with the extra supports I needed to complete the Wollar building.

Let there be light, well a little bit

While pondering if I should light the Wollar station (the answer being , yes) I resolved to finish a yard light kit that I had bought from Casula Hobbies at the October Exhibition last year.

This yard light is cast in brass and looks very nice when painted.

I started it last year and fitted it with a small Golden White LED (GV32) that I had reviewed in AMRM recently for Gwyder Valley Hobbies but like a lot of my modelling it had languished after I ran into a small hold up (how to mount it in the layout so that it was removable - for access to track behind it).

Anyway, I finished it off and mounted it with a mono 3mm plug and socket, the plug being soldered to the base of the post.

The LED is supplied with  very fine enamel coated wires which I used to represent the lamp raising/lowering rope, one wire being soldered to the post at the middle of the post at the cross piece (see desktop pic on the sidebar) and the other was soldered to a fine DCC wire from TCS which ran in a groove cast into the rear of the pole. I am sorry if that is confusing but I didn't take any photos.

I have just noticed that I still haven't put the two 'power' wires that run from the top spreader above the lamp to the middle cross piece, just as well that it is removeable.

Here it is in the depths of night.

Wollar Station Building Update

Here is a small update on progress on the Wollar station building. Wollar has an island platform for main and branch, the branch platform side being the closest to the edge of the layout. This of course puts the 'rear' of the Pc3 building in full view.

I decided that the rear was a bit plain and would require at least one door and one or more windows to be added.

A quick study of the window styles showed the lack of suitable windows in my box of structure parts (Grandt line, etc.) and left me with the conclusion that I could add one extra window by changing one of the windows into the required door. The door came from the box of bits and while not quite the same was close enough.

I also had to add a small window over the new door and make the corbels (is that the right name) that hold the bottom of the awning supports.

After this I had to reduce the width of the corrugated iron awnings to suit the platform width and move them inwards under the slate gable roof sections.

Where did he get the second corrugated awning from you ask?

Well, Joe Calipari came to my rescue when I first bought the kit and happened to mention that I wanted to make it into an island platform version. Now Joe doesn't have these as spare parts but did have a damaged kit that he took the awning from. Thank you Joe, you are one of nature's gentlemen.

If anyone wanted to make a similar building then it would very easy to scratchbuild an awning to suit.

Here is a view of the almost completed model, just the awning supports and the downpipes to go.

I have run into a small problem with the awning supports as I have to make another eight and it should be easy, but the ones in the kit are about 3" x 3" in cross section but this size is not available in Evergreen polystyrene strip or in timber. I suspect that they would be 2" x 4" in real life so it looks like I will have to make sixteen from 2" x 4" Evergreen strip.

Now regarding the downpipes etc. from the roof, I feel that a station of this size would have town water (or at least water from the loco supply) and drainage for the downpipes, so I will be eliminating the water tanks and filter system. The lack of water tanks leaves the ends of the building looking a bit bare so I will probably add some advertisements.

I am not moving as fast as I thought but it is the festive season after all.

Merry Christmas

I will be having some time off at Christmas (back to work 11 January) and hope to get a bit of modelling done. I might even get back to the remaining points for Cassilis, who knows.

My first efforts though will be directed at making a station building for Wollar; that platform has been bare for too long.

The building will be an island platform version of the Rail Central Pc3.

A picture of Cumnock station, one of the two such buildings can be found at the Rail Central site here, just scroll down.

The other building was at Yeoval but was different as near as I can tell from the few photos I have seen. Note that neither was actually a Pc3, they appear to have been built to suit local requirements.

I hope you all can find a bit of time for modelling after the family time and festivities so to everyone, please have a merry and safe Christmas.

Ray

Inspiration

I write this post with no more progress on the layout, still in the doldrums.

However, I have been busy wasting my time by trawling the web.

Digressing slightly, Chris and I went away for a few days late last week and as we were leaving we dropped into the local newsagency to pick up something to read. I couldn't find anything so I bought an English model railway magazine remembering that I had picked one up a few months ago and had been refreshed by it. I hadn't investigated the british scene for many years.

This event caused me to have a better look.

I present to you now some web sites that should inspire and hopefully not bring on feelings of inadequacy. We can all learn from others and these few sites are just fantastic!

Here is the first a look at Irish Railways (5'3" gauge) in P4.

Now some thing from Scotland.

And a site by Chris Nevard with some small layouts in the british style with a lot of incredible model photos, note the real cat in this photo.

I came to these sites through a site with a huge number of links on all sorts of model railway subjects. A small number of the links are dead as you would expect with so many to keep up to date but Bob Heath the owner has done an amazing job of bringing them together in the one spot.
I hope you enjoy cruising through these sites and I apologise for dragging you away from your modelling.

Plenty of inspiration, now to some modelling again.

I have been taking a few photos though, so something is happening.



Early morning in Wollar, no Photoshoping just the light through the garage window without the lights on.

Feeling Guilty about my Lack of Posts

I have had a very quiet time of late with my modelling, I don't know why but this state of affairs comes and goes.

I have done only one more point for Cassilis but could lay track almost right through the yard if I wished, I just haven't.

Anyway, here is a little scenery project I did a few years ago.



Take a sprig from the end of a Cootamundra Wattle branch (Acacia Baileyana '"Purperia' variety). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cootamundra_wattle


Trim the fine branchlets as per the picture.


Dye a cotton pipe cleaner a light to mid-brown with a little orange in it (if you can find them), I used a little artists acrylic paint.

Cut the dried pipe cleaner into pieces about 20 - 25mm long.

I made a jig with a piece of timber drilled to take the short length of pipe cleaner with timber surrounding the hole to support the branches (sorry, no picture but just think about it).

Glue the ends of the branchlets to the top of the pipe cleaner , at least two layers looks best, put the small branchlets on top and there you have it!

Easy!

Yes, I know the branches are upside down!

Why do you think I haven't published this before?

;-)

Pleased with myself and other short stories

I had a whole day to myself today, something that I theoretically have each Sunday as Chris, my wife, works Sundays. But of course we all know that life often gets in the way.

Normally I visit my mum and dad on Sunday mornings and this can run into the early afternoon as I am building a layout with dad. I have done this once already for about 4 years then 18 months ago mum and dad moved and well, we start again.

The layout is coming along nicely this time as it has been planned carefully instead of just growing like the old one (usually between my visits ;-) ). I have been building the new one for the last 6 months or so. I will post some photos at a later date.

The point being though that they are away visiting my brother at Townsville.

Now this leads me to another story.

Last Sunday I joined a few hundred other people who were lucky enough to visit what may be known as the Main Western Line layout. The layout was opened to the public in aid of a charity and at $10, entry it was worth it.

The layout was on a property at Brewongle near Bathurst and was built for it's owner Paul Hennessay by John Brown a well known modeller. John told me he had taken 19 months at 40 -50 hours per week to get it to this stage. Well John, you can be proud of your achievement. John had some assistance from another modeller whose name unfortunately escapes me.

Some may have heard of it but you have to see it to believe it. It is housed in a 100' x 45' purpose built building, notice I didn't say shed. The layout is in a U shape with a large staging yard at the base of the U and two long peninsulars. It is a takes up a space about 80' x 30' leaving enough room for a few lounge chairs and wood burning fire.

The layout represents a section of mainline from Tarana to Bathurst and it includes a short Oberon branchline.

I took quite a few photos and also video but will only post these few photos below.


This photo was taken 2/3 of the way down one peninsular.

And this photo was taken when I turned around and took the last 1/3, long enough?

Some more photos can be found at:

http://www.nmra.org.au/Layout_Tours/Western%20Line/index.html

Now back to the original subject of this blog.

Having all day to myself I decided to build two points for Cassilis but I did have to mow the grass, not my most favourite past time but the lans are small and it only takes 20 minutes or so. I learnt from my first home where it would take about 2 hours!

Any way I went to the back lawn to removed the land mines and noticed that a tree was overhanging the path. OK, I can trim that, next I knew I was out the front trimming a very tall hedge and another tree as well.

After a shower and some lunch, yes, half the day gone, I headed for the layout room (not nearly so splendid as Paul's).

I side tracked myself with fixing a vibration in the sound from my dad's new Eureka C38. If you have the same problem then the fix is simplicity itself.

The tender body is held on with two screws underneath near the rear coupler and two tabs at the front. Unscrew and remove the body.

Now, you will notice that the inside surface of the tender sides have a very slight recess starting near the front and going about 3/4 of the way to the back. Why? I don't know but it allows the sides to vibrate against the tender floor.

Now for the fix, as per the photo, put some sticky tape (Cellotape) into the recess on each side. Allow the tape to extend out the bottom and trim with a sharp hobby knife.

I also taped down some of the wires that might have been touching the tender sides causing the vibration noise.

Re-assemble and it should be fixed, don't forget to turn down the volume to about half.

As with all QSI sound locos, if using DCC then you will need to put a zero into CV62 to turn off the talk back feature as it can interfere with programming by talking while the command station is sending the second of any two part CV adjustments such as the address.

OK, now to what I am happy about.

I only got one point built but it was my first curved point and it went together without any further adjustment, my test 4 wheel S truck just glides through without any discernable click or wheel drop at the frog.

I was over the moon and took it in to show off to Chris!

Now that was the fourth point built, only seven to go ;-(.

I say ;-( because I am a person who doesn't like repeating things, I love to work out how to do something and then do it, just don't ask me to repeat it. Yes, I have many unfinished kits but I do have one complete of each ;-)

That's it for now, a bit of a ramble, no pun intended.