Yard change No 2

Finally have received my new PECO code 83 unifrog right turnout. These new turnouts no longer need to have insulated joiners, coming off the frog, and powering to frog is also, personal choice. Mine is wired to a frog juicer, under the board.

          

 

Yard track changes

As can be seen from the above three images, I have removed the three point, and replaced with a medium right hand, off the main, and a short radii left hand into the passing siding and yard lines. Reason. Even with the use of frog juicers, I could not get the locos to travel through the second and third frog without stalling.

I had wished to use the three way, to save space, but with adding the two addition turnouts, only added a short distance, but also increased the length of the main, passing along the station platform.

Ballast removal was easy, with the assistance of isopropanol alcohol. Much faster than warm water. It also helped that the ballast was not adhered by PVA glue.

Next step is change out the medium tight hand, to a Peco code 83. One of the new unifrogs.

 

Hill incline further work

 

Two images of work being carried out on the hills of the incline. The main aim is to add more trees and under growth to the forest.

The exposed rock boulder formations are actually real rocks, positioned to give a natural appearance in the landscape, then painted. The trees are my usual method of construction, but the Heki Flor has been spray painted to change from a bright green to a more natural leaf colour. Learning to paint your scenery give a whole new dimension in its appearance, as you can manipulate the colour to how you want them.

I was watch a YouTube video from the USA, where the vlogger said he did not like the colour of his ballast, so was in a mind to rip it all out and change its colour. My comment was simple: if you have an airbrush, just paint it. He replied that he had not thought of that.  

It should not be hard to spot the real rocks, but there is an outcrop that is made from plaster: a trial that was observed in a how-to tutorial from You Tube. 

Hill incline

 Construction of the hilly incline has begun. Roughly, it is just under 3%. The track is laid on 12mm ply and 5mm cork road bed. As in steam age, the incline is curved. The track is a mix of ROCO and PECO code 83. ROCO provided the main curves, as it is set track and maintains radius.

The hilly area was estimated with some plywood forms.

Insulation foam was then cut to size to make the hill contours. The foam is available from hardware stores. (Bunnings, in 30 and 50mm thickness).

When the foam was carved to shape, it was then covered in plaster bandage.

Two types of plaster bandage I used. The Mod-Wrap is from Office Works. It is a thinner cloth than the Mont Marte, and has more plaster. Both are cheaper than Woodland Scenic, even if the rolls are narrower.

Layout River scene

 The only segment of the old layout saved, was the river scene. It was extracted in one piece, and after having a short spell on the verandah, was positioned into the new railway room.

Since the above photo was taken, the scene has moved up or down a few times, deciding on its final positioning.

Once its position was determined, a connection was made to the station yard area. The green and blue foam is to tie in the terrain to the new boards. 

The Station yard area is prototypical inspired by St Arnaud on the Mildura line. The 3way switch was incorporated to save space, though on St Arnaud yard plan, the 3way is at the other end.

Adelaide show 2024

 Yes, that's right. Two years. Not that nothing has happened, just life, and much planning and learning new Technetics in modelling.

Firstly, SDS models and Junction models, had an extensive trader stall, which caused a few feathers to be ruffled. On display was their 700 class SAR coach, in green and cream. Now, going forward, the two other samples have disappeared. Lent out, they have now gone missing. With any luck, these will be available later in the year. Everything is ready to go, just the factory seems to be dragging their heals. Is it not funny, how the same factory managed to do a run of containers, quick smart, for another manufacturer. If nothing happens, SDS will move all the tooling to their main factory.

Unfortunately, the delays with the 700 class coaches, have delayed the production of the 500, 600 class carriages, the Long Ton, and the luggage van, all as illustrated on their future products brochure.

Also coming, after the Victoria T class and the DL, is the Victorian X class, ex Austrains, with enhanced new tooling. In this mix, SAR AD, BD, CD passenger were under consideration, but now on hold, as another manufacturer, (who are nearly ready to release the Overland Cars) are in the process of initial studies to produce these models.

Adelaide show 2022

 Three days helping Bob Stevens with Kings Park, making those gauge 1 locos shunt back and forth. Had a good time, except for the ass hole person that attended with covid, passed it on,and made us sick.

 

 

Moving on. Right next door was the SDS models stand, with samples of their up coming SAR, VR, QR and TGR models.

The 900 class locomotives maybe here by the end of the year. The 700 class passenger cars, not until next year (delayed). Also in with their order forms was a sheet of proposed SAR models. So not to have have modellers shock, the 500 and 600 class passenger cars, maybe 2023/24. The long Tom brake car, 2024 and the DWP vans 2025. Also included on the probable list, is a LX/ALGX van.

 

School bus on Don's Alamosa and Western railway.

Tarlee station and sidings. The for wheel sheep van was available to purchase. (3D printed)

Light River bridge on Peterborough.

Maree, Commonwealth Railways, from the Whyalla group.

Layout update.

 In a previous post I mentioned how it was gone before been finished. Well, now I has gone. Just one small section remains in place. The last frame work one which the station boards sat, was removed over the weekend, the timber to be recycled into the new layout. I have quite a bit of timber, just as well, as the price to start new is not nice!

What a mess, trying to save as much track as possible, and storing all sort of items, to be gone through and relocated.

All is going into a new shed, built next to the garage, just a bit smaller, but plans are in progress. 

 

 

 

Also, I have changed my baseboard construction method, using open frame. The old layout was L girder, which required a lot of timber. The open frame allows for the ability to have changing track bed heights.

More to come.

Adelaide 2021

 No exhibition last year and only a small on in 2021. Give credit to the organizers, that they managed to piece together and event made up of South Australia layouts and retailers (almost). Sneaked in from NSW was a representative from SDS models, sharing a position with Elite Model services, who, themselves had some nice 3D printed 8000class SAR break vans, of the early versions to the old Lima model that we are use to.

SDS had on display there up and coming 900 class English Electric diesel, along with charts showing colour variations that will be available.

Next to Elite was a new layout, Tarlee. A mid north grain silo and brick station, common for the area, with about five towns having stations built to the same design. Especially of interest, was the use of more scale height trees!

Nearby was Bob Stevens Saint Bernard sur Mer, having had some vegetation growth with new trees and bushes.

Other great layouts included, Don Moyses Crystal Brook. SARMA's Strathburn, Adelaide Modellers Group Terowie North (in full). Planes of Fame, Harry Potter made an appearance, the old model collectors were out, with their fine collections, and a couple lego layouts, one not to out done by SDS.

SDS 900 class

Sometime ago, I think I mentioned that SDS models were progressing on a programme of models for the South Australian modeller, using old Austrains moulds and new. I had heard a while ago that a 900 class English Electric diesel was, as you would say, on the go, and now engineering samples have arrived. A picture was 'posted' in the Australian Model Railway Magazine, and the following photo was added to the SDS facebook page recently. (Lets ignore the one in the middle).

Gone before being finished

 Some things have to come to an end. Plans are afoot to extend the garage by almost three meters, as my son need extra space, so he can works on the cars without been in the rain or sunshine. Therefore, the station area has to go. This will be dismantled and the buildings put into storage, and as much reclaiming of track as possible.

Not is all lost, the river scene will remain and a single track will run around the new rear wall of the expanded garage, into a smaller shed to be built along one of the side walls. Here I will build a new grain silo station area.

The other grain silo area will possibly remain, but would have to loop into the new shed at the side, as a branch. This would also have to be lifted, as the main line behind would also go. Though my wife's new cat controller may not be happy.

Lets talk gum trees

It has been a while, in time of having more time a home, it was time to add more trees to the layout. (has been neglected for a while) One of my hates is a well crafted layout with gums trees the sized too small. A tree 100m tall in our HO scale world, only measures out under 30ft.
The most common eucalyptus tree in south eastern Australia, is the the Manna gum, or Eucalyptus viminalis. These typically grow to a mature height . so of 50m  (160ft), sometimes up to 90m (300ft). Scaling this out, we are looking at trees in our HO scale world of 160 x 3.5 which equals 560mm.

A few years ago, when I visited the Warley exhibition in the UK, a lady asked a tree maker for a particular type of tree she wanted. Can not remember what it was, but the guy asked whether she wanted in scale or not. She said yes, and when he said it was going to be over 300mm in height she decided not. That is say, while we might reduce the scale of our trees, there is no point of making an old mature gum that is only around 30ft in real height.
Lets increase the size of of our trees. It is not hard to produce trees to 200 or 250mm in height. lets take a look at some photos of Stawell in Victoria. https://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/westsou/stawell/stawell.html. There are some magnificent examples. Would we models these with tree scale out at 30ft in height?

When making tall trees, the twisted wire method is the best. I use 0.7mm wire, available at hardware stores, or can use florist wire, which is plastic coated, but more expensive. Cut lengths at over 200mm and keep cutting till you think you might have enough. The initial twists are the hardest, then comes easier.

This one is actually going to be a Peppercorn tree, but shows the tree made from florist wire. I usually find that even with a tree shape in mind, the twisting often makes it own shape. Get out and look a trees.

The next stage is to use modelling clay. This method came from a Youtube video from the UK and the modeller used Milliput. Milliput is quite expensive and is a two pack mix, so I decided on air dry modelling clay. You use the clay to beef up the truck and major limbs. When dry it is time to paint. Start off with a primer. (I used a spray primer grey from Repco).

The foliage is Heki Flor. Just pull off clumps and glue to the left areas. Looking at the above tree, I just end the twists in a curl, where to attach the foliage.

Added a mature gum to my paddock scene.