And still they come and go.

 In my August blog I mentioned about having trains coming and going. Over the past months I have been buying and selling on Ebay. I have added a Eureka 50 class to the collection, sold my 70 class, as it was unemployed and just sat around, then I bought and sold off Pullman Cars, so I could end with what I needed and got rid of what I didn't need. I found that the 12 class was flat out pulling 6 Pullman cars so I only kept 2. I have been back and forth several times to Sydney with my dealings and my last trip was to take my 50 class to get a new decoder and sound update fitted. Mr. Cunningham told me on the phone that the 50 ran well and was lightly weathered, but when it arrived it ran with hesitation up to half throttle, then smoothened out and the sound was nothing like a 50 steamer, the weathering was a total covering of Khaki color including the coal in the tender. My 30 class would run for a bit then suddenly stop and nothing could get it to move. This is the 2nd motor fitted to this locomotive and I was told that the spare motors were purchased from "Austrains" and all suffered the same fate. It is in Sydney getting a different motor fitted "I hope". On a lighter note, I am waiting the fitting of Louver shutters to the 3 windows that get the afternoon sun, having wrinkled glass makes it hard on the eyes when looking at the layout and into the sun, these I can adjust to block the direct sunlight.

No wonder it didn't run properly, Tender wheel is off the track

Some of the weathering on the 50 class which I will powder over when it returns. Cheers for now.

They just keep coming.

 In my last blog, I mentioned that when I decided to rebuild my layout, it was going to be single line, and only require one train, and a small amount of rolling stock. At the time when I posted my previous blog, I had 8 Locomotives and a lot of rolling stock. Now I have added a Z12 Class Locomotive, an "Austrians" TCS Pulman Car, and 3 more Austrians "K" trucks to my collection. 

 

And now, it's back to the Train Room, until the Dinner Bell rings.

Food for Thought

Something I didn't give any thought to, until yesterday, when our Train Group had a gathering at a Group Member's home where this member showed off his skills on his Switching Layout. I have watched some of these switching layouts on YouTube and they really got me thinking about my Camden Layout, and it's potential as I have to do switching to drop off at Narellan while heading for Camden, and pickup on the way back. I have an advantage that I don't have to have my wagons in any order, as their type will tell me where they will go, but it does help to keep them grouped together. This keeps the shunting to a minimum. I have 4 locos away at the moment to be fitted with DCC and sound. This has now made my cordless DC controller of no use to me, as it is DC only, so I have put it for sale.

Till next time, cheers for now.

Re opening the Camden Line

 Well, that thinking will never happen, in our lifetime anyway. But it has happened on the "Camden Layout" after a long spell. My first job was to clean any debry from the track, before I can accept any trains from Campbelltown, I sent my Per way crew out to certify the track was in good condition to accept a train or two. 

Per Way Inspection

Finally, after following the Per way crew from Camden to Campbelltown, and one needs to be fit to do that, and it felt like an 8-mile walk, it was certified ok to run trains. 

Unpacking from the boxes, was the slow part, putting them on the track took no time at all, but finding a parking spot was another problem. This started out a few years ago, to be a reduced size layout, one locomotive and some rolling stock. What I have now is 8 locomotives and a heap of rolling stock. 

I think the crew are inspecting the running gear. 

on the other side of the loco, they are not in the cab.

The layout was not completely idle during the lull, I just have a fascination for scenery. I also got involved in watching "YouTube" and films uploaded by photographers chasing "Pansy" which set my wheels in motion to do more scenery. I think I have enough on the layout now, and adding more, will make the layout appear too cluttered.

A Gazebo has been added.

During a trip to Sydney in September, we made a stop off at Frontline Hobbies, in Newcastle. This is where we found the Lazer Kit for the Gazebo. Just the thing for the picnic area.

And just to finish off, one of our group members decided to have a running day and as he has double track and DCC, he wanted 4 trains running on the day. So I offered my services to help with the running, 2 clockwise and 2 anti-clockwise. All went well on the day and the only problem I had was when both trains lashed up together, but as they were both moving they did not derail. The following post- mortem didn't reveal whether the 2nd train caught up to the first train, or the 1st train did a complete circle and caught up to the 2nd train. How ever no damaged was done except to my "ego".

Until next time, Cheers for now.

Curiosity got to me

When my wife and I were at the Sydney Train Show last May, I asked Joe (Casula Hobbies) if the 19 class DCC locomotive would operate on DC control. Joe told me it would, if it wasn't turned off, but the sound might be a bit scratchy at low speed. So, I have been thinking about this since May, and this week I decided to "give it a go". The video will explain all. I was supprised that all the functions work, the direction lights, red and white depending which way it's going, the whistle (using the direction switch) brake squel and more.

With this setup I can now run all my rolling stock using the one controller. Some of the variations in this sound track are because the layout has not been used for 3 months, and I didn't think to clean the track before I started. At the end of the video there is a slight sound when I turn the power down, so this might be what Joe was referring to. It is not a problem or at all noticeable.                           

Enjoy, Cheers for now.

Still more Ground Cover.

Each time I enter my train room I keep thinking to myself, something more needs to be done to the layout to make it more interesting.

I have always been of the opinion that we are modelling a railway line, and not the country side. Therefore, if I take a chain saw and cut along one side of the line, then cut the other side on the way back, pick it up, take it home, and put it on the layout, that's what I am modelling. 

A lot of time and effort can be spent getting plans, photos and measurements and other things, then find it doesn't fit, (this was me) so we modify it, and there goes our efforts.  There are times when we spend our time and effort doing things to scale at one end of the layout, and at the other end, it is out of scale and sometimes removed from the plan, just to make it fit. This is what I admire about "SCR" (each time I think about it - often) items on the layout are to scale, but the distance between station halts is well situated. The layout is a pleasure to watch trains moving, and I am sure would be a pleasure to operate. 

Camden looks bare in places and needs something to fill it, but a look at the pictures of that particular area, and that's what it was like. So, I am only doing a representation. On the layout between Bow Bowing Creek and the Hume Highway I have a family and friends gathering, this is because these two areas in real life was some 10's of Kilometers apart, but on the layout, it would be lucky if there is one "scale" Kilometer between them. Back in the 1950's my parents and friends used to go mushrooming in these paddocks along Narellan Road, just like my first photo, so I got to see many a train on this line. I inserted Elderslie just to fill the scenery. I have 3 photos of Elderslie and they each show different scenery surrounds. Camden Line is a representation of what was there 60 years ago. I felt that I only needed to have the important scenes, being Campbelltown, the starting place, Narellan, for the Coal Loader, and Camden, the end of the line. The remaining stations were just "Halts" and had no historical significance, and I didn't have room for them unless I encroached into the middle of the room.

In some scenes I have used the buildings or trees/bushes to hide the rear edge of the module. (or the chain saw cuts).

The family gathering and flying their model aeroplanes

Elderslie "Halt"

Buildings used to distract from the rear edge of the module

.

Till next time, cheers for now.

Time Away in the Snow Country.

Recently my wife and I have just completed time away out west. We drove to Sydney on the Saturday, Rosehill Train Show on the Sunday, then over the Mountain on the Monday. Why would anybody want to go west this time of year is beyond me. Our main reason was to visit the Bathurst Rail Museum and other museums as well. But the majority of them were closed. Must have been too cold for them to open up. 5 degrees in the middle of the day.

Layout in the Museum.

 After 3 nights in Bathurst we drove to Oberon for one night. At Oberon we wanted to have a look at what the guy's there were up to restoring the Branch Line. The museum was closed, but I found an open gate and thought I could sneak inside and take a few photos of the yard layout. In doing so, I was approached by the president and asked about our interest, he then offered us a 15 minute tour (as that's all the time he had) of the work shop. The work going on there is a real Eye Opener, and full credit to the team working at it.

Inside the workshop at Oberon.

Storage Shed and workshop Oberon.

Replaced track from the Yard to the Level Crossing.

 

Oberon Station and yard crane.

Next morning (Friday) we left Oberon and headed back to Sydney for "Mothers Day" with family and friends. Monday after Mothers Day we made for home, but along the way we were invited to stop off at "South Coast Rail" and inspect the "Thomson River Bridge". Bob's layout is a real "Eye Opener" and his scenery is so brilliant. There is no other way to describe it. All the way home I was thinking to myself, I should have done something similar in "O" Gauge. Well we are back home now, and much warmer weather, so it is back to where I left off with "HO".

Cheers for now.

End of an Era

Recently I was asked if I would put a time about what period the Camden Layout would represent.   I replied:-  "At present, anytime after the 1st January 1963".

The power to the shed has been turned off, Camden has been cleared of all it's trains, and is being rested for a while, along with myself.

Cheers.

Pansy gets a mate.

 Recently I decided I would try DCC in the 30 class for a second time. It was suggested to me that if I bought the decoder from Newcastle, I would get the sound file installed for free. The decoder arrived, no problems, and it was installed into the loco using the existing speaker left in there from the first installation. (Because it was glued in). The fitting was completed, but there were a few problems when we ran the loco. Firstly, there was very little sound, and no matter what, I couldn't convince the guys that it was much softer than the previous installation. Another speaker, made to match the decoder was purchased and installed. No difference, and with different size speakers tried and tested there was hardly any difference at all. It was insisted that the lack of sound was because the speaker is crammed into the bunker and the sound had no way out. Secondly, the loco ran in the opposite direction to the controller. Even altering the CV made no difference. The loco was posted back to Newcastle for investigation. When it arrived I got a phone call to say the loco had some damage and parts were in the bottom of the box, but the packaging was in tact and not damaged. With these things in my mind I thought that Pansy would be a write off, so I bought another 30 class. Feeling pretty upset over this whole matter, my wife and I drove down to Newcastle to pick up the loco, untouched as I asked. While we were there, it was suggested that the sound file could be reprogramed and the volume increased by 70%. This was agreed too, and paid for, hoping for the best. Final result, no different. I was assured that the reverse running was due to crossed wiring. Back home, I removed the bunker and laid the decoder and speaker on the layout along side the loco and there was no difference to when it was in the bunker. The wiring was spot on. The loco has been repaired and put back to DC. Now I have a pair I can double head. As for the decoder, my brain keeps telling me that's where the problem was, because some of the "F" functions had been altered. 

Decoder and speaker extracted for sound test

Pansy gets some assistance for the climb ahead.

It was insisted I need hearing aids, (for this install only) as none of my other locos give me this problem, even at seven meters away. This is my second attempt, no more, and if I need hearing aids, I had better check "Specsavers" I could save $K's.

Cheers.

Pansy and Daisy

 Monday was video day, and I decided to just video two of the "Branch Line" Trains, being the 30 Class (Pansy) which was the main stay for this line, and a tour train (Daisy), with the 19 Class at the lead and hauling 4 so-called "Box Cars" (Austrains LFX / HCX). The Tourist train 1905 has sound and DCC, but the 3048 Tank is non sound DC.

This video runs for 8 minutes.

Cheers for now.

Protection Required.

 Something I have been wanting to do for a long time. With visits from Friends, Neighbours and Family, not realising, that when they viewed the layout at close range, they are pressing up against the front edge of the layout and bending the "Push Pull" Point wires. I gave it a lot of thought, and decided the only protection I can do, is to put a collar around each point wire. 

A trip to my local Building Supplier, I was able to purchase an offcut of 40mm PVC tubing one meter long. This I cut on my Triton Saw into 17mm lengths to produce a collar to go over the point wires. This has taken a few days out of this week, one day cutting and cleaning off the rough edges, another two days painting and drying, and today gluing them onto the layout over the wires. Centering them was easy, I just  put my forefinger and thumb inside, grabbed the bead, and if I could move the bead then the collar was centred and I had clearence.

Collars in place on Cambelltown Module.

A double collar where points are close together.

The collars after painting ready for placing.

There were 2 doubles required as can be seen.

So I guess now it is sit back and wait until it has all set.

Cheers till next time.

Can't stop now

Last week when I visited a member of our train group, and he had another member with him, they were programming and running, Casula's 19 Class Locomotives, I sort of became obsessed with it's sound and performance, and returned home pondering, "will I, or won't I".

You had better believe it, I now have Loco 1905 in my collection. After spreading the word, I wanted a passenger car to drag behind it, I was offered 3 LFX's and a HCX (Dog Box Cars), at the going price. 

"Congratulations Joe", this loco is set up with the best sound and performance I have ever heard, and I have heard quite a few in my time. If I could duplicate it into my 30 Class, then I would consider converting it over. 

So now what !!  Well I thought if this is a train that would have operated on a Branch Line somewhere, then I have a Branch Line to accomadate it. It can be Camden one day, and something else the next. To be quite honest, just running Camden back and forth, I do get a bit bored. So now I have something else to eleviate that bordem. (Maybe age has something to do with it).

Loco 1905 with the 4 Box Cars.

I have planned to do a video of a train on the layout, but my camera man is not available until January. So you have something to look forward to.

Have a enjoyable Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

Until then, cheers for now. 

Noise, noise and more noise

Last blog I mentiones I had an order I was waiting for. Well my wife and I packed our bags and headed off to personally pick this item up, and more, with an overnight stay at Armidale. Last week a friend and I spent a few days, installing the sound cards and speakers. We tried installing read switches in the track for the level crossing, but found the only locomotive that activated them was the 41 class. We tried installing magnets under the locomotivies but they were too low, and the magnets fouled at the points. So my only option was to install an on/off switch, same as we did for the sawmill and cattle, all at the controller operation point. I have done my best with the videos, being just me, to operate the sound and run trains together.

 

 

Hope you enjoy them, cheers.

Bit by Bit

 I have finished the split rail fence along the track and placed a few bushes. This has helped remove some bare spots and hide some bad ones. The next project I have lined up is something that I will need to explain in another blog, as I will be having help with it. At the moment, it is on order, so I can't hurry it up.

Split rail fencing.

Cheers for now, until I complete my next project, gosh, I can't wait!!

Ding Ding

 Finally everything has arrived and allowed me to proceed installing my Wig Wag Signals on the Hume Highway Level Crossing at Narellan. The only thing I have left is to assemble 700mm of 2 Rail fencing from the Level Crossing to Bow Bowing Creek, which is back towards Campbelltown, but on the other side of the line. I would also like to find some fine motor vehicle white pin striping for the Centre line along the Hume highway.

Nothing else to report on so,

Cheers for now.

Change of Scenery

My Wig Wag signals arrived last Wednesday, and I have set about preparing their location at the Hume Highway Level Crossing at Narellan. This has led to some scenery changes which I didn't think would be required so soon. 

I am waiting for some scenery ground cover, in the form of weeds with undulating heights, some 2-rail fencing, and I decided to make the picket panels at the crossing myself. I thought about buying some commercial packets, but they are such, that they don't actually fit the scene, so making them myself, they are made to fit.

Six of these panels are required to fill the scene, so while I do this blog, the glues are drying.

Tomorrow is our group running day, so nothing will get done tomorrow, but Sunday is another day!!

Cheers for now.

Wiggly Wag

 Saturday Evening I received an email from Meagan with 3 Pictures attached for my approval. Meagan wanted to make sure they were 100% before making the second one. I am so impressed with Meagan's attention to the detail, it took my breath away. The pictures are attached.

Meagan's Wig Wag 

 

The original Wig Wag at the Hume Highway Level Crossing.

So now all I need is to wait for a parcel delivery, then I can make some changes to the scenery at the level crossing.

Cheers for now.