A CHRISTMAS STORY

            WARNING THIS STORY MAY CONTAIN ADULT THEMES , NUDITY ,  COARSE

                  LANGUAGE , DRUGS , SEX , ALCOHOL AND TRACES OF NUTS .





     A few days after Christmas , a mother was working in the kitchen listening to her son playing with his new electric train in the living room. She heard the train stop and her son said , " All of you sons of bitches who want off,get the hell off now ,cause this is the last stop ! . And all you sons of bitches who are getting on , get your asses in the train , cause were leaving ! " .

The mother went in and told her son , " We don't use that kind of language in this house.Now go to your room and you are to stay there for TWO HOURS.When you come out , you may play with your train , but I want you to use nice language " .

Two hours later , the son came out of the bedroom and resumed playing with his train . Soon the train stopped and the mother heard her son say , " All passengers who are disembarking the train , please remember to take all of your belongings with you . We thank you for riding with us today and hope your trip was a pleasant one . We hope you will ride with us again soon " .

She heard the little boy continue , "For those of you boarding we ask you to stow all of your hand luggage under the seat . Remember there is no smoking on the train except in the club car .We hope you will have a pleasant and relaxing journey with us today ".

Then the child added , For all those of you pissed off about the TWO HOUR delay ,please see the bitch in the kitchen " .

     

                          No animals or trains where injured during the making of this story.

TAX DEDUCTIONS

Having to travel to Ballarat recently for  business and ever mindful of my carbon footprint.I don't usually have a carbon footprint anyhow as I drive everywhere ! I decided to turn it into a very large train ride.I know Julia and Bob will be so proud of me.
 They say that a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step .Well in my case it was a bus ride to Armidale on Sunday morning at 0720 hrs, Good to get that out of the way first.Then onto the Country Link Explorer service to Sydney.

A good chance to see country that has had a great season and also not usually seen from the road.First item of interest where some tanker containers in the Fielders yard at Tamworth in a bright yellow colour  different to what I have seen before and different to the decals available from Gwydir Valley Models. 

Then onto Werris Creek where the Moree section is amalgamated for the remainder of the journey.Planning to get out and record the action while trying to get out the door I nearly ran over John Curry trying to come in the door.The people you meet on a train station.


The section from Moree is on the left ,while the Armidale section is on the right.The Moree train comes around to couple onto the front of the Armidale train before heading of to Sydney at 1129 hrs

Travelling along having my ordered hot meal and counting the coal trains.Which was all very enjoyable we arrived on time at Central at 1700 hrs

With a short break before the departure of the overnight XPT to Melbourne at 2040 hrs.It was off to Town hall for a feed at the favorite Pub.And then back for departure.

Finding my sleeping birth and having it all to myself i sat back to eat my welcome pack of nibbles as we moved out of Sydney ,Then off for a shower before sitting up in bed with the lights out watching  the Southern Highlands roll past.I didn't see much past Exeter .Damn sleep fairies got me.

 Waking in the morning to my delivered breakfast before showering and arriving on time at 0735 .The fantastic Southern Cross Station certainly makes Central look very old and tired !
But I must say what a totally civilized way to travel between the centre of 2 state capitals

With Monday free it was of to Bendigo to see Mckenzie No 1 .for some signalling updates.Travelling there and back by the Velocity train service which is very good also.
Question No 1 . Travelling back towards Melbourne on the northern side of the train just after Melton Station between the 1st and 2nd level crossing there looked for all the world like a stored rail gas tanker in an industrial yard near the line.Could this be true or just wish full thinking ?
Then onto another Velocity service to Ballarat.Where I had to catch a taxi ,There where no trains to the conference centre !
The conference finished on Thursday afternoon so caught the train back to Melbourne checked into the accommodation before catching a tram out to Train world arriving with only 10 minutes before closeing time a quick look and back to the city for dinner.

The rail yards of Melbourne where very interesting to see from the train with one thing standing out for any modern era modellers .The graffiti covered wagons .
Friday morning was very exciting as I was catching the daylight XPT service back to Sydney a good chance to see a lot of railway territory not usually scene by me .And on the way down I was snoring !.
The overnight XPT was 1 hour late getting in which meant our departure which uses the same train was 1 hour late.No big deal we have all day to make that up the fool said to himself.


                                           Some high tech procedures before departure

The trip back was good apart from trucks overtaking us on the Hume Highway ,that's a bit embarrassing when your supposed to be in the XPT. I thought all those stories about the poor track upgrade work where just a media beat up .But even on the long straight flat bits the trucks rolled by.

Question No 2 At Henty is that a curved roof goods shed ?

We eventually arrived into Sydney if you could call it that 2 hours of the pace.Saturday morning was raining but an early start to visit Toms then Bergs and the ARHS book shop .
Of interest in Clyde yard was the heavy load wagons NZZA with No 6 beam still painted in the black and yellow colors I last saw it in last.
Then out to catch the Flight to Brisbane which was also 1 hour late so its not just trains.

LAYOUT CONSTRUCTION IN THE 21ST CENTURY

I read with interest all goings on of the technologically advanced modellers out there with there computer chips and 21st century gizmo's that are so much a part of the hobby these days.But when it comes to layout construction for some reason its back to the stone age or should I say the wood age.
With wooden frame work, L girders ,risers and like the yo yo, laminated road bed has made a comeback,don't throw those flares out just yet.
Why would you use wood with all the problems and extra work it presents when God has been so good as to give us steel and expanded poly styrene ?. These 2 products when combined give a layout section that is light , strong and unaffected by climatic conditions.With the added advantage of quick scenery construction.I understand some people cant weld but then again some people shouldn't be anywhere near sharp wood tools either .

Having used a steel frame on a previous layout ,but with the chicken wire and plaster technique the idea was improved for the new layout Bolivia.

With a 50 x 25 light gauge steel section being welded up for the main frame sections which where all of a common size of basically 2100 mm x 900 mm . giving the layout an overall footprint of 10.5mtrs x 2.1 mtrs.With the back board 900 mm high so as to get rid of any heads behind the scenes which would spoil the illusion of the scene.The track height of 1350 mm brings the models to eye level  which is the same view most people get of trains in real life .
Apart from helicopter and light plane operators.
Anyone who feels this is to high are very well catered for at the exhibitions I have attended with layouts that I feel are too low.This height also bring into play probably the most important aspect of the illusion which is to make the viewer move around to see the layout rather than standing at one end and having a panoramic view of the complete layout. As with every move the scene changes with the different angle and different things are obscured and revealed.Just as In real life.



                                                    The jigs used for making the frames
                                                    This is one of the end tear drop sections

                                                 A centre section there being 3 in total

The production line

                                      

                                         The completed sections bolted up and ready for foam.

 300 mm x 900mm x900mm pod form which is used under house slabs was used as the base foam .Being glued to the steel with a water based liquid nails.
 Meaning that the track level is 300mm above the steel frame and level all the way around .Allowing the scenery to go below track level for valleys, embankments and rivers an important requirement in scenery that is nearly always forgotten.A level track improves operation and the scenery is used to give the impression of grades.

   A road bed was cut from 10mm expanded polystyrene sheet with a bevelled edge to represent the road bed of the track. Then glued down using water based liquid nails  to the scenery base.The track will be positioned on this road bed latter and once aligned and super elevated held in position with pins until the ballast is glued down .So the track is only held down by the ballast (just like the real thing )
And as you can see the scenery is built up to suit your terrain.

                                     Who is that young man and what is he doing in my train room ?

 On the new sections (see also christmas report 2010) expanded polystyrene sheet 100 mm thick was purchased and was also cut to size by the supplier instead of using the pod form as I did have some trouble accessing some positions for point motors and signals.And this will give me a flat surface on the under side of the layout only 100 mm below track level.And the foam can be dropped down by 100mm if a river is going to be put in so not so much foam has to be cut away.As can be seen the custom wood (yes I did use some wood ) back boards ,side and end skirts  where fitted at this stage to speed up construction latter in the train room.
The finished sections are very light and easy to handle
On some smaller layouts the expanded polystyrene could be used without any framework and can span a long distance without any support.

The layout frame work sections are  bolted together .Which when done makes for a very strong layout so much so that a lot of the trestle supports could actually be taken out.The bolts 3 per section also act as the only method of lining up the track work . Being a very stable material once bolted together the rail joiners are slid across to join the track . So no fancy dowel or pin methods are needed.
The scenery was built up and carved out then once the desired shape is there the granite rocks where coated with a smear of plaster to give the right texture.And other areas where coated in no more gaps mixed with a paint tint and water so as to be brushed on to seal the foam before adding the grasses and dirt.

                                  Gee dad your so clever , When I grow up I want to be just like you !

Some people have a bet each way and go for the wooden frame work, risers and track bed and then use  foam for the scenery.But I think its about time to use foam only.

We have put a man on the moon you know ! 

MILITARY MIGHT

A long time interest in military trains that ran on the NSWGR ,has finally resulted in some modelling of this very much unknown freight traffic.
Articles on the TE wagons and CENTURION tanks have been done ,but none on the latter 70s period.
Collecting the few photos of these trains that are available, and then researching the actual military vehicles as used by the ADF in the 1970s to 80s  has resulted in a large collection of books on all the different variants which where used around this time
The M113 and M113A1 family of armoured personnel carriers was  introduced in 1962 and is available as a HO scale model.But to have the differant variations requires some kit bashing and some castings which where produced to speed up the process




                                   M113 IN BASIC APC ( ARMOURED PERSONEL CARRIER )
                                                        FORM AS INTRODUCED

 



                                                 FSV  ( FIRE SUPPORT VEHICLE )
                                          M113A1 WITH SALADIN TURRET AS FITTED BY
                                          AUSTRALIA ONLY .

 



                                                     M113A1 FITTERS CARRIER

 
                                           M577A1 ACV (ARMOURED COMMAND VEHICLE)
                                             

 



                                           M548 TLC (TRACKED LIGHT CARRIER)

                                       

    Pictures of these vehicles on dedicated trains can be seen in
    Australian Diesel Scene page26
    Modern Rail Portfolios - No 1 NSW page 30
    I still have some castings to do to produce the T50 turret and Scorpion turret versions


LEOPARDS

 The leopard family of fitting vehicles was introduced into Australian service in 1977 as a replacement for the Centurion tanks.And a very interesting picture of a train on the Grafton viaduct with a 45 long end leading with 1 x M548,  4x AS1 Leopards, 1xLeopard ARV, 2 x passenger cars and 1x Guards van .Can be scene on page 111 of the Alco DL541 book



                                           LEOPARD AS1 MEDIUM BATTLE TANK
                                                 Shown turret reversed as for transport

                                         


                                     LEOPARD ARV (ARMOURED RECOVERY VEHICLE )

  


                               A SHOT OF WHAT THE FINISHED APC TRAIN WILL LOOK LIKE

 So now that I have shown you mine ,I need you to show me yours  !
There must be someone out there with some photos of these trains and wagons loaded up. So if you have let me know as I feel an article coming on.But I will need your help with some pictures and info on the trains themselves.And if theres any interest then castings will be available too.

35029

NOT BEING ONE THAT IS ALL THAT EXCITED BY STEAM, APART FROM THE MAKING OF NICE CUPS OF TEA !

THE EXHIBIT AT THE YORK RAILWAY MUSEUM THAT SHOWS A EX SR 4-6-2 MERCHANT NAVY CLASS NO35029  " ELLERMAN LINES "  CUT AND DISSECTED TO SHOW ALL THE WORKINGS OF THE ENGINE IS VERY INTERESTING

QR TRACK UPGRADE

IN A BLOG I DID ON WARWICK QLD (NORTH OF THE BORDER) 4-6-11 , THERE WHERE SLEEPER WAGONS IN THE YARD.
WELL COMING BACK FROM BRISBANE ON THE 31-7 11 THE SLEEPER TRAIN WAS BUSY UNLOADING JUST NORTH OF WALLANGARRA.
HOW EXCITING, NO CAMERA BUT THEY WHERE A LONG WAY ACROSS A PADDOCK ANY WAY.
AND AS REPORTED IN THE SEPT RAILWAY DIGEST IT SEEMS THAT APPROX $1 MILLION IS BEING SPENT ON MAINTENANCE ON THE LINE BETWEEN WARWICK AND WALLANGARRA.
THIS LINE IS BASICALLY DISUSED APART FROM A COUPLE OF SPECIAL TOUR TRAINS PER YEAR.
I'M NOT SURE WHO IS ACTUALLY PAYING FOR OR DOING THE WORK SINCE THE PRIVATISATION OF QR ?
ON A TRIP TO TOOWOOMBA ON MONDAY 26-9-11 A LOT OF RE SLEEPERING HAS BEEN DONE WHICH LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE HEADING NORTH FROM WALLANGARRA .I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY SLEEPERS ARE BEING USED BUT IT COULD BE AS MANY AS 1 IN 3.
 THE SMALL VILLAGE OF BALLANDEAN HAS BEEN TURNED INTO THE STAGING /MAINTENANCE CENTRE FOR THE VAST AMOUNT OF TRACK EQUIPMENT BEING USED.

                                              AS YOU CAN SEE ITS A HIVE OF ACTIVITY

IT LOOKS AT THIS STAGE LIKE THE QLD GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING TO ABANDON THE LINE JUST YET.
AND AS A BIT OF A  COMPARISON SOME SHOTS TAKEN ON THE SAME DAY OF THE STANDARD OF THE TENTERFIELD TO WALLANGARRA SECTION WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY RUN BY A DIFFERENT STATE GOVERNMENT !

        THE SUNNYSIDE BRIDGE WHICH IS CLOSE TO MY HEART SHOULDN'T HAVE  LONG TO GO BEFORE MR GRAVITY FINISHES IT OFF.MAYBE WE SHOULD TAKE BETS ON HOW LONG IT WILL SURVIVE !