Sunday, June 26, 2011

HOW BIG IS YOURS

Having just acquired some foreign motive power .I thought it would be interesting to compair the difference's in what was the ultimate development of the steam locomotives in Victoria and New South Wales.
Having always assumed that the mighty 38 and 57 class was the biggest and best .Its a little embarrassing to find out that those damn Victorians had bigger ones than us in the form of the S Class and of coarse Heavy Harry.
The S Class originally built in 1928 had there tenders increased in size when they where converted to oil burners and streamlined and  this is the model I will use to compare.
 HH was designed as a passenger loco to haul the Overlander .Because the bridges and track on route where never strengthened it was relegated to freight haulage between Melbourne and Wodonga  so we should compare it to the 57 but this still doesn't help matters.

                                                      HH                    Streamline S                38                            57

Coal Cap                                   9 tons                    2,000gal oil             14 tons                  14 tons

Water Cap                               14,000 gal               12,600 gal               8,100 gal             9,000 gal

Weight                                     260 tons                   224 tons                 201 tons                228 tons

Grate Area                              68 ft2                        50 ft2                     47 ft2                     65 ft2

Cylinders                                  3                               3                            2                            3

Boiler Pressure                       220 lb                        200 lb                     245 lb                  200 lb

Tractive Effort                        55,000 lb                   41,670 lb                36,200 lb             64,327 lb

Length                                   92'5 3/4 ''                   85 '6 ''                     65'7''                    87'6''

Wheel Arrangment                4-8-4                         4-6-2                     4-6-2                  4-8-2               

No In Class                           1                                 4                              30                       25

In Service                              2/41                            52                           1/43                    9/29
                          
Last In Service                     4/58                            9/54                        12/70                  3/62

Lbs Of  Tractive         
Effort Per Ton                      211.53                      186                     180                 282.13                    




                                            All Locos are lined up with cab roof overhangs level


  

                                                    Tender Footplates are level
                                                                                                                                                  


                                  
                                       The S Class tender fudges in length a bit with a false back



                                                                       The pointy end



We can find some solice in the fact that the AD60 Garratt beat HH in weight bye 4 tons but which ever way you look at it  HH220 was a monster.But then again the 57 could beat it in tractive effort by 9,300 lbs with 20 lbs less boiler pressure and 32 tons less weight. Making the 57 the clear winner in the weight on rails for pulling effort which is what this design competition is really about.
But  if you consider a loaded Big Boy tender at 200 tons . The HH would probably would look like a shunter to the yanks.

No correspondence will be entered into regarding facts and figures and the judges decision is final

Monday, June 13, 2011

ADVENTURE TOURS .COM

Well I have had a big couple of days out.


We blasted off from home at 2pm on Friday.Checking with the chief on the flight plan she didn't care which way we went so I thought we might be able to make Tamworth before it was dark, as I wanted to see if the rumours of an accident brake down crane in the old freight centre where right and get some pics for a model .Everyone has fantasies don't they !!
Well they where right and after some enquires I was in.It belongs to http://www.dsrm.org.au/ awaiting transport to the museum.


           122 TONNE LC 1060 KRUPP-ARDELT EMERGENCY CRANE / L688 JIB WAGON


With 40 minutes of sun left Werris Creek was our next target. With a quick look at Loco.There seemed to be a lot of stuff there but no action in the yard.




                                             And what looks like rotten row for some 80,s




It was about this time that the passenger  said  IS THIS THE WAY TO SYDNEY  ?    Its a short cut !
No more light ,means no more trains,
Had a pub feed at Muswellbrook, carefully selected for the viewing options with 3 going past then camped at Branxton.

Saturday

 Epping here we come.

Got there in time to line up for 40 minutes waiting for opening time.And first stop the second hand stall.Its everyman for himself in there ,And you thought the Myer Boxing day bra and shoe sale was bad.Got some books inc working timetable 1977 for Northern Division Cowan to Wallangarra,North coast and Branches $5  and styrene sheets all bargains .
As usual a good collections of layouts and all the retailers with there with there latest offerings no coil steel wagons or oil pots yet apart from 4 wheel ones which where selling like hot cakes even if they where the wrong colours.I wouldn't mind some of the Loco fuel ones but you have to buy 2 others that you don't want.I'm going to have a think about that.
I  will give you some of  what I thought where the modelling highlights.

                                               A very nice bridge and road on ODDWALLS



             Water tank complete with interior detail and softening plant on WALLERAWANG




                         Someone obviously knows something about sub stations at WALLERAWANG





                                                        Some of Geoff Notts work

                                             http://modvid.com.au/html/body_geoff_nott.html





                                         ITS THE   Andrew and Ian show staring BOWEN CREEK




                                           DUCK CREEK  HOn3 Puffing Billy based layout




                                 LAKE AND DALE   O 16.5  Set in the Lake District of England



Its 2 and where out of there, off to see if that damaged crane is still at Chullora and yes it is right near the fence BINGO
The cab looks a right off not sure how the operator faired .I do remember seeing some shots of the tip over but haven't been able to find them again due to my  special filing system  its The biblical system Seek And Yee Shall Find.

COWANS BOYD RC110-11T AND NDKY 3000 JIB WAGON


And just for good measure the on top of the truck roof over the fence shot of the softening plant and interior of a water tank at Enfield



 
Another crane at Thirlmere
Whats the record for cranes spotted in 24 hours ?


Overnight in Bowral and then on to pick up the new hound courtesy of the Moss Vale pound .That crack about how many cats a day would a dog like that eat , didn't go down to well.
Left at 11am I was going to go to the museum but it was raining.No it wasn't cats and dogs either.

Came back home through the Putty Road which was uneventful till we got to Singleton where  we cross under a north bound coalie So I thought I would get in front and try a video before the sun went down . Set up at Hebden Road crossing Ravensworth about 4.30 didn't have to wait long as 4 coal trains 2 in both directions passed in 15 minutes.But I wasn't ready for the best bit, what the locals obviously call lets ignore the boom gates, red lights ,double demerit points,oncoming train and stop signs on a double track .Makes you hope they under stand what the red on a traffic light means .These where only cars  but maybe the truck drivers around the area have a bit more respect for what a train can do.

The videos are a bit rough but maybe the rail operators might like to think how much some video gear at crossings would cost to stop this as opposed to a multi million dollar crash, clean up and court case.Maybe its a OH and S issue to save the train drivers  trauma or possible death .But then again it could be a 2011 version of natural selection.






1510 ks later got home at 9.30 Big Dog went to bed.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

THE INSIDE STORY

Well, following on from the last post we have some great internal shots courtesy of Graeme Henderson.
The tank in question is a lipped wrought iron tank 20,000 gallons (it actually calculates out at closer to 23,000 gallons)at Meranburn on the Parkes Orange line taken on 31-1-99.
This tank represents 1 of the 3 designs and capacities of this style of tank ,With other tanks of the same design built at Boppy Mountain , Brocklesby , Byron Bay ,Cobar , Corowa ,Forbes ,Lismore ,Milsons Point , Parkes and Springdale.
































Interesting detail on the inside top lip and bottom reinforcing ring  attachment point to brickwork.
Also the what appears to be the bright orange colouring of the rusting wrought iron sheet .
This tank being the first series was not fitted with a scour drain.
The tank being round is basically self supporting with equal pressure exerted on all sides so no bracing is required apart from the top ring.
The tank design with a unsupported bottom except for the outside edge had to support some 100 ton of water plus tank when full.

 Graeme made a good point in that tanks where not always full depending on usage and pump capacities to replenish the supply.So you can model a tank any where from nearly empty to full.

Do we have any more takers for the inside the tank challenge.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

THE BITS YOU CANT SEE BUT CAN

The June AMRM had an article by Peter Jarvis on
Modelling The NSWGR Steam Locomotive Watering Facilities.

Which I thought was very good .But as it says Modelling I think the main point has been missed .In that all the photos shown are of tanks as we would see them and that is from ground level.

BOLIVIA was built as high as possible so that track level would be at eye level and the trains and scenery would be seen as in real life from ground level . With the viewer having to look around structures and scenery to see the trains .And moving around to view them and thus changing the way the layout looks from different angles.
But even still you look down on the layout.Not as bad as some layouts that give you a view as if you where in a plane.But this means that most important part of modelling a water tank is the internals from the top .Which most people wouldn't know about because they have never seen in the top of a tank.























These shots are from Glenreagh and although much deteriorated in condition show the wealth of detail needed.On the part your going to see the most.



This is the water tank on BOLIVIA showing the bracing , inlets and also some algae growth.




Bye the way does any one have internal shots of a parachute tank or the wrought iron circular tanks


This is the under side of Byron Bays tank all I need is the top view.
2 posts in 2 days a new record !

Saturday, June 4, 2011

NORTH OF THE BORDER

Just thought i would share some images from Warwick station taken on 4-6-11.
Obviously a once busy and important station on the QR network.With a very large and grand goods shed and station, with a pedestrian over bridge. The yard and lines that radiate from this town being the Stanthorpe, Wallangarra line and the Goondiwindi,Dirranbandi line unfortunately see very little action these days .
But there must be resleepering going on by the yard full of wagons,which look like they would hold a lot more in weight and quantity of sleepers than our NSW WSC wagons ,also they have a rail inside the wagon to run the length of the train for unloading.With the top yellow frame section being a container set up sitting on a flat wagon
And check out the nice pub which is opposite the station and some interesting maybe wool and produce stores which look like they where once on a siding.
And a grain storage complex for good measure .
It actually looks like a nice station to model

    GO YOU QUEENSLANDERS !!!!!