BRANCHLINE MODELLERS FORUM 2015

 In keeping with the Coffs Harbour theme
We have a picture of a large pressure vessel loaded for transport from Coffs Harbour station area.
In the 70,s
The local firm of V E Engineering built a lot of complex structures like this one.
And used rail for transporting a lot of there products.
   

 Steven and Andrew Ottaway along with Ian Phemister are organizing the Branchline Modellers forum .
To be held at the Bishop Druitt College in Beautiful down town Coffs Harbour.
On the 21st and 22nd November this year.
For all you city slickers Coffs is very easy to get to with air and rail options available.

Demonstrations by the following will be held

Ian Burns
Geoff burns
Brendon Canning
Tom Rogers
Keiran Ryan  ( not more bloody silos I hope )
Ian Millard
Aaron Denning

Several traders will be in attendance
With Lectures by.

Paul Horder
Graeme Henderson
Keiran Ryan
Darren Lee
Stephen Ottaway

And Layouts on display will be.

BULLENBUNG CREEK
BOLIVIA - the new bits .

Optional guided tour of Dorrigo Museum with Keith Jones.
Dinner on Saturday night

Click on the link bellow to take you to the Forums  Page
Where you can register for this weekends activities.
Hope to see you there.


https://branchlinemodellersforum.wordpress.com/?blogsub=confirming#subscribe-blog

45 CLASS CAB WINDOWS NEWS FLASH

 4513 LOOKING A LITTLE WORSE FOR WEAR WAITS AT THE LOCO FUELING SPOT
OPPOSITE THE ARMIDALE STATION PLATFORM ON THE 14-6-83             




Well last night I went to bed and was reading the latest ARHS Railway History.Which usually has stuff that doesn't interest me, but you wouldn't want to miss out on something important,would you .
So the only article of NSW flavour was Central West Memories .Bit of a story and some pictures.
Well page 27 shows a 5907 in front of 4503 in August 1970 at Bathurst .
So what you might say.
Well on the observers side windows of 4503 . The leading 1 on the short hood end shows 4 bars across the window !
Never scene this before ,Never heard anything about this before.
The window in question every time is the 1 closest to the cab door on each particular side.

After having a look through my own pictures nothing .
After looking through my books with 45 class pictures i could find 2 other shots of 4503 showing the same thing.
All in the Train Hobby book on 45,s

                                 Page 10   27-9-72  4503 at Ourimbah ,Observers side 4 bars

           The only picture of the drivers side showing very clearly 3 bars is at Delec in the early 80,s

      Page 26 shows 4517 26-4-69 at Delec and the shadow of the 4 bars is visible on the window pane.

Page 27 shows 4518 at Fassifern with the same 4 bars although undated it must be around the same time with the unit having the early style exhaust  and single marker lights

So at this stage we have 4503 4517 and 4518 with this particular modification .
Which is on the original square style window pane before it was replaced by the rounded corner version to match the other end window .
Why the bars are there and what time frame they where there for  remains to be investigated .
Does anyone have any further pictures or information on this subject.
This could involve a voluntary recall of the Auscision 45 class Locos
Better get your cheque book out boys !This one will take some fixing.

RAILWAY HOTEL

Well its the first time Ive been up in the shed for a while.
So I had to dig out the foam board a bit to fit the height of the base board of the pub ,which has been planned to sit just above the road surface to show a gutter along the edge.And then cut some more foam for the track road bed level and road which goes over a level crossing at the pub.I want this to have a set of gates which close when a train approaches ,to liven the scene up a bit.
And I did some quick shots of the Pub for Mungindi before its put in place once and for all.
The pub is an epoxy Peter Ford kit ? which is just fantastic to say the least. It is based on Queensland building style with pine lining boards on the inside of the frame only which also become the exterior cladding on the protected walls, I have been hording this for years .And with Mungindi being a border town it couldn't have been better ,with some added extras including the kitchen skillion and outside shed , styrene kits from Toms Hobbies .The added refrigerated cool room is the back of a mini metals truck that i used the truck bit for my timber jinker.Signs are from Rails in Scale ? I thought i had a set of signs for an ACDC concert which I cant find at the moment to go on to. With the Railway Hotel and accomadation sign bits made up on the computer.And the palling fence and tank stand scale lumber pieces made up.As you can see extra Plumbing has been added to give  fully vented stack work.A header tank for the hot water system which is as you could tell is a gravity fully vented system . And unfortunately the Plumbers have not completed the 2 x 3,000 gal tanks for the tank stand out the back      ( probably run of there feet , poor bastards ) which is pumped from the river , with 1 tank for toilets and outside taps.And 1 for fresh water for all other fixtures pumped from an underground tank that catches rain water of the roof .When and if it rains.

 

BRIDGE BITS DONE

      

                                                      

Had some time on my hands .What with not going any where .Sounds like it might have worked out for the best anyway.

Sat night I finished the ballast up to the bridge approaches and retaining wall.And fixed up some gum trees.

Sunday night I put the dirt down from the rear of the bridge through to the front.

  So this afternoon I did the trees,bushes and roots .

And then staged some shots.Its a bit hard to get a shot that gives the same look and feel as in real life.And was a bit hard with all the trees ,but that's how I like my scenes to be obscured I guess.The bridge makes it hard too with the trusses being as high as a train ,so when you get down at ground level you cant see the train for the bridge.At least there's no telegraph poles in the road yet.

So I had to resort to some helicopter shots which i don't like at the best of times.

Shots 123 where taken with the trees removed for clarity.

So now I will be able to work on the approaches to MUNGINDI and the first thing the train goes past is the pub.

 

DARWINS THEORY

Have done a little more since last weekends post on top of up and back to Brisbane

Though I would show you the evolution of this scene.


1/
Frame construction,with foam riser blocks and main foam sheets glued onto frame .
Frame sections are of the same size and construction as BOLIVIA ,With a 300mm rise from frame level to track bed for the ability to rise and fall scenery from track level.
Although not really needing 300mm of height for ASHFORD and MUNGINDI ,i did need it to be the same to marry up with the BOLIVIA sections.And fit into the trailer for transport.
Main boards where dropped down for creek scenes to save cutting away foam latter.
With backboards and section end and front boards glued on before taking to train room.
Saving time and the mess.

2/
Sections bolted together in train room.
With teardrop section having the 300 pvc pipe for curve on end
Bridge in diorama in its intended position ,with the Railway Hotel positioned also at Mungindi

3/
Bridge put in place,with main profile of river formed,trackbed in position and the problem of how to hide the river hitting the backboard glaringly obvious!
Note river banks get wider as they come towards the front of the layout to give depth to the scene.

4/
The solution to the backboard problem ,in the form of a weir.
With main earth works done and some foliage.

5/
The problem of how to get a decent gum tree has been overcome
With the detailing of a shop brought, available tree working a treat.
With only 2 trees I am just waiting on some more to finish the banks.

With the exposed roots and dry river of the drought affected west showing.
Left bank has roots in place awaiting trees.
I am tossing up weather to put some water in the low pools in the river.
If i do I will probably use some plaster with a green or brown painted top.

REJECTED AND DEJECTED

 

I thought i would share with you some staged shots of the new bits that have progressed a little more since last post.Although only in 2 D its the best i can do.

3 D would have been possible at the Thornleigh Exhibition this June but my offer to exhibit was unfortunately declined .

It was explained that although the layout was incomplete,it would be used as a shuttle service with suitable rail-motor traveling around the finished sections .

With the balance showing how to progress from steel and foam to finished product.

Or as a clinic called ,how to stop dreaming ,get off your ass and make a layout.

This obviously wasn't seen to be in the best interests of the hobby or the organizers.

But with  every bad situation there is always a positive and my positive is I will save myself a grand by not having to drag the new bits to Sydney and back.