So another
year is upon us already.
Its interesting
to look back at what been.
Murray
River Bridge has been to three exhibitions in 2018.
Epping in
June.
Caulfield
in August.
Whyalla in
October (Whyalla was a blast).
MRB was
extended in width and new lights were installed, it made a big difference.
The fiddle
yard had DCC concepts SS cobalt point motors installed at one end, which means
we can control them with remote control.
Rolling
stock boxes were made for the exhibition rollingstock.
The
locomotives were all converted to DCC concepts stay alive chips.
I worked on
getting the consists right for the era and weathering each wagon appropriately.
Introduced
some ultra modern trains, including a PN train and a GWA grain train with graffiti.
I built
another layout for Dave and Roger, called “Cheakamus Canyon” this is based on a
location on the BCR mainline. It will be
a very impressive layout. Lots of depth in
it. It took me a while to figure out but
it will all fit in the current trailer. Cheakamus
Canyon, will use the fiddle yard for MRB, the display boards are in total 16’6”
long and 500mm wide and 1200mm high. It is
an exhibition layout, and expect it to be finished scenery wise in about April of
2019.
The hardest
part will be getting the boards to Dave, and set them up, as Dave has very
limited space.
Offering pre weathered models for SDS.
layout Design
concepts:
I really
enjoy creating design concepts,some may never make it to the build stage, but
again its fun creating them. Here are
some of them.
Barcoola
MKII
Barcoola is
a great concept and I think It deserves a really accurate “Tarcoola” close version.
South Mine,
Broken Hill NSW.
Silverton
Tramway’s Broken Hill South Mine. I know
Doug really likes this concept and I have the locos and rollingstock to do it!,
I am just struggling with how the place operated on a normal day.
Huddleston
Curves SA.
Huddleston,
is an Iconic location on the Port Pirie Broken Hill Line. Wide boards are the only way to give this
location justice, as Doug commented, it’s an operating Diorama! (no points)
Rudall SA.
The Lincoln
division is an amazing operation, even in ultra modern, it is spectacular.
Caltowie SA.
All of SDS’s
groovy AOQF need a small town in the mid north to clatter through.
Koolyanobbing,
Koolyanobbing East, and Southern Cross WA.
I made a
trip to WA to get the last of the Aurizon Iron Ore trains, and as usual each
time I go to WA I get the modelling bug.
Koolyanobbing
Koolyanobbing East
Southern Cross
I really
like the industrial brutality of the WAGR standard gauge mainline
stations. Everything was built on a very
clean slate, these included:
A complete
redesign
Brand new
lines built to easier grades.
Towns by
passed, all most all the yards, and locations had previsions made for
expansion.
Track
diagrams were generic, usually three tracks, mainline, Crossing loop, arrival
track. Then there were the yard - service
tracks, and these were separated from the three by at least another two tracks
width (26ft) again probably for expansion.
Lighting
installed in the yard for 24hour operation.
Large CBH
bunkers with flood loaders.
The Goods
sheds and station buildings are of a flat roof 1960’s design.
From the
need to build Cheakamus Canyon, I thought I could use this new design concept
on other layout designs.
There are a
number of advantages, integrated lighting and backdrops, larger curves in the
fiddle yard.
Moving to rural Australia has occurred, the space and quite is amazing.
For 2019, I would like to complete another layout and have another in reserve.
To make any of these layouts with ntegerated lighting etc, It will need to make another fiddle yard. However if I just build the display section first I can get it in a flat area of the house sooner. I figure I can build three boards at 7' 6" which will give me a 22' 6' display area and a 30' overall width with the curves for the fiddle yard boards.
Bring on 2019....
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