Ken's Kanunda & Emu Flat Railway AN in 1984

Hi All

Check out this AN layout in 1984 the Kanunda & Emu Flat Railway ( K&EFR ), Ken has put a lot of thought into operations.  Looks like it fits into one half of a garage, and has dedicated enough room on the layout to give Penstone Quarry a bit of dominance.

Layout overview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOiKuAXUeXY

Shunting Penstone Quarry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWbHzaBJuas

The design concept is solid, he has managed to squeeze in three mainline stations, a branch station and the quarry, and ample room in the fiddle yard.  I like the controller holders located around the layout.  He has also ticked the ease of operation box, as the layout is a total walk in design.

Importantly it seems to satisfy his requirements quite nicely, congratulation with your slice of 1984 AN.

thanks

Scott

Video of Rail recovery operations post narrow gauge Central Australian Railway shut down 1982

Hi All

Check out this video, taken at Marree in 1982, post the shut down of the narrow gauge Central Australian Railway shut down.

OH&S was not so prevalent back in 1982, note the way they transfer the rail from the narrow gauge rake to the standard gauge rake without using a crane, very interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFJ2bfjRYGU

Here is a video of NSU56 passing Lake Eyre (south) in the South Australian outback, and a cab ride at Curdimurka, the bridge just looks way too skinny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOdt_-AKcYc

Pulling up the Central Australia Railway William Creek 1982, its worth it just to see these guys scatter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=XBIElPzzX5c

Enjoy

Scott

Peter's Layout has a name and a blog site, Brownsville

Hi All

Just to let you know that Peter's N scale layout has an official name "Brownsville" PA now has it's own blog site, nice work mate.

http://brownsvillerail.blogspot.com.au/

There is a detailed plan, and some great instructions on speed matching locomotives in DCC, something that I need to do.

Enjoy

Scott

Pimba Railway Station a location to model in AN

Hi All

When I was in my very early 20's I came up with this plan for a layout based on Pimba SA, this location was  the first stop of the Tea & Sugar #4205 slow mixed goods.
My plan at the time was based on the club room size.  The concept, centred on the trains that passed through this location in daylight, which would be:

347 down Alice Springs Goods in the morning, Up Alice Springs goods in the evening.
AP5, PA6, PS2, SP3.  I could also slip in a Ghan and an IP.

At the time, Pimba was populated with AN maintenance staff, an number of standard house were positioned behind the station building.  Pimba also retained a very wonky goods shed, the platform of which can be seen in the left hand side of the photo below.
Other buildings included a water tank, and barracks.

The yard also had a triangle with a number of sidings leading off, this included at one time, a pressurised concrete silo (portable).  During the construction of the Olympic Dam - Roxby Downs project, AN  ran a number of dedicated trains from Port Augusta to Pimba to deliver Concrete in pneumatic hoppers.  I had also seen at least two gas tankers positioned at Pimba, I assume for transfer to road tankers for delivery to Olympic Dam - Roxby Downs project.

So at the time deliveries to Pimba would have been, #4205 town supplies.
Dedicated "Roxby Rocket" which could deliver any of the following:
Water tanker.
Concrete hoppers.
LP Gas tankers.
Fuel tankers.
Goods vans, with equipment for the maintenance crew.
Flats loaded with earth moving equipment.

 EL and GM combination, haul SP3 past the still standing station building in May 1992.

Some shots from Weston Langford site of Pimba in 1967.

http://westonlangford.com/media/photos/108933.jpg

http://westonlangford.com/media/photos/108934.jpg

And in 1999.
http://westonlangford.com/media/photos/122821.jpg

http://westonlangford.com/media/photos/122822.jpg

http://westonlangford.com/media/photos/122823.jpg

Above is an example of the plan I designed for Pimba, I had designed a board, that on one side had the fiddle yard, on the other side an integral light box, which would be strong enough to support other boards.  I really like the "nothingness" of Pimba, and serious looked at this for a design.  However, my plan was flawed in a number of ways, firstly too two dimensional, the light box would have made viewing awkward.  Secondly the grade coming up to Pimba was pronounced and such a feature would be lost in this design.  Also the trains would be short about 12 to 13 feet.

So if you are not really keen on trees and like AN Northern Division but want some place to shunt, this might tick that box.  Not too long ago, I created another design based on Pimba for the current train room, and I called it "Wirrimpa".
Anyway I hope, this presentation provides some inspiration.


An update on Alice Springs progress, I have wired and made operational the NTFS, Freight Forwarders siding.  The new head shunt and lead into the yard.
Roger gave the two thumbs up to the slightly extended version of the industrial area.

I hope to get some more progress on Alice Springs yard, over the Easter Weekend, as I have some time off.
For those of you that have it off, from all of the crew at Barcoola, we wish you a happy Easter.

Thanks

Scott

New search features for Barcoola

Hi All

I have added a few more features that will help you find what you are looking for on the blog, one of which is the search box.  It sits between the "popular posts" and the "blog archive"

Just type in what you are after and it will return the blogs that match your query.

give it a go.

Scott

Doug's review of Auscision's new VBAX

If I kicked off an Australian Model Railway Magazine, Doug would be my reviewer, he pulls no punches.  Anyway here is is view on the new VBAX's that arrived this week.Barcoola discaimer etc...Here is is un edited text.My nit pick about the VBAXs.  Auscision have taken a page out of the Austrains "how to" book.   On the BP version of the van there is a stirrup step at the end of each door.   On the VBAX there isn't - in most cases - as far as I can tell.   Yet they leave two holes under each door on the VBAXs where the step would have gone on the BP model.   Austrains did something similar (holes for accessories that weren't fitted/required) on their I and ESX wagons.Still this is a nit picking fault in an otherwise excellent model.   Which incidentally has opening doors.    The only other nit pick is that the actuating bars that go from the brake cylinder levers to the bogies just come to an end about 1 cm short of the bogies.   You can see the reason why the moment you rotate the bogie on the bolster.   There is absolutely nowhere for the brake rod to go between the under frame and bogie.   Nevertheless it looks a bit odd just coming to an abrupt end, hanging in space.Thank god the VBAX weren't used in large blocks like VHGYs or even VLCXs.   One pack will suffice.Auscisions have a factory test shot of the AN on their web site.   You can make out quite a bit of detail on it.  I'd be interested to know what you think.   It has always been a bit of a coin toss for me which is the better looking unit an EL or AN.   For my two bobs worth both are the best looking units to be seen in Aust since the round nose GM streamliner types.CheersDougHere is some links


http://www.auscisionmodels.com.au/Auscision%20Models%20Blog.htm

More AOOX loads continued

Hi All

Here is some interesting pictures, in era, below is an AOOX loaded with what looks like, lead sheet, and interesting Modelling proposition.  Correct me if I am wrong but what ever it is, it dam heavy.  Obviously on it way to Melbourne.
http://www.johnnyspages.com/classic_pictures_menu_files/classic_wayne's_pictures_2_files/diesels/wayne_138_petwood_16-04-1991.jpg

A clean AOOX

http://northernlinesgallery.shutterfly.com/pictures/3128

TOFC on WQCX

http://www.johnnyspages.com/classic_pictures_menu_files/classic_cliff's_pictures_1_files/64_cliff_702_macdonalds_hill%20again.jpg