THE LAST POST

With a house move imminent it is difficult to know whether the layout will relocate in it’s present form. This could be the last post so I will have to see whether a new project will be built in the new house. I am hoping that it survives but you never know. I will leave the blog as is until after the move as I have had great fun in sharing the layouts progress with you all. I appreciate the interest and comments that fellow modellers have made both here and overseas. I have taken a few photos by Galah Cam,no drones in the early nineteen sixties. All for now.

 

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LATTICE POST LANDMARK

Having built the Keiran Ryan Models signal  early this year my thoughts turned to kit bashing the same signal kit into a NSWGR landmark. After studying photos I took while on a trip in 2013 the one I’ve built is on the approach to Boorowa. There are many variations of land marks so if you are building a particular landmark study as many photos as you can. These can be found on the internet. I’m afraid I cannot give a step by step description of construction as once I started it was difficult to stop.

The post and ladder are constructed the same way as the signal and is very easy to fold. The rest of it is done by studying photos and estimating the height by how many rungs on the ladder compared to the photo of the prototype etc.

Back to installing DCC decoders. All for now.

A TALE OF TWO SIGNALS part 2

After a hectic Christmas and new year at last some progress on the signals, with making up the extension cables to the GF Controls gfcontrols.co.uk servo drives and guess what they work! Next step is painting the signals, firstly a light spray of grey self-etch primer is carefully applied, then by thinning Humbrol satin white with enamel thinners a couple of thin coats are better than one thick coat, especially on the lattice post, being sure not to paint in the linkages etc, a drop of light oil will help. After making sure all is ok proceed to place on the layout and scenic making sure that they can be removed at any time.

 

A TALE OF TWO SIGNALS

At the recent Liverpool exhibition I purchased  from Keiran Ryan Models an etched nickle silver lattice post signal. A few days after the excitement had died down I decided to start building it. The etches are nice and crisp with no tiding up to do also the folding of the post is straight forward without a problem the rest was assembled with studying photo’s from different sources. If a working signal is required then care must be taken not to use too much solder around the weight and signal arm areas to keep the pivot points clear.The ladder was constructed using the jig from Keiran which is available separately.

The outer home signal is based on a timber example which is an AM Models kit from Casula Hobbies. As the post is a one piece casting all the attention was concentrated on the arm and weight areas same care taken as on the lattice post. These kits are a good result if a working model is required the I suggest time is taken to work them out and proceed slowly. The base plate and mechanism is covered in a previous post.

All for now

 

 

Another quiet day

Since first building the layout 7 years ago there have been quite a few upgrades not only to the buildings but also the landscape so I thought of  posting an update of the approach to the terminus. There are still a couple of things to upgrade like the signals so hopefully as time allows I will be able to carry them out. The publications that have influence me most are by Barry Norman,Gordon and Maggie Gravett, Model Railway Journal and The AJRM (Branchline Modeller) and being a member of the NSW Model Railway Club another source of inspiration is viewing other blogs attending exhibitions forums and seeing other modellers layouts in all prototypes and gauges. All for now

 

 

NEW SDS BOGIES UNDER AN OLD MLV

The first kits I bought back in 1989 were 2 Rails North  MLV’s so with the new SDS Models 2AE bogies I decided to install them to the vans, a bit of fettling to the bolsters and for $14 a pair complete they run very smoothly. As I have an AR kits MLV I will give it the same treatment down the track. All for now.

SIGNAL AT CROOKWELL

As there are no modelling projects to share signals seem to be always a fascinating topic. On a field trip to Crookwell back in 2004, with good friend Richard Grace, to the extensive remains of the  Crookwell terminus, on the approach stands this very good example what I believe to be a McKenzie Holland tapered timber signal. This one has a few variations especially the counterweight position when compared to say the one at Boorowa. On closer inspection the Crookwell counterweight appeared to have been moved.