Friday Night Update - 23 March

Footy comes back tomorrow night (that is Australian Rules - the Rugby League has been going for a while but I don't follow the code) and with Amity (aka the Shop 1 Groupie and purchaser of great Christmas Presents) out playing scrapbooking I took the opportunity to get back into Friday night work sessions.

This isn't to say stuff hasn't been happening - stuff has, just not something which is photogenic!

Tonight's effort for example was to get out of the track I took off Swallow's End when I decided it needed to be lifted and re-done as I wasn't satisfied.  Now this was some months ago - August last year I think from memory (known to be faulty) but with the last term of my Year 12s last year, followed by the move from Longreach to Brisbane and setting up the Train Shed and other priorities (unpacking and doing jobs for SWMBO!) I haven't gotten around to it.  Tonight I did.  Essentially it involved making sure all pieces of track had the appropriate amount of sleepers and all sleepers were soldered properly - some hadn't been done as well as I thought when I pulled it all up.  Now this is a necessary, but time consuming job when making hand made track.  I think I am about half way though.  To be honest, I think making new pieces may have been a bit quicker but I am learning quite a lot so not a total loss!  No photos - nothing worth photographing. 

Another session tomorrow - and being a bit sick of track, I think I may do some stuff for the back yards I am wanting to put in behind my Kestral (Kestrel?) semi-detached houses.  The inspiration for what I am going to do with these can be found in Nspirations 3 for those with a copy.

South East Queensland Area Group

I am very pleased to announce that, having had two successful meetings, a combined N Gauge Society, 2mm Scale Association and British Railway Modellers of Australia group has been established, meeting on the second Saturday of the month in my train shed.

The initial meeting was held in February and attracted 7 modellers (with 2 apologies from the invitations sent out) with a plan being made for a soldering demonstration for March.  Only 6 gathered for March (again with apologies so not too worried!) and the demonstration was judged a success with some confidence being gained and light being shone on the dark art.

The April meeting is going to investigate the thorny issue of couplings and, more specifically, hands off shunting.  My layout is equipped with electromagnets for use with the Peco system which I have used to good effect for over 10 years, but this does tend to mean all wagons need to have a Peco chassis (or the coupling replaced with a Peco one).  I have some MicroTrains fitted US stock but haven't explored this option.  The discussion will most likely centre around the fitting and operation of DG couplings as one member uses these, one has built these and two expressed an interest in learning more.

Naturally, members of the aforementioned Associations are very welcome to get in touch if they happen to be in South East Queensland for dates and times, along with contact phone and address info.  Public transport is handy too.

Royal Train

I mentioned in my blog from February (the one and only - work and family seem to have slowed progress more than I anticipated!) that I was building the present day Royal Train using the ERG vinyls.  Pictures have now been taken following the painting of the corridor connectors black (they having been caught up in the spraying of the ends grey).  I have not gotten around to changing the couplings over to close couple the set.  While it is headed by 67005, this is the dummy Royal Locomotive Dapol produced.  I am hoping to get 60163 later this year and this train was obtained for Tornado to haul.

Typically from the photo session this afternoon, only a few are worth putting up.  I will hopefully get a decent shot of one of the Mk 3s tomorrow and add it then.