Friday Night Update – 27 May 2016

Next weekend is one of the highlights of my modelling year – the annual trip up the Mountain (well hill if you are Swiss or live anywhere near a European mountain range but for around here, it’s a mountain) to Toowoomba and the Toowoomba Model Railroad Club’s annual Exhibition.

In past years, I’ve been either demonstrating modelling techniques on the British Railway Modellers of Australia stand or I’ve been with my layout, St Alban’s Priory with the other members of our little gang operating one of the larger British N set ups around down here (at least that’s our claim based on what we’ve been told!).

This year a different approach has been made owing to changing circumstances.  To start with, two of the three musketeers won’t be going – one is spending time out in western Queensland doing the Three Corners (look at a map of Queensland and you’ll see where they are and how they get their name) and the other leaves a couple of days before for 2 months of fun and frivolity in the South Australian Outback with his employer.  Lucky Ben!  The other complication was I had promised Hollie we would go back this year after her debut last year shunting Sturminister Newton for a day and a half.

So with limited numbers and a keen sidekick, I’m going up as the assistant on Hollie Wharf. 

Now regular readers of this blog will have seen the post I made about Inspiring Modelling.  Ken, as I think I’ve mentioned, had a clean out under Management instructions and offered me the shunting puzzle.  Hollie has shown a lot of interest in operating it and we have done some minor detailing bits and pieces on it – not as many as we’d planned but that’s models for you!

First up to set the scene, Hollie testing out the operation of a 4F.  We would prefer to run 0-6-0Ts but they tend to be a bit temperamental over a pair of the points so the tender loco is a better option.  For safety’s sake, we are taking a J39, an Ivatt 2-6-0 and a class 24 to Toowoomba.  A Farish 04 with side plates and cow catchers fitted (from Etched Pixels) is going too but may be limited in its operation.

All the stock is Peco chassis.  I think there may be a Farish body on one but essentially you use the cards you see in front of Hollie to form up trains (or break them up) similar to the Inglenook concept.

A previous post has pictures of the bollards I drew up with Autodesk Inventor and then printed with my Aldi printer.  These have since been painted but no photos I’m afraid.

To fill in the large area of roadway to the right of Hollie we decided some kind of memorial would be a good idea.  Back to Autodesk and about 15 mins later I’d drawn up and sent to print the design below:

It didn’t really work out there on its own so I designed a traffic island for it to sit on, allowing for cars to park and pass around it.  Obviously it needs painting – currently not really sure of the best colour but that is tomorrows problem.

We also hope to have a small vessel dockside next weekend. 

If you are coming to Toowoomba, please stop by B7 and introduce yourself.  You can even have a go at shunting the Wharf.