SMR CHRIS

Hi Bob when I first saw the picture a few posts ago with the HO track I though you were teasing the HO boys but no your actually doing it. Can I ask one question why down the Center of the O wouldn’t it have been easier to run around the out side with no hight change over the points etc, then both O and HO trains could have been run at the same time for maximum play value/ social interaction etc I’m sure there’s a good reason just wondering out loud.

LaScala. Yes it is a shame that the two ROD’s in the best condition are just waisting away, I don’t think they have had any extra black goo since they arrived at that location. It’s a form of historical negligence going on if it Was a historical building that wasn’t railway related the individual who’s name is on the deed of title would be asked to explain the situation. The funny thing about my visits to the site almost 10 years apart was that Keith wandered down and met me at the fence with his dog wandering beside him, and has first words were on both occasions were “It won’t be long and we will be opening the museum” On the second occasion I pointed out he had said the same thing ten years earlier standing at the same location, and the only thing that had changed was his dog. Very sad that he keeps using the donated money to get more items but and can’t maintain what they already have the level of deterioration of a lot of the collection is now past the saving stage esp a good percentage of the wooden bodied rolling stock that has been slowly converted back into the earth from which it originally came. Sad sad sad

Hi Bob thanks and yes, I’m very lucky to have several layouts within an hours drive and a great group of guys that just love running trains. Have visited RVR over the last month and they are doing it tough with a lot of damage from the recent bush fire. So when asked if I’d exhibit Moonan Flats was happy to help out. The live steam is quite addictive I’ve been around Live steam since I was a kid and it’s hard to stay way from since having my back rebuilt with carbon fibre and titanium parts, my 5” Gauge Live Steam Hunslet is bit heavy to work with. Cosmetically restored ROD at RVR

Yep send it back. the body is a tight fit my guess is that the wiring is trapped somewhere and will never be right after having spent months like that in transit

OK so it’s been a while since an update. Been way too much going on and my own modelling time has been limited due to other people’s models filling my work bench. Moonan Flats O scale layout is booked for another exhibition in May at a local Rail museum Richmond Vale Railway In between these projects of rebuilding models and decoder installs I’ve had a little time each Wednesday to go and run trains in the Great out doors both RC live steam and RC electric (Steam) Live Steam my NSWGR C38 and a friends Flying Scotsman 4472 3801 Fn3 1:20.3 Scale Rio Grande C19 conversion to RC with Battery power supply conversion. Recent Rio Grande Running day. A little poultry delivery on the back of the Guards van My Rio Grande Jackson & Sharp coaches You tube video of the last Running day with lots of models running with a general Narrow Gauge theme I like this photo really gives the scale Size variation both models are of Car No320 small one is HOn3 big one Fn3

Hi Bob lots of progress since I last checked in, trains running again is always a good sign. Great to see

No your memory isn’t faulty the previous models had the decoder 8pin socket on the loco Chassis With the zink deterioration any attempt on removing the body would often result in several pieces of loco chassis covering the bench.

Hi all just a little info on the new Hornby Grange with a don’t believe what you see on the instruction sheet. For DCC decoder fitting don’t open the loco to fit the decoder it is fitted in the tender. When opening the box you will find a paper diagram on how to open the loco up with a diagram that show the location of the screws etc It also show a 8 pin plug inside the loco on the chassis however this is not the case The 8 pin plug is actually in the tender. Also seems to show a tender of the type from the previous grange version the sheet could just be from the old model reprinted. To open up the tender you will need to remove 2 screws located between the second and last axles these were found to have had some sort of glue on them and took some force to crack the bond. Now you also have to be careful as there front handrails on the tender extend from the body into the chassis located in a very small hole and both were also found to have been glued and required some careful work with a fine tipped poker to tap the protruding tip from under the chassis to brake the glue bond The tender top now comes away easily and a TCS DP2X-UK decoder can be installed into the plug and in this loco the marked Number 1 pin was actually correct (something quite random with Hornby modlels) Care in refitting the body is required to locate the hand rails correctly so as to get the body to sit correctly on the chassis. On test running the locos is very smooth without any decoder tuning The only issue noted was the Center wheel/Axle of the tender is lower than the outer axles alignment, all the tender weight is therefore on it, so the tender rocks Slightly on the centre wheel set something that may cause issues if doing a lot of tender first running Photos below of the installed decoder with loco on test on a Australian Layout.

They really do look the business. Great work Bob in double quick time too. Perfect for the crack express trains. Looking forward to the year of the Steamers

Hi DDI Thanks for the kind words Just had a look at your layout thread really like that idea have built similar in the past. Really liking your Graphic renderings nice work there. Will follow along now.

Good to know you have it sorted the Aus7 and 7th Heaven I’m now the secretary of Aus7 however I don’t yet have a current membership list and there isn’t even a old list within the secretary’s file that I received willl have to rectify that ASAP.The modelOkit day was good I also got to run my PSM C38 around Arakoola on a set of Rcars it performed well. The HCX has been a bit of a PITA as part way through the kit build I started to research what car Number for details only to find it doesn’t match any HCX and is a hybrid of all the cars that the NSWGR converted but doesn’t match a specific car. by the time I discovered this it was too late to do further mods to make it closer to a real HCX really needed at least 15mm taking out of the length between the Guards door and the luggage door to Get closer to the majority of the conversions. Morel of the story, check prototype first then start on the kit build I had alreay had to shorten one side as it was too long and didn’t match the other as supplied. Re the G 1 I’m very lucky that several guys have very nice Garden railways around the hunter region and a couple of others are under construction I have Joined a Group called GRITH “Garden Railways In The Hunter” and we Run most Wednesday’s I can relate with the lack of time and too many activities esp at this time of year but it keeps your mind active and that’s a good thing. For me Im having a recovery day and will be back at it in a few days.

Hi Bob yes have the latest issue went out mid December it has a 45class on the front cover. Sorry for the slow reply been busy with other no Railway things just getting back into it. Trust you had a great Christmas and wishing you a Happy new year. What’s new down here a DJH 59 kit is in the waiting for a bit of work bench space as soon as I get the HCX I’ve been working on painted I’ll start on the 59class I also took Moonan Flats down to the model O kits open day And have spent a fair bit of time out in the garden running trains on friend layouts Livesteam 3801 1/32 Scale Electric 2-6-6-2 logging loco 1/20.3 Scale Some video from one of the running days. https://youtu.be/jQAaqVMnuoQ

Nice Bob Both the 42s really look the part will be good to see these out on the layout. Ted dose nice decals I need to get some more done soon.

Hi Bob yes the loco is quite efficient however I'm going to install a larger blast pipe as I think it is too small when considered against the cyl size and restricts the exhausting of the Cyls it currently has the same size blast pipe as some of the small 0-4-0 live steamers whilst not an issue whilst running light engine, this will change when a load is behind the loco. Need to find a supplier that has the base fittings so I can make up a new one

Nothing too hard in fitting the DCC Marty as even in most of the small locos, you don't have big decoders as the current draws isn't high enough to worry, mostly HO size motors anyway the bigger speakers are somthing we choose to use because as a rule the bigger the speaker the better quality of the lower tone sounds that can be reproduced even the small locos you can often fit a reasonable size speakers between the frames that will produce good sound you may remember I fitted a good size speaker in my tower models 0-4-0 saddle tanks cab in what would have been the locos coal space, as this loco has very limited space but I used a full size WOW sound decoder and a KA The KA's are one of those things I choose to install as I can with the space available but I don't use KA as a fix for pickup issues, more as a back up as with sound locos you don't want glitches due to some minor issue with track eg dead frogs etc , KA's are not an answer for poor pickups. The weight of the White metal bodied locos dose help with the wheel contact to rail, even if it is just flexing the track that makes the contact better due to the locos weight.

Hi Bob Yes the RC is quite nice to have you still tend to follow the train for the first few laps making sure the water feed is right, gas set just right so as to just keep pace with the Steam used and the safety’s just about to pop as you can see most of the Time it’s just got a wisp of steam as it’s right on max pressure about to pop I have found that the 38 is very economical and I can run for near an hour now on one gas charge and about 1/4 of the tenders water Will be interesting to see how much this changes when it’s pulling a train I’m guessing will need the gas set a bit higher and will get about 40min run time. Re the track all hand laid It’s brass rail with timber sleepers I’ll have to remember to ask next week what sort of rail and timber used. An unusual method of track spiking, through the rail foot haven’t seen that before seems to work

I bit of Large Scale Running today out in the sunny out doors near Newcastle With Garden Railways in the Hunter

Hi Joseph can you post a link to the Minories thread that has the photos I had a quick look but didn’t find what you referred to. I’d like to see the photos.

Hi Martin yes will be Peco as I have all the needed points on hand less one Y point plus was originally done with Peco track, the part that I can reuse currently has Peco so for consistency it's staying The geometry of the Peco also suits with the small amount of compression that will be needed Yes will need some help esp at exhibition's so you are most welcome Once I get all the new sub structure done ill let you know. There will be some changes in the track layout to reflect closer to the 60-74 layout

Hi Joseph Yes I’m going to add the extra line across the level crossing and most of the point work as it was in the 1960-1970 period The layout is getting several new boards as 3 of the originals are not usable. Re what’s there now all the track is gone the platforms are being filled at the moment And the line is now truncated several Ks up the line a new station terminus has just opened but it will now take another 20-30 mins to get to the original Newcastle terminus instead of the couple of min it originally took.and they call it progress now Newcastle is about t9 have the biggest event it has ever had The V8 super cars final round and there is no transport system in place to get the punters in. A couple of photos from google search all credit to original photographers

A successful weekend exhibiting Moonan Flats at the Murrurundi Model Railway Festival. Plus Moonan Flats makes the News Feed for the Scone Advocate local news. Screen shot of the news feed. Some photos of the Layout on display

Yes he has quite a range but seems is little unknown by people in the scale.

Mmmmm.......?....?....?.....?......?.....? Mango Mango was O scale QLD Cane train theme with narrow Gauge Cane trains And Arakoola was very much there Marty so there were at least 2 O scale Mango Mango

Hi Bob yes the Gin is from GME I contacted Greg thursday before Liverpool and picked up at the Show unfortunately some of the detail parts in the box were from the 4 wheel Gin. Just waiting for Greg to get me the extra parts now so I can do a bit more on the Gin. I got it to the stage it is Sat night after getting home from Liverpool was hoping for the bits to arrive duning the week so I could finish it and get it painted. Considering painting the tank Brown and the cabin black as per the early tour liverys for SWT5

This Goes with the 7mm+ modelling this is my 1/32 Scale Ron nnew Ng on 45mm Gauge track NSWGR C38. No3801 the class leader it's a Live steam model with a ceramic gas burner to fire the loco and has Radio Control for the regulator and reverser. YouTube clip of the 38 running Longer Clip of 3801 and a triple header of 1/32 live steam Bayer Garrets I'm also building some carriages to go with the C38 First is a water Gin SWT5 as use on a lot of the preservation tour trips