SMR CHRIS

Ok so I'm taking on. A big new project to rebuild a former exhibition layout by the Name of Newcastle originally built by Ron Fox of Fox model trains fame. It was quite a layout to see at exhibition with over 7m worth of Station on display with 4-6-2 38 Class Pacific locos hauling express passenger trains etc A couple of photos I was sent of the original layout on display at an exhibition Newcastle is as you may expect a model of the real location of Newcastle NSW Australia. Sadly now a Ghosts station with no tracks to be seen A few years ago it's original Builder parted with the layout to start a new project and to turn a long story short I believe it went through several hand and the board for the layout ended up with one person the other parts with another and so on. By chance whilst speaking with Ron he mentioned that he had heard the person with the boards for the layout may be looking to move then on and I should contact him however I had no details for him, a few phone calls to people that may have had his details and one of these people I discovered had most of the original structures from the layout so a arangmet was struck to get these and the boards to rebuild the layout back to exhibition standard. Initial info suggested everything was in tact with the main layout boards with a small amount of moisture damage from the location they were stored however this was not to be with a lot of the points and trackage ripped out of the layout and timber damage from storage etc The building were mostly in tact but some vermin damage needs repair and brick paper replacing, etc There are a lot of missing detail items like station lamps and name boards etc however I have the majority of the parts needed to start a rebuild it's going to need a couple of new sub boards constructing a new fiddle yard section as I only got half of it but with No trackage. But the main thing is it's a project that is worth doing and once finished will result in a very impressive exhibition Model Railway once again Below is a link to a video of the layout when exhibited

Hi Bob the 40 class is looking good Should be a good performer on the layout Are you going to fill in the US number Board panels on the hood ?? I need to find some suitable marker lights for my ones as they look like they are missing something without them Here's a photo I took last time I was at the museum 4001 in blue for inspiration

Hi Chris I'm sure there are a few that will have been cringing when they see mods to what I guess are now historic items With only removing a small section on the inside and using a existing hole in the metal lever and the hole on the body for the top electrical pin, It's only a mater of removing the wire and it's back to usable as a passing contact switch lever if ever needed. Perfect repurposing I think.

Thanks Bob It looks a bit plain now in all black, that will change once the weathering goes on hopefully all the detail will pop out.

Needing a way to actuate the signal now in the Stop position protecting the bridge on Moonan Flats I have come up with a way to manually actuate the signals via a lever frame, I also needed somewhere to mount these levers as well so a small addition to the front of the layout was made and installed. I have recycled a pair of old Hornby levers. Parts for the shelf addition to mount the levers The painted shelf installed on the front corner Now to mount the levers I have also been finishing off a LV van one more coupling to make, a transition auto/3 link then it's on to weathering.

Moonan Flats News I will be Exhibiting this September at the Our Town Hobby show Newcastle NSW Australia on the 9-10th September at the Newcastle Jocky Club off Darling Street Broadmeadow NSW If your visiting pop by and say Hi How to find your way there https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Newcastle+Jockey+Club,+Darling+St,+Broadmeadow+NSW+2292/@-32.932489,151.738065,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x6b7315c856456235:0xafd054c3713fc09e?hl=en-au Show Links https://www.facebook.com/ourtownms/ https://www.facebook.com/events/1937572356455836/?active_tab=about

Bob, Yes I'm sure they would look great running round your Railway. Esp on a nice sunny day. I recon it would feel very much like the best of British weather at the moment Sunny but very Cool Re an appropriate train Can do a S&D Passanger with the 9F and 7 Mk1's in Blood N Custard. Need the space of your layout for the Seven cars. Photos of Three of the set I really like the Blood N Custard livery

Hi Bob.Yes it's can take some fair size trains now 5 car passsenger car trains plus loco fit in the platforms The longest storage yard will fit 6-7 depending on the type of carriages. The layout is over 2 rooms in a Lshape consisting of Main terminus Station then into the small country station "Dibbly" where their is a goods yard and engine shed then the line splits main to the from through the platform and a branch to the back of the station building, then both trough the wall to curve around to the storage yard where the branch and main meet again. As for goods train facility's the yard now has a three loop set up arival track departure track and the other is used for excess wagons before they get shunted to the goods shed and a Guards van siding that also holds three vans ready for the next train the loco release is long enough for the Garret although not built with it in mind the way it has worked out it fits with space to spare on the arival/departure roads The small loco yard has a double row engine shed and the goods yard has a loco stabling siding with coal stage that also holds two locos usually the yards shunter and a heavy freight loco or a Garret will fit with out the yard shunter in their. The storage yards are set up so you have a goods yard faning back along the point fan for the storage sidings making the best use of the space available. On the outside of the curve that enters the We have shoe horned a lot into the space The finished section with the country station also has a loco shed and goods yard for some more operational interest 9F in the arival road you can see the Loco shed behind the in the back ground the point in the foreground goes to the goods yard loco facility's

A few new additions Not all NSWGR To start is a Ixion Manning Waddell loco based on the NSWGR version 1021 in Brass I will finish this model in the dirty black as it was when roundhouse shunter for Broadmeadow loco depot. Next the first of 2 big Brits that I will run on my Dads O scale layout A BR black 9F 2-10-0 by DJH And finally a LMS Beyer Garret 2-6-0---0-6-2 The Garret is tooooo Long for the loco release on Moonan Flats so once it's has been modified and had a few improvements will live on my Dads layout

Hi Bob Sorry missed this post I'm not sure how many others are doing 7mm NSWGR on shapeways I have found Kieren Ryan has some items in 7mm and a few other items listed but not for sale. Not sure why they only go to 1/64 in the search?? as there are lots of 7mm 1/43.5 stuff on shapeways a large amount of Narrow Gauge as well.

Hi Bob Yes it's Nylon material Just had a message from Ray and even he said that they can take a knock or two. Suggest you sign up for a Shapeways account and get the emails re deals etc you can often save up to 25% and postage deals etc that's what I did

I think the sun may be the issue not the strength it is amazingly strong even too file the material takes a lot more pressure than expected. Managed to survive the trip It's a great land we live in The vastness is at times hard to believe , it has some amazing places, wide open spaces that you almost can't believe.

A Signal for Moonan Flats A starting Signal, it's something that's been missing from Moonan Flats and in reality would be on the non modelled section of the yard on the other side of the road bridge. The Signal is a 3D printed kit from "Signals Branch" on shapeways this designer Ray Pilgram mostly has HO items but has upscale some items to O scale link https://www.shapeways.com/shops/signalsbranch The signal chosen was a LH 2 signal Bracket, with a starter for the main and the bay. The kits is designed to be made operational Whilst it's not in a prototypical location or really correct for a branch line station like Moonan Flats it gives a bit of extra visual interest. Still to do is add a ladder, hand rail plus lenses then finish off painting Add some form of actuators under the board to make it operational. Some photos of the Signal. What it arrives from shapeways like Partly assembled and actuating Rods fitted Quick video link of it working https://youtu.be/nCKMO0lj-pU Mounting hole 18mm using a step drill Test install Basic assy finished Painting started need a ladder and lenses The place the signal is located is on a cork base I will cut around the signal base and remove a section to sit the base flush with the existing scenic base. For a bit of perspective a train in front of the signal

Lots of progress Bob Looking good so far for the photos I can see with limited internet access it's too slow to down load very thing and times out In western Qld no train in this part of Qld any more

Interesting comment Bob re the 7/8 scale The Latest addition to the Down Under roster is a little bigger than the Usual 7mm 1/43.5 Scale, at 1/32 its is quite a bit bigger, it's still NSWGR no electric propulsion with this one though it's really is full Steam ahead I Will be looking forward to steaming it when I arrive home from Travelling in North Qld. Images from the Manufacturer web page Will be riding the Gulflander Tomorrow I snapped a photo of it this afternoon in Croydon station Last week we saw the Savannah lander and had a short ride at Forsayth before getting Flooded in for a day with unseasonably wet weather that ended up stranding the Savanalander at Forsayth as well Lots of off road bush travelling out in this part of Australia (Northern Qld) between finding trains

You could even build a set of British buildings then you can change continents depending on what you want to run. I got one of the Minerva RTR Victory locos very nice and I dare say the incline would not even challenge it with a full load. It's a good N solid looking loco as well, It doesn't look small even on NSWGR rolling stock

Yes but nothing that can't be achieved to get the result required, even by a novice with a set of zuron rail cutters What I'm liking the look of is the Tie bar, if they can upgrade the streamline range to that it would be good. Looks like a winner for those wanting to make the most of there latest impulse buy RTR locos. Turn that shelf where they sit into a shunting plank.

Hi Bob That's a nice simple fix for the 49 and it's dodgy drive line. Great to have another loco available for the roster again I see some wagons left over from the early wagon tests found there way into service they don't look out of place I font of the goods shed. I went a little over board with my construction of brackets but achieved the same result a loco that can be used without the drive line failing At least they learned and the latest loco has solid drive shafts so this won't be an issue. My 49 Bogie additions I did it at both ends of the bogies, as the time someone left the loco running on speed set one agains the buffer stop it wound both rubber drives off the outer axles

A question was asked about our diesel locos on small curves, on another forum down under, so I tested a couple of locos on the couple of bits of Peco set track I got form a friend, there's plenty of overhang I'd consider the track is great for short locos locos and stock but larger items are just pushing the limits And track spacing would need to be as wide as as your intended stock With small 0-4-0's and 4 wheel stock the track spacing wouldn't need to be very wide but as soon as you introduce a bogie vehicle you will have to space nice and wide to suit. I didn't take measurements as the question was only could the locos negotiate the curve. Some photos below showing the overhang the gap between loco Buffers on the curve Also the result of a short 4 wheel wagon coupled to a medium length loco NSW 49 classafter entering the curve, about the size of a BR 25 class last photo is of a long NSW 45 class similar length to a BR 37 class

Thank Bob yes a few hours of running plenty of enjoyment even in the small space. Best of luck with the weather Bob, it's nice and sunny down on the Coast hopefully you get some of the shine so you can have a good session out in the yard.

Some photos of a recent running session. Lots of shunting made a bit more complicated by the fact that there are only a few wagons fitted with transition link couplers some locos only have hooks as with a few wagons, so careful planing of the shunt is required. It's interesting to see some operators shunt them selves into a corner and others solve the puzzle in a minimum number of shunts, timing from 10 minutes to the 48minute record that may stand for some time. 3213 has finished shunting the yard The trains Guard await's departure time before giving the right away. 3108 arrives with the Local Passenger the end veranda car with the pannel side is a Grayhound transport carriage coded RG that has transported the locals back to town with there dishlikers after a away race meet one side of the carriage has seating the other has rows of dog boxes After making up the departing local 3108 waits for the passengers to board before making its way back to the mainline junction and a connection to the big smoke. The RG is shunted to the bay and the EHO Guards van attached. The small HG Guards van that arrived on the passenger has been left in the yard. Happydays for the Guards with the bogie EHO

By the sounds of it the Layout should be well received at the Thornleigh show esp if Rohan has finished of the scenic's to his high standard. I though Warren Herbert ended up with the part built "Exeter" layout after Rodney sadly passed away has Rohan taken over the layout or is it a Club effort now. Rodney had a system that moved each train up the storage loop on Wingham a single track in each direction, it used photo sensors to do this I remember at one show they had us set up in a location and the afternoon sun was comming in through a window and once it got to the right / wrong spot all the trains set off from the loops creating havoc, we cut up bits of cardboard and made tunnels over the sensor sections to get everything running again. Wow that was a few years ago now fun times. Been fixing lots of HO locos over the last few weeks You forget how easy O scale is to work with until you start doing lots of small stuff again

Unfortunately it looks like I'm going to miss the Epping clubs show this year will so will miss seeing the layout. We will be most probaly be away up some where around the Gulf of Carpentaria. Re the O scale forum it. Has been trending less and less on display over the last few forums, I always make a point to take something along and it was luckily I did this time, the October forum I took along a fully scenic'ed 8ft diorama/test track. This time I took along my coaling stage Coal stage

Hi Bob the forum had a good selection of talks not all Oscale specific but very interesting Some nice New models on display from the 3 manufactures, only disappoint was the display table was a bit bare, only John Parker and My self took models for the display. I have included a link to the video John Parker produced of the day. The video covers most of the day's events.

H haven't taken any photos of the MCE and VHO at there part assembled stage but I had them on display at the local O scale meet and there was a video clip done and I got a screen shot from it of the cars part assembled on display. MCE 12 wheeler part assembled VHO also part assembled with a roof off cut placed. To keep the sides straight when people were handling This also shows the parts of the car with the one piece ends and the corridors conection that is sprung and articliates painted black contrasting against the white of the urithane