brynna79

A few more evening shots in and around Wellington from my trip in March. 

Multiple Unit FP 'Matangi' Class FT5252

20240324_204121 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

Multiple Unit FP 'Matangi' Class 4472

20240324_203117 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

Multiple Unit FP 'Matangi' Class 4339

20240324_164910 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

Multiple Unit FP 'Matangi' Class in Wellington Station sidings

20240324_203519 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

20240324_203032 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

Multiple Unit FP 'Matangi' Class  on the exit out of Wellington Station, picture taken off Aeotea Quay. 

20240325_073301(0) by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

I was a bit distracted by the impressive reuse of sleepers within the post for the station canopies here to notice the presence of DSC2665 in the background.  Totally missed this one!  I still remain quite impressed by the rail head... 

20240324_165212 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

Hi all, I just wanted to start a thread for pics that I am collecting while on my travels within New Zealand during what will be a 12 month working experience here.  Many will only be when I get a chance to take a picture as opposed to going out of my way. Something a bit different for me from the main UK stock I am accustomed too. 

These were taken during a recent trip to the capital in Wellington for work in March 2024. 

FP4408 and FT4339 at Wellington Station

20240324_164951 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

KiwiRail DFB Class 7322 at Wellington Station - Monday 25th March 2024 on a Wellington to Masterton along the Wairarapa line.  Hauling a set of rebuilt BR Mk2 coaches. 

20240325_080031 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

20240325_080021 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

20240325_080003 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

20240325_080059 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

The Mk2 coaches 

20240325_075849 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

20240325_075846 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

20240325_075829 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

Class mate DFB 7064 at the leading end of the service 

20240325_075821 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

20240325_075403 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

20240325_075358 by Bryn Jones, on Flickr

Thanks all for sharing pictures.  Allows those who did not go, to see highlights of the show. 

@Kickstart Impressive work on the layout to date.  It certainly, doesn't look O Gauge for the space that it is fitted into.  Thanks for sharing.

I see that a large number have now sold out as well.  Wish I had acted when I was mulling over whether to get one or not. 

Cheers

Hi Terry, 

Just what I wanted to know.  I don't always want the special issues, so that isn't too much of an issue for me - although I have found some of the ones I have enjoyed most, have not been the ones I have sought after!   Never been a big video content user - generally go to YouTube for that, so that may be something different for me to try and get into - I never did get into the BRM Video content for some reason when a subscriber... 

Seems I am not alone in the content difference between the two publishers.  I like that you can go back that far for plenty of value reading.  Isn't the White River Productions one also web based.  How do you find that?

Cheers

Bryn

Hi, 

I just wondered if anyone here used the Trains.com subscription in anger.  I currently subscribe to Trains and Model Railroader, usually through the Black Friday Sales that Zinio have and at a price some £20 or pounds less than what the exchange rate is giving for the Trains.com website. I appreciate that you get 5 magazines from this, including Classic Trains, which I like on occasion. 

If so, then I just wondered how the interface was and if it is good value for money with the videos and digital versions of Kalmbach books.  Once my subscriptions end this month, I may take the 30-day free trial out and see for myself but wondered what people's views were.  As an aside, I seem to be drifting to the White River publications for content a bit more as well, I'm not sure why this is, but i feel they offer good reading content each month. 

Cheers

Can't see another post that discusses these.  Interesting selection of liveries being released, a number that have been hard to get for quite a while now.  I

https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/versiondetails/article?id=1273

They look rather nice.  How are they compared to the Dapol HEA wagons

Enjoying the updates to date.  Cheers for sharing. 

Bryn

HI, 

I wondered how hard it is to convert US O Gauge 3-Rail to 2-Rail.  Namely Lionel and MTH locomotives? 

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/last-try-lionel-legacy-gorail-sd60e

I have seen some at a relatively good price, although there is a compromise on some of the detail.  Having trouble seeing how much 2-Rail O Gauge is actually available. 

Cheers

On 29/10/2022 at 02:36, Rhys said:

While theres not as much rail action in NZ compared to the UK, Its still a decent railway. Freight trains are commonly 1500-3000 tons with 6-8000 HP up front. The Auckland -Hamilton-Taranga triangle is one of the busiest in the country.  As for historical railfanning, I'm currently on holiday in the south island and have a heritage train passing through tomorrow, while I'm missing a weekend of heritage railcar trips round my hometown in the North Island.

There are plenty of modelers in the country, with US Ho being quite common. British O is "uncommon". Local NZ modeling is supported (I wouldn't say well) but the local wheel's (North Yard) are among the best in the world, and very cheap compared to anything in the UK.

Modeling supplies are reasonably easy to source from local modeling shops.

Its not quite the ends of the earth........

HI Rhys, 

Thanks for the info.  We have been watching a number of YouTube videos and can see that there are lines through the main cities/ones that we are looking to move to.  So, there would be some interest for me, for sure.   What lines are you enjoying on the South Island at the moment and where is the hometown line as well, would be good to take a look. 

I guess O gauge is quite niche, even in the UK, so its take up elsewhere may been rare indeed.  The annoying thing is, prior to the offer coming for work, I had decided to start to sell and switch to O from US HO.  It looks like, typically, that may have been premature, but the offer was quick and out of the blue! 

Ends of the earth is worth it for what NZ has to offer and the change in lifestyle it will offer for us, plus it will provide new challenges with work as well. 

Cheers

I guess the number of purchases gets significantly reduced in that regard.  For me, it would be the ease of availability for spares and small bits and pieces and HO is close enough to OO to make it probably easier to deal with, while down there!

Have you been to the UK to see it in action.  There is not as much 'rails' action in New Zealand, do you get out and railfan that much?  The areas we're looking at are either Tauranga or Hamilton, so both are not too far from Auckland to get the fix. 

Cheers

On 22/10/2022 at 17:51, Wendell1976 said:

Here's a picture of a CSX Transportation train in Newark, New Jersey. The train is running over Newark Bay. The Downtown Manhattan(New York City) skyline is in the background.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/811977/

 

Wendell

Idaho, USA 

That is a pretty epic picture there.  It shows the scale of US railroads, but that they are still small by the massive skylines of the major cities over there.  Good find and thanks for sharing, it would make a very good wall picture for sure! Cheers

I love the Maple Leaf picture too. The photography as a knack for sure. 

On 19/10/2022 at 21:08, thohurst said:

Auckland (where I'm located) has a number of model shops that have a decent range of products, though prices here tend to be high enough that I buy the bigger bits mostly from England. There are a number of clubs in the area as well - I'm a part of the Auckland Central Model Railway Club myself, which has quite a sizeable HO American layout, another large OO British layout & a number of N gauge layouts, though no O gauge of any variety. 

Thanks for that. Most useful.  It is good that there are few in short distance (hour or so) from where we may base ourselves.  I think maybe sticking with what's left of my North American stock may be the better idea than to try with O Gauge which may be very expensive to import.  The intention when there is to very rarely return to the UK, so postage would probably be significant on a 4kg parcel.  Besides, west coast US is only half the duration than the UK, so we may do more holidays there amongst those in the southern hemisphere. 

Assume you are UK? 

CHeers

Bern a while since any comments. I see it's still shown in the KMS website. I just wondered if anyone knew if Is this dead or still a distinct possibility. 

Cheers 

Hi Graham,

Thanks for that, I will take a look at that and see what they get up to. I like the idea of differing venues each month! 

Cheers

Thanks for sharing. Just how bad is the decal lift on the door. It looks big enough to be caught and rip, certainly looks very pronounced.

It also looks very apparent along the long top edge. 

Though it may just be the camera exacerbating it of course. 

Bryn 

On 10/05/2020 at 00:01, Glorious NSE said:

Sorry, not been on the site for a bit - all the usable HEA images I have are online if you follow

 the link quoted above. 

 

Great selection of Pictures Martyn. Thanks for sharing. 

Cheers

On 12/10/2022 at 22:22, grow45 said:

Not sure where you might be based in NZ but Ironhorse Hobbies in Christchurch had a reasonable selection of British 4mm (mostly Hornby) and 7mm (mostly Peco) items when I was there about three years ago.  I also seem to recall some American stuff but as it was not really one of my interests, I did not particularly pay much attention.

 

 

HI, 

We haven't properly committed yet but are likely too.  It would be north Island where we would move to, so that would be a fair way away from the shop you have suggested for a visit. But I would hope that Auckland has something similar as a big city as well.  I have stumbled across their website and noticed that they have a good base of UK stuff, although the prices were a mixed bag for what I did see. 

We're more likely to visit the States on the Western side, than come back home to the UK, so maybe sticking with US HO would be the better option than UK O. 

Cheers

On 10/10/2022 at 16:40, Ian Morgan said:

This seems like a good place to start from:

 

https://www.nzmrg.org.nz/webpage-269/model-railway-groups-.html

 

I visited New Zealand 20 years ago and railway modelling was alive and well. I found a model shop in Johnsonville, near Wellington to pick up some souvenir kits of NZ prototypes. New Zealand, in general, is influenced by America and Japan almost as much as it is influenced by the UK, and there seem to be plenty of people modelling US railroads as well as British and New Zealand railways. Modelling NZ railway prototypes requires more effort as it uses 3' 6" gauge. This can be acheived using S scale on HO gauge track, or 1:120 scale on N gauge track. A Brazilian company, Frateschi, also make HO models of NZ prototypes that run incorrectly on HO track.

 

 

Hi Ian, 

Thanks for the reply.  I had found the NZMRG website after another search earlier this week.  It's interesting to hear your experience of what you had found while there. IT sounds like a minefield to run NZ prototypes and I am not sure that I will change to that from my desire to either continue with US HO, or expand a dabble with British O.  I think I will fill my boots and the container with enough to keep me busy while still in the UK and before we were to leave at some point next year - assuming we go ahead with this).  At least it appears there is a base for the hobby while out there to keep me ticking over. 

Cheers

Hi,

I am currently mulling a move to New Zealand, after being approached and made an offer for a job there.  I just wondered if there are many HO/O Gauge modelers on here who are based in New Zealand and can tell me what it is like for the hobby down there. 

My interests are US/CAN HO Gauge and UK O Gauge.  I have tried to research both of these and indeed if there is a New Zealand equivalent for modelling there railways out there, but I am struggling a little bit with the usual Google searches not being as efficient for my main areas of interest in the UK/US. 

It would be nice to be able to continue with the hobby when out there, even if there is a uplift for the remoteness.  I am not sure if shows etc... are a thing and if shops are available to buy stock. 

Cheers

Bryn

12 hours ago, Baggies1961 said:

Hi Bryn,

 

As promised a couple of early shots showing the simple layout.

 

A simple single line entering with a run round with a head shunt and a goods shed siding. Hope that helps.

 

 

Hi Julian, 

Great stuff, thanks for that. It certainly looks like a very hands on puzzle to play with. Certainly shows me what can be done with the 'less is more' philosophy.

Is the station kit or scratch built? Certainly like the idea of that as a feature on the layout I am considering. 

Cheers

Over a hundred of them available now. Fill ya boots.   

Hi

Have thoroughly enjoyed seeing your work to date.  One thing i haven't seem is a track plan. Is this something you could share or re-share with us.  I am really tempted by the DB 60, especially at the current sale price it is being offered at.  
Cheers 

Bryn

Have found this thread very useful and insightful.  I am making a similar move from HO to O Gauge, Have shifted the majority of my rolling stock though prior to purchasing O, although I am somewhat bored of selling now. 

I have a single Class 50 in H&H livery and I was massively impressed with the size and bulk of the model.  My space is limited, but still feel a good model can be built that keeps me entertained, with a possible future option being a shorter loft or garage run, if I enjoy what I am doing.  I really felt sad selling the collection of CSX/NS locos I had, many brought on trips overseas, and have kept a handful of Vermont locos for now, but do feel I need to go all or nothing to achieve the limited time I have at this stage (18month old, busy DIY schedule and a job that is quite involved for time).  The wife has been happy with the income generated to date (I'll buy what I need when I need moving forward, rather than spend it all at once as I have done when I changed in the past.  This will hopefully control what I actually need. 

I seem to have gone to UK O as I have something relatable to model and see, plus the availability of stock is easier to find that US.  I am currently sat on a Azuma north to Scotland from Leeds and loving the views and scope of what could be modelled with my UK based O Gauge decision. 

I missed out on a couple of CSX MTH ES44 units that went for <£300 recently and these may have meant it would have been US instead, had I made that decision earlier!!! 

Cheers.