Neville

Thanks Wendell that is a great compliment as I live in West Australia and have never seen an American Steel Mill I have plenty of books though! Here is a photo for you taken at the last operating session a couple of days ago count how many locomotives are in the photo if you say six your wrong! Have a great Christmas mate. Neville.

Hi Paul. Good to hear from you mate. Next time I visit my sister I will call on you probably around March next year. So only one thing left to say....Have a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year!! Don't eat to much Christmas pudding. Neville.

Hi Bob. Don Smith is a really nice bloke even though I have never met him I have lots of photos of his layout and at least ten of his freight cars which his weathering is at a very high standard. here are a couple of his cars in service at the blast furnace "bag house" the dust from the furnace is recycled and used for road base or mixed with cement. Thanks mate. Nev.

Hi Bob. Thanks for that mate great video I have never seen it before. That is Don Smith's from Industrial models layout I have lots of photos from when he was building it. I have bought a few freight cars off him his weathering is the best of the best. So after watching that my efforts seem to fade into the sunset here is a hot metal train running at today's session. Nev.

Outstanding work ! The scenery is exceptional. Nev, in West Australia

Hi Everyone. Getting back to filling in the aisles. Here is the first Module taken from the air. No details have been added yet but you get the idea the space on the right is where an Electrical Sub station will be built. You can see from the photos how the lightweight modules slide on runners if you need access. I have included an extra photo to show you an aisle that is not filled in compare the difference. Take care. Nev.

Drop in anytime mate. No the complete thing has to be pulled apart they are not drop in like the Atlas When you get a minute go to the OGR forum look up my thread called "Action at the Steel mill" and read the last message I just can't bear to write it again. Nev.

Hi Bob. I have put together two Weaver FA-2 diesels one is a dummy the other I went all out and changed the wheels and installed a Flywheel all from North West Shortline it runs great. Next up is a Weaver RS-3 bought it a long time back off the bay it is a brand new Hi Rail version I'm going to change the wheels and for this one larger gears to slow it down run out of flywheels! I am still working on the aisle board should look good when it has all the scenery on it. The running session yesterday was just two of us Big John and myself Bruce is in Melbourne to bad you couldn't make it mate had a few spare engines. Take care. Nev .

Hi Everyone. I am starting to fill in one of the aisle that doesn't have controls in it but making sure it is portable in case of derailments or other problems also to get to the scenery. If anyone is interested stay with us and see the difference (I hope). Just a word about myself I am not a wealthy person just another average bloke in a average house in an average suburb of Perth I finance my railroad by keeping day to day expenses to a low level I do everything myself except for the wiring which I once did I have a friend who does the electrical and the operating program I do everything else I have been in USA O scale for forty years and that helps, so I'm not a newbie if anyone wants advice about American O scale feel free to ask I might be able to advise you, I travel to England most years as I have my son and family living there and spend a lot of time looking around so i have a reasonable knowledge of your country I don't go anywhere else outside the UK Regards. Nev.

The train has now three more loaded coil cars and a caboose as the FA struggles to get the heavy train moving. Gaining momentum the train moves through the suburbs of Waterside past the towering BOF, and passes through Waterside yard. Where it finally makes a stop at Bay Ridge the gondola will be cut out of the train and set aside for the BOF scrap train the rest of the Coil train with another engine added will then continue on to the rest of America! Model railroading at it's best your own little world you make the rules. Take care. Nev

A leased Reading FA-2 with a gondola of "pup" scrap and four new loaded Coil cars being made ready at the Rolling Mill. The FA looks like it's just had a new paint job. I hope to add another FA to this consist soon and a couple more Coil cars. Then I will include it in the operating program. I have just finished working on the FA added a flywheel to the motor so far it runs good. Taking it easy and playing trains today ! Regards. Nev.

There are only three of us and you can see us in the photos above. Not a lot of people are interested in operation over here and we do run on Fridays during the day so if you work it's difficult. The track plan I will show you is about one year old there have been changes since then mainly in the Staging area which is working but not finished. The other area is a Slag reclaiming plant (more operation) and a foundry these are still under construction. Take care. Nev. 5901-Layout Track Plan.pdf

Thanks Conrail Joe. I snapped a couple more photos this morning. It's an operating layout but still flexible when I'm by myself I run anything depending on my mood. We even have a passenger system that runs during an operating session we are expanding this to run small Lionel rail cars powered for 2-Rail this is Bruce's project he is financing the whole thing and doing the work as well I just order the items he needs. We hope to have this up and running next year. I am working on some Road locomotives at the moment all plastic no brass we don't have those type of funds. Lots of things to talk about, visitors are always welcome and we have had a few from the USA and UK the railroad is much more fun when you have operators (every Friday all day lunch provided) which are hard to find here in West Australia. That crane is actually a HO KIT (Bridge Crane) I have converted it to O scale one day I will paint it ! The EL RS-3's are for passenger service only they are weaver and one is missing it's handrails it has been converted to slow running using sprockets and chain supplied by a good friend of mine, Brian Scace in the USA he supplies the parts I put them in it's a good modification as they don't come with flywheels. I'm editing this as I go ! the loads in the Gons are from St Charles Model Works in the USA the motor bike is from MTH and if you are familiar with O scale in the UK check out the bloke in the check shirt i picked him up along with a few more at Guildex at Telford a couple of years ago sorry forget the make, great figures. Take care. Nev.

Thanks. I'm happy with what I am doing now I bear no malice to anyone there The layout along with my friends/operators bring me many hours of enjoyment. Regards Neville.

Here are a couple more from today. Regards, Nev.

Hi Everyone. Here are some photos of today's Running session and the "Gang of Three". The ugly bloke unloading ore cars is me then Big John and the bloke in the Blue shirt is Bruce that's our team every Friday drop in and run a train. Hot metal, slag, ore, coke, limestone, coil, slabs cars, we have em all lots of action and a nice lunch thrown in as well! Enjoy. Nev.

Thanks Bob. Thanks for the photos and yes we will be running trains this Friday if you happen to be in Perth drop in we always have a spare loco or two for visitors. While looking through some old photos of the layout I came across these. It's part of the military base before the Steel Mill took over I liked this area but it was limited for operation. Apologies if they have already been posted here. Thanks Nev.

Thank you all for your kind words. Here is a photo of Bayridge yard at a very quiet period. The scrap train on the far right is waiting for permission to go it will drop empty gondolas at Valley Forge scrap yard and return with full one's which will in turn end up at the Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF). Lots of movements in a Steel Mill! Thanks. Nev.

Hi Bob. Just back from the bush like your loco and tank train good stuff mate. I decided to start a new thread over here on the Yulan Valley Railroad check it out in the USA section. Thanks. Nev.

Hi Everyone. Here are some photos I just snapped. All the structures are scratch built as nothing is available in O scale in the way of kits. The sixth photo is a slag reclaiming plant unfinished. Thanks. Neville.

Hi Everyone. It's been a while since I have posted anything here, I am being honest when I say I struggle with Forums. The layout has undergone massive changes over the last couple of years it is now a Steel Mill ! Yes it's a heavy industrial Railroad. I will soon post some photos of the progress nothing is finished as far as scenery goes but the track work and wiring is fully operational and every Friday we run the Railroad (when I'm home). I like to snap complete new photos when I am starting over again on a forum so any photos shown here in the future have not been posted anywhere else. This message is just to get me going again I even remembered my password so I will see you soon with some pretty? pictures. I have added two photos to the message one of the Blast Furnace and the other the foundry hope they come out i'm a bit rusty! Thanks. Neville In West Australia.

Hi Chaz. My name is Neville I'm from West Australia I met you and your wonderful layout at Telford this year. I snapped a couple of photos hope you don't mind me posting them here. I am now back in West Australia till next year. Oh sorry! The photos are just a tad too large and keep getting rejected sorry about that. Thanks. Neville

Hi There. I use these firms because I know they are honest and quick. I mention eBay as well and have had great success with them. But I only know about O Scale items Valley Model trains: Structure kits scenery items P&D hobby shop: Wheels, couplers, Loco parts, sometimes rolling stock very good service. Model Tech: Scenary items Trainworld: Rolling Stock Die cast direct: Model cars and trucks Weaver: (at their website direct, mainly rolling stock you pay more but they are very good and quick if they have the items in stock) eBay: Well just about anything!

Jordan, I think the layout is nicely done. Congratulations. Neville. in West Australia.

Long Island Jack any relation to Lackawanna Larry? Sorry to start off like that, been following your layout from the start and just become a member now I can congratulate you on an excellent job mate. I have to tell you I have a folder with all your photos in it for my own personal use lots of good ideas. Thanks Ray for taking the time to post that marathon thread. Neville (in West Australia)