robertc

Fair enough. I would have thought on current exchange rates the throttle conversions would be about 65 pound ea and the base station 110 pound plus cost of postage. Me... I'll take a control upgrade over an extra loco any time. :>) cheers Bob

Hi Kevin, good work with layout. Your construction method seems to have been successful. Some good ideas there. Over here wood has proved very problematic for outdoor use so I have used a little as I could get away with. Our long hot summers are part of the problem and perhaps not having that roofing felt as a cover doesn't help either. Ray, you might want to invest in radio conversions for your throttles. I use radio throttles on mine. Worth every penny, even when back indoors. No getting in each others way with cables. :>) regards Bob Comerford Australia

Thanks for the heads up Chris. I think Peter had a lift bridge on the 4mm dual gauge one I last saw him with. He built a very nice 32 class years ago in HO. He made it like a 2-8-0 with only the front wheels of the pony truck pivoting. regards Bob

Finished populating the layout with a variety of utility poles today. Very much outdoor scale in construction. Here is one. regards Bob

Hi Chris. Bullo Pill is a new one on me? Then again it has been some years since I was last able to spend time way at exhibitions. regards Bob

Keep your eye out on Feebay and Gumtree Marty; you never know. A friend has picked up several items this way. As you live in the smoke go make yourself known at AMRA. That is the centre of NSWGR 3-rail these days and items come up for sale from time to time, some 2-railed. Regular attendees get first pick because often the seller is not 'net savvy. regards Bob

They are both looking a lot better Chris. A scale foot is a lot to take out. While this range was mainly aimed at the 3-rail market the 2-railed ones do add to the the small variety of commercial equipment that can be found occasionally on the s/h market for NSWGR modelling. They can be tarted up if required over time. regards Bob

Yesterday I hosted a friend's grandchildren. Brother and sister;10 and 11 years. They spent an enjoyable afternoon shuffling about in the sidings while avoiding the trains circulating on the main lines. Only accident was down to me. Instruction on use of the radio DCC throttles and manual point control took less than a minute and they were set. My friend and I watched, drank tea and yarned while they had a ball. Wish I had taken a picture. regards Bob

How lucky was I. When we invited Norm and Col to Malkara in Canberra I got to run the trains during their breaks. They had trouble getting it back off me :>) I slipped away from the layout I was supposed to be operating at every opportunity. Unlike our smaller scale stuff of the era their layout ran faultlessly. Open a throttle and a loco would move away smoothly, every time. I think I got chipped for running them too slow, but the crowd was still 3 deep. :>) regards Bob

That repainted RS2 takes me back Chris. Once a common sight when there was little in the way of local models in HO (or any scale). The first mention in the mag was about using the Hobbytown kit as a basis, followed by a conversion article in 71.

One of my first N scale models was an RSD modified to a 40 class and just like many others I had HO versions too when I moved up into that scale. The AlCo road switchers have been favourites for decades to make 'near enough' NSWGR diesels. I have even seen mods to the Tri-ang version back in the 60's. When I was in S scale I made new 3-axle side frames for the 2-axle bogies of the American Models offering I used as the basis for that conversion. I am guessing Col Shepherd's 40 class would be the first scratchbuilt o gauge one I have seen. I had the X200 out running yesterday in between showers while I was chasing an non-existent fault ( getting senile) . It hesitated a couple of times on the wet track, but a couple of dabs of magic powdered graphite soup mix had it crawling around without hesitation. The return of summer in autumn has seen me make the most of it. regards Bob

That looks much better Phill. regards Bob

Good work Phil. I see a kindred spirit in keeping costs to a reasonable level while still having decent length trains. regards Bob

Dubbo have a deal with the local show society. Nice big building in the showgrounds with a few open days and exhibitions provided in return. I did visit them once when working in Muswellbrook, turned out to be their xmas bbq day. As the drought broke that afternoon and the streets were flooded I was trapped for a couple of hours and had to stay and be fed! One of the members was into NSW 7mm but lived in another town nearby. I am very jealous, could never see such an arrangement here. AMRA doesn't provide for me, they put a Yank 3-rail layout layout in the centre of the NSW 3-rail layout in Sydney instead of a NSW 2-rail one. It would have been great to be able to combine a visit to the smoke with mixing with other NSW 7mm modellers, both 3-rail and 2-rail. Give me a buzz if you are ever up to travel. regards Bob

Sad to see those big engines constrained Chris. You need a place to put a full load behind them and run them at the speeds they were designed for. (grin) My train watching season is coming to a close. Once upon a time a friendly railway commissioner would have given us an unused building to play trains in. regards Bob

Hi Chris, the louvre van kit is coming along nicely. One for the future for me, when I find a more suitable method for louvres. It was easier to build louvre vans in N scale.:>) regards Bob

Yes, my best guess was that it was a Roxey w/m kit originally. I bought it when it had been done up as a 3-rail 1/4" scale NSWGR 18 class. I am assuming that is why the roof doesn't correspond with any of the kit photos. The conversion as it stands is very close to scale for a 7mm N67. it is really only the upper part of the cab that is the major deviation. The original was based on Stroudley's Terriers. Perhaps the 'engineer' of the works had copies of plans from his former employers in the UK. It paid to have friends in the drawing office. :>) regards Bob

Hunter Valley Mining did not have the services of a suitable engine to back the 'coalie' up the grade to the main lines this morning. It had to rely on the services of its ancient shed shunter ( a former NSWGR N67 class of 1875 vintage) to assist the old Fowler. regards Bob

There are some aspects of the prototype I hope to avoid Marty. (grin) It pulls its load of half a dozen bogie wagons up the ramp Chris. No weight added at this stage. I would like to have the storage sidings at the same level as the track one day as some of the trains need my assistance to get up the hill. Lowering the layout is not practical so raising the sidings and coming in via the outer track has been on the plans for some time. It will have to wait until I can move stuff from the garage to the shed to empty the shelving that is currently in the way.... and that will have to wait until I throw a lot more stuff into landfill!! regards Bob

Today the 'short' diversion from the build of the 59 class is finished. Given it was started before Bergs Hobbies announced their kit it is about time! I present 4108. regards Bob

Look forward to seeing your 40 class when it is done Chris. I have a MTH RS3 to make mine from. If you had got in and completed the job Marty you would have had something to run on Stringy Bark or Arakoola, Those wheels might even have got through the points on the yank thing in the centre of the 7mm layout at AMRA. I remember the 40 in all colour schemes, just like the 41. I'm a tuscan and russet man but would be tempted to have a second one in green of either class. You are spot on with the HO Chris. The outdoor layout is too cold in winter, even with a kero heater in the garage. Our group meetings are in the evening from 8 to 12. I did indeed keep enough HO to start another layout if the O gauge proved impractical. I did use aircraft fuel tube Chris. Some hard Chinese made variety if I remember correctly. regards Bob C

Thanks Chris, it nearly got wiped out by a tree branch a bit earlier in the day. I'll be pleased when it has some headlights and numbers. There will still be plenty to do after that but those jobs can be done when I feel like it. It does run nicely now after some teething problems. I wondered if my 49 class lighting issue was a one off, obviously not! I am hoping for a bedroom to be cleared enough to start building an indoor layout before winter. Probably won't be O gauge due to lack of willing participants when it comes to shunting layouts. I'll probably settle for a double track continuous run in HO again. regards Bob

I have read a lot of British magazines over the decades. What I admired about Frank Dyer was his insistence that trains operate reliably, both mechanically and electrically. By ensuring that equipment was altered to his standards he was able to have the operators run a reliable service without constantly apologising for derailing stock, locos that needed a push and stock coming uncoupled. regards Bob

Interesting mod for the diesel mechs there Chris. There certainly needs to be some more thought go into the packaging of O gauge locos. Even if the crane drivers are gentle, the ocean isn't. My current issue with the 49 is the blown leds. They moved about, shorting via the brass body. A job for a future time. If a 38 becomes forthcoming via DJH in the future I might have to sell my soul. :>) regards Bob Comerford

The 41 class got its second bogie powered today finally. Here on test. regards Bob