robertc

Hi ... Al? No, the gaps have closed up but no buckled rails. Up here in the hills it only maxs out in the high 30's not like down lower. cheers Bob

Thanks Andrew, the layout is 5.3 by 9 metres ,circa 17 by 30 feet in old money cheers Bob

You could just make them from styrene as I do Andi. Make them as tinplate looking as you desire! I'm sure it would work just a well for 3-rail as my 2-rail :>) cheers Bob

Another trip to Bunnings for some more plastic lawn and I am slowly getting the layout grassed. The overhead and some structures are also starting to be reinstated at last. Too soft these days, only work on it until get to 30C. :>) cheers Bob

Look forward to seeing it finished. Well done! cheers Bob

Thanks Chris, apparently he has enough 49 's now. cheers Bob

Today we had a couple of visiting Khiac 44 class locos. The red terror is numbered the same as my home made one. Both have been fitted with Loksound decoders. Horn sound is terrific. Now back home in their nice wooden boxes, no doubt for some years. cheers Bob

Hi Chris, just remember to contact me before removing body. I might save you some angst. :>) Mine has done a lot of miles already. Just waiting on couplers before proceeding with any other mods. There are some existing mechs that may be suitable for NSWGR stock, not sure what the interest would be however. Maybe if the HRCAA and similar 3-railers here would be interested in more Aussie issues we might get some of the crumbs to tart up for our use. Yes, a standard goods would be nice. 50,53,55 and 10 class all from the same mech. The Prussian P8 mech might be very close to a 36 class. cheers Bob

Hi Chris, yes it wont be cheap and even dearer as the pacific peso falls even more. However they will not have an unlimited number of these to sell, just a few extras from the production run for the HRCAA so we just have to suck it up. Currently there is no alternative anyway. I think the model is very much capable of being tarted up with numerous additions. The basic outline looks to be correct. Hope they consider looking at our market for something in the future. For me it would only need to be to a similar standard so we can detail it to suit. Running outdoors, urethane products have proved to be an issue in the sun. No problems with my models made from wood products, metal or styrene. cheers Bob

Yes, Andrew changing one of the 7mm tracks to Peco C124 is what I was proposing. The inner of the two 7mm tracks would be perhaps best, leaving the outer one and the two yank tracks to the 3-railers. Power it with a DCC system so multiple players can use it. Most 7mm scale NSWGR modellers use DCC. I'm sure there are protagonists but leaving it to rot as the old guard depart is not a good idea. I have been made aware of eyes jealously eyeing off the space occupied by the O gauge layout for use by the HO crowd. A regular user told me they were lucky to get 3 O gaugers at a time, one of whom is Col who just watches these days. I was the third user on two days I was there. Much different to the last times I was there when the yank tracks were first being installed, could not get near a controller to have a run. I have a BPRC 44 class with NMRA wheels so can make use of any of the existing track, however I too would not want to place any of my DCC finescale wheeled locos on any of the existing tracks. Iconic or not, if it is not used it will be dismantled. cheers Bob

Hi Chris, the buffers appear to be close to 22mm centre height. Wheels have insulating bushes so I would take it they can be removed with a puller or tapped out if you wish to replace them. Bogie wheels are 19.5mm. cheers Bob

Hi Chris, like most they use USD. I suspect if we were in the EU it would be in Euros. The transaction was smooth. Because they have no automatic costing for posting to Aus, the email I sent outlining my requirements was responded to by Zuzana with a Paypal request in USD with the postage added to the invoice. cheers Bob .

Hi Chris, I think the low flange height might mean automatically that it will be set to 28.6mm BTB but have not yet asked to confirm. I just sent them an email asking for 2-rail, dc, low flange and 28.6mm BTB just to be sure. If I was buying another I would also ask that no coupler be fitted. The single links that came with mine were never meant to come undone :>) cheers Bob

A few months ago they did a special batch of 3-rail 30 tanks for the HRCAA. They must have had a few extra made and when I noticed they were on their cattle dog and could be supplied suitable for Peco C124, the rest is history Martin. cheers Bob

This might be an article for Aus7. Just installed a sound decoder in an ETS 2-rail 30 Tank ( my Christmas and birthday gifts for the next two years). Not as nice a Pete's but not likely to warp in the sun. Here it is panting away in the sun. Kadee couplers and a few other bits added should tart it up quite nicely. happy new year Bob

Yes, the toy market stuff usually sits circa 27.5mm. I thinned the backs of the flanges on my first US mech ( Atlas F9) to get the desired BTB and later widened the BTB out very slightly when I replaced the wheelsets with NWSL ones. cheers Bob

Given it is the only O gauge club layout in Sydney it would be a shame to see it go Chris. If enough 2-railers turned up they might look into converting some of the track to 2-rail. The original NSWGR 7mm circuits would be ideal and leave the new yank track to the 3-railers. If the usage gets any less I might just as well stay home and run on my own layout. merry xmas Bob

They are also open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays Marty. I was there on a weekend about a month back. 2 hours, I drive longer than that just to get a Subway! :>) merry xmas Bob

I can't remember if I had to alter the BTB with the brass one I have. cheers Bob

I'll have to put the catenary back up once this one is done Chris . :>) I'll just have to put up with my private coal hoppers running under overhead once again. My bucket list includes a 4 car suburban set too. I was past your way this week. Took the Xplorer to the smoke to see relo's. The visit to AMRA was probably the saddest. The numbers using the O gauge has seriously diminished over the last few years. Often no one to be seen. 'Use it, or loose it' seems to be the cry at the clubrooms. cheers Bob

Work started on the roof cheers Bob

It is either extra pickups or a decent stay alive for use of a sound decoder Chris. :>) A 2-rail 44 tonner would make a good first loco for starting in NSWGR O gauge. cheers Bob

The fast electric parcel van I started at the same time as the 19 class has now had some progress. The basic body of FEPV has been assembled. cheers Bob

Coming along nicely Chris. The brass one I picked up s/h from the AMRA guys at a Liverpool exhibition a few years back performs very nicely. With all that weight at my disposal it comes in handy as the banker for getting trains up the access ramp. :>) cheers Bob

The access ramp is banker territory. The heavy brass GE44 tonner is useful for this purpose. Saves having to run outside and give it the five finger assist. A bit later I was reminded why using BPRC on a line without fences to keep errant stock in the baseboards was not a good idea. The 19 class derailed due to a twig having been blown onto the line in the winds that eventually see play suspended for the rest of the day. If the loco had been running on BPRC it would have continued on its merry way to fall down onto the concrete way below rather than stopping as soon as it derailed. cheers Bob