Looks like I've been a bit slack keeping the blog up to date so here's a post to make amends. Not a lot has happened since the last post as I'm struggling to find the time I need to make some serious progress. Sometimes I think I've bitten off more than I can chew as I don't seem to be making much headway. I've also been looking at other modeler's efforts at exhibitions and in magazines and I'm getting tempted to try different prototypes and scales, If I had the time I'd do some S Scale NZR, 7mm NSW Trams, HO Scale SAR, P4 Caledonian, On3 DSP&PRR and some G scale Industrial. Of course, none of this will ever happen but I've been thinking lately that If I'd not started Picton and done something smaller, I'd have a chance to do something else as well. Anyway, no point thinking about the what if because I've started it now and I will just have to get on with it and finish it and then I might get the time to do something else. Oh, and I'd like to do an exhibition layout one day too!
So, I've been progressing with the MLV's and BLV's to a point where the bodies and under frames are almost done for all of them. The only things remaining are to make the shade roofs, attach buffers and fix the handrails and lamp irons. To make the shade roofs, I've got some .010" corrugated iron that I bought at Hobbyco years ago. It came in A4 size sheets and is nice and stiff and holds its shape well and is the best corrugated iron I've seen. I use a wood dowel to roll across the metal and soon it takes on the shape of the roof.
So, I've been progressing with the MLV's and BLV's to a point where the bodies and under frames are almost done for all of them. The only things remaining are to make the shade roofs, attach buffers and fix the handrails and lamp irons. To make the shade roofs, I've got some .010" corrugated iron that I bought at Hobbyco years ago. It came in A4 size sheets and is nice and stiff and holds its shape well and is the best corrugated iron I've seen. I use a wood dowel to roll across the metal and soon it takes on the shape of the roof.
Cantilever BLV
King Post BLV. Still have to fix the under frame in place
Regular BLV. There's 2 of these
3 Door MLV
36ft (almost) MLV. There's 3 of these
I hope to finish these off over the next week or 2 after which I'll be back into the track work. My order of Cobalt point motors has arrived so I can mount these and get the track down and wired up. Elscotto has offered to help me with the wiring so things should move quickly once I get the track down.
I had some holidays recently and rather than go to the coast like we normally do, we decided to go inland around Cowra. For a long time I'd been thinking about Gas lamps for the stations of Thirlmere and Hill Top. As these are set in the late 1910's, gas lights are mandatory. The only thing is I'm not sure what they looked like. Anyway, we happened to go out to the LVR at the old loco depot in Cowra and look what I found.
A Gas Light
I took some detail shots ready for when I have to make some for the stations which hopefully, won't be too far away.
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