7 Months But Who's Counting

I don't believe it but its been 7 months since the last post. That's not very good is it but to tell the truth things have been slow and have been creeping along at a snails pace. There's been a few things going on around the house like a major bathroom reconstruction and Granny flat re-roofing that's eaten into my time as well as finances. Also work and ageing relatives also kept me away from the modelling bench but today, I actually made it out to the bench for a few hours. I normally get an hour or so per night in the cave so since the last post, I've finished making all of the upper level track and its ready to install. I've installed 6 out of the 12 required point motors and all 8 of the electro-magnetic uncouplers. I'm going to install the rest of the point motors before laying the track but this will take a while as I need to save up the money. Doing the work on the house has certainly drained the finances!!
Here's one of the points

And there's 11 others

So for the last 2 weeks and today, I've been working on some 36ft MLV's and BLV's and some 18ft LV's. At last years Early Days, Ian D presented his research on the Thow BLV's and this work included GA drawings for the cantilevered underframe version as well as 2 door, 36ft MLV. I'd previously spoken to Andrew from ANDIAN Models about this project and he had some spare BLV van bodies that he was willing to part with. These arrived and with a bit of modification and a scratchbuilt underframe, here they are.

Still a bit to go on the cantilever version

The bogies are not quite right so I'll have to add some detail around the axleboxes and bolster to make them look more like the originals. Here's a 3 door MLV also from the BLV Discussion.

Still a fair way to go on this one

I'd also previously made a couple of 18ft LV's and had 3 more to go which left a whole bunch of 21ft LV sides lying around. These were made from some old Lima HO scale louvre vans that I picked up at various 2nd hand stalls.

These were made based on an article in Australian Journal of Railway Modelling

So what to do with all of the left over sides? We'll turn them into 36ft MLV's, that's what we'll do. And after a bit of cutting and shutting I ended up with some 36ft sides. Well not quite 36ft as the side ended up being about 1ft short. I'll just have to live with it I guess until some manufacturer makes a more accurate one.  I won't hold my breath.

35ft MLV's

Seeing as the Early Days convention is on again next week, I was hoping to take some of these models along but I suspect I won't get them finished in time. Anyway, we'll see what happens.

Still on Track

It's been a while since the last railway related post so it's time to give an update on the track building. I've done all the track and points for the top deck storage yard also known as Mittagong and now I just have to fix it all down. I'm waiting on the delivery of some Kadee under track magnetic uncouplers before I mount the track but in the meantime, here's how it looks

Track is Code 55

Hopefully, the uncouplers will arrive soon but in the meantime, I have to build the 9 points necessary for Thirlmere. I've made a good start on 4 of them, one of which is curved. This is my first attempt at building a curved point so I hope it works.

 Just have to add the sleepers and throw bars

I still have to mount the point motors, wire everything up and build some control panels so I think we're another couple of months off at least before a train runs. It'll be good to finish it though as I'm keen to get back into building some rolling stock. Building track doesn't give me the same buzz as building carriages but it has to be done.

Achtung Shpitfire!!!

And now for something completely different! For a while now, I've been trying to get my son interested in modelling, specifically, modelling Trains. This has been successful to varying degrees but the bug hasn't bitten yet. There's a lot of things that compete for a young boys attention these days, far more than when I was a kid that's for sure. Computer games, TV, sports of all kinds, Lego, reading. you name it, my son gets into it. So when we went on our last holiday, aside form the usual train magazines, I also bought some plane mags  which my son also read. You see, I have a bit of a "thing" for WW2 aircraft as well. Anyway, soon the questions started, "What's the best plane in the World dad", "What's a Mosquito Dad", "How fast did they go" etc, etc. Next thing there was a centre spread from one of the magazines up on his wall. It was of an Avro Anson which has just been recently restored.
Thinking back to my childhood, it was making model planes that really got me into modelling. I was around 10 when I started to make planes and I remember clearly one birthday getting a 1/72 scale Airfix Lancaster. It was nearly the best present I ever received! So I thought, maybe he'd like to make a model aeroplane?

I bought a Revell 1/72 scale Spitfire MkV starter kit that comes with glue, paint and a paint brush and after a couple of weeks and some help from Dad, here's my son's first plane

He's very proud of it

The Spit is in the markings of Pilot Officer Axel Svendsen of 234 Squadron based at Tangmere in 1942. Next we're going to finish off a Monogram 1/48 scale B24D Liberator that I'd started years ago. I was going to do it as "Strawberry Bitch" a B24 from the 512th Bomb Squadron of the 376th Bomb Group. This was one of the Bomb Groups involved in the famous low level raid on the oil refineries of Ploesti in Romania on 8/1/1943. My son doesn't like the name so it's going to be "Moby Dick" a B24 from the 90th Bomb Group, 5th Airforce operating in the South Pacific... and he likes the sharks mouth on the nose. I'll post some pic's of it when we finish it.

On another note, I've finished all the points for the storage yard so if I'm lucky enough to get some time tomorrow, I might be able to get some track down.

So many models, so little time

Tracking Ahead

Since the last post, I've continued to build the track so that now, I've done all the mainline on the top deck between the storage yard and Picton Junction. I haven't actually fixed it down yet but I will once I finish building all of the points. All the track outside of the storage yard is hand laid Code 55 with the track in the storage yard being a combination of Micro Engineering Code 55 Flex Track and Andy Reichert's Proto 87 track and points. Here's how it looks,

Coming up the hill from Picton Junction and looping round to go to Thirlmere

Looking down the the hill from Hill Top to Thirlmere

Points for the storage yard

So slowly but surely the track is getting laid. Now, I've only got 19 points to make and I can start fixing everything down. After that, I'm giving up on the track work for a while as it's starting to get to me again but never the less,  I'm determined to get the top deck track finished once and for all. And the quicker I get it done, the quicker I'll be back building the LFX's and shock horror, making scenery and buildings! Then, there's some loco's to build too.

So many models, so little time.

The Track is Back!!

First of all, I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and the big bloke who dresses in red, brought you lots of railway fun. My Christmas was excellent with lots of family time and birthday celebrations which made it a very hectic period, not to mention the vendor love that got tossed around this year. I've put on a couple of kilos so there maybe a couple of New Years resolutions  waiting in the wings, particularly as I think my liver is about to explode!

Anyway since the last post, I've managed a bit of time in the Train Cave finishing off back drops and bits and pieces. I've also managed to....wait for it....lay some track. I don't believe it myself but I've got back to the point where I got to before I demolished Picton Mk1. I still have to mount the point motors but at least the track is back and I can continue my new found enthusiasm for track laying. Here's how it looks

Hill Top looking towards Sydney

Sydney end Point work

Albury End Point work

I also managed to start on the storage yards that lead from Hill Top by starting on the cork underlay and building the points by soldering all of the point frogs. I'm going to keep going with the track laying for as long as I can tolerate it. Who knows how far I'll get.

Here's the storage yard. I may even Scenic this part as well one day

So that's it for 2012 as another year bites the dust. Its been fun and at times, hard work as I've tried to juggle Family Life, the needs of the Salt Mine and looking after ageing relatives. But, as my lovely wife said to me yesterday as we celebrated her Mother's 80th Birthday with a big bash at our place with all the family, you only have one family and in the end, they are the ones who are going to be there for you. So love and cherish them.

All the best everyone, hope you have a wonderful and prosperous New Year.

Progress

I haven't done anything on the LFX's as I've been working mainly on the layout. I started about 3 weeks ago intending to work a week at a time between the LFX's and the layout but I got all excited and kept going on the layout instead. I also did some repairs to the track work that I'd damaged when I pulled apart Picton Mk1 so it'll be ready to install in the next couple of weeks. So far I've nearly finished all of the back scenes with just a little bit of filling to go. I've under coated most of it and here's how it looks

iPhone Magic

I also fixed up some valances that looked like a drunk had cut them so now they're actually straight. I'm going to keep going on the layout while I've got the bug as I'm making some good progress. I'm also getting annoyed by people asking when I'm I' actually going to run some trains. I'll get there, I tells ya, I'll get there!!

Cheers

LFX Progress

Since last week, I didn't get as much done on the doggies as I would have liked mainly due to some action at the salt mine which prevented me from venturing out to the train cave. But I did manage to get to the point in the build process where I start on the bogies for the elliptical roof LFX and nearly to that point for a Mansard roof car. I also have cleaned up and drilled all the commode handle holes and the door handle holes for a third.
So it's been a painless build so far. All things fit and match where they're supposed to except the ends which needed a small amount of filing to make them butt against the roof line correctly. This is also suggested in the instructions as being possibly necessary. One thing I've learnt with these kits is to be more patient and use a lighter touch than usual. This can't be a bad thing for a modeller to learn and will help me with all the other kits I have filling my cupboards. 
The footsteps on the ends of the cars look fantastic with half etch detail of the bracket on the underside so, if you happen to have a derailment, you'll see them when the car is on it side! The point is though, you know the detail is there! Love it. The light switch handle on the other end is especially fine and takes some careful filing with the aid of a jig that's provided with the kit. This allows you to get the piece finished correctly without bending it. It's a half etch that needs to be folded over and soldered and it looks impressive once cleaned up. I'm also impressed with the interior detail which went together easily and helps makes sure the car is square and true. There is no warping or bending in any of the urethane parts so you end up with a completely straight car, so unlike many urethane kits I've built before. It's not hard to remedy a warped side but it's annoying. So here's a piccy of the current progress

Doggy 1 and Doggy 2

So this week the doggies will go into the kennel while I do some bench work and track work. The plan is to do 1 week on each project that way I don't get bored with either of them.