June 2015 - National Model Railroad Association

June 2015 Volume 26 No 10 Issue 288
A 100% NMRA Affiliated Club
2
A 100% NMRA Affiliated Club
‘Train Talk’ Volume 26 No 10 (issue #288)
June 2015
ABN 32 998 681 418
DDMRC Inc. Internet Homepages
Website: ddmrc.com.au
Email: info-ddmrc@ddmrc.com.au
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in ‘Train Talk’ are not necessarily the opinions of the DDMRC Inc. or it’s members.
PLEASE NOTE: Any personal items left and/or used at the club premises or events attended
and/or organised by the club are the responsibility of the owner of said items.
The DDMRC Inc. Takes no responsibility for any loss or damage thereof. MOTION:04/02/03.
Darling Downs Model Railway Club Inc.
All correspondence mailed to:
DDMRC Inc.
PO Box 883
Toowoomba Qld 4350
MEMBERSHIP FEES
One membership level only.
Ordinary @ $90.00*
For Twelve Months
Pro-rata rates per Quarter
(*Includes basic NMRA membership =
$30.00 for Public Liability Insurance)
Page 6. President’s Report
Page 7. Teditorial
Page 8. On The Footplate
Page 8. Membership renewal notice
Page 9. Modelling Tips & Tricks
(Walthers)
Page 10. NMRA DIVISION 1 report
Page 15. Brick Kid’s
Page 16. Toowoomba Model Trains &
Craft Expo
Page 19. Creative Modelling Lectures
(Doug Clarkson)
Page 20. People’s/Children’s Choices
Page 22. Wuiske’s Wunda World
Page 25. Train 209 (Arthur Hayes)
Page 29. OOPS!
Page 30. Splitter’s Swamp Creek
(Geoff Burns)
Please note; schedules for club activities are notified in
Train Talk - RAILWAY TIMETABLE - Page 38, and via
email, if you have an email address and are not on our
members email list, please advise ASAP so you can
receive up to date news.
Send to email; info-ddmrc@ddmrc.com.au
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Committee
Brent Smith
Bob Claydon
Ted Freeman
Bill Waterhouse
Peter Bates
Doug Clarkson
Lionel Kearney
4687 7607
4630 1465
4638 0397
4639 2434
0414 994 966
4528 2584
4613 5785
Club Number (07) 4638 1408
Page 32. The Dunlop Way (Ben
Dunlop)
Page 34. Kanunda and Emu Flat
Railway (Ken House)
Page 38. Railway Timetable
Page 40. 1952 at Darling Island (Bill
Waterhouse)
ADVERTISER INDEX:
3
Train Pictures
4
AR Kits
5
Wuiske Promotions
38
My Tool Store
39
Southern Rail Models
ON THE COVER: 8028 working the Newcastle Flyer, the train has just passed a temporary speed
restriction for bridge work. Concrete Gang worker steps back for the passing of the train. Layout:- Trangie
Valley. H0 NSWR. Austrains 80 class, AR MLV Van, Power Car, Eureka HUB set. Arthur Hayes
3
June 2015
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June 2015
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June 2015
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Here we are back again, fresh from the Model
Trains, Craft & Hobby Expo. It was a success with pretty
good crowds both days, bearing in mind all the activities
that people now have to contend with on weekends.
Some highlights of the weekend were:
Presentation of QR 1550 class loco by long-time Club
supporter, Adam Wuiske, of Wuiske Models. Adam has
stuck with
the Club
over the years and has been very
generous with his time, advice and
donations.
The generous donation of
money from the Ipswich Model Railway
Club to the Glenvale Scout group. The
money comes from the Oops jar. To
those who don't know what that is, it's
the swear jar.
We probably could all use one of those,
when running model trains, where invariably things
go wrong from time to time, and it would benefit a
local charity at the same time!
The presentation of a Steam Art painting to
the Mayor of Toowoomba Regional Council, Paul
Antonio. The Mayor has been a long-term
supporter of the Club and is largely responsible for
paving the way for the Showgrounds building to be
completed without fuss. The Mayor was genuinely
delighted at the presentation of the painting, which
depicted two QR BB18¼ steam locos charging
through Spring Bluff towards Toowoomba.
The weather was pretty good over
the two days compared to previous
Exhibitions, with mild weather making for
very pleasant conditions.
More detail about the Exhibition
will appear elsewhere in this issue, let me
say, I was pleased with the effort put in by
the members that attended to help out.
Without their Stirling efforts the Show would not have had the success that it did.
Now, let's focus on the building of the HO layout and start to
move forward with the rejuvenation of the Club. Cheers for now. Smithy.
CONTINUES NEXT MONTH
June 2015
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The Wuiske Models 1550 Class Diesel Locomotive
donated to the DDMRC Inc. is a start for the planned 12mm track
inclusion on the new HO scale club layout being planned/built. In the
specifications included in Train Talk a few
issues ago, mention of this fact was
overlooked, but the layout planning
committee have assured me that 12mm
trackage is definitely in the plans.
With the surge in interest in 12mm
QLD modelling brought about by the large
influx of R-T-R QR models, we are opening
the doors to a completely as yet untapped part of modelling in the club, I for one have
12mm stock ready to go and I am sure there are others in the club as well, drop us a
line and let us know your feelings and if you have or intend modelling in QR HOn3.5.
The introduction of this scale/gauge combination will pave the way for new
members in the area that have models in the scale, many thanks to Wuiske Models
for the generous donation.
On board this year for the
Exhibition was EUROPCAR Toowoomba,
they supplied a diesel Ute for the three
days of the exhibition, Friday being the setup day and a very much needed donation,
the only criteria, return with a full tank of
fuel, no other costs.
If you require a hire vehicle, make
sure it’s a Europcar vehicle and mention
your connection with the DDMRC Inc.
The changes to catering for
exhibitors this year left us with some major
changes, we were still able to utilise the
Glenvale Scout group and the effort they
put in was far beyond what many people
realise. In stead of Russell and myself
spending time and effort ordering and
collecting food
requirements, they
undertook the lot. As
exemplified by
DDMRC Inc. member
D a v i d N o b l e
scratching his head
after seeing 85 loaves of bread to be unloaded, they earned their
keep.
June 2015
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Showgrounds Museum Coordinators:
Ted Freeman - General
Vacant - HO Jamestown
Russell Hartwig - N Byers Junction
Michael (Mikey) Freeman - Groundsman
Special Sale Items: Available now are
quality pens inscribed with the club name @
$3.00, 25th Anniversary Magnets @ $1.00,
25th Anniversary Coffee Mugs @ $6.00 and
Key rings @ $1.50, complete pack for just
$8.00.
Club Shirts: A limited number of club shirts
are available at just $30.00 each.
Layout Coordinators:
HO - Bill Waterhouse
Z - Ted Freeman
N - Bob Claydon
There is a policy at the DDMRC Inc. You
“MUST HAVE FUN”, say g’day to everyone
that comes along to the clubhouse, visitor,
new member or old and invite them to ‘get
involved’, we are all in this hobby for the same
reason - “To have fun” Model Railroading
‘IS’ The World’s Greatest Hobby.
The production of Train Talk and
Construction of the Showgrounds
Museum & Display Centre has been made
possible through the generosity of the
Memberships 2015-2016
It’s that time of year again,
memberships for the 2015-2016
Financial year are due on the 1st
July.
The DDMRC Inc. M/S fee remains
at $60.00 pa, unfortunately the
NMRA Insurance Levy is now
$30.00pa bringing an annual fee
of $90.00, still very good value
when compared to many other
hobbies/sports.
You will receive your membership
renewal notice as per Train Talk,
Hard Copy or Email.
Life Members are reminded that
the NMRA portion is still payable
by them, the club provides more
than ever, show your support with
prompt renewal.
June 2015
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Model a wedding scene
June has long been associated with weddings, and modeling one is sure to be an
eye-catcher on your layout.
Start by finding a location. Churches are available for every scale and era, but a local
courthouse, city park or scenic spot can also be used.
Posing the bridal party on the steps with a photographer and friends nearby will be a
fun project. With a little bit of paint, everyone can wear matching dresses and
tuxedos.
Add a limo or a horse-draw carriage with a homemade "Just Married" sign or some
traditional tin cans, for the perfect finishing touch.
Planning a real wedding might be a lot of work, but modeling one will be easy using
your current Reference Books and walthers.com
HO
Cornerstone
Cottage
Grove
Church
June 2015
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NMRA DIVISION 1 (QUEENSLAND)
(martyn1107@bigpond.com)
11th & 12th July – Miniature Trains on the Coast (Gold
Coast) at Carrara Basket Ball Stadium.
15th August – Leigh Craig and home to the Action
Model Train Club.
22nd & 23rd August – Pine Rivers Train Show at the
Pine Rivers Community Centre.
12th & 13th September – Redlands Model Train Show.
All meetings start at 10.30am unless otherwise stated.
Visit to George Stainlay's
George's NSW Railway layout was visited last year and the repeat visit this year had
25 members attend. George's NSW railway runs beautifully and he has trains that
look as authentic as any I have seen.
George often runs long strings of goods wagons, cleverly modelled and realistically
painted and weathered, with subtle differences in the amount of weathering. His
passenger trains are likewise done in his particularly artful finishing. As someone
said at the visit, "Where else would you see Garretts double-heading and thus be
brought back to your childhood so quickly?"
Martyn gave us some information about the National Convention to be held in
Portland this year and hopes to see other Aussies there. He also reminded us of the
Australasian Region Convention to be held at Ettalong on September 18th – 21st.
His next rather pleasant duty was to present to Arthur Hayes his AP awards
Arthur Hayes receiving his award
certificates from Laurie McLean and Martyn
Jenkins, and possibly wondering about
completing his MMR.
As at all of our meeting there was a
Show and Tell time and Martyn
Jenkins showed his three Austrain
BPL coaches of VR in HO.
Laurie McLean showed and
explained his scratch built and
animated Sanding Tower and Coal
Tower. These are driven by ¼"
diameter electric motors running
through a tiny precision gearbox.
Control is applied by TAM Valley servos. I recommend that you see how clever these
towers are on Laurie's website.
James Lampard from the Gold Coast and an expert in European railways, showed
some German made servos he is using at the moment. These have four outlets
connected to Chinese made geared motors he buys for $8 each. James also had 2
Roco Scandinavian electric locos and a Bemo 9mm Swiss electric loco.
June 2015
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Ken Edge-Williams brought some NMRA history into proceedings by showing his old
1974 NMRA guide with its member list, standards, model layout registered names,
etc. It was mentioned that at the moment NMRA Division 1 has about 257 members
and is the largest Division in the Australasian Region.
Paul Skehan reminded members that the following day (19-4-15) was the UP Clubs
open day from 9am to 2pm. He showed a mechanical reefer with sound powered by a
9 volt battery. Paul also showed an Athearn SD-40-T2 done up in the bicentennial
colours of the Southern Pacific. Paul being a keen photographer brought in a 1963
photo he had taken on Central Station Brisbane showing the old manually operated
train schedule board. This created a lot of interest as members picked out many
buildings that have long since gone.
Charles Clark forewarned of a change in meeting schedule for September because
we have received an invitation to visit the layout of Rob McLear at Kingaroy on 29th
September. Charles also showed a Walthers Florida Fun Train and a Metroliner and
a Monsanto Rail Line SD-40 by Kato.
Rob McLear had several Santa Fe coaches that he had painted and decaled plus
various freight cars. Rob's finishing is top class and hopefully an incentive for others
to get into this fascinating and useful skill.
James Lampard mentioned the Gold Coast light rail has the government 'go-ahead'
to commence Stage 2 and to be completed in time for the Commonwealth Games.
Finally Martyn presented George Stainlay with his Division Visit Plaque and George
responded by a tentative invitation for next year. George has yet to do his scenery
and relates that his main reluctance is due to his sudden impulse to change the
trackage so often! It is a beautiful layout though and a well stocked one with NSW
railway items.
MAKING AN O'SCALE NARROW
GAUGE TURNTABLE
Part 1 By Laurie McLean MMR©
O Scale is 1:48 scale or ¼" to the foot. On3
is narrow gauge with the rails 3 feet apart.
I started out in O scale animating figures
and animals but once they were made
they needed a home so I built a small
diorama. Things sort-of grew and I picked
up a few On3 locos and rolling stock, a
module 6 ft long x 14 inches wide with some PSC code 83 track. Next another
module was made to adjoin the track module but this one has a small town with
people and animals moving. Now the plan is to expand to make a small switching
layout and the next module will have a turntable to turn locomotives and also
have a small facility.
Building a wye was out of the question (for now) because the minimum radius will
be 42 inches and a module would be too large to transport to train shows.
So I started making a turntable and wanted it to be simple yet reliable and looking
correct.
June 2015
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The basic structure is 3 sheets of plywood laminated together, glued and screwed.
The hole or turntable pit was cut out using a jig-saw after marking out the first sheet
drawing a circle.
Precision was not necessary as will be shown a little later. However the main central
bearing was something that had to be made right. The bearing is a steel plate 2
inches diameter and 1/8" thick with the center hole having a clearance of 7/16" – the
tube I used is a K&S brass tube of 7/16" diameter. The bearing itself is 1.0" diameter
hard plastic epoxied to the plate and then installed in the center of the turntable pit
base plywood. Getting this square is important.
Here is a sketch I made showing the main bearing
and center plate the turntable rests upon.
The bore has clearance to suit the brass
tube which is 7/16" diameter. On the
bottom of the table which is hardwood, and
shaped with tapers is a brass plate acting
as "rubbing surface" in contact with the
steel plate set into the pit base.
These photos shows the brass plate, brass tube
and steel base plate along with the hardwood
table with the taper each side.
A separate ring was cut for the step inside
the pit that the rail and ties will sit on. The
ring has some clearance – a little gap, so
that it can be moved and get the table to
turn, and get the centre properly located so that the table turns with clearance. It has
been screwed and glued to the base. You can see the gap between the table and pit
edge – this gap is important.
There is the trick to getting the table central
to the pit ring wall. On the end of the table I
screwed a 1/8" styrene plate with a right
angle to keep things perfectly square.
Next I mixed up some 'Builder's Bog'
(Australian term for the 2 part epoxy
carpenters and builders use in
construction (also like Bondo in the USA
I'm told). This 2 part mix is at a ratio of 100
parts to 2 parts hardener and goes off
(starts setting hard) in about 4 minutes.
June 2015
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So, working with about a golf ball size mix and using a wood ice cream stick the epoxy
mix was spread in front of the spreader and the table slowly rotated. This method of
applying the epoxy mix saw it spread on the plywood pit walls and filling the gap of the
rail–ring too.
Rotating the table in an arc saw the pit walls filled and this was a simple solution to
getting the table rotating inside the pit squarely and with just enough clearance.
The jig-saw cutting wasn't perfect but it didn't matter as the builder's bog filled any
irregularities. Once the epoxy set I used a scraper tool to smooth out the walls ready
to have lines carved to represent concrete layers. This was a cheap and quick way to
line the pit and get it circular. Also, the epoxy gives more strength to the construction.
This technique saved the alternative of cutting embossed bricks or stone work
(plastic or styrene sheets), and was cheaper and will turn out well once weathered
and stained.
These two photo’s shows the Builder's Bog
epoxy all the way around the pit walls and around
the base of the step rail ring too. The plywood is 2
sheets of 12mm and 1 x 20mm thick.
Humidity can cause expansion and
contraction so all surfaces were sealed
with an undercoat sealer. Note that once
the sealer was sprayed onto the pit walls
they were again scraped to reveal the base
epoxy and this will aid the weathering and
staining later.
The turntable itself has also had ¼" thick styrene foam sandwich sheets glued to the
sides. This makes the table 2 inches wide and ready for the ties and supports.
Styrene strips and angle will be glued to make the details of steel along the sides and
more on this will be in part 2 of this article which will follow.
This photo I got from the web that shows the
Durango turntable wheel and rail and the
concrete walls of the pit.
June 2015
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The sketch above I made to show how the wheels of the turntable are going to be
made. I do like to keep things simple and I do like to make, rather than buy as this
keeps the skills sharp and more fun in the hobby.
Basically the curve is a piece of shim brass about 3/16" wide. I machined up 4 black
plastic wheels with axle holes of 2.0mm. The idea is to insert brass wire through the
wheel holes and bend both ends back and solder the brass shim. I'll make covers for
these so they will appear to be like the real thing in photo 8 above. The brass shim will
act as a light spring keeping tension on the wheels as they rotate around the rail. The
rail will be cut from a length of HO scale code 83 flextrack – cutting down the center of
the plastic ties and giving 2 pieces of rail with ties – again, like the real thing.
The underside is
shown and the 4 x
hardwood cleats can
have the base
shimmed-up or packed
to get the vertical
alignment spot-on so
the table sits
horizontally level to the
surface and tracks will
be level too.
PART 2 WILL APPEAR IN THE NEXT ISSUE.
June 2015
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Little brickies express their creativity these school holidays.
Young aspiring master builders have their work cut out for them at Brick Kids,
The Workshops Rail Museum's winter school holiday event, with LEGO® bricks and
more for family fun from 27 June to 12 July.
Many thousands of LEGO® pieces will be at the disposal of visiting families
to get hands on and create masterpieces and school holiday smiles.
Smaller fans can invent with bigger blocks in the Under 3's area with plenty of
LEGO® DUPLO® to share.
Museum Director Andrew Moritz said the event gives families time to
connect and have fun with a variety
of activities, including a miniature
train ride and hands-on Museum
exhibits.
"LEGO® needs little introduction! It's
a timeless toy that can be enjoyed by
parents and children together, and
we value that family time, it's what we
want for our visitors," he said.
"I wouldn't be surprised if some
parents have more fun than their
children as LEGO® is dear to the
hearts of many adults.
“I personally have fond memories
of building with LEGO® as a child and it’s been a joy to share this toy with my family."
Creation Station is a haven for children to use colour to express their creativity with
LEGO® inspired craft,
including decorating
mini figures made of
plaster, and colouringin.
Visitors can
take a guided tour of the
active railway workshop
to see where real life
creations of the steam
era live and are
maintained. Enclosed
footwear is required for
this activity.
Information
(07) 3432 5100
LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO® Group which does not sponsor, authorise or
endorse this event.
June 2015
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Photos by Mikey
This years event was looking a bit doubtful
with several hurdles thrown up, but we
overcame the challenges and presented a
first class exhibition, of course, this would
not be possible without the Exhibitors,
Supporters of the DDMRC Inc, Glenvale
Scout group and the Members of the
DDMRC Inc. Lets let photo’s tell the story!
Roy (left) & Lionel Club Sales Table
June 2015
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Australian Society of Section Car Operators
June 2015
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June 2015
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Doug Clarkson
Instead of a June meeting, the modelling group set up an information display for the
Exhibition weekend. Several regulars were on hand to answer queries and
demonstrate new found skills. I would like to thank them all for their assistance over
the two days.
Also a grateful thanks
to Michael for moving
numerous tables,
chairs and boxes
from the clubhouse
and back again.
By far the most
common enquiry was
from people with a
train set or a track laid
board - how do I take
the next step and
bring it all to life?
M o s t
w e r e
Toowoomba based or
near local. None
were club members,
which as a model
railway club is
something we should think hard about.
Next meeting will be on July 4th when we shall deal with latex moulds and plaster
casts. Backdrops need painting, Crowswell dairy farm needs painting also. Plus
there is more to be
done on the small
ocean scene and the
Gatehouse diorama.
Starting time is
1.30pm. Everyone
welcome.
REMEMBER
Saturday the
4th July.
NO FIREWORKS
ALLOWED
June 2015
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Photos by Mikey
1st - MOREWOOD
2nd
RAVENSTOR
3RD
TURNPIKE
LANE
June 2015
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Tied 1st
MOREWOOD
&
FORREST
VALLEY
Page 20
2nd
K’NEX
MANIA
3RD
GETTIN
ROUND
TUITT
June 2015
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Time for Jade to hijack Adam's Corner
again with the long awaited DCC
installation walkthrough for our 1550 class
(as well as our upcoming 2400 class)
locomotives.
You can pick any DCC decoder as long as
it is 3 or 4 function (to have working marker
lights) and where the plug is separate to
the decoder itself.
The DCC chip we are using in this guide is
the LokSound Select item number 93490
which can be purchased or ordered
through us as well as any hobbyshop
stocking ESU products.
If purchasing through a retailer, you will also require a speaker and bafflebox, ESU
product code 50330, although when purchasing through Wuiske Models directly, we
offer this already soldered and included with the 93490 sound chip.
If you want DCC but don't want the sound, one of the available chips is a LokPilot
Standard - ESU Product Code 53611 and available from any retailer stocking ESU
products and Wuiske Models directly. The steps for installing a LokPilot Standard are
almost identical, sans the steps for the speaker (obviously).
If you purchase your LokSound Select and
your speaker and bafflebox separately,
you will need to solder the two brown wires
from the decoder to the speaker. To do this,
you will need to remove the speaker from
its baffle box and then replace it after the
wires are attached.
To remove the body from our 1550 or
upcoming 2400 class locomotives,
unscrew the two diagonally opposing
screws on either side of the fuel tank from
the bottom.
To give you more working space and reduce
risk of accidentally knocking out any wiring,
disconnect the two white plugs on either side of
the PCB gently.
Remember that the higher part of the diecast
chassis is on the leading end of the locomotive.
Carefully ease out the dummy plug from the
PCB 8 pin socket.
As space is limited within QR locomotives due
to their size, it is best to remove one of the
mounting points on the bafflebox.
June 2015
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Using sidecutters, remove the mounting
point on the end without the wires. There is
no need to remove the mounting point on
the end where the speaker wires come out.
After you have done this, you may wish to
paint the sides of the bafflebox black so
that you do not have an unsightly white
shape coming through the rear grill of the
locomotive.
To mount the speaker and chip, the
simplest way is some "Sticky Dots" by
Sellotape. Our pack of 64 dots was
purchased from the local newsagent for
the princely sum of $3.50. You can also use double-sided
tape, but you will want to find one that has good stickability
(some double-sided tapes are very weak).
The sticky dots come with a white backing paper and a
clear fronting paper with perforations that separate each
dot, making them very easy to work with.
Apply one to the back of your bafflebox and press down
firmly. If using double-sided tape, cut to size and apply
firmly.
Peel the fronting paper off carefully - the sticky dots are very
sticky on both sides, but they may at times need to be
persuaded to leave the security of the fronting paper.
Remember they are sensitive little petals so soft, coaxing
words might be of
assistance here.
W i t h
t h e
locomotive shell
upside down, insert the speaker to the
back of the locomotive shell.
Try to push it in as far as you can against
the lights PCB and once happy with the
positioning, press the speaker and
bafflebox into place firmly. Try to avoid
pressing on the actual speaker - this is
where that extra mounting tab comes in
handy as it gives you something to work
with.
The ESU decoders have some extra wires (Purple and Red) that are not required for
our locomotives. Isolate the tips by folding a piece of sticky tape over the end of the
wire. To neaten things up and save space, cut a few millimetres away from the wire.
This will just ensure that the wires definitely can't touch or short on anything when
running your loco.
The majority of wires on the decoder should be on one end. Any wires that are
located on the other end of the decoder should be folded over for neatness.
June 2015
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Once folded up, place a sticky dot on the top of the
decoder and surplus wires.
You can also place the sticky dot on first, then
arrange the spare wires to go around the dot.
P l a c e t h e
decoder butting
up tight against
the bafflebox.
W i t h t h e
LokSound Select decoder you will notice it almost
wedges itself between the bafflebox and the
chassis screw mounting point. The sticky dot is
really only there to prevent it from flapping around.
Once you are happy with the positioning, press
down on the decoder to adhere the sticky dot to the
locomotive shell.
You will notice on the PCB, there is a white
border around the 8 pin socket. One corner
is marked a bit heavier - this denotes the
positioning of pin 1 on the standard 8 pin
plug. Pin 1 is located on the leading end, left
hand side of the locomotive. On the ESU
decoders, the orange wire is Pin 1. Plug in
your decoder. Reconnect your lights plugs.
And now your decoder is installed. Just
need to put it all back together.
There is a lot of wiring there, and you must
take care to not catch any wires in between
the shell and the metal chassis, or in the
way of the chassis screw mounting points
as you may crimp the wires, break the
sheathing and cause shorts. Gently try to
tuck the wires in as you replace the
locomotive shell.
Fingers, pens, screwdrivers etc may come
in handy for this job. As simple as it is, this is
the most complex part of the install.
It should just come together, and you can
use the overflow pipe which hangs down from the underframe on the left hand side and
the fuel gauge on the fuel tank to line up your positioning of the shell to the chassis. The
overflow pipe should sit directly in front of the fuel gauge. Once you have your body
and chassis aligned correctly, just replace the two screws and you're done.
Now all that is left is to program your locomotive address. The
locomotives are factory assigned an address of "03". Marker lights are
Function 11 and Dynamic Brakes are Function 7. Check your DCC
Control system manual if you're unsure how to select these.
June 2015
25
.During the 70's and 80's, Train 209 (Mackay Goods) departed Mayne @ 01:45 Hrs
Monday to Saturday.
On Monday the train ran to Rockhampton as 309. On Wednesdays, the train run
through to Townsville. In later years the train was numbered 7209/7309. 7 identified
the train as an ordinary Goods/Freight train (60 Km/h runner).
Not a fast trip, the train conveys ordinary rolling stock, shunting at most major
locations on the coast, Gympie 06:38/07:45, Bundy 13:17/14:40, Rocky
00:18/01:15, Mackay 12:04/17:00 (Thur), Townsville arr. 07:03 (Fri).The 1973
Working Time Table shows the train crossing or being passed by 7 trains between
Bundaberg and Avondale, which is just 4 stations to the north of Bundy. The train was
also timed to bypass Maryborough/Gladstone.
Older locomotives were usually rostered to work the train, today 1208 is in charge
(Hollywood band drive mech) .
Timetable Instructions:- 309 Mondays will convey all available loading for Gladstone
and for Central Division and be restricted to 70 units in length. This train will convey
roadside between Gympie and Bundaberg and must be worked with a suitable van.
209 (Tues to Sat) will convey Mackay traffic loaded in ordinary rolling stock.
June 2015
(continued on page 26)
26
(continued from page 25)
209 was also the train that conveyed special loads, many of these loads were "Out of
Gauge" and required special instructions for travel. Some of these loads included,
wide plate steel, caravans, machinery, rain water tanks etc.
In 1990 the instructions for a car & caravan travelling between Roma Street and
Cairns were;
1.
Load must not enter shed over 2, 3 and 5 Roads at Roma Street.
2.
Must NOT travel between Brunswick Street and Roma Street via Central.
3.
Loading not to enter Maryborough Platform Roads.
In 2006, instructions for wide plate steel (Brisbane to Cairns) had no fewer than 49
do's and don'ts.
Mayne Yard Orders:- For Tuesday the 13th of March 1984 show the following
arrangements for "Out of Gauge Loading:7209 Wed;
MS 18105 Mt Isa ex Strathpine 7012
M 19256 Ingham fwd Innisfail ex Moolabin 7027 Tuesday
M 5250 Mackay ex Moolabin 7027 Tuesday
PE 31616 Rockhampton ex Roma Street 7027 Tuesday.
MTW 19190 ex Sarina arr 7472 Wed send to Roma St 7F06 Wed.
MTW 101 Ipswich Workshop O/H Mayne to go to Roma Street 7F16
Wed.
FJS 26361 Kingaroy ex Sunshine 7943 Wed to go 7209 Thursday.
The train in the photos consists of 22 vehicles, approx. 52 units long and comes in at
520 tons. Some wagons were scratch build, loads added (some were kits) and
secured in accordance with QR regulations.
The first wagon behind the engine (DEL 1208) is an “MTW’ class wagon. W/MTW
wagons entered service between 1943 and 1945. The class had its own set of
numbers like privately owned wagons. W wagons were for conveying bag wheat and
were much the same as MTW’s, to assist in keeping the bags on the wagons, a 4” rail
was fitted around the out edge of the floor. The wagons had a Tare of 10.5 tons and
carried 26 tons. The wagons were supplied by two manufactures, Waddingtons,
Granville, NSW (Numbers 1 – 500), and Evans Deakin, Brisbane (Numbers 744 –
800). Plan P 244 redrawn in 1984 (metric) and revised in 2001 shows the wagons as
12.2 m Flat Top
W a g o n ,
Commonwealth
Land Transport
Board. One writer
indicated the “MT”
was for Military
Transport, while
another indicated it
was for Motor
Transport.
June 2015
(continued on page 27)
27
(continued from page 26)
Weekly Notice 47/43 (25/11/43) advised that 55 “W” wagons would be converted to
sheep wagons, 50 NW double deck sheep wagons and 5 NWB sheep drover/guards
vans. 1944 annual reported showed there
were 356 “W”, 89 “MTW, 50 NW, 5 NWB’s
were in traffic. 1948 more wagons were
converted to NW wagons, In 1950, 50 were
converted to WR rail wagons, more
followed in 1957. In 1957, 272 wagons were
fitted with “Draft Gear” increasing drawhook
capacity, some were marked with CD in a
side-on square on the sole bar, others just had the words “Draft Gear fitted. This
made them “Select” or D3 drawgear rollingstock, by marshalling these wagons on
the lead increased train loads were possible.
By the mid 1950’s, wheat was being transported in new ‘WH” wagons in bulk. At
about the same time, sugar commenced to be transported in bulk. Boxes were
placed on MTW wagons and carried sugar to port terminals at Mackay, Townsville
and Cairns. This continued to the mid 70’s before new PYC wagons were built for this
traffic to increase loads etc. June 1960 Annual report showed 12 W wagons, as to 24
in 59, 436 MTW’s as to 398 in 59, this included 9 carrying bulk cement. 9 NW and 9
NWB’s in service. 120 WR as to 70 wagons in 1959.
MTW’s had a long record of service and over time were converted to carry various
traffic. 1981 CME report showed all but 15 of the original numbers were still in
service.
Some conversion where:WBC:- bulk cement (21). WM:- molasses
(5 in 74 ND Tfc). MTWG :- bulk grain (17 in
79, two types of containers), WRA:- (WR
with ridge control bogies). WRB:- (in sets
of 5 to carry 24 m rail), KWA:- cattle wagon
(100 in 77, ND Tfc), MTWC:- Containers
(1976), MTS:- steel floor (1989), MTSC:steel floor- containers, MTSF:- steel floor
fast freight, these wagons were also fitted
with bars for carrying vehicles. WS:- timber, MMTW:- maintenance wagons, some
with mobile homes fitted. They were also used as skeletal wagons for concrete
bridge girders, MTW 442 was fitted with cradles for cable drums for electrification
work.
W/MTW’s’ wagons were painted red oxide (QR goods wagon red) to 1969, and grey
after that. By 2000 only 3 remained in service.
(Summary of information located in Weekly Notices, Supplement to Working Timetable,
QR Rollingstock “Blue” Books, ARHS Sunshine Express, ARHS Bulletin and Iron &
Steel Wagons steam era by John Armstrong.)
June 2015
(continued on page 28)
28
(continued from page 27)
MTW’s were used for everything, vehicles, pipes, pineapple bins, circus trains, steel,
timber to name a few, all you had to do was work out how you were going to keep the
load on the wagon during travel. They were also used as runner/cover wagons for
long loads.
On the train where are 2 MTW’s (Photos attached), both were scratch build from
styrene in about 1975, most likely my first wagons build with this new material.
Buffers:- 00 ERG (Bit oversize, all that was available at the time), Bogies:- The
original bogies were replaced with Turntable bogies, some with K & M disc wheels,
others with Steam Era spoke wheels. If construction today I would use Wuiske
QRB009 or Caintode Flats CFB 3 which are close to the mark if you have a few in the
draw. Queen posts for the trust rod are small fish hooks cut down. Before attaching
the load, you may consider weathering the floor. The grader load is a Woodland kit
(D234 - white metal), when attaching the plough blade, make sure it is along the
grader so it fits on the wagon floor. The grader is secured by placing old sleepers
under the wheels both ends, pine chocks prevent the sleepers from moving. Chain is
added both ends. Various sizes of scale chains is available, 40 link / inch is a good
size for general loads, on the grader I use 27 link l inch. I make hooks from brass
rod/wire to secure the chain to both the wagon and the vehicle. The chain and hooks
are secured with super glue and painted once the glue sets. If glue gets on anything
like the floor, it will dry shiny, dullcote will fix that for you. This helps to keep the chain
secured to the wagon when handling. In most cases, the cab was removed from the
grader and secured to the floor, or placed in another suitable wagon.
The second (grey) wagon is loaded with 2 ploughs, (Life-Like, Scene Master disc
plows) these are not available today. Keep your eyes open at “Buy and Sell” you may
find a couple at the right price. Woodlands has tractor and plow sets with different
type plows which are still suitable (D207/AS 5564/AS 5565/D 208). The ploughs are
secured with old sleepers and wire. The wire is cotton from the CEO’s sewing
cabinet. Saw mill off cut were also used for securing loads, we could order a FJS
load through the Stores Branch.
Lettering was free
hand and the
weathering was
water colours (kids
set). That was
modelling in the old
days.
TO BE CONTINUED
June 2015
29
United Pacific 6926, you are clear to land
on runway 2W, please taxi, um! shunt, er!
switch to the freight hanger, um! depot,
er! marshaling yard, unload cargo er!
freight and proceed to the hanger ar!
roundhouse.
June 2015
30
Geoff Burns
Tipped Tree, part 1
I've been busy squirrelling away some modelling efforts of late. One that I've
enjoyed doing is a fallen tree for the layout. Ages ago whilst flicking through some
railway books looking for inspiration I found a photo with a tree that had been partially
uprooted but had continued to grow. That would be a great tree for SSC!
I built the tree out of florist wire, nice and stiff, and no soldering required. I
wanted to try some acrylic artist texture paste to build up the trunk. There was a
sample one somewhere that I tested it on,
and it came up ok, with quite a solid feel to
it.
Twisting up the florist wire took
about a half hour for the basic shape, then
onto a base and out with the acrylic paste.
The first layer I did without any watering
down, let it cure then out with a second
coat that had been watered down a little, to
hopefully show a few brush marks on the
'bark' that will come up in a dry brush later
on.
I have built some trees using the
twisted copper wire with a layer of solder on the top to keep them rigid, and yep they
are certainly finer. This time I went with the florist wire as there will be less of the fine
branches showing if all goes to plan.
So that I'm consistent here's some very ordinary photos for you to look at.
The bark doesn't really show up that well.
It does look a whole lot better with some
paint on it. I'll get some photos of the
finished tree in the next few days.
The paste has dried, so on with the
paint! I put on a light undercoat spray, then
on with the Tamiya and games workshop
paint. Here they are listed in the order I
painted them:
XF-22 rlm grey, over the whole tree as a
base, thin with a few drops of Isocol.
61-19 vermin brown mix this, 61-81
graveyard earth with this, for an earthy
tone for around the roots, and bark.
XF-76 grey green a lighter hand with this, bit of a dry brush to bring out the bark.
61-54 skull white just a light dry brush, highlights only though.
61-75 black ink let the rest cure overnight, just to highlight the deep, shadowed
parts
June 2015
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31
(continued from page 30)
(nb. as I've noted later, do the ink before the last white dry brush, confused?)
The paint I have has thickened a bit, so I do
thin it to 'milky'. Something I didn't write in
the last post. For a first go using the acrylic
paste I'm pretty happy with how it's come
out, the paste can be worked a little as it
dries so that you can add some texture if
you like. The first coat of paste takes a bit of
working to get it to stay where you want it. I
found that if you put on a thin first coat, the
second one will take a lot more on it to bulk
it up.
These
photos show
the trunk
before I've
added the
foliage. I like the texture I was able to work into the
bark. The paste makes it fairly simple to make it
s m o o t h
also, it just
depends on
how much
you brush it
as it dries. I
did add a
little black
ink, then I
remembered from last time I used it, to
make sure I did the white dry brush
after the ink, not before...bugger!
Here it is with the foliage
added. It's pretty quick when you get to
putting the 'leaves' on. Not too bad, just
gotta get a spot on the layout to put it.
That'll do for now,
June 2015
32
Ben Dunlop
I have had a set of Columbia models NOFF ore hoppers for a while now which were
part of a collection I purchased. Not being a fan of the wagon they sat in the shed for
months until a mate gave me an idea. On one of his many trips into NSW
photographing trains he showed me a picture of a converted NOFF into a shunters
wagon. So me being always on the look out for a new challenge and some
individuality I had a go at representing the wagon.
June 2015
(continued on page 33)
33
(continued from page 32)
June 2015
34
Story and Photos by Ken House
I took up the hobby of model railways in 1984 and joined the AMR the same year.
The AMR clubroom were in the Mt
Lofty railway station then. Seeing the trains
that went through Mt Lofty station and
being influenced by members Peter Smith,
Kym Harvey, and Mark Juttner all of whom
modeled S.A. prototype inspired me to get
into modeling the local prototype. Also my
children related more to trains that they
could see in real life, they wanted a Red
Hen which I have never purchased, may
be someday. Models of Australian
prototype were becoming available at the
time as well.
After building three smaller layouts
I started building the K&EFR in the year
2000 in a lined galvanized iron shed in the backyard of our house in Modbury North.
2002 saw me retiring from work and moving house to Greenwith where the
K&EFR would be put into the double garage which is in the lower level of our house,
something like a basement. It is warmer in winter than the shed and is able to be
cooled by the house's air conditioning in summer. Much more comfortable than the
old shed.
I have set the K&EFR in 1984 and although the area modeled is fictional I
have attempted to model a section of mainline between Adelaide and the Victoria
South Australia border with the fiddle (staging) yard representing both ends of the
modeled portion of the line. Trains leaving the Cooper end of staging are said to be
coming from the Adelaide area, then as they enter Foster trains are either going on
toward the border or heading down to Mt Gambier or on to Melbourne.
Modeling this area and era allows me to have the green Australian National
livery as well as red and mustard pot South Australian Railways liveries because
many had not been repainted to the AN livery at the time. Also the same thing applies
to the V-Line run through trains.
Out on the modeled portion of the line the first station a train comes to is
Kanunda the division point on the layout. At Kanunda the branch-line trains to
Maranalgo and Myrtle Springs are made up, so there is an engine facility here, a four
track yard, as well as ten industries that require shunting. On leaving Kanunda a train
passes over Bindieye Creek on a truss bridge through a level crossing before
entering High Mountain tunnel. As a train exits High Mountain tunnel the line to
Maranalgo branches off before arriving at Wooldowie. Wooldowie has a produce
dealer, goods shed, wheat silos and cattle pens. On leaving Wooldowie a train
crosses Bindieye Creek again this time on a girder bridge then travels through a long
cutting before reaching Jimba Jimba Junction where the line to Myrtle Springs
branches off. Myrtle Springs is not modeled but is represented by a track in the
staging yard.
June 2015
(continued on page 35)
35
(continued from page 34)
The last station modeled is Emu Flat which
like Wooldowie is a typical small South
Australian station having just three tracks,
the main, a passing siding and a goods loop.
The goods loop at Emu Flat has a goods
shed, a crane, wheat silos and cattle pens.
The Stonie shunts It's hoppers into the
Penstone quarry loader from Emu Flat. After
Emu Flat a through train goes round big
bend and crosses Five Mile creek twice on
it's way to Foster the other end of staging.
Construction wise I started by building
normal L-girder bench work. The peninsula
from Foster to Cooper and including Emu
Flat and Kanunda is built on modules topped
with 16mm particle board. There are six
modules of varying lengths from 600mm to
2400mm. Track was laid on 3mm cork to
within five to fifteen centimeters of the end of
each module. I had the modules supported
on a pair of saw horses while I worked on
them. I turned the modules upside down and
fixed the bus wires on to the modules. It was
much easier to connect droppers from the
track to the bus wires while the modules
were upside down. Fitting point motors was
also easier. The completed modules were
fixed to the L-girder bench work on risers
then the bus wires from each module were
connected together using screw connectors.
Once the modules were permanently fixed
to the bench work I slipped lengths of track
over the joins between the modules to
complete the track work. 16 mm particle
board roadbed was used to fill the curved
sections between the various modules.
Land forms are a mixture of plaster soaked paper towels over either chicken
wire or carved Styrofoam and screwed up news paper covered with calico and
painted with plaster. I tinted all the plaster with brown oxide colouring.
Ground cover is dyed sawdust. Many of the structures are still only
temporary. My scratch built structures are made from beer carton cardboard.
Penstone Quarry is a Walthers kit. The silos are made of PVC pipe.
Locomotives are from AR kits, Austrains, Train-O-Rama, Powerline and a
remotored Athearn and Lima. The use of dummy locos on double headed trains has
allowed me to use some cheaper models and saved on decoders.
Rolling
stock is from Powerline, Lima, Train-O-Rama, BGB resin kits and Steam Era kits.
June 2015
(continued on page 36)
36
(continued from page 35)
Monthly operating sessions are held on the K&EFR. Car cards and waybills
are used to forward cars. A four to one fast clock is used giving an eight hour fast time
shift to be run in a two hour operating session. Most through trains including the
Overland, Adelaide Jet and Melbourne Jet are run to time table while others the
roadside goods, livestock train, grain extra, and Stonie are run as extras according to
train orders issued by train control. The controller keeps tack of trains on a schematic
on a computer screen. Peter King made some detectors for the scratch built
automatic block signals that also control train movements. The operating crew
consists of a Controller, a Hostler in charge of the staging yard, two road crews and a
Yard Master at Kanunda. For a video of an operating session watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=743xI4-br4o ! Although I have been working on
the K&EFR for fifteen years there is still plenty for me to do including making better
trees, building more structures, adding sound to more locomotives and a lot of
weathering. So hopefully the K&EFR will keep me interested for many years to come.
Mostly I enjoy sharing the layout during operating sessions with the friends
that I have made through the hobby.
STATISTICS
Track: Peco code 100. Turnouts: mainline Peco medium, yards Peco small.
Minimum Radius: 600 mm. Control: Lenz DCC. Railhead from floor: 1300mm to
1360mm. Size: 7.5 m X 3m.
Alco 949 a Train-O-Rama model takes the down roadside goods over the lower Bidieye Creek
bridge while 705 a 700 class Alco by Austrains and dummy Lima 938 cross the upper bridge with
the empty Stonie heading for Penstone Quarry.
(continued on page 37)
June 2015
37
(continued from page 36)
The down roadside goods is crossing Five Mile creek as it passes Penstone Quarry on it's way
to Foster
Remotored Powerline BL29 and dummy
Powerline G511 take the Melbourne Jet
through Kanunda.
Jeremy and Ziggy shunt at Maranalgo.
V-line X49 leading the Overland through
Emu Flat is a Powerline model fitted with a
Digitrax sound decoder the second
locomotive is a dummy Lima V-line S class S
310. All the structures in Emu Flat are scratch
built mainly from beer carton cardboard.
Running B end forward 949 on the up
roadside goods passes the signal box,
a Superquick card kit, as it arrives at Cooper
(staging). The buildings in the back ground
are scratch built card structures to add
realism to the staging yard.
June 2015
38
THIS COMING EVENTS LISTING IS PRESENTED AS ACCURATELY AS
KNOWN AT THE TIME OF PRINTING, IF YOU WISH TO CONFIRM ANY DETAILS
AND/OR HAVE ANY OTHER EVENTS FOR LISTING, PLEASE SEND THE
INFORMATION TO THE CLUB EMAIL ADDRESS - info-ddmrc@ddmrc.com.au
PLEASE ADVISE ANY ERRORS.
NOTE: Saturday afternoons at the showgrounds from 2pm, unless notified
otherwise.
ALL EVENTS SUBJECT TO CONFIRMATION
*Indicates limited access at the Showgrounds*
27 to July 12, Brick Kids, Ipswich Workshops (see page 15 for
June
details).
6th, Committee Meeting, McDonald’s Margaret Street,
July
commencing at 7.30pm, members welcome.
31 to August 2, Outdoor & Motoring Expo, Toowoomba
July
Showgrounds, the DDMRC Inc. Model Railway Museum &
Display Centre will be open each day of the event.
3rd, Committee Meeting, McDonald’s Margaret Street,
August
commencing at 7.30pm, members welcome.
My Tool Store
P.O Box 210
Aspley
QLD 4034
Phone: 0411 605 726
We handle the full range of Micro-Mark products, if it is not on our website, we
can get it for you, we place frequent orders with Micro-Mark.
June 2015
39
June 2015
1952 at Darling Island, NSW
Submitted by Bill Waterhouse.
40
June 2015