Sunday 29 March 2009

6039 Garratt
This is one of the first card shots of the garratt lifting a coal train off the branch towards Kameruka, the only crossing station on the branch. It was taken on my Canon digital camera and hand held as you can tell. I will take some steadier shots later and replace this one.

Saturday 28 March 2009

Distractions

Unfortunately this weekend I have been lumbered with a paint brush and I have been no where near the shed. So to make up for the lack of progress report this weekend I have included a shot of 4429 heading up the Bega Valley.

Thursday 26 March 2009

Narooma - The Plan

Although I have only been to Narooma about twice in my life from memory my version looks nothing like the real place. But I would like to think that if they ever had a railway there, then my plan could be used.
There are a few private sidings there including the usual dairy, oil, meat and others to provide shunting interest.

 
Narooma 1
Loco consists of two roads, but no turntable ( because there was Norooma for one). But all the essentials for steam working will be provided such as ash pit, coal stage, water columns and a water tank. And diesels will be welcome as well.

Most of the points are worked by brass wire inside tubing which has been set into the baseboard and suitably covered. The wire is bent up at the edge of the layout to form a handle and either a 44 gallon drum or a tree stump will be glued to it to form a 'hidden handle'. Points at the ends of the loops are worked by Peco point motors from the main panel.

The platform has a dock platform provided and a carriage road behind it for storage.

Saturday 21 March 2009

Meat the new building.

I got this building from the second hand stall at the recent Forestville Model Railway exhibition. It was a Kibri building smothered in german signage which quickly got the flick. This is where some of the weathering came from. When I got it home I then commenced to cut the building in half with the trusty razor saw. One hour later (I think I need a new blade) voila there were now two buildings much to my relief. After gluing all the bits back that fell off in the process, the Narooma Meat siding (known locally as the bullshippers siding) was brought into action. There is a bit more work to be done around this section.


The other identical half will be located at the Candelo Cannery Siding. (known locally as the CC Senor siding as it is managed by a Mexican chap).


This was the first trial shunt into the siding. The unusual lashup of 49/44/49 is called the ham in the sandwich combination. A 44 class waiting for the loco siding to be finished so it can refuel stands idly by.


The ballast is starting to be laid and the weeds have already started to grow. It seems so absurd planting weeds on a layout to make it look real, and outside the shed I'm spending ages trying to get rid of them!

Friday 13 March 2009


The town of Narooma has recently undergone track renewals and the work is nearly complete. The main line, loop and relief line have been laid and only the goods yard needs laying.
The code 100 has been replaced with code 75. This station was all that remained of the original layout going back 15 years. No doubt the ballast trains will be in action soon.

Thursday 12 March 2009

When I finally get the hang of all the boxes and pop ups and downs this will be my blog for my model rail set up.

I decided to call it 'South Coast Rail' as towns like Batemans Bay, Bega and Narooma started appearing on the layout. Had I modelled Orange this name would not have been appropriate.

Freelancing layouts enables you to model a place that no one can say 'XYZ doesn't look like that!'

SCR has been in the making for around 10 years now and still hopefully has plenty more to go. The layout is single track (half the price of double track layouts and more challenging) and has four main crossing locations Bega, Batemans Bay, Narooma and Bodalla. It also includes a branch with a crossing location Kameruka (this layout is big on cheeses) and the branch terminus of Candelo. There is also a coal mine near the branch line terminus.

The layout is protected by a large shed, mainly to protect against possums that seem to enjoy chasing each other across the roof. Mod cons such as an air conditioner, TV, DVD, VHS. (sorry no bar fridge or kettle as yet) help make the stay in there more comfortable. No room as yet for a bed.