Ballasting at Bodalla
To do further ballasting at Bodalla I needed to build a level crossing there. This gave me a border in which to bring the ballast up to each side of it. I was constructed from a combination of sheet cork and matches to go in between the rails.
This level crossing gives access to the railway station, one solitary shop and also the goods yard. It goes against all design principles as it it placed right in the middle of the loop not to one end. Passenger trains will only obstruct the loop for a short while but when the freighters go in for a cross that is when there is going to be mucha horna honking from the cars held up at the level crossing to get it moving.
Bodalla although quite long is narrow and situated on some real estate just down in front of the branch line terminal of Candelo. It breaks the section between Batemans Bay and Narooma.
In the photo above a 49 class has been working a ballast train between the platform and the level crossing. The chicken wire unfortunately stretches for 2.4 metres along Bodalla's length and will take some serious time to get completely scenicked. In the background is the shops location which will be right up against the side of the hill. Well at least they will get plenty of shade from the afternoon sun. I think they were game setting up shop so early as the station is not open yet.
In the last shot one of those big yellow machines has come to tamp down the freshly laid ballast.
As the layout progresses, I am slowly encountering another problem. Where do I now put all my tools and junk the the baseboard has happily accomodated all this time. When you are laying track, you have drills, hammers, nails, files, pliers, heaps of etceteras and all other sundry pieces laying close to hand. So as each section gets completed, then I have less room to leave the junk. I am certainly not one of those persons who puts all their tools away each night on a shadow board. I guess when the layout is finished I might invest in a tea trolley. (Mum have you still got that one I made in woodworking class 40 years ago?)
On another issue on a slightly similar vein, I recently put a drop curtain along in front of Batemans Bay. Now while it looks rather nice, all it has done is hide all the "stuff" underneath and to find it again I have to keep lifting it up the curtains to find the item I'm looking for. So cure one problem and create another.