A day out...
A weather check for yesterday Wednesday said it would be fine and around 25 degrees. Not too bad for an Autumns day. Today was I finally to get to see the Weavering Model Railway.
The trip by train there co-incided with the last day of the Royal Easter Show at Homebush and although the train was eight cars it was necessary to stand as far as Strathfield where the train virtually emptied out.
Arriving at Central we spotted a second bonus for the day where waiting to depart for the Illawarra and places beyond was the Southern Aurora. The triple header train had a 44, 43 and 442 class at the front end and a train of silver carriages, 'spoilt' by just two red car in the consist.

 After watching the train head south we went over to the layout for a run. But as things go when you get a group together the chat session usually gets priority. So after an hour or so gas bagging the clock was creeping up towards lunch time and a decision was made to adjourn to the local pub for lunch.
Steaks and schnitzels were had and surprisingly washed down with non alcoholic drinks. Perhaps we all thought we were still employed by the government agency that so strongly prohibited any trace of drink getting anywhere near a set of lips.
Finally into the room and before us was a room that stretched forever it seemed. What was once a single garage of 20' x 13' had recently been extended double now at around 40' long. I guess no matter how long the space is we as modellers can soon fill the space with layout. 
Part of the layout was left from the original this being a terminal appropriately called Central.

This consisted of three platforms with a middle run round road and adjacent car storage sidings. In the photo the branch line station Wilogobung sits above the tracks. The tracks below the 73 class lead to Macdonaldtown car siding which are shoehorned under another portion of the layout. The track design is cleverly designed so the car sidings are accessible to the three terminal platforms.

The above shot taken from the opposite direction as the previous shows the junction trackwork. A 32 class is attached to an 8 car LUB set waiting to come into Central for another run. All the points are motorised which makes operation easier.
The owner has changed over to DCC operation from DC. As I am still "old school" with DC I had a few quick lessons on how to get things moving. NCE controllers were used which to my observations seem to be the predominant system in use. Ah maybe one day!
One of the things I was most impressed with was a 422 class fitted with sound. It was just like the real thing. I want one!. I liken the sale of locos without sound to selling motor cars without wheels. Sure make it an option for sound but please make it an option!.

3390 has coupled up to a LUB set and waiting for the road into Central. There are six roads here for carriage storage and all were full. Another bonus with DCC is the ability to have carriage lights on as can be seen above. I must say that it looked most realistic and would have been great to see in the dark. Although wiring and point motors hang down here in the scene, when operating it all seems irrelevant and not a big issue. Code 100 has been used for most of the layout but the branches have been laid with code 75. As the owner states that this delineates where the "big" locos can't run.

The branch line station of Wilogobung with a sound 620 class having just arrived. Basic scenery has been done.

Another branch line terminus with 4720 doing a bit of shunting a wheat train. I got to do a bit of shunting with this train putting two rakes together and hooking up to a new Austrains OHG on the rear.

 And just for a bit of fun we ran a 59 class on a Spirit of Progress train, although you can't see the blue cars behind the power van.

A 40 class sits on a HUB set ready for another run. I'm not sure that I would have bought a weathered set of these cars. They looked too dirty for my liking, not how I remember them. A coal stage is in the background. This will form part of a new loco area.
Well after a good few hours spent we headed off back to the station on our way home. Thanks to Pete our host for the day and we all really enjoyed seeing your empire.