Well progress has been made, slowly but surely towards rebuilding Candelo into an interchange station. But to make Candelo an interchange station will make its geography wrong if it is to go further down the coast towards Eden. A look at the map above will show that Candelo currently works as a branch line terminus with an intermediate station of Kameruka as a crossing location. It branches off from Bega which currently is the last station and heads inland.
So why would a railway engineer if he was building a line from Bega to Eden go via Candelo way inland? What I am intimating is that Candelo might have to be renamed to another name closer to the coastline. Or maybe I should just bring the line back from Candelo to the coast opening up the possibilities of having a station call Toothdale? Or maybe go via Wallagoot? or Jellat Jellat? Ah such crazy names.
So what all the above means is that Candelo might not end up being Candelo in the end. But for the time being until that decision is made it will be referred to as Candelo.
After laying out the paper points and loose track, the placing of buildings to see how it would all pan out, I have finally got all the track laid. Previously Candelo was laid with what ever track and points were available, with over 100 points on South Coast Rail savings had to be made somewhere and this was the home of old and second hand track. This has now changed and it all has been relaid into Peco code 75. I was able to source some second hand points from Shelton in Queensland. They have been stockpiled ready for future use. As outlined in my previous blog I have made a concession for DCC and wired them so it may happen in the distant future. But we are all ready to go if it happens. For the moment it will stay as a DC layout. (Is that like your mate inviting you to his place to watch a black and white TV?)
The above photo shows the coal mine junction and parts of the yard. The track configuration above was exactly the same as with the code 100 track. I thought it would be a simple direct replacement of points and track but apparently not. There must be slight differences in the two codes geometry, so a bit of track cutting and shoving was required to get it all in. None of the point motors dropped onto the new points either and all required repositioning, Now with the wiring of the points for DCC this also requires a switch to operate to change the polarity of the points. Previously I had just relied on the point blades to power the point. It worked most of the time but when it gets dirty between the blades and the stockrail it fails. As it will be electrified here in the future I certainly won't want to be trying to get my hand under the wires to clean points. It certainly makes more work but the end result will be worth it.
Looking the opposite direction from the first photo, from right to left is the Main line, then the loop, loco road, and extra afterthought with the 422 and B class and two storage sidings on the left. These storage sidings are where the coal trains will leave their wagons waiting to be loaded at one of two coal mines in the area. On the Main line can be seen two Budd cars where the platform will be built. I can see that this will be not easy as it is a window sill that needs to be converted to a platform. It is approximately the right height but when a train is at the platform even if it is too high it won't be visible as the viewing side is on the left.
Now the taller you are the better it is for reaching over the layout. As a basketball reject, I made a wooden box up that I could stand on to better reach over the layout. It worked well, but recently I noticed in the Aldi cattle dog the above set of steps. I think they were around $25-$29. Wow what a bargain. SCR has had luxury come to it. The treads are wide and it is very sturdy. I thought it would be aluminium but found out they were steel construction. As can be seen it has a top handle that prevents you toppling over. It also doubles as a seat. A great buy.
A couple of locos try out the sidings. Two locos or a garratt will fit into the siding where the B and 422 class are sitting. The dirty grubby building is a Trainorama house? that I am going to use as a Loco Chargemans office. It will take a while before the gardens are ready. The 36 and 42 are sitting on Storage road No. 1 and the vacant road is Storage road No. 2.
The big black hole is where the Candelo turntable use to be, its new position is circled to its right. A good reason for Candelo to exist in the new world is the loco depot plate for Candelo.
If you think I am installing a set of speakers in the above holes you are wrong. The new turntable hole is now ready.
Now the new position for the turntable has been cut and filled. I was wondering originally how I was going to fill the left turntable hole as you can see the track was to pass over it. After a Homer Simpson moment I realised if I have to cut another hole, this would give me a piece to fit the original hole!. Now if you have a close look at the turntable and it is not recognisable its because it is a leftover from my N scale days. Its is close enough to a 60 footer and will take a 36 or 42 class loco. I have a motor for it so I hope with a bit of work it will do the job. I don't have a spare $300 just to get a ridgy didge one. If it works all good.
Another lower shot of the loco area. Looks like some one has been shunting the locos.
A few more shots of the loco area. The station building is over on the window still awaiting conversion into a platform.
This photo shows the location of two industries shoe horned into the corner. This area in the corner has been dubbed "the far reaches" of Candelo as even with the set of new steps it is a far way to stretch. It certainly won't be super detailed in this corner. The building will become a meat processing plant which will receive TRC's and the other siding will become the fuel siding. Both only provide room for two vehicles in each. This is enough to justify the two industries and add a bit of shunting interest to this location. Way up the other end is the milk siding still in its original position. Unfortunately there is not enough room to include a goods siding, but with three industry sidings, a coal mine junction and loco changing going on this place will be busy enough.
It might be noticed that I don't use any underlay be it cork or other under the track here. As it is a yard, proto typically if you study photos most yards have no shoulder around the track, so a good enough reason for me not to have one. Out on the main line is a different matter.
So the next step is to strip out the old wiring and rewire into the new control panel. I will be using the existing panel frame and fit the new one to that space.
