Then and Now

 Well I've been plugging away at South Coast Rail since late 2015 when a decision was made to do the 'change over'. I believe it often happens to modellers but this will be my last layout, no more changes. I've tried most of the other scales and variations such as model tramways for a while and this is it.

You could say there was dead time when the old layout had to be demolished, the new one planned, research to be done, new baseboards and a new way of thinking. So after around five years of construction I looked around the room and tried to convince myself that I had come a fair way.

It does also help if you are retired and theoretically gives you 24/7 access to the shed and of course this never happens as there are always things that get in the way of life. It was a different story when still at work and the weekends were the main work times on the layout. On some late Friday and Sunday nights you would look at the watch and see the numbers had gone to a single digit, so then off to bed. Who cares what time the next day you would get up.

So as a pacifier to myself I have trawled through the hundreds of photos I have taken and made up some before and after shots to reinforce progress has definitely happened. The shots are taken in roughly the same spot so here they are.

January 2016 Eden

Now

 

 

 

May 2016 arriving Eden

Now

February 2017

Now

April 2017

Now

April 2017

Now

August 2017

Now

July 2017 - Broadwater

Now

September 2017

Now

October 2017

Now

June 2018 - Pambula

Now

December 2017

Hope you have enjoyed the journey so far, a lot more to come.

I See the Light

 Aldi recently had a advertised some lights that I thought I would be able to use for some night style photography on the layout. So when they were available I went and picked a pack of puck lights. Never heard that term before but thats apparently what they were. They are 3 AAA battery operated and scroll through the various colours by pressing down on the dome or can be also controlled by the provided remote controller.

The end results were more of trial and error more than actually knowing what I was doing with the camera. I would just press a few buttons more or less, take around 60 photos and then after viewing on the computer scrap most and then be happy with the few results.

The following are a few of the better ones.

 

 So it is a good night from me and a good night from him.

Pambula Pride

 I am a member of the 'Modelling the Victorian Narrow Gauge Railways' on Facebook and in a recent posting I mentioned that by changing scales I was introduced to a new set of friends. I met a few at the Narrow Gauge Convention at Erina back in Easter 2019. Others friends I have made online.

The conventions and exhibitions are a great way to socialise with friends you may not see otherwise. Many a time at exhibitions I have spent more time talking to people than actually looking at the layouts etc.

I have been blessed with two significant 'gifts' to South Coast Rail. The first was the actual piers of the Thomson River bridge (you know the one I have been building for the last few years). They were 3D printed and were perfect models of the real thing, something that is the first thing you will see at the bridge. So many thanks to Roger Johnson for this great input. We have been emailing each other now for a while and it is interesting to compare notes with modellers with similar interests.

The second 'gift' also out of the blue was a Mallee Shed that another member of the FB site sent to me. Amongst the hundreds of things that go into making a layout are little details such as these sheds for a few locations. The model was all assembled, weathered and even included the nameboard "Pambula" something I won't have to make. This is also another piece in the layout puzzle ticked off, so thanks to Mick Bennie for the shed. I have included some photos of Pambula including the shed and the first passengers to use it.

This is a great hobby (And don't worry, I have been working on the bridge!)