The Last Post(For this year that is). How slack. I haven't had a December post and now with about one hour to go I will try and squeeze this one in before I sit down in front of the telly and watch Sydneys famous midnight fireworks.
I am on leave for the moment and have already started on getting some projects crossed off the list. Starting with putting new tiles on the bathroom floor. The old ones have gone and the 'easy lay' tiles are down. Tomorrow comes the hard one, that is all the tiles that need cutting to finish off the job. Not looking forward to cutting the ones around the floor drain.
So in between running out of glue for the tiles, I thought I had better de-stress down the shed.
Work has been going on at Bodalla at the moment. I usually do a bit here and move onto there for more but have decided to just get one area fully finished, so you will have to get bored for a while until Bodalla is complete.
I 'borrowed' the goods shed from the branch at Candelo which actually sits directly above Bodalla. It might end up staying there and I'll build another one when I get around to revisiting Candelo to finish it off.
Yesterday I laid down the goods yard at Bodalla and started putting in weeds, grass etc to make it looked finished.

So it also turned out a good night after checking tonights $31 mill lotto. (Not so good when it has to be divided by 21 shares. And it wasn't first prize unfortunately) But still way in front. Ah well back into consolidated revenue it goes.
I'll finish off the year hoping you all had a good modelling year. Next year will hopefully be the year of the 40 class and the 48's. I reckon the Viccies have had a recent glut of locos and models so back to getting out a few more NSW models.
Hope next year is a good year for you all and looking forward to seeing progress on your blogs.
I will leave you with a few shots taken around Bodalla today.

Vertical as opposed to horizontal
I may have said this before but because of my design of layout I do not have many areas that lend themselves to modelling sweeping plains and fields. So my scenery mainly goes up and down as opposed to across. If I had only wanted to go around the shed once then this type of scenery would have been possible. Hopefully my final design of the layout with two laps of the shed has allowed extra crossing stations with still a fair bit of running in between.
We always seem to set ourselves impossible timetables. I had thought that by the end of last year I would have had all the scenery finished and would be onto the building construction stage. Ahead I have to build a station building, roundhouse and a coal stage based on Armidale. These will all take many hours.
Any how I spent a few hours tonight down the shed attacking the cliffs of Bodalla. This is by no means fast work. You sort of put a bit of green 'stuff' on and then stand back to see if it works and looks okay. What would speed things up a bit more would be to actually sort my scenery material into some sort of order. Unfortunately I am not that organised, but at least its all down one end of the shed.
Tomorrow I don't think I will see the shed again as I will be tackling the front down pipe from the gutter which I found was well and truly rooted. I have managed to get most if it out and hope to have fun with a rubber O ring and marry some pvc and clay pipe together.
Anyhow I will post some of tonights effort on line of the vertical type of scenery. The following shots were taken at Bodalla

Still raining
Well its another stormy night in Sydney, so I hope I will get this blog posted before the lightning cuts power. Good news the trains seem to operate OK today and I got home at the normal time.
Besides lightning knocking out the power for the trains and signals I still have two other reasons to dislike the rain. One is the poor old shed is vunerable to leaks (but when I checked tonight none so far) and the other is that I have discovered that my down pipe from the roof guttering to the street seems to be blocked somewhere and is overflowing. So I guess this weekend will be taken up digging up the pipe and try and get to the root of the problem.
Managed to get a small amount of scenery done on the weekend. A few inches for so many minutes.
I also had a visit from Dr. Marcus Ammann recently and he brought along his bag of tricks. He was a long time gunner come and have a look at the layout, but when my garratt had decided to lay down with a short, he found the sweet spot with the wand and got it going again. Thanks Marcus.

I was recently talking with an ex work mate Jim Harris who had built a layout based on Yass Town and Yass Junction. This layout operated in a shed until recently being sold to a guy up Mudgee way. Jim is now planning a new layout based up the North West of the state namely Boggabri and Moree. So I suggested to Jim why doesn't he make a blog for the layout and share with all. He has started one called the Kamilaroi Railway. I am not sure what the attraction of the North West is but Jim now makes at least 4 modellers I know modelling this area. We have Darren with Gunnedah and Beyond and Blair and Lance from Texas all doing the same.
I have included the link for Jims layout here. He is relating currently to his Yass layout and I'm sure in time will start posting about his new layout.

Missing in Action.
Model railways is a great hobby. If you have been in the game as long as I have every time you see the familiar bods at exhibitions, their faces are getting more wrinklier, head hairs are missing, and they have to ask you your name.
A group of some ex school mates from yonks ago meet a few times a year at each others place to catch up on their layout and watch a few dvd's etc.
Last Friday was one of those nights. And I did't get there. But I remembered in the shower this morning and promptly fired off the following email as an excuse. (One reply likens it to a book)
To explain what the email is about there was a storm in Sydney Friday afternoon and lightning knocked out signals between work and home. It is not about modelling as such, has trains in it, so be fore warned.

Let me draw out the saga leading up to the alzhiemer moment.

Friday around 4.15pm. Watch alarm rings,then sorry boys have to go home. Computer shuts down ( hurry up windows). Out the door into the lift and the fellow passenger mentions amongst other things that a lightning strike had hit at Thornleigh. Bugger that’s on the way home. Should I go via the Shore line?

Over at Central the delay board shows all line ‘Normal service’ except North line as ‘Minor delays’ Yeah I can live with that. If there’s a problem they should have fixed it by the time I get there.

So I board the 4.30pm North, settle into my normal seat with the latest edition of MX. All well as far as Strathfield, Eastwood then the rot set in. We sit in between Eastwood and Epping (thank goodness it was air con and our carriage had a dunny in it). After 15 minutes or so the guard announces due to “infrastructure problems’ there will be a slight delay. Yeah right slight my arse. He said there was a queue of train heading towards Hornsby, we were on it and would slowly progress. (Right he was).

So apparently the signals were OK up to Epping and trains were frustratingly going past our window as we were on the second north bound track. So each time one would go past us, the passengers would say “there goes another one why aren’t we moving? (swear, swear etc etc)

Eventually after an hour or so we moved up to Epping platform and dumped off the Eppingites and any one else that were willing to walk home to Beecroft (etc etc –yeah it would have been quicker). Now the guard announces we will be here for a while longer and if we want to get out and stretch your legs do so. He was a good PR man for Railcorp as he also said that he wouldn’t leave anybody behind (how nice). The smokers also took advantage for a quick polluting puff outside, then come back in and smell the carriage out. There were some people who went out onto the platform just for the fresh air and there was this one guy who couldn’t keep still. He kept walking up and down the platform for about two carriage lengths. Down to the end, reverse back up the platform and then used a tall box to go around and do another lap. Poor bugger must have done about thirty laps. Any longer and he would have needed a new pair of shoes. Well at least he wouldn’t have needed to go to the gym when he got home.

The trains that come across from the City to Chatswood and over to Epping were also being turned back, so these passengers were also invited to squeeze aboard our train. They were also invited by the guard to move up the front of our train. So after about another 40 minutes at downtown Epping we got on board the smokers, walkers, passengers any stray dogs and any one else that wanted to go north for the night. The guard also reminded us (about the 10^th time) that we will be proceeding ‘slowly’ north. And just to make everybody unhappier he announced we would be all stations to Hornsby, Berowra then all stations to Gosford. Stuff them I reckoned. Why would they miss out on Asquith, Mt Colah and Mt Kuring-gai. Let make it all stations and be done with it.

As we leave Epping going north there is a signal gantry with four sets of signals, one for each track. So out of the eight red lights normally lit, I spot one green and hope that was ours. Yes it was. Just out of Epping the line passes over the M2 motorway on which the cars in the morning and afternoon peaks are usually going at a crawl to which I have an internal mind thought (“suckers”). But not tonight. We were going slow enough to probably get their number plates if you wanted to.

Cheltenham and Beecroft we dumped off passengers and slowly kept getting closer to home. Trains were going past us from Hornsby so why weren’t we going faster? Being up towards the front of the train I could see the signals, most of them had a red colour, then turned my favourite colour (at that time) green. So Pennant Hills Accept Signal was two reds, we stop, one green, we go, and then we stop again.

Bugger whats wrong now?. I previously mentioned that our carriage had a dunny. Good news if you need to use it but bad news because cronic smokers think they can hide in there and get away with having a quick puff. As this train was an Oscar set it was equipped with the latest gear including CCTV cameras. No gangways between sets that the older and V sets provided for a quick nicotine fix.

So the Driver then comes bursting into our carriage armed with a fire extinguisher and yells out “Righto who was the bright person who decided to smoke in the toilet? You have set off the fire alarm and the OH and S declares that I have to check every thing out. Who was that person?. Silence for a while, then a guy points to the next carriage and the driver storms off there. (He was going to be late home for his dinner as well)

We heard no more for a while, then we started moving off. Then a voice from the Guard was heard “ The guy in the green flouro jacket has been caught on CCTV camera smoking in the toilet of this train. The police have been notified and will be meeting this train on arrival. It is an offence to smoke in toilets and there are smoke detectors fitted in there” Well the Guard didn’t say what station the police would turn up at. And surprise surprise, when we pulled up at Pennant Hills the guy in the green flouro jacket shoots past the window. 100 to1 on that guy didn’t live there but as there is a pub near the station I reckon that’s where he went to cool his heels for a while. Can you BYO to a pub? I reckon he had a slab under his arm. He looked the type.

But what were the chances of this happening again. As the first flouro guy whizzes past the window, there is a second guy in the same green flouro clobber gets onto the train. My first thought was your’re gone mate when you get off at Hornsby, you’ll have some explaining to do to the cops. But I was ready to step into the fray with my Railcorp badge and say ‘It wasn’t him constable, the guy you want is at the bar down at Pennant Hills.

Ah I forgot to mention I have an at least ten year old mobile phone that I use only for emergencies. So when I tried to use it said “You don’t have enough credit to make this call’ So the only time I needed to use it I couldn’t.

As we went past Thornleigh there were some Railcorp guys in their vests that looked like they were doing/had been doing something. Our guard announced that the signals have all been fixed and after Hornsby the driver will be going as fast as possible to make up time. Nice thought.

Yee haa. We eventually made Hornsby. Thank goodness it was daylight saving time as it was still light. So what is normally a 45 minute trip was over two and a half so far. Then the Hornsby shuffle begins. Likened to the Bermuda triangle this is the place where if it can go wrong this is it. The indicator optimistically showed my train in 15 minutes. Ah not enough time to whip over to the shops. I knew it was getting late because I heard a short freight train heading towards Sydney go past on the only track available (the Down Main).

The station staff were kept a little busy tonight. With wheelchair people nearly ending up in the car sheds, trains cancelled and confusion reigning supreme. The crews didn’t know what was going on and neither did anyone else.

Eventually a train turned up at Platform two it now being well after 7 pm and my stomach starting to say ‘when am I going to get something?’ The indicator showed it all stations to Berowra. I jumped aboard at the last minute as sometimes these indicators had a mind of their own. Yes they could change direction and send you the other way. Taking a chance as well as a seat, I heard the Guard say “All stations to Berowra” Still being a non believer, the sight of the Asquith BP service station had me at rest. I could now relax knowing I would be home soon before it was dark.

Eventually home was reached, the security light started burning for me as soon as I was within range. After the doorbell was rung I was then greeted by my family of two (three if you include Rusty the rabbit) and started telling them what you have just read.

So did you make it to the end? Promise the next post will be on a model theme.

I'm Off
Meaning I'm off on a short break from work. Its around this time of the year when the weather is nice and a good chance to have a break before the end of the year. And right in the middle is the Liverpool Exhibition to get all inspired again and make a few purchases.
Bodalla station has aquired a small car park just in front of the signal box and opposite the local store. So it becomes a rush when a trains in and when some of the locals want to park there to get a carton of milk. There is fat chance of getting any extra car spaces there as all the available space is now taken up.A bit more greenery has sprouted up and a pedestrian walkway across the track is nearly complete.
The signal box is nearly finished. A signal box name board will help the signalman know where he's working and a down pipe into the water tank will stop the ground from getting boggy. I haven't bothered putting a frame inside the box as the door doesn't open anyway and he can't get in.When the superb Trainorama BCH hoppers had come out I was very slow on the uptake and only managed to get a four pack. I figured that this would be sufficient for photography purposes in that if the first four were visible they would show up well in the pictures. I had already about 15 AR BCH's and as usual for me, completed but no decals and detailing on. This was going to be applied 'later', but never did happen. I was also able to build up the fleet with 15 modified cut down Athearn hoppers. These at least were painted and lettered. They made up into a nice long train and when down the other end of the shed I couldn't see that they had no decals etc on anyway.
I was hoping that Trainorama would rerun the hoppers one day and sure enough last week BBB came on the forum and announced they were available once again. So I hot footed it down to West Ryde last Saturday and secured another two packs to now have 12 BCH's for the train. I will get another 4 pack later and make a total of 16 for the train.
The coal mine at Candelo comes off the branch line terminus and means that two return runs have to be made to the mine to load the whole train. This enforced shunting makes for an interesting half hour or so on the branch to achieve. The run round at the mine takes eight hoppers and a brakevan. It is shoe horned onto a small shelf suitably scenicked off from the lower branch. It has a siding which can eventually take a dedicated shunting engine for the mine working.
When I got the hoppers home they were only in their virgin black for no more than ten minutes when I weathered them with Tamiya Khaki Drab and diluted isopryl alcohol. They certainly look better.
I assembled them on the track under the coal loader and they looked good. So I went and got the video camera and tried to put together another video clip. The finished result South Coast Rail 2 doesn't have sound only the wheel sounds and stuff me when my digital watch decided to go off. Also a blackened out section where I deleted an out of focus piece. (Just pretend its in a tunnel). I am still learning the software and it takes ages to render and more ages to upload to Youtube.
Anyway enjoy the clip warts and all. You will find it here if you have ten minutes spare.

Thanks Budd
The last blog showed the very early days of the conversion of the Athearn Budd cars to something that will hopefully run better and look closer to its New South Wales counterpart.It wasn't long after the blog had internetted that I had an email from a former work collegue Jim Harris who sent down some of his collection of Budd photos. He has given the Ok to share them with the world.The first photo is the Down South Coast Daylight express taken near Erskineville Junction. I believe the ESR hadn't been built at this stage and the tracks to the left were from the Alexandria Goods Yard.
The next photo I'm not sure where it was taken. Any guesses out there? It looks like a delivery/test run. Look how clean the pilot is, no grime as yet.
The next photo was taken near Waterfall obviously before electrification had reached there.The last shot of Jims was taken just north of Kiama with the Budd set headed for Bombo which shows up in the last photo. This shot clearly shows the 'weathering' on the roof.
The last shot by an unknown photographer (I think it was off a calendar) typifies what I love about the South Coast scenery. This is as close as the lines in NSW gets to the surf and certainly would make a good modelling challenge. Also located at Bombo is a blue metal gravel quarry which would add operating interest.
The photo also shows the South Coast Daylight Express in its final form as a loco hauled train. Included in the consist are some of the 1200 class Tulloch cars originally utilised on the Riverina Express.
The site of the first photo at Erskineville is where a derailment occured and a descision was made after this not to repair the cars but convert them to a loco hauled set.
RIP Budd cars.

Hey Budd can you spare me a dime...
A line probably often said in the U S of A. My main emphasis of attack on the layout has been to get the scenery done and worry about structures and assembling unbuilt kits at a later time.Well I decided to have a change of direction and finally have a go at getting a set of Budd cars modified to work on South Coast Rail. Those of you familiar with these cars will know that they spent most of their lives on the South Coast trundling back and forth between Sydney and Bomaderry. Towards the end of their service they spent time working between Junee and Griffith. Not so long ago when the Aussie manufacturers were sprouting all the models they were going to manufacture, Eureka announced they were going to produce the Budd cars. Beauty I said I'll get a set of those. But despite all good intentions these models seem to be way in the future.
So for the last twenty years or so I have been collecting the Athearn Budd cars. One that I had purchased twenty years ago and recently at a second hand stall at a model exhibition I cracked the jackpot - a rubber band driven Athearn Budd car. Cutting edge technology when they were introduced, but wouldn't cut the mustard today.
When I got the power car home I put it on the layout for a test run. Plenty of noise but no movement. So when I got the body off there were no rubber bands- perish the thought. So I was getting nowhere, and neither was the Budd car.I was about to throw the remotoring question to the forum floor, when I happened to mention about the remotoring problem to a good friend Bruce at work. He has a fantastic memory of articles and also a collection of bits and pieces that I'm sure would put a hobby shop to shame.
A few days later he came in to work with a regearing kit for the Athearn Budd cars. So today I commenced to have a go at kit bashing, a little bit out of my comfort zone of scenery.
At this stage I have managed to get the horse shoe shaped gear train into place and a new mashima motor into place. All thats needed at this stage is to connect up the motor with the gear train, wire up and we might have movement.
Now as luck would have it when Athearn made these cars they were not made to the full length which makes a NSWGR representation more acceptable. Proto 1000 have made full length cars and these would be okay to represent the Commonwealth Railways Budd cars which were longer than NSW. I found a good coloured Budd picture today in the "Remember When" book on page 44. It has good front on detail and also shows how the front pilot/cowcatcher was painted a red colour.
Comparing the model with the photo some of the cosmetic changes needed are to replace the single horn with two single ones, fit some jewels into the lights and fit a diafram (I know thats the wrong spelling but thats how it should be spelt). I might consider fitting a new wrap around pilot. The Athearn model has recessed steps under the front door and the NSW model has cut outs. The front windows could also be filed longer. Yeah if I run a four car set I might be able to get away with just doing the end car windows.An instant improvement was to paint the bogies and undergear flat black and run over with a wash of Tamiya Khaki drab to give that weathered look. You can see this in some of the photos.
Anyhow when the four car set gets into service on South Coast Rail, that fact that it will be a near enough model won't faze me. Well I can always say this was a second modified set that was purchased to operate way down to Bega. There you are justification. I'm felling better already.

All about NSW
Well maybe thats an alternate title to the 'Modelling the Railways of New South Wales' gathering that I went to at Loftus today.
Trying to do my best for the environment I picked up an local attendee not long after the chooks had stopped crowing. A little bit further on and more carbon points saved I picked up another precious cargo, one of the presenters Mr Bob Taaffe (Mr Signals). He was to give three lectures so it seems there were a few interested in signalling. It was a case of delivering one Taaffe to another TAFE. A bit over an hour or so later we arrived at the Loftus TAFE. I was asked some time ago whether I could do some sort of scenery display and eventually agreed when I worked out I could take a lift out section of scenery of the layout, so that any time worked on it would end up for the good of the layout. Unfortunately the organiser who talked me into doing it was a no show. Did he get the call? to work??. But I was greeted by his work buddy and taken to my spot for the day.
Around 9.0am (my normal raise head time for a Saturday) we were given the rundown for the day and around 9.30am the first round of talks was underway.
I was in a room with some commercial stands such as Casula Hobbies, Bergs Hobbies, Uneek, Kerroby and the AMRM stand. It would have been a bit daggy if I only took the slice of scenery so I got a board and glued on a few samples of the scenery bits that all come eventually together. Chuck in a laptop with a scenery powerpoint presentation I had made some time ago, a few folders with SCR photos and off we went.
I did not go to any of the lectures but stood by the stand in case any one had any questions like 'How did you do that?' Scenery work is just one facet of the hobby. Some people are just not interested in it, possibly because they can't do it. Some are just content to collect trains and run them around plywood central. Each to their own.
To me scenery work is the aspect I enjoy doing. Not being a DCC man, wiring must be done but it has been. It made the day seem worthwhile when you get some modellers drop off and have more than a thirty second conversation. I spent some time talking to Allan and his son David and also Wayne.
I decided to go up to the canteen with Bob T for some sustinence. I had a cup of chino and some toasted blueberry bread with melted butter. (So yum went back for more later).
Well the day went quickly, I made a few purchases at Uneek and promised to put them into my box of rainy day items at home. So I can't tell you how the lectures went. And as we all notice at exhibitions the ratio of people with grey hair (and none) to those with any other hair colour and no wrinkles seems to be getting bigger.
I'd like to give a personal thanks to the guys who spent their valuable modelling time throughout the year to put on this event for our pleasure. I suppose its all part of life, there are always people who will volunteer and help others out and those who just go along with the flow and expect others to do it all. Around 1630 it was time to pack up and head for the road. An hour and a bit later after dropping of the two passengers I was safely in the driveway at home.
The bit of SCR is till in the back of the car waiting to be rejoined with the rest of the scenery down at Bodalla.
Thats a job for tomorrow.

Getting there slowly
Well a week has gone by and I have had a chance to fiddle with the video editing programme and tried to make some sense of all the multiple drop downs and learn a new lingo.
I not sure whether being an older fart has any thing to do with the ability to be able to turn on and use a computer, programme a VCR or set an alarm clock and understand what you are doing. It seems if you were born in the nineties that a recent addition to the gene pool is an ability to turn on electronic components and immediately be able to know what you are doing.
Kids of today are educated in the use of buttons the minute they are born. So rocking up to kindergarten and being given a laptop is no big deal.
I studied the manual that came with the video camera and although giving me the basics, still didn't give me answers to questions I had like what format will will it end up in?. Thank goodness for Youtube and its many tutorials people have kindly made for dumfclots to learn by.
After watching one usefull Youtube on editing I managed to put something together. So at the end I needed to save all my work. Now all my life I have been told to "save as" when I've finished a file. Did this work? No. I looked for and "export' option and couldn't see that either. What I was supposed to do was to 'Render' a term I had only heard used previously with the word 'cement' put in front of it.
Anyhow I tried that and in the list of dropdown of option formats noticed the word 'pal' and chose that. This is the area where I think a clearer explanation could be given. Maybe they could be arranged in pecking order from best quality to lousy at the end.
One of the formats I has chosen and finally offered to Youtube to upload had a massive file size of 1.15gb. After nearly choking the Youtube server, it got revenge and invited me back after 658 minutes to see my results.
After another visit to my resident IT guy, we worked out a smaller file size and I have uploaded it tonight.
Go easy on me, its my first attempt at editing and trying out the camera. And I know you might get sick of seeing 6039 starring but at this stage its the only sound loco I have until Uncle Rons 40 class turns up. If I use other non sound locos then I will have to scrounge around and chase up sound clips to use.
So any way see what you think, here is the first 'edited' clip of South Coast Rail.

Sunday Night AgainToo soon Sunday night has come again and that means getting on the computer and doing the rounds of the blogs, going onto forums and checking emails.
Once again Sunday night you seem to be able to rely on Craig from 'Craigs Shed' to have updated his blog and let us know what styrene he will need for the next weeks project. He has certainly got a job on his hands to finish his layout. It certainly covers one of the most scenic parts of New South Wales. He is modelling the far North Coast and I'm modelling the far South Coast.
I don't actually like Sunday nights as I know its up for work on Monday morning and its usually into bed round half ten for an early rise the next morning. Friday and Saturday nights are completely different, I stay up till when ever and rise the next morning when ever. (Unless there is something going on). Last weekend I flew to the Sunshine Coast to celebrate my brothers 50th birthday. I had the easy part, he had to come from Perth. Was a great weeeknd away and needless to say not much railroading was done last weekend.
I had actually downloaded my video editing programme during the week and decided to try and understand how it all works on Saturday night. Well Youtube got a bit of a bashing with tutorials and Google put me onto a few other programmes. It was all going well until the dreaded virus has raised its ugly head.
If my car breaks down I call for a mechanic, this time I yelled out for my son who luckily has a nack for fixing these problems. Son, has my machine got a virus protecter on it? Well I thought I had put one on it! So after a lot of fidelling I'm back on track, virus protection now in place and I'm still to get to the video editing programme. Another days adventure. I will be practicing on layout footage rather than the birthday bash footage in case I mess it up.
So not much was achieved on the layout this weekend, but feeling in a photo mood I went down and shot off a few pics. The lightings not what you'd call really bright but sufficient. The down side of this is when I come inside and review the shots on the monitor. Two hiccups. On one shot of a 49 class coming over the gully bridge looked great through the viewfinder, but on screen there were some fine cobwebs hanging off the handrails. No scrap that one. And on another shot of the 44 class coming around a cutting, on the monitor I noticed a black shape besides the track. A quick zoom showed it to be a cooka racha, dead on his back and eyes fixated towards the ceiling. Normally I couldn't see him but on the angle it was taken, he showed up. So thats the second shot you won't be seeing.
Any how a couple of others turned out so I'll put them on.

LCA
That stands for Lights, Camera, Action. I received a call on Friday saying that my camcorder was ready to collect. It was picked up after work and it was hard to resist getting it out of the box on the train home and having a good look.That was done after dinner and the battery was put on the charger. I re-read the manual and like any good product there is a certain amount you can nut out yourself.
The model camcorder is a Sony HDR - XR550V and seems to be top of the range for their range of hand held cam corders. It has a 240G hard drive, 12mp still photo shots, 5.1 sound and the capability of filming in very low light. Its only maybe drawback is the 10x optical zoom. This shouldn't be any problem videoing the layout though. It has a digital zoom though, but this aspect hasn't been tested yet.
Saturday morning saw the camera see daylight again. I took it for a walk to the local station to try it out on some moving trains. What I also forgot to mention earlier was that it is also equipped with a GPS tagging system. The manual on this item is full of techno babble but all you had to do was switch the GPS on and open a top flap so your camera can talk to the satelites. Of course this is no good using indoors unless you have a hole in the roof.
I only managed to film a few suburbans and intercity trains. I was hoping for a GM led freighter to test the sound but none came. Thats for another day.
I was able to view the results on the 3.5" camera screen and they looked OK. At home I plugged it into the computer widescreen monitor and enjoyed the takings. I also tested the GPS facility and when I looked at the result it correctly had me positioned north of the station where I took the video from.
Another good reason for getting the camera sooner than later was that Sony was offering a free version of Movie Studio 9 (a video editing programme) when certain HD camcorders were bought but only till the 12th July.
I am mailing off today for my free copy and it won't be until I can download the programme will I be able to put some sort of movie together. In the meantime I can look ahead on Youtube at the many tutorials on this subject.
Saturday night saw me and the camera head off to the shed to take some footage of the layout. Again I must confess the star of the clips was the only sound loco I possess - the Garratt. (Hurry up with the 40 class will ya Ron). At least filming a sound loco you can readily identify its position on the layout. I concentrated on one end of the layout, namely around the gully area as this is the most complete in regards to scenery.
Another feature of the camera and only on this model as far as I can see is that it has a rear viewfinder that can be used without having the side viewfinder flipped out. What this means is that it should be narrow enough to be placed on a flat wagon and propelled along for that on train view.
Lastly I checked out the low light capabilities. With all the shed lights off I was able to film the garratts progress along the line with just the headlight showing the way. It was clear enough to be able to discern the scenery as it passed by. Very impressive. And so far I can recommend this camcorder.
I have included a clip here of the garratt heading down the valley.
Also a few shots from the vault from around the layout

This weekend was Sydneys second major model railway exhibition (after Forestville) even closer to home when it was held at the Brickpit Stadium at Thornleigh.
My major intent was to clear the decks of surplus items and create a cashflow for some of the new products coming onto the market. Its surprising how it all adds up. The Friday night drop off came as a bit of a surprise. I regularly pass the outside of the Brickpit to and from work each day and thought they would be doing well to fill this one.
But on Friday night I realised that the exhibition was held on a single basketball court and the other three courts were busy with the sound of bouncing balls. The place is much larger when viewed from inside. The floor area was much better than the Epping Boys High School and from talking to people and feedback from forums it seems all are happy with new venue. It looks at this stage that it will be there for at least another two years (and many more I hope).
There was a good mix of layouts and trade stands and I was able to get some more MiniNature products for the layout. I also purchased some single lamps for Bodalla platform so the passengers can see where the edge of the platform is.
I had a visit on Sunday afternoon from Ray Pilgrim who has the Bylong layout. I had the pleasure of visiting Bylong last year when Blair and Lance from Texas visited. It was a very enjoyable night. I did my best to run a train but when the train reached Bega station it was uncoupled on the water effected baseboard. Oh well that can be another future Blog topic to bore you with. Ray's layout has at least some flat areas that doesn't require cliff edges. Maybe the next layout.
Hope to be taking delivery soon of a Sony camcorder and after the learning curve will post some more video clips on the blog. It will be a few years away but I would like to do a complete film of South Coast Rail, at least if I'm sent to the nursing home I can sit back and enjoy the memories.
I happened to be trackside this arvo and got a few shots of 42110 cruising around the layout. I hope you appreciate the last shot as I had to climb a tall tree to get it.

Here we go again
Well I'd like to start tonights blog off with a photo of the gully region. If you are a person that only likes good news, have a look at the photo and then close off. The photo is one taken a while ago as I didn't get any work done on the layout this weekend.
Saturday morning comes and I got a visit from Brad from Canberra (http://armchairmodellerdownunder.blogspot.com) to see the progress on SCR. Brad used to live at an adjoining suburb, but has recently moved to Canberra where he can now enjoy the extremes of weather. So until he can get his mans shed fixed up for his layout and insulated he will either get dressed up as an eskimo in winter or strip off in the heat of summer.
Due to the heavy rain during the week this was the first time I had entered the shed. All looked well as I was confident the grand I had spent on the roof was the end of my leak problems. Wrong. Looking at the end of the platforms the ballast looked noticeably darker and on closer inspection there was swelling from the old pineboard.
The last time this section copped a hiding from the weather was back in October 2007 when the Pasha Bulka was washed a shore in Newcastle. I replaced the affected section with ply (what I should have used from the start) and there was still a small strip of pyneboard between the two sections still remaining. I was reluctant to replace this bit as it had a few points on it and it will be hard to rematch up the ballast work. Well this was the section that had been water affected and now looks like will need a rebuild soon.
So much for my recent 'Last post' and the reroof. I think the problem lies with the lower roof where it butts up against the front shed. I reckon the water was flowing up hill. Any way it remains a future subject to bore you with.
I got together the last bits for the upcoming second hand stall to raise funds for new purchases for SCR. I came across a pile of old code 100 track that was from the layout and had now been replaced by code 75 track. I had offered it free to anyone that wanted it but no one wanted it. So taking advantage of the local council clean up this weekend I wrapped a pile of wire around it and placed it out on the street on our contribution to land fill. I am pleased to say that after being there for a few hours it was gone. No I'm not sure if it was taken by a guy who wanted the copper wire holding the bundle together or a nickel silver merchant, but I hope it went to a local model railway enthusiast.

I've got piles.
Sorry don't want to alarm you and no I'm not referring to any medical condition. I was doing a bit of a scratch around of the shed today looking for items that are no longer wanted and fit for an upcoming second hand stall to raise some cash for all the new products flooding the market.
It surprising how much stuff you have that is no longer needed. I will be putting a few wagons in that have been replaced with superior models.
Like most of us out there we all have boxes of kits that have been put aside for the rainy day with all good intentions that one day we will find the time to put them together.
This must be at least the second sweep through my unbuilt collection of kits. Our most precious commodity especially the older you get is time. A great example of this was the DJH 32 class kit that resided in a dark box for over 12 years. The statement that if you wait long enough a RTR will come along held true with the 32. Trainorama had announced they were doing the 32 class and thats when the fate of the blue box of bits and pieces met its end with me. The kit was sold at the Epping Model Rail exhibition second hand stall and although I had to make up the difference in cost, I was handed over a very nice model that ran as soon as the juice was turned on. The 32 was going to be my first white metal kit to be assembled.
Following the 32 class I also purchased the DJH 36 and 50 class kits. These kits met a similar fate. When the Austrains 36 came along the 36 was similiarly despatched the same way as the 32 class. The 50 class was onsold to a guy from work. I was a bit premature with the 50 class as all the forums were saying a local hobby shop were going to do the standard goods range. I now regret this descision as it seems they will be years away and it would have made up into a nice kit.
A DJH 30T kit I had was assembled by a friend ( he wanted practice - go for it I said) and the kit made up into a nice model. The only trouble is that is has not yet been painted. But a few more years of grime fallout onto the loco should see it blackened all over. This loco with regards to painting it has fallen into the same situation as assembling white metal kits. I think its the learning curve that maybe scaring me off. I can imagine soldering the steam dome and missing (Bugger just put a great dent in it with the hot soldering iron). Ah well maybe my answer is to go all diesel fleet or wait till we get ready to run steam models.Pictured above is a box of bits and pieces and kits waiting their turn to be dragged out of the darkness, be painted up and placed onto the layout. Don't we all say "I had better get one of those because they might not be around much longer." This is quite true in many cases. But imagine if we didn't do this how many kits less manufacturers would need to make. This box contains kits such as goods sheds, weighbridges and heaps of the fantastic Uneek range that have been earmarked for places on the layout.
I think when the scenery is suitably advanced and near finished, I will dig out this box again and make a start on some of the fine aspects of detailing the layout.
But for now the box is back under the layout awaiting the call.

Was there an April?
Looking at my last post it was dated March. Seems so long ago. April was a busy month not so much modelling but other things that keep you away from the shed.
Much of the time has been taken up around Bodalla, mainly getting rid of the white cliffs at the back of the platform. Its a long slow process initially to get the plaster down and then to get the colouring right.
After all thats done then comes the slow process of putting up the greenery to make the cliffs realistic.
The platform has recently started receiving the 'tarred' surface courtesy of some 400 wet and dry sandpaper.This will be mainly be at the exit end of the platform and the far end will just have a narrow strip near the edge and the classic crushed limestone courtesy of Chucks Ballast to finish off towards the cliff edge and add some variety on the platform surfaces.
The SM at Bodalla is a keen gardener and he plans to eventually have a garden good enough to enter into the annual gardening competitions.It will be a while before the platform is finished. I will be adding station nameboards, seats, Uneek station lights and station weighing scales as it progresses.The last shot shows a 49 class arriving at Bodalla with the afternoon passenger to Bega. The 44 class is a light engine movement heading for Narooma where it will bed down for the night being rostered for a livestock special the next day.
Sometimes I wonder if I will ever finish the layout, but I only have to look back on the computer at the photos taken in the same spot five years ago, and then I think 'Nah we're getting there!

White Cliffs of Bodalla
I don't need to go to England to see the White Cliffs of Dover when I can now go down to the shed and see the White Cliffs of Bodalla.
I don't know how much longer I will be able to use 'Its too hot to paint" excuse but this weekend allowed a few hours to get plastered and commence on the cliff behind Bodalla. I crunched up bits of foam , dipped them into the plaster mix and then set them against the chicken wire. I find to get the effect I am looking for is not to have the plaster too wet, other wise it comes out too smooth.
I work with three spraycan lids worth of plaster at a time, some water and a dash of vinegar, and a dash to the worksite and into action.
I didn't take any photos of white plaster, I'm sure you all know what it looks like. With a few days off over Easter I'm sure a bit of colouring to the plaster will appear. Once the cliff behind Bodalla station is complete then I can commence on doing the platform up.
Some time ago I made up a board for a local friend as the start of his Victorian branch line. It was portable enough to take outside and work on it in the sun. (Nice in winter) One of the side benefits of working in the sun is the great light it provides for photos. I've included a few on here as being stuck on a hard drive they will never see the light of day.