Reach for the Sky

Well they keep coming. This weeks locomotives turned out to be the NSWGR 46 class electrics by Auscision. A long time coming but not as long as my 40 class ordered back in 1929 or something like that it seems.

  Again another after dinner excursion to the shed and this weeks loco came out of the box easily following the practice I had on the Victorian L class last week.
Auscision have done themselves proud with this one, well done. They were placed at various scenically finished sections of the layout for their official photos. When placing the second unit on the tracks I noticed that one of the horns was bent and the second one missing. Bugger. But looking back in the box I found it there. It was bent so I am not sure whether employee Wun Tun had used excessive force to get it into its box or it was a rough sea trip out here. Good news is they are made of brass and a little judicial force with a pair of pliers had them straightened up and both back into their holes ready for doing a bit of blasting. One feature I noticed when they were coupled together was that the buffers were sprung and touched each other. So on the curves they just compress, looks great.
They haven't had much of a run yet as the layout is in a no go period at the moment which hopefully will change soon. It looks strange to see them operating without overhead but that will come in good time. One thing is for sure that before overhead is put up the layout needs to complete and finished, one slight swing in the wrong direction and down the O/H will come.
When I came inside to view the shots on the computer screen I couldn't get over how vivid the colours were. I got two of the original as delivered liveries and the red banding seemed to be wrong to me going from old memories seeing these many moons ago. Thinking it might be wrong I went down to the shed again and grabbed a photo book on the 46 class. Yep they sure got it right. I always thought that the band in the middle was more to the pinkish toning. But this may have been due to fading or just the presence of dirt. Hopefully when the units are weathered up this bright colouring will fade a little. One thing for sure is that the roofs were never ever clean. There was always this oxide dribble from the overhead that coloured the roof and sides. I also thought it was a strange choice to do the pantographs in silver and not black. The L class had the pantos in black. O well I suppose that they can be weathered up as well.
So with the recent rush of 48, 45, L and now 46 class my fleet for now has arrived. I shall await the 40 class maybe this year sometime?
Any how here is a selection of the 46 class photos.

Like 'L' I do

Well it proves one point, if you want you locos to turn up just go out for the day!. Although it wasn't supposed to be there, coming home this afternoon a trip to the letterbox revealed an Australian Post parcel in the letterbox.
L what have I got here and I was correct. A quick rip of the parcel apart revealed Auscisions latest offering. The biggest part of the puzzle was how did the L class overtake the 46 class along the way? I'm sure the 46 was announced way before the L and after seeing the pilot model at the Liverpool exhibition back in 2013 (or was it 2012?) I thought they would be here first.
Followers of this blog will know that I have branched out with a sympathetic pocket to also model the Victorian system. Having Candelo set up as a loco exchange point it seemed obvious to also have a Victorian electric doing exchanges. I am only getting one L class as the Victorian fleet (at this stage) is smaller than the NSW equivalent.
As has happened with the last two blogs which at this stage seem to be a "welcome to SCR" page for new locos. Getting  it out of the box comes the obvious question of how do the pantographs come up?
Is there a button or a switch underneath. Worse I thought if there is a DCC function that operates the pantos they will be forever down. We read how fragile these locos can be. The instructions which men don't usually read were actually read so I could work out how to get the "antlers" up. I was warned in the text not to place the loco upside on the pantos, not to place it on its side or the mirrors may break off but nothing about how to get the pantographs up. Eventually with a slight twist they were free and reached for the sky. After a quick check on Railpage a while ago, I realised I wasn't the only dumfcluck and a few others had the same problem. Well I'm not sure why I bothered as I haven't got any overhead erected at this stage.

The loco was placed on the track in Candelo loco and the same three dudes that welcomed the 48's and the 45 class were there to welcome into service the L. I told them not to go anywhere and 'stick' around because I'm sure they will be needed soon for the 46's arrival.

The loco looks fine to my eyes and ran smoothly hauling a set of E cars. I must admit I had to check prototype photos when I saw the model with what looks like a car bonnet in front of the cab. I can imagine a giant coming up to the loco and saying to the driver, "Want me to check under the bonnet?"

The model I got was L1150 which was personally signed under the cab window by some one. Not sure if this is the first case of graffiti on a loco.

I am wondering how many modellers will purchase these electric locos and be happy to operate them without any overhead wiring but get upset when minor things  are wrong with the locos such as parts in wrong places, painting finishes etc.

Now as you would expect in the following photos a diesel was used to place the train in position for photographing. The photos were taken just outside Candelo and near the cement plant.

Coming soon to this blog - NSWGR 46 class, watch this space!

A New Year

I am sure as you get older the time goes quicker. I can't believe it has been five weeks since the last post. Well it was last year.
I haven't done anything worth writing about down the shed at the moment, working instead on another project inside that is absorbing a lot of modelling time. Nearly two thirds the way through so hope to resume residence down the shed soon.
It certainly has been a time of announcements of late. All the past years of promised models are now starting to show up. Yesterday when I was out a "we've got a parcel at the local post office" card was left at the front door. Couldn't think of what it was as I didn't remember ordering anything off the net or anywhere else. As soon as the parcel was handed over I saw the Auscision stamp on the back and worked out it was the 45 class. It shared the carry bag with two litres of milk on the way back home.
It was a strange feeling when I got home. I knew what was in the parcel, I knew what a 45 class looked like but was not fussed to rush it out of the bag and start drooling over it. Reading some of the modelling forums comments tonight you can sense that 'don't care anymore' attitude creeping in. Dinner was cooked and it stayed in the box until this afternoon when I finally went to shed to view it.
December saw the 48's delivered, January the 45's and hopefully in February the 46's. Thank goodness I am not a modern image modeller as the Auscision NR's and SDS's 81 classes have been announced. I only wish that Auscision would have made the decision to make their locos with sound much earlier, just as Ron does with his models.

I opened the lid - easy. Then the model is surrounded in a plastic cocoon that didn't want to release its inner prize. I could see it but couldn't get the bloody outer sleeve off. I was certain that if I pulled too hard, it would suddenly release, come out like a bullet, land on the floor and that would be the end of it. I even thought of getting the hobby knife out, showing it who's boss and slicing it down the middle. But a bit more persistence I managed to extract it to the next stage. Wow after all that pulling, shoving and pushing I could only hear two loose items in the box. Peering through the sides I could see the front coupler had broken in half and a box from the side had dislodged. At least the driver was stuck firmly in his seat and doing the job he was glued in for. 
The layout hasn't operated for quite a few months and one of the problems with that is the amount of spiders that have decided to cast their webs all around the layout. Sounds like a good time to invest in a few cans of Mortein. One of the downsides of webs over the line is getting them all over the locos as they move around on the first run. It wasn't until I got todays photos onto the widescreen monitor that you can see some webs over the front of the loco. I couldn't be bothered to redo them nor Photoshop them out so they are there if you look hard enough.
So for todays trial for the 45 she did a ballast trip as a single loco load, then went up to the Bodalla mine and then lashed up with the two recent purchases  4817 and 4819 for a triple header run. The locos will stay in their virgin paint scheme until I can arrange to get them weathered.
Anyhow here are todays photos:

On the way to Candelo to do a mine trip.

 4501 did a trip up to the mine as part of the testing and getting the crews familiar with the units.

Later on (it was a busy day) 4501 teamed up with 4819 and 4817 for a triple header run with a coal train.

Well I can predict the next update to this blog will probably feature the 46 class. It is going to be an interesting era with all the modellers beckoning for more and more details on their equipment and then watch them operating their electric overhead models without any overhead wires - magic.
I was cleaning the track today at Candelo and then wondering how I was going to do it when that space between the track and the overhead wiring is seemingly so small. Well we will have to wait and see.

                       

48 reasons to love Christmas

Well what will probably be my last post for 2014 ends with some good news finally. I received a phone call late last week stating that my two 48 class had arrived. Not only arrived in Australia but arrived in West Ryde and were ready for pickup.
I chose today Tuesday to venture there to pick them up. I expected to see a line out the door on approaching the shop but there wasn't any. Getting into the shop seemed like any other day, not many customers inside to get in the way. There was a guy set up at a table ready to hand over your model.
I was surprised when the guy said he didn't need to see my receipt just a name and proof of identity to obtain the models. This caught me by surprise and a little upset. Only because I had actually managed to find the receipt I had stashed away in my bedside table and was able to find. What was more remarkable was the fact that after nearly six and a half years I could still read the receipt and it hadn't turned to dust like ancient scrolls do. So I proudly showed it to him and he rubber stamped it with some words I haven't bother to read yet.
Both models were duly taken out of the box and set up on the test track and now have about four metres on their speedos. They seemed quite and smooth. There was a steady flow of customers picking their models up and looking at my watch remembered I had to be at the station within two minutes to get my train. I ended up getting there just as the train came in.
So tonight I managed to get down to the usual hack spot near the gully bridge and was lucky enough to get some shots of the two new 48's on a ballast train. I was that lucky that the driver had even stopped for me to take photos.
They have not operated on South Coast Rail yet. They also seem a bit on the light side but I don't intend to run superlong trains.
Well I'll close of my last 2014 blog with a few shots taken of the new 48's. I hope to get them weathered in the future.
2015 promises a good year for modelling. Have a great Christmas and see you on the "Other Side" on the calendar.

Driver Mark Wun and fireman Al Ko get ready for the 48's first trip

 

A New Coat

Finally it has happened, the outside of the shed has received a coat of paint. It has taken a few weeks on and off to get it done and now looks good. All the eaves have been boxed in so unless I accidently leave the door open one night, that should be the last you will hear of possum problems.

 Last Friday 7 November I was able to partake of a steam transfer trip from Sydney to Gosford. I only got wind of it on the Thursday, a quick ring around of a few mates and none were available. For only $20 I was able to get a compartment to myself in an FS carriage. For a further $20 I could have gone onto Broadmeadow.

The steamers both 3237 and 5917 from the Lachlan Valley Railway are doing trips around Newcastle to give people their last chance to travel to the terminus of Newcastle. In a completely stupid moment of destruction the line is to be truncated at Wickham and people will have to transfer to a bus for the last few kilometres. It seems both governments when in power have been bought by the developers to vacate this corridor to enable high rise units to be built. A very short sighted plan. Need I say more.
Tomorrow Saturday I will be travelling to Newcastle to join 3237 on a return trip to Singleton. We have around two hours there for lunch, rejoin the train and then back to Newcastle, rejoining an intercity train back home. There will be a group of 5 of us to enjoy the day. Thankfully tomorrow the temperature will be lower than the 40c temperatures Sydney has had today.
I just remembered that I opened a Flickr account some time ago to put "overflow" photos of the layout onto. Rather than troll through the blogs I have put them up on Flickr. There are now a total of 147 photos of South Coast Rail with 74 photos added today.
Have a look here:https://www.flickr.com/photos/south_coast_rail/with/15599507599
Interesting with the current talk of the cracked gears in the 44 class I noticed some photos of the Eureka 60 class from 2007. How time flies!! And after enduring seven winters and summers in the shed it still operates.

Garratt comes to Candelo

Another black and white while I had some filum left in the camera.

6039 this week did a light engine trial to Candelo. It is seen in good company with 3610 in the loco sidings.
Another milestone happened this week when I finally finished boxing in the eaves of the shed. It wasn't easy putting these sheets up on my own and luckily only one sheet managed to break in half as it was being put into position.

Now all that remains to do is to paint it. I have always used Solagard in the past and was used to paying around $50-60 for a four litre tin. Well yesterday I got one cent change out of $80. At least I had the choice of any colour I wanted. I chose a Mist green colour so that the shed blends in with the fence, the grass, the trees and the garden.  Some times I even have trouble finding the door. In the photo above can be seen the bent key referred to in a previous blog, now replaced with a straight one.
Today Sunday is stinking hot and no way I'll get the paint brushes out. Its almost like a switch has been thrown, the cooler weather is gone and the humidity has arrived.
So it has been a bit of activity in the shed this week. The sign on room for Candelo Loco has started to get their garden in place. At least the mandatory palm tree has already grown and in place. Says a lot for getting advanced plants.

The gardens have begun to sprout out front of the loco chargemans rooms. A safety fence has also been put into position. It was constructed from code 55 rail, soldered, painted white. The rail I used was a length of Railcraft rail which was pre weathered. By using some Tamiya white mixed with isopryl alcohol it gave an aged/weathered look straight away. Structures around loco depots were never pristine except straight after something was painted and that would have only have been for a few hours.
A tarmac path was made using dark grey chalk but the only piece I had wasn't the right colour.

Jock looks nervously on as a garratt edges up to the buffer stops.

Here is a high level shot of the loco depot area. It doesn't take long for an area to develop once the ballast and groundcover are put into place. The yard lamp and palm tree pierce the vertical and give a different perspective to the scene. As can be seen a pathway around the palm tree is in place to be finished off with edging and more gardification.

So far..........

So far, so good. It seems for now my little furry friend? has left the building. Eventually the eaves will be filled in and he will be cut off forever.
Managed to start laying out some ground cover around the loco depot. Luckily we still have dirt verges in the street which means I don't have to travel far to get some dirt for ground cover. It is put through a strainer and fixed down the same way I do the ballast. Its easy to vary its colour by using chalks rubbed over the dirt and then spread using the finger.

Candelo is starting to take shape slowly. I have included a few shots below.

A shot of Candelo loco depot prior to the invention of colour.

Car park for Candelo loco depot

Ballast train has just ballasted the loop

Budd set arrives on the loop

Victorian T and Y class take over Candelo loco

In the poo (still)

Well Saturday morning has come and gone and after breakfast I ventured down to see if my resident pest had gone.
I think so must be the answer judging by the new hole he has chewed through the new piece of plaster put into place this week.

Kindly disregard the skid marks on the wall. I don't know how he could make such a mess. Why is it that possums are supposed to be protected?
 The whole room stinks of possum piss and anyone that knows that smell would be put off going in there. I don't think he likes me. I would have liked to see how he managed to get the piss half way down the roller door. This has led to the conclusion that it must be a male. Females are not that versatile. Guess its the mop and a bucket of lavender disenfectant into action.
Damage to rolling stock? Minimal as its was moved away from the window where I guess he spent most of his time planning his escape.
The easy part was getting a replacement key for the roller door. I got two this time, just in case. A pair (all though I only needed one set) of pliers managed to extract the broken bit from the lock. A bit luckier than Paul from WA.
So more wasted time now required for the hole in the roof, then we move forward.
Last but not least the little bugger left me a calling card (again) but I have got the boys onto the job of cleaning it up.