Having stated above that I don't know anything about Aussie coaching stock and knowing I have some, I thought I'd better do a bit of research. So courtesy of a 2010 post on NSW carriage codes: The coding, two or three letters, came from a telegraphic code used around the turn of the nineteenth century. B = First Class F = Second Class C = Composite First and Second A = Sleeping (or special, including dining cars) H = guard's accomodation K = miscellaneous, but mainly mail vans (and some prison vans) R = buffet (as opposed to dining car) P = Power (either self propelled or train electric power) There were suffix letters which usually indicated the vehicle type. So why is B first and not F?
The answer is obvious....the role of the public servants who named the vehicles is to obfuscate, not assist, as it makes their relevance seem to be more important than it is.
Some UK visitors courtesy of my mate Nick (and his dad) visit Wallace Creek. Must get an 03 for my UK layout.
The o3 are a great little engine. Make sure you get one of the later released models as the older Mainline/Bachmann ones are very noisy. Then again, an 08 should be on the cards as the Victorians used them (F Class) for years ! Cheers, Gary.
I have an 08 and an F (Roco). Want an 03 as they worked my home town of Ipswich up until the 1980s.If anyone has 03162 in blue do get in touch! D
Signalling has not been a priority at Wallace Creek. Its not that I am not interested its just another loco ro set of wagons seems more interesting that doing anything meaningful about signalling. So signalling (where it exists) consists of a few Dapol single Multi-Aspect Signalling (MAS) signals, 2 Dapol MAS gantries and some Australian ground signals. I had thought about more of these but a chance encounter with a retro toy shop in Whitby whilst away with Mrs W for a few romantic days, saw me come across some old semaphores and before thoughts such as "they're not quite the right scale" entered what passes as the decision analysis and making area between my ears I'd purchased two signals.....followed by some late night not particularly sober e-bay bidding for some more. Still whether or not they are in scale or not they are here to stay and they are currently placed at Wallace Creek which may become the only station in the world to be resignalled from MAS to semaphore. Apart for being basic, they are of course not NSW or Victorian but there comes a point where continuously shipping stuff from the other side of the world becomes expensive and I am unsure whether there are any commercially available anyway (may be in kit form and I am also attempting to build a ratio signal as well but my dexterity and eyesight usually renders any building efforts a fruitless exercise but I keep trying). Anyway I like them so for now (or until something better comes along) they are here to stay and here are a few pictures from yesterday's session.
A small manufacturer in Tasmania, Hand Made Accessories (handmadeacc.com) offer a complete range of line side accessories including all signalling and clever items like operating level crossing boom gates, many of which can be seen on my Dargan layout. They are not cheap but they are accurate and of a high quality. On another isse, my Auscision 48s have arrived and I will put up something on them shortly. They are wonderful. Cheers and happy modelling Richard
I think I have some old HO scale NSWGR semaphore signal kits (white metal) lying around somewhere... They just need piecing together... Cheers, Gary.
I'll dig them out to see what I have over the next couple of weeks. Right now I'm getting ready for another two exhibitions, one in Canberra and the following one in Sydney. Cheers, Gary.
I wondered whether to post this but as this acts thread partly as a blog here we go. My friend who we will call Sid was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a few years back and it’s been a while (9 months) since I’d seen him. I’d run into a mutual acquaintance who had seen him recently and he’d told me that he was deteriorating. A quick call to his wife and I picked him up last Saturday and bought him over for a session at Wallace Creek. It was a sobering experience – I’d hoped he was going to be able to help me operate the layout, but even changing direction and controlling the trains was beyond him. He has limited conversation, although there are occasional flashes of the man he used to be, but mostly it was me operating the railway keeping up a running commentary on what was going on and telling him all about the locos and stock. I think he enjoyed it and it was certainly a change for him but I fear the day is near when his memory goes completely and does not recognise his friends. I’ll invite him again and try, when work allows, to see more of my former friend before he slips away from us altogether. The only thing I ask from you fellow modellers is a request that if you think you can do something which involves your model railway and an Alzheimer’s sufferer, then I’m sure it will be appreciated. Dave
We will all of us become faced with this and similar situations far more than we ever expected earlier in life and thank you for sharing this moment with us; certainly a sobering experience. But with modern technology and medical treatments we see all sorts of things that were never experienced in our younger years as we all now live much longer than our forebears. Not just Alzeimer's but all those other failing components that we all need. The fastest growing medical issues in Australia (and most likely everywhere else) are the need for replacements for our worn out knees, hips, etc. And the more often I get under Dargan layout to get at the spaghetti of wiring, the closer that need gets. So folks, get used to the requirement for us all to help our friends as they eventually succumb to life's tribulations as we may well need their assistance ourselves. In the meantime I will still press on with Dargan, get under the layout and fix that early and very much sub-standard wiring and after that, winge to Lovely Wife about my aching hips and knees over a glass of red. And do I get any sympathy?....What do you think? Cheers and happy modelling Richard PS my Auscision 48s are stiil terrific. I knew I was missing one and although they are all sold out, managed to get hold of one in 125 year anniversary iivery.
Nicely put Richard. My wife's sympathy could do with improvement...…..so how many Auscision 48s did you end up with (not that I'm jealous).
I ended up with four, three in the as delivered livery and with the Loksound DCC and the last in the 125 year anniversary livery although I will need to install the Loksound decoder in that loco. Not a big issue as the loco has a 21 pin socket and speaker enclosure. Cheers and happy modelling Richard
Hi Dave, Thanks for posting up your thread with regards to your friend. It's quite heart warming to hear of someone taking the time to think about someone else's unfortunate circumstances. Especially a condition such as Alzheimer's as I could imagine that as the sufferers condition deteriorates, it must get harder for their family and friends to cope with. Maybe even a sense of hopelessness as their memory slips further and further. It becomes harder to relate to things. Another equally debilitating condition which we see more of us dementia. Equally as cruel. I take my hat off to the carers amongst us and really do hope that should either of these conditions be my fate, someone will be there who genuinely cares. Your post has certainly got me thinking. I think we get too wrapped up in ourselves at times and it just needs a reminder now and again ( like the one you have initiated ) that we could all do more and It doesn't have to end at your immediate family either. You have not only done right to post your post but maybe even done us a favour which may rekindle our better selves. Cheers Toto
As a result of Gormo's recent advice on wheel cleaning I plunged in for two hour wheel cleaning session cleaning a number of wagons and carriages. I'd always stayed reasonably on top of the locos but stock was well overdue a clean. Still more to do but the lure of an operating session was too much. One alarming thing that has happened is the wood that comprises the bridge section seems to have expended during the hot spell (see photo). It does not seem to have affected operation but its a job for the winter to set this right. Two new arrivals - a late birthday present of 2 WSC sleeper wagons are a welcome addition to the Wallace Creek PW fleet, the purchase of a second-hand AR Kits loco that derails everywhere is not. Also attached is a picture of yours truly driving a 12 inches to the foot scale industrial loco on the nascent Yorkshire Wolds Railway. A lifetime ambition! Now on with the cleaning. Cheers Dave
Hi Dave, Great times in the real thing! With regards to your AR kits loco and the de-railing, I assume it is the 45 class, that was their most popular model. Your problem might be to do with the tight clearances inside the body and bad assembly. Mine had issues with the bogies being unable to swing far enough due to the gear towers fouling on the wiring, which should have been tucked up out of the way. Getting that right cured mine from derailing, it now runs around 15" radius curves and negotiates setback points. Happy cleaning Tony