Gundah Junction

The buffer size might be a perspective thing, maybe brought on by the dual lens camera, they don't look that bad in real life
Cheers
Tony

 

Well, if the tension locks prove too much of a headache I might just stick some magnets in and make it a NSW layout.

After all, I have the perfect loco, and plenty of 4 wheel stock for it. Might need a re-think on the scenery though.
But I'm determined to get the tension lock idea to work, even if for operating sessions I limit it to one brand of rolling stock, i.e. all Mainline, Lima or Hornby, or I just tune a bunch to get them to play nicely with each other and keep it that way. The Mainline/Bachmann units are the most consistent, and keeping it Mainline would tick the cost reduction box as they can be got fairly cheaply, just modify some non-Mainline loco to have matching couplers might just be it.
Cheers
Tony

 

After spending a day running Gary's excellent layouts, Tomlins Creek and Waspen St at Rosehill, my expectations of how locos and wagons should uncouple has changed a bit. This is good news, because with that operational twist, of just releasing the tension on the tension lock couplers (so that's where the name comes from) the whole operation becomes much more reliable, just drive the loco a little bit to the wagons, lift the un-coupler, and it just works!
I also have had to change the position of two of the uncouplers, this seems basic on reflection, but the end result is that the loco can enter one of the short dead ends at the left hand side, un-couple from one wagon and be clear of the points, which it wasn't the first time. A much better result and allows for full running around of the loco.
Still having issues with different brands of couplers but I have narrowed it down to a few sets. The Hornby and Lima talk to each other, and the old Mainline, new Bachmann and Oxford talk with each other well. Haven't tried my one Dapol wagon but I'm sure it will fit the last camp. One of the whole points of this layout is making the most of what you have, so I will have two sets of stock to use and not mix them up, this will solve the coupler issues.
As I don't have many locos equipped with the modern style couplers I have had to update one of the old Tri-ang locos, a very easy task, and it does look better. My travels this week (purchasing a linishing sander) took me near a shop I don't get to very often, Woodpecker in Pendle Hill. They had the Bachmann couplers I was after, and a fantastic Oxford 6 wheel Toad brakevan, the detail on which is amazing. As well as this open wagon, couldn't resist, it is missing an S, but when I got within 1 letter of my surname (Ricketts) I just had to have it, was only about $20 too

Cheers
Tony

 

Some new locomotive power for Gundah Junction.
After running the layout with its uncoupler system for a while now and having used and seen other layouts at exhibitions, it would be time to have some more locos. I already had plenty of 0-4-0 and 0-6-0 locos with the older style long Hornby hook, which is not too compatible with the Branchline/Mainline/Oxford more modern hook. The idea here, is although in a lot of cases I could, I am trying not to seriously mod the locos. Cutting off a big chunky unrealistic coupler to replace it with a slightly smaller, but still chunky and unrealistic coupler in the shape of the new style one does not seem to make much sense to me. Might as well go the whole hog and go Kadee or the Gormo 3 link system, but neither of these would work with my hands off uncoupler system.
Plus, it's an excuse to buy a new loco or two.
The layout works very well with my Hornby 0-6-0 J94 Harry, but it was time to buy a Diesel, also, I know tank engines can go forwards or backwards, but it can just look funny.
So I found a new Hornby Sentinel 0-4-0 diesel shunter, don't normally buy from Hobbyco anymore, but they have 15% off all rail at the moment, and this thing only cost $76AUD.

It has for Luke the all-important connecting rods, which to the 6 year old, makes a diesel a valid engine, just like a 'steamie'.
The detail on this loco is amazing for the price, and the running is also very good. It is also quite happy going in either direction, both mechanically and aesthetically.
Here is it compared with its Aussie equivalent, (ok in HO, so there is a little size difference)

The Aussie one costs $255, quite a bit of difference, for what is essentially the same thing. Ok the Hornby does not have directional lighting, Ok it has no lighting at all, and the Aussie one is an exceptional runner. The Sentinel would be sold in larger numbers, and across the globe, not many X200 locos would be sold in Europe.

Also picked up at a very good price, a Hornby 06 shunter. Well, this is in a different league. It has the cheap chassis in it with the toy motor. First thing to do was to get rid of the capacitor and inductor noise suppressors, this helped a bit.

I have a Pug version of this chassis, and it is quite acceptable in its running, but this 06 was way too fast. The 06 is brand new and the Pug has some miles on it. Removal of the excess components, some decent drivetrain oil and a run around Poppy for 30 minutes seems to have tamed it a bit. I guess an engine that is hard to line up over the uncouplers adds a new degree of difficulty to the shunting game.
It looks the part though, and did not cost much, and for Luke, has the coupling rods.

It towers over the Sentinel.

Cheers
Tony

 

It's time now to get the buildings built to go on so I have a good idea where things will fit to start the ground work.
A pure timesaver layout has none of these adornments, but that is not what I want to do, and for most people, it's not what they want to see.
I have decided to build it with a British theme, not a half British half Aussie as I was first thinking. A couple of reasons for this, it would make more sense, I also found some great value 00 scale building kits, and finally I have worked out a way I can build my wanted Aussie layout much sooner than first thought. The time will be roughly 1970s, influenced by the photos and memories of my parents when they lived near Liverpool for a few years after uni and before having kids. Other styling influences may include the Goodies (3 person bike to scratch build perhaps) and Midsommer murders. So all in all, a rather contrived version through Aussie eyes of what we see, but Rule #1 will be adhered to.
I have some buildings complete from second hand stalls and some new kits. They are roughly put where they intend to be. There will be a road along the back in front of the buildings, with very little at the front of the layout, to maximise track and train visibility, and to minimise damage from hands and arms. From left to right on the layout there is one and and a half storey house, prebuilt, this may or may not be used. Then there is a Dapol bungalow to be built. Have started a Dapol stone church, this still needs the vestry and door alcove to get a true idea of the footprint. An old Airfix (I think) shop, which needs renovation. A Dapol shop which I have just mostly finished, this will be a HiFi and music shop, not sure what the other one will be yet. A Dapol pub, name to be decided, going to have fun with that one. Then a Gaugemaster signal box, this is actually made by Faller in Germany and it is a bit disappointing. It reminds me of the kits of old. On the front of the wall panels there are lots of injection mould marks from where the plastic would have come in. This is taking a lot of work to smooth back to something that doesn't look so plasticy. It will then need to be painted, negating the fact that it was coloured in the first place. The Dapol kits need a bit of fettling to get right, but it is not as bad as the packet made out, and they turn out quite well.
Beyond that there is a Bachmann goods station, in front of that the base of a Tyco goods shed, which I may now not use if it looks too American.
There is also a Frateschi water tower, this came together really well, will see how it all looks before deciding whether to use it or not.
Have just about all the track things sorted, so will start with weathering track and sleepers. Then lay soil ground cover and roads, then ballast, finally grass, houses and trees.
Haven't decided on lights yet, I want lights, but operating a shunting layout in the semi dark could be very interesting. Could put a light at each uncoupler. Lights might also make it a bit less portable, or more fiddly, so will have to think hard about that. Although Timbersurfs idea for the lights with the corks looks fantastic.

Also started collecting some cars of the era with some reasonably priced Oxford ones that fit the bill, a Triumph 2500, a Morris van and a Morris Marina so far. Have some others that are suitable but not sure how HO ones will look, like a Ford Capri and some Renaults
Cheers
Tony

 

Hi guys, thanks for the tips.
Haven't got round to thinking about people yet, but that's good to know about the old Dapol ones. My buildings and cars are to the rear of the layout so some forced perspective will help, but not if they are together. The cars I can just get more of as they are quite well priced and made, and there are a few ones I would like, not having much road means not too many cars anyway, the HO Capri is a Mk1, so will work on the Aussie layout as they were quite common here, all gone now though!
That's also good tips for the poles too, was planning on a gauge post and a water column for the tower, there could be plenty of opportunity for errant hands. The buffer lights are a nice idea. I have only measured up the NSW ones, and a 1.8mm LED is too big for that, but I guess might be OK for a UK layout, don't know those sizes.
Had a play, I mean test of the layout again after some more level correcting tonight and all should now be ready to bed down. Learning this shunting puzzle business fairly slowly, have introduced a couple of extra wagons as "wilds" and this seems to have made an unsolvable puzzle. Will try to beat it sometime though, but it's giving the whole layout system a good test while I solve the position problem. Maybe it's the glass of red while doing it...
Cheers
Tony

 

Time to paint the sides of the rails. Using a Mr Hobby Chocolate Brown (I think) to get a nice colour without being too rusty. The advantages of narrow plank layouts is that it can be lifted up and angled nicely on the workbench to provide easy access, so much easier to do this very slow painting process.

Cheers
Tony

 

Hi Gary,
Just painted the sleepers, used the dry brush technique this time rather than the grey wash. Much much quicker than the wash. Had never had much success with dry brushing until I started playing with the acrylics when making the Nativity set. I found that the thicker artist style acrylic paint with a stiff coarse brush, rather than my usual modelling choices of quit much runnier paint and fine soft brush, actually worked.
Did the sleepers in about 10 minutes for the whole layout. Looks promising now but will wait till it dries.
I'll have to have a look at some of your pictures to get a bit more of an idea about the random brown ones.
Cheers
Tony

 

Here's a photo of the painted rails, now just have to do a bit of tidying up. Also can see the light grey colour I applied to the sleepers as well.
Testing on Gundah Junction is a new loco (to me), a class 15, another product from the famous loco manufacturer BTH, who also made the infamous NSW 41 class pictured with it. Up until a couple of years ago the Cowan traction substation near me was still full of BTH (British Thomson Houston) electrical switchgear, still going since the late 1950s, so they did have some stuff that went the distance in the railways here. The 15 was another good price purchase, to then find out it didn't do anything on the track. Turns out that it had a decoder in it, so it wouldn't go on DC of course. So got a blanking plug and away it goes, very nicely done with the lights too. That's the third OO loco I have got cheap with a decoder in it. One day when I do a DCC layout I suppose they might be useful.
Next step will be tidying up the board join PCB "sleepers", then applying dirt to the ground before adding ballast.

Cheers
Tony