Hi there Sandbar, to Platform1. It's great to have you onboard. Please get yourself comfortable, have a look around and at your own leisure, come back and tell us a bit about yourself and your modelling interests. It is always good to know where people have heard of us so if you don't mind please let us know. I'm sure you'll enjoy your journey with us. Loads of friendly people on board who are always willing to help or even just gave the crack. Look forward to hearing from you. Cheers Toto
A warm welcome from an unusually sunny Dundee. You'll find us a friendly helpful bunc , who love to blether and even do a spot of modelling. I look forward to hearing about your modelling interests and adventures - we're nosey that way once again welcome to the forum. Paul
Thanks everyone, I came from G scale back down to ON30 when the back yard became to steep and my mountain goat ability declined due to age & eye sight on rough ground. All my layout is now in my 4 X 8 metre shed. Some photos of my old layout can be found if you google "Sandbar & Mudcrab Railway" Thanks for the warm welcome and looking forward to some constructive time. Cheers from Andrew
Goat ... I heard goat!! ... from a very sunny Spain Sandbar ... as the others said get yourself comfortable and have a mooch ... sounds like you could share a few tips ... goat eh ... Ian
4 x 8 metre shed ...... you must really struggle with that. That's a house where I stay. Great to see you jumping in. I'll look forward to some photos when you are settled in. Sounds great. Cheers Toto
My layout was the copy of Thunder Mesa. Here is the link to the track plan. http://thundermesaminingco.blogspot.com.au/p/track-plan.html The main frame for the layout is constructed from steel purlins from the former garden railway with timber risers. Plaster is coloured with pigment that usually is placed into cement, this gives a red (Ayres Rock) look. It is installed with all the gradients and I have since added another 5 metre leg with sidings. All DCC powered (NCE Twin) with 2 bachman ON30 Porters with sound. The Porters had very bad pickups on the back of the wheels, which I think was due to poor quality brass material. I added DCC Concepts wiper pick ups plus extra pickups on a OO gauge coal wagon permanently attached as a tender. This loco can crawl around with wheels just moving without a stall if required. There is a reverse loop at each end with auto reversing system. Presently the stage is at the making of trees. these are just basic pine trees. I have made about 100 so far. Also thinking about some buildings, as a ore mine is already in place but with so much track it needs a purpose to operate. Forgive the bit of a long rant, but it should give you an idea of what is happening "up in the shed". Cheers from Andrew
Hi Andrew, Not a rant at all. You carry on. What a fantastic link that is. I have only just skimmed the surface but I think I'll be returning often to take more of it in. Terrific.
& Sandbar to Platform1 You On30 project sounds interesting When your ready start a topic about it for all to enjoy. I'm guessing your also a Down under modeller ? Again Welcome to Platform1
G'day Sandbar, Welcome aboard from Sydney. I had a feeling that you may be from Oz with that name, and you reside in a nice part of the South Coast. (Bomaderry, nice place, my folks are in Nowra). I take it that you have had a good look around the site and find it entertaining, thought provoking and you should also find the members very knowledgeable and likeable. Enjoy your stay with us, enjoy the forum and of course, enjoy the banter that is P1MRC ! Cheers, Gary. ps. Are you coming up to Liverpool (Sydney Model railway Exhibition) on the long weekend ?? Come and say hello at the P1MRC/Industry Lane exhibit.
Gary, yes I am thinking about Liverpool. My nickname of Sandbar came about when I was a Paddle Steamer Captain on the Murray River at Echuca. P.S.Canberra was my main vessel. The nickname came about because there were no charts of the Murray & at low water during winter I had to find water to operate. I think I hit every sandbar around the town. I might add that that year I was the only vessel to operate due to low water, (2 ft) with natural deep water holes in the river bed as well as snags. High river goes up to 32 ft in flood time depending on rain & snow melt upstream. During my time there I replaced the tubes in the boiler and was preparing for restoration. I used to fire her up for heating in the winter. She was diesel powered but now has been converted back to steam with a Marshall steam engine of 12 nominal HP. Fuel is red gum logs. Cheers from Andrew
Wow. I think it would have been the 'PS Canberra' I rode on about 35 years ago ! I do recall another paddle steamer that was on display in the park outside the Heritage Centre, to which I think has been restored to its former glory. The name 'Adelaide' rings a bell. I possibly still have the pics somewhere, don't ask where ! I'm certain my folks would have pics as well. I also remember the stories about the men who fell into the bridge piers when they were being poured ! Cheers, Gary.
Yes that's right Gary, it is supposed to be the old story of men falling into the wet cement while building the bridge pylons & they could not be recovered. But that story has no concrete evidence! The other paddle steamer is the Adelaide, built 1866 & now fully restored. Her power was an old steam locomotive with the wheels removed & coupled to the paddles. She could pull 2 barges and is known (unofficially) to do 16 knots. Steam is very quiet on the boats, you can talk to people on the river bank as you go past. The only sound is the paddles as they dip in & out of the water. The "chuffing" you hear on some boats is the valve settings adjusted so people recognize the steam engine sound as the boat passes by. Cheers, Andrew
Welcome Andrew/Sandbar, great to have you with us, love the On30 plan, and the track plan is certainly impressive, look forward to seeing how you get on. I love the story of your nickname, and the paddle steamer story, I am a sucker for old machinery and steam, do you have any photos of her? Cheers, Pete.
Pete, my wife has the photo put away somewhere (due to scrapbooking). She has so many albums that I have to ask her where certain photos are! Also I have some home videos of Canberra, Adelaide, Emmylou, Pevensey & also the restoration of P.S.Enterprise, built 1878 which is now on Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra. Enterprise was restored at Echuca for the National Museum Australia. Cheers, Andrew
Now the paddle steamer Pevensey rings a bell. I have a feeling that was in the water when I was down there long ago ! Cheers, Gary.
For all who have never seen the paddle steamers in the Murray River, here is a video of the paddle steamers at Echuca. I acknowledge this was Taken from Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSMhflcrXpM Features mainly the steam engine of the P.S. Etona. She was built as a missionary boat for the Murray River in 1898, and funded by the boys from Eton College in England. You must remember that the river at that time was the fastest means of transport until the railways came. Plenty of footage of firing and running of the steam engine. As a extra bit of trivia, my son was baptised in the Murray River using Etona to steam down stream to a nice sandbar for the ceremony. Cheers from Andrew
Interesting thread youve got going here and fascinating stuff ... odd choice of name 'Pevensey' though seeing as lts where William the Conquerer's army beached when invading England ... mmm Ian
This Pevensey is named after a sheep station of a small holding of 116,994 ha. They had there own wharf to load bales of wool which Pevensey towing 2 barges carted the wool down to Echuca & then placed on a train to Melbourne to be sent overseas. Andrew
Now that was worth watching, great video, great find. The old wharf hasn't changed that much at all ! I could see some Victorian rolling stock sitting in front of the goods shed, but I when I was there, an old K Class (?) locomotive resided in the goods yard as well. Cheers, Gary.