Dargan

Yes Tony, the clothes lines have not gone astray as I am trying to work out if I should incorporate the old single line with a clothes prop in the centre or the forerunner to the Hills Hoist which certainly came on the scene in the late 50s along with the FC Holden Taxis at the station. I think I will run with the hoists as they will fit in easier than the single clothes line. As a coal mining area, the ladies would be used to the impact on their washing, not just from the passing steamies but from their own coal fired heating and wash house facilities.
We certainly have a lot to consider when we model our railways. And here I was a while ago just thinking I needed a bit of track to run a few trains?????

Cheers

and happy modelling

Richard

 

Hi Folks

PROJECT UPDATE #16

I just cannot believe that 2018 is about to conclude but looking back, a good bit of progress has been achieved with Dargan with the street scape well and truly underway. It certainly adds to the growing picture of the township so what better way to end the year than by adding some more services for the growing population. Two traditional country style corner stores have just opened and have proven to be very popular with the locals. As I have some degree of influence on who gets to operate things in Dargan, I decided to put my trust in the future of the town and have purchased the first of these businesses. Naturally it had to have an appropriate name:



Well the other one just balances the street and competition is now rife, but I am of the unbiased opinion that my natural charm will win over the customers:



With all the activity going on in the township, it was with a certain amount of pride that we welcomed the Postmaster General's decision to open full postal services. This was followed closely by the arrival of the Commonwealth Bank:



But something is missing? Ah yes, the cast iron post office box and a vehicle to deliver the mail!



Now I can sense those purists in the UK wondering why British telephone booths and cast iron post office boxes are included in an Australian layout? Very simple as the bureaucrats in the Post Master General's Department (which in those days was responsible for both postal and telephone services) merely followed what was done in the Auld Country. As did those in New Zealand and goodness knows where else. What a wonderful boon these proved to be in Australia with plate glass windows and little ventilation in the telephone booths. No wonder phone books did not last as most were used as floor stops to prop the door open and get the temperature below 50 degrees C. They were still around in the early seventies: not the phone books though.

Development notes: The post office building is that of the old one at Lithgow, just up the highway from Dargan. The Commonwealth Bank is the Cowra branch and quite typical of many in country NSW. They were the original buildings taken over from the Government Savings Bank of NSW which failed in the early 1930s.

And the completed street scene. Note the level crossing signals operating in the background. All street lights work but are segmented. I just forgot to turn on the last string outside the restaurant and hotel:



Well thats it for now folks and I trust you and your families all enjoy a safe and happy Christmas. Note that I said Christmas and not any of those other politically correct bits of nonsense like festive season.

Best wishes and happy modelling

Richard

 

Thanks Gormo and Tony.

We really did have a great day and something that I am sure will be replicated later among us local members. Gormo's wonderful video of Dargan shows just the scale of my layout and as he said on the day, still pictures just do not do it any justice and it is something I have been struggling with since I started the Dargan thread. I am not much of a photographer but am trying to hone my skills.

To this end I will soon start up a new thread (but also replicate it in future Dargan updates). This will be Dargan...The Movie, where I hope to cover progress to date but also branch out to cover Australian outline Locos and actual trains complete with their running train numbers. Probably that is one of my major likes, eg W44, the concentrate train from Broken Hill to Sulphide at Newcastle and all the terrain and different locos in between. Who knows, perhaps other local members will bring along specific trains to showcase, as long as at some stage they ran through the Blue Mountains to the great west of NSW.

Dargan...The Movie, you may be pleased to note, will not be produced by a rank amateur such as myself but by a kind colleague of mine who understands such things and does not want to see me embarrassed by posting what he regards as my rough old attempts. Time will tell.

Kind regard and happy modelling

Richard

 

Thanks Pete

I am glad that Gormo left the banter in the video as it adds a bit of the fun we shared on the day. Makes me think that for my forthcoming videos, the cutting room floor should be left in.

Cheers

and happy modelling

Richard

 

Thanks Jinty and very nice to have you on board.

Cheers
and happy modelling
Richard

 

Thanks Ed

Always more to do but that is the way of model railways. They should never be finished!
My resolution for 2019 (among many others) is to get the back scenes installed. I have all of the materials but the hard part will be removing the steel supports for the shelving above the layout so I can put the ply covering in place. It will be done though!

Cheers

and happy modelling

Richard

 

Thanks Chris


Although not yet covered in my writings, Dargan's deviation was quite a historic undertaking coming from the main western line and servicing the coal/shale mines at Glen Davis. Really was the first design and construct as you go and quite an engineering feat for the time. I will try to get hold of some early and very historic pics I have seen of men hanging down the side of cliffs on ropes setting explosives to create a shelf for the line. It would make for a great plank.

Cheers

and happy modelling

Richard

 

Thanks Dave

Back from a very nice cruise to New Zealand and unfortunately got a case of the flu on the last day. Now recovered after two weeks and ran a few models on Dargan for the first time in over a month what with all the issues. Absence makes the heart grow fonder so I had a great time playing trains.
Most of the pre production work has been completed on Dargan-The Movie ( by my far more talented video mate) and we hope to get the first few instalments posted shortly. Had some great news on the weekend though as one of my locos has been returned to revenue service after a long period of disgrace. My fleet had included the two surviving 38 class Pacific locos in 3801 (streamlined) and 3830 (non-streamlined). These were the epitome of Steam hauled passenger services in New South Wales and really looked great when double headed and pulling a string of 12 wheelers. Unfortunately 3801 suffered from out of quarter disease which is a common affliction with these Eureka models. Very hard to find a cure but now some three years down the track...Success! The good people at Hobbyland in Hornsby (Sydney suburb) have completed very delicate and time consuming surgery and 3801 has been returned to revenue service. Runs like a dream and she is overjoyed at being reunited with 3830.

Must now include on a future video the two of them again with those 12 wheelers in tow.

Cheers for now

and happy modelling

Richard

 

Thanks Gloria

Both a labour of love and both are continuing projects. Model railways and car restoration are never finished and we can always find things that can be added or improved. Both, of course, can be regarded as somewhat recalcitrant on occasion but then the issues are resolved and all is forgiven....until the next event?

Cheers

and happy modelling

Richard

 

Yes Tony I think a few people are wondering about the 38 class re-run and as you say, given the likely cost, is it worth the potential stress? Not now an issue for me as I have the two models I wanted in the the fleet and they look great. I must post a pic rather than wait on the video so you can all see the outcome. Lucas is now working on another project for me in the Auscision 43 class. I have all the bits and pieces for DCC sound conversion but it is just a little bit too complicated for an ageing eyesight so I will leave it to Lucas to solve. Like the 3801, this one has been hanging around for a while. It has never been run.

Cheers

and happy modelling

Richard