December Update

Merry Christmas to all my followers.

This month activities included an ops session, that new booster..., Xmas breakup and Vale Pierre G.

Ops Session at Wayne's

Alan, Don, John, Murray, Ross and me joined Wayne for the final operating session for the year.

Don examining Loco at Dunkleigh Towers

John working Dunkleigh Towers

Wayne and Alan

Don and Murray

Ross, Don and Murray

John & Don

New Booster

It is still on back order...................... 

Xmas Breakup

We had a beautiful meal at The Hub Tandoor they looked after all twenty of us very well.

 

 

An accident...

Vale Pierre G

Whilst we were having our Xmas breakup dinner I received news that Pieere (currently on leave from our group) had died earlier that day - it was a shock for everyone that knew him.

RIP Pierre

That's it for now so until next time.....

-ooOOOoo-

November Update

This month activities included building a cement loading facility, wood loads, two ops sessions and that new booster.

Cement Loading Facility

I bought this kit on eBay some time back and finally put it together see the progress pictures below.

I needed to adjust the height above the rails so I made some "Concrete foundations" from balsa wood and glued the structure on them.

Testing for clearance

Time to paint the foundations.

Colour looks about right!

Time for some weathering with a sprayed on india ink wash.

Positioned on the layout for trial loading before fixing permanently

Modelling Wood Loads

I am following Wayne's lead and have been preparing some wood loads using balsa stock and printed sticky labels cut to wrap them.  I need 30 packs to fill the bulkhead flat.

Ops Session at Wayne's

Barry, Chris, Des, Don, Peter S and I joined Wayne for the ops session.  We had a fun time but we had a turn out failure at the entrance to the hidden staging yard which resulted in a blocked approach so three trains were cancelled until maintenance could attend to the problem.

Peter and Wayne

Don at Lowood Crossing

Des at Red Rock

Des and Peter S at Red Rock and Wayne at Waverly

Wayne at Dunkleigh Towers

Chris and Des approaching Valley Junction

Peter S and Barry Shunting at Red Rock

Barry & Peter S at Red Rock and Chris and Des at Dunkleigh Towers

Enjoying afternoon tea after the run

Peter S and Barry

Don, Des and Chris

Barry & Wayne

Ops Session at Ross's

Barry, Chris, Don, Rosslyn and I joined Ross for a running session which lasted for about one and a half hours.  We enjoyed supper afterward.

Don, Barry & Rosslyn

Just where did that train go?

Ross & Chris

New Booster

It is still on back order......   I emailed the Canadian supplier a couple of days ago and have just received a reply that it is still in Germany....

That's it for now so until next time.....

-ooOOOoo-

October Update

The extent of my activities were were still somewhat curtailed as the dreaded lurggie hit the family and we still have some family issues.  However I did go with the boys on the Afghan Express Trip, worked on the control panel indication issue,  reset after failed Ops Session, Train Masters TV Session, Ops Sessions, Trainspotting and sourced the new power suppply for the long awaited new booster.

Afghan Express Trip

Barry and I travelled to Pt Augusta to meet up with Don, Rosslyn, Grahan, Spacky, Spacky's Grandpa & Jock for a great trip.

Getting ready to depart Pt Augusta

Don "educating" a german tourist

We had lunch at "The Austral Hotel" in Quorn.

L-R Jock, Rosslyn, Grandpa, Barry, Me, Graham, Spacky & Don.

Post Lunch Photo

Ready to depart Quorn

Back at Pt Augusts

Afterwards we enjoyed a nice BBQ at Jock's place.

Reset after failed Ops Session

I have spent about five hours putting everything back to start positions for Session 4 following the aboandoned seesion back on 1 July this year.  I just have to reprint some of the instructions which were "marked up" during the original session

Control Panel Indications

Last month I said I have had issues with the LED indication for the top level double crossover near Onka Valley.   Well they are fixed.  Turns out the Frog wires from the two turnouts were reversed....

Train Masters TV Session

With the layout out of action I hosted a Train Masters TV session whilst Spacky & Jock were down.

Spacky proudly wearing his Model Rail Radio Tee Shirt

Looks like  afew Decoder Buddies will be ordered!

I cooked a BBQ after the session and we carried on chatting before going back downstairs to watch some of Spacky's trainspotting videos during the evening.

The boys all watched on while I was cooking

Jock with Little Jock

Little Jock

Some say the profile is very similar!

Spacky

Don

Rosslyn

Chris

Ops Sessions at Wayne's

We had two sessions whilst Spacky & Jock were down the first on Monday then again on Thursday.

Monday

Don & Des at Lowood Crossing 

Chris at Valley Junction

Jock and Spaky getting instruction from Wayne at Red Rock and Rosslyn at Acton

Jock and Spaky working Red Rock 

Thursday

Jock & Chris at Upsen Downe

 

Rosslyn & Spacky at Valley Junction

 

Wayne at Red Rock

Don at Lowood Crossing having crib....

Spacky & Rosslyn at Valley Junction

Afterwards Wayne BBQ'd some Metwurst - very nice!

Story telling after the run....

We had fun despite the 32 - 35 degree heat!

Spacky, Jock & Don go Trainspotting

It has been a busy week but due to some long days "the boys" have been up early or out late doing some train spotting and recording some video..

New Booster Power Supply

I have been looking for a reulated supply that deleivers a minimum of 6 Amps at 19V Regulated DC so the booster input voltages match.  The HP laptop power supply I had, unfortunately was a three wire one which "looks for the right componets to be connected to it" so, it is now in the bin.

I managed to find a two wine 19V Regulated DC 9.5 Amp one in eBay!

New Booster

Still on back order......   I rang thge Canadian suppier and was informed that apparently the delivery from Lenz has missed the consolidated parcel despatch twice now and the unit is still in Germany.

I was informed it will beat least one month before I receive it!

There will now be no more ops sessions this year.....

That's it for now so untill next time.....

-ooOOOoo-