Layout Contest

Well, here are the entries in no particular order.
(This is a long post tonight, but worth it I think)

1) Onehunga Branch (Michael Harrison)

1970’s / 1980’s NZR Shunting Layout

One rainy day, I was having a look through some old New Zealand Railfan magazines and came across a photo by Ken Cousins in the DH Photo Stop in the June 1998 issue showing DH 903 shunting the small Onehunga yard.
Living in West Auckland, I had never really explored the Auckland rail system and having nothing better to do, drove out to Onehunga to have a look around and found…. well nothing. The yard was gone and the track looked in very poor shape.
Several years later, I decided to build a small layout and it didn’t take to long to come back to the photo of DH 903. A small loco, 4 wheel wagons and a compact yard. Perfect.
I managed to get my hands on a track plan of Onehunga and that’s about as far as my layout got. A work transfer to Dunedin has put the brakes on the whole scheme although recently I’ve started to have another look at Onehunga even though the prototype is now a little further away.

Onehunga – The Plan

The plan above shows Onehunga as it looked after the triangular platform was removed and the yard and goods shed were modernised sometime in the 1960’s (I think). I have left out the sidings that lead to the sealed loading area and the line that continued to the Onehunga Wharf. This leaves a very basic plan that includes the platform and small passenger shelter, the modern goods shed and the railway crossing.
Because this would be my first NZ 120 layout, I would use PECO points and flexi track because they are easy to use and reliable. You could use switch motors but I would change the points by hand to keep the wiring simple. The staging has been designed so that it can be easily extended and reused on a future layout.

Rolling Stock

Because of its small size, I reckon you could easily operate this layout with a single loco and around 10 wagons and carriages. I’ve included the carriages for the subbie service even though passenger services on the Onehunga branch finished on the 19th of January 1973, just to add some variety to operations.
I’m new to the whole NZ 120 scale so I’ve chosen locomotives and rolling stock that to my knowledge are available commercially in New Zealand.

eTch ceTra

DA 1970’s Red with white / silver stripes or
1980’s Fruit Salad

DC 1980’s Fruit Salad


Cross Creek Models

Bodies only. Requires chassis or bogies.

KP Weathered Silver and Red Oxide
LC Red Oxide

50’ Steel Carriages Red

Conclusion

I don’t have any pictures of the Onehunga Branch in the 1970’s or 1980’s that I could load onto the net and for some reason my scanner isn’t working. However, the June 2008 issue of New Zealand Railfan had a great article on the Onehunga Branch by Trevor Cheer that would invaluable for this project.
For someone with little room for a NZ themed layout or someone that is considering a change in scale (like me) this could be a good project to start off with.

2) " Eastern Approach To Kaimai Tunnel " (ECMT)


A simple set of 2 straight & 2 curved A3 (400 x 300) modules. The left hand module starts a bit before the points to the Whatakao Loop , the right hand module starts/ends at the tunnel mouth. A basic scenic module set, but has the ability to be expanded to the right, and used as a storage/fiddle yard inside the tunnel ( as suggested by the modules in yellow ). Or expanded to the left, adding additional modules of the Whatakao loop, bridge over the Wainui River, onto the Apata station.

Tunnel entrance east portal.


Df 6006 having just exited the tunnel heading towards Tauranga.

Both pics taken in 1983. Contrasts quite nicely with todays vegetation regrowth.

As a bonus, here is a link to a Youtube vid of a cabride in a Dft from the Works Rd overbridge, through the Whatakao loop, ending in the tunnel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQmiPAomXFY

Well, what does the peanut gallery think then?

Must go and find my tossing coin...