Train Bins™ for Travel and Storage

DB picked up a few mid-sized Sistema plastic tubs when they were on special a year ago, and has been pottering away making foamboard inserts of various shapes and styles for quite some time now. 

Weights take out any natural warp in the foamboard base

My base layer is a stiff plastic floor tile as the plastic bins have a natural fishbelly depression in the centre. On top sit two or three layers of inserts. 

 The coal hopers have had little bits of plastic bubblewrap stuck between them, and there are bits of kitchen towel deployed in places too to cusion the inserts from the sides. 

This weekend these splendiferous Train Bins™ will make their first trip north in anger to visit the Christchurch Train Show.

New Year Modelling Day: Waihao Forks Update

The Southern MD contingent got together on 1 Jan 2025. What better way to start the year. 

A quorum was quickly declared with three attendees. 

All the tools, none of the skills.

The first item on the agenda was looking at stuff, chatting and pondering.

The second, and primary item, involved bringing the Waihao Forks module out into the sun for the first time in a few years. Its a really impressive wee piece, with a lovely CNC cut ovoid shape, hand laid code 40 track that was completed by Trackmaster RB about 15 years ago and wired and adjusted by MG around 2016. Time and relocations had resulted in some damage to the ends, so it was decided to add Fremo120 ends for connectivity and protection, 30cm across. 

Damaged code 40 track sections at the ends were replaced with Peco code 55, which looks a little Cold War in comparison to the filigree handlaid stuff, but we needed to extend the tracks out over the new endpieces, didn't have any spare code 40 handy, nor anyone who could deftly work a soldering iron to the standard required. 

This worked out OK. Peco code 55 is of course the same height as code 80 but with two track webs - one visible, and one buried in the sleepers, which is why the stuff is pretty sturdy.

This pic from a precious MD post on track. For the transition to code 40,  bottom web of the Peco track was filed off, leaving a much finer piece of track with a web on the bottom. A fishplate was added to this remaining web, and the top of the rails filed down a smidge to match the height of the code 40.

Some of the sleepers were removed and replaced with a thin PCB one to help with the height change. Sounds a bit dodgy, but wagons rolled very smoothly through this. It will all be ballasted over to hide the worst of the chunky bits.

The ends were soldered down to EB's ModelTech rail aligners (copper clad PCB sleeper module joiners with little notches to facilitate alignment).

The meeting adjourned for a late lunch at a nearby hostelry. 

After sustenance had been taken, work continued on the end pieces, and on freeing up and repairing two turnouts. This required freeing up the rodding and reattaching point blades to the throwbars. One was successfully resuscitated, and one remains a work in progress.

Among a few other projects tackled, MH brought along  "The Grassinator" so we all had our first attempts at static grassing a small test section of DB's Studholme. The first task required was to perform surgery on a donor power adaptor to get the right voltage and polarity into the beast. Our results were mixed, being three men who just decided to crack into it rather than reading the instructions first. This is a topic that we will revisit in a future post. Once we have read the instructions. 

But a success for The Forks, which is looking rather nice. 

Sorry to the purists, but we had no ye olde period rolling stock on hand. 

Saturday morning

Well, its raining here at La Casa Dandruff, which means that gardening duties are taking a back seat this morning.

On Waitangi day a group converged on Grant Morells place in the Wairarapa to look for lost modeling mojo. Grants layout has featured in the journal ( and the book of faces), but I may as well add a few shots.
Grant has a rather salubrious railway room off the main house

  A rarity in this country is a full NZP layout that runs well and is fully sceniced. The time taken just to assemble kits tends to leave little for the lineside items

'Carterton'

'Logging and Booths landing'

Several other modelers had brought along items. However I believe that these are Grants and the concrete pad is part of a loco depot that's under construction.

As well as a wee bit of modeling, bollocks was talked and the borax was poked.

Most amusing site was the solution to pickup problems with Cabbages dubs A with sound. This involved being pushed/dragged around the layout by Quentins B class Fairlie

I have come away a bit more inspired than I was, and with some better ideas on what to fit into the room. The roundy roundy idea has been dropped and A point to point idea is forming. I just have to work out the track plan to provide enough running/shunting interest.

Druff & Co. - Precision Engineers

No job too precise or delicate!  Accurate to 0.4 of a metre!

Let our trained staff help with your projects using tools from our extensive workshop!

Pizza Layouts a specialty!!

Druff & Co. - We put the "Ass" in "World Class".

Sunday meet.

Well, open the door to the garage and it attracts all sorts of odd people.

'Officer, my garage is full of modelers'

 So, what happened on the day? New models were examined, the urine was taken , borax was poked, and my collection of tools were mocked (again). Business as usual really.

One thing that did get moved on was the Bush tram layout. I have not been overly happy with all of it for quite a while now, and today was the catalyst. The new blue plastic was put on the table, and some track was plonked down. The piece of track work from the abortive 'Grassmere' was returned from its 3rd owner. It has now become part of the layout on the NZR side. The main line will have the NZ120 Freemo modular face plates (of which another set was sold today to an unsuspecting S scale modeler). Wagons will be dropped off on the back shunt front center. They will then be transferred to the sawmill/ fiddle yard at the back. the bush tram locos will run on the separate loop.
I lie this plan a lot more as its much smaller (it fits in the back of the car) and it gives me a chance to have a second shot at bush scenery that I failed so dismally with on the first attempt.

As a final note, any other photos or videos that may appear on here in the next few days casting aspersions on my mechanical skills have obviously been faked on photo shop. You have been warned...

Saturday morning

Just as a quick note, there is to be a gathering at Schloss Dandruff tomorrow. All the usual suspects will be on site from around 11 AM.
If anyone else local is interested then contact me by e-mail and I'll send you the address.

Modeling saturday

So, what happened?

First up, I decided to run a few errands in palmy. This got nailed by everywhere I wanted to go not being open till 10 or 10:30. Finally got everything done, then though I should pick up some cheese and crackers for the visitors. Its amazing how when you are in a hurry everyone else slows down.

Finally got home at 11ish to find Drew leaving as I wasn't at home. not sure what the neighbours thing about lots of car horn but it did attract his attention. A surprise visitor was Cabbage who was allowed out for the day. A call from Am fet and mike revealed that they were just passing paekakariki, and there was an open day and they might not make it.

Drew had brought a little German, and in no time this was up and running.

It is quite nice to look at, and I can see the attractions. Its also a good target for Nerf guns. Am fets defence that 'I'm more use to human targets' is just an excuse for the American style 'blaze away with enough shots and we'll hit something' ( I hit first time, then commented 'so its not overly hard then?).

Micheal had brought along his NZ120 minimo module. its the first one I have seen in the flesh, and its surpassed my expectations for the initial idea already. I had wondered if 20cm was deep enough to model 3D terrain. I'm pleased to report that it is.

I finally managed to get out into the shed and continue the rebuilding of my baseboard joins.
I inserted all the PCB sleepers that I could fit, and then applied the glue. The Eds ran over it without any rocking which hopefully will still be the case when it is complete.

Buoyed by this success I charged off and cut up the tracks on the second module join.


Its not overly pretty but it should work.

Sunday I'm off to Paekakariki to do some photographing.

Saturday Afternoon....

First stop for the Druffmeister: Holding court in Pukerua Bay...



(From left: Brabs, Cabbage, Mish and Goobah. Front and Center Herr Druff. Photo Am_Fet).

Weekend meet

Well, since the question has been posed, I was thinking about starting at 10:30 ish to give out of towners time to get here. Lunch I'm not sure what will happen but we do own a small BBQ.

As for what is planned, not really that much. Some are planning to bring along a project, and Paekakariki will be available to those who have trains to run (well, even if its only 12' up and back). Oh, and they will need to be DCCed. The power supply seems to be quite grunty and could well fry anything else. Hopefully I'll have enough bits by Sunday to do a track making clinic of some sort. Marks model works will be around to supply assistance in the dark arts of whatever it is he does. Others I'm sure will be there to supply pithy and/or useless comments.

For those who want to come along, e-mail me and you can get the secret password (oh and the location). Remember admission is a model that you are either working on (and I think we will have some tables) or have recently finished. Only fair I think.

Saturday morning

Well, another weekend has arrived. Fortunately this one is accompanied by inclement weather which means that it will be time to get back out into the shed. Its approximately 100 days to the convention, and things need to start moving along a bit quicker layout wise, so there will be much thrashing of minions (note to self; discover where one gets some minions. Maybe they come as a boxed set at the warehouse?). I will also have to better resist the lures of bush tramways as well (which I am seriously failing at)

As an off thought of this, how many others are planning to go conventioning? Mr Trackgang will be there (I assume) plus the motley collection of odds and sods of bloggers from this site, but how about the rest of you? And have you started on that modeling project for the competitions?

Also, assuming that Paekakariki gets to the ball on time everyone is welcome to bring rolling stock along to run. BUT if you want them to run anywhere except the north and south mainlines their wheel sets will have to fit the NMRA gauge. that means that anything with PECO sets is ruled out from the yards, and locos with tight wheel sets will have a hard job of it in the depot.

So, back to the benches everyone, and lets make a decent showing for our scale.

Meeting up part II

OK, so assuming that this 'meeting did go ahead;
-Admission is everyone brings a model or plate of food?(or both?)
-Would a free for all and chat be OK, or should we do some mini clinics on modeling skills.
-If clinics, what would everyone like to see 9(I can offer track making and guards van construction)
-What sort of dates. is it too close to Christmas, or would the 17th/18th suit (the 9th/10th might be pushing it a bit organisation wise)

So feedback from local readers would be good as well, assuming the local club guys do read the blog. its more for you than the usual suspects.