Timaru in the 1900's

Well, after another day in the mansion there is a bit of progress to actually see, but its only painting the track. Oh, and adding some check rails and tweaking others to get the gaps right.

So, sitting down in the evening and having a read and I come across this photo (in New Zealand railway memories).


This struck me as providing the germ of an idea for a shelf layout. the main station is out of shot on the left the main line curves away from the camera on the right and there is a wharf curving towards the camera on the right. Thus one could have main line trains running behind and shunting at the front.

I'd come up with a plan, but I'm busy cutting up bits of cardboard today in the Man-sion

Running in place

Well, after several hours in the Man-sion yesterday, there is no sign of progress short of the appearance of 2 small control panels on the last module. While this is the final instalation of the point throws on the layout, it doesn't seem like I'm getting anywhere on the surface which is the bit everyone sees. As part of the control panels I also installed the wiring for the point frogs, with the acompanying obligatory shorts. As an interesting aside, for some odd reason I seem to have run out of the black wire, while still having plenty of red. Common sense would suggest that I should have used equal amounts of both. Perhaps the extra black wire is off having fun with my missing socks?

I am also starting to look round and there are a few tidiying jobs to do before the meet next weekend and some vacuuming as well. By the silence I'm assuming I'll just be looking after the usual suspects....

Also, and I'm not sure if I have linked to it before, here is an extremely useful little table of scale rail sizes. Basically for us choosen scale modelers the 2 useful ones are code 55 which corresponds to 100 pound rail, and code 40 which corresponds to 75 pound. Code 70 at >160 pounds is too far out. At the other end of the scale code 30 (which can be got as strip) corresponds to 45 pound, which would work for early track work pre 1900 and later on remote branch lines. However its increased fiddlyness I think would push it beyond my meagre track making skills.

Something a little bit bigger.

A while ago I blogged about working on some rolling stock for the Fell Museum in Featherstone. Since then, its taken up space on one of my work surface but not much else. Yesterday some pictures were circulated that indicate that the scenery bit of the layout is at the finishing end of getting on. Freshly armed with a new enthusiasm to 'not be last to the party', I started. I had decided to replace the collection of 4 wheeled wagons with something a bit more period accurate. First up was a standard La1. I rescaled the plan for 1:100 which was what my memory told me was the right scale. Banging the old plasticard together and we got to this.

'Hmmmmmm'

On the left, we have the NZ120 La, in the middle the 1:00 La and on the right a Lc of indeterminate scale. The La looks very narrow gauge. Running the measuring stick along the rest of the various bits give various ratios from 1:105 to 1:110. Its like stepping back 25 years to our young days of rubber banding scales. Now normally I would say 'stuff it, lets build everything from scratch', but in this case there is a stack of well made stock that I could never replicate, including a very nice 47' car/van. so, back to the drawing board we go.
(If anyone wants a plasticard la top in 1:100 scale, give me a yell, I've got one going cheap...)

I also managed to fit in some work on Paekakariki, completely the Air rail siding. Not much, but its just ticking things off. There are few jobs I want to get done before I get back to being behind at work next week.

Clearing house

A stack of small stuff tonight, so without further adoo;

- A small group works on towards an NZ120 competition cup for the convention competitions. Initial thoughts fort he name are the John Rappard memorial trophy. Awarded for the model of a New Zealand prototype to a scale of 1:120 that gains the highest percentage of possible marks during judging. (Categories 2.1 to 2.12). Hopefully this is OK with everyone and we can hopefully get it past the convention committee in time for the convention.

- The initial get together is now down or Schloss dandruff on the 22nd of January. Entry will be a model (of some sort) that you are currently working on or have recently finished. Some S scalers are allowed :v). Not sure what we will do for lunch, but there is also a steam/diesel excursion that day, with a locomotive swap at palmy, which might be a good assembly point. No idea what we will do for lunch either but we will take it as it comes.

-2 hours in the shed today gave no visual improvements but I added in the loco depot DCC booster. This involved working out just what the hell I had done under the hood, but turned out to be as easy as cutting a couple of wires. I had to make a few alterations to the wiring but its now all up and running. The power supply has a bit less juice that the main one so locos slow down/speed up on entering/leaving the depot track. Next up I will look at doing some hand held controllers to add to the Zepher jump ports. I'll also have to come up with some 'novel' control boxes. Still not too sexy, but more important than the pretty stuff. I also fixed another couple of track problems, but I keep finding more.

On Tour; Another little gem.

On tour to another out of the way preservation site. Today its the turn of the Tokomaru steam museum. I had been thinking of paying this site a visit for the whole of 2011, but didn't quite get that far. Looking for things to do with the parents I noticed that yesterday was a steam day with everything up and running.

The museum has a large collection of stationary steam engines rescued from many old industries, mostly along the lines of 'If you can shift it, you can have it!'. Watching some of these huge machines in almost silent motion is very impressive.

'A very large silent steam engine'

'A steamy steam engine'

But that's not why you keep turning up to read this blog, so lets cut to the good stuff. The museum has a surprisingly good collection of small steam locos. In steam today we had a Manning Wardle 0-4-0. This was towing a home made coach which reminded me a bit of some Swiss maintenance wagons I have seen.

Now unique in New Zealand, Tokomaru has a train set type loop of track, which means that one can walk a very short distance to photograph the 'train' again.

As can be imagined the curves are quite tight, and the grades quite steep at each end. I have seen photographs of a 47' carriage and 30' van running and this must have been a struggle for the small locos involved.

A Fowler ex the Napier harbour board. A sister loco is restored to running condition at Silverstream. I think this might be a runner (I've certainly seen photos of it running in the not too distant past, and the funnel cover is a bit of a give away as well).

A second Fowler, this one ex the Linton army camp where it was used to shunt the sidings at the bottom end of the camp.

There are also a couple of bush locos. Climax 522 worked for Ellis and Burnard and was apparently at one point named Mountaineer. Today its looking a bit worse for wear.

The other side of the cab looks a bit worse.

Next to it in the shed is a price C 0-4-4-0, forerunner of the Cb.

Looking at this I wonder why I spent so much time getting the cab front right.

The bogies are just as small as they look.

Granted that these locos are in rather a poor condition at the moment. I have no idea about any current plans to restore them. However, they are undercover and safe for the time being, and far more restorable than locos that have been pulled out of river banks.

There was also the obligatory baby Tr.

'Does every preservation line have one of these?'
'Does one get handed one for saying "we are going to open a preservation site?"

The station, while looking rather nondescript, is rather important historically. It is one of the few WMR buildings (or indeed artifacts) left.

So, all in all a very interesting day out. if you are planning a visit check up here to see if there is a steaming day on. Its well worth the extra effort to have a look. Oh and on a cold day its nice and warm inside.

Dec 2011 NZMRJ Review

DB reviews (and almost kindly for a change):
Now that I am a bona-fide, paid-up, full-card-carrying member of the NZ Model Railway Guild once more, let me post this untimely review of the Dec 2011 Journal. Which to be fair, did arrive in Dec 2011. Unlike the US mags, which for some reason are probably issuing the June 2012 edition to the shops as I write this, chocka block with reviews and adverts for models to be released in July 2009...

But where were we... Ah yes, I was pleasantly surprised with this Journal. I must have accumulated 4 or 5 episodes over my current membership stint and I have not reviewed them thus far, firstly because that is normally Señor Druff's purview, but also for fear of being revealed as the constant critic that I constantly am.

It's a difficult job being the Journal Editor of course, because even in our teeny, tiny country, we are such a diverse bunch. A wide range of scales, eras, capabilities and interests, the balance of prototype/model, the balance of technical/aesthetic, the balance of rolling stock/infrastructure/layout modeling with technical articles. Then of course there is the main challenge - having a bunch of authors who can produce a steady stream of good quality material: without which the mag has no option but to become the Editor's private periodical to fill it's pages. Given all these challenges, the Journal has done very well over the 30 years I've been looking at it. Incredibly well given the small size of our modeling population.

Given all this diversity and my usual grumpiness about such matters, I suppose it shouldn't surprise you that my numbers rarely come up. Indeed for me the past year has provided few article oases in a desert of content. A nice Ab on a bridge scene, a CB plan. I'm sure there were others that don't come to mind.

The Dec 2011 edition, however, did float my boat. How could it not grab me from the very first impression - a tasty shot of a nicely detailed DJ which looks a little different from the norm. Yes it's completely scratchbuilt by Brendon Lean. Splendidly detailed, painted and weathered, and with just the subtlest hint of (and this is entirely the wrong phrase) "almost perfection" that proves that this is a model lovingly built from scratch, not just some guy slapping a kitset together or diddling something up on a computer. Nice to see such a beautiful handbuilt model from this dude who is churning out some really nice work. The best model I've seen in a long time.

Nice pics of some Auckland Subbie cars from Mr Palmer with impressive (even under the cruel close-up microscope) hand cut flush glazing.

Drewry DSA - another bloody nice model of a yummy prototype. Thoughtfully planned, detailed, CADed, cast up into a kitset, and nicely photographed too, as is most of the Journal. Certainly a strong contender for Model Of The Journal, maybe the strongest, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to give the nod to Mr Lean for not using a computer to make his. Not that there's anything wrong with that of course, its just harder to get all the bits straight and lined up perfectly without one.

A fairly technical article on producing plans from pictures - I think I need to read this a few more times to fully get it, but the concept seems very useful. This is followed on by the plan generated from the theory - the Bush Tramway Club's Goodman battery loco - and a matching article. Articles on obscure and esoteric prototypes has been very Journaleque for a long time now. I suppose someone is interested in tunnel profile cars and the like, but I'm afraid it's not me. I must admit to reading the Goodman article twice though even though it's not really my cup of cider.

The Merrijigs sawmill - I liked this a lot. A small, simple layout, nicely detailed and photographed. OK so it used Pugs rather than an A or a D or a Cb or some hokey bush tractor, but who cares. The scenery, detailing, weathering and more importantly, the overall effect is just stunning. Quintessential NZ in a few square feet. If this isn't inspiration to get out of the proverbial Modeler's Armchair I don't know what is.

Track Cant - Now there's a subject that is guaranteed a yawn or two, but no, somehow some more useful info on how that should be modeled. I think I'm on some sort of Journal Crack.

Container plans! More modernish-image content! Even in NZ120! Yes! I love these 'wagon' articles and plans. I see a GSY in my future...

Most of the second half of the book I'll pass on, although there is a piece on model photography at the end if you are into that sort of thing. And I am. Although I learned everything I know from this amazing post and this follow up one.

So all in all, a good read this edition with more useful and interesting content than about a decade's worth of the Model Railroader. Not so much for you people interested in hot-water-powered transport other than a very nice pic of journal fixture Wa 289 in the photography article, but perhaps your numbers will come up next time.

Reviewer's recommendation: go out and git yerself one.

Something different

With the parents in residence this week, there has not been too much time for modeling. However we have been on tour. yesterdays excursion was across to Whanganui and a trip on the 'Waimarie'.

This is the last paddle steamer left in New Zealand, and like all good restoration efforts in this country, was dug out of a river bank.

It is a completely different feeling of motion compared to a screw propelled. There is a definite 'back and forward' motion with every 4th piston beat. The toilets are located behind the paddle housings, possibly to provide a cheap bidet.

The draught of the boat is 22" with a full load. This means (to those of you without a nautical bent) that its very hard to keep it heading where you want it to go as it suffers from a lack of direction. Its worse in a wind.

The soul of the beast. its a marine yarrow boiler, a replica of a 19th century design. It chews through 1/4 ton of coal an hour for a speed of about 11 km/hr. A single sculling rower managed to keep up with us up and down stream for the entire trip.

Don't show the greenies, They don't understand that its good healthy coal smoke.

The inside of the boat has been similarly restored to its original condition.

Also on show was a smaller boat, powered by one of those new fangled internal combustion engines. these were used on the upper reaches of the river up as far as Taumaranui. The propeller was mounted in a tunnel to protect it from the river bottom. This boat was also rescued from the river and restored over a 20 year period.

Also on the waterfront was the beginnings of a tramway restoration effort.

Unfortunately I didn't have time to have a look inside. Maybe next time.