Another Kit bash update and some .....

 The last kit bash I shared was way back in 2016 when the Walthers Golden Cannery kit was altered by adding a corrugated iron roof, adding and extending the loading docks and extending the cover over the loading dock.

Painting and detailing prior to the assembly were also part of the build.

These 2 pictures show new milk wagons being switched (shunted) at the Dairy spur .

For a more detailed look at the conversion check out my post from February 2016.

One of my earlier kit bash projects was for an Exhibition. The idea was to show the general public that a cheap second hand kit can be turned or changed into something new.

This is a Tyco kit and was first released sometime in the mid 1970s. They were not very expensive and can still be sort on second hand tables or at swap meets.  I purchased it second hand , already assembled.

I removed the roof, wall exhaust and formed base. I then, using white artists acrylic paint, painted over the brickwork.  While the paint was still wet I began rubbing the paint off so that only the brick mortar lines had paint in them.

Styrene is my favourite scratch building material. I cut out a base of 80 thou (2mm) for the base and the cut out the corrugated iron roof . Evergreen 4525 is the product number and looks the part for a typical Aussie style roof.

The covered awning or porch is also Evergreen 4525 and framed with suitable facia and barge boards to make the "right look" . Gutter is Evergreen 291 angle with 4' by 4' posts to hold the awning up and down pipes to finish off the transition.

Corrugated iron rusts, so after painting , I lightly weathered the building and placed it on my layout. 

Having been lucky enough to have worked for the railways , a long time ago. I felt the need to have a small building that I remember from back then. Here is Australia we call our ground staff that put the trains together or switch the various industries, shunters . They play a very important role but were often given the bare basics.

I scratch built this " Shunters humpy" from Evergreen styrene and 'pressed' tin foil in the profile of corrugated iron. Many hours were spent in these small building telling stories and having a feed while waiting for the next job.

Another signature industry on Wattle Flat is the superphosphate siding. I have been driving past Guyra in country New South Wales for over 30 years and always liked the look of this rail served structure.

As in most rural country towns, corrugated iron is used extensively and this structure is a great example. The structure has been out of use for a number of years and fences have been erected in places for animal control. These fences would not have existed if this structure was still serviced by rail traffic.

Not having any plans, only numerous photos taken over the years and my Evergreen Styrene I started cutting. The location on my layout I had in mind for the structure had to be low relief, adding to problem. 

 I made a cardboard mock up by working out the height and length, using rail wagons that were switched under the awning and from seeing when the structure was in use.

The structure is temporarily  placed to check clearance. I have used plain black styrene as the back of the structure to give depth and the rest is styrene strip and corrugated sheet. I then removed the structure and finished off the finer details , painted and then weathered to suit an operational shed.

The finished model, ready to attach to the layout and detail.

Along with the many other structures that have been scratch built or kit bashed I also enjoy converting vehicles into something that is different.

The vehicle is from one of the many manufactures producing excellent 1.87 scale trucks. You may recognise this one on your layout .

I removed the box from the body and then fabricated a head board, timber look tray or deck , tie off rails and vision mirrors. 

A combination of wire, styrene and kit spru was used to get the model ready for paint.

After painting and weathering with Tamiya acrylic paints the truck was placed on the layout. 

There are hours of work on this on particular vehicle that mostly goes unnoticed on a detailed layout.

I could share more and will do in future posts but I think you have had enough.

Thanks for reading.

Remember it is the journey , not just the destination.

Happy modelling.

Long time between updates

 

2024 has arrived and yes , it has been a while. 

The blog I started over 10 years ago was meant to follow the progress of my journey, building a branchline HO scale layout.

The focus has always been towards operation and am happy to say that the ops session held on the 13th January went very well and was a great way to kick off a new year.

The opening photo is the scene you see when first entering the room. The layout is operated as a point to point style, linear design. A combination of open air and hidden staging give the feeling that trains are 'going somewhere'.

There are 2 peninsulas, with back drops that prevent operators from seeing over. Radio NCE throttles are used to control the movement of trains in a 'sequence style' program.

My pre-ops preparation program involves cleaning the track and vacuum. Wheels on locomotives are checked and cleaned. I am lucky in that the  room is air conditioned, carpeted, insulated and lined with dry wall. This keeps the layout easy to maintain and a pleasure to work in. Sometimes the crew lounge is too comfortable and nothing gets done , but I digress

Regular and visiting operators are updated on any changes to the layout or operating instructions after the usual arrival greetings, refreshments and nibbles have been undertaken.  There is always something new to share or discuss and here we see visiting operator Aaron Stinton from Sydney, New South Wales showing the developments in his signal project.

Briefing over and operators waste not time in checking their paperwork and getting the trains underway. Trains are operated under a 2 person crew, engineer and conductor or as we call it in Australia , driver and second person.  In this scene, the Grain train is about ready to depart Wattle Flat yard.  The crew of the mixed goods train are waiting at the 'Home signal' and when 'clear' will enter the station precinct , allowing the Grain train to depart.

Operators rely on the instruction sheet and the X2010 or Train Consist Form. This form lists the car (carriage) numbers for each car and where each car needs to be switched (placed) and if there are any cars that need to be pulled. Sign on locations, date and time, engine number along with operators name are all recorded.  I record all the jobs that each operator completes in a log so I can allocate different jobs each ops session. The information is also handy for anyone working on their MMR , AP program.

The other end of the layout, North Gulgong is where the branchline enters the mainline. Aaron and Geoff are working another mixed freight that arrived from the Sydney (hidden staging) via the west due to track closures (maintenance). The fore ground is still to receive scenery and leads to the open air staging part of the layout representing Newcastle and the more direct way to Sydney. 

Craig to the left is operating the Rail Motor and has stopped at the station. Employees depart here and walk to the Feed Mill complex for their respective shifts. Brendan is in charge of the Grain train and about to switch the silo track on the opposite peninsular.

The relaxed pace of sequential operations , I feel allow for the crews to enjoy and get a feel for what they have to do. There is no need to rush. The 2 crews are working their trains. There is plenty to think about but more importantly enjoy each other company.

Each crew works at their own pace. I typically ops session last 2 hours and then we break for crib and then we run again if operators are wanting too.

There has been a lot of changes from when I last posted and am very happy to say that the layout is 'earning a keep' and providing me and my operators with plent y of enjoyment.

Take care and in future updates I hope to share more of my journey.

Remember this hobby is not about the destination, but the Journey.

Big Daz