Model Trains and Things

Back in the 1930′s it was not uncommon for quite large amounts of gold to be carried south from Alice Springs to Adelaide on the Ghan. The gold would be delivered to train just before departure time and locked in a safe in the Guard’s compartment.

In 1935 one such shipment – weighting about 34kg - went missing from the train’s safe and, despite a thorough investigation, no one was ever charged over the missing gold and it was never recovered. There are some who believe that the gold never actually made it back to civilization and that whoever removed it from the safe buried it near the track in what was then a very remote part of Australia.

Now two Territorians are setting out to find the gold and you can read more about them here.

This has got nothing to do with trains … I just wanted to give you all nightmares .

As you read this you should be aware that bull sharks are blamed for most shark attacks in Queensland – and it seems that you’re not even safe from them when you’re on a ferry.

http://blogs.abc.net.au/allpointsqld/2008/03/the-shark-rides.html

And don’t forget … they breed ‘em bloody huge in Queensland

Here is an interesting detail photo of a limestone hopper taken at Moss Vale down in New South Wales

If you’re into scratchbuilding you soon begin to realise that there are lots of everyday things around you that can be used as the basis for parts. Even the humble Bic biro has its uses and here is how one guy in Italy turns the caps into headlights for his locos.

In just four simple steps he’s got himself the cheapest headlight you could find. You’ll find those four steps here.

Update: If you’re wondering about what sort of adhesive to use for this project Mauro used a two-part epoxy.

It’s sometimes hard for me to believe that there was a time when I scratchbuilt in N Scale. NSW S trucks, a BPV, a TME, an SAR SOC wagon … those and others all rolled off my hobby desk and onto the layout.

But that was backwhen I was in my 30′s and these days my eyesight just isn’t that good anymore so I’ve stepped up to On30 and the scratchbuilding will begin to happen again. Others though go much bigger than O and here is a link to a website that displays the work of a number of large scale modellers.

These models and layouts will blow you away.

There’s been a lot of prototype waffle here lately so now it’s time to step into some modeling with a link to site that features the work of a master in the art of weathering.

Here is an interesting website that reveals some of the weathering techniques of a real craftsman. His work is outstanding and he certainly has the ability to add character to out-of-the-box models with just a little dirt and grime.

Ok, so it’s been nearly a month since I last posted here. My conscience has been bugging me and telling me that I would feel a whole lot better if I actually got round to posting the last photo in this segment but unfortunately work … and lots and lots of it … has been getting in my way.

But now here I am to post the last interesting photo I took the last time I was in Newcaslte and here it is:

If you look back at the photo I showed you in Part 3 of this series you will see this train coming in the distance. It didn’t take long to arrive either because it was moving along at a smart pace despite the fact that this loco, like the Government steam locos, was in the twilight of it’s life.

The loco was one of three very similar 2-8-2 tank locos built by Kitson for the Richmond Vale Railway. The locos were numbered 9, 10 and 11. No 9 was built in 1908 and carried 4567 as its builders number.

No 10 was built in 1911 and carried 4798 as its builders number. No 11 was built in the same year and its builders number was 4834. Number 11 was scrapped in 1968 but 9 and 10 remained in service until 1974 and I believe that both are now preserved.

Toni and I are actually planning a very quick trip to Newcastle this Easter to meet a new grandson and of course I’ll have my camera with me so you never know what I might have to show you on my next trip to Newcastle

Yesterday, when I started this series, I showed you 5262 waiting in the exchange sidings at Hexham. You can find part one of the series here.

5262 was being held in the exchange sidings because 5476 was approaching with a string of non-air hoppers destined for another mine further north.

5476 is travelling on the down line reserved for coal trains while over on the Up main line there’s a 620/720 set ready to depart for Newcastle.

Looking north as the train rattles and clanks by.

Bringing up the rear of the trains is yet another CHG guards van. There were plenty of them around the Hunter Valley coal fields in those days.

You’ll notice that the guard is riding on the back platform and that’s where most guards who had to travel in these vans seemed to spend their time. Evidently the interior of a CHG was not what you would call salubrious.

You’ll also notice on the right of these two pictures that there’s an open wagon in the siding that’s being unloaded straight into the truck. In 1972 the New South Wales Railways would still carry single car loads of just about any commodity that you wanted to ship.

Pac Nat

- cut off from it’s Brisbane terminal on Tuesday when a north bound QR freighter derailed eight wagons and left the main northern line blocked till Friday morning. You can read the news story here

- and out of the grain haulage business in Victoria. Oh the joys of privatisation where railway companies don’t provide services for for businesses that are affected by the drought. You can read that news story here.

Victoria recently bought back the railway lines from Pacific National – will we see government run freight operations reappear in that State?

On a positive note for Pacific National – they are very close to finalising some coal haulage contracts in Queensland. Expect an announcement any day now – not that it will do much good in easing the coal export problems because the choke point seems to be the ports and not the railways – although that depends on just who is trying to cover the bum at the time.

I can’t believe that it’s been almost 3 weeks since I’ve been able to find some spare time to add something here. Things have been so hectic with business and family that I haven’t even been able think about getting any modelling done.

But yesterday I wandered into the newsagent’s here in Hervey Bay and found that the December issue of the Australian Model Railway Magazine had arrived and it’s got me fired up again.

I have to say that it’s one of the best issues of the magazine I’ve ever seen. Of course that’s an entirely subjective view and I don’t really think that I’ve ever seen a dud issue but this month’s certainly appealed to me.

Not only is it packed with some interesting articles but some of the new products that have arrived on the scene since the last edition also caught my eye.

For my N gauge interest there’s some urethane dogbox carriages from Peter Booman’s Workshop and just to revive the narrow-gauge bug that occasionally bites me there’s a Brookville diesel kit in O gauge that’s now available from Christmas Every Day here in Queensland and Bergs in Parramatta.

So if you’re not a regular reader of the Australian Model Railway Magazine be sure to hit your hobby shop or newsagent and grab a copy.

Sooner rather than later I’m going to have to make up my mind about just what I want to model.