Tuesday Nighters and More Progress.....

Tuesday evening 17th April the Tuesday Nighters had their get together at our house. We almost had a full house with eleven of the guys coming along to see if we had made any progress. There was the usual banter from the guys but overall they expressed approval at how much we had done. Even that “dyed in the wool” New South Wales modeller, Craig (Cassino) said some kind things.

The Tuesday Nighters settled in for an evening of discussion, fun and eating. 17/04/2012
Each of the guys settled down to discuss their latest modelling achievements/problems, read the magazines we had put out, while eating the pikelets (with jam and cream); buttered cinnamon bun, cracker biscuits with onion/bacon dip as well as some corn chips while having a cup of tea or coffee.

SHELTON's GALLERY - Shelton, one of the Tuesday Nighters took some great images which he has allowed me to share with you.
PK with a cup of coffee, Mike reading a magazine with Raymond and Brendan also seated at the table while others gather round the urn while they get a cup of tea/coffee. Image: Shelton 17/04/2012

Yours truly, Mr Grumpy - well I am not really grumpy. Staff at the Museum tell me I have an "upside down smile". Ha! Ha! Image: Shelton 17/04/2012

Raymond's 0-4-2T Porter a Bachmann loco customised by a fellow in Canada from whom Raymond had purchased it on E-Bay. Image: Shelton 17/04/2012

My K-36 No.491 stands in the original yard we had built a long time ago. Image: Shelton 17/04/2012

Darren and Craig helped me with setting out an alternative track arrangement at the eastern end of the new yard. I had planned for a through road through the mining branch engine shed and a stub siding but over the previous weekend, Raymond and I had come to the conclusion we would not be able to get it to fit. Darren and Craig proved us wrong by inserting turnouts in alternative locations. We left this trackwork in the locations temporarily so I could use it as a template over the coming weekend.
The trackwork that Dareen and Craig laid out on Tuesday night. Thanks guys this was a great help to how this end of the yard turned out.

On Saturday, 21st April after Raymond and I had visited dad we went to Austral Modelcraft where I purchased a further four turnouts for the new yard. We then went to Jaycar at Kuraby where I purchased a Duratech digital soldering station ($179) and a magnifier/light laboratory desk lamp ($119). I had been thinking of getting one of these lamps for some time so, I finally decided to “lash out” and buy one. I had been evaluating soldering stations for a few weeks so that was another major purchase. Raymond has said he will continue to use his old Dick Smith unit for soldering electrical wires to the track while the new iron will be used for wiring locomotives etc.

We spent Saturday afternoon further evaluating the track layout that Darren and Craig had put together on the previous Tuesday night. I still had a few issues with it so kept playing around with laying out the different turnouts and track sections.

Sunday morning early, before Raymond was up and about, I drew out in pencil on the plywood baseboard several different track alignments. I had set a number criteria that I was aiming for – track centres to be no less that 3¾ inches; the track should not get too close to the edge of the baseboard (preferably 2½ inches minimum) By setting the track out at the absolute minimum and then the absolute maximum I found that one of the criteria I had set myself for the track could not be met. But, by selecting the mid-point of these two extremes I met what I wanted. I redrew the track out on the plywood and rubbed/sanded out the earlier track drawings. I had to alter one of the extra plywood supports where two plywood sections came together but this was not a serious problem. Instead of having one long joining strip to strengthen the join in the baseboard I had to make two shorter pieces so as to allow the Cobalt motor and turnout wiring to be fitted where the joining piece had been.

When Raymond surfaced we discussed the layout and agreed it would work so he set about installing the track and turnouts after wiring each turnout and each section of flex-track.

We finished installing the final three turnouts and track except the two sidings into the ore processing facility. I want to think about how we should set this out first, whether one track goes into a building or one goes up onto a low trestle for unloading. At this stage the buildings may need to be scratch-built / freelanced. It remains to be seen.
The eastern end of the new yard virtually complete.

The eastern end of the yard complete except for the two industrial sidings into the mineral ore processing plant. The turnout leading to these future sidings can be seen.

The western end of the new yard. I think it looks quite impressive. Can't wait to start doing the scenery.

Raymond intends to start doing the wiring next weekend.
The wiring awaits Raymond's skills.

We feel we have achieved a good deal over the past few weeks and to finish off this weekend we have just spent a pleasant half hour running a K-37 2-8-2 backwards and forwards over the start of the new section.