Tracklaying Continues and Wayward Tankers

The final extension is pretty much on schedule. Risers have arisen and roadbed has been laid! The 1^st 5 metres of track was laid this weekend, all was going well until I realised I had exhausted the supply of cork!

I’m using Railcraft / Micro Engineering Code 70 flexi track for this last section. It looks great but it certainly is a challenge when trying to bend it into shape especially when compared to Shinohara or Peco. Maybe I’m missing something so if anyone has any suggestions, please advise!

At left: 4429 is in dynamics as it eases it train down the grade from Bungulla towards the abattoir on the newest section of Tenterfield. SHELL station may one day sit on the  highest point of the layout which is above the VSX flat wagon at the rear of the train.

I’ve included a photo of the latest infrastructure acquisition; SHELL station! This mysteriously appeared recently, perhaps as a peace offering! I believe the story goes back to one Friday evening when we were test running the “Austrains” 4 wheel fuel tankers. A test run normally includes allowing a vehicle to roll down the 1 in 50 spiral from a standing start. The spiral commences at the Down end of Tenterfield Stockyards and finishes at the Up end of the Bluff River Bridge. Yes I know not exactly like the prototype but it’s the only way everything fits in the room!



4429 heads an up goods past SHELL station!

One tanker had begun the test and its rolling resistance was very minimal as it was rolling down the spiral at a speed which was not causing alarm (not too fast, not too slow). The tanker had reached the bottom of the spiral and was about a 1/3 of the way across what will become Bluff River Bridge when a regular attendee who will remain nameless (lets call him “The Man with the Moustache that Twitches”) decides to dispatch a 2^nd tank car down the spiral! It wouldn’t have been so bad if he had let gravity alone propel the tanker down the grade but no - he had to apply some assistance by giving the tanker a push start! From the moment it left his hand everyone in the room knew what the outcome would be but we were all powerless to intervene. It was over in seconds; the now speeding tank car No.2 comes into contact with the now near stationary tank car No.1. The end result; tank car No. 1 on the concrete floor! I suppose it could have been worse, if I had the Bluff River Bridge in place the tanker would be in the river and I would be answering to the EPA! Tank car No.1 was assessed in the workshops and returned to service after minor repairs.

A re-creation of events as seen by our resident cartoonist is attached.

SHELL station will need to be relocated from its existing spot which will be in the middle of Bluff River Bridge! It may well be renamed Bungulla and placed at the highest point on the layout!

I may now also have to include a SHELL siding to store any wayward tankers but I will ensure it’s at the bottom of the grade and not the top just in case there is any wayward shunting!

Until next time enjoy your trains!



Layout Construction Update

Welcome to 2012!

So far the year has started well; family and friends around, plenty of cold beer, warm weather, cricket on the big screen and some quality time in the train room.


Tenterfield yard looking south



Have managed to complete the final section of benchwork which will change Tenterfield from an end to end layout to one that will allow continuous running. This should allow me to warm up all those decoder fitted locos before programming them as recommended in the documentation!



Last Friday night was spent drawing the track plan for the final section onto cardboard which had been placed on top of the newly completed bench work. This allowed me to work out where the risers are to be installed.



The final extension with the sprial
and the south end of
Tenterfield in the background



Australia Day is a club running day and there are family duties at the Gold Coast this coming weekend so the manufacture and install of the risers may be a week or two off yet!

 I've included some photos of Tenterfield yard, the stock sidings and a couple of the final section of bench work. The straight frame section lying across the bench work will sit in it's current position but another 400mm higher and on a 1 in 50 grade. This will be between Bungulla and Bluff Rock.



Tenterfield stock yard siding looking

north towards Wallangarra

I'm consulting with the IT gurus in the family to produce a layout diagram of the Tenterfield I'm creating, hopefully in a post or two. The assistance of a consultant should ensure that it doesn't require the services of Mr Squiggle for an interpretation!

 



Until then enjoy Australia Day and your trains.  

Welcome to Tenterfield in HO Scale

Tenterfield in HO scale has been developing since January 1991. On a return trip from Sydney the opportunity was finally taken to call at the then recently closed Tenterfield station. It seemed to tick all the boxes; NSW prototype, a decent yard for shunting, a loco depot, a road bridge at each end to act as scenery dividers and through traffic to an interstate change of gauge terminus that would allow whatever traffic I desire!

Twenty years on, the family has been educated and a change of house has allowed building to proceed. My aim has been to re-create Tenterfield yard and some of the other main railway features in the surrounding area. This includes the Tenterfield stock yards, the Bluff River Bridge, the old New England highway overpass between Bluff Rock and the Bluff River Bridge and possibly the Tenterfield Meatworks. Operation will focus on steam and steam / diesel transition periods. Perhaps that indicates the fact I’m a late baby boomer!!

The track is a combination of hand laid and propriety code 70 with the majority of the points being hand made using a “Fast Tracks” jig. Track work is 70% complete with the remainder planned to be completed by the first ¼ of 2012.

Any steam era photos or information of the Tenterfield railway environment would be greatly appreciated!

Stay tuned for progress and I look forward to receiving your feedback