Goulburn Model Railway Club

Back from a good running night at the Gouburn Model Railway Club. The club is located in the old staff rooms at the south end of the Goulburn roundhouse and heritage center. They have running nights from 2 till late every Friday and some Sundays. Working bee's usually of a Tuesday. Visitors and guests are always welcome.
With work progressing slowly on the home front going to the Friday night running sessions is always good fun. Sadly with much renovation work still to be done on the building the club only has the compact version of the layout set up. The clubs exhibition layout Bineabeen has been on many exhibitions previously. Then when the original owners put it up for sale the Goulburn club purchased it to use for exhibitions and to replace the aging Argyle layout. Sadly after having gone to several shows it is now temporally suspended from traveling. After sustaining some major damage in transport to and from Malkarra show this year. This included damage to several sections of track and breakage of the main control panel for the fiddle yard points. The track work has been fixed but half the yard points are currently still under manual operation.
The Bineabeen layout consists of a 10 road fiddle yard with dual track mainline for continuous running. once on the main scenic section of the layout this expands from the "up" and "down" mainlines into quad track running allowing slow goods to be held and passed by faster trains. through the island platform. As well as this there is a solely dedicated loop line servicing the wheat silos. This design can allow up to 8 stabled trains in the fiddle yard,  2 in goods lines, 1 in the wheat loop  and 2 running trains. As you can imagine it dose require a bit of practice to maintain smooth operation with so many available trains.


 So to start things off here is a shot looking up the fiddle yard.

Coming out of the south end of the fiddle yard and towards the platform

The main view from the south end at Binabeen station onto the wheat silo.

Passed the wheat silos and onto the north end of Binabeen yard.

Then the yards come to an end and return to the fiddle yard under the bridge.

 From the opposite side now looking from the north end of the Fiddle yard to the road bridge and the main line beyond.

In the up coming months Bineabeen should be extended back to its full length and the other smaller layout the club owns set up and brought up to running standard. I will have more on these as it happens. 

BUILDINGS, BUILDINGS, and BUILDINGS!

I have been a bit lazy lately and not done much unfortunately. however I have started working on some old kits i have had aside for a rainy day. Either building them or detailing them in some way.
I also decided to chop up an old Lima MFE I had to make an attempt at a inter-urban  supplementary passenger and guards car.

 So i took one standard Lima MFE.

 Then turned it into this. still a lot to do but it looks the part.

  Found the old dinning car resin kit I had started and need to finish.

Decided to make 3817 look the part for the end of October. I just might have to run the loco like this for a lap or in a siding some where at the next exhibition just to see who notices.

So first up is the wheat silo's. it's surprising what you can do with some balsa wood, cardboard and pringles tins.

 Most American shops can be made to look more "Aussie" with nothing more than a corrugated iron awning. not perfect but an easy way to fill a space in the main street.

 Most company's that make quick plastic kits have something that fits Australian scenes or is at least easily adapted. Atlas, Walthers, Metcalfe, Peco all have plenty of these kits. I have bought a few of them, they are very easy to build.  Simple things like factory buildings.

 Diesel Locomotive servicing sheds

branchline goods or loco shed

 Even basic cardboard kits come up well like this Brewery kit by Metcalfe.

 Walthers truss bridge is one quite often used and seen at the exhibitions.

Back from the latest running session. With my layout unavailable to be used I am often invited to a running night by my good friend Brendan Winkler. He and his father Chris have a decent sized layout in their garage.

Here is a rough over view of their main layout.
It consists of a two track main line, separating into three storage roads each on the up and down. This enables up to six moderate length trains to be on the layout at any given time. The layout is not modeled after any place or station.

Chris has also built two smaller layouts as well. One designed as a easy to store and move basic branch line. Using a plywood base on a timber frame. Most of the track work is Peco set track to simplify design and construction, which is good for those with limited space. How ever not so friendly for those with larger locos and rolling stock. Much like my brass S class found out. It having too ridged wheel set to negotiate the tight radius curves. But the layout is well suited to shorter branch trains.

This smaller layout is stored underneath the main layout when not in use.
The main layout spanning the complete width of their two car garage. The third layout i didn't get a photo of, but it is a compact 1.5x1.5m set track "Thomas the tank" styled set up. this layout resides in the house on the rarely used dining table.

Now on to the fun!

Any one who knows me is aware that one of my favorite trains to run is my 20 car Indian Pacific consist. This consist also being my most used train, I always bring it with me when the Goulburn model railway club exibits at the Kaleen and Malkarra Canberra shows.

The Ghan belonging to Chris and Brendan. spanning two eras with NR109 as above and CLP11 below.

 The old tin hare waiting  in the loop for 44100 to pass with the up mail train.

 This is my slightly modified Lima 38 class. re-numbered 3817, tender draw bar shortened, wheeles blackened, KD's fitted front and rear. Why 3817? the history behind the actual engines short lived career involved three major accidents (the last of which writing off both 3817 and 6003) made this engine a stand out amongst the other 38's as something unusual to add to the fleet. Thankfully my 3817 has not had the same luck as the real one.

Many thanks to Chris and Brendan Winkler for letting use these photos of their great layout.
If all goes well I should head out to the Goulburn Model Railway Club this week, so there will be plenty more to come.