An update

Its been a fair while since my last update which has been mainly due to the fact that theres been little progress but lots going on in life outside! So ill do my best to write a few posts with updates. Firstly heres some photots from past running sessions. Most of these feature another local modeller "Melbourne Sparks" who makes some excellent models of trams and tramway equipment. 

My first loco (like most people I'd wager) still running strong although it'll be ready for some work soon

 Porter number 9 running a pass

Melbourne sparks's Sydney steam tram and trailer. Built on a stainz chassies it runs as good as it looks. Trailer is built from plywood, styrene and PVC pipe for the roof. 

 #9 crosses the grade crossing

till next time.

Building a bridge

The G scale layout itself has existed for just over 3 years (as far as i can tell) and yet in that time it has probably only had about 6 months of running on it total spread over those three years. The culprit for this quite terrible performance is the long curved trestle bridge at the far end of the railway. This bridge was designed to be the feature point and as such has different height bents on a constant curve into a short straight, the bents were constructed from hardwood on a jig i made on some plywood and have survived the weather quite well being completely unprotected. The deck was the major weakness of the design being made from marine plywood which after a year managed to get moisture in it even though it had been coated quite a few times. it was so bad every time the Aristo C16 drove over it you could watch the deck deflect by over 5mm! I really should have screwed the deck to each bent which would have held it together but for all of the reasons the bridge was never very good

Mark II bridge

Due to the aforementioned problems with the wood decks i had the idea of using plastic garden edging for rails and recycled plastic garden stakes as uprights to make a kind of plate girder bridge. Unfortunately the girders cracked as soon as i tried bending it despite trying to build it with a curve in it! As mark two never got beyond construction i dont have any photos of it

Mark III

Mark 3 is a bit of a blend, the best of both worlds if you like. It uses the recycled plastic tomato stakes as uprights with a wooden deck screwed on using brackets. this has been by far the most successful iteration of the bridge requiring no maintenance in the four months of continuous operation (trains running every day!) this bridge is due for some aesthetic upgrading at some point as I loath the "railway on stilts look"

 Test fitting the bridge deck before painting (note one of the original trestle bents reused on the new bridge)

Completed bridge with a visiting lyn from the eltham south electric tramway

 Painted bridge

Train dashing across

Another update, prototype aluminium bar point has failed miserably so back to the drawing board. Once i get some cash back post Christmas ill invest in some brass rail and try again.

Last night I borrow my brothers camera and attempted some artsy shots...

Thats all from me folks! Have a merry christmas!

Melbournesparks (Alexander) came over for a visit on the newly minted tramway for a run today and brought his very nice Sydney tram motor and trailer to run along with the 2-4-2

Most powerful Steam motor of all time?

Passing the goods shed

Crossing the road

The C-16 was cut in for a loco transfer

Quadriple header!

Double heading across the bridge with some odd cargo...

Many steam motors were relegated to industrial service after they finished as trams

Alexander was kind enough to bring his track scrubber over (the yellow van) and so after he left I ran a few different track powered trains. Here we see No.9 on a trip train

And later on with No.7 Deputising

Ore wagons relegated to MOW service stored out the front of the old goods shed...

I also started on my second Newquida carriage conversion and will do a post outlining that process soon

On the 19th of October 2016 services were finally restored! To celebrate my first G scale loco number 14 (now radio controlled and mid bash) was run around to test the new bridge! It still needs some side girders so it doesnt just look like some sticks with some planks on top but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.Construction of Mk.3 was using recycled plastic tomato stakes buried in the ground with a deck screwed over the top (I will go into more detail about the bridge at a later date). The railway now has a very clear theme being renamed "the North East Victoria Railway" which is a 3' 6" gauge railway running from Melbourne to the North East in 1:24 scale. 

October 2016

Recently I got the Opportunity to visit a fellow garden railwayer, Alexander is very well known to those in the garden railway groups for his amazing trams and for the way he has managed to integrate moss into his railway as ballast! Here are some photos from the day.

Ballarat 33 meets "the beast"!

Alexanders tramway is almost as well known for the local populous as its trams...

My 4-6-0 passes a waiting car

Showing the tight clearances

number 14 and the toastrack meet in the depot

surely this motorist is getting sick of waiting for passing trains!

14 crosses "mint gully bridge" (bridge #2)

My 4-6-0 is a lightly modified bachman annie, it still needs airtanks, front deck, tender apron, and a repaint of the tender frame and chimney cap. Its been RC equipped with the guts from a RC car i made in Tafe

Car 33 prepares to set back into the siding to allow a passing move

'

set back

the tramway was almost exclusively Baldwin powered on the day, The most elusive was the Baldwin steam tram Alexander bashed from an LGB stainz, all of his stock were impeccable runners.

the first of my 3 newquida cars under conversion, still requires the end platforms being rebuilt but it has promise so work will start on the other two soon, this car must have made a good impression because the tramway had ordered two by the next day!

Both Baldwins double heading into the after noon

a triple header was later assembled, you can see more photos here: https://www.gscalecentral.net/threads/eltham-south-electric-tramway.307019/page-3

In other news I havent done much work on rebuilding my own railway due to a holiday in America I can however happily say though most of the moss survived! to finish the bridge though I need a bit of fill so if anyone in the Melbourne area has some spare soil please get in touch

till next time