Station painting continues, plus some distractions

 Wagga Wagga Station painting, and a derailment at Bomen.

Firstly, I would like to apologise for my last post.  It was far too long, and apart from a nice 3801 picture, not much new.  It did however, give me a chance to complete the tedious task of painting the Wagga station, without having an overly long gap in my blog posting schedule.

3801 visit

After turning on the Cootamundar triangle, 3801 returns light engine to couple on the rear of the train returning to Junee.  I was fortunate to ride on this train (April 9, 2021)

A chance to get into the loco cab was not to be missed.  This view from the long line of people at the Junee Roundhouse awaiting their turn (April 8, 2021)

Wagga station painting

2 coats of "streetwise" red sprayed with my airbrush.  I probably should have used an undercoat, as the red did not cover that well. 

The first coat of cream ("Bamboo Cane") contrast colour applied.  Having the window and doors fixed to the walls made the painting task a lot harder.  Note the roof was removed, and the station spun to suit my painting style. Even so, trying to paint the details, without the paintbrush slipping onto the red was very exacting work, and limited by my concentration to roughly one hour sessions, maybe twice a day. The odd glitch, touched up with some red.   

After what seemed like a month, the painting is now done.  2 or 3 coats of cream colour brushed.  The roof, and chimneys, being removeable, were rather straight forward - roof iron sprayed Tamiya aluminium, with the only brushwork being the attic vents, and the gable ends.  Aluminium also brush painted on the guttering.  Some dark green colour also applied inside the the window and doors for the main entrance, and on the platform side  (not shown) 

Glazing the station

I have made a start.  These pictures illustrate my technique

I used a post-it note behind the window openings

With a pencil, I drew an outline of the windows.  This outline is a bit rough, but it is only needed as a guide for the 0.010 clear styrene to be placed over the post-it note.

A different type of paint brush - a "bow pen" is essential for drawing window frames.  I bought this handy tool in Hong Kong in 1985 for $HK20. The width of the line is adjustable over a wide range, and can take all paint types 

Tamiya dark green paint is used for the frames.  The bow pen line is very straight. The rest of the colour is brush painted on the clear styrene to the lines drawn on the post-it note below. After drying, position your window frames against the window openings, and if not right, make adjustments

When happy with the frames, glue the clear styrene to the inside of the station walls. The result was all but invisible - which is why I have used another post-it note to show the framing

Bomen Derailment.

Last Thurday morning (April 15th) at 2:50am, an SCT freight train derailed after passing the former Dampier street level crossing.  Media reports said that 5 locos were involved.  Soon after daybreak, I saw my first picture

This picture (also appeared on the Junee Facebook site) shows a mess. One loco on its side, another 90 degrees to the track, with its end, and wagon just on the mainline near the loop point just visible (lower LHS of picture)

The line south of Junee to Melbourne was immediately closed.  The night down XPT which was to cross this train on the Bomen loop, was issued an emergency  stop order, and it reversed back to Junee.  The down steel train arrived later, and was marshalled in Junee until the line was cleared.  

I couldn't let this photo opportunity pass, so I headed to Bomen for some of my own pictures.

From what I could make out, the train derailed on the catchpoint/derail, that you can see in a picture I had taken of the site a few years ago.  Most of the train though had not derailed, as it was sitting on the Bomen platform track, and not the mainline

View of the line, looking north from the Bomen station.  The loop point can be seen on the mainline, and the catchpoint is visible just beyond the Dampier Street level crossing.  I am planning to model this level crossing, although the loop passing track is far too recently added for me to include. However, details such as the derail are needed to protect the mainline. 

Of course, the cause of the derailment is subject to an inquiry.  But the 5 scenerios that could have caused it are

1) Driver passed a red signal

2) Signal failure

3) Loco was already derailed prior to the catchpoint, and the derailed wheels hit the derail.

4) Brake failure

5) Track problem

Why the train was on the Bomen station line, and not on the mainline may also be asked.

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I noted that the steel train was leaving Junee on Saturday morning (April 17th 2021), so the mainline was back operational just 2 days after.  Well done.  However, the bomen platform track took some extra time.   I passed the site on Monday April 19th, and the cranes were still there

This derailment made the national news, and disrupted trains on the busy Sydney Melbourne route for over 2 days. 

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Until next time

Layout design and philosophy

 

For those who were expecting another post on Wagga Wagga  station painting?  Sorry. Painting is progressing, and whilst I am making good progress, I can only spend so much time on the workbench, before my concentration gives out, and mistakes happen.

 

So, in the meantime, I have reworked my layout sketches

3801 excursion train approaches Junee April 5, 2021 after spending Easter running shuttles out of Albury.  Photographed just before sunset.

Wagga – A layout designed for operation

 

It may be of interest when you are viewing my trackplan sketch, to know some of the philosophy behind the design.

One needs to have a proper idea of what you want in a layout, and design it for that purpose.   I have based the operation on real railway practices.  The layout does not have a long mainline, and running trains in scenery has taken a back seat to my interests of signalling, and shunting.  Mainline passenger operations are simple. Having a mix of industries in Wagga, and up to Tumbarumba should allow trains with a purpose.  The industries are REAL – nothing is made up, although the 1970 timeframe is stretched a bit to incorporate industries that were established later, for instance - 1971 (Tooths) and 1974 (Barnes cannery)   This is where research is really coming into its own

My proposed layout is prototypically based on Wagga, so in some ways, I already have limits on what I can do, and can reference the Southern Region working timetable.  But, it also has a need for 7 operators, and it will be operated very much along the lines of a USA layout operation if people are familiar with those..  Staging yards will have already formed trains.  Some trains will simply run from one staging yard to the other.  Some goods trains will need to drop, and collect wagons in Wagga’s goods siding loops, to be shuffled to the 13 industry sidings, in the Wagga yard area with an X200 shunter.  Bomen station will allow mainline goods trains some shunting.  Local passenger train to Tumbarumba is normally a CPH.  Goods trains to Tumbarumba are trains that will be made up in the Wagga yard track, but the branchline can generate goods traffic that has destinations for on-line sidings on the layout.  The Wagga signal box will be manned, and control the train movements on the visible portion of the layout.  A “train control” position  (dispatcher) is responsible for ensuring trains enter, and leave  the layout from/to staging, by assigning drivers.  This will keep trains moving.  A CCTV system is available to the train drivers so they can watch their trains entering, or leaving the staging yards.  Once a train has entered the staging yard, I do not expect it to re-appear in the operating session – although the train controller has full access to the staging yards, and  can shuffle a train from one staging yard back to the other using the “X” factor layout design I am employing

The branchline is quite long, and engine drivers will be able to shunt trains and wagons as needed.  Point control on the branch is with wire in tube from the fascia – so eliminating complex electronics on the branch.  The main Wagga station area points and signals are  electrically controlled from the level frame, with simple wires going to tortoise motors (or servos still thinking about it).  The only DCC selectable complex electronics is for the route selection of the staging yards, and that is assigned during an operating session by the dispatcher, not the driver.  The dispatcher will also have a manual green/red signal for the train drivers prior to them entering the hidden staging.

Room size – 9 metres x 6 metres – although there is an kitchenette and ensuite also within this area

Walk around control for all trains. Wireless an option, but lots of wired facia panels

Big width aisles, with short pinch points only. – but we will see

Double deck, with stations on the upper level staggered to not be directly over the lower level stations.

Shelf width only, apart from the Wagga yard – limits the scenery task to basically between the fence line

Radius of 24” (60cm) on the branch, and sidings  28” (70cm) on the main. 

Probably will use NCE DCC.  Only a few locos will be sound equipped – most will be non-sound DCC or sound turned off, as I find sound to be annoying in a room if more than 2 trains  have noise makers.

Reseting the staging yards is via the “x: factor design” and will probably take just an hour. But that will also test almost all the locos needed for the operation session

The big concern with my design is access to  the hidden staging if there is a fault/derailment -particularly as I will not have more than around 15cm of clearance below the Bomen yard.  Am considering a fold up hinge for the entire Bomen station area, although that complicates the trackwork joins, and electrics

Notes.

Tumbarumba

1) Barracks building.

Barracks, as restored on the railtrail

2) 60’ Turntable. Scratchbuilt Manual table, awaiting detailing and painting

3) Goods shed and 5 ton crane.  Models have been made

4) Station building. 

5) sawmill. 

Image supplied by Mark Pottie

6) Potato Shed.

Potato shed in the background. Photo by Graham Pegg

7) stock yards

Humula.  NB Trackplan not yet finalised – I may flip the station, and loading bank

8) stock yards

Remains of stockyard - 2020

9) Perway shed.

Last train - 1974

10) Toilet block and lamp room

11) Loading bank – used for local timber mill etc

ARHS tour 1965 shows station. G.Lillico picture

12) station building

13) Signal box

1980 - 5 years after abandonment

14) Scooter's bridge – relocated from near Ladysmith – similar bridges near Humula

Borambola

15) Goods shed

16) station building shed and water tank

17) stock yards

Ladysmith

18) Station building

19) Signal box – (similar to the one at Tarcutta)

20) Toilet block and lamp room

21) Goods shed

21a) SM cottage 

21B) Perway shed

22) Silo – part constructed

23) Kyeamba Creek bridges – built

Wagga Wagga

24) Boral

25) Esso depot

26) Tooths depot

27) Shell depot

28) Caltex depot

29) 60’ turntable – I have an Antons60 foot table

30) Barracks

31) Goods shed and crane

32) loading bank

33) Murrumbidgee Milling company

I have more recent pictures, but may have to base my model on this early one, as the present size of the mill building is huge

34) Wagga Wagga station – under construction

35) SM residence

36) Signal box – made

37) Cottage and old gate keeper cottage

38) Best Street bridge

39) and 39a)  Footbridge

40) BP depot

41) Hardys Timber siding

42) Wagga gasworks

43) Speed-e-gas depot

44) Trucking yards stock loading bank

45) Urana Street crossing, and Kapooka road bridge (to act as a tunnel portal)

52) Murrumbidgee River Bridge – 2 spans constructed – viaduct flexible to fit available space

53) Gatekeeper cottage

Tony Macillwan picture.

54) Edward Street level crossing

55) Docker street level crossing

56) 56 lever frame – 1/10 scale – Part built

Bomen

46) Wagga Abattoir, and stockyards

Site of former siding

Shunting the abbatoir siding

47) Barnes Cannery

Tracks in concrete still visible behind the gate

48) Station building and signal box – scratchbuilt.

49) Level crossing and SM residence – residence built

50) Hollanders leather works

1990 aerial image of the Leather works

Siding, and dock. The new shed is on the site of the leatherworks

51) Shepherds Siding silos

Staging

54) Scissors crossover – X factor design element – Shinohara acquired

55) 3 metre staging sidings for long trains (eg Southern Aurora)

Final thoughts.

Sorry for the extended post.  But taking inspiration from the prototype adds greatly to the authenticity.  Most of the pictures are those I have taken myself - but without the efforts of others, I would have many gaps.  Thankyou.  

Construction of models for this layout will take a long time.  But having a few already built will speed the layout construction.  And most of the track in my plans is subject to refinement closer to the actual platelaying, so please don't be too critical.

Until next time