Some more progress

 Latest updates  on the SM Residence and train room - and a distraction.

In the last 2 weeks since my last Blog post, quite a lot has occured

CLP12 "Casper" is a regular visitor to Junee.  Here it is on the Turntable entrance road.  More of the turntable later

Wagga SM residence

The next area of construction was the 2 story annex, and original toilet block

The 0.010x0.080 styrene strip arrived to enable finishing the roof.   The remaining building additions were also added.  

Before the roof capping added, the SM residence had a large annex that was missing

Annex added

Closeup of the annex.  The door is a scratchbuilt overlay, on a 0.040 thick wall for strength.  Note the roof line variation, and I have not yet added guttering. Photos are useful - the wall join shadow points to a finishing issue

Some detail pictures, taken from the backyard with permission of the owner.  All the pipework will be great to add

Guttering added.  Note the location of the guttering is over the lower window, although nowhere as much as the prototype picture.  With a lot of guesswork for measurements, some errors will undoubtably occur.

Front balcony awning.

Underside of the awning.  The support "triangles" are shaped to support the convex balcony roof

Gluing the balcony awning to the front has made a great difference to the look.  Note the subtle curves of the corrugated iron.  This was made by heating the corrugated styrene in boiling water (*to soften) and then bending the styrene lengthwise to form a curve.  A process I repeated 3 times.  I am not convinced that this method is the best,   

Aerial view from 2020

A comparision picture

Next stages are to work on the balcony, windows, and external pipework.

Train room build (in pictures) 

Great progress occured over the weekend.  The ceiling is in. 

Delivery of ther gyprock sheets etc occured on Friday.  The main sheets are 6 metres long, and bought to minimise the joins

8 bales of insulation.  These are for the ceiling

metal battens installed 

More metal battens for the ensuite area.  The ensuite is to be sheeted seperately from the main room.  Gap is wide enough for the future Tastic (Light, heater, extractor fan)

First sheet screwed to the roof battens.  Insulation added earlier - Note the temporary timber "support", used to stabilize the sheet from bowing during the installation.  The yellow tongue wall made for a secure mount.  

Further sheets had to be stabilised with wood supports screwed to the metal battens

Whilst Matt (the plasterer) was undertaking the patching, Brett knocked up the internal door jamb

Picture taken from the area of the internal door - with the ceiling up, the size of the room becomes apparent 

The ensuite is also now sheeted.  The cornice finishes the ceiling.  This is the shower end

Ensuite - toilet end.  Keeping the brickwork will add some character, although the lack of insulation cannot be fixed with the location of the pre-existing slab pipework too close to the brickwork

Another Bunnings delivery is expected this week - the kitchenette cabinetry, and more yellow tongue sheeting

The distraction - Alistair Gilmour's layout donation to Junee

About a month ago, I was made aware that Junee Roundhouse Museum had been approached by Alistair Gilmour. Alistar was proposing to donate his home layout of the main south mainline from Wallenbeen to Junee, to Junee.  Alistair's home in Sydney had been sold, and the layout had to be removed.

The layout was included in the NMRA Rosehill layout tour earlier this month, and I am indebted to Pat Britten for providing me the following pictures taken during the openhouse.

Wallenbeen

Marinna? silo

Junee used to have a large coaling stage. The roundhouse in the background is approximately in the right location based on the protoype

Half of the Junee roundhouse is modelled fairly accurately.  If you visit the roundhouse (Wed-Sunday), the bays visible are for the workshop.  The side of the roundhouse not modelled is the current museum display

Bethungra

Illabo

Illabo silos

Cootamundra

Alistair has a fairly extensive computer controlled system, and this was included in the donation.  This picture supplied by the Junee group

Relocation to Junee.

On the 22nd of October, I was informed that Simon was looking for volunteers to help unload the layout out of a truck, and into storage.  The time was 8am Monday October 23.  Below are my pictures

The temporary storage facility

Rear of the truck showing the layout nicely stacked at the end of the roadtrip from Sydney

The roundhouse was a large section 

Room half filled.  The layout has been sectioned, and rudimentary supports added for transportation.  I understand that this work was done on site by Alistair's operations group, with assistance from the Epping Model Railway, whist the removal truck waited.   Well done.

Room filled.  

Last Thursday, there was a meeting of interested public, and 18 people turned up, including the Mayor of Junee.  (I have said earlier that Junee was a railway town).  The Roundhouse Museum explained their situation, that they were not presently in a position to rejuvenate, or display the layout.  However, they recognised the uniqueness of the donation. and didn't want it heading to landfill.  The Junee Model Railway club is proposing to take on the custody of the layout, with the first point being to locate a suitable venue - the prefered is the now empty barracks building within the roundhouse complex.  Discussions are occuring.   Cost of fixing the barracks will be very high, as that building will need a lot of work to bring it up to code (public access).  Timeframe for the project - 4-5 years 

The bottom line is that whilst I am prepared to help as needed, my own focus has to be my own layout.  But, I will add snippets of progress to my blog if people want to be kept informed.

Until next time, build a model or two

Slow, but steady progress

 Wagga SM Residence, and Train room update.

Some things cannot be rushed.  Model railways tends to take a back seat for other domestic reasons, and in a month passes without an update.

Parked in Junee at the beginning of October, just waiting for photos.  

Junee is an active railway town, which is one of the reasons I moved here in 2015.  Having a parade of interesting prototype vehicles is a bonus

Wagga SM Residence - roof

At the finish of last blog post, my model had all the main walls, chimneys, and the rear annex assembled.

As at last blog post

Guttering and eaves added

Roof insert

Adding the chimney notches into the styrene corrugated iron sheet was a bit of trial and error.

There was some gaps in fitting the sheets together.  These gaps will be covered up by the roof capping.  I also try and minimize the wastage.  The entire roof was done with about 1/3 of an A4 sheet

Taking the roof on and off, needed the chimney extensions to be removed.  This is why in some of my model pictures, the chimneys are not square

The front elevation is looking very Georgian in style.  Adding the balcony will totally change the appearance

It was at this point, that I discovered that my supply of Evergreen 0.010 x 0.080 styrene strip, needed for the roof caping, was running very low, and I had insufficient for the roof.  So, I have just ordered some more, and am awaiting the postal service. 

Train Room progress (in pictures)

2nd delivery from Bunnings - the internal doors, framing for the sliding door, and insulation for the walls,  Bunnings screwed up, supplying 2 reduced sized doors, where it should have been one reduced sized, and one normal door.  Frustrating.

More delivery  -this time the plumbing.  Note: Copper pipework not shown

Prefab shower (already owned) positioned in the ensuite, along with the small vanity. The shower was fixed in this location later, after the ensuite wall was built

Plumbing installed for the small hot water heater, and sink.  The flexible pipes for the shower mixing tap is also seen

Incoming water line split for the vanity, and the future toilet cistern. The exposed pipework will not be covered by any insulation - the water outlet pipes in the slab were too close to the walls for this, and the expense to try an move these holes, a bridge too far.  The ensuite will have a couple of heater lamps, but that is it for creature comforts.  

Inside the vanity - quite a lot going on

Entrance doorway framed

Insulation added, prior to the yellow tongue sheeting.  This section of wall will be used to display my collection of railwayania, including builders plates.  Being able to screw these things, (some are quite heavy) directly into the wall will justify the extra expense.   

Electrical rough in could only happen once the framing was done.  The main wiring will come into the room near the entrance door.  It will terminate on a subframe switchboard.  Five circuits will serve the room.  1) Airconditioning, 2) Hot water, 3) room lighting, and ensuite heater/extractor fan, 4) Kitchenette power points, and 5 Layout power points.  Having the ability to turn off the layout power points just prior to leaving the room, will prevent the chance of a soldering iron left on, or some electronics on the layout overheating - both serious fire risks

Wiring in the partition wall for the dual power points that will service the train control operating position.  There are 6 double power points for the layout

Power for the ensuite Tastic power switches, and the light to serve the kitchenette

Power points installed in the yellow tongue - separate power circuits - the 2400Watt hotwater on the left, the fridge on the right

Loops of wire at the approximate location for the room lighting.  Each light will be dual florescent sized LED tubes.  These should provide enough room lighting, but not layout lighting which will come later. 

Additional wooden battens installed between the roof trusses, for the ceiling gyprock sheets. These battens have done a lot visually. 

I have just ordered more insulation, another 13 sheets of yellow tongue, and the cabinets needed for the kitchenette.  And the costs are rising.  The spreadsheet I am maintaining is currently up just over $17,000, and there are a lot more costs to come - the ceiling, the floor, the painting, the septic system, the airconditioning, the completion of the plumbing, the wiring,  plus the labour.  

The application for the Septic has gone through to Junee council - had an inspection last week, and the inspector had interest in HO trains, what the room was going to be used for, and was keen in seeing my Wagga station.  Junee is certainly a railway town.  Hopefully the application will be approved.

Conclusion

So, steady progress on 2 fronts.  I am not sure if the train room build is of interest to my readers, but as it is integral to the future layout construction, I am including the process.  Anyway, it is my blog, and maybe knowledge may help people decide on how extensive your train room has to be.  As I have earlier hinted, a 3 car garage conversion would have been a lot easier without the complications and expense of an ensuite, and kitchenette. 

Until next time