Wagga Wagga station - some more detailing

 Detailing on Wagga Wagga station - continues

Detailing is something that takes ages, but is necessary to complete a wagon, loco, or structure.  With a modern kit,  most of the detailing is included.  Some of the older "craftsman kits" rely on the skill of the modelmaker.  Scratchbuilding, may give an opportunity to purchase parts to suit.    I may have taken on a bit more, as modelling an iconic structure, means that many of the details have to be fabricated from raw material.

The Tumbarumba bound railmotor awaits departure from Wagga station, around 10am.  This picture taken on the Wagga station diorama with real sunlight, and shows some of the detailing applied recently

Fly Screens on Parcel Office windows

Out-of, Parcel Office, or Museum building

Ultra fine mesh cloth was coloured with permanent felt tip whiteboard pen.

The window frames and bars were made from styrene strip directly onto clear plastic

Check for fit..

More Parcel Office details

More details made.  I had taken some close-ups of the the two air conditioners to try and get them right.

Doors and downpipes

Platform and platform road

I cut a number of strips from the Staters Brickwork sheet I had left over from the Bomen station build.  The Wagga platform face is straight, and not reverse stepped like most NSW platforms.  This makes the Wagga platform easier than otherwise - probably the only win to save time in the entre build. 

The track in front of the station will be added when needed for the diorama.  This is so that when fitting the station on the layout, I won't have the problem with track, if I need to later remove just the station.  Thinking ahead?   Masking tape used to contain the ballast on the strip of wood used for the track. 

Ballasting done in the normal way - with the masking tape to prevent unwanted spillages.  The bubblewrap was just in case the glue ran onto the support table.

Wagga station in the late afternoon, picture taken from the footbridge (shadow)

Parcel Office from the platform.  The blue luggage carts are courtesy of Ross Balderson, as he included these as a space filler on the etched brass fret for the Wagga station verandas.  The platform face was attached to the wood base of the station with spray adhesive, and weathered with Tamiya Smoke, but could be weathered further.  The platform road is just placed in position

The parcel office from the roadside.  The downpipe on the main station toilet extension is visible

The main toilet block has an unusual window style.  I had assumed the horizontal "bars" were shutters, but closer inspection, the bars are actually metal bars, with a wooden blind behind.

Both roadside, and platform side windows made from strip and rod styrene on 0.020 styrene sheet, backed onto clear styrene "glass".  I won't kid you, these took ages to make, 

The bars are difficult to see in this platform side angle (the roadside image at the front of the blogpost, shows them better) Platform brickwork not yet weathered

Westedge 3D figures, (reviewed in AMRM Dec 2022).  I am always looking to save some time, and preprinted in colour figures may enhance the diorama.  Unfortunately, the glinting on the clothing is distracting, but I hope that Dullcoat will fix this.

At what point do I stop this process?  A lot of years have passed since I was given some advice.  "Twelfth Street Yard", the American layout for the ACT Model Railway Society had been on the exhibition scene for about 5 years, yet I continued to champion adding more and more details, as my thinking at the time, was that the viewing public needed to be rewarded the closer they looked.  Then, my view was countered.  The person said that '12th Street' was already detailed enough, and I would be better spending effort on a new layout.  And they were correct.  The ACT model railway society had 2 other layouts, and I moved towards detailing, and improving "Little Austria", a module HOe layout.  "Yendys" was at that stage, started, but not actively being worked on.

I am close to reaching the sufficient "detailing" for Wagga station.  Yes, there are a few more downpipes to add, small signs to make, lamps, and positioning seats, litter bins, & passengers.  I know there is more that could be done, like a waiting room interior.  However, to continue with Wagga would delay other projects that I am itching to progress and share...

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Times are changing.  It is important to record now, what might change tomorrow.  Some examples

Edmonston Street Bridge

I took these pictures in September (and this bridge was the subject of an earlier blog-post)

These two pictures taken last Tuesday (Nov 29, 2022), showing the collapsed retaining wall, due to the heavy rain Wagga received in November.  Unsure if this will be repaired, as the bridge has to be removed for Inland Rail in 2024? - and it may be possible for this replacement bridge to be advanced

Harefield Shuttle

One of the regular trains that I watched (and listened too) was the Visy Harefield shuttle.  Their normal motive power was vintage Goodwin Alco engines - and the burble from their engines was quite distinctive from the GM,  GE, and chinese built locos.

Well, Visy relocated their intermodal operation from Harefield to Bomen's new intermodel facility on Nov 24, 2022.  This reduces the round trip truck haulage from the Visy factory in Tumut by about 30km, and allows Visy to run heavier trucks.  The Bomen operation also means that complete trains can now run direct to and from Bomen, and the breakup of trains at Junee for the shorter Harefield siding is also not required.  The Alcos are still running light from Junee, to Bomen, as they are needed with shunting at Bomen.  

I failed to take enough pictures, but there are u-tube videos of the shuttle in its heyday.

In 2018, the shuttle departs Harefield (silo in background) in the gloom of the  late afternoon.  Alco smoke a feature.  As a passenger in the car, I wasn't able to stop.

Finally

If I don't write another blog post in the meantime, may you all be safe for the upcoming Holiday period, and hope that you are able to get some quality time.  

Footbridges

 Wagga Wagga railway footbridges.  

As part of the Inland Rail upgrade, both footbridges crossing the railway in Wagga are going to be replaced. 

Mothers Bridge.

I am not sure why the footbridge connecting Railway Street to Station Place was called this, but it is ideal as a railfan viewing platform.  It doesn't provide any passenger connection off the station platform

June 2007 - railfans line up on the bridge for 3801's arrival. This is the view looking east (towards Sydney)

A 1934 NSW Railway department drawing shows the bridge - looking west.  Some changes have been made to the northern ramp, but generally there doesn't appear to have been many changes

Fortunately, I don't need to measure the bridge, as the above plan, when enlarged, shows the dimensions quite well

At the Station Placeend, the original ramp has been kinked, to provide for the enlarged roadway

The railings are attached to the uprights with "U" bolts

Cassidy Bridge

Lost Wagga Wagga facebook site occassionly provides some interesting Railway related material

Looking west. Note the lineside poles get much taller as they get closer to the footbridge

Looking east - poor picture, but does show the Best Street road bridge

Mount Erin school in the distance.  The closeness of the school was the main reason for the bridge to be built

At this stage, I do not have a firm idea of the width of the baseboards, so making either bridge may be premature.  But at least I have pictures - and their replacement by Inland Rail should not impede my modelling of them.

An excusion to Cootamundra by Railcar

Yesterday (Sunday, June 12), I had a pleasant ride on restored 621/721 railcar to Cootamundra and back.   The railcar was supposed to arrive in Junee at 10:22 - but there were some unplanned interuptions, which made for some extra photo opportunities

The Down steel train suffered a major engine fault, and it was sidelined to the old disused platform road, awaiting a replacement engine.  Traversing the crossovers was taken slowly.  Once stopped, I could take some pictures - particularly the "out-of gauge" wagons.

Following the steel train, came the VISY container train.  This train is broken up in Junee yard, and shorter shuttle trains are then sent to Harefield Intermodal yard.  I get to view (and hear) these shuttle trains - regularly hauled by alco power, heading up the 1 in 49 grade out of Junee.

I understand, after  speaking with the driver of the Visy Train when we returned from Cootamundra, that one of the engines was taken off the Visy train, and added to the Steel train.

We still had longer to wait for the railmotor.  The Griffith Explorer train was also running late and had priority.  

Approaching the platform.  The train from Griffith has to reverse direction once it arrives in Junee

Finally, the 621/721 railcar makes an appearance - around 40 minutes late - the Griffih Explorer trundles past, heading north.  The old and the new.

621 aqpproaches Junee platform.  The Railmotor society have done a real good restoration

Interior View from my seat - the internal bulkheads are for the engine in 621.  Not sure I ever remembered blue seats when I travelled on these in the late 1970s.   

With the weather so gloomy, there was little point in trying to chase the railmotor back to Cootamundra in the car, in the hope of capturing a great picture.   In any case, it was a good day.

Until next time