Post Xmas Update

No photos this posting as I left the camera at home.
A short trip to visit friends in Lismore (terminated before I got trapped by swollen rivers) was enjoyed last weekend. The first day was spent wiring up a radio throttle and a collection of portable throttle sockets for my host's Lenz DCC system. This all worked first time so we moved on to showing how the scratchbuilt points could be wired for maximum reliability. I was rather jealous of the 35 or more points he had recently made ( including single and double slips). They were well made. Tests showed them to work perfectly with his AMRA profile wheels and to accept GOG Fine with some wheel drop at the common crossing. While all this was going on my X200 was getting a good workout pulling long trains far in excess of prototype around one of the loops - amazing what a CD loading motor can achieve.
The next day we enjoyed looking at another friends efforts at building up his stock of 2-rail compatible equipment by making castings from some of his 1950's era models. His two new 48 class cast off his original brass model were showing signs of progress after suffering some cut and shut to improve them after he noticed some signs of mould shrinkage.
Later we all returned to my host's to run some trains with us all contributing to the consists.
Among the new stock on display were my three latest S wagons. One an O-Aust kit and the others based on O-Aust, GME and scratchbuilt parts.

A Suspended Tale

Some time ago my first O gauge stretched out into the yard. After some time it was obvious that while the AMRA standard wheels were more than a match for the ups and downs that developed, the one or two sets of British Fine profiled wheels spent a lot of time in the dirt.
With the need to expand outdoors once again I have been very hesitant; given my change to Fine Standard wheels as the norm for my stock. There are many options available to provide flexible suspension for 4 wheelers that will hopefully return the reliability I had with the larger flanged AMRA wheels when it came to vertical deviations. All these cost money and/or extra complication. In the end I tested the results of simply deleting the brass bearings to provide some flexibility. Nothing new, been done in other scales for decades. I have a test track where deviations can be dialled in by turning screws. Wagons with sloppy bearings...no derailments, dead square wagons with no slop... derailed almost every time. Result, bearings being removed from all wagons. I might well get some accelerated wear in the whitemetal W irons but I am prepared to live with that. To assist I have rounded of the ends of the axles, filled the axle holes with powdered graphite and removed most of the extra weight previously added to assist track holding.

CV 14674

Finished another CV wagon. This one made out of styrene. Roof is dried out hand wipe over planked styrene. Most other details as per S wagon. This one a little cheaper as the brake cylinder is made from scrap sprue. The lettering is printed on an inkjet printer, coated with flat enamel then thinned down by rubbing on sandpaper and attached with PVA.

Fully planked S wagon

Just completed a fully planked version of the S wagon apart from some weathering. Made from scrap ply , paper, card, tie wire, phone wire and tea bag strings.
The W irons, wheels, couplers and the K brake being other peoples work (GME, Slaters and Kadee).
The brake shoes are an experiment using tie wire and solder. The brake spiders are cardboard soaked in shellac.
Total cost - about $40

X200 shunting its train

The scene slowly develops as details are added. In some cases only temporarily. Here we see the X200 bringing its short train to feed the local industries. Of course business is a bit slow at the moment as none of the industries have any structures yet :>)

New siding

Currently no space can be found to accommodate the existing shelving and that needed to extend the layout around the garage walls. I decided the loop may have to be placed on the outside. So, the point that was put in place to continue the loop inside at the northern end has been extended into another siding. This will provide some space for extra locations to spot goods vehicles and will add some much needed variety. Basic scenicing has been commenced in this area.

Electrickery

The wiring was completed at the same time as the track was laid. All points are operated by a slide switch and the frog polarity is controlled by the same device. All tracks are bonded to a wire bus located under the front of the boards. Control is DCC ( Digitrax Zephyr) and I have installed a throttle bus with several outlets available along the length of the layout. As the rains have returned after a very short pause I have taken to building some more track at my workbench inside ready for installation. My usual construction methods may be a little on the fragile side for use outdoors so I still have a decision to be made in that area. The most obvious and well tested track outdoors is Peco but I would like to only purchase one type of rtr track for use both indoors and out. It's a pity I wasn't modelling British prototype as their code 124 bullhead would be ideal.
Structures and ground cover are moving up the list of necessary jobs to be done.