Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2023 i Australian Model Railway Magazine

Why these bridges? In my article 'A Bridge for your Model Railway', [Editor note: Refer AMRM April 2010], I discussed some of the various types of bridges used on the New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR), together with factors which should be considered in selecting a prototype bridge to model. These factors were illustrated by a discussion of the four bridges considered for my Camjong line, a single line branch terminus with fiddle yard layout based on NSWGR prototype in the mid 20th century. These bridges were: The road and railway bridges over the Nepean River on the Camden line; The road and railway bridges over the Hawkesbury River at North Richmond on the Kurrajong line; The railway bridge over the Yass River on the Yass line; The railway bridge…

The Yarra Valley Model Railway Club conducted their annual Easter exhibition on 8 and 9 April at the Community Bank Stadium in Diamond Creek, Melbourne. Well patronised, this exhibition displayed 55 individual stands, 27 of which were trade or hobby stands. Of note was the Sunbury Model Railway Club's Gisborne layout. This layout operated a strict 'timetable' operating sequence, displaying trains that could be seen operating through the station in the mid 1980's. It was a pleasure to view era-specific and appropriately weathered trains. Attention was paid to the formation of consists for both passenger and goods trains that suited the era. Rolling stock for this 'timetable' operation was supplied by members Brett Watson and Michael Holian.…

Lyndon's Trains has received the pilot model (pictured above) of their Genesee and Wyoming Australia (GWA) 830 class r-t-r locomotive in N scale. HO Scale Auscision Models ESU/Auscision HO Scale DCC sound kits are now available. The VicRail V/Line C class locomotive is being shipped out of China at the end of April and should be available sometime in May. Australian Railway Models has announced their next model will be a New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) Standard goods steam locomotive class 55 in r-t-r. Ixion Model Railways Production of the second run of Victorian Railways J class 2–8–0 steam locomotives has been completed and should be delivered mid-year. This production run includes the following versions: J500 red lined footplate with coal tender J507 plain black with coal tender J515,…

The promotion of the hobby is quite important especially when there are opportunities to share our enjoyment with the world. Such an occasion arose earlier this year. With pop singer Rod Stewart in the country, he took the opportunity to visit a model raiiway shop which became a news item both on social media and Sydney radio, both commercial and the ABC. As most readers would be aware, Rod is an avid raiiway modeller, his layouts being covered in both American and British magazine. He is also not shy about his involvement in the hobby. All this was covered on (AM radio) 702, which covered his visit to Woodpecker Model Railways. The interview with the shop was quite detailed in explain the art of modelling. Well done, Woodpecker, you not…

I guess the story behind Narellan could be best summarised from two previous attempts of building a model railway layout that ended in failure, the challenges of getting approval from my wife to build a layout, followed by a compromise that was put forward by my wife. All of this resulted in a successfully completed layout that got me thinking “do I really need a large layout?” Back in 2007, just after getting married, I had the desire to build a layout. I originally decided to do something in North American N scale, as there was a broader range of ready to run N scale stock compared to Australian N scale. At the time I was living in a small rental house. A layout would need to reside in the…

The Macedon Ranges Model Railway Club presented their 42nd Annual Exhibition over the Labour Day long weekend at Sacred Heart College in Kyneton. This regional exhibition included 11 layouts and eight trade stands, including several scratch building and modelling displays.…

John E Miller 3 Nov 1963 – 22 April 2023 John was inducted into the hobby at an early age, starting his career in telecommunications, he met up with a lot of like-minded colleagues, and his modelling techniques flourished. John was a long-time member of the Flinders Model Railway Club, the Bayside Model Railway Club and the Barcoola operating crew. John came from a loving family, and it showed. John was an extremely rare type of modeller, as he knew exactly what he wanted to model, South Gippsland. Only once did he extend out of this realm, and this was 100% the influence of Katie! And her love of the ‘Chessie System', this may have been 'cat' related. To feed John's modelling needs the family garage was extended to incorporate…

The worst thing that can happen on a Digital Command Control (DCC) layout is you get a short circuit - when a train derails or runs into a point, or for some other reason - because a lot of current can flow which can damage your booster and/or your trains. My layout has two power districts, so if I get a short on one side of the layout and I happen to be looking at the other side, I may not notice the short because I don't see or hear the train stop. So, I decided to build a buzzer system on each power district, to make an audible warning if there is a short. I bought piezo buzzers from Jaycar and installed them, but it turned out the frequency…

I recently completed a layout for the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) Inland Rail project's community consultation team to help visually represent what works are being accomplished from Melbourne to Brisbane. The layout needed to be small, portable and easy to set up and operate, so I went down the T-Trak route and simplified it with just a single main line. The four modules, two long town modules and two end modules that have the return loops on them, fit on a Bunnings portable table (non-folding). The controller is a Kato (DC) unit. Each module's electrical connections are Anderson car plugs to again make it easy and strong. The brief was to have a road overpass and underpass, pedestrian overpass, a passing loop, a livestock underpass and both a level…

The track plan The layout envelope occupies about 300m2, and much of that space will be devoted to representing the wide-open landscape of the South-Western district of Victoria. Most of the permanent way on the layout represents the lightly laid branch line that dates from the 1880s, together with five of the six stations located on that line and their adjoining townships. Although traffic on the branch was sparse, with only one or two trains a week in later years, the main line through Hamilton to the loco depot at Coleraine Junction, was much more active. To provide the 'action' several hidden reverse loops will keep trains running on the main at regular intervals, whilst on the branch a much more sedate mode of operation will be in place. It…