The Flimsy The Newsletter of Division 2 of the NMRA AR

February 2011 Volume 2, Issue 2

FEBRUARY MEETING

Our February meeting at Malcolm Risby’s place attracted the biggest crowd since our mighty record of 25 at Cootamundra 6 years ago. No less than 23 turned up at the Risby Residence. Our Fearless Leader Viv opened the meeting with a few announcements% The Flimsy is now accessible on the Internet at http://www.nmra.org.au/Flimsy/Flimsy.html and there are no immediate plans to extend to YouTube, Facebook or Twitter. The next Flimsy will include a couple of corrections [see Errata page 3]. Rob Nesbitt is the winner of the fiercely contested Superintendent's Prize for Spotting The Deliberate Error in the previous issue. This is apparently part of an insidious campaign to get us to read The Flimsy. And, ah yes, just what exactly is the winning competitor’s coveted Prize? Well no, it’s not a brass loco after all. It’s far better than that. Bucket loads of kudos. Sheer glory! Rob looked suitably impressed. NMRA name badges are available for $9, posted to your home address. Just let Viv know and give him your details. Tony Payne’s still having bad luck. Back in hospital with chest pains, but should be out after a day or two. Then it’s a further wait to reach the top of the queue for heart bypass surgery. And then our promised ‘New Man’ will be unleashed upon us. This should be good, because the ‘Old Man’ was pretty impressive. [Editors Note: Tony had his bypass surgery on 23 Feb and is now back home and rapidly getting back to old fighting fit self. He has been seen out and about, for instance, atb the last operating session at Steve Walker’s—good on ya’ Tony!] Viv has all our meeting dates on this year’s calendar taken by willing hosts, but everyone has been surprisingly coy about the themes for their meeting. Under heavy duress the following topics were extracted from these hosts... Jess Brisbane – “There’s a prototype for THAT?!” Wal Pywell – DCC electrical matters. John Bullen – Demonstration of digital equipment for 3-rail operation. (Those not interested and those who cherish their reversing loop electrics can go away and play trams and trains at G scale in the next room). David O’Hearn – Steel production. To model it you have to know how it’s done. Brad Hinton – Dakota (modelled by Brad). John Geremin – Expanded macrofacilities for DCC.

End of Announcements. Time for Show and Tell.

Jess Brisbane displayed the bodies of two cabeese (nice to hear the correct plural, Jess) that she is building for her

On3 layout. Lighting has been fitted and the bodies are ready for fitting of grab-irons, chimneys and chassis. Jess also showed a Fos Scale Models kit for an O

scale diner building. See http://store.foslimited.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=OS-5. The detailed kit includes the barrels that you can see in the photo. Rob Nesbitt displayed the latest product from the Build-A-Loco-A-Month programme that he’s valiantly embarked upon to reduce the number of kits in his cupboard. His

Model Of The Month was the NSWGR DEB 4-car dmu set built in 1951 and which ran to Canberra in those days as the Monaro Express. Rob thought he’d built this kit in too much of a hurry but it sure looked fine to us. David O’Hearn displayed his QR X Class diesel loco and a set of ‘Radical Flats’ background (or backdrop) sheets of card. The latter aroused much interest, being very realistic copies of industrial area buildings. Some are in HO scale and others are slightly smaller to enhance the

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effect of distance. These are made by KingMill Enterprises in USA. See http://www.kingmill.com/shop/index.php?cPath=21 and http://www.kingmill.com/gallery/ Rob Anderson showed his latest L&N HO scale coaches – a couple of Pullman 64-seater cars, a baggage car and a sleeper car, made by Walthers and by Rapido (Canada) and purchased from Train World. Internal lighting is switched on by waving a magnetic wand over the train. Hey, hang on! Won’t Louisville & Nashville cars look a bit odd on the Great South Eastern line from North Geelong to Eden? Well, not really, because they won’t be rostered for that run. The L&N cars are destined for the line about to be built at the newly acquired Anderson property at Bemboka. Where’s Bemboka? No, we’re not going through all that again. Well, if you must, go back to the report of the meeting at the Brices’ place last May. Rob’s L&N cars are for his indoors HO scale layout. Outdoors at Bemboka is for 15 inch gauge live steam. Disappointed with the paltry scope of Rob’s ambition, much encouragement was generously offered in support of larger gauges. It was pointed out that Rob could go to 1'11¾'' gauge without being legally required to obtain official accreditation. Al Harris showed the HO scale portable track he has built for checking couplings. It consists of about 90 cm of straight track mounted on a board marked in inches to give wagon lengths needed for calculating weights to be

added per NMRA RP 20.1. Kadee coupler height gauges are mounted at each end of the track, a re-railer is installed in the middle, and uncoupling magnets are installed on either side of the re-railer. Al has also designed a record sheet for wagon couplers which would show at a glance whether there were any unreliable or unchecked coupling combinations. Graeme Hodges The First displayed his spectacular metal poster advertising the Trans-Siberian Railway, complete with all the right political messages. Graeme also showed us some wire trees he had bought from Fisher Discounts, ideal for fill-in scrub between features in the landscape. David Low displayed army tanks he has built from kits. One is in HO scale with its own railway transporter wagon, and the other two were larger. The moral of the story is that it is not easy to match the eras of both tank and train when trying to put together a credible model

(Continued from page 1) that will simultaneously satisfy both railway and military purists without having to fall back on the cowardly use of the word ‘circa’. However David Bromage was quick to supply the wonderfully plausible cover story that made everything correct—use the model tank and tansporter wagon as part of a military museum on your layout!. But never mind the chronological correctness – these are nicely made models. Al Harris’s coupling track provided the perfect base for David Mitchell to display his NSWGR 57 and 59 Class

locos. Built meticulously from DJH kits, these brass locos had each taken about 40 hours to assemble. Stephen O’Brien displayed his latest N scale N&W freight car purchases, produced by Bluford Shops. See http://www.bluford-shops.com/ John Gillies showed us his latest in decals – notably a Dry Transfer catalogue obtainable from gkmar@mindspring.com and samples bought from Daniel Kohlberg obtainable through http://home.mindspring.com/~paducah/. By now it was 3 pm and delightful smells were starting to waft in from the kitchen. But wait! There’s more! The deck was cleared for formal ceremonial presentations in the NMRA Model Railroader Achievement Program. Once the official photographer and the band were in position, those called forward to receive their framed AP certificates were... Jess Brisbane – Association Volunteer John Geremin – Model Railroad Engineer, Electrical David Low – Master Builder, Scenery David Low – Master Builder, Prototype Models John Prattis – Association Volunteer

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More are still to be awarded. Also handed out were patches to be worn by those who have received at least one AP award. There are probably plenty more members who have already qualified for AP awards, leading ultimately to the hallowed accolade of MMR, but who either do not realise it or have not prepared the paperwork (sometimes the hardest part for a talented modeller). If wondering about your eligibility for anything, see http://www.nmra.org/education/achievement/apcat.html and click on what interests you. If in any doubt, consult John Prattis. By now it was 10 past 3 and the room was smelling even better than before. But wait! There’s more! Our host Malcolm now took over, using a computer driven flat screen TV to show photos he had taken last June on the model railway layout tours organised by the NMRA Convention in Houston, Texas, which he and Steve Walker had attended. Malcolm showed photos of five particularly impressive layouts, namely those of... ...Craig Raymond – Sn3 scale – Rio Grande Southern. ...Gil Freitag - HO scale – Santa Fe and narrow gauge with some dual gauge track. The many bridges and mountains are magnificently modelled. This steadily expanding layout progressively took over the children’s rooms as they grew up and in turn moved out. See http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/3216 ...Gordon Bliss – N scale – Union Pacific double deck layout with a helix between levels. ...Jason Smith – G scale – Radio controlled, in an appropriate outdoors landscape. And indoors, HO scale Union Pacific with remarkable attention to detail, especially people, rock surfaces and backdrop. Fascinating in their superb craftsmanship and detail, these were all worthy showpieces for the NMRA Convention and at least one of them has been featured in Great Model Railroads. By now the hungry horde could no longer be held back. The meeting was adjourned for afternoon tea and the mob surged in the direction of their noses. After afternoon tea, we inspected Mal’s N scale layout with its majestically long BN freight trains undulating through the landscape. The hills are in place and there

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Errata

Regrettably, despite what some of you may think,

your Editor is human and has made some

mistakes!!

In the January issue of the Flimsy, on the front

page, Rob Nesbit fooled me by using an Auscision

box but the loco is actually a Lloyds model.

In the picture on page 2, I mistook David

Bromage quite understandably for his twin, Brad

Hinton (photo below—Brad on left—David on

right)—it is actually David in last month’s picture.

Finally, I mis-labelled Peter Weller-Lewis’ new

C&O T1 loco as a 4-8-4, whereas it is in fact a 2-

10-4. Shame on me as a Pennsy freak, not

realising that it was the original design for the

Pennsy’s mighty fleet of J1 Texas types.

I have now added page numbers to facilitate

future references to errors, in the unlikely event

that I make any more (he says, with tongue

stuffed firmly into cheek!).

Mal says a quick prayer to

help get his presentation

working

are a few buildings, but that is all. The important thing is that the trains run beautifully and the track is trouble free. The layout fills a large 2 car garage, more like a 3 car garage actually. It is built not for operating sessions, but for long running which it achieves most admirably.

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www.nmra.org.au

Potomac Yard Engine Servicing area, Alexandria, Va, 1978 (Viv Brice)

Tupksdx

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Any resemblance between

characters in this newsletter and real model railroaders is

purely intentional but no offence whatever is intended. Only

the facts may have been altered to protect the guilty. Every

reader has the right of reply and we look forward to publishing

them!

National Model Railroaders Association

Australasian Region—Division 2—ACT

Bringing model railroading to you

From the Editor:

Once again, I apologise for the late creation and de-livery of this issue. Home life has been a little hectic with the lead up to and then the successful arrival of the twins. On a more urgent note, I need more articles from you to keep this little newsletter alive and well. Viv div2sup@nmra.org.au

News

Our next meeting is at Jess Brisbane’s home on 19 March.