1st Edition
January 2004

18th January 2004

PROJECT PROGRESS

The new diesel is making progress.  Buffers and an exhaust pipe have been added, the horn and the brake pipes have been moved, the silverwork has been toned down, the handrails at the front of the loco around the steps have been removed, a handrail more in keeping with the Mt Lyell's Vulcan Drewrys has been added to the front end of the hood and the German lettering removed.  The changes are subtle but it does have an impact on the loco's appearance, compared with "as delivered" (see below)  I don't intend to make any more structural changes, other than to add a couple of coupling hooks when they arrive from Bill Dive!  Next step is to paint the frames and wheels black and the body dark green.

Some progress has also been made on D1, which has been in the process of being converted from a Scientific Toys toy caboose like this one.

For some reason these strange little toys command a high price on Ebay, I have seen a couple go for around $30-40, which I think is astounding since the whole trainset they came in was available from Target for about $95-.  Anyway, I have been working off and on this project (mainly off) for about 3 years but it is now nearing completion.  All I have to do now is add the handrails and vacumn pipes and it is ready for painting.  It is badly needed to relieve the chronic (and very authentic!) brake van shortage on the RVR.  It is inspired by the Mt Lyell vans, and incorporates many details from the Mt Lyell van preserved at Puffing Billy's Menzies Creek Museum.

                               Mt Lyell Brake van preserved at Menzies Creek.          Photo by Bill Cooper
 

13th January 2004

HILL END Rwy TRIALS HEISLER ON RVR
Today (13th Jan 2004) saw the first trials of the Hill End Rwy's new Heisler.  Bill took delivery of his new Bachmann loco in the morning and it was trialled on the RVR in the evening.  Straight out of the box it looks magnificent and it performance matches its appearance.  Should be quite spectacular once radio control and sound is fitted and Bill weaves his usual magic with the airbrush!

Straight out of the box, Bill's new Bachmann Heisler carries out light engine trials on the RVR

Fans of California's Westside will recognise the inspiration for this shot of Bill's Heisler easing a load of logs down "The Hill"

The RVR goes logging!
Bill's Heisler eases a load of logs down the old Middle Rd while one of his Shays hauls a train of empties past Bottom Points. 

At the Water Tank
 
 

12th January 2004

The new diesel heads a typical RVR ( and Mt Lyell) sized train downhill past the timber loading siding on the outskirts of Devlins 

NEW LOCOMOTIVES
In a buying spree unprecedented in the RVR's impoverished history two new locomotives have recently joined the fleet.  Taking the RVR into the modern era of some 50 years ago is our new diesel, an LGB # 22620 German 0-6-0.  It may surprise those who know of my prejudice against "Diseasels" to find one turning up on the RVR, but it is sufficiently reminiscent of the Mt Lyell Vulcan Drewrys to qualify under the RVR's "near enough" rules, and it runs beautifully, as one expects from LGB.

Still as LGB intended, the new diesel sits in the yard at Possum Point.  The first alterations will be the fitting of RVR standard pushpin buffers and cash brass coupling hook, then a bit of spot repainting to get rid of the silverwork, a decision as to an appropriate number and a bit of grime for a more realistic appearance.  It is likely to remain track powered for some time, though a sound unit is a high priority.  Long term a coat of lined green paint is likely.

Our other new acquisition, RVR No 5, a modified Lehmann Porter, is settling in quite well.  It has had some modifications to the cab completed and a driver has been allocated.

It is a bit small and light for mainline work, other than the odd ballast train, but a bit of extra weight should turn it into a useful shunter for Possum Point.  Had a bit of trouble with it stalling on points until I realised that one of the wheels wasn't picking up power.  A quick adjust of the pickups had it working quite well.  It also is still track powered and likely to remain so for the time being.

It is unlikely the RVR will aquire any more locos in the near future, we have too many as it is and the coffers are empty!

NEW ROLLINGSTOCK
The RVR has also acquired a few new items of rolling stock.

A most useful new item is this Aristocraft track cleaning car now that I have two track powered locos.  It seems to work quite well keeping the track clean just trundling around.  The appearance leaves a little to be desired, particularly as it is 1:29 scale.  I am going to replace the body with a scratchbuilt model of TGR (ex TMLR) brake van D+4, but in the meantime it has been declared a brakevan for operational purposes.

This is a standard Bachmann Reefer that arrived in late 2003.  Nothing like it ran in Tassie and I can't find anything even "near enough" to convert it to, however it is a useful traffic item.  It may end up being sold on when I have sufficient "proper" vehicles.

This is a modified standard length Bachmann boxcar kit that was donated to the RVR by Bill Cooper (thanks Bill!).  It has had the roof altered to arc profile and sheathed in corrugated iron as befits an Australian vehicle.  It is still unfinished and unpainted as it was rushed into service to provide a trafficable vehicle.  I may alter it to resemble an EG, which was a TGR 20ft, 4 wheel Grover Bogie closed van similar to the vehicle in the photo below.

TGR 20ft, 4 wheel Grover bogie lourvred van, EVP 1, photo from the Bill Dive collection. 
EGs were quite similar except they had vertical planking on the sides rather than the louvres.
 

This Bachmann 20ft boxcar has had the roof replaced with more appropriate corrugated iron in an arc profile.  Those ladders will be the next to go!  It will probably end up as a bogie version of the EG.

This is an LGB # 41100 DR Low Side open wagon which looked like it might fit in quite well when studied in the catalogue, however it has proven to be a little large and will most likely be passed on unaltered.

I finally finished the two remaining Bachmann side tipping wagons I bought in 1999, making six now available for service.
 

LAYOUT DEVELOPMENTS
The big development on the layout is the addition of a Crest (Aristocraft) Train Engineer radio throttle to control the track power.  This is a great improvement over the tethered throttles previously used, as one can now accompany the train and not have to worry about unplugging and plugging in hand controllers.  Except for having to keep the track clean its almost as good as full RCS radio control.

The Diesel contemplates the RVR's rampant greenery whilst undergoing acceptance trials on 20th December 2003.

The garden is growing quite nicely now, we have almost got rid of the exotic weeds around the layout and the natives are growing vigorously, as can be seen from the photo below!

Bottom Points almost invisible under the vigorous growth of the native groundcover
on 20th December 2003, one month after the last train.

RECENT VISITORS

Mike Bickford visited on 15th Nov 2003 with his very nice scratchbuilt, radio controlled, sound equipped Diesel.
The RVR's acquisition of a diesel is not completely unconnected with the impressive performance of this loco!

Darren Bazley also visited on 15th Nov and gave his Bachmann Climax a run on the ballast train.
Looking forward to giving this little beauty a run under radio control!

On 12th January, since I was testing the new radio control for the track power and giving the Diesel a good workout, the entire layout was operational.  Since I wasn't going to waste all that hard work track clearing I gave Bill Cooper the nod and he came down and had a run as well!

Bill's 2-6-2T No 10 enters the yard at Possum Point past a line up of 0-4-0Ts in the Loco siding.
(RVR No 1 and No 5, plus Bill's modified Stainz)

Bill's No 10 pauses at Bottom Points with a log train.  Bill's locos also have RCS radio control and Sierra sound.

Bill has also modified an LGB Stainz, though his final result is somewhat different from the RVR's No 1!

Seldomly photographed due to its inaccessibility, "Cape Horn" bears witness to the passage of Bill's No 8 on the empty log train.

Bill's No 8 and No 10 double head along the old Bottom Road.