4th Edition
June/July 2004

We have had plenty of glorious winter sun this year, but very little rain for months and the garden is getting decidedly "brown", as can be seen by comparing the photos on this page with photos taken earlier in the year.  However, since most of our garden is planted with natives, and the rest is weeds, once the rains come again it will soon recover.  In the meantime the wonderful winter light makes for some great photos!

No 2 pauses for water at Bottom Points on 5th July 2004
 
 

12th/13th June 2004
Here are some shots from our most recent Run Day(s) on the June Long Weekend.  The BRMA (British Railway Modellers of Australia) had a meeting here on the Saturday and rather than waste all the hard work of preparing the line, we had another one on the Sunday!

No 1 takes water at Bottom Points, whilst hauling another mineral train, one of the staples of RVR operation.
 

Full house at Possum Point.
D1 enters the yard past No 1 waiting with the side tipper wagons.
Nos 2 and 3 share the loco shed with Darren Bazley's visiting Climax.
 

Converted LGB Porter, RVR No 5, shares the loco shed with Nos 2 and 3.  The shed's walls have been clad
with corrugated iron, but the roof and much detailing has still to be done. 
 

Busy scenes in Possum Point yard.
A view through Brakevan D6 towards the temporary Possum Point station building.
 

Another shot in Possum Point yard.
The temporary station building is still lettered for Possum Creek, the old name for this location before it was rebuilt in 2003
 

D1 and No 5 run "light attached" past the location of the now removed Dragonrock goods siding.
 

No 1 passes a rarely photographed location, rounding Dragonrock and heading on to the Dragonrock bridge.
In the distance at the rear is the Mt Lyell trestle and Underpool is just out of sight around the corner.
 

Another seldomly photographed location.  No 1 shunts the mineral train just south of Underpool.
The track currently ends just to the left of the loco, but when the line is extended to the
Southern Loop it will open up a whole new operational potential and many new photo locations!
 

Darren Bazley's Climax shunts on the Smelters branch high above Bottom Points.  The Smelters branch is an extension of the main line from Devlins and is theoretically a branch to the Smelters, out of sight around the rock to the left.  In reality, vehicles are shunted to the end of track just to the left and after a decent interval it is assumed that they have been loaded/unloaded, as appropriate, and are then removed and despatched on the next suitable train.
 

Darren Bazley's Climax hauls timber towards the assumed saw mill at Underpool.
 
 

5th July 2004
Since its school holidays at the moment I have been able to do a bit of modelling and have a bit of fun "testing" in the garden.  Here are some more shots taken in the delightful Sydney mid-winter sun.

A shot of the rear of another mineral train departing Bottom Points.
 

No 2 approaches the Mt Lyell trestle.
 

A glimpse of No 2 taking water at Bottom Points from high on the cliff above. 
 

No 2 taking water at Bottom Points.
 
 

Motive power developments

The "Heritage Railway" 2-6-2 mentioned in the May "Reporter" briefly became two, but I decided that two was a little extravagant for the RVR so one was sold off on Ebay and went to a new home in far north Queensland.

The 2-6-2's proportions are definitely more 1:20.3 scale than 1:24, especially as it is too high to fit through the tunnel on the Middle Road, which means that it is substantially higher than a Bachmann Shay!  I have been experimenting with lowering it by changing the cab and chimney.  With lower chimney and cab it definitely is reminiscent of the Wellington & Manawatu Railway locomotives from New Zealand.........

However, I think it looks much better as a 2-6-2T, and is definitely more suited to the RVR as a tank loco than a tender engine, so I am undecided as to what to do in the short term....

I suspect it may get quickly altered to lower the boiler fittings and cab, with a quick repaint to make it look more "civilized", then put into service, with further alterations to a tank engine occurring sometime in the future.......
 

On seeing Mark Hobb's LGB 2090 diesel on the Turella Tramway, (see report in February Reporter) and being struck by is similarity to the TGR's U class shunter, I couldn't resist this bargain on US Ebay.  It runs very well, but it is definitely a long term project.
 

Work has been progressing on D1.  I have fitted a diesel sound unit, constructed from a Dick Smith kit.  While I haven't quite got it sorted out yet, (my electronic knowledge could be carved on the head of a pin with a jackhammer....) it does make sound of sorts, and is a big improvement on silence.  I fitted the speaker behind the radiator opening, which necessitated the construction of a new radiator cover, as the LGB standard item is quite solid, and the sound couldn't get out......  The new radiator cover is quite simple, the mesh is a bit of left over window screen and the new surround is constructed from styrene.  A 9v battery is fitted to keep the sound going while the loco is stationary and the on/off push button switch is placed on the top of the hood and disguised as a filter of some sort with silver paint.
 
 

Rollingstock progress

Progress is being made on the TGR (ex TMLR) E+ Closed van I am constructing on a modified Lehmann chassis.

 By the 5th July the basic body shape had been constructed in styrene.

10 days latter, thanks to the school holidays, the roof and all the framing, (constructed from Evergreen .125 x .125 square section strip) had been completed and the Ozark Miniatures Link and Pin casting added.  Now to add the door hinges and other details.....

Stuart Dix sent me some invaluable photos showing some of the prototype variations of the E+ vans, (it appears that no two were alike, and they changed with time..........)  Without Stuart's photos  I could not have hoped to even produce a "near enough" model, let alone have a go at a reasonably accurate version, so a big thanks Stuart!

One of Stuart's photos showing a delectable line-up of ex TMLR stock somewhere on the Bellarive-Sorrell line in the 1920s
 

I just can't resist an Ebay bargain, so when I saw this damaged "Scientific Toys" open wagon on US Ebay I just had to have it!  Since it was damaged it went for next to nothing, (postage was much more than sale price ;-) and it arrived here in early July.

The day it arrived I started work to convert it to a companion wagon for the RVR's C5.  Bill Cooper will no doubt comment on the RVR finally having two identical vehicles!

By 15th July it was progressing nicely, with bogies and buffers fitted and work on the body progressing well, with the sides cut down, the ends reprofiled and the door detail removed.  Since I can't abide absolutely identical wagons ;-) this companion to C5 will have some minor detail variations, such as 10" planking, rather than the 6" planking on C5, hence the filler on the sides and ends!  When finished it will make a useful addition to the mineral wagon fleet.
 

To the 3nd Edition of the Rurr Valley Reporter: May 04