H&MGR, a family railway in NZ

[JRinTawa]

Saturday 10th July and just managed ¾ hours running with the Bush Jigger, wrapped up well against the cold, but it was a joy to get even that limited running after another week of wintry weather.

The lads at the ganger hut are packing up for the day, hoping to catch a ride home...

A toot on the horn, dropping it down a gear, the driver truddles at a respectable bush tramway pace across a deserted level crossing.

 

[whatlep]

Wonderful, characterful pictures. Thanks so much for sharing them.

 

[Martino]

Stunning John - as always. Keep warm.

 

[JRinTawa]

4th August up date and we had had a bit less rain of late, though today is making up for it big time.
It's been the same old same old sorry
Dubs A coming into the loop at Kakariki ....

And the Bush Jigger busy doing something

 

[JRinTawa]

Logs had begun to stack up so it was time to dust of the track power and shift then with the Climax...

Though I think it was playing peek-a-boo...

With the Dubs A

 

[Nemo]

Cracking photos, again John, looks like you get real good lighting conditions.....

 

[JRinTawa]

The base has been put down for Punga Cliffs signal box come yard office come staff shelter. Isolating switches for the Punga Cliffs yard are set into the signal box base. Might be progressively changing to battery power but still keeping allowance for track power you see.

Moss around the base has been scavenged from elsewhere in our garden and pushed into the wet hypa-tufa used for the base. It will probably die off come summer but with any luck leaving sufficient spores to promote good growth come the following winter.

That's all for this update :wave:

 

[JRinTawa]

Cracking photos, again John, looks like you get real good lighting conditions.....

Thanks Steve, I cheat at times and use the "cloudy" setting on the camera, the auto setting in dull light leaver the pictures a bit cold. There are lots of pictures deleted believe me!

 

[Nemo]

Its good to see that even in your Winter you still have a lot of greenary about. Bit of constructive critisam, the light on your Dubbs, tis a bit bright, bit like a car headlight on full beam rarther than an oil lamp on the front of a loco, can you do anything with that (or do you like it like that) Still everything elses is very good..

 

[beavercreek]

Hi John
Just looked through all the shots again.... Marvelous

Simply great shots. There is a real feel of a backwoods railway, in fact a real sense pf realism (if that makes sense and doesn't really over use the word 'real' ...for real).
But I would be worried for your gangers by their hut. There seems to be a wolf of gargantuan proportions looking at them with a beady eye!

 

[JRinTawa]

Its good to see that even in your Winter you still have a lot of greenary about. Bit of constructive critisam, the light on your Dubbs, tis a bit bright, bit like a car headlight on full beam rarther than an oil lamp on the front of a loco, can you do anything with that (or do you like it like that) Still everything elses is very good..

Quite right Steve the headlight is a bit bright, looks more so in the piccies too. Will probably put a bigger resistor in at some time to cut it down a bit. I think the colour will be about right when not running on full beam

And Beaver - the "wolf" is one of H&M's additions, he is rather big isn't he! Elsewhere around the railway the elephant, polar bears, penguin, tiger and giraffe etc are a little bit less obvious. Maybe I should repaint him to be a New Foundland actually I should also finish the scene and the hut...one day

 

[Shawn]

Great pictures and I love the railway

 

[gregh]

Great pictures of a great railway. Wish my garden would look like yours. And my trains too. Oh well, gives me something to try to aim for.
Keep the pics coming.

 

[C&S]

Just come back to this thread after a long absence. Cracking photos - superb railway - so much atmosphere!

 

[JRinTawa]

Time for a spring update of activity on the H&MGR.
The level crossing has been finished with the installation of the second cattle stop...

It's become quite a spot for the resident photographer..

...he's there a lot lately.

 

[JRinTawa]

While we're at the crossing your notice SWMBO's train of binnie skips now have loads of gravel covering the batteries...

...and Revolution receiver they carry...

...really please how well these run with the Haywood curved spoke wheels I fitted them with...

...the loco is getting much more use than it did on track power.

 

[JRinTawa]

Of course little Jonny has been a little shy since his write up in Garden Rail 193

...but he still has to earn his keep...

...on a regular basis...

...another loco that gets lots more running under battery power and Revolution control than it ever did under track power.

 

[JRinTawa]

And the Directors trains have had the odd run when track power has been in use...

...some days I don't get much say what runs...

...though I managed to sneek in the PBMM inspired tram on a Sunday special of GSM coaches.

 

[Steve]

Jon , With out any doubt one of my most favourite layouts such detail .

 

[JRinTawa]

But my favourite remains my Dubs A loco....

...which is also reveling in running under battery power and Revolution control...

...drifting downhill towards that level crossing...

...that photographer had two goes at this shot