The Sandstone & Termite

[simon@mgr]

Hi greg nice bits of kit those 'Tin Hares'
Are the inverted cow catchers on the roofs actually there to catch the 'drop bears' in the Oz outback?

They are radiators for the engine.

The name Tin Hare comes from the time of introduction in the 1930's when greyhound racing was very popular.
The motion of the railcar on the track was the same as the tin hare lure.

 

[gregh]

Saturday 30th Oct saw a full turnout of members to run trains.

Visiting Queensland trains (by Geof Coleman) at Melaleuca.

The tank at right is a D16 class tank loco, ex QR, was a Bachmann Big Hauler, on-board battery, R/C and sound.
In the centre is a green B12½ class with shorter boiler, 12 1/2" cylinders, single axle lead truck . A blend of Bachmann parts on a 2-6-0, it has on-board battery, R/C and sound. The coaches are Bachmann, with QR style curved roofs fitted in lieu of Clerestory roofs.
Lurking in the far background is Red Fred railmotor.

The B12 ½ shunts the goods shed at Sandstone

High above Sandstone station, the S&TR?s only mainline diesel heads uphill.

The express is departing Sandstone.

Melaleuca station.

Maple Jn station is on a sharp curve. #14, a 2-8-0 made from an Aristo chassis rounds the curve on the mainline

Railmotor 25 (by Keith Lindsay) sits in the platform at Melaleuca.

 

[stockers]

Brilliant, nice bridges and I love what you have done with all that Hebel (Celcons).

 

[gregh]

A few more shots??.

The passengers have missed that train at Ti-tree. They must be waiting for the one in the other direction.

The Shay crawls under the rock ledge while the trestle bridge above cast shadow patterns on the rocks

The old 0-6-0 on the largest trestle

The railmotor waits in the dock at Melaleuca station.

Lexie?s loco on one of the steel arch bridges

The red Garratt brings a train onto the same bridge

Different arches, with Ti-tree in the background.

The red Garratt again, leaving Ti-tree in the opposite direction from the previous pic.

And I couldn?t resist the pic of all five locos I?ve built for my grandchildren. All except Ernie (2nd from left) are simple forw/off/rev switch on roof. Ernie has 433 MHz RC.

 

[Steve]

Brilliant Gregh , loads more ideas your railway is an insperation

 

[trammayo]

Glad you posted again - I'd forgotten just how fascinating your line was! Wonderful selection of motive power. Really enjoyed looking through your thread again.

 

[beavercreek]

Lovely to see your line again Greg. There has been some great 'creative' design in the track layout especially after the trestle around the tree trunk!

 

[gregh]

Eight operators turned out for a running day on the Sandstone and Termite on Saturday 2/4. All locos were radio controlled, so the controller was kept busy avoiding mishaps. The bright sun made photography difficult, but here?s a few pictures.

A much modified Stainz by Andrew, uses the turntable at Melaleuca. The 2.4 Hobbyking RC gear is in the tender.

Mark?s model of a NSW 48 class pauses at Lilyvale. Mark used two 6V lead acid batteries and 2.4 GHz control from Hobbyking.

An overall view of the yard. Two operators have 4 trains at Ti-tree in the distance, while the ladies enjoy their craft work.

Keith?s model of a NSW 79 class departing Sandstone. Keith uses only a 1000mAh LiPo battery and still gets min 2 hrs run time. RC is 2.4 GHz control from Hobbyking.

Ti-tree station has been hit by vandals ! I suspect the local mice have developed a taste for styrene. The station nameboards and doors and window frames have been nibbled.

Keith?s CPH railmotor disgorges its passengers at Lilyvale.

James? scratchbuilt model of a Tasmanian loco, pauses for water at Melaleuca. All his models are faithful copies of Tasmanian stock. James uses RCS radio control.

My model of a Tasmanian Dubs 4-8-0 pauses at Sandstone while James? Aruaria comes down the hill way above.

 

[bobg]

Very atmosheric Gregh. "Trousers" loves the tree fern on the platform at Lilyvale, she's been trying to grow a full size one for the last umpty-ump years. It's getting there but oh so slow.

 

[mikka]

question greg, how is james mcinnery going? i heard he was rebuilding then nothing after that..

 

[gregh]

Very atmosheric Gregh. "Trousers" loves the tree fern on the platform at Lilyvale, she's been trying to grow a full size one for the last umpty-ump years. It's getting there but oh so slow.

Ssshhhhh... don't tell anyone but it's just a plastic aquarium plant.

 

[gregh]

Like it!
Has some kind of:
"this is the landscape, lay down a track"
and not "there will be a track, how should the landscape be?"

Frank

I agree with that comment. and all the other congratulationary posts .
Great stuff

Thanks Guys. I guess it was just luck I had a steep backyard with no vehicle access, so no thoughts of hauling 30 tonnes of dirt in etc.

 

[Shawn]

I love your layout and how you lay your track. Always enjoy looking at your line.

 

[gregh]

It?s been a bit wet for running and taking new pictures, so here?s a few oldies of some of the structures I?ve built.

Water tanks of the SaTR?.
My version of the corrugated iron tank on the Puffing Billy Railway.

A common square cast iron tank on the NSW railways. Tank is styrene.

And a less common round steel tank on stone support. The tank is a CD container and the base is Hebel (Thermalite) turned on my lathe. Lots of water to keep the dust down! I don?t think I?ll do that again !

Then some general ?structures??..
A yard crane made from styrene, and a few spare gears. The big ?gear? is actually made from a Vegemite jar lid with the normal gripping serrations deepened with a hacksaw blade. And guess what? It actually meshes with the other gears and works! The goods shed is plywood covered with plastic sheet done with my cardboard corrugator.

My version of the Aussie classic ?Hills Hoist?. A few bits of brass tube and some wire and a winter?s night. It rotates but doesn?t go up and down!

The cattle yards at Melaleuca are made from split Oregon timber on a Masonite base. The cows were all black and white, but I painted some red/brown to represent Herefords. There?s a ?mooing? sound system underneath.

Good old coffee stirrers over a Koroflute base, make up my coal loader.

The turntable at Melaleuca is elevated, and yes there is a prototype for everything. There was one in Woolloongabba, in Brisbane (home of the ?Gabba Cricket ground).

 

[gregh]

A few of us local GR addicts get together on most Wednesdays. Here's some pics from last Wed. Everyone brings their own RC loco and we try to avoid any head-on meetings on the long single line. Then we ajourn for coffee.

This is my 4-8-0 on an Aristo chassis.

Sandstone station yard is busy. Keith's Bo-Bo is closest in the siding while my 4-8-0 crosses Bryan's Garratt.

My 0-6-0 built on a Bachmann Big Hauler chassis.

Bryan's baby Garratt at Lilyvale.

My 4-6-0 on the express. Another Big Hauler conversion.

 

[beavercreek]

Hi Greg
Great shots of a fine collection of locos. Love your scratch building and kitbashing, locos as well as buildings etc.
I have been relooking at your photos of your use of different materials and objedts in the design of feeatures on your line......brilliant. I really feel ashamed that i do not do any more of just using what is at hand on my own line.
But yours is inspirational

 

[gregh]

It?s been a while since I last posted some pictures, so here?s a few of the summer of 2012 (so far). The weather has been kind enough to allow plenty of get-togethers with friends. Most of the locos shown here are theirs, not mine. The only problem is that everyone uses a different coupling system! Bit like the real thing in Oz I suppose. (at least WE use the same gauge!)

Mark?s scratchbuilt NSWR 48 class passes Sandstone goods shed

Geof?s scratchbuilt Queensland 2800 class, also at Sandstone

Two of my steam locos pass at Ti-tree station

Geof?s scratchbuilt Queensland 1620 class at Melaleuca

Keith?s NSWR 40 class (bashed from an Aristo RS3) and my scratchbuilt #19 at Melaleuca. I guess the passenger will get priority and my diesel on the goods will have to wait!

My two orange diesels pose at Melaleuca.

 

[gregh]

Just a few pics from this weekend when I had a chance to do some testing of my latest loco #20.

Old #5, ready to depart Melaleuca

Passengers at Melaleuca watch the goods depart.

Another goods, with latest loco #20 passes the Men's convenience at Melaleuca.

#20 arrives at Lilyvale

and this time is passing in the opposite direction

 

[Mallarddriver]

Hello Greg,
great layout,great pictures:love:and so much space.Wow!!
Kind regards
Soeren

 

[C&S]

Hi Greg,

Great to see more pictures of your line. I'm interested in the steel-built peak-roofed vans; what cargo do they carry, and are they based on a prototype?