Wellington Club Running Day at Dave Allen's

[Gavin Sowry]

Let's get the ball rolling with this.

My Porter, and passenger car crossing the bridge on Dave's line.

 

[JRinTawa]

Thanks Gav for getting the topic underway.
Yes Sunday was the Wellington Garden Railway Groups monthly running afternoon hosted by David and Wendy Allen at their Browns Bay Railway, with an intermission for a side trip to Robin Gunston's neighbouring Ponga Downs Railway.

So lets start with a view from the lounge deck of the main part of David's Browns Bay Railway. There are three independent but connected loops. A top figure of 8 loop, an oval lower loop passing the station and an outer loop which, via a triangle and gauntlet track in a tunnel under the path, is connected to "Wendy's Loop"....

Pan left and there is Wendy's Loop!

You'd think from the railway paraphernalia in the garden David's day job has something to do with the railways!
(The warehouse in early stages of construction.)

 

[JRinTawa]

Gavin S's visiting Bachmann Porter with a one coach excursion special. That's Gav hiding in the background

One of David's LGB Shorties passing over a trestle bridge on Wendy's Loop.

Action on the main part of the railway.

 

[JRinTawa]

New station building on approval from Brian Cashmore's railway! Nice car on the train in the loop too, the weather was certainly warm enough for a convertible

Wayne's (or is it Henrik's on loan) stub nose railcar on the middle loop.

Chris D's train on the one of the connecting tracks with the upper figure of 8 loop. All the turnouts/points are electrically controlled from a control panel up on the deck. That's where the well fed Controller stood, hmm I'd be very well fed if I was to eat Wendy's afternoon tea every day

Chris D's train again. Track gang our working - must be a Sunday!

 

[JRinTawa]

David's Stainz on the upper figure of 8 loop, note the new steam up bay in the background under the "tickets" sign.

Nice flag station and my alter-ego, the Schleich Blacksmith standing in the doorway (he's a handsome chap).

A water fall cascades down a mountain slope at the deck end of the figure of 8 loop

Flowing from the waterfall the stream section of the water feature adding real reason for the scratch build trestle bridges.

 

[JRinTawa]

Top loop passes at a higher level behind the visiting station.

One of my contributions to the visiting trains. Hmm actually my dear wife's trains but I was allowed to use it for the day :love:

And lastly, from the Browns Bay Railway, Fujitsu siding, which also doubles as a steam up siding. Very hand for visiting steamies since David doesn't have a live steamer (yet). My Regner Lumber Jack "Manawanui" is cooling down after a good half and hour testing out the railway. David plans to use some building flats to give and industrial backdrop to Fujitsu siding. A heat pump factory maybe?
Thanks David & Wendy for a pleasant afternoon

 

[JRinTawa]

Okay lets pop across the road to visit Robin Gunston's Ponga Downs Railway, a work in progress in it's early stages as he fits an operators layout into a tight confined space.

Robin's GRS kitset station building

GRS kitset signal box

And the third of Robins GRS kitset buildings is this lineside hut.

 

[JRinTawa]

At this stage control is via LGB MTS. The cliff hanging incline, pinned to the Ponga lined bank, will one day lead to another operating area via an ivy clad bank.

The ponga backdrop mades for a good afternoon photo stop!

Grounded camping coach, like Robin spent boyhood holidays in!

 

[JRinTawa]

Inside the van was hidden a sound unit. Was it an MP3 player? No, it was Robin's phone with steam sound tracks playing on repeat. Don't ring Robin when he's running trains!

Worker helping with finding the MTS power gremlin which sneaked in with the first visitors - happens to us all at some time.

Baahhh

Thanks Robin for inviting us over, we look forward to watching how you tackle the constrains of a very tight site

So ends another successful sunny WGRG running day (well unless you've got some more piccies Gav). Trains, mates, cake, coffee and sun, just what Sunday where made for

 

[bigjack]

Great Pictures, keep em coming .

But what causes that strange glow on the pictures :thinking:

Ah, Mary (the planning occifer) has just pointed out, that it might be the sun, or though she can't be sure as it's been so long since we've seen it

 

[Gizzy]

Sun?

I remember sun....

 

[garrymartin]

And those dark areas, are they what they call shadows :thinking:

 

[Madman]

Dave's railway is really quite impressive. Thanks for posting the photos.

Now, what is Ponga. It looks like some sort of tree or vine. And does it grow in straight lines like the photos shows, or was that intentional? You mentioned something about Ivy. Be careful with that monster.

 

[Gavin Sowry]

Now, what is Ponga.

8| It is a native NZ fern. It grows with a straight trunk, and ferns bloom from the top. The 'logs' are a very popular gardening accessory.

 

[Shawn]

Great pictures. Love the layout and plants. What I would give to see some green and flowers.

 

[Gavin Sowry]

One of the guys at work here, showed my photo at the top of this post to his partner.... she has given planning permission for his new line.

 

[Gavin Sowry]

What I would give to see some green and flowers.

8| San Francisco, they wear flowers in their hair, and you 'smell' the 'green'

 

[Gavin Sowry]

So ends another successful sunny WGRG running day (well unless you've got some more piccies Gav). Trains, mates, cake, coffee and sun, just what Sunday where made for

You've pretty well covered everthing that I have photos of. Must say, Wendy's catering was superb. A very good day had by all. Thanks Dave and Wendy.