Saturday, June 10, 2017

2017 Epping Model Railway Exhibition

Its now time for a bit of small stuff... 1/87th scale and around there to be precise.

I popped along to Epping Model Railway Club's exhibition yesterday and wasn't disappointed. Here's a quick summary of the  layouts which captured my iPhones attention.

Southern Highlands
Every bit as fantastic as I was hoping this one would be, Southern Highlands is based on Exeter. It was running sound equipped locos from the 1950s to early 1980s. I even got to see 44101 in the shafts of a superfreighter, plus a P class push a stalled Creamy Kate out of the section. The following snaps were snaffled.  The last shot attempts to show just how big the layout is - 50 to 60 feet in my estimation.









Western Rivers
Another new one for me. This layout has seriously interesting appeal.  A noisy stockyard and shed at one end to two paddle-steamers milling around the opening rail bridge. It felt like I was in Menindee, just without the flies and the heat.






A-Tractive Effort
Still one of my favs, probably all due to this house.


Binalong
Just like the prototype, I got to Binalong just in time to see a freighter heading out through the scrub. Ain't that always the way?

5714 on the down with a goods - yum, sight and sounds!

Tarana
Stepping down a scale and forward a few years to my favourite N scale layout.


Smuggler's Cove
Before I leave you with a hashed shot of this sublime layout, I should point out that I also got great pleasure from Mungo Scott, Koolabar and a few other layouts, but I managed to either mess up the shot or entirely forget to take one.  So here is the Cove, a layout I could (and nearly did) stand in front of for far too long as a modeller of NSW HO scale.


I didn't photograph the trade stands, as it would likely incriminate some poor bugger who told his wife he 'only got a few small things'.  But there was plenty there to drool over.

Congratulations to the organisers and backers - a great exhibition and well worth going (back) to at some stage this weekend.

Cheers,
Don

PS a great vintage bus service is running half hourly from/to Hornsby.

Friday, June 2, 2017

Remembering Frank, Part III

Its time to finish off the Frank Barrett trilogy with some big power... three shots of 6020 on a once ubiquitous Hunter Valley coal train




Will sign off with this beaut shot of what train hunting is all about... a comfortable at a great train-watching venue (Hawkemount in this instance) and a cup of tea out of the thermos. Here's Frank modelling how it is done in style.


Cheers,
Don