Simon Winter posted:Roo posted:Thanks Melgar and Simon if you can make it to the running session this Friday your both invited !
Roo.
I dunno......does Quantas have a Geezers fly free program (sorry Melgar)
Simon
And there's a free lunch throw in as well! 
Roo posted:Thanks Melgar and Simon if you can make it to the running session this Friday your both invited !
Neville,
United has a low fare of only $4,217.00 usd to Melbourne. Is there a Bay Ridge discount code? 
BobbyD posted:Roo posted:Thanks Melgar and Simon if you can make it to the running session this Friday your both invited !
Neville,
United has a low fare of only $4,217.00 usd to Melbourne. Is there a Bay Ridge discount code?
Well I live 2500 miles from Melbourne so there's another Air Fare ! Ha, Ha.
OK, lets get back to WORK or is it fun ? Here is the trackwork laid out for the next stage of Bay Ridge.
Soon I will be ripping up the existing track and replacing it with what you see here. Drop in now and again for updates. Don't forget this thread is not about the whole layout just what it says "The Redevelopment of Bay Ridge". Thanks. Roo.
Hi Everyone.
Now I have the track laid for the Station which also happens to be the "Mainline" into the Yulan Valley Railroad or the layout.
The short spur leading off that will eventually connect up to the present day yard through a Double Slip switch.
The unballasted track is temporary as well as any wiring you can see. I am doing this in stages so we can keep the Railroad running for our Friday running sessions it doesn't faze me doing it like this I like running trains and don't want to close the Railroad down for weeks. Thanks Roo.
H Nev, good to see what has been happening since I was there.
Raining here so no progress on my layout :>
cheers
Bob
Hi Bob.
Starting on Bay Ridge was a big step I kept putting it off finding other projects to do, till I finally decided enough is enough, it's time I got onto it and done something. Taking the grandkids for a walk in the bush tomorrow (Tuesday) now that will be really interesting the weather is fine tomorrow so that's one thing taken care of ! You take care mate and I will eventually catch up on my offline emails one day.... Enjoyed your visit to the Wild West. Nev.
Hi Everyone.
Bay Ridge is slowly making some progress I have started laying the track for the yard without interfering with the operation of the railroad I might start making the framework for the New control panel this week ready for Bruce to wire next week so it's slowly slowly getting there. Those pieces of wood are for spacing the track and the aluminium strips keep it straight I weather afterwards make it look grotty, nice to have it look good to start off with! Where that hand broom and tins are sitting is the passenger station site. Thanks. Roo.
My method of laying track is very simple over 40 years of O scaling I have tried lots of ways including hand laying and while that is a good method for some it's not for me. My method while not perfect as far as looks go (I don't add details to my track) is as follows.
Lay 3mm cork for the roadbed, paint everything matt black, lay flex track with your spacers in place mark where your Tortoise machines are going and drill the holes lay the track, nail down where there is gaps for ties at the track joints fill these in with some glue on the cork and push ties under the rails. Remove all the spacers solder the joins and feeder wires, paint the track (open windows and wear a mask or respirator) I have a fan going as well, clean top of track, when paint dry apply ballast, spray with wet water, spray with a mixture of white glue and wet water to seal everything use an eye dropper around turnouts you don't want everything glued together! Finally clean the tops of the rails and test. Finished. One thing I did not mention was when laying the track have your wiring diagram in front of you for the feeders and the gaps I use insulated rail joiners where possible otherwise it's the Dremel and cut the gaps.
This thread as I mentioned at the start is only to show the members MY method not to debate other ways of doing things if any members want to tell their ways of building a model railroad it is probably best to start a new thread. I like to think anyone with limited skills can use my way and create a nice looking and good performing model Railroad. I have always stated I am an average modeller I cannot scratch build a locomotive or rolling stock I cannot hand lay track and turnouts, I cannot paint a beautiful backdrop, I cannot create beautiful plaster mountains, what I can do is build an operating model railroad and have fun doing it. Years ago I even did all my electrical work including making control panels now I am fortunate to have a good friend who does all the electrical work and even pays for most of the items he uses. Roo.
So the tracks are down and finished approx two days of calm casual work. The photo shows the ballast two colours.... the light colour is dry, the dark is still wet.
More later, and I will show you how build the frame to mount the control panel notice how every track on the panel has an isolation switch or two something that is necessary when your a DC dinosaur ! Ha Ha..... 
Roo.
Absolutely wonderful and progressing so quickly. And not interrupting the running sessions.
Thanks for the update, amazing work! Love to see all the great talent here on the Forum, just might have to come visit you in a year Roo!
Thank you Bobby and Joe for the kind comments your good blokes.
.......The next morning and everything is dry and uniform it looks good but it's not totally finished this is a yard that has seen plenty of work over the years and I want to portray it as such so I will add some weeds and clutter or details as we call them. I hope to one day build a road bridge at the end against the wall with a stairway going down to the passenger platform which will be where the Black area is. Under the bridge I am going to place a mirror, before all this happens I will just paint the wall blue the same as the backdrop unfortunately the light switch cannot be removed but it will be under the bridge I'm hoping it won't be to obtrusive. Thanks again. Roo.
Roo, Could the light switch be incorporated into an electric company 3-D advertisement on a bill board? Fabricating a billboard around the light switch.
Maybe an advertisement for light switches and electrical supplies?
Ha, Ha, a good idea but not for this situation because the light switch is under the bridge or will be ! I'll figure something out is low on the list plenty of other things to do.
I just finished 2-Railing this Die Cast K-Line depressed flatcar one of the hardest cars I've ever done impossible to describe how I did it as I used four trucks from MTH cars that I had in the scrap box the K-Line trucks I could not use I tried anyway the good news is this one is finished the bad news is I have one more to go a K-Line 16 wheeler FLAT TOP not depressed that's me. The chains are in a safe place at the moment till I'm sure it's finished. Roo.
Had a couple of those cars at one time Neville, don't drop it on your foot!;-)
BOBBYD. I was thinking about getting two of them and using them in the Gym for a workout!
The progress on changing Bay Ridge yard is moving along slowly Bruce was under the layout today wiring some turnout motors we can still use this section I have laid down some temporary track to link the new finished sections with the present Yard. So one photo today shows the yard staged for this Friday running day.
I have always where possible tried to put everything under the layout on wheels which has paid off numerous times as far as my back goes and the ease of working under the layout here are some examples. The seat I bought from a boat place and put it on wheels. Thanks again for dropping in Roo.
Roo, I have one work cart under my layout and plan to have more as it expands across the room. I like the carts with rolling stock. The look home made from here in Pennsylvania!
Roo posted:And there's a free lunch throw in as well!
Is that like hurling your lunch?
Nice!
Two rails always look better than three!
Inspirational, Nev, which is just what I need right now! Thanks for taking the time to share; I will try to do the same when my layout project kicks off - still waiting on the Sparky to finish wiring my new shed.
Regards, Paul - Whangarei, NZ
Roo,
Here's an idea ("borrowed" from John Allen) to hide the light switch and "expand" the layout. Cut your bridge in half vertically and remove the piece between middle and wall. Then attach a mirror across entire bridge, but only up to top of bridge. Hides light switch while leaving room for hand access and expands length of yard and passenger platform.
Just a thought.
Chuck
"Tracks Ending At The Wall Dilemma"...
Years ago, during an experiment with 3-rail modeling, I faced just such a situation, but in my case it was a bridge also hiding a stage entrance as well as a wall.
I was going to mute the situation by painting the wall under the bridge black. Here's the mock up of the scene:
IMHO:
* Lower the height of your bridge so not so much of the wall is visible. (You can use cardboard for a mock up bridge like I did before you make irreversible changes to your current bridge model.)
* Place a section of black poster board against the wall to simulate a black-painted wall.
* Use some "Tacky-Tack" gum to temporarily hold some flats in place on the wall "past" the bridge.
Look at the results and see what you think.
In my estimation, adding mirrors to the wall (either the entire wall or just under the bridge) will draw visual attention to that area. In my opinion, that's not what you want. You do not want the scene to GRAB attention or compete for visual attention in any way, instead you want it blend-in as best it can and compliment the main scene.
Something to think about.
Andre
Roo, above you posted, "I hope to one day build a road bridge at the end against the wall with a stairway going down to the passenger platform which will be where the Black area is. Under the bridge I am going to place a mirror,". Wow one day has come already and the bridge is there. Do you still plan on using the mirror under the bridge? Maybe you can place it between the third and fourth columns where the platform is to hide the wall switch and still allowing space for your hand. Like PRR1950 suggested, without cutting the bridge in half. It would even look as if there were two stair cases going down to the platform once you add one.
There are some good suggestions here and I will also add to them in a minute but lets stop for a second and consider the situation. As far as the layout goes I am a one man band except for the electrical and the operation plan, everything else I do myself, everything, which includes locomotives and rolling stock and preparing the layout for running every week. So as much as I would like to add endless detail to the layout I can't, I just don't have the time, but your suggestions are always welcome don't be put off because of what I have said here because who knows I might just use some of them one day indeed I am thinking of cutting a piece of Black foam core and fitting it under the bridge to see what it looks like as Andre suggested.
While thinking about this bridge I thought of two other ways to go about this the first was to make up a much wider bridge which would almost be a tunnel and on top place a small shopping centre. You might remember a few years ago I did this to fill in a corner (See Photos). The second much easier was to make the bridge ONE lane wider and make the extra lane into a "Bus" lane for the commuters this was tempting as it would not interfere with the Backdrop as the lane would finish just before it reached the backdrop therefore the large factory would not be blocked off.
So what it comes down to I have decided due to lack of time to make just a simple two lane bridge with pavements on both sides and some plastic non working street lights and of course the usual motor vehicles and people. If later I decide I don't like that I will think of some alternatives then.
Don't forget I am getting closer to laying the four double slip switches soon that will be an interesting exercise in patience ! 
Thank you all. Roo.
Roo posted:
Don't forget I am getting closer to laying the four double slip switches soon that will be an interesting exercise in patience !
Thank you all. Roo.
You are a much, much, much braver man than most of us Roo!
Have patience and take deep breaths. Maybe some soothing New Age music in the background??
Friends. I haven't posted anything for a while on this thread and the Station complex is taking more time than it should (baby sitting duties ) so unfortunately it is still nowhere near finished but just for the record here is a progress report and photo. It looks easy in the photo but it's been a fiddly job especially that stairway.
The above ground platform still needs another canopy and of course seats and people, the bridge is waiting on the rest of the railing as well as street lights and the whole thing is still to be painted including the station platform. We have a running session tomorrow if you are coming try to be here no later than 10-00 AM. Thanks. Roo.
The Bay Ridge station is taking shape still a while to go including finishing off the road bridge waiting for parts as usual it's hurry up and wait in West Australia that's what "WA" stands for "Wait Awhile" not West Australia .
We are having a running session today everyone's invited start at 10-00am finish at 5-00pm I provide lunch and coffee and tea still struggling to get operators just about given up I have a shower every morning and keep the house clean must be my attitude hard to change at my age I'm really a nice bloke not the tough guy I think I am. Roo.
I would love to join your operating sessions but the timing just doesn't work out for me.
Roo posted:The Bay Ridge station is taking shape still a while to go including finishing off the road bridge waiting for parts as usual it's hurry up and wait in West Australia that's what "WA" stands for "Wait Awhile" not West Australia .
We are having a running session today everyone's invited start at 10-00am finish at 5-00pm I provide lunch and coffee and tea still struggling to get operators just about given up I have a shower every morning and keep the house clean must be my attitude hard to change at my age I'm really a nice bloke not the tough guy I think I am. Roo.
One day Neville! Maybe we'll charter a flight and surprise you with a bus out front. Keep up the good work.
BOBBYD. I won't mind but the wife might! On second thoughts make it a Mini Bus !
Anyway the good news is I have finally started on the final track work for Bay Ridge Yard. The wife snapped this photo this morning with the CEO hard at work. More later. Roo.
Looking great!!
Hi Everyone.
Thought I would post an update on Bay Ridge yard. While I have been away in the bush Bruce has been working on the electrical and doing a fine job. The control panel is fitted and looks good if your wondering why there is no names or colour on the panel it's because that's the way I like them they are not there to look nice they are there to use and be functional with no distractions.
So how was the bush ? Not bad, plenty of flies, lots of hills, a few snakes, a couple of really hot days, lost a few kilograms, didn't eat much, drank plenty of water. Apart from all that it was fun.
Soon have the trains running again more later.... Roo.
I like that, trek around the bush, and the electric work gets magically done! Nice scenery in the Bush photograph!
Thanks Mark. Yes my two interests apart from my family are hiking outdoors (we call it Bushwalking in Australia) and the trains. I am not getting any younger and when I can't do the hiking anymore I will have the trains. The doctors are very happy with my walking as I had numerous gunshot wounds in an ambush during the Vietnam war one went right through my leg and broke my femur resulting in that leg being shorter so everyday in the bush is a bonus there are others worse off than myself I have never let it stop me doing what I want to do. I tell that to other vets never give up keep going. To get off this subject here is a photo of the trains ! Roo.
Nev...Thought there was a snake under that log you were sitting on...
On closer observation it turned out to be a shadow...
Bob
flanger posted:Nev...Thought there was a snake under that log you were sitting on...
Bob
At this time of the year you see them a lot this one did not want to move so I managed a photo. While working on Bay Ridge yard the rest of the layout is being used for storage there are cars and locos all over the place! I hate seeing the layout like this but sometimes you have to make changes for the better. Looking forward to getting it up and running so is the crew about another week. Roo.
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