Some more progress

An update on Thursdays picture now with added crane

I installed the yard crane today - its a 5 ton Peter Borman kit (beautiful kit great castings and etchings). Camden only had a 3 ton crane which is slightly different to this, however no commercial kits are currently available of the smaller crane. I struggle with etch brass kits think, they are way too fiddly for me and there are  number of small re soldering jobs required on this build.

Above a photo kindly supplied by Anthony Veness, photographer unknown of the original Camden crane

Inch by Inch

3034 shunts a CW and two S trucks into the stock siding. A KKG sits in the loop beside the loading bank.

The stockyards are now completed. The corner and gate posts were made from 4mm dowel and the intermediate posts from 10" x 6" North Eastern timber. Rails are 6" x 2". Some Grandtline bolts were strategically added and I am still debating whether to put more in on the intermediate posts - a question of effort to reward - some simulated bolts using a 4H pencil and some rust coloured paint may be an easier option.

There are 2 sliding gates on the cattle race that work and 6 hinged gates around the stockyards that also work, the hinges are small eye bolts and L section piece of brass wire drilled into the posts. The wood was painted Tamiya flat black, followed by a coat of Tamiya XF-54 dark grey, then drybrused with artists acrylic white ( which is a lot thicker than Tamiya). I was a big fan of ravens oil and methylated spirit however this fades over time and if you have any drops of glue on your woodwork, the stain will not be absorbed. The rust was Model master acrylic rust.

Overall am happy with the end result so onto the next project  - the yard crane.

Cheers for now

Another view of the completed stockyards. I have been avoiding painting the backdrop behind the station however its probably time to give it a go.

3034 has dropped off its wagons and heads back towards the main line

Brief Progress Report

A solitary CW has been left in the stock siding

Have taken a break from the railway for quite a few weeks to finish off a major landscaping project in the yard. One of my other interests is bird photography and I have spent some time around our local wetlands photographing lots of nesting birds and their new offspring.

There are many unfinished projects around the Camden yard and am slowly finishing these off. The stockyards presented another challenge, Camden had a very small stockyard, opposite the cattle sale yards in Edward Street. There appears to be little in way of photographic references with the exception of a couple of shots from the Weston Langford collection that shows some very dilapidated cattle races on a small platform. It is difficult to tell if there were elevated races for sheep or pigs. 

The Macarthur district was famous for its sheep and I would be surprised if there wasn't an elevated race at some point. I also recollect a photo of 20 class mixed with a GSV in the consist which might support this. Appreciate any feedback from fellow modellers who may have some insight into the stockyards.

For now I have built a cattle race based on the Greg Edwards Data sheet. This will be blended into the layout and additional fencing installed. The length of loading platform was scaled from a State Rail archives (not sure what they are called now) drawing dated 1936 and again the platform length suggests there may have been additional loading races. The fencing around the yard will allow the addition of an elevated stock race if further information comes to hand.

Cheers for now