Quick Note

3034 on a late afternoon down passenger at Kirkham

The Kirkham Elderslie module wiring is nearing completion with a couple of wires to be soldered to the point blades. A standard colour coding and wiring scheme is employed throughout the 6 modules that make up the layout. Modules are connected via 4 pin Din plug and sockets. A power bus for point power (12VDC), remote throttle power 13.5VAC, a 0-12 VDC feed from the remote throttle and track power between the modules runs underneath each module. You can plug any module into the first module and it will work which is useful for testing when the modules are not physically lined up. The Kirkham Elderslie module has some additional wiring requirements due to a point being located at the Narellan end. The terminus and Narellan have their own control panels for point control, power isolation for separating double headed trains and throttle inputs. The layout can be electrically broken into 2 separate sections at Kirkham, allowing independent operations from Camden to Kirkham and Narellan to the fiddle yard.

Fencing and detailing continues on the Elderslie module and now on a roll to get it completed. I have built a mini Narellan Hotel - not entirely happy with it and may improve or rebuild it.

After years of resisting having a Facebook account I finally succumbed  - there is an excellent private group on the Campbelltown to Camden Railway which has some amazing pictures and info.

Took a few more photos  today some inspired by original B&Ws seen on the net. More to come soon

3034 and MLV about to attach to a CCA at Camden, I don't envy the guy hooking up the couplings

3034 with down mixed crossing the Nepean River

3034 gets ready to depart Camden with an up mixed

Fences and Photos.

3013 arriving at Elderslie on an up mixed at last light. 

from last light to fog the power of photo editing !

Work continues on the Kirkham Elderslie module with Uneek Models cattle grids and more crossing signs installed. 600mm of Uneek post and rail fence has been erected from Elderslie station heading towards Kirkham where it joins a more standard wire fence with rail fence posts. The total running length of the layout is 18 metres which means 36 metres of fencing including over 6 metres of post and rail. Fencing was completed from Elderslie to Kirkham.

The new landmark signal, post and rail fencing and lightpost behind Elderslie station.

Another shot of 3013 with and up mixed at Elderslie

Two landmarks have been built and installed, one for the approach into Camden near Elderslie station and the other for the approach to Narellan from the Kirkham side. These were kitbashed from Ratio OO signal kits. The signal posts were shortened and thinned down, NSWGR finials added, ladder cage and Stephen Johnson models etched triangles.

3013 arriving at Kirkham with a down mixed fencing on the right has been added and backdrop started

The backdrop for this module is well underway. The landscape is very compressed and I have been making paper and card mockups of Studley Park House and the Narellan pub to see if they will work.  The pub would be in low relief and about 50-75% in size to perhaps suggest some perspective. I dropped the idea of Studley Park house as its too far away from the line to be significant. There is house to be built on Bringelly Rd adjacent to first point into the yard. Fencing is still to be installed between Kirkham and Narellan as well as a few trees.

What if the line didn't close 4701 stops at Elderslie on an up mixed towards sunset.

On the photographic side experimenting with different light temperatures and positioning of light as mentioned in the last blog to simulate different times of the day such as noon and sunset. Two of my original aims with the layout were to create something that would lend itself to photography and a historically accurate model.   The second point is a little redundant with a couple of todays photos - a "What if" scenario. What if the Camden line didn't close at the end of 1962 or the Glenlee coal loader wasn't built and the line continued to the 1980s. The line might become the domain of 47 and 48 class locos with the odd 600/700 or 620/720 rail car service.  Adds a little variety to the 20 and 30 class operations. The 20 class is undergoing repairs with new front buffer beam and coupler and will be back in service in a couple of weeks.

The next couple of weeks should see the Kirkham Elderslie finished - a first for the layout ! The link back to Camden will then be completed, then track work through Narellan. Work will also restart on the Currans hill module.

Thats it for now stay healthy enjoy your modelling

Photo play.

Today I purchased a small LED flood lamp that you can adjust the colour temperature for daylight or warm. I am still trying to learn how to create shots around the layout that look a little life like and get a reasonable depth of field. Lighting is the other challenge, up until now I have been shooting with the available room lighting which is LED fluro equivalent and sometimes let in a little morning sun. Occasionally I will set up flashes, soft boxes or umbrellas - but its a lot of mucking around that is becoming more awkward as the layout grows and available space diminishes.

A couple of aspects I played with today were trying to replicate where the sun would be in real life on  the various areas from Camden to Narellan. One of the aims was to create a golden hour type effect and dark storm type lighting.  The layout is currently bits and pieces with large sections of unfinished scenery and detail not to mention no backdrop for most of it. This makes it quite difficult to capture a tight little scene that appears finished so the lesson here is start finishing things off - only trouble is it takes so long.

I tend to use a 35mm equivalent of 24-80mm f2.8 zoom and focus stacking to get the required depth of field and this is still taking time to become competent at. The camera is able to do this internally, a big improvement over trying to do it in Photoshop. There are many parameters that can be tweaked to  set the range of depth of field and after reviewing the camera manual and google searches may be a little closer to getting this right.

The other approach is to photograph your model as you would on the real thing, basically track level or some realistic vantage point that did exist such as a loading bank (none of those helicopter shots - although todays drones allow overhead shots).

Got a little bit more fencing done and a good deal on eBay for a bulk purchase of 10 x 0.6mm drills for continuing more fencing.

Thats it for now some pics below taken around Kirkham. The bloke on the motorbike is a train spotter !

Chipping away.

3034 stops at Elderslie on a late afternoon down passenger.

Elderslie station has now been added and again some basic scenic work done. There is a small section of post and rail fence on the the Camden Valley Way road side of the building, a small picket fence enclosure at the Camden end of the platform and a power pole with a fluro light to be added.

Been experimenting with fences using old rail craft code 55 rail and some north eastern timber. These are proving painful and fiddly to build - been using little electric drill and burnt the first drill out after drilling about 70 holes in the rail. Threading is prooving a challenge as is manual dexterity the joys of  aging. The rail posts are spaced at 30 ft intervals with 5 timber suspended posts between each pair of rails. Fencing wire is a fine nylon thread that has been painted dark grey. The timber suspended posts were glued on with Selleys acrylic Kwik Grip. I have about 15 metres more of this fencing to install.

Another view of 3034 with down passenger coming into Elderslie  note the new fence and home made tree.

I have started to make my own trees again, using heavy electrical wire which is soldered in key areas then covered with liquid nails before being painted. Woodland scenics Fine - Leaf Foliage is the glued to the branches. This is an excellent product - a tad expensive and I will probably get 4-6 trees from a packet. There are dozens of trees on the layout - the more expensive Woodland trees are very good particularly after repainting the trunks. The more inexpensive ones are a bit like lollypops and require a fair bit of rework to look like Australian trees and shrubs and will probably replace many of these trees with home made ones at some point.

Another view of 3034 with down passenger slowing into Elderslie.

There was a landmark signal somewhere near the Elderslie station. The signal plan shows it on the left if approaching Camden, whereas my interpretation of some of Weston Langford photos suggest it was on the right of the track as per Camden home signal - Anyone know the exact location of this landmark?

 It was quite an elaborate landmark on a white signal post with black base, finial, lamp and ladder, a similar one can be seen on the cover of "Pansy the Camden Tram" near Campbelltown.

Until next time stay well, happy modelling