D&RGW narrow gauge: Back to scenics.

[JZ]

Woke up this morning and checked my emails. One from the Galloping Goose Historical society. I had been asking the cost of postage for the 2023 Colorado Narrow gauge calendar. Postage last year was $9, this year it is $27.

[pH]

2 hours ago, JZ said:

Woke up this morning and checked my emails. One from the Galloping Goose Historical society. I had been asking the cost of postage for the 2023 Colorado Narrow gauge calendar. Postage last year was $9, this year it is $27.

Yes, I’ve noticed postage quoted on EBay items from the US to Canada has shot up in the last couple of years. Things can look like a bargain till you add in the postage, which may be more than the cost of the item itself. The option of having an item sent to a ‘parcel receiving’ business just on the US side of the border for collection, which can cost significantly less in postage, hasn’t been available since the start of covid. 
 

(Edit - I just re-read your post and it struck me that it sounds like the start of a modern blues song. Doesn’t scan too well, though.)

Edited September 8, 2022 by pH

[JZ]

2 hours ago, pH said:

Yes, I’ve noticed postage quoted on EBay items from the US to Canada has shot up in the last couple of years. Things can look like a bargain till you add in the postage, which may be more than the cost of the item itself. The option of having an item sent to a ‘parcel receiving’ business just on the US side of the border for collection, which can cost significantly less in postage, hasn’t been available since the start of covid. 
 

(Edit - I just re-read your post and it struck me that it sounds like the start of a modern blues song. Doesn’t scan too well, though.)

Seems a lot of things have shot up in price in the US and not just because of the strong $. I had been planning a trip to Colorado last summer, but put off at first by a huge rise in car hire costs compared to 2019, then started looking at hotels and found they were the same. When I started looking at New South Wales, I found prices hadn't risen much since my trip in 2018. After costing it out, flights+car+hotels, I am getting 5 weeks in NSW, two weeks in Sydney and 3 weeks in a camper, compared with 2 Colorado, two weeks in Sydney and 3 weeks in a camper.

[pH]

New South Wales? But they don’t have narrow gauge there. You should be going to Queensland!

[friscopete]

I wanted a PSC Radley hunter stack for one of my Hon3 locos .11 usd plus 20 postage to uK .They can stick it .I have got some Cary  castings for a shay and other parts coming and only 70 usd posted  so some are still a bit cheaper .Anyone got a woodburning stack for a shay out there .I finely got my MDC Shay running  very sweetly.

[JZ]

19 hours ago, pH said:

New South Wales? But they don’t have narrow gauge there. You should be going to Queensland!

Fell in love with Sydney and NSW on my last visit. At 66, this will probably be my last trip out this far and there are still loads of things I want to do in Sydney. Planning to get up into southern QLD. Is there narrow gauge around Brisbane?

[pH]

1 hour ago, JZ said:

Is there narrow gauge around Brisbane?

Eh … yes?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Queensland

 

Virtually the whole rail network - suburban and long distance - in Queensland is 3ft 6in gauge. 
 

If you get to Brisbane, I would recommend visiting the Workshops Rail Museum in Ipswich, near Brisbane.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workshops_Rail_Museum

 

I have photos from a visit to Brisbane in 2012. (I had a gallery on here, but I took it down.) I’ll dig some out and post a few.

[pH]

On 09/09/2022 at 09:51, pH said:

Virtually the whole rail network - suburban and long distance - in Queensland is 3ft 6in gauge. 
 

If you get to Brisbane, I would recommend visiting the Workshops Rail Museum in Ipswich, near Brisbane.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workshops_Rail_Museum

 

I have photos from a visit to Brisbane in 2012. (I had a gallery on here, but I took it down.) I’ll dig some out and post a few.

 

I've found my photos from in and around Brisbane in 2012, and here are some of them. Everything pictured here is 3ft 6in gauge, unless otherwise noted.

 

A couple of modern EMUs on Brisbane's quite extensive suburban network. First one at Redbank station:

 

 

and one at Brisbane Central station:

 

 

Then some photographs taken at the Workshops Rail Museum in Ipswich, close to Brisbane. While it is a museum, there is also maintenance work still done on Queensland Rail equipment on the site.

 

0-4-0 built by Neilson and Company in Glasgow in 1865. Apparently, it is still operational:

 

 

Queensland Railways 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 Beyer-Garratt:

 

 

An English Electric of Australia diesel built in 1961. Initially used to haul ore from the mines at Mount Isa, but eventually used elsewhere on Queensland Rail. Partly 'sectioned'.

 

 

A narrow(er) gauge engine - ex-War Department Hunslet 4-6-0T. Gauge 60cm (2 foot). Used on sugar plantations in Queensland:

 

 

 

A 'Galloping Gosling'? Panhard railmotor built at the works in 1918:

 

 

As part of the 'experience', rides are available on the works traverser:

 

 

Redbank Works was opened nearby in 1958 to take over some work from North Ipswich. Maintenance work for Queensland Rail (passenger services) was returned to North Ipswich in 2018. Currently (2022), Progress Rail Services maintains Aurizon rolling stock at Redbank Works. As I understand it, Aurizon is the renamed, privatised QR National, which was Queensland Rail's freight side. Here's a shot of Queensland Rail locos waiting for attention at Redbank Works in 2012:

 

 

(Edit - Sorry for cluttering up your topic on Colorado narrow gauge with Australian stuff, but I thought that I would post here since there had already been some discussion about it. Let me know if you would like the post moved to another topic. pH)

Edited September 11, 2022 by pH

[JZ]

10 hours ago, pH said:

 

(Edit - Sorry for cluttering up your topic on Colorado narrow gauge with Australian stuff, but I thought that I would post here since there had already been some discussion about it. Let me know if you would like the post moved to another topic. pH)

Not at all and would be happy to see more.

 

[pH]

8 hours ago, JZ said:

Not at all and would be happy to see more.

 

 

OK. A warning – they're lococentric; I like engines.

 

There are a couple of PB15 class 4-6-0s in the collection. One is #444:

 

 

the other is #732:

 

 

There's a Pacific - #1089:

 

 

An interesting diesel – a 2-6-0 diesel-mechanical. It was the first diesel-mechanical built for a government railway in Australia, in 1939:

 

 

#3 'Flash' – 2 foot gauge used on Queensland sugarcane plantations

 

 

A part of a loco – the front water tank of an Australian Standard Garratt. These were a class of engine designed to work on all the 3ft 6in gauge government railways in Australia. Introduced in 1943, all had been withdrawn before 1960, though a few were bought by industries and lasted a bit longer:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Standard_Garratt#

 

A perfect example of “One size fits none”.

 

 

A few pictures of coaches:

 

 

 

An example of a set of coaches originally intended for use in electrification of the Brisbane suburban services. That scheme was abandoned (they were electrified later), and the coaches modified to be loco-hauled.

 

 

And a selection of makers' plates to show some of the foreign suppliers of equipment, in addition to Australian builders (like Ipswich Works themselves):

 

 

 

 

So, JZ, have I convinced you that you should make it to Brisbane?

[JZ]

Early finish yesterday and day off today, saw me getting on the the scenery around the small township of Frome (pronounced Frome, not Frome).

Another building, maybe two will be added in the foreground.

The mine, left of top centre will be raised about another inch and will have a hillside behind it. This will hide Frome from Ava City and the fact that according to the station signs, Ava City is 1000ft higher. Maybe new signs for Frome.

I will be adding a handcar shed and maybe another small building to the depot.

Edited September 13, 2022 by JZ

[JZ]

Couple of hours, a lick of paint and a sprinkle of sand and a bit of flock.

Still much to add, but it certainly look better than before. One niggle with the backscene. There are a couple of places where the trees are close to the front and a bit out of scale. To blend it in better, I will be adding a lot of tall trees in front to disguise it. Next job, when this is all dry, so tomorrow, will be to run the paint up to the edge of the ties ready for ballast.

Edited September 14, 2022 by JZ

[JZ]

Another rest day sees a bit more work done in this area.

Roads are Vallejo textured paint. It still needs a bit more blending in.

Lunch break at Tylick Tool.

And a card school around the back.

Looking along the Frome depot.

I will add a couple of benches and some parcels/goods to the platform.

I think it looks better now there are a few trees in front of the backscene ones.

 

[JZ]

Browsing the internet before work this morning and came across this on Wikipedia.

The ghost town of Burke, Idaho was situated in such a narrow canyon that the Oregon Railway & Navigation and Northern Pacific operated on main street. (1914).  Looking at the location on Google maps, the mine in the background is still there, though much modernised. The Faller Old Coal Mine kit looks like it would be a reasonable structure to use. Getting ideas for the exhibitable layout.

[JZ]

Managed to get my hands on a 2023 Colorado Narrow Gauge calendar.  Sadly had to get it through Amazon, but it came with free delivery. Would much rather have bought it from the GGS, but USPS can get stuffed with their ridiculous $27 postage rate.

That will keep you in 'picture of the month' until the end of 2024.

Nice modellable train. I have 455, albeit with the RGS tender, a couple of boxcars, couple of flat with lumber load, high sided gon' with what looks like lumber and a short caboose.

Edited September 16, 2022 by JZ

[JZ]

Really don't like the way greens come out on the phone camera. But hey ho. A few embellishments to the depot buildings.

[JZ]

Added a bit of a duller green and it comes better in the photos.

[JZ]

5 minute job weathering Oxford's new Dodge pick up.

A bit out of focus, but it is very much blown up.

I was surprised to find that the US milk churns that came with Walther's dairy are similar in size and shape to those from Bachmann, Langley, et al. Farmers trusty beagle in the back.

[JZ]

Only 31 days (6 hours and 40 minutes, not that I'm counting) until my Australian sojourn. So here is October picture of the month.

480 heading west from Chama Oct 3 1961.

[JZ]

Couple of days off, so put this together.

Mount Blue Models Small Cranberry Warehouse. I have added the loading platform, subbed corrugated roofing for tar paper and added a stove pipe. The main structure is laser scribed(?) to represent shingles. Doesn't look bad from a distance and sure as hell beats applying strips. The sash windows are the best I have come across in a laser cut kit. My first MBM kit and with the pound where it is at the moment, probably my last for a while. I was fortunate enough to get this off a group member. Most kits from this maker are New England prototypes, although they do a couple of Victorian, as in Australian, kits.

[JZ]

In a bit of a quandary. Not sure what shape to make the hill that separates Frome from Ava City. So, while I ponder this, I have put together another building.

Picture from Fos Scale.

I've added a bit more colour to mine. I need to get some drinkers. Mertens do some, but postage from overseas is ridiculous. Noch do a set of drinker, but I think lederhosen a bit out of place in Colorado. They also do a set of Drunk people, but all sources in UK have sold out.

Managed to pick up a Rio Grande Models Marion Steam Shovel.

Photo, Friends of Cumbres & Toltec.

Although it says no photos exist of OQ, there are two in the MoW equipment book. But it is partially stripped and in the process of being scrapped.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

2 minutes ago, JZ said:

They also do a set of Drunk people, but all sources in UK have sold out.

One for the Quotes Board?

[JZ]

48 minutes ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

One for the Quotes Board?

Maybe I should have said 'dried up'.

[JZ]

Some street furniture to add, then some heavy weathering. But I do need some tipsy people.

Maybe the odd keg stacked out front, a trash can or two, couple of lamp posts, a fire hydrant, some strewn newspapers and other detritus.

[JZ]

Still a bit more to do, but it's getting there.