HEADING TO THE FUTURE

Transcription

1 The Whistle Blower Newsletter of the Canberra Society of Model and Experimental Engineers AUGUST 2017 President Peter Hateley Secretary Greg Peters Website: Editor: HEADING TO THE FUTURE INSIDE THIS MONTH LAST MEMBERS DAY AT KMR Page 2&8 WARD GAINEY - IN HIS OWN WRITE Page 4 Treasurer s Monthly report Page 3 LAST PUBLIC DAY AT KMR Page 7 Sunday 23 July 2017 was crisp and clear as Members gathered at KMR for the final official Members Running Day. Following the last public running day on 31st July the miniature railway will cease to exist as transfers start to the Canberra Miniature Railway at Symonston. MORE PHOTOS INSIDE CONTRIBUTE TO WHISTLE BLOWER FOR SEPTEMBER BY SEPT 1st

2 HEADING TO OBLIVION

3 NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Canberra Society of Model and Experimental Engineers To be held at the CMR Workshop Jerrabomberra Avenue SYMONSTON ACT on Thursday 17th August 2017 commencing at 8.00pm 1. To confirm the minutes of the 2016 Annual General Meeting. 2. To receive a report from the President, Treasurer, Auditor and Sub- Committees. 3. To elect the Officers and Committee Members for To appoint an Auditor for 2018 and to determine the remuneration, if any. 5. To determine the remuneration, if any, for the servants of the Society. 6. To enact any other business duly notified to the committee by the close of business on 13th August By Order of the Committee, Kevin Olds, Public Officer. Financial Report by Society Treasurer Kevin Olds The audit of the accounts is now complete and our final audited result for 2016/17 was a loss of $2, The new year has started well largely due to a good result for the last run at the KMR and the prompt payment of membership fees by many of our members. With no further railway income until we start operating the CMR at Symonston, we will be using our accumulated reserves to meet regular expenses. Donations from members to help fund the completion of the CMR have started to come in with a total of $3,980 received to date. While this will help enormously in the task ahead, further donations are welcome.

4 IN HIS OWN WRITE! Society Members write about their own projects and share some of their experiences. This month WARD GAINEY writes an overview of his history with model engineering All I know about trains in 500 words or less with pictures I had my first train when I was quite young and I was lucky enough to have the Hornby wind-up loco (see picture 1) plus a couple of carriages, one a 4-wheel flat car with a container with tie down chains and the second escapes my memoryneither of these survived nor does the loop of brass track my father made for me-i Ward s first loco - a Hornby wind-up My second train was a Hornby UK profile steamer (see picture 2) which cost 6/17/6 and was a Christmas present I shared with my younger brother Lloyd. He currently has the loco on his home layout but I need to do some work on the carriage roof as the heat has affected them. Actual involvement in the train game waned considerably when I found other interests: education, Teachers College and then work in far west NSW. Farmers did not seem to have an interest in model trains or any other sort. I found golf, alcohol, fast cars and girls - not necessarily in that order - and then fell in love with a wonderful girl who is still working on straightening me out. We then had a family and not so much money - but when I had a posting into RMIT which was just up the road from the Hobby shop in Swanston Street, Melbourne some cash appeared. Sadly it is no longer there but then the big department store Bob Hawke created went out of business and they had a lot of Hornby 00 at a good price. Most of these items went into a box as we moved around a lot with Navy. Strangely enough I still have a few of these items - some still in the box!

5 Hornby UK profile steam model and cars Then we moved to Canberra and found a lot of model train clubs, hobby shops and later CSMEE. After I finished playing Scout Master, the lure of model railways arose again and I joined CMRCI at which time the club was building a new layout in Bob Hesse's garage. I thought it was an opportunity to learn how to build a layout before I ventured into doing the same for myself. A lot of people have that idea but it seems there is an apprenticeship time where you have to actually look and listen a lot before you are allowed to touch. None the less, with all the expertise available in CMRCI that layout was completed as well as several more over the years. I got heavily into management including taking over from Bob Hesse in organising a number of Exhibitions. My aspirations of building a layout consisted of buying a neat little N-scale layout which I tidied up and then a small N-scale for my father when he joined a retirement village-he had been dabbling in HO scale but old fingers started to let him down. So far I have accumulated many more HO locos and rolling stock than I will ever be able to operate on a home layout. That is in the spare rumpus room that Christine pointed out would be ideal when we bought our current house - she is good to me!! The next step in my rail adventure was inspired by my brother-in-law, Peter Hateley, when he joined CSMEE and eventually purchased the mighty Shay, soon to be seen returning and running on the track again. I think he invited me to a meeting. Naively I went along and was swept up in visions of smoke and steam and the rattling of steel wheels across the tracks. Unfortunately, Peter and Rosemary went of to Darwin for a posting with the Navy and left the Shay with me-so then I wanted a loco when I had to give the Shay back on his return. Peter, still encouraging me to get more involved with trains, found a 5 NSWGR 36 Class loco which had been commenced by an enthusiast in WA using the castings from EJ Winter (I think) but not completed, and it still isn't! Front pony, main drive wheels and cylinders complete but not much more. Five boxes went to Adelaide and then they came back - who would have thought that an organisation building submarines does not have a hobby shop!

6 Through the efforts of John Nicolson I picked up a well loved lathe and mill drill so theoretically I have all I need to forge ahead. I have also acquired a 7¼ in. electric powered loco which is about 85% complete and is my focus at the moment leading up to my retirement this year. Then apparently according to some people I can contribute to the new site more often. Fortunately, I know more about electrics than I do about boiler construction so I will finish the diesel-hydraulic model first. I did have some involvement with the development of the planning of the new CMR layout-i thought it would be finished after we had been away for three yearshowever I look forward to eventually having the pleasure of driving my locos on the tracks - but it may be my son and grandchildren at the current rate of effort on my part. Further to the new site, my aspirations will be to assist and comprehend the electrics and control workings as they are installed. I have not discussed this with the powers that be but I hope this will be the case as my welding is pretty average however someone has offered to teach me how to navigate the lawn mower and the tractor and I did paint the inside of the control box! One entry for the Caption Comp: What, Officer, me, speeding? Thanks John Crocker! Beech Hurst Miniature Railway, David Miles s club in the UK, showing what can happen when your track gets over 30C over there. I doubt if they have expansion links as such, I believe the tracks are joined with the normal plates. said David. David Miles is a plasma donor. Wanna join him?

7 LAST KMR PUBLIC DAY Thanks, Ladies! David Foote s Photos Christine, Rosemary, Christine! Greg Peters was full steam all day in his Bunyip Kel Broughton and Trevor Knights takeout Santa Fe with another packed train The very old and the young - Col Fuller and Matthew Gabriel shared crossing duties. Ben Elliot ran his Boulder Creek Tramway loco, Chris Grallelis portrait, Ward Gainey takes the Aussie flag down for the last time, Wal Cameron on Station duties and John Oliver starts the cleanup!

8 LAST KMR MEMBERS DAY

9 Editorial We have been caught napping! Whilst we have been decrying the loss of bookings and visitors to the KMR public running days over the last considerable number of months a new market to boost our financial base has been left untouched. Until now. The below graphs do not lie and the numbers at our final running day at KMR do not lie. In partnership with Peter Duffy of The Canberra Coach Company and The Pink Party Bus Canberra we reached at least 31,481 people to announce the closing of KMR. WANTED DRAFTSMAN FOR REMUNERATED JOB. Please contact the Editor. Club badges are now available by requesting then through the secretary by or letter. Cost is $5.00 each Peter Cole prepares to drop the final signal at KMR INSURANCE Members are reminded that insurance cover for attendance at events at other clubs and activities not part of the regular CSMEE program (including special activities approved by the Committee) is subject to each member involved notifying the Secretary beforehand. The secretary can be contacted by at csmee@grapevine.com.au.

10 Sponsors and Helpers! Machinery & General Industrial Supplies Pty. Ltd. 3/5 Wiluna Street Fyshwick COCKINGTON GREEN MODEL VILLAGE Town and Country Trenching Services of Hume Phone: Address: Brylee St, Hume, ACT WHAT DO YOU CALL A SLEEP WALKING NUN? A roamin catholic! A TOOTHLESS TERMITE WALKED INTO A BAR AND ASKED, IS THE BAR TENDER HERE? What did the grape say when it was crushed? Nothing; it just let out a little whine.. It s hard to explain puns to kleptomaniacs because they always take things literally..