The Flimsy OUR NOVEMBER GATHERING

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1 Volume 2, Issue 12 November 2011 The Flimsy The Newsletter of Division 2 of the NMRA AR OUR NOVEMBER GATHERING With our All-Powerful Leader back in the chair, fewer dared to tender a futile excuse for not fronting up and we actually saw 20 roll up for the meeting at Brad Hinton s today. Last month s Acting Unterführer Peter Dinham handed back the trappings of office to our Intrepid Leader with obvious relief. We began with John Bullen submitting a peace offering to our Illustrious Leader after having publicly rubbished him over his recent state visit to Tumba-bloodyrumba. This offering was in the form of a Royal Australian Navy centenary tin of biscuits all the biscuits having already been eaten. Overwhelmed at this unexpected and uncharacteristic generosity, our Noble Leader was at a loss for words. Well, for a moment or two anyway. Two visitors were welcomed Stephen Davies (whom we have met before) and Chris Ashley. Chris was invited to tell us a bit about himself and his interests. His past was then ruthlessly probed Are you, or have you ever been, a member of... [ominous pause here]...the Royal Australian Navy? The answer was No to the obvious huge relief of the meeting. Announcements Photos are needed for back page of The Flimsy. Previous promises have not materialised. Your own photos (not someone else s superior shots) are badly needed. All that matters is that they re your own work and they relate somehow to railways of any scale from 1:1 downward. Now that we ve won the 2013 NMRA Convention for Canberra, we re going to have to put our money where our mouth is. For a start, we need a convener to get started with the planning and organising. John Prattis expressed interest in this. We still have a few vacancies for hosting meetings in Those not already on the list please consult calendars and let Viv know when you d like to host a meeting next year. Don t be shy. You needn t fear 100 gluttons turning up to eat you out of house and home and turn the whole neighbourhood into a car parking nightmare as happens on a monthly basis to hapless hosts in Sydney (average attendance well over 60!). Our Christmas dinner is on Thursday 8 December, booked by Jess Brisbane for 7 pm at La Rustica, Kingston. We re having the $40 per head banquet. You can check the restaurant out at Refer also to Jess s of 7 November to everyone in Division 2. Get your booking in to Jess quickly! She has booked the restaurant for 16 and has received 12 (by Ed: now 13) firm bookings from us so far. If she doesn t get more, she will have to reduce the restaurant booking to avoid financial loss. Our Fearless Leader ran through a list of matters discussed at the recent NMRA Australasian Region Divisional Superintendents meeting in Sydney. Rather than communicate directly with NMRA in USA, all communications with them should go through your Div Superintendent and then through the Regional Director in Sydney. An NMRA promotional stand is desirable at all exhibitions where it can possibly be arranged. This will involve at least a static display plus handout cards (business card size) and perhaps an information sheet. As a start in this direction, we as a division are now the proud owners of a 2m high collapsible NMRA AR freestanding banner (see pictures). Action is already in hand to provide such a stand for display at Kaleen in NMRA Banner, folded & packed Another Continued on page 2)

2 possibility is a small portable switching layout., as we used to have until Peter W-L selfishly took it to the South coast with him (the fact that it belonged to him is neither here nor there). The NMRA Australasian Region mission, aim and objectives are to be tidied up. The fact that these three terms all exist side by side and we don t know the difference between them is indicative of the masterly obfuscation that exists in this field. Obfuscation? More like bureaucratic nonsense! Whatever it is, we need to get rid of it. At last there is a move to get the electronic version NMRA AR Banner of MainLine released earlier, with a committee established at the Div Supt meeting to Review the composition and delivery method of MainLine, which committee includes our own Illustrious Leader. When he asked for views on this subject from today s Div 2 meeting, attendees expressed strong views on this, contending that electronic subscribers should be keenly encouraged by being given incentives to receive MainLine online rather than on paper. At the moment online subscribers are inexplicably being encouraged to pay for a printed copy instead. The meeting regarded this policy as completely wrong when the more that read MainLine online, the cheaper and easier it is to produce and circulate and the greener the NMRA AR will become. And when MainLine is no longer available in printed form then it need no longer be restricted in size as it is now. Hopefully sanity, economy and efficiency will ultimately prevail. Show & Tell Jess Brisbane passed around the latest catalogue from Camden models. See There is a truly vast range of interesting items on this website. Camden models are based in Frome, Somerset UK, and are not connected with the Camden model in North Carolina USA whose wares are advertised on Jess also drew our attention to Vistaprint by showing us her personalised wall calendar for 2012, displaying photos for each month supplied by Jess. Keen for Jess s custom, Vistaprint also provided her with a box of business cards and postcards featuring Jess s On30 scale model railroad. See vp/psearch/topdeals.aspx?gp=11%2f19%2f2011+7% 3a12%3a49+AM&GPS= &GNF=0&GPLSID= Jess further displayed her scratchbuilt On30 scale 30- foot box car including several castings made by herself. For the roof she had deliberately selected the wonkier of the two roof castings she had made, this choice being in keeping with the style of the planned layout. Gerry Hopkins didn t fancy this boxcar all that much (too wonky for MMR eyes), but Stephe Jitts thought it just perfect. John Bullen displayed a set of four HO scale Swiss goods vans of World War Two vintage, produced by Liliput an Austrian firm, although these very nice models were made in China. These vans, all of them different, had big white crosses (Swiss emblem) and red crosses (international aid) on the roof so that they would not be bombed from the air. But why the need for aerial identification? Switzerland was neutral during the war, wasn t it? Well yes, but they still copped four American heavy bomber raids in , one of which devastated the Wolf railway yard at Basel. The USA apologised officially at the time, but pilot reminiscences published in the 1980s admit candidly that their bombing of Switzerland was deliberate. John produced a 1947 Swiss book which contained an impressive photo of the bombed railway yard at Basel. The van John passed around in the meeting had intriguing markings. This German pattern van bore German markings from the Deutsche Reichsbahn crudely painted out and Swiss markings painted immediately alongside. See HO%20Netto/Liliput/neuheiten_2007/ lebensmitelzug.htm. The ex-drg van is second from the left in the group of four. One is left to ponder how this DRG van came into Swiss ownership and service! Charles Dearling drew attention to Matt Sawtell s laser cut kits of Australian buildings. He passed around a couple of partly assembled samples. Not only were these excellent models, but they are very sturdy indeed. See Wal Pywell displayed a very fine background OO/HO scale building from Metcalfe Models & Toys. See (Continued on page 3) 2

3 sea for part of the month and didn t take his tools and model kit with him. Graeme Hodges the First produced a copy of The Best of John Armstrong, one of the Downloads on Disc CD-ROM series produced by Model Railroader. See Peter Dinham reminded us that NMRA members receive a discount at Fisher Discounts on production of their current NMRA membership card. Ross Balderson displayed his steadily expanding A3 size folder of plans and diagrams for his 1890s Newcastle layout, including the railway station and ships moored at the wharf close by. and make sure you go right down this home page before exploring further. Wal s building was the warehouse, catalogue number PO282. It was quite rigid and even displayed such realistic touches as the odd broken window. See The Main Show Brad Hinton presented a slide display of the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DME) which he is planning to model as it existed in the mid 1990s. The original east and west limits of the DME are Winona (Minnesota) and Rapid City (South Dakota) respectively. Most of Brad s slides came from his recent visit to USA where he photographically recorded much valuable reference material. See Dakota,_Minnesota_and_Eastern_Railroad and click on the map to enlarge it. acatalog/00_h0_warehouse.html Rob Nesbitt displayed his Model Of The Month, a Dutch NS 2400 series diesel shunter of a type that existed on the Nederlandse Spoorwegen up until This model came in a detailed kit produced by Philotrain, a Dutch firm that appears to be associated with the better known Swiss prestige brass modelling firm Lemaco. See and Needless to say the finished model is very nice indeed, though it did present Rob with a few difficulties. For a start the instructions were all in Dutch, the diagrams were not of the same standard as the kit components, and Rob was away at Brad and his presentation The DME appeals to Brad because he likes the motive power used on this railway (mainly SD40-2 and GP9 locos) and he also likes the blue and yellow livery. DME trains have low speed limits due to the state of the track. Brad started with photos of many locos and other rolling stock (cement wagons, tankers, grain hoppers, etc) and then moved into lineside structures, some associated with the railway, and others not. Structures included water towers, an ethanol plant, grain elevators and silos (all different in style, one of them being part of a birdseed industry), LPG reservoirs, a brick plant, a Del Monte food factory, and even a Dairy Queen store. The range of styles of grain installations was necessary because just about every station in this region had one and they were all different. The Dairy Queen store does not exist in any model kit, so Brad spent considerable time photographing and measuring this fine example for a model to be scratchbuilt at home. Not surprisingly his efforts aroused the suspicions of the (Continued on page 4) 3

4 (Continued from page 3) seriously interested in making life any more difficult than it already was, so Brad s precious ballast came straight through and so too did Brad. Altogether this was quite a fascinating look at a railroad that few of us knew anything about. Brad left us to prepare afternoon tea while discussion flowed freely, continuing over afternoon tea. Three hours had passed without us realising. Thanks Brad & Katrina. z owner/manager. She accepted Brad s explanation, but she did confess to being amazed that anyone would come all the way from Australia to photograph and measure her store. So were we. But then it takes all types, doesn t it. The DME uses a pinkish grey coloured ballast. This unusual hue comes either from the orthoclase component of the granite in the mixture of granite and limestone that is used, or it comes from impurities in the limestone. This colour is difficult to reproduce on a model layout because it is not commercially available. However Brad was able to find a source of the real stuff, crushed fine enough for HO scale. Then came the challenge of carrying a 1 kg bag of it back to Australia. US Customs took one look at Brad and of course were immediately suspicious. And they were nowhere near as trusting as the Dairy Queen proprietor when it came to explanations. So they extracted a sample for chemical testing. Eventually satisfied that this bag contained no illegal substances, or anyway none that they could identify, Brad was released from custody and now had only Australian Customs to face. At Sydney Brad s luck was in. With Australian Customs due to go on strike within the hour, no-one was Seen in Brad s home is the lady trying to tell us something? November Attendees (from Left to right): Chris Ashley. David O Hearn, Tony Payne, Rob Anderson, Rob Nesbitt, Graeme Hodges I, Peter Dinham, Ken Macleay, John Bullen, Mal Risby, Stephen Davies and Jess Brisbane. 4

5 Muffin Trays by Graeme Hodges I accompanying photographs. (I haven't used the cupped; there might be an issue of bedding the switch.) The large accommodate an ordinarysized switch, the smaller, a miniature. It is a simple matter to cut the tray into appropriate sized pieces with tin snips; I've done singles and doubles, as shown. Leave as much metal as possible for mounting screws. Once the switch is screwed into place, a fascia can be attached to cover the untidy bits, and voila, a professional looking and feeling switch socket. MT=RS; that is, muffin trays = recessed switches. I've seen 35mm film canisters used to recess switches but muffin trays are a more durable and available alternative, now that film canisters are rapidly following the dinosaurs into extinction So far, I've found three versions in the supermarket: large, small and cupped as shown in the z Cut out, with switches installed and prior to mounting behind fascia Muffin trays in large and small sizes Mounted on layout behind fascia Portland Tram, by John Prattis Useful Websites This is Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia open to anyone to contribute to. In case you re worried about accuracy, it has been found to seriously rival the Encyclopaedia Britannica. - British manufacturer of cardstock models in OO and N scale, many of which would suit scenes other than British ones. 5

6 From the Editor: Thank you to those of you that supplied me with some pictures for the Flimsy, great to know that you read my diatribe! I always want more, and those of you who have recently been on trips to the grand ole US of A, and indeed other parts overseas take note I know you have many railroad photos and I know who you are you can run but you cannot hide. Attendances at recent meetings have risen, probably due to the overseas travelling season being over, but perhaps also because of the greater scrutiny being put on excuses for missing them. And since you ask (or for that matter, didn t), yes I did enjoy myself with my grandson in Tumba-bloody-rumba! Viv div2sup@nmra.org.au National Model Railroaders Association Australasian Region Division 2 ACT Bringing model railroading to you News Our last meeting for the year will be held at Viv Brice s home on Saturday, 10 December at 2:00 pm. For those of you coming, our Christmas dinner will be held on 8 December. Disclaimer: Any resemblance between characters in this newsletter and real model railroaders is purely intentional but no offence whatever is intended. Only the facts may have been altered to protect the guilty. Every reader has the right of reply and we look forward to publishing them! On a bridge near Queanbeyan, NSW (Graeme Hodges I) 2 Tbfpmox # # 6