Layout progress

As mentioned in a previous post i made the decision to rebuild the centre section of the layout.A freind of mine who is a carpenter came to my asistance & built the whole lot for me and i must say he has done a fantastic job.The whole section was made in 2 sections at his factory & transported to my house in a pantec truck and screwed together in about 10 minutes.Then we spent a lot of time to get it level(my garage floor is far from level).The main suport legs are 70x35 structural pine,top deck & branch frames are 42x19 pine.The main structural strength comes frome the backdrops for the branch line 16mm MDF which runs the length of the structure the result is a very sturdy setup.I have begun to construct the branch line with risers upto 7mm ply for the track bed with the rest of the area to be filled with extuded foam to have the scenery rising & falling along the track.Here is a few photos.
Till next time Booly.

The 2 main base sections the top deck frame in lower right

Rear main frame

Leveling up the frame

All in top deck frame screwed on

Top deck frame,this will have 12mm structural ply screwed on

Working out the track plan with cardboard templates

Risers installed & 7mm ply track bed

Track down ready for the extruded foam for scenery,all track had power droppers installed before the track was layed. 

Holliday snaps

During my recent trip visiting my grandfather & uncle down on the farm (it was good to get out of Sydney for a few days)i managed to take a few snaps of grain trains on the main south.Also i went to Goulburn rail heritage centre & Crookwell.
The Goulburn rail heritage centre is located on the Braidwood road to the south of town & it was a very pleasurable visit.I arrived just after 10am & was the first of many visitors to take the tour.Now i must apologise i have forgotten the gentlemans name that conductored the tour, but his knowledge of the exhibits & area were fantastic.I had a quick look through the driver & firemans register on display & found 2 relatives on my fathers side that were based at the Goulburn depot.Aparently i also have relatives that worked as signal men at Goulburn as well, but they dont not keep those records.Plenty to look at & well worth the visit.
Now onto Crookwell :- i tried to contact the people in charge of the yard but no answer to my phonecalls.So i hadnt come all this way not to get some photos,so a quick walk around the yard to get some photos.The station building is still intact & restored,as well as the goods shed but the timbers on the deck are showing there age.Got plenty of picks of the turntable which will help when scratch building my own version.

Fish River tank

8177 & 72 on a up grain just south of Oolong

8180 & 08 down grain Fish River

8180 & 08 again at Jerrawa

My eldest son Blane as the controls of 4821 @ Goulburn

Underside of 4821

Drivers stand on a tin hare Rail Motor

1 of 3 paybuses stored at Goulburn

Wheel lathe

Crookwell Goods shed

Crookwell Station