2022 Review, What Is Planned ahead For 2023 Plus Summer 2023 Review

A Very Belated New Year Model Rail Post

Over the last year updates have been a few months apart compared to the regular monthly updates. But 2022 saw the end of one Job and a start of a new job. Certainly, the new job has involved a new routine which took a little bit to get use too, but I'm glad to say, that I gradually getting back to the routine of my Railway Modelling efforts. It may be not as much time commit to it compared to previous years. But certainly what has been little nibbles here and there are now starting progress into much larger bites in progress.

Oberon Railway Station in N Scale

Reflecting Back In 2022

Model Rail Exhibitions

As NSW and rest of Australia started to regain a form of normality after COVID, a few, but not all of the regular Exhibitions returned. Forestville was the first Exhibition of the year where I had the opportunity again to Exhibit my HO Layout of Narellan. It was again well received, but the down side was that some of my Austrains 30 Class Tank Engines encountered some issues which I plan to soon address. Either way, it was great to see friends that have met through the hobby after 2 years of absence of Exhibitions and other events.

Narellan also made it to the Epping Model Rail club Exhibition at Rosehill Racecourse, which Narellan made another appearance. I do recall being in continuous conversations with numerous people discussing the work that I have done on Narellan with many commenting on how well it presented itself, especially being a smaller sized Layout. Unfortunately, I did not get the time to have a good walk around and have a look at other layouts, but certainly it was good to see some of classics that have been exhibiting for many years and new layouts being on display.

NSW sadly had only a few Exhibitions comeback, with indeed a gap for the 2nd half of the year with no real exhibitions. I do give a huge kudos to those clubs who took the risk in 2022 in getting their Exhibitions back with the program especially in uncertain times.

Victoria on the other hand seem to have a massive calendar in the way of model rail exhibitions, in which I managed to addend a couple myself, such as Diamond Creek and the AMRA Victoria Caulfield Exhibition. Diamond Creek is where I assisted Rob P in his new Victorian N Scale Layout of Gunnadoo and did a trip down as a paying member of the public to the Caulfield Exhibition.

The final event of 2022 was the N scale Convention which was held a Goulburn Racecourse in October last year.

Model Rail Projects

Plans For 2023

Im not planning for anything big this year other than to get Muttama completed and ready to exhibit in 2024. I am also looking at getting some of the locomotive and Rolling stock kits that I have accumulated over the the last few year built up and completed in throughout the year. Initial focus will be on the models that will be either relevant for my Narellan, Jindalee and Muttama Layouts.

I know that does not sound like a big plan for the year, but at this point of time it is going to be hard to predict the free time that I will be able to spend on the hobby. But, Im not ruling out a project or two that I may get started on.

Ok, now onto my Summer 2022 to 2023 updates which for the first time in a long time has shown some activity.

Summer 2022 to 2023 Updates

Muttama

Fencing for Muttama is almost completed, but with only a few loose ends to tidy up and some touch up work to be carried out on the fencing. 

Work was also focused on getting the precast concrete footings for the rest house created, painted and  installed on the layout. I used Liquid Nails to fix them into the layout.

My research on Muttama has also established that there is a precast concrete fence posts with a metal pole fencing that was placed around the Rest house. Remains of that fencing is still in place today at Muttama.

I decided to scratch build the fencing by using styrene strips and tapering the tops of the fence post to model the actual look with a file. And drill holes on the fence posts to allow threading of the styrene rod which will represent the steal pipe fencing. I will leave the task here for now as it will need to be one of the last items to be installed on the layout when the back scene board gets installed onto the layout.

Only a small volume of work was done on some of my model rail projects. Mostly, focused on getting Muttama gradually worked on.

Precast Concrete piers for the Rest House have been placed and fixed into the layout. The concrete Piers have been Manufactured from Styrene Strip

The perimeter Fencing Precast Concrete Post that have been built from styrene strips are being positioned in place.

The perimeter fencing currently a work in progress.

Rest House perimeter fencing constructed but will be one of the last items to be placed onto the layout. For now it will remain in the double sided masking tape base until that time comes to install it on the layout. Indeed, It should look a bit more straighter than what it looks now.

The back scene board can be finally revealed. I have decided to use another Haskell Backdrop, which is Bonnie Doon, both the A and B (B being the inverted picture) versions.

Excuse the mess on the Workbench, but here is the back scene picture being put in place.

Muttama Railway station now has a back ground scene.

I was on a good roll with Muttama, but needed to draw some attention on a N Scale Project that members of my model rail club was involved with which is the Oberon Extension of the N Scale Exhibition layout of Tarana.

Oberon Pc3 Station Building and CC2 Precast Concrete Water Closet and Lamp Shed

I was requested to help produce the Pc3 Building and the CC2 shed for the Oberon Extension. I only had a limit time schedule to complete these models and basically it was a case that I had to be spot on in each step in producing these models in order to have them completed before the Oberon's first appearance at the Forrestville exhibition. Lets see how that ended up.

Models have been printed and going through the curing process.

Both the Pc3 Station Building and CC2 Building primed up ready to make a pinky seal cast.

Resin casted Models done.

Partially completed models sitting on the partially completed Layout.

The progress of the model at this point where the roof had to be scratched built.

The nearly completed Pc3 Building.

Pc3 Building 95% completed on the Oberon Layout at the Forrestville Exhibition.

Unfortunately, all did not go to plan. Basically, the Roof capping and Finials 3d Print out did not work too well, which meant I had to scratch build the roof capping. However, I was able to cut off the Finials and was able to add them to model. The results worked out well, but the fact that I had to divert form the original plan meant that the CC2 model missed out on getting completed. There are still a couple more items and a little bit of touch up work needed to be done to the Pc3 Building for Oberon to be declared 100% completed, but at least I was able to get the most important item of the Oberon Layout completed in the form that it can be exhibited. Its next showing was at the Canberra Kalleen Exhibition which I will cover on in my next blog.

It should be noted that Tarana and Oberon N Scale layouts will be exhibited at this weekends (6th to 7th of May 2023) Rosehill Exhibition.

On a Final Note, Oberon Station will be celebrating its Centenary for the Tarana to Oberon Branch Line. One of the Planned Events to Celebrate its Centenary will be held a Model Rail Exhibition which will be hosted at the Malachi Gilmore Hall in Oberon during the October Long Weekend.