Well the Model Maritime Union will be happy and sad with what has transpired at Port Ronsard.

The Port Authority have been busy installing safety walkways out to the mooring points as well as a caged access ladder. So that is the good news.

Unfortunately the caged ladder has not been installed to Australian Standards. The angle is too low. It is 58 degrees instead of the minimum 60 degrees.

Management were heard to mutter "Whatever"! Given the limited access requirement, the issue is closed and will not be discussed any further. So wharf i.e. Clyde Arrow (known by his mates as Bowen) will just have to live with it.

The Journey or Destination? What is you love for the hobby?


There has been recent discussion in the magazines (and also amoungst my fellow modellers) as to which answer is correct from our own point of view.

I must say outright, that for me it is the Journey.

The problem solving along the way, the long term plan that I had when I started this latest version of my current layout, means I love the journey. The Destination will come naturally. Whether it is the layout being finished, or indeed me being finished. The Destination will come.

Over the 26ish years I have been building the layout, I have indicated to my learned friends that "Yes, I can finish it for an exhibition". Only to see those deadlines come and go and a no show from me and my layout. I'm sure this has been disappointing to all concerned. I know it has been for me. However a wise modelling fiend of many years said to me once, "A Model Railways is a hobby, not a living thing".  Poignant words. Especially when recently a number of layouts I have known have disappeared (for many different reasons)and the heartfelt sadness we all collectively felt as we ran on those systems for the last time.

If we recall our favourite moments in life, they are generally the memories of journeys and what happened along the way getting to the destination. For me personally, as much as I would love to exhibit my layout (and it was built to be exhibited) if it happens it happens. If it does not, then obviously I have not reached my destination.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu
Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)  

Paying it forward

It has been a cold winter. On a wet Sunday afternoon I felt it was time to share some of my Pilbara Railway knowledge, gleaned over some 40 years as I attempted to model my version of the Pilbara.

I have always believed that we all travel the same path, it just that some of us do it a little differently at times. Along our journey we are taught, learn, share and we teach others who interact with us. This is very much the same for our endeavors in modelling railways.

It was this reckoning that lead me to create the 'Pilbara Modelling Group' on Facebook. Now many people believe Facebook is evil and yes it is to those who are not wary of the dark individuals that can be present behind innocent posts. However, in my opinion it does have a good side, allowing information exchanging between interested persons on similar interesting subjects.  The Groups l have joined at my discretion, have been rewarding, interesting and informative.

I earnestly believed that there must be others like me who model the Pilbara. So create the group, find a suitable photo header, a brief narrative on the Groups objectives and away it went. Some 69 members later and yes that includes my two sons, the Group bubbles along.

Now even though I have been modelling this area I'm certainly no expert, however I feel I have a lot of information to share. Not that I at the end of my time or anything like that, I want to repay for all those people who through the years taught me, encouraged me and rewarded me. So I'm repaying the debt to all.

Pay it forward is an expression for describing the beneficiary of a good deed repaying it to others instead of to the original benefactor.

Noel Purdey

Sandown Exhibition

Well here we are, post Sandown Exhibition.

My friend Dennis and I attended the exhibition and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Good crowds, good layouts, lots o diverse things to see and people to talk to.

I felt that the best layouts were Strathburn, Gordon, Time and Patience and Cardinia, as they each had very memorable elements whic represented the hobby well.

It was pleasing to see that some of the retailers were put against the glass, as the glare from outside is always detracting, as I have found in the past. The venue certainly does present well when compared to Caulfield Racecourse.

Until next time.....

Acceptability

Over the years I have often wondered why modellers accept certain 'finishing' standards.

To give an example. Why do modellers spend countless hours fussing over a locomotive, but then will have crude or unrealistic trackswork, scenery or running at high speed.

I assist in building sets for our local ameature theatre group. The fist thing the foreman advised me when I vounteered my services, "Remember the 3, 4, 5 rule". I'm no theatre person, but I knew he was not talking about Pythagoras Theory! He was stating the obvious, being that the set is on show for 3 weeks, the audience does not see 4 sides and the audience are 5 meters away from it.

In some ways we use this theory to rationalize in our minds what is acceptable. Many modellers use the 3 foot rule of what you can see. I know as I get older and the eyes poorer, the are something's that are not important. Our ability to be visual and 'fill in the gaps' with our mind should be remembered and not underestimated.

A fellow modeller has coke vending machine on his n scale platform for his n scale customers. Now you can see some colors and shapes, but instantly you know what it is and can relate to it.

I do not claim to be a Master Modeller, good luck and well done to those of you who are. I take my hat off to you. Me, I'm the type that tries his best and takes advice, wisdom and encouragement from my fellow, modelling peers.

So what level of acceptance for standards and ability do you demonstrate.

Tuesday Night

Second night of the working week has traditionally been a train club night. However with the demise of the club having a permanent home, then a formal structure, we have been left with a very informal bunch of guys who meet regularly and also have operating sessions on each other's layouts when time permits.

Last night one of my fellow modellers came over for our regular Tuesday Night catchup. Not having one the week before due to illness, we had a lot to catchup on in terms of info, stories and updates. It was then time to critique what I have been upto with my current passion of scratch building and painting. Results I'm very pleased with, I must say.

Then it was time to make a new loco net cable for him, showing and explaining some tips ie wires short as possible and a nice firm crimp. Then a new loco net plug on my duplex throttle following the recent Friday Night Operating Session. The plugs digitrax use were never designed for multiple insertions and use, another little downside of the product.

Then it was time to use the very popular jmri decoder pro to set up six locos. We found that one loco was very noisy and after manhandling the body off, we were able to tighten some screws and make sure nothing was rubbing. It's  amazing how a small space can amplify the noise.  So on to the programming track. Download the existing decoder settings into the roster table. On to the layout. Few laps around the scale mile circuit. Then fine tuning the starting point on throttle position 1. Then limiting the top speed. We repeated this until all were done. So we rewarded ourselves with a hot cuppa and home made boiled fruitcake, while surfing local rail fan web pages on the iPad.

What a great night. Good company, in a shed surrounded by something you enjoy doing. It really cannot get much better than that. Ohh hullo dear. Yes I'm coming.........

Modelling Blues and Achievements

Sometimes life's journey does not always go as you think it should.

In late 2014 I was consistently working on the railway achieving little milestones and being very proud in what I was producing. Along comes a holiday, a great holiday, return home and no more modelling enthusiasm.

What the heck? Where did it go?

Our two young adult sons were heavily involved with our local amateur theatre company. One being the script writer and the other being the director. Both my wife and I were involved. And it was a very successful show due to everyone's efforts. Throw Christmas in, a work conference retreat, and the changes at work as a result of the 'love in'. Life just zoomed on by down the track you might say.

I lamented to by friend Dennis, that the modelling Blues had set in and no amount of wishful thinking  on my part could encourage me out to the layout. Top marks to him, as he informed me, "We will have to change that, I will be other Tuesday night". PANIC.

So, from 0% enthusiasm, to 100% commitment in a very short time.

I have been very fortunate over the years and realized that the secret of a rewarding modelling lifestyle is to enlist your friends for help. All,you have to do is ask.

So to get the modelling happening I decided a new tact and work on finishing some of the buildings that currently populate the layout. I'm one of those people that has many things happening at once and never fully finish anything in one session. So the commitment to myself was to only work on models that are on the layout and finish them completely before they go back on the layout.

Pleased to say that this approach has been successful. Detailing of the the building shown below has been completed. Today I undertook my first 'proper' air brush session and that went well too. Used Vallejo paint, set up a special painting desk across the doorway of the shed and the job is done.