APRIL 2021 Wayne Haste’s New Railway G Scale news from around New Zealand Page 2 THE GARDEN WHISTLE CGRG President’s Ramblings What’s he up to Now? Andrew Wilson, West Melton Well team, Hi De Hi Ho De Ho you yell back Well the ones who used to watch and love the show will The convention is now done and dusted and we can now look back with reflection on that weekend I enjoyed myself and I hope those who attended did so too. Please write in to the editor expressing your enjoyment, I am sure he would love to hear from you all. Also, any suggestions on how to do it better, what you liked and what you would like to see at future events like this I think I would have liked a museum visit and some hands on train running (that right I did get to run a train or two) But to be honest there are only so many minutes in an hour and a day and you cannot do it all. Our AGM which was so delayed last year due to Covid 19 is about to come around again Remember all roles are up for grabs, please put yourself forward to assist in the running of this club, your time will be rewarding I would have liked to have achieved more in the last Extension started to the new store shed year, I did achieve quite a bit, but never quite enough Sub base crusher dust and pavers in place, some settling and compacting to be done But that is the nature of model trains and layouts, never quite done or finished Prep work started for rest of area. I have recently been appointed by the Board at The Canterbury Steam Preservation Society to the position of Railway Manager I represent the membership to the board and coordinate running trains and repairs to track , locomotives and stock As well as developing the railway for the future A lot to learn, coordinate and do We meet every Wednesday night after work to talk trains and do odd jobs and project work You would be made most welcome to come and natter, bring your own tea Looking to add G scale out there in due course I have installed my new storage cabinet and loaded it up with some of Kind regards my locos Hidden in plain site my most recent purchases, well some of them Andrew Wilson I found that my locos were forever in storage up in the ceiling in boxes, could not have that Page 3 THE GARDEN WHISTLE Christchurch Group Running Day The Christchurch Garden Railway Group held a meeting and run trains while eating. Several had Fish “Fish ‘n’ Chip” running Evening on Friday 19 March n Chips, others Sushi or other that they preferred. 2021 at the railway of Karl Arnesen, South Brighton, The early evening was very pleasant, but a cool from 6:0pm. What is a “Fish ‘n’ Chip” meeting you breeze sprung up later. All the trains were battery may ask? The idea is you bring your on tea to the powered and radio controlled. Photo of my Playmobil shunter, flat and caboose passing above Mt Catt Station yard where Karl’s Mikado and 10 wheeler rested. Photo: Andrew Wilson Chris Greer’s RS3 and train sitting in Jesse Falls yard. Photo: Ian C Galbraith Page 4 THE GARDEN WHISTLE Karl’s Mikado hauled passenger train passes behind Mt Catt station Photo: Ian C Galbraith Chris Greer’s RS3 and train drifting through the canyon. Photo: Ian C Galbraith Page 5 THE GARDEN WHISTLE Karl’s Mikado hauled passenger train on the high trestle Photo: Ian C Galbraith Karl’s Mikado hauled passenger train passes Mt Catt Photo: Ian C Galbraith Page 6 THE GARDEN WHISTLE Castletown’s Live Steam Weekend th and Lloyd’s 75 Birthday. Lloyd Dickens, Masterton In early March I had a live steam event. The track would perform reasonably well with only a First though I had to do some maintenance. One of couple of changes needed after the weekend. my key infrastructure items, the Laxey Wheel was The other change made which relates to the high rotting away. The complete drive bridge needed temperatures is that in some locations in the garden replacement, all that was holding it together was ground cover plants just die, even if they are watered paint. I decided to make it more scale like which regularly. I have in these locations resorted to meant taking a different approach to making it. I artificial grass, decided to use three-millimetre ply and some 25 by I had three visitors Ian Webb, John Seward and Phil 50 mm wood to create the structure. The ply of Smith. They all had a great weekend running their course would not survive in the weather, so I used trains as I did. They did notice the Castletown Norsk Wood resin to coat both sides after assembly. population stayed inside, probably due the weather While it is not fully complete it does not look that which slowly got worse during Saturday. bad. The signals also needed a repainting, but I am still in the process of doing that. On Saturday night I had a BBQ Birthday party to celebrate 75 years. Unfortunately, the weather got The track has held up well now I have many LGB colder to the point everyone came inside so the night track expanders. I have had no track bends this run was curtailed. summer. The summer temperatures reach 28C regularly during this year, so the track reaches well Sunday produced a better day as you will notice in over 40 C. the photographs. Live Steam 21– Phil Smith Page 7 THE GARDEN WHISTLE Live Steam 21– Ian Webb’s “Vulcan” with mixed goods Live Steam 21– John Seward, Phil Smith and Ian Webb preparing locos. Page 8 THE GARDEN WHISTLE Live Steam 21– John Seward’s train in the lush greenery Live Steam 21Lloyd;s “Beddglert” and prototypical carriages at Union Mills Page 9 THE GARDEN WHISTLE Live Steam 21– John Seward and Phil Smith with Ian Webb’s train on the bridge Lloyd’s 75th birthday cake cutting Page 10 THE GARDEN WHISTLE What’s on the Workbench Ian C Galbraith, Rangiora Dennis Lindsay wanted a small shanty for his railway completed, they were prepared for printing. Using and provided me with a drawing of a shanty with a eSun PLA+, printing was started. The bed was at side extension/ Dennis did not require the side exten- 60C, the nozzle, 0.4mm was set at 205c. The initial sion/ The drawing was enlarged to 1:24 scale and, layer height was 02mm and the balance of the print- using Fusion 360, I produced the drawings for the ing at 0.12mm height. Printing of the body took 43 building, roof and chimney. Once the drawings were hours, the roof, 17 hours and the chimney 45 minutes Drawing being prepared in Fusion 360 Body and roof printed After advising Dennis that his shanty was ready, we justified. Mitre 10 advertised a Black & Decker discussed battery options for operating trains. Dennis hedge trimmer with an 18v 2Ah rechargeable battery had been in touch with Michael Hilliar and found that and charger and additional batteries were available. a number were fitting batteries in trailing cars rather This looked promising. A visit to The Warehouse than in the locomotives. I had converted a number of for printing items gave me the opportunity to visit the locomotives, 81, with Revolution R/C and apart from power tool section. There they had an 18v 2Ah three of my own all were fitted with internal battery powered hedge trimmer and a selection of batteries, 16 AA NiMH. The three with battery cars batteries at reasonable prices. I looked at the charger were too small to allow batteries to be fitted. and batteries and saw that a holder for a battery could Battery makes and styles were discussed and Dennis be designed and printed to fit in a box car, I thought Makita18v batteries could be used. His purchased a MAKO hedge trimmer, which came with preference was as he had a number of Makita 18v the 2Ah battery and charger. After charging the tools. battery the hedge trimmer was tried out and worked This got me thinking. I was looking at purchasing an very well and a long standing job was cleared up in electric hedge trimmer. A battery trimmer would be minutes. more convenient than a 230v corded one. As the Measurements were taken from the battery charger hedge trimmer was not going to be used for heavy and a holder was designed in Fusion 360 and trial work, the cost of a high quality (high cost) was not copy was printed. A couple of small alterations were Page 11 THE GARDEN WHISTLE made to the drawing and a workable battery holder This gave me a benchmark of some degree. The was printed. boxcar with its MAKO 2Ah battery was connected Two brass contacts were fitted to the holder and and the same test run. After five hours, the sound wires connected to a JST two pin plug. The holder was turned on, with no noticeable speed reduction was mounted in the centre of a boxcar, with a and with the whistle sounded there was no drop off in removeable roof. speed. This looks positive. The existing battery pack (16 aa cells) was removed Now to get out and weed and clean the track and from the tender of the locomotive and a JST two pin check performance.