Test Running on East Guildford Layout

 Testing of the electrics and track on the main modules of the AMRA East Guildford layout has been ongoing over the last few meetings. The layout is now pretty much fully wired with operational turnouts and sections allowing the operation of either DCC or DC train operation when correct combinations of keyed switches are selected on the control panel being created by Greg Aitken

 The rake of four wheel wagons seen in the clip below was on this day dragged and propelled as fast as motive power on hand would allow, through the crossover and all areas of the yard point work with no derailments encountered earning a tick of approval.

Shunting of the sidings will be possible for equipment with suitable Kadee couplers adjusted correctly on height gauges. The shunt possibilities have also been tested in previous months with appropriate adjustments made to allow for suitable movements for what should make an interesting shunting puzzle.

Covid requirements have caused many delays to the progress of the layout over the last 15 months but slowly things are happening with some scenery and buildings starting to make the appearance of the layout more friendly.  

There is still a long way to go but its getting there - thank you to all who are contributing to this project!

 The AMRA WA Mini Model Railway Exhibition at Rail Heritage WA Sunday 6 June 2021

The cancellation of the AMRA WA June annual model railway exhibition in Perth for the second year in a row due to the Covid-19 Pandemic was disappointing but understandable. Fortunately we were able to hold a Mini Model Railway exhibition in the buildings and grounds of the RHWA Railway Museum in Bassendean on Sunday 6 June 2021.

The day was a big success with RHWA offering their facilities. At least 1000 members of the public were able to attend and visit the many displays, stalls and layouts as well as the usual displays that the Museum provides in Bassendean.

The main hall was packed with interesting layouts and The AMRA S scale Special Interest Group was well represented and located in the Archives rooms at the front of the Noel Zeplin Exhibition Hall, where they mounted a display of  models of rail-cars and steam and diesel locomotives of the preserved prototypes which are held in the museum grounds.

A number of SIG members provided the 25 models to show to the public. There was also a range of resources available in the Archives including outline drawings, track plans, signal diagrams and rare magazines and books which are a boon to the railway historian or railway modeller of the WAGR, Westrail and the MRWA 3'6" systems, as well as the resources on the WA standard gauge railway system, and not to forget more than 25 000 photos which can be accessed on-line via the RHWA website.

Th following photo shows the display of Models, each representing the vehicles in preservation in the Museum. Thanks to those members who supplied their models and to those who ran the display on the day.

 

The S Scale Special Interest Group is a very active group of AMRA modellers which meets on the second Monday of every month at 7.30pm in the AMRA clubrooms, 24 Moojebing St, Bayswater Western Australia. Visitors are always welcome.

 

 

 

 

East Guildford Exhibition Layout (Mega) Update 03/21

Hey hey, long time no post. I thought it time we update you on the latest on East Guildford's progress and the latest news from the team. In mid-2019, East Guildford's progress was displayed at her first public exhibition. Whilst the layout was far from finished, people got a glimpse of what the layout could look like once completed.

Since that time, like most clubs, the team was subjected to the restrictions and lockdowns placed on the community due to the worldwide pandemic of late 2019. This somewhat slowed the progress on East Guildford and impacted almost all operations at the club where the layout is located. Despite these setbacks, the layout has continued to grow to a point it now has running trains on both DC and DCC as well as the foundations for scenery and buildings.

Below is a selection of photos and a video of the progress made to East Guildford over the last 24 months. If you would like to know more, or get involved, then do not hesitate to come down to the AMRA WA Clubrooms at 24 Moojebing St Bayswater WA and speak to some of our lovely volunteers. 

The team at work on the layout at AMRA WA HQ in Moojebing St.

The layout at her first exhibition in 2019.

Murray Hartzer busy making details for East Guildford.

Another angle of Murray Hartzer busy making details for East Guildford.

East Guildford station with mock up platform shelters.

East Guildford station with mock up platform shelters.

Testing of Rollingstock for platform alignment.

Testing of Rollingstock for platform alignment.

Testing of Rollingstock for platform alignment.

Testing of Rollingstock for platform alignment.

Finally, a huge thank you to the volunteers who have kept the layout progressing, even during the current pandemic, including but not limited to; Trevor Burke, Greg Aitken, Murray Hartzer and Neil Blinco.

On a side note, do not forget about the AMRA WA Open Day on the 4th of July 2021. We will have Swan View operating and you can see the progress on East Guildford for yourself.

          March 2021 ASn modeller Magazine

The latest edition of the ASnM magazine was delivered to our letter boxes on the week beginning Monday 5 April 2021 by Australia Post. This is a national, commercial quality, not-for-profit magazine which is published by volunteers four times per year for the very reasonable price of $8 per issue  including delivery.  The latest edition has maintained the high standard of previous issues and includes two new segments on models currently being produced and/or running on layouts.

The Magazine has been distributed for the past 25 years and relies on articles written by enthusiastic S scale modellers and covers the railways of Australia. The content includes articles and photographs of  models of locomotives, wagons, vans and passenger coaches, structures and layouts from the steam era of the twentieth century right through to the modern period. The Magazine is a great support to the serious modeller of the narrow and standard gauge railways of Australia. 

As you can see from the above cover page the four issues of each volume follow the Australian financial year of July 1 to June 30 and so it is intended to send out subscription applications after July 1 2021 for Volume 27. If you are keen to take up a subscription earlier you can send an email (address to be advised) and we will send you a detailed subscription application form for the ASnM magazine.

100th issue of ASnM Magazine

 It's with both excitement and sadness that I announce the 100th issue of ASnM has been sent to the publishers this week. 

Excited - it's an honor to be the editor of this milestone issue. 

Sad - it's my last, as mentioned by Stuart below. It's been a privilege to have been the editor for the past 3 1/2 years, and I wish John the very best as he takes over the reigns. 

This does allow time to get into building my new layout, and hopefully this blog will be full of updates of this exciting new venture. Watch this space!

 

 

S scale news update for 2020

 The AMRA WA Sn31/2 Modellers Special Interest Group have been meeting on-line for the past four months due to the Covid-19 Pandemic and will be meeting again on Monday 14 September at 7.15pm Western Australian time, via the internet. The normal updates and a bring and show will be held followed by the showing of slides of the Cunderdin layout. This layout was built by Railwest Models and friends in 1991/2 and is housed behind glass in the preserved AV-class dining car at the Cunderdin pumping station Museum. Graham Watson hopes to be showing a series of over 30 digital slides of the layout as it was built all those 28+ years ago. It should be a memorable night in more ways than one.

The other bad and good news is that Crispian Fitzhardinge is vacating the position of editor of the ASnM Magazine after three years and we all thank him for his terrific work in what is a labour of love. The good news is that John Maker who is President of AMRA WA will be taking over the editorship from January 2021.  We also hope those who those who subscribe to the magazine will continue to do so and those who haven't will do so in the future. It rally is a great little magazine.

Meanwhile, as very little material has been added to the Blog in the last eight months I thought a photo or two might be of interest to devotees of modelling the 3'6" railways of the WAGR, the CR and the MRWA in S scale. So here they are.

• The first photo is of a crowded Medullup yard on my Canning River and Medullup railway. Most of the vehicles are scratch-built over the past 30 years using proprietary running gear while the goods shed is based on the one at Wongan Hills and the Station building is a scale replica of Mundijong station.  
• The second photo is of an anonymous and pristine ADE Governor class railcar commissioned in 1937 by the WAGR, probably taken during WWII as the covered windows on the signal box may indicate. Thanks to Graham Watson who sourced this photo from the RHWA archives.
• Finally there is a photo of four railcars recently scratch built to provide a 3-car ADG/AYE/ADG set and a 2-car ADX/ADA set.

S Scale modellers at Modelrail November 10 2019

Sunday, 10 November 2019, was the Annual Modelrail at the AMRA WA Club rooms.
Modelrail has been on the AMRA WA calendar since the early 1980s and provides the opportunity for members to show what we do in our hobby and for the public to enjoy the results of our interests. 

The S scale group was well represented among the 20+ other layouts, displays and modelling desks. Over 250 visitors had the opportunity to visit the club-rooms and see the club's 16-odd layouts in almost every scale imaginable and in operation The Day was ably coordinated once again by Trevor Burke and well supported by the AMRA WA membership.

The S scale special interest group had a nice information stand and display run by AMRA life member Graham Watson showing what we do and the resources we use to build our models, in particular, WA railways in S scale. Close by was the well presented Swan View layout operated by five of our S scale AMRA members; Noah, Gerard. Alex, Stuart and Ally.

There was a range of members' models and consists running during the day including railcars, steam and diesel locomotives, coaches, goods wagons and vans.

There was quite a lot of orange among the black, brown and green and cream liveries which the public enjoyed seeing.