KS Timber Wagons

KS Scantling Timber Wagon

The KS wagons are similar to the KT's and were built shortly after. KT 1 was in fact converted from a KT. There were only 7 in the class, built in 3 different ways! The first five though are the same and were built lat 1958 early 1959.

Using the knowledge we have gained from building the first three KT's we have just about come up with the best way to do the timber stakes (apart from etching and then casting them). the next two KT's under constructing have refined the process more.

The decal on the right reads "Scanting Timber Only between Orbost & Graham". It is barley legible, at about 0.3mm high!

So in 3 days we have built 7 wagons... at this rate I need to take a month of work and just build rollingstock!

So two classes of timber wagon done, a third underway... and the forth, the IT will wait for a bit.

BLMA 18" hand grabs on KS wagon

KT Timber Wagons

L-R Original test, Rob's weathered, John's first scratch built wagon

In between several other projects Johna and I have being building some KT wagons. This was Johns first go at scratch building and he has done an excellent job!

Forty five KT wagons were built in 1956/57 using late model IY under frames to carry pulp wood, from g Bairnsdale to Maryvale paper mill. This traffic lasted until the late 1960's/early 1970's.

The wagons were then modified for "scantling timber" (sawn timber) with the two centre partitions removed and the stanchions re-arranged, however they kept the KT classification. In 1972-73 22 wagons were used to make the IS class where the wagons were lengthened by about 2 feet. See photos at Mark Bau's excellent site:
http://www.victorianrailways.net/freight/freight%20pages/kt/kt.html

I drew the wagon up in Corel Draw with the intention of etching it at some stage. I decided to "test" the drawing by making out of 10 thou styrene. That became the original. Here it is almost finished.

First attempt

I found a few things to improve, in particular how the stanchions are attached, which I dutifully changed on the drawing. These also needed to be tested and as we both had a free night John came around for some modelling. We set to work on the second version, and this became John's first scratch built wagon.

Today I painted them both and weathered mine a bit. A timber load was made up from scrap styrene and painted. 

I've found a few things to change again before I do the etched version. I plan to make the drawing and a blow by blow scratch build of these in a future blog/article.

So now the layout has the first of a series of different timber wagons it needs... only about four more versions to go!

L-R first attempt, Rob's, John's

Nowa Nowa Sawmill Module Part 1

I've been doing a bit of work off and on this week on the modules. The key one at the moment being the Nowa Nowa Sawmill module.

Located west of the station, on the other side of Boggy creek this rarely photographed (I have only 1 so far...) location makes an interesting module.

From the Boggy creek the track curved left through a deep cutting, the road bridge to Bruthen passed over the line at this point, it then curved back to the right where there was a siding to the sawmill. These two tracks were very short to take only a couple of I/GY wagons. A timber bank (which I have the plans for from the archives) faced one track where timber was loaded by forklift into the wagons.

Here is the progress so far. The module is 9mm ply deck, a 70x19 Form Ply stringer runs the length of the module, 19mm Form Ply makes the ends and eventually the sides will be made from 6mm ply.

The module is cut to match the end of the Boggy Creek module, to then bring the line back parallel to the Nowa Nowa yard tracks by the end.

I'm using the "Trackrite" foam roadbase, I bought some a while ago and this will be the first time I've used it. It has a nice chamfered shoulder for the ballast. Glued down with White Glue.

Here is the track complete, soldered together, track feeders added and frog powered on the points... just need Phil to come along to make the wiring look good underneath!

As I drilled holes for the wiring I found that while I thought I had left plenty of room for the stringer to go through without getting in the way of the points... I hadn't :( So out with the jigsaw... pictures another time.


Trains from Nowa Nowa itself were allowed to shunt these sidings without having to take a guards van, here is a typical train returning from the sidings (to the left of the picture) heading back to Nowa Nowa station (to the right).

New Modules Begin

Today we (mostly my Dad as I supervised, still not allowed to do much after the operation) reduced an 1800x1200x19mm sheet of "Form Ply" into the end plates and stringers required for the new modules.

Construction will commence tomorrow.

Need to build:
Two 400mmx400mm "filler" modules. One for the area between "Nowa Nowa" and "Boggy Creek Bridge" modules and one for between the two 90 degree corner modules. These will feature a 9mm top, 6mm sides of ply and the "Form Ply" end plates.

Two 90 degree corner modules. These will have two "Form Ply" stringers, 6mm deck, blue foam and 3mm curved fascia's.

Nowa Nowa Sawmill. This is a 1200mm module with a "kink" to bring the alignment back parallel after Boggy Creek Bridge. It will feature a 6mm deck, blue foam, 70mmx19mm "Form Ply" stringers and 6mm fascia's. this module will have two points on it.

Bairnsdale. This will be three 1200mmx400mm modules with either 9mm or 12mm decks (not sure which yet) and 6mm ply sides... hopefully I can get away without any support timber...

Busy week of construction ahead!

Ordered the track last week, it should arrive late next week, however I have enough points to do the ones off the main.

Cheers

Rob

Bairnsdale In N Scale

G'Day all, it has been decided that the next major station to link with Nowa Nowa will be Bairnsdale. I have therefore set up a new blog to record the research and building. It is located here:

http://bairnsdalenscale.blogspot.com/

Design work has commenced, as has research in earnest. I am always looking for more material, so please pass it on if you have any.

In reviewing the development of Nowa Nowa in n scale I have realised I should have done more research up front, however the concept sort of "grew" and took advantage of opportunities of time and space.  Bairnsdale will be developed in a more deliberate fashion, in fact I hope to build things like buildings first, even before laying the track... we shall see how that goes!

However as you can see by the following concept plan we have a number of other modules that need to be built as well. The Nowa Nowa sawmill sidings, two 90 degree bends and several 400x400mm "filler" modules. these will be documented on this blog, while the other blog will focus on Bairnsdale.

6mx3m concept, complete modules in green

The overall plan will fit nicely in the shed and will be a useful size for model railway exhibitions where it will be viewed from three sides. It will keep 3-5 operators amused :)

On On!