Chullora Industrial update and some more weathering

 Chullora Industrial

A few months ago a put up a post about the next layout I want to build, Chullora Industrial and included an initial track plan. I wasn't quite happy with that version in that the loco had to leave the scene to shunt most of the sidings, so I lengthened the layout out to 175cm and moved the set of points for the rear-most siding further into the layout to overcome this. Here's the revised plan:



I also moved the fiddle yard to attach at a 90-degree angle while at home, both because it wouldn't fit in the room otherwise, and because I wanted a bit of a longer run before ending in the fiddle yard again.

Although I've got a standard-sized bedroom to work with, the limiting factor for the dimensions of the layout is getting it all into the back of a Toyota Rav4 in one piece. Which brings me to where we're going next for this layout concept; pulling up to double reds with the slim chance of calling on. First hurdle: buying said Toyota Rav4. (I needed a new car, this just happens to be the type I can get trains or two mountain bikes into with ease). That problem will be surmounted before the end of September, but finding a new car over the last month or so really flattened the bow-wave of motivation that had until recently driven me to purchase new LED lighting and points for the layout over the last few months.

The second hurdle has been the confirmation that my job is moving me back to Sydney, and that my wife's job is simultaneously sending her north on a secondment for half of next year. We just can't win! Having lived apart this year due to my work we'd largely put our plans for buying a house on hold, but with the prospect of being just as unsettled for the next 12 months we figure "why wait?" So now we're actively house-hunting. And yes, one of the key criteria for me is having enough rooms in the house to sufficiently accommodate train room, as well as a family. Priorities.

So, with a house comes an opportunity to put our roots down for a while and stay in one spot. It also means being somewhere long enough to build a layout where I can finally both run trains in a loop as well as shunt!

For now, Rozelle Street will remain the primary layout, and continues to meet my needs for running trains, and provides a nice photo backdrop for my new stuff and weathered trains as they leave the workbench.

More weathering

Weathering and building kits is probably what you're going to see most on here for at least the next six months, but the benefit is that after that time the fleet of weathered gear will be that much larger.

Speaking of which, I've started to play around with weathering S wagons using the crushed pastel method:

As well as starting to weather a Eureka HGM:

I had the opportunity to run them around on Allan Brown's "Bullinga" layout recently too. It was quite satisfying to watch the trains run further than 1.4m!

Above all though, the layout building pause gives me the chance to finally start on some meat wagons. Like I said I would, years ago.

Until next time!
Cheers,
Ben