Not much happening down this end. The Hornby OO layout is still parked in the lounge from the last show Labour weekend. Will be taking the dust covers off, as preparations are starting for a club show in early August, then the Great Little Train Show Labour weekend.
Stan just bought a beaut Hornby OO break down crane (complete set with wagons) for $39 on Trademe. He is happy with that.

Sounds like the one I was bidding on
Jim M

I don't think anyone bid on it Jim. We thought it was cheap for Double O stuff, good nick too!
You still building Garrets? Stan is still building AJS's, but cold in the workshop, so a bit at a time on the weekends.

Still looking at Garretts. Looking to go DCC with my NZR stuff. Bought some DVDs from the UK. Two are on Modelling Landscapes ,parts one and 2 and the others are about DCC. They are on two dvds. I got them from "www.activitymedia.co.uk" The dvds are called Right track numbers 5,6,8 & . 9. Very interesting they are too. Full of info.
Jim M

My mistake should have said 4 DVDs all up.
Jim M

It's been a while since a posting on here. Thought I'd stir you up.
I haven't been on the site for a while, been hibernating.
Just wondered if any of you Cantaburians have had any damage to your railway layouts, and model structures.

Hi Gaye- belle,
How did your show go or is it still in the offing.

The small group? It was early August at the Masonic Lodge. Not a good turnout. Stan put his Dublo on show, but I'm not too interested in that club. Not enough memebers to put shows on, and they had the same stuff as the last couple of years.
I only called in briefly, after attending Wini Solomon's ceremony, getting her Moko tattoo.
Will be in The Great Little Train Show on Labour weekend though.

Hi Gaye-Belle, make sure you make yourself known to Russell from Trackgang products at the labour weekend show . he is a member of our club as well as operating his hobby business.
its becoming a big issue with train shows of trying to get different displays each year. our club has always helped with fuel costs for groups or individuals displaying layouts and also provides food during the show hours as well as a fish and chip night on the saturday for all.
many clubs contribute nothing and wonder why they struggle to put on a decent show.the public soon stop attending if its the same old thing each year! my best wishes to all in ChCh . hard to comprehend what you are going through, even though we are not that far away relatively speaking.

Hi, Still slaving away on locos etc. The 19d is not quite completed. Having trouble assembling the valve gear. Smaller fingers and more of them required. Thinking of building a new layout out of spare boards I have. Dont know whether to go end to end with fiddle yard at each end or continuous run. Will have to wait and see.

Ah well keeps you out of mischief Jimmy in your retirement years, and the brain in function. Stan is building another bike for Bert Munro week end of November, so no railway work this winter.

Hi John, haven't been in touch for a while, updated my computer and getting off dial-up, so bit of fiddling around, seem to have wires and cords everywhere.
How are your crops with the dithering weather?

you will wonder why you put up with dial up for so long. we are only on medium speed broadband, but it was certainly a major improvement surfing the net.pictures upload so much quicker! crops seem to be okay, apart from avocados.we lost about half our crop on the ground with that nasty storm a couple of weeks ago. one tree got wrenched and had to support it with wires and stays,etc.some people lost 6-8 mature trees on their orchards. kiwifruit were still only just starting to bud at the time, so no probs.
our club railway show is coming up in early january,so am busy cleaning out my shed, so i can work on my city layout. off to surfers paradise with family, for a couple of weeks on 16th oct. i have made contact with the local model railway club and they have an open day on saturdays.from pictures on their website, the modelling looks to be of a very high standard. they have a very large O gauge layout (aussie theme) large HO american layout and have started to build an extensive N gauge layout.really looking forward to visit. hopefully upload some photos on my return.
my friend still went down to CHCH on the show weekend dates.they had a meeting at someones home for the NZ120 scale group and had 18-20 people attend. even someone from auckland. he did a day trip over to west coast following coal trains,etc. 8 locos on one train was very impressive . coming in to Otira, i think!