After a long period of inactivity, ie lack of sustained motivation I have become re-engaged in my layout.

Sometime ago a "friend" suggested that I lay a little bit of track to join two sections of the layout. I thought this was a good idea but physically difficult, mainly because of access. After a while I built a portable 'gantry' that I could use to access this area of track in a manor that would enable me to work on the track. I used this mobile platform for many things - but not what I built it for. After a year or so of running out of excuses (i.e. missing motivation) and a week or two into a sustained COVID lockdown I decided to get back into it!

The first task was to clean the track. This took a week or so to do as gymnastics is not one of my skills. Eventually I completed this three stage task. The first step was to use a abrasive track rubber to remove any surface corrosion, then to vacuum the track to collect the dust from the first stage as well as the numerous little critters that had made their homes on the layout and all the other accumulated dust etc that had settled on the layout over the year(s). The final stage was to clean the track with a good solvent to both remove any oily contaminants as well as improve electrical conductivity.

With this task done the next activity was to give every loco a test run around the track as well as cleaning loco drive wheels etc.

What follows are a few views of the "Progress" with more to follow.

Around The Tracks Episode 1:  Bombala Reboot - testing the layout.

Around The Tracks Episode 2: Country Link - more testing the layout.

Around The Tracks Episode 3:  Building the Turntable.

Around The Tracks Episode 4:   Building and testing the Roundhouse.

Around The Tracks Episode 5:    Light at The End of The Tunnel.

Around The Tracks Episode 6:  Developing the Industrial Area of the Layout. Part 1 the easy bit just arranging structures prior to the detailed landscaping and fitting in place.

Indeed watching these short videos you may feel (quite rightly) that the music of Kraftwerk has inspired me as well.

Around The Tracks Episode 7:  This is the result of the last effort. The structures are in place and fitted with lights.  The view is from the "ground" perhaps as a local may see it. The final view is from above as may be seen by a passing Kookaburra.

Stay tuned - more to follow! Well here it begins - like real trains better late than never!

After examining video footage taken from some of the rolling stock it became apparent that just having backdrops was not enough to convey realistic trackside views so i began experimenting with "foredrops" and this video illustrates the before and after effects Series 3 Episode 1 -Fixing The Drivers View. 

This video  Around The Tracks: Series 3, Episode 2 Eagle Sighting  not only illustrates the improved view but also reminds us that Steam Trains were still running when the Apollo Moon missions began.

The following is a test phot gallery of a selection of locos.

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tesy

Following is a short(ish) video taken around my HO layout. It is filmed from a moving loco and shows the view from the main line and down the main branch line to a waiting steam loco. It then returns to the main line with the steam loco in pursuit.

This is a much shorter documentary style video of how it was made.

Recently I had the opportunity to travel between Kyoto and Tokyo by Bullet Train or Shinkansen, over a distance of 476+ km. To say that these trains a smooth is an understatement. The journey is smoother and quieter than an aircraft, not to mention infinitely more comfortable. The train is capable of some very high speeds, but on my journey (allowing for the 3 stops ,Shinagwa, Shin-Yokahama, and Nagoya between Tokyo and Kyoto) the train averaged 238km hour. Not bad for 50 year technology.

Upon my return home, I hear some local radio discussion were it was revealed the average speed our nice shinny new silver rattlers maintain between Wollongong and Sydney is a massive 58km hour.