PEMRC Newsletter November 2020

PORT ELIZABETH MODEL RAILROAD CLUB Newsletter

November 2020

#11/2020

Something for almost everyone In this issue: GREAT NEWS!

PEMRC Calendar

Committee

Appeal

Club House

The Layout

Questions 14 & 65

New Book

Sandstone news

My Story

Los Angeles to Salt Lake route cont.

Layout ideas

Bahn & Bier

Market Place

Track Plan 82G

Vintage Ads

GREAT Discounts - exclusive for our members!

Click on the logo of your preferred supplier to start shopping online.

PEMRC has been able to arrange the following benefits for our members:

1. Dream trains No shipping costs for combined orders of R2000 or more.

Shop online and fill your cart, even if less than R2000, but then contact our Mike Smith, to combine your order with fellow club members and all will save.

2. Mini World Models Shop online and use the special coupon below to claim your unique PEMRC member discount

3. Model scenic Products All club members can get 15% discount for December and 10% for 2021. Order through the club or mention the club when an order is placed.

4. Crafty Arts 10% discount via their discount card scheme.

Collaborate on building dioramas and exhibits in their extended premises.

APPEAL: 1. My Story - How did you get into the model rail hobby?"

2. Send us pictures of your lock-down project(s) 3. Suggestions, comments 4. To which Model rail magazine(s) are you subscribed?

Please send your contribution regardless of grammar/spelling, long/short to: pemrailroadclub@gmail.com

PEMRC CALENDAR

We will continue with our fortnightly gatherings whilst adhering to the prescribed pandemic precautions.

Although larger gatherings are now permitted, the overriding factor still is the limit of 50% of capacity of the venue. Depending on the venue of the host, our capacity limit is 10 persons.

Booking is essential; please book the day before Note changes in venue, time and host and host Booking essential contact host Limited get10 Wodehouse Mount Pleasant together roelvanoza@gmail.com

14:30 16:00

Sat 26

Sep 2020

Sun 4

Oct 2020

Sat 10

Oct 2020

Limited gettogether

Booking essential contact host 13 Lionel Road Walmer Downs

09:30 -11:00

Sat 24

Oct 2020

Limited gettogether

Booking essential contact host Cancelled

09:30 -11:00

Sun 6

Nov 2020

Sat 14

Nov 2020

Sat 28

Sat 5

Nov 2020

Dec 2020

Public running Port Elizabeth Model Locomotive 10:00 confirmed day To be Society Londt Park, Sunridge Park to 13:00

Port Elizabeth Model Locomotive Public running 10:00 Society To be confirmed day to 13:00 Londt Park, Sunridge Park Limited gettogether

Limited gettogether

Roel 082 739 7679 1st Sunday monthly Mike van Zyl 073 374 3280

1st Sunday monthly

Booking essential contact host 13 Lionel Road Walmer Downs

09:30 11:00

Mike van Zyl 073 374 3280

Booking essential contact host

14:30 16:00

Mike Smout 082 801 1347 041 583 5168

5 Cheshire Village Gomery Ave Summerstrand ma.smout@mweb.co.za

International Day of the Model Railway No PEMRC event in 2020 due to Covid-19 Video of 1st Intl Day of the Model Railway 2015 Germany

9-11

July 2021

29-30

Oct 2021

14-21

Aug 2022

National Train Show Santa Clara California, USA Eurospoor 2021 Event & Exhibition Centre Jaarbeurs Utrecht, Netherlands http://www.eurospoor.nl/ NMRA National Convention 2022 Birmingham, UK https://www.nmra2022uk.org/

Plan such that your layout is accessable always!

COMMITTEE 2020: Chairman: Treasurer: Clubhouse: Layouts: Librarian: Editor: Workshops:

Roel van Oudheusden Attie Terblanche Mike Smout JP Kruger Carel van Loggerenberg Roel van Oudheusden Graham Chapman Mike van Zyl Mike Smith

roelvanoza@gmail.com terblalc@telkomsa.net ma.smout@mweb.co.za juanpierrekruger@gmail.com annie3@telkomsa.net pemrailroadclub@gmail.com chapman22@telkomsa.net carpencab@gmail.com ‘Shop’: mwsmi5@iafrica.com WhatsApp: 078 069 7699 Subscriptions for 2020 are R300 for the year.

EFT is preferred, but the Treasurer may be persuaded to accept cash.

Bank account: Port Elizabeth Model Railroad Club FNB Walmer Park, branch code 211417, Account no. 623 861 2205

CLUB HOUSE The long wait for municipal approval…………

The nominated project leader, Juan-Pierre and architect, Don Bell, have done all they could in meeting all the legal requirements to satisfy the bureaucracy to get the approval and then COVID happened, delaying matters seriously. J-P has a plan how the build will eventually happen and how we all can help when called upon. Needless to say that it will be more expensive than originally forecast because we have virtually lost a year and prices are not static as we all experience daily.

Let’s be proactive and visualise what we would be busy with had the building been completed now…

Let’s use the time we have now to plan in detail for what you want to happen in and around the structure as well as when and how it will be used and by whom.

What will we call the building? – PEMRC Clubhouse? Or….

Of course we will have an exhibition layout(s) and meeting space, drink tea coffee or whatever, talk trains etc. But what is the optimum use of the space we will have?

These are the dimensions: Length 19.2m width 8.4m; scalable in module lengths of 1.2m. Internal height under trusses is 2.2m. The submitted drawing indicates an internal division of about 60% to the layout exhibition area (19.2 x 4.8m).

The remainder of about 3.6m wide is partitioned into: - A ‘member’s lounge’ of 7.2 x 3.6m - Reception area of 4.8 x 3.6m - Kitchen 2.4 x 3.6m - store 4.8 x 3.6m

A width of almost 5m for the layout should be ample, but if you want wider, or an L-shape configuration, then some of the other areas can be moved to a side‌ Mike Parsons had previously proposed a layout design which has a very innovative dimension in that one enters on a ramp underneath part of the layout: The design proposed a layout raised with sufficient headroom underneath not to have to be on all fours or on your back whilst working under the layout. The one direction public walking area would be raised to compensate and bring the layout to a very convenient eye level for most visitors. The ramp will facilitate access by all and an easy transit from the entrance to the exhibit level and the visitor will not even realise that he had passed underneath the layout.

THE LAYOUT: Besides housing the current club layout which we had in Newton Park and is currently in storage, alternatives can be considered for subsequent exhibitions.

Will that be a free standing model as we have currently, something along the wall or shelf, or modular?

Single gauge or more than one? Or more than one layout?

Various track plans have been published in the newsletter over recent months and one of them might inspire you to create a plan for the new club house.

Looking forward to your input!

We should put this Topside Creeper also on our Club House wish list: (we do have an able local supplier

“Gipfelstürmer” by De Passarel (Summit chaser).

What is published with the label "Christmas layout" does not always have to be a robust play area for children. Here a layout dream going right up, suitable for the more experienced world of tinkerers.

NEW BOOK “The Railway to Adventure”

by Charlie Lewis and David Payling Due west out of Port Elizabeth a 2ft gauge railway meandered for 177 miles to the hamlet of Avontuur (Afrikaans for ‘adventure’, hence the title of this book) that for over 100 years served the deciduous fruit growing region known as the Langkloof. Much closer to Port Elizabeth, an important branch line to Patensie tapped the fertile vegetable lands and citrus groves of the Gamtoos valley. During the 1920s quarries were established near Patensie by the Eastern Province Cement Company (EPCC) and limestone was hauled by rail to Chelsea siding from where a 12 mile private line ran to the cement factory in New Brighton. This was vital business as it provided the railway’s base traffic for over 70 years.

The railway was originally described in detail in Sydney Moir’s seminal book “Twenty-four inches apart” (Oakwood Press 1963).

More recently the story has been covered in 8 parts on the author’s "Soul of a Railway" website. Since being put online there have been many requests for the material to be published in book form and this book is the response to those requests. Interest in the South African narrow gauge has never been higher, especially with several of the locomotives featured here now working in the UK and elsewhere in the world (3 on the Welsh Highland Railway).

This 265 page hardcover book brings the story up to date and focuses on new, fascinating and compelling information about the railway, particularly the political shenanigans that plagued its turbulent latter years.

These are recounted by the author, Charlie Lewis, the Regional Engineer responsible for the line from 1981 to 1986 and also one of SA’s most prolific rail photographers. The text is complimented by a wide selection of photographs, many previously unpublished and the majority in colour which the authors believe will form THE definitive record of the Railway in its latter years. They include contributions from many of the world’s leading railway photographers who visited the line during its busiest years.

The book is dedicated to the memory of David Payling (long-time supporter of the FFestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways and author of the best-selling “Garratts and Kalahari’s” and of “Fairlie Locomotives of North Wales”), who sadly passed away early in 2020 after a long illness.

David instigated the project to produce a follow-up to “Twenty-four Inches apart” and provided inspiration and much of the material for the “Soul of a Railway” coverage. It was Charlie and David’s intention to produce a book on the railway, so this is the culmination of their wishes or, perhaps more appropriately, the “fruits” of their labours!

Available from FFestiniog online shop.

Source:

MY STORY - how I got into the model railroad hobby: Hard to beat! Fascination with locomotives and railways started at age 2!

Mike Parsons is one of our longest serving members of the PEMRC and has put together a book “From the Past”, detailing some of the memorable events he had experienced.

He grew up on Table Mountain where his father was the resident caretaker of the dams on top of the Mountain.

“IN EARLY FEBRUARY, 1939, Mr W. J. Parsons, a municipal Ranger in the waterworks department of Cape Town Municipality, was transferred as caretaker over the dams on top of Table Mountain, with him his wife and young son Michael who had just turned two. There is no road leading to their house on the mountain, only a foot-path from Constantia Nek, must be bought in Cape Town or the suburbs and carried home. For Mr Parsons this included carrying Michael in a special carrier he made to fit on top of his rucksack. The trip down and up was made every few weeks in all kinds of weather.

Numerous stops were made during the ascent to have a 'breather' and take the load off his back. It was at one of these stops, mid-year that Michael said he didn't want to be carried and wanted to walk. Mr Parsons thought that it wouldn't be long before young Michael would tire as they were less than halfway up the mountain, thus still a long path ahead. That was the last time Michael was carried by his father and he never asked to be carried again. I believe that it will be hard to beat young Michael's achievement of being able to walk up Table Mountain at the age of only two-and-half years.”

The Cape Times, 1940, by S. J. Duncan.

The dams designed by Scottish engineer, Thomas Stewart, were built in the 1890s. An aerial cableway was built in Kasteelpoort to transfer equipment and materials up the mountain to the quarry area on the plateau. A rail track had to be laid to carry stone dressed by the 75 masons from Scotland at the quarry, cement and other essential materials to the building site. Mules were used to pull the loaded small flat wagons.

There was no cement available in SA and all had to be imported from England in barrels.

When the second reservoir was built, it was decided to get a steam locomotive to haul the materials. It was imported fully built from Scotland from Andrew Barclay Sons & Co, works number 826 in October 1898 and had to be dismantled upon arrival to be taken up the mountain piece by piece. The locomotive was in use for about 4 years during the construction of the five dams on top of Table Mountain.

It is preserved in the Waterworks Museum acccessible via a hike from Constantia Nek or Kirstenbosch after it had been cared for by Mr WJ Parsons senior. Micheal can remember spending many hours playing on it, thus his passion to this day of steam trains.

LOS ANGELES to SALT LAKE Route from the January 2010 issue of Continued from last month. This month: Easy to build desert scenery.

The rugged mountain desert scenery of the Meadow Valley Wash provides a picturesque backdrop for trains on the Union Pacific Salt Lake Route The model railroad features Kato Unitrack

Cutting foam.

A serrated kitchen knife was used to cut the extruded-foam insulation board. The sloping contour of the foam roughly matches the railroad right-of-way. Cut the first piece to the shape and size of the base of the hill.

Then flip that first piece to use as a base for the next level of the hill (smaller size) etc. The summit of the hill was to be about 3cm below the top of the backdrop.

Cutouts were made at the back to allow for the backdrop supports to place the foam flush with the backdrop.

The tunnel also had to be cut out from two of the base layers.

The outline of the top of the hills were then marked in pencil on the backdrop. None of the foam had at this stage been glued and could thus be removed safely to paint the background. Two coats of blue were used for the sky overlapping a little bit over the pencil line. When the paint had dried, the foam was secured with beads of PL300 foamboard adhesive. Pins were pushed through to keep the layers in place.

Next, the tunnel liner was put in place using wide strips of Woodland Scenic’s trackbed sheets, attaching them with the same adhesive to the foam and pins whist the glue dried.

Before adding the next layer of foam for the hill which would forever obscure access to the inner tunnel, ballast was added to the edges of the plastic trackbed.

Tunnel liner.

With the tunnel liners in place and all work done on the insides of the tunnel, the rest of the foam layers were put in place.

The tunnel portals are tested in their location with a temporary fix whilst various short, long and high coaches and locomtives are pushed through from either end to ensure there is sufficient clearance all round. In this instance it was found best to hang them from the next foam layer and fill in the bottom with pieces of foam and sculpt them into appropriate shape. The same procedure was used for the wing walls.

Pieces of foam were then shaped to form a slope between the creek and the track all the way till the end of the canyon.

The KATO bridge is then tested in place and the abutments cut to fit. Wing walls are added and supported with pieces of foam.

Visual trickery Meadow valley creek needed to disappear into a canyon. Make a two-sided rock by gluing rock sections back-to-back.

The dense foam can easily be cut to shape the edges to match.

Adding banks.

To give the streambed some profile, attach 1⁄8in tempered hardboard to the top of the plywood. To match the 1⁄4in of fascia above the top of the plywood, add more hardboard.

Seamless blending.

Use Sculptamold to hide horizontal gaps and imperfections in the foam.

Scraps of foam were used against the backdrop to give depth for the rock formations.

Blending the rock walls. Noch rock walls were used and some were rotated so the patterns wouldn’t be repeated and some were shortened to vary the height.

Sculptamold was used to fill the gaps between the sections.

Adding depth.

Once the rock castings have been painted and dried, apply a wash of black acrylic paint to create depth to the crevaces.

High points. To suggest shadows, drybrush the high spots on the rocks with white paint.

Spreading sand. Woodland Scenics buff ballast captured the look of desert sand quite well.

Brush by the boatload. The hillsides are populated with Woodland Scenics Olive Green underbrush.

Bald spots. Where the terrain would be too steep for vegetation growth, the hillside is left bare.

Blending the scenery - hard edge between the moulded roadbed and scenery is not realistic. Brush white glue on the edge of the roadbed and nearby scenery. With the glue still wet sprinkle on Kato’s ballast.

Add interest to your brewery.

Perspex or Plexiglas can be cut to simulate blocks of ice.

Add a still to the interior and small detail to the outside and environment.

MARKET PLACE

Members can advertise their model rail related items here for free; All others pay a 10% donation of the value to PEMRC.

Please send your best offer to Roel via roelvanoza@gmail.com, or SMS or WhatsApp to 0827397679 for any of the following: 1. N-Scale Union Pacific Diesel Cow and Calf. Needs attention.

2. N-Scale Del Prado Static Display Locomotive of “The Flying Scotsman” (I have a duplicate)

3. “The Great Steam Trek”

By CP Lewis and AA Jorgensen, Hard cover first edition but without dust cover. 248 pages illustrated with photographs of trains in the most beautiful settings of the subcontinent. Good condition.

VINTAGE ADVERTISING

The 82G Locoshed layout was first featured in BRM in 2010 and was presented with the Cyril freezer Award as the Best Layout of the Year at Doncaster in Feb. 2011.

That layout has now been extended.