Moonan Flat

Moonan Flat
7mm O scale NSWGR theme Country branch station

Last year I decided to build a test track for display at Sydney's biggest model railway show.
The orignal plan was two tracks within a box type display as I wanted to be able to demonstrate DCC sound locos and in a big hall I figured the sounds would get lost if it was just a open plank.
Some where along the line I made the decision to turn the Idea of the test track into a small layout I figured it would be more fun than just moving a train up and Down a 8 foot plank why not make a small layout.
In Australia if you asked about O scale most modellers would tell you don't bother with that scale you can't have a layout unless you have a huge shed or multi car garage.

So I set out to build the test track as a layout that debunked that theory.
Moonan Flat was born
Moonan Flat is a real place but the railway never went there it's located on the edge of a area called the Barrington Tops in the Upper Hunter area of NewSouthWales. A location that is very much like parts of Britain.
The area gets high rain fall so is often quite green and even gets snow some winter's so what better place to base a layout with a very British style small layout plan.

Just up the road from Moonan Flat village 2015 looking out the front of my 4x4
This is Australia !!! by CHRIS, on Flickr

Timber work started only took a few hours of work to get to this stage, I always choose good quality first grade marine ply as it reduced the chance of any warping and you can use the thinner thicknesses as a result without issues its worth the extra 10% in cost this you will save overall in not having to do so much cross bracing due to the rigidity of the Marine grade ply. Will end up with nice light sections as well.
New O scale Layout Build by CHRIS, on Flickr
In just a short period it went from a planned test track to model railway and was exhibited at The 2015 Sydney Model Railway Exhibition as part of the Aus7 modellers group stand promoting O scale modelling in Australia looking like this.
Liverpool Exhibition 2015 by CHRIS, on Flickr

The layout only has 2 points but has the following,Main platform, Bay platform, runaround loop with a goods siding all made possible by using a rotating sector plate as a fiddle yard the equivalent of the station approach that wasn't modelled = 2 points.
Layout Size is, scenic sections 8ft X 16in plus non scenic 3 track traverser 5ft X 1ft mounted on a 4ft X 16inch board I will describe some more in the next post.

Follow this topic from the bare boards above to a scenic "Model Railway" in the scene below


The End result a exhibition standard "Model Railway"




This is the orignal plan Draw up by Ian (leddie69) in anyrail took him all of a few minutes one night with me describing what I wanted over his shoulder as he clicked away. Thank again Ian.

Attached files

 

Gary wrote:

Hi Gary its standard Peco code 125 Bull head track and points just painted and quick dry brush weathering of the rail and chairs,after the first two sections I laid I decided to cut out the webbing from between the sleepers looks much better as you don't have to make sure it is fully ballasted to the top of the sleepers.
B/H is not prototypical for NSW unless it I was modelling the orignal line to Morpeth near East Maitland.
Points came via the bay $23 each S/h but had never been removed from pack (score with those got 6 all used now though) and I purchased a new box of Peco C125 B/h track from hunter valley model supplies.
Another photo from the 2015 exhibition I was sent this by a modeller at the show I forgot to take any of my own layout

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As requested by Toto some photos of some of my loco fleet that are avalable to run on Monnan flat or my other layouts
Some photos on Moonan Flat, East Maitland, Hunter Yard and one photo on Arakoola a layout that will be traveling to the UK and will be at Telford 2016 O gauge guild exhibition

Unfortunately most NSWGR steam locos were drab black occasionally they had some red lining and a special few were green these would see passenger service generaly until the Brown boxes arrived (Diesels)

Below is just a few of the 40 odd locos I'm gradually upgrading to DCC sound slowly as would break the bank to do all of them.

Firstly this should be the pride of the line a fine scale brass loco that I custom orded waited 6 years for it arrived and was in my hand for a few hours before it was picked up by the Co that produced it to return it to the factory in Korea. It had so many faults and issues

Still waiting for it to return.
O scale models by CHRIS, on Flickr

iPad photos of Moonan Flat O scale Model Railway by CHRIS, on Flickr

Liverpool 2015 Aus7 display by CHRIS, on Flickr

More O scale loco's by CHRIS, on Flickr

NSWGR O Scale on East Maitland by CHRIS, on Flickr

Newly arrived CPH No13 makes its first arrival at Moonan Flat with CPH No11 by CHRIS, on Flickr

Loco hauled service Arrives Moonan Flat with 3213 by CHRIS, on Flickr

3652 at Moonan Flat by CHRIS, on Flickr

In the works models by CHRIS, on Flickr

7mm O scale models by CHRIS, on Flickr

5802 Big power for little wooden cars by CHRIS, on Flickr

Valley yard by CHRIS, on Flickr

3820 on Arakoola a layout that will be in the UK on display at Telford this year all 17.5meters of it.

September O scale day by CHRIS, on Flickr

In the works models by CHRIS, on Flickr

Running on a friends out door layout in the afternoon sunshine.
2016 on short goods train by CHRIS, on Flickr

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I edited the previous photo post with some more info

Until I do some more on the build here's the shunters truck
Got second place in the national modelling compertion with this
Model that I built
The big passenger car seen in varnished livery in the photo in the previous post got the first place.

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Toto wrote:

Thanks Toto.
The shunters truck is one of my favourite models I have built in O scale and when I found that little person at a local specilist supplier "TheRailCar". I knew he was the figure for the truck.

ianvolvo46 wrote:

Thanks Ian
This hobby is so varied and I appreciate everyone's different and I have no problem playing trains on a fellow modellers "plywood central" that is never going past that stage as he's happy with that and just wants to run trains and I equally enjoy running a fully detailed model railway with interlock points /signals full time table running with individual car cards etc.

Re L273 I started with a photo of the prototype and made a close representation.
The shunters truck I built as a serious model and took some time to put a little extra into it unusual for me, (I took my time),
I often start a wagon one night have it ready to prime paint in the morning colour paint by morning tea, then decals after dinner inbetween doing what the wife wants to do then weather it late that night, way too impatient.

So with the shunters truck I made the brake gear movable the chain from the hand brake wheel will actualy wind up and pull the actuator then pull the shoes. Stupid stuff but the sort of thing you need when entering an Oscale model in a NMRA national competition with some other very fine models.
I Just have to come up with something new for this year's comp.

But if you look closely a good number of my goods wagons don't even have brakes or just basic shoes.
Like I said in my welcome post I really just like to run trains so not too worried what's under a lot of the trucks.

http://www.click

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Photo of the week Wow thanks Toto for thinking it was worthy.
I will try harder now to get some more good photos that may one day grace POTW again

Thanks for the congrats Matt.

Some good news from Moonan Flat yesterday got a phone call saying the pride of the fleet was returning again.

So a little history of of the loco that was to be / is now the pride of the fleet.
Close to 10 years ago a company called "PSM" precision scale models, announced its intent to produce a O scale fine scale brass model of NSW Australia's most famous loco class the C38's,, 3801 the class leader is in Australia like Flying Scotsman is in UK every one knows it.
So put my name down for one waited and waited got older eventually in 2010 Was told its about to go into production so deposit paid, I was told it will be delivered in time for Christmas this was mid 2011, so as a Pressent to go under their tree it was a good way to justify a super expensive loco well it missed every Christmas since fast forward to October 2015 I finally get my loco a custom orderd #3805 on opening the box noted a few issues the more I looked at it the worse it got basicly a twisted body chassis due to one part incorecttly fitted and the assembly of the body / chassis became twisted, having had the loco for about 3 hours a phone call and some photos sent to the company had my loco picked up the next day along with my dads one that also had issues and it was sent back to the factory in Korea the day before Xmas 2015 a phone call and I was told your locos are landed will have some one drop them off to you Xmas eve, well they misses another Xmas and finally made it into town yesterday.. Brand new Newley built 3805 from the factory
As the faults with the orignal were so bad that the orignal wasn't worth repair
Open the box out falls a couple of little parts not again inspection reveals these parts will be easy refit.
Put on the track and some issues with the chassis were evident
The tender Assy was just poor missing bogie springs alignment of pipe work fouling the bogies etc
Another phone call to the owner of PSM and he said can you fix the issues this time if I send you the parts
So a brand New fine scale Brass loco has had it's Chassis striped down and rebuilt tender running gear rebuilt and a couple of springs borrowed so I could run it until the spares arrive
Whilst it's been apart I installed a speaker in the smoke box and it has a TCS WOW sound decoder fitted
As I couldn't sleep tonight I decided to get it going still have to wire in the lights but it moved under its own steam tonight at 3am WOW it's loud the neighbors lights came on just after the first whistle test before I turned the volume down they must have thought train was running through there house "Pay back for the thrash metal their son plays at all hours. I may have given it more than one test blow.

The link below is to a quick video of the Happy moment just after I tuned down the sound, of 3805's first movements.
Now to do some decoder tuning the model is fitted with a expensive Falhuber motor so is very light on the current draw.

 

Toto wrote:

Thanks
I've got a big smile today after 3805 steamed up and down the layout.

 

Thanks Ian it was 3am in the morning when I decided to solder the wires to the speaker and test.
You know how loud the speakers I use can get well as per all decoder it was at full volume when it first came alive.
So tested the whistles rotated to the 38 five chime and let it rip just a few times, before turning down the volume. this had the A/h neighbours lights come on and they were looking outside karma for all the times the kid played thrash metal at ungodly hours that makes the house Windows rattle.

Ian it's time to start a few posts on your micro layouts.