The GnATTERbox

michael · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:46 am Post subject:

Wow!! A kickback on that thing would be lethal. I think I would want a solid table. Looks like it worked well enough though.
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Regards Michael
If you believe you can make something, you can make it.

http://users.xplornet.com/~macton/index.html

DCRfan · Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:54 am Post subject:

Don't worry the whare is down a very rough 4x4 track so the OSH inspectors don't visit so he may just get away with it.

On the other hand, perhaps it will be constructed, found to be unsafe and left under the trees to rust and rot away Very Happy

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Paul
Gnu Zealand

DCRfan · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:01 am Post subject:

Dear journal, it's certainly been one of those days you will never forget. We all got to the old whare just before seven this rather misty morning and got the fire going to have a brew. We were swapping stories about our great shots at last nights pub pool and darts competition while the boss is still prattling on about that darned neat little bench saw.

Anyway about seven thirty the boss fired up the jigger and we all clambered on board with Hone sitting behind on bolster of the trolley. It was a bit eerie puttering through the mist but when we got to the lagoon things got real interesting.

We were near the middle of the trestle when Hone yelled out to stop as he pointed to something in the water. There was a series of what looked like sharks fins sticking out of the water but they were metal coloured and then we saw the eyes glowing under the water. Hone exclaimed that it was taniwha, the rest of us had no idea. It was the strangest thing, it like it was it was staring at us and then there was the noise like the beat of a slow steam engine.

We didn't know what to do then Hone jumped off the trolley and started doing a haka with his axe in one hand. As if that wasn't scary enough the whole trestle, which is not strong at the best of times, was shaking like mad as Hone stamped his foot onto the sleeper. The boss yelled out for him to stop but he kept going until finally he flung his axe at the taniwha. When it struck there was the strangest sound, like hitting a hollow cardboard box.

That had an immediate reaction from the taniwha. The noise increased ,and steam and air bubbles flew everywhere and the thing rose out of the water. It was the strangest looking thing you have ever seen but it was definitely a submarine straight out of a Jules Vern book. We then realised Hone’s axe was actually embedded in the side of the thing.

The boss sent John to call 111 and get the police as submarines are not allowed in the lagoon. John made his way back along the trestle rather slowly as he stepped from sleeper to sleeper but eventually he made it to the end and climbed the big tree on the right as it’s the only way to get cell phone coverage in the forest. Eventually John called out that he had the Police Emergency Centre in Christchurch on the line but they didn’t have the No Name Silver Pine company on their database nor the location of our tramway. We couldn’t help as we don’t gnow where it is either.

Eventually the boss suggested they call the local cop as he gnows were we are. Anyway a few minutes later he rings and John explained he sounded rather grumpy as he was down the beach fishing, typical. After listening for a while Jon scrambled down the tree and rejoined us. He explained the emergency centre had called the Navy, Army and Air Force but they were all on Christmas leave so couldn’t help. Fred from DOC (Department of Conservation) was coming, as the lagoon was DOC property, along with the local Whale Rescue rep as he was convinced it was a beached whale not a submarine.

Then there was that hollow cardboard sound again. We all spun around to see a hatch opening and a series of pirates appearing. They were the strangest bunch of characters finished in low sheen paint. The Captain called out ‘Who is challenging me’. Hone stepped forward, nearly falling into the water in the process and replied ‘I am’. Suddenly all the anger washed from the faces of the pirates and the captain invited Hone aboard. We were all confused until the boss noticed that Hone was wearing his old black Pirates Rugby Club rugby jersey with the skull and cross bones emblem on the front which the pirates apparently recognised. So Hone jumped down onto the submarine and pulled his axe out of the side.

After a short conversation, which Hone still won’t tell us about, the pirates clambered back into the submarine, the hatch closed and with a several toots on the steam whistle it backed off and chugged into the mist.

As I said it been quite a challenging day but Gnow we all have a gnew appreciation of the versatility of cardboard.

P.S. When the cop arrived with Fred from DOC, the local Whale Rescue rep and Miss Smith, the school teacher, Chairperson of the Literary Society (and a Captain Nemo fan) and founder member of the West Coast Origami Club, they didn’t believe a word of our story. Actually I don’t either Laughing

Yes its a nice quiet holiday with not much to do Wink

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Paul
Gnu Zealand

Geno6309 · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 1:24 am Post subject:

Good bit of work, that. Very Happy

You're the next J. K. Rawling. Cool

Hoist another Guinness Laughing

and have a Merry Christmas.

Edited for spelling, you'd a thought after this many years I, at least, could spell GuinNess
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"I'm not building a model of a railroad. I'm building a caricature of one." Bill Livingston, Venango Valley RR, RMC 1971
Words to live by.
Gene Walker

Steve Bennett · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:23 am Post subject:

DCRfan · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 10:51 am Post subject:

michael · Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 7:24 pm Post subject:

See what a challenge can do Exclamation

Great Yarn Paul.
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Regards Michael
If you believe you can make something, you can make it.

http://users.xplornet.com/~macton/index.html

DCRfan · Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:16 am Post subject:

The summers crop of Yarrow is just starting to dry out after flowering so getting close to harvest time Cool

. I went for a long bike ride today to spy out the best patches after the City Council inconsiderately mowed a huge patch the wife and I have been watching mature for some months:cry:

Then hopefully I will be able to finish the forest (only a couple of months late).
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Paul
Gnu Zealand

Andrew Milner · Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:51 pm Post subject:

I'm sure it will be worth the wait Cool

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Andrew Milner, still trying to figure it out....

DCRfan · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 6:12 am Post subject:

I've just found this picture in an archive linking two of my threads. Note the war time censor has covered the markings on the British Beaverette. I didn't know my tramway was so old. Just what it was doing on the West Coast of New Zealand is a mystery. Possibly it was imported as a prototype for the Kiwi version Wink

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Paul
Gnu Zealand

DCRfan · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:23 am Post subject:

After taking the above picture I was looking over the layout as I about to start making some more trees when I realised the stub points were not working as there has been about 0.5 mm of movement of the moving rails to the extent one of the soldered joints has ripped the copperclad off the sleeper. The baseboard appears to be straight so could the whole thing be shrinking??
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Paul
Gnu Zealand

rue_d_etropal · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:02 pm Post subject:

I've found that temperature can play havoc with track. Build it in a cold room, move to hot room and track expands, and vicaversa
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Simon Dawson,
Narrow gauge Francophile interested in 1m, 60cm,50cm , 40cm and smaller gauges . Build in scales from 1/6th to 1/24th. Also 1/32nd and 1/35th using 16.5mm track to represent 50cm and 60cm gauges.
http://www.rue-d-etropal.com

Trevor Coburn · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:27 pm Post subject:

Paul, I experianced similar problems using copper clad tie bars on stub points. (I had about 30 on vairious 0n3 & 0n2 layouts). in the end I used the type of copper-clad that is fibreglass based. Removed the copper, it will peel off using a blade & very hot 75W + soldering iron. Drill two holes on the out side of the rail, (I was using code 100 on 0n3) then either using 14ba counter sunk bolts from under side solder the rail to those. Allowing just a modicum of movement. The fixed end of the stub rails I just relived the foot so that it would slide easliy in the rail joiner. Dont rely on the bend in the rail, it wont work, too many stresses involved!
Hope that helps
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Trevor
Member of The Royal Institute of Grumpy Old Men

DCRfan · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:55 am Post subject:

Surprisingly the joint that has sprung is on the far side of the frog not the blades which pivot on pins. I don't use rail joiners for the blades.
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Paul
Gnu Zealand

DCRfan · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 10:06 am Post subject:

I received confirmation that I have been invited to display the cardboard challenge at an exhibition in Taupo next month so I dragged it in from the garage for a quick survey of jobs to do. Then the wife asked me to recover some of her primary school teaching aids that clutter up 2/3ds of the garage (as Gavin and Chis can confirm Laughing

)

One of the things on the list is a few more bits of rollingstock. Guess what I found in one of her boxes - a new rail car and new rail bus Razz

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Paul
Gnu Zealand

Jon Randall · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2008 5:13 pm Post subject:

Congrats on the show invite Paul.
You're a brave man to cut up such accurate models. Why gnot use them as wagon loads Question

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Jon Randall

Gno dear, I'm gnot building another layout.
Ok just one more for luck.....

Size is gnot the important issue here

DCRfan · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:28 am Post subject:

What's happened, has the old man purchased a Tamyia paint franchise Question

The old veranda has been replaced with a significantly deeper roof to provide a work area. The figure is from the Italieri Truck Acessories kitset.
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Paul
Gnu Zealand

Steve Bennett · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:38 am Post subject:

DCRfan · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:07 pm Post subject:

Been busy with the yarrow, masking tape and sawdust today making and planting more trees to achieve the original aim of having the tramway disappear into the trees on both sides of the layout. So I've just added five more to one side but they have quickly been swallowed up. Unfortunately to achieve the look I was after needs about 50% more trees Crying or Very sad

A visit to the favourate yarrow patch is planned tomorrow Cool

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Paul
Gnu Zealand

Glen A · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 8:02 pm Post subject:

I love the way you paint those trunks, Paul.
I would never think of putting white on a tree trunk, but they look so right.

I know what you mean about collecting Yarrow. I have got 2 batches hanging in the glass house now. I stop at Cass and collect a bag or two every time we go over to the west coast now. There should be plenty available to make trees for the new module later.
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Glen Anthony.
Christchurch
New Zealand

I survived the Christchurch 7.1 earthquake, 4 Sept 2010.

"The Stamping Ground"
http://www.trainweb.org/nzgr/Gn15/Gn15.html

DCRfan · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 1:29 am Post subject:

Rather overcast outside today but better than using flash. 42 trees planted, now I can claim the word record for 1:24th scale super feet of timber on a pizza layout.

The setting for the woodcutting and moss gathering scene

Not sure what I did to the colour

Behind Wally-the-Trolley is the start of the moss drying rack

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Paul
Gnu Zealand

Will Vale · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 7:20 am Post subject:

Those extra trees make a huge difference, I love how the canopy is continuous in the middle now. The weathering on the shed is great too.

More_Cats_Than_Sense · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 7:41 am Post subject:

Looks great Very Happy

Hard to believe that there are 42 trees there Shocked

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Barry Weston

If at first you don't succeed, use a bigger hammer.

The only thing that keeps me sane, is the friendship I share with my collection of singing potatoes....

Never knowingly sensible!

Gerry Bullock · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 8:05 am Post subject:

Transformed Paul a great looking layout. Cool

Now I know where to come when I Gneed some trees; transport could be an issue though. Rolling Eyes

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So little time, so many ideas!!!!! GerryB.
http://gtb13.fotopic.net/
http://protos.fotopic.net/

Simon Andrews · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:20 am Post subject:

Great looking layout Paul. The scenic work is fantastic, very realistic Cool

Simon.
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