Taita Gorge Railway

:call: Open day, Sunday. All G Scalers welcome (sorry, no subsidies on airfares).

Sorry, will be 'playing' inside, as the weather is not so good here..

now, if you could attach some sunshine, as well as the pictures, to your posts.. We could ration it out between us! ;):clap::clap:
 
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:mad: Running day tomorrow, This happened Thursday.

:eek: Luckily, it has fallen away from the railway. What a way to 'break in' my new camera, photographic quality is very good. I'm happy with it. A step up from the trusty Fuji Finepix (which, as I said, was on its last legs), I've now got a Nikon D3300 DSLR. I was shopping for a Canon EOS 1200D, which was being advertised at a good price all over the place... but, 'oh, we can get it in for you'. Them fellows lost a sale. I ended up at a 'real' camera store, and by the time he'd thrown in some extras, I ended up with a better camera for nearly the same price.

Now, just off to pick up another Beer Car that I won on Trade Me, then back to prepare for the running day, for which rain has not been forecast for a change.
 
:) New Beer Car collected, and already in service.

:rolleyes: That blasted gum tree has a bit to answer for...... damned thing is also flowering, attracting wasps, and also shedding resin over everything around, including my Outback track. Actually been noticing that now for a few weeks. The usual 'oil' treatment was getting me by, but this morning's test run brought trouble, the resin had set, so I had to actually do something I haven't done for ages, and that was clean the rails. Bonus, I found the bottom of a spring nest from one of my Aristocraft wagons that I didn't know was missing, but it did explain the recent rough running of that car. Testing also found a wiring fault, or so I thought. One block section in the shed wouldn't work. All set to put in a jumper wire, move loco on adjacent track, oops, working again. Lesson, don't let locos sit over an insulated joint, particularly with common return wiring.

Tomorrow, is another day.
 
There will be a slight delay in the posting of photographs from the Running Day, pooter has 'developed a fault requiring expert intervention'. Taita Gorge Railway apologises for any inconvenience this may cause.
Right, that's the legal niceties out of the way, now the report.

Smallish turnout, but a fantastic afternoon of running. Track power, battery, and live steam all put in flawless performances. Scales 1:29, 1:24/22.5/20.3, and 7/8ths all ran (separately, of course). JR may beat me with the photo report, as my pooter expert has 'taken away' mine as I write (from another one, oops, lunch bell)....
 
:cool::cool::cool:

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Two days of Conventioneers traipsing around my garden, and garage, and time for a rest. Saturday evening, just after the last group of tourists departed, the sun got into the 'I'm just about to cast a shadow over Taita Gorge' position, and sidelit this scene.

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I like my new camera, this shot comes up really crisp and clear. Visitors were pleased, as no doubt they also would have been, at Ben and JR's.
 
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TWO days of having complete strangers traipsing all over your 'patch'??
Deserves a medal!
:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:
 
TWO days of having complete strangers traipsing all over your 'patch'??
Deserves a medal!
:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

;) Not exactly strangers.... probably half of them I already knew, some had even been here in recent weeks. Some others I knew by name (from various clubs and forums). Those on 'return tickets' usually had some friend in tow just wanting to show them my railway. Hopefully, I have provided some inspiration to 'new' visitors.
 
;) The source of the 'sticky track' has been identified. Apparently, some aphids failed to pass correctly through border control, and they have invaded our area, taking a liking, in particular, to my willow tree. Well, the blighters have also started killing it off.... so the tree has to go :mad: (this, of course, will be at a cost, I have to get a 'professional' in).

To safeguard my railway, the 'outback' is to be ripped up. No great hassle, as it should only take an hour or so to reinstall.
 
First of Winter, coldest day of the year so far, so the tree man decides to turn up!

A bit more candlepower reaching the Outback now, still, Lizzie's birthday this weekend, with a fine forecast. I shall celebrate with some running..... after I reinstall the track, that is.
 
So, it's the middle of winter (well, next week), and you get an e-mail of the non begging kind.... 'I want to show my mate from out of town, the sights of Wellington. Do you do twilight sessions?

Bro, this is the middle of winter.... 1930 hours OK?

We had a running session, for a couple of hours, stayed dry, and even had a warm wind spring up in the session before stumps.
 
Was it something one of you ate, Gavin?
:giggle::giggle::giggle:

12 months ago (almost to the day), I was standing on the shores of Loch Ness, in the height of a Scottish summer.... that was a darn sight colder than what it was for our session here last night.

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Alright, alright! You don't have to rub it in!!
(Sitting here, waiting for the second delivery of papers, so I can actually deliver them..)]

Oh, and it is precipitating prodigiously, here in The Middle..
:(
 
It was fine today, so out with the grunty soldering iron I inherited from my Dad, and set too to reconnect all the electrics for the outback section. One thing I've learned with this iron, if it don't melt the solder, go back to the mains board, and flick the switch back on. Only managed to blow the circuit breaker once this time around.

Full track power service has resumed.
 
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We all like pictures. And now, a hitherto unavailable angle, the reinstated Outback section with big tree removed. Boy, it makes a difference, the area so much more open, and lighter..... time for some 'advanced' scenery to by added.
 
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We all like pictures. And now, a hitherto unavailable angle, the reinstated Outback section with big tree removed. Boy, it makes a difference, the area so much more open, and lighter..... time for some 'advanced' scenery to by added.

A nice, sylvan, scene indeed!
 
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