Showing posts with label Billabong Marina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Billabong Marina. Show all posts

Thursday, 9 January 2020

Back Issue: AMRM February 2020

The February 2020 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issudirect from SCR Publications (paper copy) or Zinio (digital copy).

You can purchase a paper copy of this back issue online at:
or directly from the AMRM office by phone on (02) 9311 2036, using your Credit Card.

(scroll down from current issue for all back issues).



The February 2020 cover.




The contents page.


This issue's feature layout is the editor's favourite, as it belongs to him! This article describes the history of the Lambing Flat concept from the early versions of the layout begun in the late 1970s through to the end of 2018, when the layout moved house. It is illustrated with photos of the layout as it was at the end of 2018, just before it was dismantled for the move.



If this issue has a theme, it is definitely prototype operation, starting with an article on the modern era QR train 243/752 which ran regularly between Brisbane and Townsville in the 21st century. The article also gives a brief overview of what models are available to allow modelling of this train in HO scale.


Many modellers aspire to a large layout designed for operation, in the style very popular in the United States. Graeme Barnes discusses the issues involved in designed such a layout based on Australian prototype and operating practices. 



Not everyone has the space for the sort of layout described in Graeme's article, but it is still possible to have a lot of enjoyable operation with a well-designed small layout, as Tom Carlos shows with the final chapter in his series on his minimum-space layout, Billabong Marina.



Of course, if one wishes to operate any size layout prototypically, one needs authentic rolling stock. Ian Dunn guides us through the small modifications needed to backdate the Auscision HO scale NSWGR 36' 'fishbelly' MLV louvred van to a more accurate model for those modelling the late steam era.


Now, that authentic layout has been designed, constructed and populated with appropriate locomotives and rolling stock, but to finish it off, scenery is needed... Joe Dal Forno creates a typical vineyard to help the scenicking process along!



That layout has been designed, constructed, scenicked and is running nicely. You may now want to exhibit it! In this issue's In the Loop, regular columnist Trevor Hodges discusses his experiences with the pros and cons of exhibiting. 


You may even want to use that layout to model the Commonwealth Railways before the AN takeover. This issues Gallery takes a look at a variety of models of Commonwealth Railways prototypes from both the steam and diesel eras, courtesy of photos by Gavin Thrum and Paul Grundy.



The Reviews section covers a model of a very important item of NSWGR steam era rolling stock, the ubiquitous four-wheel open S truck, modelled in O scale by ModelOKits, plus the latest volume in the Railway Portraits series from the very talented Wheatley brothers.


The Recent Releases/News section, despite covering a traditionally quiet time of the commercial year, still manages to fill five pages with some intriguing models. 


We also have available an online version of AMRM to compliment our traditional paper version. You can purchase the paper version from newsagents, hobby shops and specialist bookshops (or direct from AMRM if none of the above are convenient), while the online version can be purchased either through us or direct from Zinio International.

Contact AMRM, either by sending us the form below, or via our website, to take out a subscription to the online version (or adjust your current subscription to include the online version) in time for the release of the online version.



Purchase this issue of AMRM in either paper or digital form.

Ring the office on (02) 9311 2036 and have your credit card handy.


Or click here to


online to the paper or digital (or both) versions of AMRM at our website.



You can also purchase a digital issue of AMRM (including back issues) from the Zinio site. 



James McInerney
Editor






Monday, 4 November 2019

Back Issue: AMRM December 2019

The December 2019 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue direct from SCR Publications (paper copy) or Zinio (digital copy).

You can purchase a paper copy of this issue online at:
or directly from the AMRM office by phone on (02) 9311 2036, using your Credit Card.


The digital version of the December 2019 AMRM was released by Zinio on Wednesday 13 November .

(scroll down from current issue for all back issues).



The December 2019 cover.




The contents page.


This issue's feature layout models a prototype that (as far as I can remember) has never been featured in AMRM previously, the North Australian Railway, and it is set in the dark days of 1942. Peter Lucas has adopted some very interesting techniques to model this extremely obscure prototype. 



Not many modellers have the knowledge or interest to create authentic signal box diagrams for their layout, but the late Wilfrid Brook, did. He shared some of his knowledge and techniques in this fascinating article.



Tom Carlos is back with the latest installment of Billabong Marina, describing how he constructed more of the many buildings populating this fascinating little 'gem' of a layout.



Peter Michalak presents a DCC Workshop on fitting a 'stay alive' module to his SAR F class steam locomotive. Don't be misled by the prototype, this article is applicable to anyone who has fitted a DCC chip and wants their locomotive's to proceed smoothly and without annoying stalls.


It's not often we get the opportunity to highlight 'good works' in AMRM, so we are delighted to be able to publish an article by Brad Peadon describing David Xuereb's commendable efforts to raise funds for the charity Kids with Cancer Foundation Australia through the medium of model railways.



This issue's In the Loop takes a wide-ranging look at what might happen to a layout once the builder has passed on and explores some of the issues surrounding layouts whose owner is no longer with us. 

In this issue's Beyond the Fence, Phil Jeffery describes some idiosyncratic and very modeleable equipment once used to unload wagons on the Victorian Railways.

For the modern era modeller, Chris Jones describes a very basic structure used to unload grain in Melbourne, while general maintenance of models is covered by Jonathan Majer's Cleaning Unpowered Electrical Pickup Wheels and Steve Donohue's artistically illustrated Coasting to Clean Track.


This issues Gallery takes a look at stock handling on the VR, courtesy of photographs by John McCallum of models displayed at various Victorian Prototype Modellers' Forums.


This issue's On the Workbench continues the stock handling theme, but in NSW, with an article describing the NSWGR's '1890', '1891' and '1896' bogie cattle wagons and Ian Dunn's adventures constructing the newly-released Stephen Johnson Models HO scale kit of the '1890' version.



 On the Workbench leads into the Reviews section, which cover's our publisher, SCR Publications, latest release, Hudson Brothers A History of Hudson Brothers Carpenters, Engineers & Manufacturers 1866-1898, by David Jehan, as well as the latest release from Train Hobby Publications, Ted Payne The Steam Era • Victoria, featuring many more of Ted Payne's excellent photos.


As one would expect in the issue after the AMRA (NSW) October long weekend exhibition, the Recent Releases/News section contains a lot of new models, as well as some intriguing news of what is coming up in 2020! 


We also have available an online version of AMRM to compliment our traditional paper version. You can purchase the paper version from newsagents, hobby shops and specialist bookshops (or direct from AMRM if none of the above are convenient), while the online version can be purchased either through us or direct from Zinio International.

Contact AMRM, either by sending us the form below, or via our website, to take out a subscription to the online version (or adjust your current subscription to include the online version) in time for the release of the online version.



Purchase this issue of AMRM as a back issue in either paper or digital form.

Ring the office on (02) 9311 2036 and have your credit card handy

or

Order a back issue from our website




Or click here to


online to the paper or digital (or both) versions of AMRM at our website.



You can also purchase a digital issue of AMRM (including back issues) from the Zinio site. 

Scroll down for back issues



James McInerney
Editor






Monday, 6 May 2019

Back Issue: June 2019 issue.


The June 2019 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue direct from SCR Publications (paper copy) or Zinio (digital copy).

You can obtain a paper copy of the current issue online at:

or directly from the AMRM office by phone on (02) 9311 2036, using your Credit Card.

(scroll down from current issue).


The June 2019 cover.




The contents page.


This issue's feature layout magnificently captures the ambience of the 1970s/early 1980s PTC/SRA NSW scene, despite the builder never having lived in NSW!


Once more, we are shining the spotlight on a prototype that gets very little attention, the privately owned Midland Railway of Western Australia, with an article on the railway's prime motive power during the steam era, the A class 2-8-2.
Phil Knife presents another in his series on Western Australian locomotives, describing the prototype and how he scratchbuilt an example in Sn3½. The article also includes a full page scale drawing of the prototype produced by Mitchell Campton.


If you have wanted to depict water on your layout, but aren't quite sure which method will work best for you, the latest chapter in Tom Carlos's Building Billabong Marina might help you out considerably!

Sydney area modellers will find first-time author, Joe Dal Forno's, description of how he constructed some Gymea Lilies, a very distinctive Sydney basin plant, very helpful.  

But wait, there's more!
If you transport your models on a regular basis, Martin Vella, another first-time author, has some very interesting thoughts on the subject and Leon Oberg describes another item of obsolete NSW rolling stock that has been recycled into another potential scenic feature. Regular columnist, Trevor Hodges, also returns with another interesting In the Loop ruminating on a variety of modelling issues and tying them all together very neatly!

This issue's Gallery features some magnificent South Australian models photographed by Gavin Thrum at the Modelling the Railways of South Australia convention in 2018.


The Reviews section highlights our sister organisation, SCR Publications, new book Goods Wagons of the NSW Railways 1855-1905, a 'must-have' for modellers and those with an historical interest in the full-size railways. Also reviewed are two new HO scale kits of NSW 'early days' rolling stock from Peter Boorman's Workshop, a new injection moulded HO scale QR wagon kit, an HJS bogie open, from Wuiske Models, the HO scale ready-to-place sand tower from Southern Models and the late David Burke's very entertaining book, 30 Days On Australia's Railways.

The Recent Releases/News section, still reflecting the slowdown in the commercial sector,  none-the-less features some very interesting information on new models, both released and due soon.
Sadly, some very prominent people in the hobby have passed away recently, so this issue has Vales for Peter Ford, Bob Dunn and Neville Murray.


We also have available an online version of AMRM to compliment our traditional paper version. You can purchase the paper version from newsagents, hobby shops and specialist bookshops (or direct from AMRM if none of the above are convenient), while the online version can be purchased either through us or direct from Zinio International.

Contact AMRM, either by sending us the form below, or via our website, to take out a subscription to the online version (or adjust your current subscription to include the online version) in time for the release of the online version.




Purchase this issue of AMRM as a back issue in either paper or digital form

Ring the office on (02) 9311 2036 and have your credit card handy

or

Order a back issue from our website




Or click here to


online to the paper or digital (or both) versions of AMRM at our website.



You can also purchase a digital issue of AMRM (including back issues) from the Zinio site. 

Scroll down for back issues



James McInerney
Editor






Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Back Issue: December 2018 AMRM


The December 2018 issue of AMRM is now available as a back issue direct from SCR Publications (paper copy) or Zinio (digital copy).

You can obtain a paper copy of the current issue online at:

or directly from the AMRM office by phone on (02) 9311 2036, using your Credit Card.

(scroll down from current issue).



The December 2018 cover.




The contents page.


This issue's feature layout is a permanent HO scale home layout that very nicely recreates the look of Sydney's outer suburban region.



Tom Carlos continues his Billabong Marina series with a description of the main industry on the layout.



Ron Geeves returns with another article on the Canberra Model Railway Club's school mentoring efforts, describing a computer-controlled exhibition layout built by the students involved in the program.



In possibly the easiest conversion ever described in AMRM, Peter Ennis shows how to adapt an Orient Express Reproductions SAR M van model to represent the vans hired by the VR between the wars for evaluation purposes.



Craig Mackie describes an easy to complete model of a very common everyday object.


This issue featured another 'On the Workbench' for the 'hardcore' modeller from Cliff Barrett. While ostensibly a description of the construction of a Mechanical Branch Models NSWGR water tank, the author's description of the construction process contains a huge amount of useful information that will be of value to anyone constructing complicated kits or scratchbuilding a model of their own.



Trevor Hodges returns with 'In the Loop', having penned an interesting essay on the advances in the hobby that we have enjoyed over the last 30 years or so. Gallery describes, using models constructed by Ian Denny, the interesting story of an aspect of interstate transport of priority traffic prior to the ISO container revolution that has been all but forgotten.


The Reviews section features the r-t-r Orient Express Reproductions model of the SAR F class steam locomotive and the latest batch of r-t-r HO scale passenger carriages from Casula Hobbies.


As one might expect in the issue prepared after the AMRA (NSW) Liverpool exhibition, the thirteen page Recent Releases/News section is chock full of very tasty new models, both available and 'on the way'.


We also have available an online version of AMRM to compliment our traditional paper version. You can purchase the paper version from newsagents, hobby shops and specialist bookshops (or direct from AMRM if none of the above are convenient), while the online version can be purchased either through us or direct from Zinio International.

Contact AMRM, either by sending us the form below, or via our website, to take out a subscription to the online version (or adjust your current subscription to include the online version) in time for the release of the online version.




Purchase this issue of AMRM as a back issue in either paper or digital form

Ring the office on (02) 9311 2036 and have your credit card handy

or

Order a back issue from our website


You can also purchase a digital back issue direct from the Zinio site:




James McInerney
Editor