PEMRC Newsletter October 2021

Newsletter of the

PORT ELIZABETH MODEL RAILROAD CLUB Every gauge welcome!

October 2021

Apple Express NG15 #119 at Billson returning to PE 5.6.2010 with empty charter; image by Peter Rogers

In this issue PEMRC Calendar

Committee

Mailbox

Modular Modelling

Show & Tell

Trains that changed the world

Sandstone News

What’s in a name

De Grote Kleine Treinen Competitie

Market Place

Rack Railway

Luke’s ULTRA Realistic Dam

The General Magnorail Apple Express Gallery

PEMRC CALENDAR

9-20

16-17

Oct 2021

Oct

ROSEHILL GARDENS RACECOURSE,

Due

2021

GRAND PAVILION SYDNEY,

restrictions

Australia

orders Exhibition postponed to 2022

to

COVID from

lockdown public

and

health

http://www.eppingmodelrailway.org.au/exhibition/

tba

29-30

6

13

14-21

Oct 2021

Oct 2021

Nov 2021

PEMRC Public Exhibit at Bay West Shopping Centre in conjunction with Apple Express Volunteers

Postponed by AE – new date to be advised

Eurospoor 2021 Event & Exhibition Centre Jaarbeurs Utrecht, Netherlands PEMRC Social at Londt Park with the PEMLS with some live steam and train rides Saturday morning from 9 am with bring & braai at noon

Nov

14:30 - 17:00 PEMRC Layout visit:

2021

Roel van Oudheusden, 10 Wodehouse Street, Mount Pleasant

Aug 2022

NMRA National Convention 2022 Birmingham, UK https://www.nmra2022uk.org/

Contact Chris Lourens: chris.modelscenic@gmail.com

COMMITTEE 2021: Chairman:

Roel van Oudheusden

roelvanoza@gmail.com

Treasurer:

Attie Terblanche

terblalc@telkomsa.net

Clubhouse: JP Kruger

juanpierrekruger@gmail.com

Editor:

Roel van Oudheusden

pemrailroadclub@gmail.com

‘Shop’:

Graham Chapman

chapman22@telkomsa.net

Workshops: Mike van Zyl

carpencab@gmail.com

Subscriptions for 2021 remain at 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. 62386122057

Tell us about your  railway interest,  railway experience,  railway layout or scale model etc.  or any ideas, suggestions for the Club…

Write to:

pemrailroadclub@gmail.com

Or via SMS or WhatsApp to +27 82 739 767

MARKET PLACE

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

Mini World Models Shop online and use this special coupon to claim your unique

PEMRC

member

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

Collaborate with Aubrey de Chalain on building dioramas and exhibits in their newly extended premises.

.

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

Shop online and fill your cart, even if less than R2000, then contact PEMRC Graham Chapman, to combine your order with fellow club members and all will save.

Here's mainline action from the area south of Duncannon in the spring of 1958 as an afternoon eastbound of the Blue Ribbon fleet rolls by at speed. The late Jim Kelly and John commandeered his father's '50 Olds '88 and went to Altoona to check out the property post-dieselization. This photo was taken on the trip back, which included stopping at Enola. Photographs by John Dziobko Another of the Blue Ribbon Fleet is ready to roll at Harrisburg but note that the engineer is looking at me, John Dziobko a teenaged picture-taker, standing out on the platform. PRR class EP22, 3 January 1954

Modular Modelling in 1:32 (scale 1) and 1:87 (HO) A Dutch TV documentary of about 20’ showcasing two modellers. The first is building an exact replica of a real erstwhile station building. The second modeller is showing all the extra animation he has created. Both are preparing their exhibit for Ontrax Utrecht 2017.

Click on any of the two images below to view the video on YouTube.

More reports on the annual Ontrax Model Exhibition in Utrecht can be found on YouTube such as this one:

CAB DETAIL ON HO VEHICLES Having 120 unpainted sitting HO passengers lends the opportunity to detail passenger coaches, vehicles and buildings.

I have started building drivers and passengers into semi-truck cabs, cars and pick-ups.

Some of the HO trucks have lots of space, so I added LEDs or small bulbs to the engine compartments.

This is very fine work, but the result is very pleasing to see at night, with the town lights on. I used plastic card for the cab interiors and made just enough detail to detect something through the vehicle windows, not much more needed, as the driver figure is the focal point. For lighting, I would construct a "light box" in the engine compartment, lining the internal surfaces with aluminium foil for extra reflection. A single LED or small 12v bulb will then be inserted into the "light box" and connected up with the layout lighting circuit. Two small holes will be drilled through the vehicle's headlight grill to have the reflected light shine through. Antonie W.

IAN HISLOP: TRAINS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD New Series on Channel 5 – relax, you can find all the episodes here on the PEMRC Google Drive.

The various episodes are: Ep1 Speed How four iconic British-built trains revolutionised rail travel and inspired incredible railway projects the world over. The Flying Scotsman was the first train to break the 100mph barrier. Travelling aboard this iconic steam locomotive, cameras reveal the engineering brilliance behind its design, and there's also a look into the new era of high-speed rail, including the opening of the Eurostar.

Ep2 Cities The London Underground - first operating in 1863 - changed the way people get around cities forever, driving travellers deep underground to clear congested streets. Ingenious technology, from electrified tracks to tunnels under the River Thames, has gone on to influence railways worldwide. This edition reveals how the filthy and crowded streets of London were transformed by the rapid expansion of the Underground.

Ep3 Industry The Industrial Revolution was the single most important event in the development of the modern railway and one train from that era came to symbolise the new age of steam, Stephenson's Rocket. Cameras reveal the revolutionary design of the Rocket, and how it transformed Britain's economy, from localised rural industries to the global networks we recognise today.

Ep4 Leisure The advent of the Holiday Express Ian concludes the series by looking at how the train transformed Britain into a nation of leisure seekers. Family holidays beside the sea, climbing remote mountains, the Football League all became possible due to the railways.

An original animated system for model train With Magnorail™ you can add some movement to your model sceneries and give them some life. Thanks to a system made with invisible chains and magnets, it is now possible to move any object, wheeled or not, from HO (1/87) to Z (1/220) scales. Created in 2012 by three Dutch modellers, this revolutionary system is filled to the brim with creativity and has seen many improvements over the years.

The Magnorail cyclist, it’s just like magic!

Magnorail is not simply a magnetic chain moving around, but also the magic of seeing an HO cyclist pedalling around and moving his legs! “Its BRM tests the Magnorail system

magic” said visitors and modellers bewitched by the Magnorail stand at Intermodellbau in Dortmund, the biggest exposition dedicated to models

in Europe. The HO cyclist was a real hit and met a true success. Magnorail today offers a full array of cyclists ready to roll and constantly evolving. There are magnetic cursors specially made to move vehicles at the

HO, TT, N and Z scales. It lets any classic car to ride across the landscape of your own creation. You can also move vehicles with static wheels, like motorcycles, scooters or even small boats! Today, hundreds of modellers in the whole world have already successfully adopted the Magnorail system for their own network, diorama or miniature landscape. With Magnorail, all you need is some imagination and a little experience in models to create a magical atmosphere in your scenery.

You can buy Magnorail products online: Internationally and in France

In Australia

Luke Towan is a Master Model Diorama and Model Maker who approached MagnorailOz after seeing a Magnorail video for the first time. He applied his skills to create realistic layout/diorama incorporating a small Magnorail System. His movie skills in capturing the scene in natural outdoor settings creates such a magical, believable scene. The complete making of Luke's Magnorail Layout can be found in this video.

John Wardley John's creative background in theatre and industry comes to the fore with his skills applied

to

his

Magnorail

installations.

Currently The Accident and The Magic Garage are the epitome of the craft of a Master Magnorail Magician and have set the bar

very

high

for

aspiring

Magnorail

Magicians.

View the making of “The Accident” and/or the “Magic Garage” by clicking on the relevant image.

The GMAM arrives at Sandstone.

We (Sandstone) received this excellent video of GMAM 4114 arriving at Sandstone which shows the sheer size of the multi axle trailer. Enjoy the video.

We have now also moved 24 Class 3688 and 19D 2654 from the Bloemfontein Depot. As we mentioned in our first posting on the GMAM, these two units together with 11 class 929, Crane 187 and two XC tankers, were staged next to the old 15M workshop which Sandstone leased for many years and where Lukas Nel and his team restored so many locomotives. This workshop was always rail connected and had good road access but things have changed! Since Sandstone closed the workshop in 2019, the rail connection has been mysteriously lifted (stolen?) and the access road overgrown. It was the plan to shunt all these locos and rolling stock to the loading area which had been levelled for the GMAM multi axle trailer next to the main gate of the Depot where they could be loaded onto a lowbed.

Gert Jubileus and his team had to act quickly and decided to reinstate the road to the old workshop so that loading could be done directly there. After two days of frantic road works past the old coal stage and to the back of the 15M workshop a road was put through and the 24 and 19D were loaded for transport to Sandstone. Our photo gallery shows the road works in progress and the 24 (in red ochre paint) and 19D being loaded. Interestingly the diggings next to the old (long demolished) coal stage produced a few tons of coal from the earth which was much appreciated by the locals!

WHAT IS IN A NAME OR DESIGN?

The Railway Magazine is a monthly British railway magazine, aimed at the railway enthusiast market, that has been published in London since July 1897. As of 2010 it was, for three years running, the railway magazine with the largest circulation in the United Kingdom, having a monthly average sale during 2009 of 34,715 Early on they decided on a standard mast title with changing cover picture. It is published monthly except for May/Jun 1942 to Nov/Dec 1949 when The Railway Magazine was published bi-monthly. Between November 1963 and December 1996, the definite article was omitted from the title, which was Railway Magazine during that period. Since November 1983, the word "Magazine" has been in smaller type.

Club Newsletter selection from around the world:

San Luis Obispo Model Railroad Association, California

West Midlands, UK

Nordel - Northern Delaware USA

The Model Railway Club, London

Cincinnati Division 7 of the Mid Central Region of Cincinnati Railroad Club

Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society Lewistown Pennsylvania

the National Model Railroad Association

Cupar, Scotland

Twickenham and District Model Railway Club

Rusper Model Railway Club, Bromley, London

Boulder, Colorado

South Dublin Railway Club, Ireland

South Shore Model Railway Club, Massachusetts

Palmerston, New Zealand

RACK RAILWAY from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail. This allows the trains to operate on steep grades above 10%, which is the maximum for friction-based rail. Most rack railways are mountain railways, although a few are transit railways or tramways built to overcome a steep gradient in an urban environment.

The first cog railway was the Middleton Railway between Middleton and Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, where the first commercially successful steam locomotive, Salamanca, ran in 1812. This used a rack and pinion system designed and patented in 1811 by John Blenkinsop.

The first mountain cog railway was the Mount Washington Cog Railway in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, which carried its first fare-paying passengers in 1868. The track was completed to reach the summit of Mount Washington in 1869. The first mountain rack railway in continental Europe was the VitznauRigi-Bahn on Mount Rigi in Switzerland, which opened in 1871. Both lines are still running.

Rack systems Different rack systems: from the left, Riggenbach, Strub, Abt and Locher.

With the exception of some early Morgan and Blenkinsop rack installations, rack systems place the rack rail halfway between the running rails. Today, most rack railways use the Abt system.

Blenkinsop (1812) Blenkinsop rack and pinion with teeth on outer side of one rail only. John Blenkinsop thought that the friction would be too low from metal wheels on metal rails, so he built his steam locomotives for the Middleton Railway in 1812 with a 20-tooth, 3-foot (914 mm) diameter cog wheel (pinion) on the left side that engaged in rack teeth (two teeth per foot) on the outer side of the rail, the metal "fish belly" edge rail with its side rack being cast all in one piece, in three-foot (914mm) lengths.

Blenkinsop's system remained in use for 25 years on the Middleton Railway, but it became a curiosity because simple friction was found to be sufficient for railroads operating on level ground.

Marsh (1861) The Marsh rack and pinion system The first successful rack railway in the United States was the Mount Washington Cog Railway, developed by Sylvester Marsh. Marsh was issued a U.S. patent for the general idea of a rack railway in September 1861 and in January 1867 for a practical rack where the rack teeth take the form of rollers arranged like the rungs of a ladder between two L-shaped wrought-iron rails. The first public trial of the Marsh rack on Mount Washington was made on August 29, 1866, when only one quarter of a mile (402 meters) of track had been completed. The Mount Washington railway opened to the public on August 14, 1868.The pinion wheels on the locomotives have deep teeth that ensure that at least two teeth are engaged with the rack at all times; this measure helps reduce the possibility of the pinions riding up and out of the rack.

Riggenbach (1871) The Riggenbach rack system was invented by Niklaus Riggenbach working at about the same time as, but independently from Marsh.

Riggenbach was granted a French patent in 1863 based on a working model which he used to interest potential Swiss backers. During this time, the Swiss Consul to the United States visited Marsh's Mount Washington Cog Railway and reported back with enthusiasm to the Swiss government. Eager to boost tourism in Switzerland, the government commissioned Riggenbach to build a rack railway up Mount Rigi.

Following the construction of a prototype locomotive and test track in a quarry near Bern, the Vitznau-RigiBahn opened on 22 May 1871.

The Riggenbach system is similar in design to the Marsh system. It uses a ladder rack, formed of steel plates or channels connected by round or square rods at regular intervals. The Riggenbach system suffers from the problem that its fixed ladder rack is more complex and expensive to build than the other systems.

Following the success of the Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn, Riggenbach established the Maschinenfabrik der Internationalen Gesellschaft für Bergbahnen (IGB) – a company that produced rack locomotives to his design.

Abt (1882) The Abt system was devised by Carl Roman Abt, a Swiss locomotive engineer. Abt worked for Riggenbach at his works in Olten and later at his IGB rack locomotive company. In 1885, he founded his own civil engineering company.

Abt rack system used on the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

During the early 1880s, Abt worked to devise an improved rack system that overcame the limitations of the Riggenbach system. In particular, the Riggenbach rack was expensive to manufacture and maintain and the switches were complex. In 1882, Abt designed a new rack using solid bars with vertical teeth machined into them. Two or three of these bars are mounted centrally between the rails, with the teeth offset. The use of multiple bars with offset teeth ensures that the pinions on the locomotive driving wheels are constantly engaged with the rack. The Abt system is cheaper to build than the Riggenbach because it requires a lower weight of rack over a given length. However the Riggenbach system exhibits greater wear resistance than the Abt. Abt also developed a system for smoothing the transition from friction to rack traction, using a spring-mounted rack section to bring the pinion teeth gradually into engagement.

The first use of the Abt system was on the Harzbahn in Germany, which opened in 1885. The Abt system was also used for the construction of the Snowdon Mountain Railway in Wales from 1894 to 1896. The pinion wheels can be mounted on the same axle as the rail wheels, or driven separately. The steam locomotives on the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company had separate cylinders driving the pinion wheel, as do the "X"-class locomotives on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

The steepest gradient on the rack section of Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company was 1 in 15 (6.67%), The steepest gradient on the rack section of the Mount Morgan Railway was 1 in 16.5 (6.06%).

Strub (1896) The Strub rack system was invented by Emil Strub in 1896. It uses a rolled flat-bottom rail with rack teeth machined into the head approximately 100 mm (3.9 inches) apart. Safety jaws fitted to the locomotive engage with the underside of the head to prevent derailments and serve as a brake. Strub's U.S. patent, granted in 1898, also includes details of how the rack rail is integrated with the mechanism of a turnout.

The best-known use of the Strub system is on the Jungfraubahn in Switzerland.

The 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) gauge Beamish Cog Railway at the Beamish Museum is the only rack railway in England. It has a 150 feet (46 m)-long viaduct and climbs at a maximum gradient of 1 in 8 or 12.5% climb Strub is the simplest rack system to maintain and has become increasingly popular.

Rack railway track on the Panoramique des Dômes using the Strub system rack Locher (1889) Locher rack system

Locher Rack system (seen from above) The Locher rack system, invented by Eduard Locher, has gear teeth cut in the sides rather than the top of the rail, engaged by two cog wheels on the locomotive. This system allows use on steeper grades than the other systems, whose teeth could jump out of the rack. It is used on the Pilatus Railway.

Locher set out to design a rack system that could be used on gradients as steep as 1 in 2 (50%). The Abt system, the most common rack system in Switzerland at the time, was limited to a maximum gradient of 1 in 4 (25%). Locher showed that on steeper grade, the Abt system was prone to the driving pinion over-riding the rack, causing potentially catastrophic derailments, as predicted by Dr. Abt. To overcome this problem and allow a rack line up the steep sides of Mt. Pilatus, Locher developed a rack system where the rack is a flat bar with symmetrical, horizontal teeth. Horizontal pinions with flanges below the rack engage the centrally-mounted bar, both driving the locomotive and keeping it centred on the track.

This system provides very stable attachment to the track, also protecting the car from toppling over even under the most severe crosswinds. Such gears are also capable of leading the car, so even flanges on running wheels are optional. The biggest shortcoming of the system is that the standard railway switch is not usable, and a transfer table or other complex device must be used where branching of the track is needed. Following tests, the Locher system was deployed on the Pilatus Railway, which opened in 1889.

No other public railway uses the Locher system, although some European coal mines use a similar system on steeply graded underground lines.

Morgan (1900) The non-powered variant of the Morgan rack, from the 1919 Goodman catalogue

A rack-powered Goodman locomotive on a 16% grade in a coal mine near Everist, Iowa.

In 1900, E. C. Morgan of Chicago received a patent on a rack railway system that was mechanically similar to the Riggenbach rack, but where the rack was also used as a third rail to power the electric locomotive. Morgan went on to develop heavier locomotives and with J. H. Morgan, turnouts for this system. In 1904, he patented a simplified but compatible rack, where the teeth on the engine pinions engaged square holes punched in a bar-shaped centre rail. J. H. Morgan patented several alternative turnout designs for use with this rack system. Curiously, Morgan recommended an off-centre rack in order to allow clear passage for pedestrians and animals walking along the tracks. A simplified rack mounting system could be used when the Morgan rack was not used for third-rail power and the Morgan rack offered interesting possibilities for street railways.

The Morgan rack was good for grades of up to 16 percent.

Lamella The Lamella system (also known as the Von Roll system) was developed by the Von Roll Company after the rolled steel rails used in the Strub system became unavailable. It is formed from a single blade cut in a similar shape to the Abt system, but typically wider than a single Abt bar. The Lamella rack can be used by locomotives designed for use on the Riggenbach or the Strub systems, so long as the safety-jaws that were a feature of the original Strub system are not used. Some railways use racks from multiple systems; for example, the St. Gallen Gais Appenzell Railway in Switzerland has sections of Riggenbach, Strub and Lamella rack Joint between Riggenbach and Lamella Most of the rack railways built from the late 20th century onwards have used the Lamella system.

Rack-and-adhesion systems / Pure rack systems Rack-and-adhesion systems use the cog drive only on the steepest sections and elsewhere operate as a regular railway. Others, the steeper ones, are rack-only. On the latter type, the locomotives' wheels are generally free-wheeling and despite appearances do not contribute to driving the train. In this case the racks continue also in the horizontal parts, if any.

Switches Railroad switch on a rack railway. The turnout uses Lamella rack rails, but the overall design was pioneered by Strub. The track outside the turnout uses Riggenbach rack rails. (Schynige Platte Railway, Switzerland)

Mount Washington Cog Railway

An automatic hydraulic turnout of Mount Washington Cog Railway Rack railway switches are as varied as rack railway technologies, for optional rack lines such as the Zentralbahn in Switzerland and the West Coast Wilderness Railway in Tasmania it is convenient to only use switches on sections flat enough for adhesion (for example, on a pass summit). Other systems which rely on the rack for driving (with the conventional rail wheels undriven) such as the Dolderbahn in Zurich, Štrbské Pleso in Slovakia and the Schynige Platte rack railway instead must switch the rack rail. The Dolderbahn switch works by bending all three rails, an operation that is performed every trip as the two trains pass in the middle.

The geometry of the rack system has a large impact on the construction of turnouts. If the rack is elevated above the running rails, there is no need to interrupt the running rails to allow passage of the driving pinions of the engines. Strub explicitly documented this in his U.S. patent. Strub used a complex set of bell-cranks and push-rods linking the throw-rod for the points to the two throw-rods for the moving rack sections. One break in the rack was required to select between the two routes, and a second break was required where the rack rails cross the running rails. Turnouts for the Morgan Rack system were similar, with the rack elevated above the running rails. Most of the Morgan turnout patents included movable rack sections to avoid breaks in the rack, but because all Morgan locomotives had two linked drive pinions, there was no need for a continuous rack. So long as the breaks in the rack were shorter than the distance between the drive pinions on the locomotive, the rack rail could be interrupted wherever there was need to cross over a running rail.

Turnouts are far more complex when the rack is at or below the level of the running rails. Marsh's first rack patent shows such an arrangement, and the original Mount Washington Cog Railway he built had no turnouts. It was not until 1941 that a turnout was constructed on this line. There were more turnouts built for the line but all were hand operated. In 2003, a new automatic hydraulic turnout was developed and built at the base as a prototype. With the success of the new turnout, more new automatic hydraulic turnouts were built to replace the hand-operated ones. The new turnouts installed on the Mount Washington line in 2007 are essentially transfer tables. The Locher rack also requires transfer tables.

Cog locomotives Originally almost all cog railways were powered by steam locomotives. The steam locomotive needs to be extensively modified to work effectively in this environment. Unlike a Diesel locomotive or electric locomotive, the steam locomotive only works when its power plant (the boiler, in this case) is fairly level. The locomotive boiler requires water to cover the boiler tubes and firebox sheets at all times, particularly the crown sheet, the metal top of the firebox. If this is not covered with water, the heat of the fire will soften it enough to give way under the boiler pressure, leading to a catastrophic failure.

Vertical

boiler

locomotive of the Vitznau–Rigi Railway

"Old Peppersass" of the Mt. Washington Cog Railway, USA

Schneeberg

cog

railway

steam locomotive, with tilted boiler, on level track

Rittnerbahn early electric cog locomotive and carriage On rack systems with extreme gradients, the boiler, cab and general superstructure of the locomotive are tilted forward relative to the wheels so that they are more or less horizontal when on the steeply graded track. These locomotives often cannot function on level track, and so the entire line, including maintenance shops, must be laid on a gradient. This is one of the reasons why rack railways were among the first to be electrified and most of today's rack railways are electrically powered. In some cases, a vertical boiler can be used that is less sensitive for the track gradient.

On a rack-only railroad, locomotives are always downward of their passenger cars for safety reasons: the locomotive is fitted with powerful brakes, often including hooks or clamps that grip the rack rail solidly. Some locomotives are fitted with automatic brakes that apply if the speed gets too high, preventing runaways.

Often there is no coupler between locomotive and train since gravity will always push the passenger car down against the locomotive. Electrically powered vehicles often have electromagnetic track brakes as well.

The maximum speed of trains operating on a cog railway is very low, generally from 9 to 25 kilometres per hour (5 to 15 mph) depending on gradient and propulsion method. Because the Skitube has gentler gradients than typical, its speeds are higher than typical. The Skitube Alpine Railway is an Australian standard gauge electric rack railway in the Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. It provides access to the snowfields at Blue Cow Mountain and the Perisher Valley.

Locomotive 7 of the Vitznau-Rigi-Bahn, one of the last operational locomotives with a vertical boiler

VITZNAU-RIGI KULM COGWHEEL RAILWAY No other mountain railway in the Alps has a longer history than this one. The Vitznau – Rigi Kulm cogwheel railway opened in 1871, making it Europe's first mountain railway. The journey was, and still is, an experience in itself. Picture postcard pretty.

The cogwheel railway from Vitznau starts right on the shores of Lake Lucerne. This means it is easy to

combine an excursion to Mt. Rigi with a boat ride. It is a picturesque trip and you are recommended to keep your camera at the ready. Until you reach Rigi Kaltbad and a direct connection to the aerial cable car to Weggis, the focus is on Lake Lucerne and the Alps. From Rigi Staffelhöhe, the scenery changes as Central Switzerland comes into view, and you can see as far as the Jura …

Click here or the images below to view the video.

Cog Railway "Climbing to the Clouds" preview https://youtu.be/vG9dzISZcrE

A MODEL COG RAILWAY LAYOUT BASED ON A REAL LIVE EXAMPLE: Barchbergbahn by Diger Rossel is based on the Austrian Schafbergbahn. It has been exhibited often at various model railway exhibitions since Ontrax in 2018. It has been described in various magazines.

Latest being Continental Modeller of February 2019.

The

article

will

be

distributed

with

this

newsletter. Click here for the Ontrax video and the Facebook links below will take you to his page and the two videos showing the construction.

https://www.facebook.com/modelbaan/videos/141935349970039 https://www.facebook.com/modelbaan/videos/141961986634042 Schafbergbahn, Austria https://www.salzburg-bahnen.at/en/schafbergbahn.html

COG RAIL SUPPLIERS FOR MODELLERS: First one has to be au fait with the various designation of scale since not everything will be HO or 1:87 on a 16.5mm gauge track. Cog railways are normally narrow gauge track in the prototype. Overseas 1000mm gauge (1m) is deemed narrow gauge because standard is 1435mm.

Two years ago we published this NEM table:

The bold printed scales show the respective ratio diagonally above with the gauge directly below at the bottom, i.e. HO scale 1:87 track gauge 16.5mm

N scale 1:160 track gauge 9mm

HOm = 12mm gauge;

Nm = 6.5mm gauge

HOe = 9mm gauge

This table from the NMRA may be easier to read:

Diger used an unusual scale for his Barchbergbahn of HO3nz where the scale is 1:87 but the gauge is 10.5mm.

Rolling stock and track is from Ferro Train.

They produce a large variety of model railway items in various scales but they must have the largest cog railway variety on the market today.

Tracks complete with rack are available in lengths of 942mm

They also have a Y switch: in kit or readymade:

Fleischmann produces rack rails for HO (6412) in lengths of 200mm and complete flex track with rack rail for N (9119) in 222 mm lengths.

Fleischmann has this N scale electric loco and matching coaches for cog railway but has no steam loco’s in their cog rail range 737110 - Rack Pinion electric locomotive for standard track and rack track.

Another supplier with a good product range to model European narrow gauge and/or rack railways is BEMO Modelleisenbahnen https://www.facebook.com/bemomodellbahn/ Their range consists of HO, HOe, HOm as well as Om and the range includes electric, diesel and steam locos.

DFB HG 2/3 6 "Weißhorn" cogwheel steam locomotive by BEMO

DR 99 566

APPLE EXPRESS The volunteers are steadily busy maintaining the shed and rolling stock in anticipation of the train being able to do the Humerail – Kings Beach – Valley Junction return trip with fare paying passengers in the not too distant future. These trips were done very successfully over the Dec 2017/January 2018 holiday season when up to five trips were done with the Kalahari steam loco daily carrying about 10,000 people. Since then a passing loop has been installed at Valley Junction so that the train will descend locomotive first back to King’s Beach.

The plans by the owners of the Bay West Shopping Centre to extend the line with a siding to their enterprise, is still only that, plans.

Whilst the line to Avontuur is officially closed to traffic, Transnet has as yet to privatise or concession the line. Rumours about Transnet opening up a tender to this effect shortly are circulating but not confirmed.

Crossways

housing

estate

at

Sunnyside has teamed up with an entrepreneur, Gavin McInnes, to build a hotel complex there. Part of his vision is to make this a destination for the Apple Express.

Compagnie Africaine des Wagons-Lits is a private luxury service operator that will provide our guests with memorable journeys across the length of the African continent where the rails take us. https://orientexpressafrica.com/ Crossways Van Staden Eastern Cape Hotel, Spa and Natures Suites in a magnificent peninsula linked to the historic 2 ft. narrow gauge rail line tourist attraction https://www.estate-living.co.za/news/crossways-farm-village-south-africas-first-agrihood/ Gavin’s presentation of his dream starts at 1h16’ to 1h30’ in this video: https://youtu.be/3Dk3PZ2-ZQE

A new televised “The Great Model Railway Challenge” but this time across the channel in Holland: ”De Grote Kleine Treinen Competitie” starts on 13 October 2021 on NPO1

Don’t be perturbed about the lingo; the visuals will explain more than the narrative ever can.

I will endeavour to obtain the series and share them with you once the broadcasts have ended.

Roel

BUILD AN ULTRA REALISTIC DAM – Luke Towan Realistic Scenery Vol.27

GALLERY

Garratts Class GF No. 2401 4-6-2 + 2-6-4 and Class GO No. 2575 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 on Union Limited steam safari crossing the upper Houwhoek bridge by Peter Rogers

South African preserved steam was strong in 2000. Spoornet, had a heritage arm that marketed tours under the ‘Union Limited’ banner, THE No.1 luxury express that ran between Cape Town and Johannesburg in the 1930s. Sadly, this is all gone, killed by lack of interest from top railway management - now once wellmaintained equipment rots and is totally vandalised. During happier times, Class 19D 2749 & 3324 perform a dawn run past on 8 August 2000 over the bridge outside Knysna with a Railway Touring Company charter.

What is not seen in the picture are 10 or so photographers (from the train), up to their waists in freezing water – despite cold toes for the rest of the day, everybody was satisfied that morning! Peter Rogers.

Rounding Granite Point Mini High Line Elbert Creek, Denver and Rio Grande Western K-37 493 rounds the shelf track here above Shalona Lake. Image by William Diehl.

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad DSNG 473 at Whitehead Gulch by Kevin Madore