NEWSLETTER MAY 2020 SPECIAL LOCK-DOWN ISSUE In this issue: p1 - PEMRC Calendar p3 - O Winston Link p7 - Large Public Layouts p11 - Draisine continued p12 - SID p13 - Famous Locomotive p15 - Track Plans p19 - Locomotive Manual p24 - Committee; Tailpiece p25 - Gallery
Ceres Rail Special in the Robertson vineyards, winter 2019. More on page 13 0
PEMRC NEWSLETTER
SPECIAL LOCK-DOWN ISSUE # 5/2020
PEMRC CALENDAR: COVID-19 Lockdown has curtailed our activities for most of March and April, but this is what is planned provided there is no extension: Sat 25
April 2020
Tue 28
April 2020
Workshop
Sun 3
May 2020
Public running day
Tue 12
May 2020
Workshop
Sat 23
May 2020
Layout visit at: Charl du Plessis
Tue 26
May 2020
Workshop
Sun 7
June 2020
Public running day
Tue 9
June 2020
Workshop
Sat 20
June 2020
Layout visit at: Roy Grobler
Tue 23
June 2020
Workshop
Wed 2
Dec 2020
Demonstration
Mike Parson’s 10:00 Postponed to Covid-19 18 Mowbray Stdue Newton Park
lock-down
4th Saturday morning
6 Corrice Road Charlo juanpierrekruger@gmail.com
19:30
J-P Kruger 082 321 2233
Port Elizabeth Model To be confirmed Locomotive Society Londt Park, Sunridge Park
10:00 to 13:00
1st Sunday monthly
6 Corrice Road Charlo juanpierrekruger@gmail.com
19:30
J-P Kruger 082 321 2233
26 Richardson St Summerstrand charl40winks@gmail.com
14:30
Charl 082 450 7052
6 Corrice Road Charlo juanpierrekruger@gmail.com
19:30
J-P Kruger 082 321 2233
Port Elizabeth Model Locomotive Society Londt Park, Sunridge Park
10:00 to 13:00
1st Sunday monthly
6 Corrice Road Charlo juanpierrekruger@gmail.com
19:30
J-P Kruger 082 321 2233
9 Temlett Street Grahamstown
14:30
Roy 072 249 0737
6 Corrice Road Charlo juanpierrekruger@gmail.com
19:30
J-P Kruger 082 321 2233
International Day of the Model Railway PEMRC event on Saturday 5 Dec. 2020 tbc
Please support these events 1
COVID-19 Lockdown may have prevented you from buying model train supplies since the bureaucracy regard them as non-essential, but should not have kept you from running trains, planning your diorama or planting’ some trees
http://m.wsj.net/video/20160210/012916trainsets Not even during load shedding:
Can anyone help me with this publication by Sydney Moir “24 inches apart”? It details the development of the narrow gauge system in SA and specifically the Port Elizabeth- Avontuur line including the Walmer line. It is out of print and my friend can’t locate the copy I know he has. Thanks, Roel 2
O Winston Link Still Provides Inspiration for Model Railroaders (16 December 1914- 30 January 2001) Link was best known as O. Winston Link, who became renowned for photographing a moribund technology, lugging his flashbulbs and Rolleiflex 4×5 camera around the hills of Appalachia in search of steam locomotives, photographing the last days of steam locomotive railroading on the Norfolk & Western in the United States in the late 1950s as well as pioneering night photography. Link’s images were always meticulously set up and posed, and he chose to take most of his railroad photographs at night, saying “I can’t move the sun - and it’s always in the wrong place - and I can’t even move the tracks, so I had to create my own environment through lighting.” Although others, including Philip Hastings and Jim Shaughnessy, had photographed locomotives at night before, Link’s vision required him to develop new techniques for flash photography of such large subjects. For instance, the image Hotshot Eastbound, 1956, a photograph of a steam train passing a drive-in movie theatre, used 43 flashbulbs simultaneously.
Hawksbill Creek Swimming Hole showing a train crossing a bridge above children bathing.
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Gary Hoover recreated several of O. Winston Link's famous photos of the prototype N&W in HO scale. Model Railroader.
Black & White Layout Photos Posted by GP9_Man11786 on Tuesday, November 29, 2011
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/199604.aspx This shot was my attempt to emulate O. Winston Link. I shot this one at f/22. 4
Exiting Montgomery Tunnel
Maud bows to the Virginia Creeper, Green Cove, Virginia. 5
Link and George Thom with Link’s Flash equipment. 1956. 6
LARGE PUBLIC LAYOUTS – NORTHLANDZ, New Jersey, USA It all began around 35 years ago when Mr. Bruce William first home was being built in 1972. Bruce started erecting scenes in his basement with mud, sand and other types of materials that were left there by builders https://www.northlandz.com/ overnight. Workers returning the next morning would remove these miniature structures to continue their work. They became great admirers of his talent and encouraged Bruce to continue. This resulted in a fourth addition to the basement of his Flemington home. Impressed by the work, his friends persuaded him to host an annual train show for a local charity. This was a great success that soon leads to open exhibits for the general public at the weekends. The coverage by national as well as international T.V channels contributed to its growing popularity. Thus was born the idea for a year-round attraction. Northlandz has become one of the favourite destinations for people of all ages, local and foreign tourists. Today Northlandz is a 16-acre world-class attraction along with the art, music and doll displays. There is also an 1890’s replica narrow gauge steam train.
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The train runs on real track and is pulled by a steam engine that passes through different landscapes and a short tunnel. You can enjoy the scenery roll by as the train chugs along for about 10 minutes. Kids of all ages have long been fascinated with trains and railroads. It is usually among the first toys that parents bring for them. They are not only curious about watching trains but also want to know how it feels like to ride on them including how it works etc. That`s why when they see the real train and had an opportunity to experience what it feels like to travel on it, it becomes a memorable adventure for them. Nothing attracts kids more than riding the trains pulled by old fashioned locomotives.
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New owner Tariq Sohail purchased Northlandz last November from builder and founder Bruce Williams Zaccagnino, who has since retired from building and curating the 100train, 1200-miniature structure museum. After 10 months and a quarter of a million dollars of renovations, the doors to Northlandz, the world’s largest model train museum located in Flemington, reopened on September 26, 2019. Some of the unveiled renovations include restoration of about 75 non-working trains; restoration of damaged scenes; and new landscaping, flooring, interior and exterior paint, LED lighting and exterior sign. There is also a new gift shop, private event space and play area for kids.
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DRAISINE CONTINUED Schienen trabis, Muldentalbahn: Crossing the Zwickauer Mulde River between Rochlitz and Wechselburg in Germany (between Leipzig and Dresden).
Making a music video with the Elster viaduct in the background.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elster_Viaduct More info, images and videos here: http://www.schienentrabi.de And here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFy7JMub8wU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8-4zFjgTVI 11
Surveying and Inspection Device - SID The condition of a railway is extremely important for trains carrying goods and passengers. Sometimes there is an object in its path, and it can cause trouble. The surveying and inspection device, known as SID, was designed by the CSIR to prevent these types of incidents. Peter Bosscha, CSIR research group leader in mechatronics and micro manufacturing, explained to Martin Headger how the vehicle works. Nuwe voertuig hou spoorlyne veilig Aug 21, 2017 Locomotives are at risk to collisions and derailment due to obstacles on the track. Trains do not have the ability to steer around obstacles, they are confined to the track and depend on stopping to avoid hazards. These accidents often result in loss of life and revenue. Due to the great momentum of the locomotives stopping distance required exceeds the operator's sight distance. The Mechatronics and Micro-Manufacturing (MMM) division of CSIR have researched, designed and developed a rail Survey Inspection Device (SID) test prototype platform to serve as an early warning system for locomotives and was to travel 2km ahead of a locomotive in order to inspect the railway for possible obstacles such as human beings, livestock and collisions between the locomotives and was semi-autonomously controlled to maintain the appropriate headway in front of the train. Testing was performed by placing simulated obstacles on a test track facility in Pyramid South and data received from a simulated environment is processed on board and transmitted from SID to the train operator. System engineering principles were implemented to integrate and streamline the platform subsystems such as driving system, sensor control system and body design. The results indicate that the introduction of SID to the railway industry has the potential to significantly reduce accidents, loss of lives and revenue. Published in: 2017 Pattern Recognition Association of South Africa and Robotics and Mechatronics (PRASA-RobMech) And Autonomous inspection vehicle leads the way to enhanced safety May 18, 2018 Written by irj
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FAMOUS LOCOMOTIVES, TRAINS or RAILWAYS SAR Class 26 No 3450 – The Red Devil “The Red Devil” is the iconic nick-name that was given to SAR Class 25NC No 3450 after David Wardale rebuilt it to become the sole member of Class 26 in 1981. Wanting the locomotive to create an impression with the general public and in strict contravention of SAR policies, Wardale painted his locomotive “buffer beam red”. The official name given to the locomotive as originally carried on cast nameplates mounted on the locomotive’s smoke deflectors, was “L.D. PORTA”.
Wardale rebuilt it to become the sole member of Class 26 in 1981. The purpose of the modifications was to demonstrate to the South African Railway authorities that their then newly established dieselization policy was mistaken and that modernized steam locomotives incorporating technical improvements developed by Argentinean engineer Livio Dante Porta, would offer demonstrable cost savings in a country that was replete with vast coal resources yet 100% dependent on imports for its oil. More detail here. The Red Devil last ran on a steam excursion on 23 September 2003 and has since been mothballed, being cared for by private enthusiasts on behalf of the Transnet Heritage Foundation (THF) at Monument Station in Cape Town. As of November 2015, the locomotive has become the subject of contractual negotiations between the THF and the newly formed Ceres Rail Company, who want to put the locomotive back into service to haul weekend excursions between Cape Town and Robertson, Western Cape as part of its now reopened Ceres branch line project. On 13 July 2018, she undertook her first voyage in fifteen years. However the agreement with the THF allows the locomotive to only operate during the South African winter months. See it in action: RED DEVIL - Restoration - Final Steam Test and Transfer South Africa Steam 2019 Part 2: The Red Devil South Africa Steam Part 1 13
TECHNICAL DETAIL SAR CLASS 26 “Red Devil” Manufacturer: Works number: Build year: SAR Conversion CT: Wheel arrangement: Gauge:
Henschel, Kassel Service weight: 28769 Adhesive weight: 1953 Class 25, #3450 Axle load: 1981 Class 26, #3450 Rust surface: 2‘D2‘ h2 = 4-8-4 Evaporative Cape Gauge 3’6” heating surface: (1067mm) Boiler pressure:
Driving wheel diameter: Trailing wheel diameter: 60“ (1524mm) Length over buffer: Total wheel base: 30” (762mm) Smallest radius: 32.75m 2.4m 84m
119,3 t 75,4 t 19 t 6,5 m²
315 m² 15,8kg/cm² (225PSI) 24” (610mm) Cylinder diameter: 28” (711mm) Cylinder stroke: Walschaerts Control: 47,7 m³ Water capacity: 20,3 t Coal capacity: 230km (Water), Reach: 700km (Coal)
Cassie Carstens is the proud driver of this machine since 1999 and now almost part of the Ceres Rail team. Images by Bernd Seiler of FarRailTours and courtesy of Eisenbahn Romantik 01/2020. The iconic and most modern 4-8-4 steam locomotive "Red Devil" class 26 # 3450 (part of the Transnet National Collection, now maintained and operated by the Ceres Rail Company) is tackling the heavy grade at Overhex on the line from Worcester to Robertson, with a 13 cars photo charter. The locomotive is operational again since summer 2018 after 14 years decommission. 14
TRACK PLANS “ It always seems impossible until it is done. ” ― Nelson Mandela TIP: DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE Spend some time deciding what you want to achieve in terms of scale, period and size of the overall project before you buy too much or start work on a layout. The sub-tip is, don’t ‘over-reach’ at this stage. A small, fully worked out layout plan that can be finished in a reasonable time is better than a grandiose, epic, room-filling idea that will never have a chance of getting done. The key point is often to work out as part of the scheme how much time realistically you have available, as this is probably more important than the layout plan itself. It doesn’t matter how many or how large a plan you dream up in your head during your working or commuting hours: if you have only twenty minutes of spare time a day outside work and family commitments, then a big layout simply won’t get done. It is a far better policy to start small, pace yourself, and build something that can be regarded as finished within a reasonable amount of time. A project that is likely to take longer than a year to get basically finished will quickly lose impetus, and will become a millstone and not a pleasure. From “Modelling the Southern Region 1948 to the Present” by CHRIS FORD Other useful links: N scale coffee table
Fleischmann N Gauge Folding Layout HO Scale Track Plans
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/15/5a/4c/155a4cfb65f9157ca24caf383c72bde1.jpg 15
http://palmeter.com/rrmodels001/
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To rotate 90° Left in Acrobat Reader, press Shift+Ctrl+Minus
Model Railroader 2020-05
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MODEL LOCOMOTIVE MANUAL Hornby published this special issue of their magazine in 2018: A guide to maintaining and enhancing ready-to-run model locomotives. This edition focuses on mainline express locomotives of the 4-6-0, 4-4-2 and 4-6-2 variety representing the multitude of British railway companies.
In total there are 20 step-by-step guides covering 26 loco classes and in each case it is illustrated how to dismantle and fit the respective motor control and sound decoders. Many models have also been progressively redesigned over time and the latest version has been used here. A comprehensive 7-page locomotive directory is included which details each version produced over the last 10 years e.g.:
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There is also a 2-page listing of the applicable 8 or 21 pin decoders:
Here is an example of the guide for one locomotive:
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Members can request a digital PDF from the editor via e-mail (43MB) to roelvanoza@gmail.com 23
COMMITTEE 2020: Chairman:
Roel van Oudheusden
roelvanoza@gmail.com
Treasurer:
Attie Terblanche
terblalc@telkomsa.net
Clubhouse: Mike Smout
ma.smout@mweb.co.za
Layouts:
JP Kruger
juanpierrekruger@gmail.com
Librarian:
Carel van Loggerenberg
annie3@telkomsa.net
Editor:
Roel van Oudheusden
pemrailroadclub@gmail.com
Workshops: Graham Chapman
‘Shop’:
chapman22@telkomsa.net
Mike van Zyl
carpencab@gmail.com
Mike Smith
mwsmi5@iafrica.com WhatsApp: 078 069 7699
Subscriptions for 2020 are 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. 623 861 2205 7
TAILPIECE
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GALLERY
A T3 steam tender locomotive of the Königliche Würtembergischen Staatsbahn on the Schwäbische-Alp Bahn near Münsingen. (Photo Eisenbahn Romantik 01/2020)
Steam locomotive HG 4-4 # 704 of the Dampfbahn Furka Bergstrecke (DFB) is crossing the 54 metre long Steinstafel viaduct over the Furka Reuss on the ascent to the Furka pass The following are all from Model Railroader: 25
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Welsh Highland railway - Then (1991) and now (2019) The Welsh Highland Railway was all but destroyed after closure in 1937as this view of the famed Aberglaslyn Pass tunnels 2 & 3 in May 1991 testifies. 3 Nov.2019, 20 years later Hunslet 2-6-2T “Russell� emerge from the tunnel with a rake of authentic North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway coaches more than 80 years after the line was closed.
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