They're not my socks...honest!

A weekend of rather unglamorous baseboard (9mm Marine Ply on cedar ladder base) and shelving work has established the remaining foundation for the layout around the room, with "Cudgewa - Shelley Railways" on the level below. As the rail near the door is sharp and at eye level my wife has contributed to safety with a fine donation of a pair of her socks.

Gardening

Recent works at Glenburn have embedded the station via ramping and subway, and added a few "poplars" (well, they're sort of close) behind the advertising hoarding.

Just a Facade

Glenburn now painted and installed though looking a bit adrift without the approach ramps, and some more integration work to "sink" it into the baseboard....more modelling time please.....! Have included two pictures of Auburn and Glenferrie station facades below for those not familiar with the style - Glenburn is a smaller version with blended elements from the two stations.

In the Buff!

Too big for my usual photo backdrop! - Glenburn station fascia - an assemblage of brick sheet, cardboard, styrene and wood, with some white metal and formed window detailing - was a bigger job than anticipated, and is shown sans paint....!

Space Now Taken

Space at Glenburn seems popular, some genuine Australian late 1920's-mid 1930's adverts have quickly filled the gap. The signal cable troughing has also been installed. Am making the most of this view now as this will be facing the rear of the layout!

Space for Rent

Replicating one of the billboards that used to be in situ at Auburn station, just need some adds, watch this space...

Hmmm - May have over-reduced the size of this picture!

Archery

Foundations for Glenferrie and Auburn stations include brick arching through the elevated road. In most cases these brick works are hidden from view, buried in the ground, however at the Dn end of Glenferrie's Dn platform the arching stands proud of the embankment supporting the platform as shown here. This section has now been modelled though the ground cover may need lightening, and I will need to find some poplars!

VR Overhead Dimensions - Many Thanks Ian Weickhardt

Seeking data for modelling the overhead, Ian Weickhardt generously provided the dimensions which I've overlaid on the 1953 General Appendix diagram.

Forming the Plat

Current Glenburn task is to form up the platforms in the style of Auburn & Glenferrie - a brick base with an inverted concrete angle and concrete capping stone. Cleaner appearance is in line with the 1930's when graffiti existed, but not in this location.

Original Cast Members

Originals and casts of some key elements of swingdoor rollingstock. I have tried to master & cast those items that allow the widest range of the many varieties of swingdoor. Fair to say that this layout would'nt have been realistically possible without casting, it is a significant setp forward for scratchbuilders. Must say I'm no master at it yet but with some work, the models seem to come up well enough.

Yes...but is it art?

"Glenburn" is an elevated station, and as such the trackbed is elevated above the base supporting level. The plan view of the "Glenburn" baseboard above shows the elevated roadbed, with wing extensions for the Down (1) and Up (3) platforms. Openings have also been made for the platform ramps (2). The elevated roadbed gap at (4) is for an over-road bridge. Since this picture, cork tiling has been placed on the board to bring the trackbed up to prototypical elevation. Baseboards are my usual 9mm marine ply on top of a cedar-ladder frame.

Them's the brakes.......

For suburban rollingstock, Steam Era's W car bogies need to be enhanced with fore and aft brake extensions. The bogie above takes the modification slightly further as it is built for a driving trailer, and as such also has wheel guards. For reasonable running clearance I have also attached the two sets of steps directly to this bogie rather than brace them off the carriage. The pre-painting photo above shows these changes.

Tell him he's dreaming......

Up late morning Passenger crosses a Dn suburban goods scuttling through Glenburn having been released from Flinders St yard following the end of the morning peak......sort of......

Placement of rolling stock on the new "Glenburn" baseboard as a way to try and get a feeling for what this section might look like, and understand where structures & features should be. Not to worry that the E is actually narrow gauge and the goods wagons are likewise borrowed from Shelley Railways' Cudgewa branch.....