Living in a parallel universe

As one of those that models a small scale tramway, one tends to heavily invoke the modellers licence; but what if your slightly obscure view of your small empire became reality?

 

X1 460 (an old Footscray Tram) leads SW6 964

across the crossover heading off to the football

 

Victoria Street is my little microcosm of the tramways that run in the western suburbs of Melbourne, while not true to any particular part that exists due to the ever dynamic streetscape that is an inner urban environment.

I have kitbashed various buildings with verandas together with rather local signage to offer an experience of familiarity.  A combination of local and nostalgia breathes life to Victoria Street. 

This weekend stuff did happen, my little empire may have cross pollinated life as we know it, because I for my own amusement had populated the local streetscape with small copies of the 1954 premiership banner poster from the long forgone Melbourne Herald newspaper celebrating the Footscray Bulldogs grand final victory. 

The Milk Bar

The Servo

The Pub

The Signal Box at the gates.

Football (Australian rules) is much a part of Melbourne as its trams, the original suburban football grounds were/ are served by nearby tram routes, some even had spur lines or loops built nearby to handle the traffic on game day (every game then started at 2pm and finished about a quarter to five).

The club I follow are now called the Western Bulldogs, formally Footscray. The club has somewhat a tumultuous history featuring the combination of poor luck, decisions and financial management. It has survived through all these dramas, but has never been successful on the field, it has always been every one else's second favourite club. 

This weekend I got to see my beloved Western (Footscray) Bulldogs play off in the AFL grand final, their first opportunity in fifty five years, then finally win their second premiership in sixty two years. I also managed to obtain a ticket to 'the big dance'. 

time for an update

As you may guess, the entire inner western suburbs of Melbourne and beyond are at this stage painting and or decorating this region red, white and blue.

Somewhat a shade dusty under the wires in a red, white and blue neighbourhood.  

Glenn

Lunar new year on Victoria Street.

As a nod to our Asian/Oriental friends at this time of the year, the lunar new year festivities have been going off around town with a lot of red and gold, some pyrotechnics, and a chance to get a cracking feed.

 

"Dad, can I keep him? He followed me home"

This celebration highlights the diverse cultures that exist in historical and contempary Australia, the Asian/oriental component started with the gold rush of the mid nineteenth century, when thousands of hopefuls descended from all parts of the world to try their luck at the diggings of Ballarat and  Bendigo.  This included a fair contingent from mainland China, the goldfields were a rough and tumble environment, upon which fortunes could be made very quickly while others suffered the drudge of working for survival.

The Chinese miners at the time were resented for their ability to work over previously worked ground  collectively and still manage to turn a profit, this led to a discriminatory landing duty of  £10 for any man landing in the Colony of Victoria from mainland China.  This tax was thwarted by the miners landing in the next colony of South Australia then trekking across to the border to central Victorian goldfields.

One party of Chinese miners in 1857 while en route from Robe, South Australia to the goldfields, struck gold at the Canton Lead (Ararat, 92km west of Ballarat), which led to the establishment of that town.


As the alluvial gold diminished, leading to the deeper mechanised mining techniques utilising underground shafts and drives, the Chinese miners moved into mercantile industries such as market gardens, restaurants and specific business aligned with their communities. Little Bourke St, Melbourne is home to one the longest continuous operating 'Chinatown' in the western world and there are still temples and joss houses in Ballarat and Bendigo.


The lunar new year is also celebrated by a more recent arrival, the South Vietnamese, they refer to it as Tet. After the fall of Saigon which signalled the end of the long protracted conflict in 1975, thousands sought refuge outside Vietnam by attempting the perilous journey across the sea.


Upon processing and resettlement many Vietnamese created 'Little Saigon' enclaves in the Melbourne suburbs of Footscray, Richmond and Springvale, thus in filling these tired shopping strips with exotic grocery stores, butchers, fishmongers with restaurants that serve variations of the Vietnamese national dish of noodle soup called phó (pronounced fer), this fragrant broth with either chicken or beef strips and rice noodles when done well can have the restaurant with a queue out of the door waiting to be served.


These communities with differing histories in Australia that share a common calendar, welcome their new year with similar ceromonies that involve colour, food and fireworks with family and friends.

 

Lining up for a feed

This is what I love about Australia, variety courtesy of immigration, otherwise we would be stuck with stodgy meat and three veg forever.


So welcome to the year of the monkey.


From the red confetti of exploded crackers littering the street that's under the wires.
Glenn

January Shutdown Works 2016

"Service changes apply to Victoria Street trams from Monday, 11 January 2016 to Wednesday, 20 January 2016 due to network upgrade work at The Junction.
As part of the modernisation of Melbourne's tram network, The Tramways are installing signalling equipment and repairing and renewing tram tracks and overhead at The Junction.

• Information about The Junction upgrade including expected impacts for motorists and local residents

Service changes for tram passengers 

• Service changes to Racecourse
• Service changes to The Ammo Factory
• Getting around the work zone

 An accessibility bus is available at The Junction between 10am and 6pm to assist customers with mobility aids, prams or the elderly.
During the work, trams and replacement buses will operate to the normal frequency. However they may not arrive at the scheduled time. The Tramways suggests that you allow extra time for your journey."

As I have done for the last two years, I attempt a fair crack of work on the layout that I have been planning for the last few months.

This time, the projects completed are,

- The illumination and positioning of all structures left of the railway bridge.
- The installation of backboards to all of the newer modules.
- The installation of a road indicator board for the three way point of the depot.
- The installation of the signalling system for trams entering and leaving the depot.
- Repairs/modification to the overhead on the rest of the layout and under the railway bridge.
- The installation of a flickering light module for the backyard incinerator.

My previous experience in industrial maintenance gives myself the opportunity to plan and strategise the approach that I take on 'major projects', unless there is an urgent reason to do some maintenance/repair, all other wish list items can wait until the 'shutdown'. 

The illumination and positioning of all structures left of the railway bridge.

 

 

Departing the Ammo Factory

 

From inside the Depot.

 

 

The Victorian terraces.

 

 

Outside the Depot.

 

 

The pub and the tidy overhead under the bridge.

 

 

The Servo.

 

 

Victoria Street at night looking from the Ammo Factory.

 

 

The installation of backboards to all of the newer modules.

 

 

The Ammo Factory.

 

 

The Depot.

 

 

The Junction.

 

Trying to colour match your previous effort to your current effort, is near impossible for most blokes as we are usually colour deficient.  

 

The installation or a road indicator board for the three way point of the depot.

 

 

The tidy facia that hides that madness underneath.

 

 

 A quick video of the magic.

 

 

The madness...

 

The best way to describe this ensemble (mad woman's hat) is, that both coat hunger wires connects to both point throw bars and the limit switches by the use of junction connections and bent up paper clips, the limit switches feed into the output terminal strip (below left), upon which is fed into the input feed board (left of centre), which in turn feeds into the diode matrix board (upper left) which drives the digital display (left on the control nobs), all old school D.C. driven.

 

The installation of the signalling system for trams entering and leaving the depot.

 

 

A similar mechanical system as the Depot point,

combined with a DPDT switch for depot entry/exit.

 

 

With another rats nest diode matrix.

 

How it works......

 

A tram wishing to enter the Depot, throws the car in/out switch to in, sets the points to enter the Depot, therefore sets the signals against through running and exiting the Depot.(note the tiny red 'T' light signal)

 

 

 

 

The tram waits at the repeater stop light at

the exit from the Ammo Factory.

 

 

Another stop light for trams from the 'City'.

 

 

Along with protection from trams coming from the Depot.

 

 

Now the tram has clearance to proceed into the Depot.

 

 

After the points are reset for through running and the

switch set for car out, the through service can proceed.

 

Repairs/modification to the overhead on the rest of the layout and under the railway bridge.

 

 

Ballarat 28 trundles under the reworked rail bridge.

 

The railway bridge on Victoria Street has a long history, for most of the layouts life, it was the end of the known world. I had originally wired the trolley wire under the bridge by the use of brass thumb tacks and an appalling effort of soldering copper wire to this dubious assembly, which resulted into numerous dewirements and snagged pantographs.(even though Victoria Street now runs two rail DCC)

After the Depot frame construction, upon which I utilised N scale code 80 rail for a more solid form of an interior overhead, I decided to use the same material for under the railway bridge. As the bridge had received a knock at the Caulfield exhibition (almost a year and a half ago!), I thought I would use this down time to rectify the problem. Code 80 rail plus two part epoxy, wins.

 

The installation of a flickering light module to the incinerator.

 

 

The innards from a flickering LED tea light candle.

 

 

Nothing too scientific here.

Just ditch the battery and install a 1K resistor in series when running from 12V.

 

 

and tada, a backyard incinerator!

 

 

from under the baseboards.

"We thank you for your patience and regret any inconvenience caused by this essential renewal work."

Glenn

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking back to go forward.

As per usual at this of year, a stocktake of the previous twelve months takes place. The idea is to keep some perspective and a sense of progress.

As I look back on posts from this time last year, the main project at the time was the ever expanding empire.

 

 

Now

 

 

Twelve months ago

I believe that the layout has reached its physical limits in size at this present time and present location, the last year has increased the layout area by at least fifty per cent, along with more operational scope and with a more cohesive narrative.  The concept of a depot has been a successful inclusion.  Operationally, the layout performs excellently, track issues and bugs have been resolved during the year.

On the technical side, the DCC control and interface with JMRI that delivers wifi capability is also at the level required/exceeded at this time.

This leads to the coming year, this year will be about finishing off the layout with details, such as lights and trolley wire, at the moment all of the structures for the layout are in the final process of being built and/or illuminated. Then Victoria Street will be complete*.

Then the further expansion of DCC conversion/improvement of operational rollingstock will be considered.

I think with this layout, I have avoided the most common error of taking on too much, too soon. It started off as a modular micro layout that has gently expanded over time. I haven't fallen into the trap of buying a shed load of wood, track and structures then slapping it together in a hurry, only to find that I hate it, pull it all up, throw most of it out, then only to repeat the process again, nor have I been seduced into the latest offerings from competing manufacturers of Austrailan prototypes, scorch a hole in the credit card, and then have boxes upon boxes of rollingstock with nothing for it to run on.

As a bloke with a missus and young kids, like most, I don't have the time or the resources to engage in the fore mentioned issues in the above paragraph, any modelling time is precious and it would be pointless to frustrate oneself in the pursuit of 'happiness', remember we all should model for relaxation, gratification and entertainment.

I started Victoria Street as a re entry into model railways/tramways for something quiet to do when my oldest child was born, as opposed to blasting out classic Australian pub rock at 140dB, that was over seven years ago, the tramway modelling and the micro layout option was due to the available real estate issued at the time. So my secret to this ongoing saga, is to think twice, do once, enjoy your work, then think twice again.

Here is something I thought would never appear on Victoria Street when I first started.

 

The oldest with 'her' tram, cutting notches at the ammo factory on wifi.

 

The eye and lippy war paint come from a monster high doll tart up kit, as I say, it is her tram.

(Mehano mech under a Manner promotional tram fitted with a NCE D13SRJ decoder with led lights)

From under the wires, in the same space as a toy hospital for reassembling dismembered Barbie dolls,
Glenn

*Is a layout ever finished?

Clocking up a milestone.

It is only just recently that this blog site, that has been online for the last four and a half years has passed the 50000 visitor mark,  I would like to thank those who regularly visit and those who leave the odd comment of encouragement for making this all possible, also those who post links from their blog to this one.

As you may have noticed there are no advertisements on or around this site, I intend to keep it that way as I have no interest in attempting to make money here, all I wish to do is post updates along with photos of the going ons of this model tramway layout, and hopefully inspire, educate and entertain you in the process.

Feel free to wander through the back catalogue of posts, and thank you again for your ongoing interest, for I believe that layouts are to be shared, either online and/or at an exhibition. We all can learn and appreciate from the efforts of others.

 

Thank you, from the locals of Victoria Street.

 

From under the wires after 50000 odd visits.

Glenn.

Where are the trams?

"Due to a long running industrial dispute, together with a stop work meeting today between 10 am and 2 pm there will  not be any trams services along Victoria Street during that time, delays are anticipated before the stop work action and when services are restored."

'Passengers are to expect some issues with services.'

As in the past and as now in the present, industrial disputes between staff and management occurs when  there is a difference of opinion on how the business operates, most disputes are usually about remuneration and workplace conditions.

In today's workplace environment, certain parties believe that for workers to receive extra income they must trade away long fought for entitlements and conditions, thus improving the 'efficiency' of the business.  The flip side of the argument, is that the worker can only do so much with the equipment that is available at a certain rate that does not endanger themselves or others, while expecting renumeration that enables them to sustain/improve their current standard of living.

The days of spontaneous wild cat industrial action, together with secondary boycotts are long gone, the process now involves mediation through an independent industrial umpire; however, this process can only work if both parties agree on a suitable outcome, now known as an enterprise bargaining  agreement. When this fails, the workers representative can apply for a protected industrial action ballot amongst its members, to gage the feeling of the intent to engage in further industrial action, the result of the ballot can enlighten management to the ill feeling of their workforce, therefore make a more suitable offer in an attempt to prevent possible damaging industrial action.

When the result of the dispute, which willl affect the travelling public, this action gains the interest of the media, who in turn may publish certain details about the workers current wages and conditions that is supplied/inflated by the management in an effort to push the public against the worker. This is not negotiating in good faith.  The workers now have to give significant notice about their intention to withdraw their labour, so the travelling public can make alternative arrangements, this in turn places the ball in the court of the business to come up with a solution that is palatable for the workers before the deadline.

The withdrawal of labour is usually the last thing that the workers want to do as it results in loss of income for that period, as some workers may not have the resources to sustain that short term loss, however, the alternative that is the combination of an uncompetitive wage together with reduced conditions which may include reduced job security means that the workers have no other alternative but to engage in industrial action.

Hence the cameo at the front gate of the depot.

Unity from under the wires.
Glenn.

Works at the Junction and the Depot.

Since the Easter break, there has been some more work done to the layout, the paving of the 'junction' and the depot is now completed with tarmac and road markings.

 

W5 800 cars out from the depot, while SW6 870

observes the compulsory stop at the facing points of the 'junction'.

 

 

870 picks a break in traffic to pull out from the Ammo Factory,

while 800 is edging across the junction.

 

As you can see in the above photos, neither the concrete of the tram tracks, or the tarmac and road markings are dead flat or ruler straight, as per prototype. The tarmac is 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper, cut and trimmed to size, the edges are dressed with a grey felt tipped pen, patches of 'tarmac' are glued to the 'concrete' of the tram tracks for pot hole/broken rail repairs.

 

The road markings/clearance lines are strips of office paper cut to a width of just over 1mm, then glued with PVA directly to the road surface.

 

The Depot roads received a similar treatment of tarmac, clearance lines and fouling marks.

 

 

Rollingstock lined up at the Depot.

 

The fouling marks are between the rails on the individual roads, no tram is to proceed past, or be berthed over them when another tram is in the area, so not to have a collision, the clearance lines are so other vehicles are aware of the potential overhang of the rollingstock. The white dusty marks on the tarmac are where the drivers have tested their sanders before entering service.

 

 

 

The fouling marks and clearance lines at work.

 

Looking out from road 2 at the Depot

along Victoria Street.

 

This weekend marks the one hundredth anniversary of the start of the Gallipoli campaign, and in turn the observance of Anzac Day,(Australia's memorial/remembrance day).  I did a post a few years ago about this and its significance.

  http://glennofootscray.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/lest-we-forget-anzac-day.html

 

This year I assembled a few more people around the cenotaph at the Victoria St and Epsom Rd end of the layout.

'Lest We Forget'

 From under the wires,

Glenn

 

There's more than one way to skin a rabbit. (Easter)

The Easter weekend, so much to do, so little time. As with everyone else at this time of year, there is a requirement to catch up with friends and family.

 

Victoria Street gets a visit from the Easter guinea pig.

It started on Good Friday, drive east across town with the bride and kids to visit friends, while doing this, gladly chip in a few coins for the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal at every intersection we stop at, then south to the outlaws to drop the kids off. Then back home so the bride can do her graduate diploma assignment, with a sly trip to the local pub for a counter meal.

Easter Saturday, I wake early to a quiet house, prepare myself for a trip to the Hobson's Bay Exhibition, the bride surfaces, a quick dash down the road for real coffee and croissants, then the bride settles down for study as I head off to the exhibition.

At the Union Hall at La Trobe University, I roll up just before opening, a quick chat with a bloke from work, then it's show time. With the renovations going on at the university, the exhibition is spread across three different levels of the building, with some layouts and traders hidden in rooms the size of broom cupboards, as there was not any published floor plan of the show, it's was somewhat reminiscent of a  M C Escher's drawing of forever climbing stairs.

Given the space constraints, there were some great layouts from far a field as Adelaide and Canberra, all being of Australian prototype. This time the wallet relented and I obtained some infrastructure.

- a foam servicing cradle,

 as I am fed up of knocking off the route number boxes

 off my W's every time they need a look over.

 

 

W5 800 having a lounge on the cradle.

Bachmann Mech with NCE D13SRJ decoder.

- a rerailer, for feeding rolling stock on/off the layout.

 

 

The rerailer in rest mode acting as a buffer at the

end of road three at the depot.

 

 

- and some tram related books.

On returning home, I was inspired to give some of my fleet the once over in the new cradle and shuffle them from the racecourse to the Ammo factory and back, again and again, much to the annoyance of the bride who at the time was having writers block down stairs.  After a directive to cease and desist, I thought it would be wise to suspend services, thus weather and detail the track at the Ammo factory.

With some die cut autumn leaves, water colour paints and a flock covered foam rabbit, details were added to the module. The foam rabbit (AKA future landfill) is one of those trendy items that is covered in a faux grass like flocking, unfortunately the ears were broken off, reattached, then broken off again. Now the rabbit resembles a guinea pig. The skin has been removed from the ears and clumps of weeds now flourish along the open ballasted tracks of the module, with more foliage along the rarely used siding.

 

The ears of the Easter guinea pig.

 

 

The Ammo factory, now featuring bunny fluff.

 

 

W5 800, doing some 'daisy cutting' on the siding.

 

 

Weeds with a dash of autumn leaves.

 

 

Now for the fence and the overhead.

 

Finally the bride had enough, so back to the outlaws late on the Saturday night, for the Sunday Easter egg hunt.

On the layout front, Sunday was a write off, and Monday morning was spent at a nephew's birthday party. Eventaully we make it back home, Monday afternoon, sans bride, who stayed the night her parents to finish off her assignment minus interrupting kids, myself as 'Mr. Mum' was kept from layout duties.

So much for a holiday long weekend.

From under the thumb,
Glenn.