Sunday, April 2, 2023

Introducing the Buckland Branch

A rough drawing of the track plan of the Buckland Branch

It has been awhile since I have updated the blog. After the disaster of having the train room flooded, it has taken quite a bit of time to reignite the enthusiasm. The room sat empty for too long as I lost motivation and struggled to restart the build. Thankfully after a holiday mid last year where I decided to build a simpler one level track plan, the enthusiasm is back. 

This layout's name is "The Buckland Branch". It is again a fictious Victorian Railways narrow gauge branch that connects with the broad gauge at a town called Burford. The broad gauge is continuous run with staging under the town of Geehi on the narrow gauge. The narrow gauge is point to point branch servicing small rural communities. It will pass through farmland and forest and carry things like timber, butter, cattle and supplies for the towns along the line.

Since the beginning of August I have completed the benchwork, Installed a backdrop along the centre peninsula and have gotten nearly all the broad gauge track laid. I still have some sidings to lay and point motors to install before the broad gauge track laying is complete. While I have concentrated on the broad gauge the narrow gauge is also progressing. I have the track laid between the interchange town and the first town up the branch. I had the pleasure of running the first train along that section during a visit by Mark & Angela Fry.

I have also started on the scenery at the end of the peninsula. I am keen to get the scenery completed on a small part of the layout, so that visitors can see how it will all look when it is finally completed. 

I still have over half of the narrow gauge to complete the bench work for and then lay the track. I am hoping to have all the track laid and trains running over the whole layout by the end of June.

Next weekend ( Easter 2023) is the Australian Narrow Gauge Convention. I am looking forward to catching up with lots of friends, make some new ones, learn some new skills and get some motivation. I hope to see many of you there.
Burford on the left and the first town on the narrow gauge on the right (still deciding on a name!)