The S&TR purchased the plans for a NSWR 42' railmotor and proceeded to produce shortened version to suit the patronage on the line.
I used an Aristo motor block (ART29356) at one end and a wood dummy bogie at the other. The luggage compartment contains the batteries (8 cells, 2400mAh NiMH) and my homemade RC & sound gear. Walls are built up from layers of 1 and 0.5mm styrene and the roof a carved piece of western red cedar that was lying around the workshop. The floor is 3mm ply wood and aluminium angle. Ladders and cowcatchers are soldered brass/copper. The radiators are nails and flyscreen.
The lettering is my first attempt at decals produced on my computer using special inkjet decal paper - they are fantastic.
Here's some pics of it complete with roof details, (garden drip fittings) and drivers & passenger.

I replaced some aluminium track in the platform road at Sandstone with some second hand Aristo brass. At the same time I built a new turnout - that's it at the front of the pic, and replaced the one leading to the turntable, with a larger radius. The whole thing looks a lot better now.

I wanted an old style red telephone box, but it seemed a lot of work to cut out all those windows. So I made a perspex 'box' (left), then drew up the 4 sides using Word Draw, and had it printed at my local print shop, onto adhesive plastic sheet. Then stuck the prints onto the perspex. The colours are a bit 'weak, but not bad. Click here for drawing file

I found some 'foamboard' at Reverse Garbage and had to try it out. It's 10mm thick, very dense foam sandwiched between cardboard, and seems very rigid. As an experiment, I'm making a timber box car from it. I've glued scribed, 1mm balsa over it. Floor is 3mm MDF, all glued with PVA wood glue. It's nice and rigid. Now I'll try a building made from it. It will be much easier cutting windows out with a knife than cutting plywood.

I've added a small hand-operated crane to the new Melaleuca goods shed. It's a few old gears, the large one made from a knurled swimming pool pipe fitting, and the main spindle from a Liquid Nails tube end. The rest from bits of styrene, with a real concrete base. Yes, it does work!

Mar 4, 2007
In keeping with it's recycling policy, the SaTR has rebuilt the old Melaleuca station building to become the new Maple Jn station.
The original building was for a single side platform so the building had no rear door. (see left pic)
Maple Jn is an island platform, so I added a pair of doors in the backside and a small awning. (centre pic).
The right pic shows the side view.

Work has started cutting Hebel blocks to form the new platform. Have also started building a Goods shed for Melaleuca.

Feb 28, 2007
Added map to show where website hits are coming from.
Updated Trainweb site pictures - see shortcut above - for pictures of Maple Jn.

Feb 8, 2007
AT LAST track laying is complete at Maple Jn.- only final ballasting is required. Roadbed is 5mm bluemetal, mixed 6:1 with cement, applied dry and then watered with a watering can.
Six turnouts were installed. Three turnouts are just visible in the left pic, under the upper track; and then these same 3 are visible in the foreground of the right pic.
My attempt to use model aircraft servo motors to operate the turnouts has been a failure- the track power interferes with them and they operate indiscriminately. So it's back to the drawing board to figure out another method.
The right pic is looking down the fence, and shows the fly-under in the distance.
The centre pier of the bridge in the left pic will be removed when I build a new clear span. The island platform will be in the centre, partly under the bridge. A road bridge may also cross the platform, which will be part of a pathway which can be walked over.
These two pics show the turnout and track power control panel for Maple Jn. It's housed in a corrugated iron Gangers' shed. The roof hinges to allow access to the switches.

Dec 20, 2006
After 2 months spent painting the house, the garden railway is getting some attention.
Maple Junction is getting a makeover. After many hours doodling plans I finally went for a simple upgrade. There will be an additional track ( total 3 ) and an island station platform with a 4m long passing loop. The 'flat' junction which made it necessary for trains to cross to access Lilyvale reverse loop, will become a flyover.

The photo shows the crib wall made from treated pine with a few new plants in place. Further along, Hebel piers will provide for the upper track to Melaleuca, and a real footbridge to allow me access to the new garden.
The area behind the crib wall will be a garden with a few railway buildings maybe. The fill for this area came from between the house and fence out of picture at top left, and this will provide another level area for some sidings for Melaleuca.
I have finished making 4 of the 5 turnouts needed, and made the first 2m of track. (about 14m needed).

Oct 2, 2006
The 'climax-like' loco is finished. It's now running on radio control and has sound. Just the lettering to be done. It weighs 2.5kg of which 700g is the motor and 800g is the batteries, and has plenty of pulling power. I'm not happy with the brown colour so will have to attempt some weathering. The Aristo motor block is very quiet and runs well, but had little adhesion - hence the weight. It takes less then 500mA even with this weight and will pull at least 10, 4-wheelers up my 1:25 grade.

August 10, 2006
I bought a few Aristo diesel trucks (part ATR 29356). These are nice units with a metal body and plastic bogies sides, and ball bearing axles (left pic).


Like all Aristo they have very wide wheel treads and this causes the back-to-back wheel dimension to be too small and they bind going through turnouts. Luckily, the wheels are held onto tapered axles by screws, so it was easy to remove, wrap a little sticky tape around the taper and a bit of superglue, and the wheels go back on about 1mm further apart. Finished!
I plan to use one under a Class A Climax, and the right pic shows the Climax truck sides I have built from styrene.