Project Pendolino: Beginnings
Say wat you want about my impulse control - or lack thereof: some opportunities are just too good to walk past. Certain models fall under that category, especially when the price is attractive.
Train Portraits: The Intermodal
Intermodal traffic is pretty big in Australia, and has a long history. While rail freight is dominated by bulk goods such as ore, coal and grain, container traffic is a not insignificant part of Australia's rail transport. Rail corridors between major cities are frequented by container trains, adding up to hundreds of thousands of tons each month.
Train Portraits: The Banana Transport
Whatever is happening on my layout does not necessarily bear resemblance to reality. The fact alone that I run trains from two different continents should make clear that this is not an attempt at modelling a specific place at a specific time. The key motto is: If it's fun, it'll run. My railway, my rules.
Fun with Relays
In the pursuit of being able to control as many things as possible digitally, while keeping effort to a minimum, I went down the rabbit hole of controlling some of the scenic accessories via DCC. Currently I have two buildings with functions that I want to turn off and on at will: a lighthouse, and a windmill.
Some things are worth collecting
It has been five years since, in a quest to assemble a specific train, I acquired a model of an East German dining car in the then typical red Mitropa livery. At the time, I didn't really know what I had bought - only that the model had been produced in the GDR. But I was surprised at the condition of the model and the still working interior lighting. Subsequently I learned a bit more about the providence of it.
Fun with Signals
Some time ago I took delivery of my first batch of signals. These are generic 3-light signals made in China. They aren't particularly prototypical - the aspects resemble a type of signal used here in Queensland, as well as some European signals. But the looks are very basic. However, for first experiments and wrapping my head around the subject matter, they are more than sufficient.