2.3.13 - 2013 surprise restart

Must say, it has been 16 or so months since last running and I was starting to think perhaps Cudgewa had seen its last train, but a conversation with Mark Tregoning a day or so ago had me thinking about the layout, and a quick rub of the track with a track cleaner, and trains were running again, though not without some issues......

.........All went pretty well on the Down albeit with a few derails, some owing to my lack of familiarity with the specifics of the line, some because there are some track sections that I have worked around for years but really need some attention. Here is the first working slowing into Cudgewa yard, the first train in 16 months.

Shunting underway here to place wagons and remove those placed in August 2011!

Typical of most operations on this branch, the van is stabled at the station during shunting to allow the van goods and formalities to be done. All well so far.....

...........And off we go on the Up and fairly quickly issues became apparent. 11 wagons randomly assembled is no problem on "Glenburn" but it won't do for the mountain track that is my Cudgewa layout. I had forgotten how to operate this layout - 7-8 wagons at most is the norm with the heaviest always at the front of the train. After a couple of tip-overs by the lighter wagons up front the train finally stalled on Needles trestle, no amount of power would move it any further.

Only thing to do was revert to prototype, split the train and run the "Shelley Switch". Here's the first portion slowing into Shelley Yard.

A quick run back to the remainder of the train, here through Beetoomba that has seen better days. My daughter plays trains around here and is slowly reducing all detail to bare earth. I have kept all the broken off detail bits to replace once she's old enough to stop damaging it, but for now poor old Beetoomba is a bit bereft.

 No trouble pulling the reduced load second section up through the Needles now.

 And across Boundary Creek trestle.

 Before placing one of the wagons in Shelley Yard, will it be another 16 months?

Just before I stopped concentrating on Cudgewa and HOn30/HOe gauge I purchased a Liliput U Class, mostly for sentimental reasons, having espied them in a local hobby shop in my teens and hankered after one since. The news of a decent running version had me ordering one, however it was too late to see any use other than a fling down the branch and back. So, just a run down the line and back for old times sake.

Here taking a breather at Shelley following the rather stiff climb.

23.8.11 - More pictures from the 2011 operating session...

Rolling out of Cudgewa
Over Boundary Ck trestle (shame I don't have a turntable at Cudgewa!)

Shunting two KCCa's with Snowy Scheme containers
Picking up cattle loading at Beetoomba
Arriving at Cudgewa (a rather revealing shot of how close that backscene really is...)

Will add a few more if this goes on....

20.8.11 - Dn Cudgewa Goods

At Shelley

At Beetoomba

Crossing Cudgewa Ck

Shunting at Cudgewa

Stabled at Cudgewa

30.5.2011 Now, where was that return ticket...

One of the last moves in the 2010 operating session was a Dn run of the DERMa to Cudgewa. Stabled in the shed there, I then got re-distracted on "Glenburn", so here she is with the Up run nearly a year later!

Just before leaving Cudgewa.

Rolling out past the Cudgewa Home "stick".

23.8.10 Services return to Cudgewa

Dn service stops at Shelley to pin brakes

Negotiating Boundary Ck trestle

Rolling over Beetoomba trestle
Arriving in Cudgewa 1 Rd
Shunting in progress - the wagons to be taken out were delivered 2 years ago!

30.8.08 D3a on the Hill

......and arriving into 2 Road at Shelley for a cross with the Dn Pass

24.8.08 - Dn Passenger

Walker RMa 4 grinds out of Shelley on a Dn Pass.
Rolling past Cudgewa's Up Home signal
At Cudgewa, with the Khancoban mail truck.

23.8.08 Morning sun, last run for a Ta, Afternoon sun

Into the morning light through the Needles.

Still squinting rolling into Cudgewa yard!

Mid shunting the goods.
This will be Ta405's last revenue run for Shelley Railways Cudgewa branch. The lesser of two "short" Ta's, she will soon be converted to "full gauge" for my other layout "Glenburn".

Very late in the afternoon, the Up goods strains over Boundary Ck trestle, she will shortly stall just on the Dn side of Shelley Yard.

9 February 2008 - Dn/Up Goods - 3 Bridges

Ta413 on a typical Dn Goods rolls over Cudgewa creek at Beetoomba.

On the return, the Up Goods crosses the Wabba Ck trestle just out of Cudgewa.

The Up Goods again crosses Cudgewa Ck, this time transiting The Needles.

December 2007 - Up Stock Special

On the prototype, Cudgewa stock specials (and regular goods) dropped off empty stock wagons on the Dn trip then picked up the full wagons on the Up. Here Ta411 has is picking up 2 Ma's from Beetoomba to add to it's train of three from Cudgewa.

Slowing through the Koetong Pine Plantation for the entry to Shelley yard.

With stub ended points at the Up end of some of the yards, rope shunting was not uncommon on the Cudgewa branch. Here Ta411 rope(wire!) shunts two more Ma's out of Shelley's livestock siding, positioning them mid-yard for easier collection.