Southern Highlands - Construction, July 2022
The month of July saw the Group concentrate on different aspects of scenery around the layout. While glue dried in one area we could move our attention to another scene and continue working.
The scenery of the rural area was one location. A fascia of 4mm board was cut to profile and glued and screwed in place. Scenery was added up to the profile edge and in other areas of the module. Space has been left for the farmhouse and milking shed (pictured below) to be positioned in place.
Near the Mittagong Maltings is a road overbridge that once serviced the main highway south of Sydney. The Group set to work making a representation of this bridge, starting with the abutments made from 19mm by 90mm pine cut to size and shape. The wing walls were cut from foamcore board. The abutments and walls were then covered with English bond brick sheet and allowed to dry. The scenery either side of the bridge was formed from XPS foam sheet and a fascia cut to profile glued and screwed in place.
Stonequarry Viaduct was another location to receive attention. The undersides of the arch and the piers, in turn, were lined with 30 thou styrene sheet. The inner walls of the 4mm MDF formers adjacent to the track were covered with stone sheet and any joins filled with putty. Once the lining on the piers was completed, terraforming of the ground surrounding the viaduct was built up using XPS foam glued in place.
The buildings for the farm scene near completion. The roof on the farmhouse has been added, including capping over the joints to give the roof a more authentic look. The roof was then given a layer of undercoat and the first federation green coloured top coat. Timber piers have also been glued in place and given an undercoat.
The milking shed had had the yard holding pens constructed, undercoated and painted. The roof has been given a coat of brunswick red paint.
During the month, the Group received word from the editor of Australian Model Railway Magazine (AMRM) that our exhbition layout Goulburn will be featured in the August 2022 issue. GMRG thanks the staff at AMRM and all those involved for producing the article.