The End of the Beginning.......

Just a quick update on what's happening with my layout.

For those who came in late you should know that my Vietnam Railways layout in N Scale "Ga Hong Ha" recently suffered the indignity of being moved from the garage to another room. This means that currently it is still in pieces.

It looks like I will have to rebuild the centre section to fit into the smaller space. This changes the layout into 3 sections, the 2 ends and a new modified centre section. The layout then becomes a 'dogbone' style layout.

At the moment I'm designing the new centre section, as well as seeing how much I can salvage from the old sections. When there is something to see I'll post some pikkies. It now seems that there is a lot more work to the move to another room than I had originally planned but the rain outside is keeping me indoors so I have some motivation to 'get cracking'.

In the meantime here are a couple more photos from the Vietnamese modeller who I have featured before (I still don't know his name). 

I'm jealous! These are nicely built models. They appear to be in N Scale so that's two of us modelling in N. Not sure whether the models are 1:160 or 1:150 but very nice anyway.

This sort of modelling encourages us all to 'have a go' I think.

Until next time.....

The Beginning of the End......?

These are the last photos of Ga Hong Ha in it's present form. In the next couple of days it will be taken apart and moved to it's new home (just up the hall and around the corner). How long it will be before it's in its new format is any ones guess, but it is a hobby, so the rebuild has to fit in with all the other tasks I have to perform, like work etc...

Above: Probably the most complete part of the layout. Still not totally happy with the colour of the river.

 Above: Looking down on the river area from a great height.

Above: Part of the cityscape, including the scratchbuilt level crossing gates.

Above: Another part of the layout starting to look almost 'finished' (if a layout ever is finished!) That's my scratchbuilt XT brakevan in the background and my pretend G covered van on the adjacent track.

Above: This is the other end with an attempt at rice paddies.

Above: This is the three track 'fiddle yard' at the back. Unfortunately the new version probably won't have enough space for an equivalent.

Above: The new station building in place with my card D19E hiding behind some container wagons.

Above: A long shot of most of the layout. What a messy garage!

Above: The bridge and the pagoda behind up on the hill. The bridge courtesy of Mr. Kato.

Above: Another view of the 'city' with two foreign locomotives 'on shed'. 

Above: The engine shed. If you look very carefully you will see the start of a military monument in the background.

That's all I've got for this time, but one more photo. It's the card station I downloaded. Not finished but looks good already I think.

Hopefully I'll have some photos of the move in progress next time.

Changes........

Ga Hong Ha is moving!

As part of some changes in my home, the layout is moving to another room.We've decided that it's better to put the car in the garage rather than leave it outside. This means that the layout is changing from a long thin layout with a fiddle yard located in the garage, to an L shaped layout with all of the trackwork on show.

This could take a little time, so I will take as many photos of the layout as it is now, before some parts of it disappear and are replaced with slightly different ones. I'll put up some of the photos in the next blog.

I don't plan to change the basic layout design but there will have to be changes because of the shape of the space I will have available. In particular because the layout will be up against walls I will not have a fiddle yard like the current version.

In the meantime I've finished the basic station building (see previous blog) and now need to add Vietnam specific details. I also need to think about a design for a goods/freight shed.  I think the one at Thap Cham will suit my purposes. Just need to draw a plan before I scratchbuild.

On with the move......

Stations......

I've been undecided as to what the main station at 'Ga Hong Ha' will look like for some time. I've tried using the model of Dalat I picked up in Saigon last year but we all know it's Dalat and it's to a smaller scale so looks a bit odd. Then I thought I'd scratchbuild a modified model of Thap Cham or perhaps Hue? Again, a bit odd, as we all know what Thap Cham looks like and we all know what Hue looks like.

So I was surfing around the net a couple of weeks ago and I came across a card model of an old French station to download for free. It's in N Scale would you believe. Then I thought. Hmm. Some of the older Vietnam stations looked very much like French ones since they were in fact designed by the French. Then I had a quick look at some photos of old VN stations. Amazing. Very French indeed.

This is the completed French model as depicted on the website:

I'm currently building it and adding Vietnamese modifications. I'll post a photo of the completed model in the next post.

The main changes will be to add the larger extension on the other end as well and to add a station name sign as seen on Hue station. I'll probably leave the chimney's off too.

This is an early version of the station sign. Some of the spelling needs to be corrected.

Next time I'll have some more photos of the layout and hopefully a photo of the completed station in place.


See you next time....

Yes, we have no bananas....

A  new post seems to becoming an annual event!

I apologize for being so slack. But you'd be surprised how much I have done since the last post. The basic layout is all but complete with all track laid including a completed 3 road fiddle yard, lots of scenery in place and the ability to actually run trains.

I've almost completed my XT brake van:

Only the lettering and a bit of weathering to do. I still have the problem of not having the correct bogies but I do plan to try to create 'look alike' ones even if they are not perfect.

Locomotives are still an issue, but after a couple of aborted attempts to 'kitbash' models, I feel that it would actually be simpler to scratchbuild them, so that's what I intend to do. There is an Australian N scale model of an Alco based diesel electric made by Gopher Models which is almost perfect as a chassis.

There was an article in an edition of the British model railway magazine "Continental Modeller" of a modeller building Indian locomotives, one being a YDM4 (we know it as a D13E class). The modeller used a similar Australian HO scale model. So what's good enough for HO has got to be even better for N! It's not perfect but not bad. At least it's a reasonably quick way to get a locomotive up and running. The N Scale model is available unpainted. I've ordered 2 (maybe for one red and one blue!)

I am also currently building a model of a G 50ft covered van (you know the green ones). Hopefully I will be able to make a rubber mould from the original and then make some copies.

A member of the Vietnam Railways Forum recently directed me to some very nice scratchbuilt N Scale models of DSVN freight cars.

I would like to tell you the name of the modeller but I don't know. I'm still trying to make contact with him. He has set a very high standard. It's great to see Vietnamese modellers tackling subjects from their own country.

And the bananas? I'm still looking for N scale banana trees for my layout.

A Long Time Between Drinks...

It's been a while since the last post. I've been doing other things, like going to Vietnam and getting married.

That doesn't mean I haven't done any modelling. Here's a quick run down of what I've been up to:

1. XT brake van is almost finished. Just needs painting.
2. Drawings for older 40 ft boxcar almost complete.
3. 'Pagoda' end of  the layout has most of the basic scenery completed including the river.
4. Some scenery work on the other end of the layout. Some simulated rice fields etc.
5. Some work on other parts of the layout including the fiddle yard.
6. All track layed and ballasted.
7. More work on the backscene.
8. Level crossing gates etc at Hong Ha City level crossing almost complete.

So there. Lots of things happening.
Photos next time.

Busy....Busy...Busy...

I've been working hard on my DSVN layout with almost all the track down and some scenery being attempted. Still a long way to go, but at least we're moving forward. I'm concentrating on the 'pagoda' end of the layout as far as scenery is concerned with tunnel, hills and river underway. The other end is still involved in tracklaying and ballasting so nothing much to see there.

My beautiful Vietnamese partner has been staying with me here in Sydney so she has been encouraging me to get some work done in between showing her around!

Here are a couple of photos to show what I mean.

 Above: 'City' area with loco depot and 'pretend' D9E locomotive (actually a Bachmann GE 70 tonner). The Vietnam flag is still upside down!

 Above: The 'pagoda' end showing work on the river and hills, with tunnel mouths in place.

 Above: Another view of the hilly end. The pagoda will go on the slightly flat section of the hills with stairs taking worshippers up to the buildings from the roadway along the river. Something like a pagoda I visited in Hue earlier this year.

 Above: Station area with temporary station building. My partner wants me to name it after her so it's going to be 'Ga Hong Ha', as is the rest of the 'city', so TP Hong Ha (Hong Ha City).

I still haven't got a proper operating locomotive (the D19E) is still the cardboard body, but I'm working on a 'near enough' D13E' modified from an Atlas RSD 4/5. It will probably be in the blue and white colour scheme.

Ok. That's your lot for today. Until next time when I should have at least one locomotive in operation, and be able to run a train completely around the layout (that's my plan anyway).

Extensions

I've been busy working on the layout extensions. Here are a couple of photos. The first one shows the extended mainline as per the diagram in the previous post. The grey square is a marker for where the station building will be. The second photo shows one of the 'end' sections, the one where the pagoda will be sited.

I have set up some bridge sides to show where the river will cross the board, and also added the backboard for the other 'straight' section. The end section at the other end wasn't quite complete when these photos were taken so can be seen leaning up against the original section.

The third photo shows the current state of the original section. When I moved reidence some scenery bits fell off so have to be replaced. Also note the the arrangement of the 'city' buildings has changed as well as installation of 'footpaths/sidewalks'. These are still to be painted.

One thing I did notice was that the Vietnamese flag is upside down! That will definitely have to be fixed!

I'll post some more photos when the track is laid and the other end section is fitted.  I intend to keep each section separate so that if I have to move again (which is highly likely) I can dismantle the layout and take it with me, or take it to an exhibition to display.

See ya later...

Back on Track (excuse the pun)...

After a long period of time engaging in very little modelling of any kind I'm now back on track as far as my VN modelling is concerned.

Earlier this year I went through a change in my marital status, my residence and my employment status, and now that my life seems to have settled down a bit it seems that I have more time again to indulge in modelling the railways of Vietnam.

During the time since my last blogg I visited Việt Nam for the third time and took more photos which I will I'm sure find useful in modelling.

As far as my DSVN module is concerned, the plans now call for it to become an actual operating layout with an extension already being built to house a station building (Ga) and two end sections planned to bring the mainline around to the back and a planned 'fiddle' yard. I plan to have a Bhuddist Pagoda on one of the end sections and farms/rural scenes on the other. Below is a plan of what I hope the layout will look like. The plan will probably change quite a bit, but at last I have something on paper. The section with the engine shed is the original diorama.

Of course the plan has always been to display the module, and with the extensions this now becomes an operating layout to be presented to the public at some stage.

There's still a lot to do but at least the project is 'moving forward' as our business people and politicians like to say.

I'll try to put up some photos in the next blogg. I'll also be getting back to updating the 'Modelling the Railways of Vietnam' website as soon as possible.

Until next time.......

Locomotives etc

At last I have something which looks vaguely like a DSVN locomotive. I've assembled one of the card kits of a D19E class and popped it on a spare chassis I had lying around. A lot more work yet, including a chassis for the body, front and rear 'cowcatchers' and finishing off the windows. This 'rough and ready' model will have to do until such time as I am able to produce something better. Hmm. Must get rid of that white plaster off the palm tree trunks and the track sleepers.

I have also done a little bit of work on the level crossing. Still far from complete. If you look carefully in the background you will see my partially complete (isn't everything!) Petrolimex petrol station. it's being kitbashed from a Kato model (which was too big for the space I have).

I still have the major project of the road bridge on the left to build as well as lots of signs etc.

Maybe this weekend?

Progress....

Welcome to 2011.

Here are a couple of photos showing that I do get to do some actual modeling occasionally. I promise I'll do a lot more this year..

Tasks to carry out in the near future include adding a proper Vietnamese city backdrop using photos from the web. The photos show part of a test backdrop but it is in fact over sized. Also I need to finish the level crossing and get the bridge done. You can see the pylons for the bridge on the left. I also have a Petrolimex petrol station on the work bench. It's a cut down Tomytec Japanese petrol station.

If you look carefully you will see my roadside markers with the red tops. I'm quite happy with those as well as the Uncle Ho billboard. More billboards will be added when I have time. The one on the top of the tall building is only temporary (the one with the young ladies, not the Vietnam Airlines one).

I have a couple of more flat wagons to be painted light blue for container traffic. I still don't have a locomotive, but that should change soon as well.

I hope to get a bit of work done this weekend so hopefully I'll have more photos to show.

The Internet.....

I've been thinking about the many ways in which the internet, and in particular, the World Wide Webb (thank you Mr Berner) has made modelling so much easier.

In the old days the only real source of information was books, and magazines, or going to the place and seeing with your own eyes. The amount of information I have collected over the past 12 months about the Vietnamese rail system would have taken me years BI (before internet).

A case in point. Level crossing gates. Over the past few weeks I have been able to collect a number of images of verious types of level crossing protection to help me protect my own level crossing on my module. Some photos are stills and some are captures from video. From these I have been able to design and produce two types of flashing light protection as well as the gates themselves. When I get a chance, they'll be going onto the module. they will help the module look 'Vietnamese'.

For me the Vietnam Railways Forum has been a life saver. The members are happy to share their knowledge. Despite being for most part in Vietnamese language, the judicious use of Google 'translate' allows non Vietnamese speakers to enjoy the 'flavour' of DSVN though some of the translation are quite puzzling. For example why are there constant references to 'doctors'?

The combination of all these resources has made it possible for me to work towards the completion of my VNR module. The actual visits I have made to view the system are therefore 'icing on the cake'.

When I return to VN for my third visit in March next year, I will be armed with all the knowledge I have gleaned from the internet and so will be able to focus on my information needs as a modeller, as well as just enjoy the scenery and the people.

Weekends...

I got a little bit done last weekend. But don't weekends go so quickly! Never enough time to do what you really want to do.

I bought some 'DAS' which is a kind of modelling clay. I'm going to see if I can make some of those big pot plant holders they have around Vietnamese stations and work depots. Also hope to try making some banana trees as well. DAS dries in the air so no need to 'cook' it to make it hard, and it is paintable. I'm told 'Warhammer' people use it to sculpt figures etc. Worth a try.

Not a lot of 'physical' modelling going on but a bit of planning. Two areas I'm concentrating on at the moment. The first is the level crossing and the second is the road bridge at one end of the module. I've worked out that while the roads are tar, most of the level crossings are constructed of concrete 'planks'. I've bought a special paint by "Faller" to represent concrete so should make it more realistic.

I also have some thoughts on paper as to what my military monument will look like.

Now to actually do some work!

Slowly, slowly.....

I've been very busy over the past few weeks. Nothing to do with my modelling unfortunately. I have a new position and I'm working at a different location, so I'm learning. Also I have now purchased a netbook with wireless broadband so will be able to keep the blog up to date while travelling the 90 minutes to work every day (and the 90 minutes home in the afternoon).

I have been a bit worried about the on again off again level crossing on the module. Mainly I didn't know whether DSVN would have a level crossing across three tracks, but I've now found a video which shows exactly what I'm modelling, including one of those sets of crossing gates on wheels as well as the more usual crossing lights.

At the moment I'm waiting on a package from the US which includes a couple of 40' flat wagons and a couple of tank wagons both of which look very similar to Vietnamese versions. Once they arrive and are suitably modified and painted I should have 8-10 pieces of freight rolling stock. Now I need a nice green brakevan and to finish my D12E class locomotive. The brakevan will have to be scratchbuilt (maybe using an existing underframe).


I also have some plans to use the Life Like coaches I bought. I had hoped that I could 'fudge' them into VNR coaches but I think now I will remove the sides and scratchbuild new ones, as well as adding airconditioning units to the roof.

I might have some photos for the next entry so stay tuned.....

A bit of scenery....

Whew! Doesn't life sometimes get in the way of your hobbies! Too often I think!

Since my last entry I have been adding a few bits and pieces to the module. Here are some rough photos to give you an idea.

Note that after two three reversals the level crossing is back and being worked on! There are also a couple of cattle near the level crossing (I think one has fallen over and is asleep! The skinny houses back scene will be replaced by something more in scale.

I also have an idea for a war memorial of some kind. I got a couple of 1/144 tanks to use (you can see one on one of the photos). I've also decided to go ahead with my Petrolimex petrol station. It will be on the corner next to the light coloured two story building. I'll have to make a 'site specific' concrete pad and then use the parts from the Tomytec kit.

I recently attended a model railway exhibition here in Sydney, Australia and got some ideas to add a 'circle' to the layout so that I can run continuous trains without having to build a full layout. And I haven't even started the planned 'corner' yet!

By the way, I haven't finished painting the sky board yet. It will be a lot smoother when finished.

Things don't move very fast do they, but they do move.

Have a look at this gentleman, at SaiGon station in August. I think he has the right idea!

Hmm. Maybe to much of that.

Progress....

It's been a while since my last confession, so here goes.

Some progress is now being made on the module. A backscene has been put in place and painted. It still needs a second coat. The first lot of scenery has been added, plaster soil, painted and covered in basic 'grass'. As well some minor changes have been made to the arrangement of buildings. The photo below shows the unpainted backscene in place with pillars in place for the overhead road/bridge. Notice the roads are still not 'in'! When the ground is complete I will then add lots more trees of various kinds as well as signs. I've also removed the cheap and nasty shiny plastic palm trees and replaced them with more realistic ones.

I have also bitten the bullet and started to build my D12E locomotive. This version will be the 'quicky' version (about as quick as the tortoise in the 'tortoise and the hare' I think!). I'm using a scaled down version of the card model, cutting out windows etc, and fitting it to the SW1200 chassis I have. Should look alright from a distance. This is a 'fudge' until I build a proper body in styrene. At least I'll have a locomotive!

Also notice in the photo above that I still haven't 'Vietnamized' the buildings. That's next on the agenda after the basic scenery (including the roads) is finished, as well as the completion of the overhead road bridge.

 

I know this sounds strange, but I've also been planning the next module. It seems to me that I need some sort of 'corner' module at the overbridge end. This would consist of a curved mainline, with the workshop/depot sidings branching off from this. Scenery would be much more rural I think. Rice fields etc. I might even move the pagoda there as it looks a bit odd where it is.

So what do you think so far. It's taken a lot longer than I thought but it is progressing.

Until next time.......

Slowly...slowly....

Things have been a bit quiet the last week or so. A bit of planning but not a lot of actual modelling going on. I'm sure everyone has these times where you look at what you've done so far and do some planning for the future but don't do a whole lot more.

I purchased a Bachmann 44 tonner. Lovely model and comes with DCC as well as the normal system, so not cheap for  such a small locomotive. I still haven't taken it's top off but the chassis measurement is around 60mm. If the Kato chassis are OK I might leave the top on and convert it to a New South Wales (Australian) 79 class, but your not interested in that are you.

I've also been eyeing off those  Japanese chassis you can get. They come in various lengths. The Kato 58mm one seems almost perfect for small locomotives. Unfortunately they only come with 4 wheel bogies can't be used for D18E's or D19E's etc.

I've also been updating my websites so what with time being limited (do you get the impression that they've changed the definition of an hour to 50 minutes?), I've not been able to put hobby knife to styrene.

I promise I'll try harder this week OK?

Back to the real world.....

I've been back in Sydney for a couple of weeks now. My trip is just a memory.

Once again I've made some changes to my plans for the module. After seeing Thap Cham and Saigon I've abandoned the idea of a level crossing across the yard. The level crossing will have to be on another module.

I came across a couple of city type buildings by Kato in a shop here in Sydney, very expensive but I bought them and they're on the module already. The idea is to create a small slice of a city skyline:

The Kato buildings are perfect as the modern tall ones, but I will have to scratchbuild the narrow 'Vietnamese' ones in between.

The good thing is I've actually seen DSVN in operation so have a better idea of basic operations and the 'feel' of the system. Some of my ideas were confirmed, and some not.

I have so many photos to add to my two websites and not a lot of time. But I will get there!

It was interesting to witness an integrated rail system with both passenger and freight. Here in Australia most freight has been sold off to private operators and the two functions don't have a lot to do with each other.

I still don't have a locomotive so I'd better get going with that one. I noticed in the same shop I bought the city buildings an example of the N scale GE '44' tonner locomotive. I wonder if the chassis could be used? But my first loco will be a D12E as previously reported.

I also got some photos of the grey tank cars. There were two at Thap Cham, so that should make my tank car modelling much quicker.

Oh well.... on with the modelling...

On the way home.....

Well here I am back in Saigon due to return to Australia tonight.

On Thursday I had a wander around Saigon Station. Lots of different carriage types and yard shunter D9E 217 doing its thing.

On Tuesday I came from Thap Cham to Saigon by train (SE5). A very pleasant 6 hour journey, with a D19E (type 2) on the point. I sat up but no problem. The train was about 1 hour late (shades of the Up Melbourne-Sydney XPT!), Though since it had started two days before at Hanoi, no problem.

There was a D4H pottering around Thap Cham yard but it was labelled in what looked like Russian Characters and had a number in the 2000s. Don't know why.

The trains I saw both freight and passenger where all pulled by D19Es of both types. I presume other types are around.

I got some photos of tank cars and boxcars, as well as the station. Also interesting, a track vehicle (GM07) with a wagon behind. There was another one in Saigon (GM08) with a similar wagon. Looks like they use it to pick up rubbish or rubble around the track.

At Saigon I took 'walkaround' photos of the 141 class 2-8-2 steam locomotive displayed outside the station. So I now have plenty of detail shots. Enough to do some drawings? Maybe.

Oh, well back to the real world tonight. Lots of photos to work on and put up on my website.

In Dalat.....

Well here I am in Dalat. It's a very nice city up in the hills. Much cooler than Saigon!

Yesterday we went for a ride on the train which goes for about 5 km to Trai Mat city. Very bumpy! The locomotive was an old Russian(?) combined diesel and a sort of passenger section. Looks a bit rusty these days but still seems to work OK. There was also a Japanese C12 class 2-6-2, Vietnamese 131 class steam locomotive. It also has seen better days and I doubt it goes any more, but people like to have their photo taken in front of it.

There was also a D4H diesel locomotive which was painted a very faded green compared to the green I've seen in the photos.

I took lots of photos so I'll post them on my webpage when I get back.
It's a pity the line doesn't go further but maybe one day?