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.