AussieJimbo

Nice one LT, looking good. :classic:

Look forward to checking out the finished product, widzi. :classic:

Thanks mate. I'm glad you appreciate the historic feel, I'm looking for that balance of old and new. :classic:

With the experience I gained from my earlier Signal Box and Ticket Office/Stair Tower builds, I felt ready to take on the main game, building a railway station. This time for inspiration I focused on the beautifully restored Cooma railway station. Cooma was the largest station on the now disused Bombala branch line. It's was a bustling place in the 50's and 60's during the winter, serving as the transfer point from the snow trains from Sydney on to buses taking travellers to the ski resorts up in the mountains. (Small copies of CMR's images hosted on my site, click link below for originals.) http://www.cmrailway.org.au/coomastation.htm My model is loosely based on the centre section of Cooma station which contains the entrance hall, ticket office and waiting area. If I recall correctly, the real interior has these as several separate rooms and as you might make out from the shots above, the entrance onto the platform is only a small regular-sized door. I wanted something more open for my design so I widened the platform access with some sliding doors but kept the road side entrance representative of Cooma, with passengers able to pass through either door of the small annex. The next modules will be loosely based on the rest of Cooma station with sections either side representing a baggage room, station master's office, tea room and additional waiting area. As it is, this first module can stand on it's own as a smaller station you might see along a branch line containing just the requisite ticket office and waiting area. Ultimately I have grand plans for a two story mainline station made of several modules similar to this one but for the moment I'm very pleased to present my Small Railway Station. Large Large Large Large Large Large Large Large Large Large Large Large Click images for Medium versions or the links below for Large. I hope you like it. This is just the beginning. :classic:

Too late for me but *woohoo* for anyone who was holding out. The first two series sold out super fast down here so I got in early despite the hit to the wallet. I guess as a result I'll be seeing heaps of them for weeks this time. *laugh* New stock is a good sign though, might check things out tomorrow and put something aside. :classic:

Thanks for the tip on the 3 for 2 Brickus. Very helpful. Might defer my overseas order if they've got what I need. Good on Big W for at least trying with the minifig price. They do make an effort to keep their regular prices a little bit below the competition. :classic:

Wow, what an amazing creation. :classic:

Thanks very much, retrotecchie. Sounds like a nice village. Well I didn't get around to photos tonight. In my enthusiasm for completing the track facing side of my station I forgot that I needed to do the road-side entrance. That's done now and I'm very satisfied with how everything's looking. The stair tower and old ticket office is no more but it went to good cause. Definitely pictures tomorrow. (make that in a few days) *laugh* :classic:

Wow, I hope this is available soon. Looks fantastic. :classic:

Well I couldn't wait so I went out and grabbed another couple of apple tree houses locally so I could make a start on the station. Too late to get pics done tonight but I'm happy to say I'm now looking at my first completed module, a branch line station that will grow into a larger mainline facility. *woohoo* *woohoo* Photos and description tomorrow in a new thread and that update to the lever frame in here. :classic:

Thanks very much dr_spock and peterab, I'm glad you like it. I haven't seen one in real life but I'd imagine passing them is a challenge. You'd hope the drivers are skilled and experienced. At some stage I'll do one more build of a tanker prime mover and trailer as suggested by an earlier poster and then that will be the Octan tanker truck variations put to bed. :classic:

Cheers, I like to see your signal box too. Thanks Brickster. It's sitting happily down the other end of my platforms now. The lever frame will soon be installed in the floor of the signal box with a bit of the mechanism visible from the room below like in real life. I'm glad you like the dark blue roofing because there is plenty more coming with the main station building. I've started from the roof down this time, based on a nearby heritage station. :classic:

Thanks for the great report and photo set, Exile. So much top stuff on display. :classic:

Nice work, dr_spock. The opening bonnet is a great touch. :classic:

Nice one Decale. Cool idea, well executed. :classic:

Another fantastic creation, DC. Very well done. :classic:

I used registered post, haven't used their flat rate postage but I don't think it would be a problem. I just prefer the little bit of extra peace of mind registered post gave me. Not sure how much extra is was. :classic:

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all your generous feedback. I'm glad you like the lever frame as much as I do. It was one of those joyous Lego moments when it all just clicked together. That's one of the brilliant things about Lego. Way back when that ladder piece was designed it was no mistake that it was made with a one stud gap between the rungs. Thanks to the fantastic inter-compatibilty of various Lego pieces, you can try something like this and the bits will fit together where they need to. I'd love to see that when you get around to it. I'll show the recessed levers later on which would work fine in an open back configuration. Cheers Allan, that's very good of you but you undersell your own work. That is a fantastic signal box too and a great representation of your reference pic. I like the way you modelled the locking release part of the levers. I'll definitely be giving your build a go for another signal box elsewhere on the layout. I hope you don't mind me posting a couple of your thumbnails (will remove if you do). Check it out everyone. Allan's reference pic... ...and his LDD model. Nice work mate. Thanks for that. For me I couldn't go past the historic lever operated model. As you can see from that pictures link I posted, you can pretty much put anything up and call it a signal box these days because it is mostly run from a central control centre with remote points, automated signalling and CCTV. It would be cool to build one of those control rooms with a whole row of track plan maps on big display along one wall with operators consoles looking on. Sort of NASA-like mission control setup. Good onya, LT. Very pleased it meets with your approval. Battle of the towns? Friendly competition if that but apart from the growing station, I've just got a few stock City buildings and modulars, you've got an amazing custom-built town. Progress will slow now as I'm about to put an Amazon order in for some more Apple Tree Houses for the main station building. I could probably do something adequate with 2 more, 3 for something more elaborate, so I'll probably pick up 4 of them so I've got the bricks for a second stair tower and an attempt at Allan's signal box. Will have some layout shots later. :classic:

Earlier this week I made a start on my train station project with a combined ticket office, storage room and pedestrian bridge. http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=51044 Building on what I learned there, I've now completed the second building in the series, a Signal Box with a lever frame that you can move back and forth just like the real thing. Unlike the first building, I could of course find a plethora of images of signal boxes. Wikipedia was a good start... Signal Boxes on Wikipedia ...which put me onto this site that has a multitude of examples. http://railwayscenes.fotopic.net/c871158_1.html As you can see, there are diverse variations of signal boxes but there were some key characteristics that I wanted to capture; excellent visibility, a lever frame, an indicator board, steps leading up to a balcony/door and an elevated setting with a second room below. I also wanted it to integrate with existing station platforms in the style of the 7937 sets. I've had the basic structure done for a couple of days and have been tweaking since then. I'm pretty happy with the results, particularly the lever frame. I expected it to be difficult to come up with anything that even looked good, let alone be functional, but inspiration struck when a few ladders turned up while I was rummaging for parts. Those familiar with this piece of infrastructure will know it is a set levers that are used by the signalman to operate the points and signals. The levers are lined up in a frame either on the floor or recessed into the floor, with a series of slots that guide the levers back and forth. Lever Frames at Wikipedia As you'll see below, I've found a way to do that in a way that keeps the levers all independent but nicely aligned. I'm so pleased with how it worked out. Later I will drop it into the floor and cover it up leaving just a 6x2 gap where the levers poke through but for now it's left open so you can see how it works. Parts wise this model is built from one 7937 Train station and one 5891 Apple Tree House, excluding all the big three-pane windows which I had from multiple 7632 Crawler Crane sets, ladders from 3180 Tanker Trucks and possibly a few more grey bricks and various plates and extra lights and light poles for the switch/signal levers. So here are a few photos of my new Signal Box: Signalman at his post about to release the Emerald onto the main line. Assembling the modules: Closeups of the lever frame: Bonus platform hut (signal box main section removed and base spun around) Click images for larger versions. I'll have some more shots with the signal box in the layout tomorrow. Comments and suggestions welcome. I hope you like it. :classic:

One more 7937 Train Station set for parts to finish a MOC. *woohoo* :classic:

Go on, do it. You know the pleasure you're going to get putting that one tile L plate next to the number plate on the ute when dad gives son his first driving lesson. (Unless he's a farm kid, then he'll be doing circle work by age 12 anyway) 8-) :classic:

Yes, we do have a different perspective. I'm in the same position where I want to achieve more with my building dollar and there is no alternative but to look abroad. It really is a shame that an Aussie retailer doesn't get a piece of that action but the economics are straight forward. At least Qantas and their courier guys out at Mitchel got a few scraps off UPS's table last time. BTTW handled my order well; nicely packed, prompt and affordable delivery and competitive with Aussie RRP. Relatively small order so I couldn't have done much better landing it here from overseas. They had what I wanted at a good price by Australian standards so they got my business but you can't "un-know" what you could have got it for overseas. :classic:

I can report that Canberra shelves were ransacked at Xmas too. It's a good thing to see it remains popular. My issue isn't with demand and as a consumer I have no access to any meaningful information about it by the price information that is freely available online is irrefutable. I will wear moderately higher Australian prices to reflect things like better wages and conditions, government regulation, etc but I can't accept that the current markups reflect this. I'm open to be persuaded otherwise in the unlikely event that anyone is able to share real figures with me. If overheads really are that bad then retail in Australia is in serious trouble. Thanks Steve from Laygo for engaging in the debate. It's good of you to share your perspective on this. :classic:

Yeah, I guess that's true. Unless you can find some 1.5x1.5 tiles you've got make a call one way or the other. ;-) :classic:

It's worked out really nicely, LT. Give yourself a pat on the back for doing such a fine job. How are you going with the silo? :classic: