WDBC Fettlers Shed

01/04/2025

Video showing clearance now for the track inspection camera. See other videos for track lap camera car videos in both directions of the smaller loop and the larger loop.

01/04/2025

The Track Inspection Camera Car was out on the N scale track today. On a test run the camera hit the tunnel portal [See pics]. Like the right side done a few months back the left side needed the corner filed with the round file. See video to see the clearance now. 🚂

29/03/2025

**Next Quarterly Night Run – 12th April 2025**

📅 **Date:** Saturday, 12th April 2025
⏰ **Time:** 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
🍽 **Dinner Cost:** $10 per person

This time, we’re having a **BBQ** instead of pizza like previous Night Runs!

🔥 **BBQ Menu:**
- The Engine Driver’s famous **Sausage Sandwich**
- Fresh **Salad**
- A **can of drink** of your choice

📢 **RSVP Essential**
Text or call **Allen** at 📞 **0412 400 850**

🚨 **Important Notice:**
The **April 2025 Open Day (19th April) is CANCELLED** as it falls on Easter Saturday.

📢 Bring your trains like a usual **Tuesday/Thursday morning, Open Day**, or just drop by for a chat!

☕ **Coffee & Tea available anytime.** Feel free to bring some **sweets or cakes** for dessert!

**All welcome!** 🎉

24/03/2025

112. High Speed Train - Volume 1 by one of our junior members. Well have you ever seen a train go this fast. calculated speed over 2.1 metres with a time of 2 seconds worked out to be 287.28 km/h.

21/03/2025

114. Pacific National Triple-Header Intermodal Freighter – HO Layout
📅 Thursday, 20th March 2025
A 24-car Intermodal Freighter ran on the HO layout, led by a Pacific National triple-header with nearly 13,000 HP up front.
🚂 Car Number One: WDBC 40' container, believed to be carrying chairs for a special concert.
The train looked the part, effortlessly hauling its full load across the layout.
📹 Video available in 1080p30 HD for a better viewing experience.

16/03/2025

113. Fettlers Shed Open Day - Saturday, 15th March 2025.

Another fantastic Open Day with plenty of action on the tracks! This video captures all the trains that ran throughout the morning, with each clip kept short to give you a sense of motion at various spots on the layout.

Edited with CyberLink PowerDirector 365 and paired with AI-generated music to enhance the atmosphere. There was no shortage of chatter and laughter in the train room throughout the day!

Watch in 1080p30HD for the best viewing experience.

15/03/2025

Premieres Monday 4pm
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Video 112 ~ You won't get a model train going much faster than this. One of our junior member's British Intercity 3 car set at the march Open Day, Sat. 15/03...

15/03/2025

Yes, you're correct that trains in the USA are generally bigger than those in Australia. The key difference between the loading gauges (the maximum dimensions of rolling stock allowed to travel on a track) in the USA and Australia lies in the size of the trains and the infrastructure designed to accommodate them.

Here’s a comparison:

1. USA Loading Gauge:
The United States primarily uses "Plate F" as the standard loading gauge for freight trains, which allows for the largest train sizes in the country. Passenger trains like those used for Amtrak have a slightly smaller gauge.
Plate F allows a maximum width of 10 feet 8 inches (3.25 meters) and a height of 16 feet 2 inches (4.92 meters) for freight cars.
Freight trains in the US tend to be quite large, both in terms of car length and width, with extensive use of double-stack containers (two containers stacked on top of each other).
2. Australia Loading Gauge:
Australia's "Standard Gauge" network is based on a different specification. For freight, the Australian gauge standard is closer to "Carriage A", which has slightly smaller dimensions compared to the US.
The width for freight is generally 2.7 meters (8 feet 10 inches) and a height of 4.3 meters (14 feet 1 inch).
Australia's trains, especially for long distances (like across the outback), are built to navigate the more rugged terrain, which influences the design of the rolling stock and infrastructure.
Key Differences:
Width & Height: US trains, especially freight, are generally wider and taller than Australian trains. The difference is most noticeable in freight transport, where double-stacking is common in the US.
Freight Efficiency: The US's larger loading gauge allows for more efficient freight transport, especially with double-stack containers, whereas Australia's smaller gauge can limit some of that capacity.
Infrastructure: US railroads are built with broader tunnels, bridges, and tracks to accommodate the larger rolling stock, while Australia's infrastructure is more limited in terms of accommodating very large freight vehicles.
Overall, the USA's rolling stock and infrastructure are designed for larger, bulkier freight, while Australia tends to have a more compact system suited to its geographical constraints.

15/03/2025

A few pics from our Open Day today ~ Sat. 15/03/2025
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11/03/2025

111. WDBC Fettlers Shed ~ XPT Run Tue. 11/03/2025
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OPEN DAY is on Saturday, 15th March 2025 [4 days away].
Both HO/OO and the N scale Layouts will be in Ops mode.
DCC on the outside track of the HO/OO layout.
**See you there!

27/02/2025

NSW DEB SET RAILCAR ~ Thu. 27/02/2025
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New Shed Member James ran his new Auscision Models NSW DEB Set Railcar with DCC & Sound.
Only the outside track at this stage is DCC powered which uses a NCE PowerCab DCC.

27/02/2025

N scale pics ~ Thu. 27/02/2025.
New track laid. Rock wall looking good. New hill going in corner.

27/02/2025

N scale Layout Diagram ~ Thu. 27/02/2025.

20/02/2025

107. The Ghan train ~ Thursday, 20/02/2025

View on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7mmbpxVOmmE?si=xo9hXTBwIgCU5xxR

19/02/2025

Speed Device for the HO

19/02/2025

N scale ~ Thursday, 20/02/2025