Komata's blog

At last, Dear Reader's, your old acquaintance Komata's Blog, has re-emerged from its lair, so, beware, there is no way of  knowing where it will trundle off too. .

So . .

Have you ever considered, Dear Reader, that it might be an interesting exercise to include some of your personal history on your layouts?

It;s amazing, Dear Readers' what a difference a building (or two) makes to a layout - it (IMHO) starts tio give a layout 'personality' - or at least give an indication as to where things might eventually lead. . .

All of which is by way of telling anyone interested (as you are of course Dear Reader's - aren't you (please say yes. . .), that the Waitekereru Tramway (WKT) of the Tickford Valley Railway Co (London) Ltd (TVR), now has two structures in residence at Konake (pronounced Ko nack ee) - a station and a Goods Shed.  Progress indeed.

TICKFORD VALLEY RAILWAY CO (LONDON) LTD

From: Office of the Chairman:

The TICKFORD VALLEY RAILWAY CO (LONDON) LTD is pleased to announce that it has acquired title to the WAITEKERERU DISTRICT TRAMWAY, formerly owned by the Waitekereru District Council, with immediate effect.

The Waitekereru District Tramway connects with the TVR Kereru Branch Line at Helston, and was originally built to serve the remote settlements inland from Helston, being opened in 1925.

Beware, take care, Komata's Blog has once again decided to emerge - all those who don't like cliffhanger's should read no further - the cliff this time is VERY high. . (you have been warned. . )

But, to return to reality. .

Greeting Dear Reader's - Komata's 'Blog has reappeared, and once again it's off on the magical mystery tour. . .

Those of you with good memory's will recall I'm sure that I had been invited to exhibit at New Zealand's premier MR show - the NZ model Railway Guild's Convention08, being held in Napier (a city on the RH side of NZ's North Island), over Easter 2008.

Easter 2008 has of course come and gone and I, the layouts I displayed and operated,  and the convention, have all survived the experience.

 The usual Disclaimer - this 'Blog will be a 'Cliffhanger'.  If your heart is not sufficiently strong to sustain several of these occurrences, please do not read any further.  You have been warned!!!

 My 'Nearest and Dearest ' - 'She Indoors', having seen what I had done with the Kaiser's (or, to give it is full title, the Kaiser's Reef (Hauraki) Gold Mining Co (No Liability)) 'layout- in-a Cutlery Drawer' that I've described in other 'Blogs, issued me with a challenge 'Now see if you can model a REAL goldmine in a Tea tray/Drawer!"

Dear Reader's of Komata's 'Blog, herewith something a little different from my usual ramblings - someone else's. . .  

Unlike everything else which has so far appeared on the 'Blog, what is written on the 'Blog today is NOT a 'Komata original', but is taken 'en toto' from the April 1993 NZ Model Railway Journal (NZMRJ), which publication in turn copied it from an Editorial which appeared in the Wanganui Railway Modellers Club Newsletter 'Track Gang Topics' (still with me?)

I trust that you will find it of interest . . .

 Greentowner - you might care to open a beer. . . (or two?)

Certain members of our organisation have suggested, somewhat unkindly, that the solution to the dilemma facing one of our number in respect of a leaking petrol tank car with inflammatory-tendency's was to stick a piece of suitably-prepared chewing gum over the source of the leak and walk away - problem solved.

Close, but no cigar. . .!

(Chewing gum doesn't stick on a petrol-covered surface. . )

The solution was even more ridiculous - water!!

It's 3.30 in the morning in a junction railway yard, in the middle of a very large New Zealand city, the wind is cold and increasing in ferocity, and blowing straight off the sea.

Along the West side of the railway yard is a row of offices and shops - unoccupied at 3.30am, to the East, about half a mile away, houses and hi-rise appartments, while at the Northern end is an open space where the railway line terminates on a bluff.

At the Southern end, a road bridge over two main lines and the end of the yard.

A Good Morning to you all, Dear Reader's - Komata's Blog has decided to grace you with its presence, once more, without further ado, herewith the further adventures of Six-Mile Bush (an NZN- Freelance portable layout in 1:148 scale (British-N)).

Those of you who have been following this adventure so far, will recall that, at the last 'Blog the SMB layout consisted of track on a sheet of 1/4-inch thick cork, some polystyrene hills and nothing else - the basics, just the basics. . .