George has recently returned from his annual pilgrimage to the mainland - and returned with a 5" guage Garratt seen here.

The prototype is an AD60 from across the ditch in Australia.

George and his good friend Peter van Grinsven are joint shareholders and are searching for drawings and some advice from other builders of this fine loco. If you know of anyone please drop me a line here and I will pass the details on. There are at least three other examples we know of and probably more.

I am looking forward to seeing this beauty moving under its own steam around the WCR.

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The guys have done a lot of work down at Winter Creek Junction.

Loading these photos tonight with a glass of wine in my Adelaide City Apartment and feeling rather homesick for a cuppa in the workshop and the smell of oil, coal and the sound of steam through green bush!

George and Noel finish cutting the bank back at the junction. The idea is to make sufficient room for people to move about their trains without fouling the other tracks. We have discovered trains like to gather here...

Bank cut back, ready for drainage, retaining and paving

Rod, George and Bill taking some satisfaction at all their hard work at the junction

Putting up the railing at the man-entrance end of the 1/2 scale signal box

Timber for ballast boards stacked at the signal box. The tram shows its nose on the extreme right. It was a throw-together, but it sure has earnt its keep building the railway. Must have done hundreds of Km hauling materials up and down the line.

Summer has been hot and dry. The bank at the south end of bridge 1 continues to move a bit several years after being built. A maintenance headache.

Peter is making good progress on the Baldwin.

Team have been busy putting the pickets up.

Peter tries out one of Georges chairs. Where's the hammocks?

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Here is an update on the last three weeks of effort from the team while I watch from Adelaide.

13 Jan 2013

Bill Parker has got the water pump working reliably on the Hunslet
Bill (Williams) and Jim did the weed spraying on the track
Rod lubricated all the turnouts and linkages
Jim finsihed off his concret junction box mold

20 Jan 2013

George painted the inside of the signal box
Rod measured up for the new loco shed (This will be located down near the signal box for members locos)
Jim worked on the concrete junction boxes for the signalling system
Peter dug a trench through the steaming bays for a compressed air line

26 & 27 Jan 2013 

Rod, Jim, Bill and Peter put a lot of effort into finishing the steaming bays. Only one left to do

Whew! - at this rate the railway will be in top-notch condition when I return from Adelaide!

Bill Parker takes Peter's Alice for a trail run after refitting the water pump

Rod cutting a paver for the steaming bay area

Jim is back in NZ for the summer, and knowing a thing or two about bricks gets the tricky job

Another shot of Jim working in the steaming bay area

Two bays complete!

Three bays done

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As many of you already know I have accepted the role of Engineering Manager for a resignalling project in Adelaide. Its a two year secondment, and I will miss the WCR. However all the regular crew have resolved to continue the cause and will meet regularly for running days as well as various projects around the railway.

I will return to NZ as often as work permits, and plan to work on signalling electronics for the WCR while incarcerated in my Adelaide apartment. Noel and Steve will be sharing updates on this site as they receive them from the other members - so all good.

If you want to visit and run - suggest you email and I will redirect to the most appropriate contact.

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Noel captured these two clips of Britannia's first run. For those unfamiliar with the WCR the bridge featured in the first shot is on a 1in40 downgrade with pointwork not far off the bottom edge. Being the first run I was also unfamiliar with the locos braking characteristics so was taking it extra cautious.

Creeping across bridge one

The second shot is on the uphill grade and it was a joy to hear her exhaust beat. I look forward to putting a load on the drawbar and really making her bark!

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It has been a wet Labour weekend - but that did not stop us having fun.

Grant (of Squirrel Valley Fame) came up for the weekend and we ran the wheels off the rolling stock between showers.

Steamed the Britannia for the first time on Sunday Morning - it was raining so hard we had to do so in the confines of the shed.

Noel turned up just after lunch, and the rain had eased so we decided to do a few laps. Four hours later we were still going when the weather packed in again and we called it a day with a beer.

Blowing down after a fun day

Bringing the Brit out of the shed for the first time

Ready to push up onto the turntable

Heavy rain meant it was best to steam up in the shed

Turning the Brit on the turntable. Looking Good!

Still raining - so ran for a time in the shed to test everything out

Tons of fun

getting familiar with the feel of the controls

Rain has stopped for a bit - Outside we go!

Grant on Bridge 1

Grant on Turntable

Grant passes the signalbox. Looking forward to getting this operational

Relaxing at the junction

Noel on the Brit coming onto Bridge 6 from Cross Creek

Noel racing off Bridge 6

Noel near the signal box - Bridge one looms in the distance

Noel near the level crossing heading up to horseshoe

A shed full of rolling stock

From another angle

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