Newcastle to Fassifern Layout.

Recently I attended an Operating Session on Garry Glazebrook's Newcastle to Fassifern layout. I've been very lucky to have visited/operated Garry's layouts many times, including at his two previous locations of Lewisham & Mittagong.

Garry did a Presentation on his Lewisham layout at the Modelling of the NSWGR Convention way back in about 2006 at Petersham, that I attended. After the Presentation I suggested he should convert it to DCC. We became model railway Mates & I got him going in the conversion by connecting an NCE Power Cab & added decoders to his locos. At the above Operating Session one of his Alco 44s let the smoke out. On removing the Top, I found it was one of my early installations. I hope he doesn't try & make a warranty claim.

Garry has done more Presentations on his layout. Garry's day job as a Transport Consultant, he did Presentations using those old fashioned Transparencies. He made Transparencies of my first Presentation I did for the Modelling the Railways of NSWGR Convention I did the next year as he didn't trust this new stuff. I should look up all the above details but there is only so much time left.       

Garry had a very comprehensive web site describing his research & progress of building his empire but it has long disappeared. Click on the following link for a Presentation that Garry did for the NMRA available at their web site at:

https://nmra.org.au/newcastle-to-fassifern-railway/

I haven't been to Garry's layout for a while & I'm amazed at the progress he has made. His Steel Works & Port Waratah Coal loading facilities are sensational not to mention his astronomical amount of Paperwork supporting his Operations as shown in the above NMRA Presentation, I cannot get to Garry's as often as I'd like to, due to issues at home but hopefully this will change in the future. Today I took lots of photos, some shown below. Click on the last photo for the YouTube tour of Garry's wonderful layout.  

First a 2017 Track Plan of the layout.

Both of Broadmeadow's Roundhouses with working Turntables - fantastic. 

I spoke to Garry about how they converted Coal into Coke that I need to do as explained in my recent Sydney Staging Blog entry. It is done at the Steel Works in their Coke Ovens. I don't have the room or the skills to add one of these Coke Ovens.

Garry's Newstan Mine that I'm also modelling on my Main North layout, squeezed in between the 'Bank & the Backdrop.

The Burwood Colliery with lots of Sedum Autumn Joy trees on the hill above, viewed from outside Sulphide Junction. 

Port Waratah's Coal Roads at the right & the Steel Works Rolling Mill at the left. Refer to the Track Plan below. 

A Track Plan for the above photo with numbers for each of the Tracks to help you navigate the Sidings in Port Waratah during your assigned Train Order.

What an amazing diorama that Brian is finding out as he runs one of the Steel Work's trains.

The intricate electronics for the Semaphore on DOWN side of Kotara Station assembled by Roger with photo detector sensing the  train for occupancy detection. I'm in good company with my Occupancy detection looking a lot like Roger's. Not normally on display but you can see there's a hell of a lot of electronics & work to make those Semaphore Arms move.

Another shot of the Steel Mills.

One of Garry's scratchbuilt Sixty Milers moored at the wharf at Newcastle Station, waiting to be loaded at Port Waratah's Carrington Dyke. 

The trackage at Newcastle Station with the adjacent storage sidings between the station & the waterfront.

 

Very detailed Slag Bin cars.

Keiran shunting some Private Colliery Coal Hoppers with the large letter signifying which mine the are attached to, eg. A = Abermain etc. 

Looking from Cockle Creek Station towards Sulphide Junction with the Burwood Colliery in the background. At the right are the Steel Works with the Northern Staging/Return Loop & Sidings under Port Waratah.

Another view of the Steel Works with very some Information Schematics under the Staging tracks. 

Looking towards Despatcher Garry at Woodford Junction from the Despatcher's Workbench outside the layout, providing an overall view of the layout across Port Waratah with Keiran in the foreground.

Stewart operating a train from Newcastle Station into Woodbury Junction.

Garry having a very serious chat with Laurie.

Cockle Creek Bridge with Northern Colliery to the left.

Another photo of the Steel Works with a large Plan of the Steel Works making it a "little" easier for Operators to shunt trains.

Click on the below picture to see the YouTube of Garry's Newcastle to Fassifern layout. 

See an On Board Camera run on YouTube of Garry's layout by Gerry Hopkins below:

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