photography

Trains are rolling

Yesterday I made good progress wiring up the modules. Previously they'd sort of been connected together, but only very crudely. So I decided to come up with a better system using terminal blocks and copper tape. I popped out to our local Jaycar and picked up some supplies, then off to the PlyGuy to get some knotty pine. As usual I had to find the wood myself, they really don't have a clue what they sell down there. Then I had to tell them what the correct price per meter was. But at least now I have 30m of knotty pine, enough for lots and lots of modules.

So with fresh supplies, I attached the undersides of modules. First up I attached a thin strip of wood most of the length of the module. At each end I placed a 2 way terminal block, and ran two strips of copper tape in between. Then it's a simple matter of soldering the feeders from the rails above onto the copper "bus bars".

Windy Day

Windy day here in Utrainia, with a very strong winds making their way through the country. Unfortunately Sod's law was in full force today with numerous delays affecting all trains. First of all the power went out for 7 hours, taking with it the signals. Trains had to tip-toe over road crossings and radio through the paperwork for every signal. Slow to say the least! Then a loco break down meant one loco too few to run the morning services, and no time for a replacement to arrive either. As if that wasn't bad enough, the morning Shinkansen service had a rather nasty surprise when it rounded a corner to find a very large tree, split clean down the middle and all over the track!

That was the end of any kind of regular service for the rest of the day. Busses were brought in to ferry people to work, however then it was discovered that Utrainia doesn't own any busses, and so everyone got a day off work instead. Everyone except for the hard working Utrainia crews, who had to get ...

Catching the Shinkansen

"Shinkansen! High line! Now!" yelled the voice into my ear.

I needed no further encouragement. I killed the computer, grabbed my camera and keys, and jumped in the wagon. We tore up the highway and soon the sky was darkening. Hmm, I flicked on the radio and picked up the emergency broadcast system. "SEVERE PRECIPITATION, FALLING AS SNOW ABOVE 1200 METERS FROM 1800 HOURS" droned the robotic voice. Checked the clock. 1625. Curse. Squeezed the gas pedal a bit more.

A couple of minutes shy from 1700 I slammed on the breaks and yanked the steering wheel to the left. Power slide. Forgot about the ice here. Gunned the gas and the tires dug in. We fishtailed up the access road, snow everywhere now. I winced as some buried ice attempted to reconfigure my transmission. Two more turns. One more turn. Last corner. Mashed the brakes. Felt the wheels skid.

Grabbed the camera bag, whacked the horn. Cripes. Loud up here. Jumped out of the car and into thigh high snow. Checked w...

The Postal Bureau of the Fraternal Republic of Utraijnia

The Postal Bureau of the Fraternal Republic of Utraijnia is Utrainia's public mail service. The have a long and proud history, stretching back to the founding of the country itself. To celebrate this fine establishment, our roving correspondent was tasked with following the daily mail run.

Post Master Alenski has been making the daily run for many decades and is a familiar face to all in Utrainia. Each day, the mail train stops at his small unassuming mail office and offloads the day's deliveries. His trusty station wagon is almost as old as his velocipede.

After sorting the mail, Alenski pushes out his velocipede and swings it onto the rails. These days he carries a small radio to let Train Control know when he is on his way, however he is so punctual that it is hardly necessary.

More photos from my camping trip

Some more photos from my recent camping expedition. I like this bit of coast line, lots of different places to climb out and get photos from. After I'd pitched my tent I climbed back around the coast a bit and waited for a train. I was soon rewarded by a huge freight train growling up the coast. The sun had set by now, but the headlights were making their presence known, as were the triple locos on the head.

After that it was quiet for a while so I headed back to the camp. While I was gathering up some driftwood for my campfire I head a distant rumbling, so I grabbed my camera and got ready:

Nice! A return freight heading the other way. I watched for a while then went back to toast some marshmallows.

The next morning I was up bright and early, woken by...

Gone camping

One of my favourite ways to escape for a weekend has always been camping by the sea. Since I was on my own this weekend, and it's been a while, I decided to spend a night under the stars. So I dug out my camping gear, loaded up the wagon, and set off for Utrainia's Coastal Highway.

I found a good spot to pull off, parked the car and gathered up my gear. After half an hour or so of clambering around the coastline I arrived at a nice quiet wee spot. I found a nice sheltered spot and pitched my tent. And as luck would have it I was right next to the mainline!

I fell asleep listening to the waves crashing into the shore, occasionally interspersed by clickety clacking as a train went past.

The next morning I rose bright and early to the fresh sea air. After breakfast I grabbed my book and camera and found a nice spot where I could comfortably read and watch the ...