John Heald's B-class wins 'Best Model Of Any Kind' ● Progress on the new steaming bays

John Heald's B-class wins 'Best Model Of Any Kind'

John's new loco won the 'Best Model Of Any Kind' at the 2012 Model Engineering Association of New Zealand bi-annual convention in Whangarei.

Photo by Robin Shirley

The winners were:

• The Australian Model Engineers 'first effort' award was won by Lex Mooney for his “Shay”
• The Canterbury Cup for 'Best model of any kind' was won by John Heald’s “Darjeeling B-class”
• Brett Coburn from Blenheim won the MBM most popular 5” locomotive with his NZR “Q” class
• Bill Krippner from Manukau won the MBM most popular 7¼” locomotive with his NZR “Ab” class
• John Romanes “RhB Ge 6/6 Crocodile” won the Colin Burleigh Trophy for 'Best non steam locomotive'
• Owen Bennett from Tauranga won the Ikon Cup with his green “Phantom”

John Heald's B-class wins 'Best Model Of Any Kind' ● Progress on the new steaming bays

Progress on the new steaming bays

With Christmas and new year behind us the setting up of 6 steaming bays and ex Rotorua turntable have been completed. The bays will take about 12 good sized narrow gauge type engines (7.25" only). They have also been designed for heavy engines up to about a ton in weight. At this point in time the area is being set out for coble stones to be laid . Power is being installed in a building shared with the local bowling club. This will allow a 12 volt supply to all steaming bays. We shall also be making provision for compressed air to be available. Access for the unloading area is also nearly completed.

Once the school holidays finish it will be a case of all hands to the pumps, so to speak, as preparations are made to lay the 650 meters of track on a concrete bed, as per Tauranga and Whakatane clubs.

Numerous local contractors and community groups are fully behind the project and machinery has been offered for use in digging out the track foundations. Most local club members have put many hours of work into the project already and we hope the fruits of this will see the first circuit of the track being used around Easter time. More up dates next month.

Photos by John Heald

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