Garden Whistle Apr 2012 - Sandman.org.nz

The Garden Whistle - April 2012
From the (retiring) Editor
This issue completes eight full years since I
took on the job as editor.
Looking back over the last eight years, it has
grown in size from 4 to 6 pages in A5 format to
now be 12 to 24 pages in A4 format.
It has also transformed from just being Christchurch
club newsletter to slowly becoming the
de-facto national newsletter for all G scale clubs
in New Zealand.
Of course a newsletter is only as good as the
content in it, so I want to thank a number of people
who have provided contributions on a regular
basis. At the risk of forgetting someone, I am
going to name them - because they deserve the
thanks: John Robinson and Wayne Haste from
Wellington, Michael Hilliar and Robert Graham
from Auckland, Lloyd Dickens and Lee Collet
from the Wairarapa, Grant Alexander and Raynor
Johnston from Hamilton and Ian Galbraith
for doing the proof reading. To the many others
from around the country (and even further
afield) who have provided occasional contributions,
thank you one and all.
I believe voluntary clubs that have people
squatting in the same position for long periods
often end up going stale. With that in mind, I
have been doing this job quite long enough. At
the AGM of the Christchurch Garden Railway
Society (this month) I will be standing aside to
let someone else take over and inject some new
ideas and enthusiasm.
To whoever you maybe, I wish you good luck.
Just remember that I made some changes, and
you shouldn’t be afraid to make some changes
too.
Glen Anthony,
(Retiring) Editor
Rocky Creek Railway
Text & photos by Glen Anthony (Christchurch)
Fresh on the back of the Garden Railway
Convention, the February meeting in Christchurch
was held at Glen and Brenda Anthony’s
Rocky Creek railway.
There wasn’t anything new to be seen that
hadn’t been seen the month before. In fact there
was less, because due to the threat of rain I didn’t
put out many of my buildings as they are not
weather proof.
But the idea of hosting a meeting is not about
putting your trains and stuff out on display. Its
actually the opposite, the trains stay in the shed,
to keep the tracks free for everyone else to run
theirs.
The first job in preparation for the day
was to find the track cleaner. I’ve been
slowly converting some of my engines to
budget battery power. By budget, I mean
using the right number of batteries to
achieve a good speed when wired directly
to the motor, so there is no need for expensive
controllers.
Ken Henderson’s railcar part way through repainting
But having to clean the track gave me the
opportunity to get ’up close and personal’
with the track for the first time in ages. It
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