Garden Whistle Oct 2012 - Sandman.org.nz

Page 9THE GARDEN WHISTLEA Day on the Fraser LineFirst clean the track, using the patented Ross Fraser Track CleanerA very busy yardPhoto: Robert den BoestertDetail showing Track CleanerTrack cleaning photos byKerry PattersonOn a perfect Spring afternoon manymembers of the ChristchurchGarden Railway Society met at thehome of Ross Fraser, owner of TheFraser Line in Kaiapoi.Ross has spent many hours workingon the signalling of the railway andthis was to be a good test. Thesignalling relied on trains using trackpower, or at least having a lightedwagon, for the detectors to work.Don Ellis had fitted two wagons withlights to enable his battery operatedtrain to be detected. Other batteryoperated trains, not fitted with a loadacross the rails were not able to bedetected.Running a battery operatedtrain meant one had to followa track powered train andfollow the signals as shown tothe track powered unit.Dennis Lindsay tried todemolish the bridge out of theshed and the first signal, withhis battery powered K27. Arather large engine. The K27was a Brass AMS modelrecently converted for batteryoperation.