Happy New Year everyone!
A reminder that the first meeting of the year is on Wednesday 20th January, 8pm in the club rooms. Minutes from the November meeting are now available on the members page. Also on the members page is an updated membership register and new public layout roster (Feb — Jul 2010).
See you at the club next week!
Image: BHP Locos queuing up to enter Port Headland, 15th May 2009
The December issue of the AMRA Branchline is now available: 
December AMRA Branchline
The November general meeting will be held in two weeks time: Wed. 18th November, 8pm in the clubrooms. Minutes from the September general meeting are now available on the members’ page.
Also, the club Christmas party will be held on Saturday 5th December. A running afternoon is planned (from about 2pm) followed by the usual BBQ from 5pm (BYO meat and drinks, everything else supplied). Friends and family are welcome too!
Image: Ex-WWII Valentine tank converted into a bulldozer in the 1950’s for use at the Ragged Hills Lead Mine (300km east of Port Hedland), preserved in the Don Rhodes Mining and Transport Museum, Port Hedland, May 2009
AMRA has kindly sent us an invite to their annual ‘Model Rail’ open day. This year there will not be any modelling competitions as they have decided that aspect is to become a biennial event (i.e. held every two years).
On exhibit this year will be a couple of new layouts, plus others that are now operational that have been in construction for some time. There will also be a sausage sizzle, other displays and workshops.
Make a note in your diary for Sunday 8th November and get along to their clubrooms to join in the fun (24 Moojebing St. Bayswater, opposite the end of Paddington St.).
Image: Mt Newman loco 5451 in the Don Rhodes Mining and Transport Museum, Port Hedland, May 2009
The long-planned-for container has finally arrived and has been installed behind the clubrooms. When I was last at the club rooms during the busy-bee last Saturday, it was all hands on deck painting it to match the clubrooms, installing a door through into the main clubrooms and welding supports in place internally to support the work benches.
This is a fantastic addition to the club’s facilities and credit must go to all those who have been involved — particularly Harry G. for finding the container in the first place, Paul H. for organising transport and the crane and Mark B. for negotiating access through Bradkens and being the driving force behind the subsequent modifications. A brilliant team effort!
Chris K. took some photos on his phone during the operation to lift it into place — head over to the galleries to check them out: Container Lift Photos
This year’s annual RailFest at the museum is only a few weeks away. We’ll be doing our usual thing on the day (same as a normal Sunday) only with more G‑Scale trains running outside — plus the opportunity to have an escorted viewing of our N‑Scale layout ‘behind the barricade’ for a gold coin donation. RailFest is always a great day, so come along and be part of the fun!
Members: As discussed at the meeting last week, we are having a formal busy-bee on the morning of Saturday 3rd October (i.e. 8 days before RailFest) to get the place neat and tidy. BBQ lunch will be provided by the club and the afternoon has been set aside for a chance for us all to get together and run some trains. Please come down to the club and be involved!
The October issue of AMRA’s Branchline newsletter is now available here: October Branchline
Image: Impressive (and rather ugly) signal gantry on the southern approach to Southern Cross Station (formerly Spencer Street Station) in Melbourne. This is on the Flinders Street viaduct near the intersection of Flinders and Spencer Street and the picture was taken from the entrance car park of the Grand Hotel — formerly the head offices of the Victorian Railways.
The August issue of the AMRA Branchline is now available: AMRA Branchline August 2009
Image: Flinders Street Station west entrance interchange, Melbourne — as seen from Eureka Skydeck, July 2009
The minutes from the 2008 AGM have finally been completed. They are available on the members’ page, or by clicking on this direct link: 2008 Annual General Meeting (July)
Also available on the members’ page is the public layout roster for the next six months (Aug 2009 to Jan 2010): Club Roster Aug 09 — Jan 10 and Check List
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You can now subscribe to the WAMRC News blog (i.e. this web page). On the home page (https://wamrc.org.au/) you will see a yellow box in the top right hand corner of the page with options you can click on for subscribing by email or RSS. Email is the easiest and simplest option — simply enter your email address and you will get an email whenever a new post is made on the WAMRC News blog (no more than one per day — if there is more than one update per day, they get aggregated into a single email).
This is a great way to stay in touch with the club’s activities and ensures you don’t miss updates to the web site. And it is secure — there are no ads or spam in the email, and your email address remains confidential. It will not be used for any other purpose whatsoever — guaranteed.
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Do you have some photos, news or stories you would like to share with other club members? If so, please send them in to the club secretary (email address available on the contact page) and we can put them on the web site.
Would you like to help with the web site directly? If you would like to contribute directly to editing and maintaining the club’s web site, please let the secretary know. Many hands make light work and it is a great opportunity to learn some new skills! No special equipment or software is required — if you can access the internet and have a web browser you already have everything you need — and training can be provided.
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Back in May I travelled to Port Hedland for a single day with work. My duties were finished by mid-morning so I had the rest of the day to wander around taking photos. The picture above is one of 134 I took in the space of a few hours!
Image: BHP locos 5642 and 6077 pause at Redbank for permission to enter the Port Hedland unloading area with an iron ore train on May 15, 2009
A reminder that the AGM is next week: AGM Notice 2009
Image: New container crane and forklift purchased this week for the Gunyidi wharf area