North Canterbury News: August 10, 2023

NEWS
6 The North Canterbury News, August 10, 2023
Alifelong fascination with model trains
By JOHN COSGROVE
Alifelong fascination with model
railways and electronics has helped
keep aRangiora retiree busy and
occupied in his senior years.
In the garden shed, in aquiet suburb
of Rangiora, Ian Galbraith (82) can often
be found tinkering away with his garden
railway.
Agarden (G) scale railway is a1/25th
scale toy train set, running on tracks laid
around aproperty.
It is much bigger than the usual HO or
Ngauge indoor model train kit sets, but
smaller than the ride­on steam and
electric model railways found in
Halswell or on steam train enthusiasts'
sites.
Track gauges are 44mm wide and a
battery­powered diesel locomotive
replica can be 500mm in length.
‘‘In 1970, Istarted in model railways
working with 1/64th scale NZ Railways
trains and rolling stock.’’
But losing sight in one eye forced Ian
to increase the scale of the trains he
worked on.
Following atrip to Canada in 2006, he
was totally bitten by the garden railway
bug after starting with it the year before.
The retired radio and electronics
technician created his first garden
railway on his 14­acre farm in
Masterton.
While in Christchurch in 2012, he and
his wife Ann snapped up asmaller
property in Rangiora and Culcreuch
Fold Garden Railway was relocated
there.
Ian had always been akeen scratch
builder, making Meccano toys, and slot
cars before the train bug bit.
‘‘There was alot of expertise in
scratch building in Hawkes Bay at that
time, so Ilearnt alot.’’
He constructs the trains, rolling stock
and buildings adorning his garden
railway from base materials such as
plastic sheets and wood.
He then discovered 3D printing from
his son Sean who works in the aerospace
industry.
‘‘I studied technical drawing at high
school and loved it.
‘‘Using Auto Cad programs Ilearned
how to design the parts Ineeded to print
out to make the buildings and scale train
carriages.’’
His first creation was aGisborne tram.
With help from the museum there,
who provided him with some drawings,
he designed and printed it out on his 3D
printer.
He then went on to design and print
out all the components needed to make
replica houses, train stations, atoilet or
two, avariation on aChristchurch Tram,
churches and many other bits and
pieces used to adorn his 75­metre long
This
Week
Sun
Fishing
Guide
Moon
Wind
Fair
Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Aug 10 Aug 11 Aug 12 Aug 13 Aug 14 Aug 15 Aug 16
Rise 7:31am
Rise 7:29am
Rise 7:28am
Rise 7:27am
Rise 7:25am
Rise 7:24am
Rise 7:22am
Set 5:39pm
Set 5:40pm
Set 5:41pm
Set 5:42pm
Set 5:43pm
Set 5:44pm
Set 5:45pm
Best
Times
7:19am
7:45pm
Rise 2:45am
Set 11:48am
Gentle SW turning
E
Fair
Best
Times
8:11am
8:37pm
Rise 3:53am
Set 12:26pm
Gentle Sturning
NE
Precise work ... Rangiora garden train operator Ian Galbraith gets his 1/25th scale train set to run properly on his 75m long garden railway
layout.
PHOTOS: JOHN COSGROVE
railway which winds its way around his
garden.
‘‘Usually, after Ihave done all the
design work, it takes about 48 hours to
print out all the parts.’’
Once word got around the small
garden railway community, Ian’s skills
became sought after.
‘‘There are 11 garden railway layouts
in Canterbury with four in Rangiora,
and soon everyone was knocking on my
door to help them out.
‘‘It’s just about asecond career for
me,” Ian says.
While he usually only has aphoto to
look at, Ian says he can make scale
buildings that suit any sized garden
railway layout.
‘‘Having the facility to draw it and
then print it 3D has helped many of my
friends out with replacement parts for
trains or carriages that would usually be
very expensive to import, if they could
find them.’’
Culcreuch (pronounced Cull Cruick)
Fold (asmall farm)Garden Railway was
named as ahomage to Ian’s ancestors,
who once owned Culcreuch Castle, till
the late 1700s. It’s still there today, near
Loch Lomond in Scotland.
Tram ... Rangiora garden train operator
and scratch builder Ian Galbraith with his 3D
printed Gisborne tram he designed and
built.
Fair
Best
Times
9:04am
9:30pm
Rise 4:55am
Set 1:13pm
Gentle Sturning
E
RANGIORA OCEAN WATCH
Fair
Best 9:57am
Times 10:23pm
Rise 5:48am
Set 2:08pm
Gentle Wturning
SE
Ok
Best 10:48am
Times 11:13pm
Rise 6:32am
Set 3:08pm
Gentle Wturning
S
Ok
Best 11:37am
Times
Rise 7:08am
Set 4:12pm
Moderate Sturning
SE
Best 12:00am
Fair
Times 12:23pm
Rise 7:37am
Set 5:17pm
Gentle Sbecoming
moderate SE
Swell
Pegasus Bay
Tide Chart
3
2
SE 0.8 m SE 0.7 m E0.6 m E0.6 m E1.1 m E1.2 m E1.3 m
3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9 3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9 3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9 3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9 3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9 3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9 3 6 9 NOON 3 6 9
1
0
Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows Highs Lows
Waimakariri
5:43am 0.5 12:28am 2.2 6:38am 0.6 1:24am 2.1 7:32am 0.6 2:16am 2.1 8:23am 0.6 3:04am 2.1 9:11am 0.6 3:49am 2.1 9:57am 0.6 4:31am 2.1 10:40am 0.6
Mouth
12:00pm 2.3 6:21pm 0.6 12:59pm 2.3 7:19pm 0.7 1:54pm 2.3 8:12pm 0.7 2:45pm 2.3 9:01pm 0.7 3:30pm 2.3 9:46pm 0.7 4:12pm 2.3 10:28pm 0.7 4:51pm 2.3 11:08pm 0.6
Amberley
5:43am 0.5 12:28am 2.2 6:38am 0.6 1:24am 2.1 7:32am 0.6 2:16am 2.1 8:23am 0.6 3:04am 2.1 9:11am 0.6 3:49am 2.1 9:57am 0.6 4:31am 2.1 10:40am 0.6
Beach
12:00pm 2.3 6:21pm 0.6 12:59pm 2.3 7:19pm 0.7 1:54pm 2.3 8:12pm 0.7 2:45pm 2.3 9:01pm 0.7 3:30pm 2.3 9:46pm 0.7 4:12pm 2.3 10:28pm 0.7 4:51pm 2.3 11:08pm 0.6
5:52am 0.5 12:37am 2.2 6:47am 0.6 1:33am 2.1 7:41am 0.6 2:25am 2.1 8:32am 0.6 3:13am 2.1 9:20am 0.6 3:58am 2.1 10:06am 0.6 4:40am 2.1 10:49am 0.6
Motunau 12:09pm 2.3 6:30pm 0.6 1:08pm 2.3 7:28pm 0.7 2:03pm 2.3 8:21pm 0.7 2:54pm 2.3 9:10pm 0.7 3:39pm 2.3 9:55pm 0.7 4:21pm 2.3 10:37pm 0.7 5:00pm 2.3 11:17pm 0.6
5:54am 0.5 12:39am 2.2 6:49am 0.6 1:35am 2.1 7:43am 0.6 2:27am 2.1 8:34am 0.6 3:15am 2.1 9:22am 0.6 4:00am 2.1 10:08am 0.6 4:42am 2.1 10:51am 0.6
Gore Bay 12:11pm 2.3 6:32pm 0.6 1:10pm 2.3 7:30pm 0.7 2:05pm 2.3 8:23pm 0.7 2:56pm 2.3 9:12pm 0.7 3:41pm 2.3 9:57pm 0.7 4:23pm 2.3 10:39pm 0.7 5:02pm 2.3 11:19pm 0.6
5:50am 0.3 12:38am 1.5 6:43am 0.3 1:31am 1.5 7:35am 0.3 2:20am 1.4 8:24am 0.3 3:07am 1.4 9:12am 0.3 3:52am 1.4 9:57am 0.3 4:36am 1.4 10:40am 0.4
Kaikoura 12:08pm 1.6 6:30pm 0.3 1:04pm 1.6 7:27pm 0.3 1:57pm 1.6 8:19pm 0.3 2:47pm 1.6 9:07pm 0.4 3:33pm 1.6 9:51pm 0.4 4:16pm 1.6 10:33pm 0.4 4:57pm 1.6 11:13pm 0.4
*Not for navigational purposes. Wind and swell are based on apoint off Gore Bay. Maori Fishing Guide by Bill Hohepa. www.ofu.co.nz www.tidespy.com Graphic supplied by OceanFun Publishing Ltd.
RANGIORA