Dutton Bay Tramway - Timeline

Timeline

1969 Peter Knife and John Dennis begin work on an HOn30 layout, the Barker Balley Railway set in New South wales, and physically located in John's bedroom
September 1970 Peter and John visit the Eyre Peninsula on a railfan trip for the first time, and on their return the fledgling layout is renamed the Dutton Bay Tramway
May 1973 John marries, and the layout, which although operational, never had any serious attempt at scenery, is dismantled and the rolling stock stored.
1978 John buys a house, and with Peter, commence work on a layout in a spare bedroom. Peter's work takes him away from Melbourne, and this project is effectively stillborn.
1985 A son is born, and John celebrates by beginning work on a new version of the Dutton Bay, to be built in the second bedroom.
March 1988 The layout, which had track laid but no scenery (again) is destroyed prior to John moving to the United Kingdom for work. By this time Peter is living in Sydney, and the rolling stock is transferred to him.
October 1988 Peter builds Anunaka and exhibits the Dutton Bay at the 1988 Liverpool exhibition in Sydney.
October 1989 Anunaka and the Dutton Bay is exhibited for the second time at Liverpool
1990-1995 The layout is in place at Peter's Sydney house until Peter moves to Northern NSW, when it is erected in a friend's large garage. During occasional joint trips to Sydney, John and Peter manage to operate the layout occasionally. Eventually the layout moves north to Peter's residence in Mullumbimby.
Easter 1996 A pivotal date - the First Australian Narrow Gauge Convention is held is Melbourne. Peter flys in to attend, and during the two-day event a decision is made for John to build a module, and a for the layout to be exhibited at the Brisbane exhibition, in May 1997.
May 1997 The Dutton Bay Tramway is exhibited at Brisbane, with the Saltpan module included for the first time. During post-exhibition celebrations it is agreed that John would build another module, and we would exhibit at Liverpool, Sydney, in October 1998.
20 January 1998 The cypress trees in the backyard are felled in preparation for the new "railway shed".
Easter 1998 The Dutton Bay is displayed at the Third Australian Narrow Gauge Convention, held at Blackheath in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.
19 September 1998 The shed is built, and construction of Kelvin completed in the comfort of a large, open and weather-proof space.
October 1998 The Dutton Bay returns to Liverpool, with Kelvin added to the existing Anunaka and Saltpan modules. After the exhibition the entire layout is returned to Melbourne to form the basis of the permanent layout, and giving room for Peter to construct Minnipa.
1999-early 2000 The shed is insulated, lined and lit, and the layout and locomotive fleet converted to DCC.
Easter 2000 The Dutton Bay attends the Hobson's Bay exhibition in Melbourne
mid-end 2000 Framing and the backdrop, along with construction of the Fiddle Yard consume the remained of the year.
January 2001 The Fiddle Yard is completed, and a temporary bridging track allows operation as far as Kelvin.
Easter 2001 Kelvin and the small exhibition fiddle yard are displayed at the Fifth Australian Narrow Gauge Convention in Melbourne.
June 2001 The Dutton Bay completes its exhibition tour at the Adelaide exhibition.
April 2002 The layout is expanded when Wirrandra is included. The extension also permits to be incorported in the permanent layout, and includes smaller connecting modules Wanilla Forest and River Dutton
17 August 2002 The first train runs the length of the line, from Kalanda (the fiddle yard) through Kelvin, Wirrandra, to the resited Anunaka
November 2002 The connecting section between Kalanda and Kelvin has scenery added, and is renamed West End Hill
February 2003 The scenic treatment on both River Dutton and West End Hill is done - for the moment...
January 2004 The last of the exposed blue foam is covered with scenery as Wirrandra has the scenic treatment.
June 2004 Saltpan is extraced from the layout for a major revamp

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