The Third Rail

Call Directions Website Contact the establishment

The Third Rail Trains, trains, trains!!! We are one of the few local shops that actually carry a lot of stock. Advice, free. Friendship, free.

It’s a never ending story. Some people seem to think that if I post pics, stuff is finished. It’s not. All these are pro...
01/11/2026

It’s a never ending story. Some people seem to think that if I post pics, stuff is finished. It’s not. All these are progress pics.

This is the weighbridge area. Did the plumbing pipes for the toilets, a very very quick interior. I have not got phones, computers or any other office memorabilia in stock. But the roof is loose, so we can add that later. Added some of Leon’s fire buckets and hoses.

Now it needs standing lights, utility poles and telephone poles. It needs a fence. It needs the turning area at the bottom. Some buildings need roofs and brandering. It needs a concoction of pipes still.

That fence……. that is going to be a story….

I am not a brilliant scratchbuilder. Let that be clear. If I had to buy it from someone, I would offer R30😂😂😂But it’s do...
30/10/2026

I am not a brilliant scratchbuilder. Let that be clear. If I had to buy it from someone, I would offer R30😂😂😂

But it’s done and I need it. Spoeg en plak laergraad. It looks at its best in the dark lol.

Look, apparently desire is a sin. I do not care. I desire this ship. The SA Winterberg container ship. I want it with ev...
29/10/2026

Look, apparently desire is a sin. I do not care. I desire this ship. The SA Winterberg container ship. I want it with every grain of my being.

In HO she will be 3m long. She has been built in 1/250 by Izak at The Model Shipyard. For him to do it in HO is easy as pie. He is such a nice guy and I can sense the passion in him for anything miniature.

But…. it takes 900 man-hours to built. And there will be 450 containers visible on it.

But it costs roughly R200k. I cannot afford it. And like with everything model….. I can probably get it built elsewhere for R8k but normally these look like it should have cost R150. Izak’s stuff looks like a million Rand.

Look, I have 4400 followers….. that is about R50 per follower.😂😂😂😂

And “The Winterberg Fund” has a nice ring to it!!!!

I can only dream. But just look at it!!!!

Lekker julle!!!!

Martin asked where the truck loading area at the silo was….. well here it is. I made MDF mock-ups for the whole lot…..No...
28/10/2026

Martin asked where the truck loading area at the silo was….. well here it is. I made MDF mock-ups for the whole lot…..

Now I am thinking, I can either get them printed and give the outline buildings to Fiona to print.

But there is a part of me that wants to do this scratch and see how it comes out.

How do you like my weigh- bridge? Built that in between.

What do you think? Should I give it a go?

Lekker julle!!!

You are probably so gatvol for grain silos that you are ready to change your diet.😂I should have waited last night but y...
27/10/2026

You are probably so gatvol for grain silos that you are ready to change your diet.😂

I should have waited last night but you know how it is. I got a fully built conveyor belt in one of Rod’s boxes. So René jumped in his car and fetched the perfect lights for it. Z- scale street lights and some incandescent hang lights with shades.

And we fitted lights, attached it to the one end of the silo, soldered and taped all the wires and then…. we took pictures and saw that it was after 2 am.

Time flies when you are having fun. Now it is just building the weigh bridge and fitting 16 more yard lights. And the laser-cutter is busy, so I will draw the centre loadshed up and cut it when Neo is done with her work.

So 34 lights in total.

Lekker julle!!!

Now look at that!!!!! And we are working tonight. So by tomorrow there will be more stuff.
26/10/2026

Now look at that!!!!! And we are working tonight. So by tomorrow there will be more stuff.

26/10/2026

Layout update!!!!

Put lights in the silo’s main tower. Did the siding too, which was a bit of a cow as I sunk the rails into the ground ju...
25/10/2026

Put lights in the silo’s main tower. Did the siding too, which was a bit of a cow as I sunk the rails into the ground just to see that proper scale stuff drag their diesel tanks over my ballast…… 😳😡😂

But sanded most of it to suit and now all that needs to be done are the lights on tower 16 and then the fun starts. I need to construct a weigh-bridge and its office. A side silo. A loose loader and then the truck loading and off loading facility.

I must still decide how far I am going to take it. It is eating resources like it’s nobody’s business. But if I want this layout to look like it means business, budgets cannot interfere. Then I recoup funds before I start the saw mill. Easy as that.

But whatever gets tackled…… needs to be finished.

The difference in scale between 1/87 HO and 1/24 Cape Gauge 1 on a class 44 GE.
24/10/2026

The difference in scale between 1/87 HO and 1/24 Cape Gauge 1 on a class 44 GE.

Oh, things went south. 22H00 Sunday night….. in the middle of soldering an antenna….. P**F, power went. It just came on....
21/10/2026

Oh, things went south. 22H00 Sunday night….. in the middle of soldering an antenna….. P**F, power went. It just came on. 4 days!!!!

So I packed that whole grain silo and shipped it here to our house. Soldering iron, tools, paint and hardware. This is where it is at now. Will take it back tomorrow. Then start the actual plumbing around it.

Lekker julle!!!!

Address

Benoni

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 13:00

Telephone

0828801767

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Third Rail posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to The Third Rail:

Shortcuts

Share

Nearby bars and pubs

Other Benoni bars and pubs

Show All