Postcard from UK and Belgium

It has been sometime since the last post, and unfortunately, no Caulfield Report this year, as I was away across the other side of the world. Traveling takes money, so I have had limited funds to spend on models; which was mainly containers from Walthers.

First train related travel, was the Eurostar to Brussels in 2 hours and speeds of 300km/h. The Eurostar is actually two trains joined together and can be split is something happens as there is a driver at each end.

Belgium Railways SNCB shunting series 77/78 locomotive 7756 at Brussels Midi station, on the way to Antwerp.

Trams in Antwerp on 1000mm gauge.

Antwerp is worth visiting just for the railway station, built in 1895-1905, like many stations has been modernized, but the main booking hall has been left untouched, and is amazing.

Back in Scotland and Edinburgh, had to have a trip to North Queensferry and across the Forth Rail bridge, which dominated the sleepy little town.

At Waverly Station, you can usually find a locomotive having a rest, her is 92010 off the Caledonian Sleeper. Was hoping to see a new class 68 in Scotrail livery, but no luck.

Class 91 at Waverly in Virgin Eastcoast livery. On to York.

Trans Pennine Express class 185 EMU

Class 185 185146.

Sometimes one can get lucky, with 45699 passing through York station on a Scarborough Spa Express special.

Direct Rail Services 66428 at York Station.

London Underground S class stock.

Adelaide Exhibition 2017

The Adelaide exhibition now passed. A bit of a ho hum affair, though there were a few new layouts, but less on the trade side. Orient Express had a different non prototype livery Centenary car and some decorated and lite versions for sale, plus information on the F class steam loco, due next year.

A new layout, was Kapunda, of reasonable size and quality.

Two points of interest; one a wife of a spectator also pointed out, was why are the trees so small? Go out and look at gums trees. Even a 50'/15m tree is about 175mm tall and that would be small for a gum tree. The other, the silos were N gauge, should have bee twice the size. Concrete verticals are huge.The only faults of a nice layout.

The English layout Eyarth Station which had been extended with bridges crossing the River Clwyd.

Back again, was Saint_Bernard Sur La Mer, also extended, with a new wharf.

Gavin Thrums Lampwick Lane, part of the British Railways Modellers of Australia.

SCT PWWY well wagons

Sneaked in behind announcement of Indian Pacific passenger cars from Auscision, was the PWWY well wagons, purpose built for SCT. Currently run on all SCT services, but only double stacked Adelaide to Perth. Just need their long 80' flats and the SCT consist will be complete.

I have added some prototype photographs below.

End detail

End detail

 

Year of the container

It looks like 2017 will be the year of the container, with Auscision undertaking a rerun and second run of their 40' units. All the existing liveries will be redone, plus a whole number of new liveries.

In addition, as to the Caulfield report: finally, Auscision will be releasing a 48' high cube container (which will include Linfox).

Also, Southern Rail Models, are also releasing 48' high cube containers, for their up and coming articulated wagons.

Almost all of the containers run on various operators trains today, except for Boxcar, mostly gone by the year 2000. Some the special FCL liveries would not be common either.

 

 

Auscisions PQFY inline fuel wagon

Auscision models have released a limited edition model of SCT's PQFY inline fuel tanker wagon.

All photos: Auscision models.

Unfortunately there is a glaring painting error on all four models, even shows on all their photographs, and that is the deck is not red, it is a charcoal/black colour. would also most have been worth buying one, but I imagine that to remove the tanks and pump would result in damage of something that would be hard to repair, as these are all resin.

Just is a side bit of information. Logicoil is SCT's fuel arm.

Auscision C43-44 and the beginning of 2017

It has been a while since posting. Just before christmas, my two Auscison C44's arrived and laid in wait till the festive celebrations were over. These been 6001 in QRNational bronco livery and GWU  005. I had purchased the Locpilot V4 decoders some time ago and these were installed almost immediately but not programed. (Eazy enough, just follow the instructions on the sheet provided). Just beware, the more times you take the body on and off, bits will begin to fall off.

First to be programmed was 6001, which immediately hit a snag with the head lights been on all the time. No problems with the GWU 005, it was fine. On closer examination, the wiring on 6001 did not follow to the same solder position as on the GWU version. Later, also learnt that the motor and headlight wiring was incorrect on the main board, see https://www.facebook.com/FullThrottlePrecision/posts/718429844975415 
This corrected the headlight being on all the time, but still have no front marker lights.
Next problem. The GWU is suppose to run in consist with my GWA. Now each of these work perfectly under DCC by themselves. Headlights switch on and off, till they were programmed as a consist. Headlights are now on, or off, depending on whether the consist was set up with each locos lights been on or off. (This sound strange. For the lights to be on, they had to be on when the consist was set up. They change direction, but will not turn off when the headlight function button is pushed). Both have the same decoder and I use a NCE system. Both my GT46 SCT locos have the same decoders and lights turn on and off in a consist.

Other end of the year my: RQKY container wagons arrived. (If the bogies do not swing to well, just unscrew and remove the paint around the mounting point. Also beware, some of the screws have not been screwed in too well and could be really tight). Its a pity there is no way of mounting containers to these wagons, as no pins were supplied like SDS. (I stand corrected. Olaf, see correspondence, is correct, the locating pins are in the box. Who would have thought to lift out the white insert cradle to see what was underneath!!!)
If you want to see what is right or wrong with these wagons, check out the Scott's Barcoola blog. http://barcoola.blogspot.com.au/2016/09/auscision-rmx-aqmx-aqsy-rqky-rqmf-rqmy.html