For something different, having been disappointed with the 2017 Adelaide exhibition, the lad and I decided to go to Sydney for the June weekend exhibition. Never having been before, we found our way to the new venue at Rose Hill Garden Racecourse by Sydney transport trains. We arrived just after 10am, and while the queue was a reasonable length, it did take a while to gain entry. The venue was large, warm and carpeted with plenty of room to move around. The only other downer was waiting 40 minutes waiting to be served to obtain some food in the cafe area,
Lets get the news out the way. Auscision's 48/830 class, due at Port Botany on Tuesday 12th June: their most complex and expensive project yet, around a million dollars, and has held up all their other projects. Also, arriving are the 48' and reefer containers, and model cars.
BGKF grain hoppers, converted from NHKF coal wagons, are going to produced, with drawings sent to the factory for CAD. The C class will be arriving at the end of the year (possibly) with the NR class to follow in 2019. Interesting, blue and green livery locomotives do not sell (unless VR blue). Speaking of sales, it now takes around 2000 units before Auscision breaks even, business has become harder, as their margins have halved since beginning with the NHKF model. Added to this, when a shipment arrives, the Taxman wants his 30% take even before a model has been sold. Because of this, Auscision now have to consider carefully what models they are going to produce so to lessen the risk of having a model fail in the market place. Price, also has a influence on sales, which is why we see the pre-sale price at $295, as there is still the $300 barrier for consumers.
Overland cars are now a definite , and for the Victorian electric modellers, Tait cars, are on the go. This is a test case, as the Victorian L class locomotive was a disaster in sales, and there has been a slow down in the sale of Victorian models. So to see further electric suburban Melbourne trains, the Tait has to sell really well.
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| 48' containers. |
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| Reefer containers. |
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| PWWY well wagon coming soon. |
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| Reefer containers part 2 |
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| Indian Pacific dining car (no ribbing on the roof yet). |
Over at Southern Rail models, their main attention is focused on their coming QR 1500 class. Also, on display are their RRAY and RRBY five pack skeletal wagons, plus five pack RQYY well wagon. The RRAY set looked much finer in detail to the RRBY.
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| Three of the four different variations. |
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| RRAY aand RRBY skeletal wagons |
SDS Models: the NR class run is selling well, so much so, another run is planned at the end of the year, which will include the two indigenous livery units, to sell as a twin pack. Also, the Austrains BL and G classes will have their tooling corrected; also for possible re-release near the end of the year. The 81 class is progressing well. Further 63' container wagons are also planned. SDS are starting again with these with new tooling, as the factory was not happy the way the ends of the decks bent down.
ON Track Models 82 class is to be re-run for the end of the year, with the 80 class engineering samples also due in December. Also seen, were the CAD drawings for a up coming NSW passenger carriage.
Time for some layouts. A range of layouts from N scale to G scale. Increasing number of O scale layouts, with a interesting array of products now available.
Diorama of some excellent gun tree.
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| ACT Model Railway Society Yendys |
Small English Layout Watford Castle, showing station, and a Bachamann Underground S stock, four car unit, (from the London Transport Museum).
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| Mungo Scott |
Murray Bridge. From wharf end, with the bridge built to scale. Quality, but was let down by poor lighting from the viewing side.
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| Murray Bridge looking across the flood plain. |
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| Goulburn |
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| Coff's Harbour |
