Auscision UGL C43/44aci

Auscision models have released further photos of their forth coming model of the UGL 43/44aci locomotive. These are still pre-production correction samples.

PN Trailer Rail or swapbody trains

Saturday morning and out to photograph the inbound Pacific National trailer rail. According to the PN website, there are two services Melbourne Adelaide Perth, but ARTC schedules three, leaving Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; returning Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. This is an priority express local freight service, which explains why the train was twenty minutes early this morning. This service originated back in the days of Australian National, when they operated it as a Roadrailer train. When interstate container services were transfered to National Rail, the Roadrailers were continued for a while, till be replaced with the swapbody units.

This a road equivalent service, offered by Pacific National, which  supplies a a 48-foot container on a road skeletal trailer for local loading, and delivery from Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide to Perth;  these are then loaded onto skeletal wagons for transit.

Five pack RQAY and RRAY articulated skeletal wagons are used. Unfortunately none of the are available in model form. Auscision models had promised to produce these back in their early days of announcing future models. With all the trouble they had producing the CQBY, it will be unlikely that we will see these wagons in model form.

5MP1 heading down hill from Mt barker Junction.

New Pacific National 48' curtain sided container.

Horsham Yard 2013

Came across this photo today, showing Horsham yard after Wimmera Container Line vacated to the new terminal at Dooen. The Horsham City Shire Council was certainly in a rush to remove any further freight use for the yard, and can see why they were really upset when QUBE move in. The Freight gate shed has fallen to the cutting torch, and has been demolished. Who? The site is owned by Vic Track and leased to ARTC! This is a bit unfortunate, as I was hoping to make a study trip and measure the structure, and compare to my guesstimate model.
Currently QUBE have made no announcement if they are moving to the new terminal, or if they will apply for a further lease extension.
The yard clean up did not include removing 7334, which sits at the end of the yard, seemingly in the dirt.
Here is the link, for a larger view.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60627979@N02/8219176931/sizes/h/in/photostream/

Added the small version, and below, a before shot of Freight Gate shed.

Horsham Freight Gate in use by WCL.

QUBE are loading their trains, using a Terex TFC 45 reachstacker. Cropped from link.

1/8/2013

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60627979@N02/8491509752/in/set-72157632528299144

Drawing for TFC 45 reachstacker.

C-Rail Intermodal HO containers.

C-Rail Intermodal's new HO scale, 20' and 40' reefer containers have now arrived, and are available. These are similar to their OO scale units, with the Daikin cooling unit all in separate parts, but the locking bars have been moulded on instead of separate parts. The separate cooling unit parts mean that different units can be reproduced.
When compared to the reefer containers produced by Walther, this model represents a modern reefer units with 'planked sides', whereas the Walthers model represents an older style of reefer with the riveted sides, that are no longer made. Many of the liveries that Walther's have produced on their models are inaccurate.
Walther's have produced a 20' 'planked' reefer, but it has not been available as a separate model for several years. Nobody, till now, with the C-Rail model, has produced a modern 40' reefer.

The first livery reproduced is Maersk, (pronounced M-ur-sk). Considering Maersk is the largest shipping company in the world, these boxes are rare on the Adelaide - Melbourne corridor, but they are carried through on Pacific National's Patrick services.

The C-Rail container fitted to a SDS NQOY wagon. All that was needed for the 20' unit, was for the mounting holes underneath had to be enlarged a fraction on the inner edges of the holes to fit. For mounting the 40' unit, it is best to enlarge only two holes if using the pins, as these units are true scale and the twist lock holes do not match the location holes in the wagons, which are designed to take SDS and Auscision containers. If permanently attaching to the wagon,then could do without the pins and just glue directly to the deck.

The cooling unit showing detail.

20' unit on NQOY wagon.

C-Rail reefer compared to Athearn older style unit.

A riveted sided reefer with Carrier cooling unit being used as a  cool room.

It is not often I unpack my Auscision Models CQBY skeletal wagons, but I wanted to see if the new reefers would fit. After twenty minutes placing the tiny container pins, the 20' with the enlarged holes fitted. Had the same result with the 40'  but the locking holes are a fraction to far apart in length. (they are design to fit the Athearn well wagons).  Would be unlikely to see a Maersk reefer on a CQBY,, but we do see Hamburg-Sud.
PS. You will not see a CQBY on a Pacific National train, they have their own, RQHY wagons. The CQBY is mainly seen on Aurizon/ex QRNational, and SCT services.

http://railgallery.wongm.com/wagons/pn-mc2-flats/E104_5094.jpg.html

Prices are £9.00 for the 20' and £9.50 for the 40' units, including VAT.

Horsham times past

Every now and again, a search brings up something new. Came across a blog called Wimmera... way back when, which has a series of photographs of railway stations from Great Western to Serviceton. Included were a couple of shots of Horsham, one dated in 1957, and another 1971. The following two are originally from John Sargent's 'Country Railway Stations Victoria' series of photo books.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdP-dQKq8FaTIpsr71GRkkrJXDaY_Enbe9nm-Nd_bOlaoBUmypyfMCp2T7iuMCaPB5vFgnY4bzJ-gK-FjUw8f-uXLkM_6-WFL25hK7P1Jda2xIK9edqoB33rwKDuwe6cnaNaHNynE3iFg/s1600/Horsham+1.+%282%29.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn02ZozG3Uhvatv8A0-ScuRz91wMWgskXeslEHGO91R_UzF1bOP-EE8GjIUqxRgSqYXxWD6-HT2dDxvEiBhJVEbL6hrnuqplvgK9waizc2gKm6LKJnEBhoMnZ34awg88OvOfd1OUW9Wvs/s1600/Horsham+3.+%282%29.jpg

Not a great deal had changed over the years, except the loco dock platform had gone by 1971, and loco power had changed. Also, a gum tree has been planted (in the second photo), which is still growing today.  In another ten years, the Freightgate had been built,  and the signal box, plus refreshment service rooms behind had gone.

Out at the Junction

A day off. Decided to head to Mount Barker Junction for some train spotting. Have not been for some time, and after checking the schedules on the ARTC website; there was a PN/Patrick Intermodal due around 12.30. Half and hour later, 5MA3 rolled through. NR 22, XRB 562 and NR 59.

Mount Barker Junction is now a 1500m crossing loop. Unfortunately, you can not see both sets of signals, as from the disused station building, the other set is around a set of curves, but normally you can hear them approach. The dual gauge line, to the right of the first photo, is the old line to Victor Harbor  and Milang. SteamRanger used to operate the occasional train to here during Steam-Up, at the beginning of their operating season, but the line is now unused.

Bringing up the rear, a whole load of Hamburg Sud boxes, and reefers.

Hamburg Sud on NQKY 34619G

Edit: Returned Sunday evening. The ARTC schedule indicated that a Interail intermodal would pass through a 6.56pm.

Certainly not an Interail/QRNational intermodal, but a Pacific National Trailerail, which should have past through at 4.25pm.
Many of these new 48' high-cube boxes, plus a few new 48' curtain sided containers. Unfortunately no photos of these.

PS. It is my understanding that the turnout to the Victor Harbor line was connected when the loop was built, but at some time has been dis-connected, as seen in the photo.

Auscision's GT46C-ACE

To begin the new year, Auscision Models announced the pending release of their GT46C-ACE (or SCT type) locomotive. No surprise to this bogger, as I was informed a number of years ago, that this model was in development, at about the time Railmotor Models announced they were going to produce the SCT class.
On checking out the web page at Auscision for this models, all liveries are going to be produced, except for the SCT. Suppose we will have to wait to see if Railmotor continues with their model development.
The two liveries of importance for the Adelaide to Melbourne corridor, are of course the QRNational hired LPD units, both in Downer EDI blue, black and white, and QRNational, maroon, black and gold; with all 9 units were introduced in 2009. These locos took over from G class units, and then were replaced/supplemented with the introduction of the 6000 class locomotives.

LPD in EDI/Downer Livery, marked QRNational

LPD in QRNational livery (Auscision Models)

Both these QRNational liveries have run on QRNational intermodal services from Melbourne through to Perth, via Adelaide.

LPD003 LPD001 & CLP13 run through Mt Barker Junction.

LPD004 having arrived at Mawson Lakes from Melbourne, behind a 6000 class