Victorian Grain Board Silos 2

My Victorian silo bins now have a hat. The roof structure is now complete, but not yet painted. I made the windows 'solid' behind the window framing, and will paint this black, as no light can been seen through them anyway. Still to build the discharge shoots and walkways/ladders.
I also have completed the little landing a the front. Unfortunately, I found that I had originally set the silos too far back from the track, and the silos had to be repositioned. The idea was to save as much as possible, but I had screwed down the piece of MDF that was the apron around the structure, and the screw was completely hidden. This resulted in the total loss of that area plus two lengths of flex track, which stripped away from the sleepers in the demolition process.
As seen, I have relaid the track and tested with running trains, still to be ballasted, and return of the weeds by static grass. The silo bins have yet to bee attached to the apron area, as they have yet to be fully painted, and final details to be added.

SDS Models NQPY / RQBY

SDS models have released a photo of their first engineering sample for the up coming NQPY/RQBY 'skeletal' container wagon. Their estimate for release is near the end of the 2013 year.

An RQBY in grey in front of a OCY wagon.

They will be available in NSW Freight rail/corp livery, National Rail and Pacific National liveries.

If of the same quality as the initial flat wagon, this wagon is a useful addition to the intermodal wagon fleet, seen on any intermodal train across Australia since operating under National Rail and national standardisation. Before that, they were confined to the NSW system.
Now just need the RSQY 'skeletal' variant. (Note this is the same wagon but with a variation in the deck cut outs. Some were coded NQBY for a while, but became RSQY under National rail ownership.)
Remember, they are not true skeletal wagons, as they were built with full decks. They have only had holes cut into the deck to reduce their tare weight.

RQBY on Adelaide bound PN freight  24/5/2013

Rail advertising

When was the last time a major rail operator produced or aired a television advert here in Australia. Well her is one from Norfolk Southern, and it is worth a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL_V_y2zYR4

Not only a impressive add for Norfolk Southern, but a promotional tool for railways, and their importance to the economy..

NQKY container wagon.

If having read earlier, the NQKY container wagon had its origin from the NSW Electric Power and Transmission,  CDY open wagon, built during 1975-76.  AR Kits produce a kit for the CDY, and they, having recently had a mad March sale, I purchased a unit for trial conversion to the NQKY.

If kit makes for conversion, as the under frame is a separate moulding to the body. At first I thought of building a new deck from strip styrene, but decided to cut off the body from the deck, then cut out all the holes to reproduce the skeletal appearance of the NQKY. If planning to have the wagon fully loaded, then probably do not have to cut the deck holes; but there are a few details to add.

Above are two NQKY wagons, each different. Note, the bottom photograph has had more weight cut out of it than the unit above.

Modified frame

This how the underframe will look, with the extra pieces removed. I have also replaced the plastic airline that is included, with 1/32 brass rod. I used the original to bend to shape.

Deck cut out and added pieces in place.

With the deck cutting finally finished, the frame was attached, strengthening around the brake components, and brake components added. Still to go, shunter steps and hand grabs and a few other parts, then into the paint shop.

NR class

The most frequent visitor along the main Adelaide Melbourne line is the NR class. The 120 locomotives were ordered in 1995, from A Goninan & Co, for the National Rail Corporation. The order was split in two, with half being built at Broadmeadow; with the others at Bessendean. All were taken over by Pacific National in 2002.

While out and about, came across the 4PM6, with one of a few, yet to be repainted Grey and Marigold NR class leading, in NR 72.
With the NR class now going through a re-power programme,where the GE 7FDL-16 prime mover is being replaced. With NR 23 the first locomotive through, the only visible change is LED replacements in the head and marker lights, plus inline refueling equipment.
Looking back, National Rail published the following livery diagrams on their website many years ago. 

For a fine description of weathering a Austrains NR model, go to the Barcoola blog site.

http://barcoola.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/austrains-nr95-weathering-ultra-modern.html

Plus modified livery drawing for early PN livery.

 

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.