Adelaide Model Railway Show 2013

It has been and gone for another year. A good selection of layouts. Greater Portland won the vote. been a large N scale layout, with nothing else that bid, it was not surprising. It seems that the exhibition is becoming a get together for the enthusiasts, a catch up; while the general public had a good look at running model trains, from Lego to fine scale.

Avoca, a Tasmanian OO scale layout, using HO scale track to represent the 3'6" narrow gauge track.

Demonstration on building pine trees. These are for an O scale layout. The branch/foliage is furnace filter, which is unfortunately not available in Australia. The material for these trees was imported from the USA. I seen this method written about before, and if you Google furnace material, nothing like this comes up.
Another favorite, was Stewarts: a South Australian Ho scale town with grain silos. With recent releases, there was more rolling stock running.

A new, and unfinished layout; again South Australian, was Bridgewater: running a nice 620 class steam engine.

VLEX vans

Even though this model was released during 2012, I decided to acquire a Powerline Models unit during the Adelaide Model Railway exhibition 2013. These wagons worked across the border from the time they were built, till the end of Australian National, and for SCT in Freight Australia green livery, till 2005.

  VLEX wagons stored at Dimboola.

I was actually after a VLNX, marked for news print only traffic, but none were available. These vans brought newsprint over to Adelaide for News Limited newspapers, from Tasmania, via Victoria. Powerline, currently only have these vans available, marked in VR livery. But as lettered a VLEX, it can be run with V/Line marked vans.

The main draw back with this model is that the under floor is painted black, when it should be wagon red, same as the body. As seen, in the photo, the body unclips from the floor, and will be repainted using Steam Era models wagon red. If one really wanted to model one with a door open, (sometimes seen when running) the doors are a separate piece, which clips in. The wagon is also a bit light, and could do with some extra weight.

Underfloor now painted in VR wagon red. I added a bit of black to try and match the body which was a bit darker in colour.

On Track Models, also produce these wagons. These are slightly more accurate, and also more fragile, as they are virtually an assembled, ready to run kit. (Meaning, as the Powerline body is one piece, the On Track body is made up of sides, end, floor and roof, all assembled). yet to obtain a set of these.

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.