Dooen grain

On the 6th of August, GWA operated a grain loading from the Wimmera Intermodal Freight terminal at Dooen, just north of Horsham. This was the first time a grain hoppers, CGAY's have been loaded from the terminal by Viterra. As the grain handing terminal has yet to be built by Viterra, the grain was trucked from their grain storage facility one and a half kilometers away, then loaded by a portable loading auger into the grain wagons. Up front were GWU005 2216 and GWU001. Once loading was complete the train departed for Port Adelaide.
This was one of four trains operated to Port Adelaide, by GWA, in early August, with the other three been loaded at the Dimboola Grainflow terminal.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60627979@N02/9453974921/

Trainorama's GM

Trainorama have finally released their HO scale GM locomotive. Versions available are mainly the non dynamic brake series; not seen on the Adelaide to Melbourne route, and GM 42 with only the rear fan cover. Until a double cover dynamic brake version is released in either AN or G&W livery, my money is safe.
A mate brought his Commonwealth Railways livery GM 32 over on Saturday. A fine looking model, pity about the colour (more sort of a desert faded red). The model is of a fair weight, and the new motor (one reason for the lengthy wait for its release) ran smoothly and quietly. In fact it ran at a similar speed to the Austrains CL, with no tugging or pushing between each unit.

Compare the GM with the Austrains CL behind it, which has a better rendition of the colour. In the bottom photo, the GM is against a true Commonwealth Railways red colour chip, supplied to me by Clyde Engineering, many years ago, and religiously kept in a dark place so it cannot fade.

Horsham field trip

A return trip to Horsham found the yard still been used by QUBE. Containers for transporting grain are stacked around the yard, plus many AQCY container flats. No sign of any motive power, as rumour has it, the containers are now trucked to Melbourne, and the yard is now used as mainly storage and QUBE office.

Horsham Yard.

The boxes are loaded at the Viterra silo terminal at Dooen. (Photo below)

Grain loading.

Finally managed to obtain an across the track view of the station. Note, the voids  under the platform, where the signal rodding would have extended out from the signal box, before it was replaced and demolished, early 1970's.

I recently came across a photo, taken in the 1920's, showing the eastern end of the station. There once stood a another brick building, attached to the main building by a brick wall. More interesting though, it showed the verandah before the alterations, and it was once supported by possibly, five cast iron posts, positioned about 3/4s out from the building along the platform.

Brick style station at Talbot showing verandah roof and posts.

Talbot station showing verandah posts as originally at Horsham.

The above two images show the style of verandah posts, (from Talbot station on the Ballarat to Marybourgh line, which is in original condition today and privately owned). The drawing shows the curves of the roofing, though I do not think the verandah at Horsham extended out quiet as far.
Ref:  Ralph Durr’s Full Steam Ahead

Auscision N cars

Auscision Models recently released, in July 2013, their HO scale Victorian, N passenger cars. These cars ran to Horsham up till early 1993, when all services past Ararat ceased. These models are only available in sets of three; as when released to traffic, they ran in permanent sets of three. These were then increased, through rising demand, to four and five car sets. A luggage van is included, but are rarely used in traffic, today.
As usual, the quality of reproduction is of excellence. The only down side is that the roof is a separate moulding and is glued to the body.  On the orange versions, the join is noticeable, as the roof is all orange, or the grey (in prototype) did not round the roof curve far enough to hide the join. The 'Heritage' Mk 1 and 2 livery, plus the new grey and white livery, are, better suited the style of assembly of the coaches, as the roof colour extends down the to the top of the body moulding, thus hiding the join. The cars have full interior, with even luggage racks, and the interior has been moulded in the correct cream colour. (I should know, as I supplied the laminex color chip).
I  received my N set; in V/Line Passenger 'Heritage" red and blue livery. While no cars in this livery have every ran to Horsham, the beauty about model railways, is that one can do what they want, and as with prototype, with the N class locomotives, one can mix and match liveries.

 
Though: As reported by the ABC, Wednesday 19 June, 2013:

The Horsham council will appeal to Public Transport Victoria (PTV) in a bid to extend passenger rail services west of Ararat.

Councillor Tony Phelan successfully moved a motion at Monday night's council meeting to request the authority investigate integrating a V/Line train service with the existing timetable.
The council's Tony Bawden says while the different rail gauge east of Ararat makes it difficult to provide continuous services, there is the possibility for a connection.
"We did have a meeting with PTV a couple of months back where we floated this idea and so we'll be formally requesting PTV to reinstate passenger rail services to Horsham and other towns," he said.

Maybe, loco hauled services might return to Horsham, or would it be Vlocity High speed DMU sets.
 (V/Line passenger, today 'operate' a rail service to Melbourne via Great Southern Rail's Overland service. One coach is booked for pickup of road side passengers to and from Nhill. Up to 60 seats are available to Victorians at V/Line ticket prices to travel as far as Nhill. ).

AWM open top container models

AWM Automodelle is a German company that produces a wide range of European Road vehicles in 1/87 scale. They also have a range of container models, and while recently researching European domestic containers, I came across one that is of use for the Australian environment.
It is a model of a 40' canvas covered open top container.  AWM SZ 40ft open top Container MSC. While I have not seen one on the Adelaide Melbourne corridor, in Wongm's Rail Gallery, there is a photo of one, on a NQKY on a PN MA3/AM3 freight.

http://railgallery.wongm.com/wagons/pn-ma3-flats/E106_2586.jpg.html

MSC open top container. Could do with some flat varnish to take away the gloss look.

I purchased mine off ebay,  for the sum of EUR6.02, or at the time $8.62, plus postage. Go to http://stores.ebay.com.au/DS-AutoModelle?_trksid=p2047675.l2563 and search for containers. 
I also purchased some nice European 45' reefer units in Ferroverde and Unit 45.com liveries. (These containers, for interest, transport fresh flowering plants from Holland to Italy by rail. 

 http://www.gemeenteninbeeld.nl/GreenRail/beeldtaal_film.html 

The above video is in Dutch, but one can get the sense of what it is about. 

It is also interesting to note, that while Europe is generally electrified; cross border inter-modal services are hauled by diesel locomotives: though they use an electric in the video, and if you look closely, the loco changes between countires.
This is due to most European countries operating on different electric systems and voltages, so a Class 66/77 is able to travel non stop, while an electric hauled train has to stop at the border crossing to change locomotives. Strangely similar to Australia many years ago, before through running.)

Auscision UGL Ci43/44ci part 2

To be available 2014 (maybe). Art work for the liveries has been placed on their website. Those of interest for the Adelaide to Melbourne route are below.

QRNational 6000 class

The 6000 class are operated on QR/Aurizon intermodal services.

6000 class updated livery

G&W GWU class

The GWU are used extensively on G&W grain trains to the South Australian border with Victoria.

Pacific National 93 class

The 93 class are beginning to show themselves on PN intermodal services, and are tipped to take over from the NR class as their numbers grow with new builds.

Finally caught sight of my first 93 class; only just. With the bad weather here in Adelaide, saw 6AM passing through the Mount Barker loop, 22/7/2013 at just past 9.30am. Leading was 9301, and managed a rushed photo as I had only just arrived, to await to see 5MP trailerail. (Which did not turn up as scheduled at 10.15am).

Reach stacker in OO scale

I have been holding off posting about English company; Oxford Die-Casts' up and coming model of Konecranes SMV 4542, OO scale fully 'posable' reach stacker. Due to be released before the of this year; it will be available initially in Konecranes light blue, and be the only OO scale model on the market.

In relation to HO scale, this unit would be only about 10% bigger than the Kibri kit, which therefore, could be made to represent a larger reach stacker unit.