Auscision Models SCT

As hinted in past posts, Auscision Models released their model of the SCT locomotive at the  Sandown Model Railway Exhibition. Numbers 007 and 012 are available now, with the remaining. 001, 002, 005, and 015 available in May.

Photo: Auscision

Photo: Auscision

I require at least two of these units, so stay tuned for when the first one arrives for review.

Victorian grain storage drawings

Having been asked recently about drawings for Victorian grain storage facilities, I have decided to add some to these pages. Unfortunately I could not get the scanner to  talk to the laptop, so I resorted to taking photos. These drawings came from VicGrain, many years ago, when I inquired about drawings for silos. They are representative only, as at each site, the size of Oat sheds and steel bin silos varies in dimensions.
The first is  marked on the drawings as the Oat Shed, also used for bagged grain. There is one of these remaining at Horsham, right down the end of the Melbourne end of the yard.

Oat Shed Horsham (No longer in use)

End view

Side view

The above photograph shows the other silos associated with Horsham. One the right is a very large Williamstown type concrete vertical silo ( which has four smaller diameter verticals behind it). These serviced the flour mill, which part remains, just left of center. As a matter of interest, this second only to Nhill silo in size, which is the largest in the state.
To the left are five Ascom type steel grain bins. These are no longer used, as Grain Corp does not operate these bins, or rail siding any more.

Drawing for Ascom Jumbo.

 

The plans were scale 1/200. The diameter across the Ascom was 120mm, and height of bin to top of cap was 130mm. The Oat shed was 63mm wide and 41mm high. Use only as a guide, as for example, the Oat shed at Horsham is actually wider than the drawing, so is higher.
For the Williamstown silo, the following link to Eltham Model railway website, has large PDF to download.  http://www.elthammrc.org.au/scenery/162-victorian-grain-silos

PS. I also have drawings for South Australian concrete verticals an steel bins, to add later (Now added). It is interesting to note, that many concrete vertical silos in Queensland followed a very similar design to the SA ones.

 

 

Stop the press - Ultimate NR's

Auscision Models announce they are going to produce the ultimate NR class, with factory fitted sound. I was informed about this development five months ago at Caulfield, and to the Main South Line, this means an expansion in the NR fleet. Currently I have three Austrains units, (one from the first run an two from the last run; and my son has two, one in Ghan and a Southern Spirit Livery). These models are now, unfortunately, out dated, with little detail that the modeller now expects.

Source: Auscision Models

Triple NR's passing through Mount Barker Junction, SA with a trailerail service from Melbourne.

NR 46 with five stars.

NR 115 with four stars. Who says they are all the same!

NR Liveries Auscision

Warley 2014 Exhibition UK report

While away, I took the opportunity to plan holiday itinerary to take in visiting the Warley Model Railway Exhibition at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre. This is the largest in the UK, scheduled in November. We stayed in Birmingham city, and caught the train to the exhibition centre, about twelve minutes away by rail: cost about five dollars each way.
On arriving, one leaves the platform and enters the exhibition building. Also on that weekend, was a huge motorbike exhibition, Comic-com UK, and a Christmas fair.
On entering the exhibition you encountered a mass of trade stands. which also extended down the sides, with the layouts massed together from about half way, and dividing some of the trade areas on one side. This also included an area of how-to and instructional/demonstration displays.
The trade stands had everything one would want, especially away from the manufacturer stands, and general model shop stands. like squires Tools, which had every sort of model paint, plastic card, tool, scenic item one would want, and there were several of these. (There were guys going around with lists of things they wanted, crossing them off when they found each item).

It's past 10 o'clock, six windows open for tickets.

Displays, ranged from T gauge right through to 12" to the foot. Yes there were two small steam locomotives on display, plus some carriages. The main mix was N, HO, OO and O gauges, with some live steam model in there as well.

Keightley and Worth Valley's ex NCB Haydock built 0-6-0 Bellerphon.

Tallyllyn Narrow gauge; Fletcher Jenning built  'Tallylln' 1864.

Australian N gauge, Victoria layout Dawes Creek. (Very green scenery, set in spring). Had a good chat to the owners, there main difficulty in modelling Australian in the UK, is obtaining models. Postage out of Australia is not good (like most places), and Her Majesty's customs also like their share.

Victorian Horse drawn bus.

What are these guys looking at? They stood there for more than ten minutes. This layout was packed, could not get any closer. When I did manage to push around the corner, what were they looking at: nothing. There was not a model train in sight!

Modern traction depot.

Demonstration stand area.

O scale layout, early stage of construction. There were several O scale layout of this size.

Track diagram No 1

Finally, I have a track diagram to post. I have quite a few of these drawings, but when you want to scan them, can you find them all: no.

This shows the left hand corner, or the Melbourne end of Horsham yard. In real life, this end is as long as the station yard area, but has to be bent around in curves; then directed behind one of the garage supports, to run single line again. The station building is marked, and has to fit right up against a wall support, which slightly means that the goods shed has to be out of position, opposite it.
This area is 110cm wide.

The points are Electrofrog,  PECO code 75, medium radius in the yard, and code 83 (number 6's) coming off the main line, which is code 83 wooden sleeper flex track. The yard is also code 75.
Also shown, is the curve for the track on the lower deck, which is actually single line, and not double, as drawn. This heads into a three yard silo yard on the left, which extends out from the 51cm. The main concern with this section, is that, the main line run right along the edge of the board! Might need a safety barrier, as this area has yet to be run at speed, only used for shunting as the track at each end does not connect to anything. Yet.

Layout work weekend

A fine weekend brought about some work on one of my corner modules. The reason for this was, that the weekend before, this was the position where one my X class locomotives took a tumble. The new scenic area in the above photo use to be open. The lad had placed a sheet of paper over the track, the plan for his basket ball ring. Unknown to me, I was testing the new wiring under DCC power, and the lead loco, a X class ran up, onto the unseen piece of paper, and landed on the floor. Luckily, apart from some cracks in the cab, the only other thing was the drive train came apart. A quick dis-assemble, and all the bits were clicked back together.
The left hand side is plaster bandage over flywire, while the right, I tried card board lattice with Chux wipe cloth, hot glued into place, then plaster bandage. I then cover the area with Woodland Scenic fine earth scatter, then a sprinkle of burnt grass over the top. After this, 2mm long static grass was applied.

I also started work on the next section, adding in both upper and lower levels, where, hopefully in the future, the up and down spiral tracks return to the main modules.

Powerline's VHGF

Powerline released recently a second run of the third series VHGF grain hoppers. The following numbers are available.

PD-100A-222 GJF-222 VR

PD-101A-303 VHGY-303 VR

PD-102A-316 VHGY-316 VG

PD-103A-332 VHGF-332X VG

PD-106A-302 VHGF-302H VF

PD-107A-323 VHGF-323J VF-ABB

PD-108A-259 VHGF-259 VF-CUB

I added both the Australian Barley Board and the Malting Barley for Carlton & United livery units to my collection. Below; not being politically correct; here are the sides hidden from view in the shops because of their association with the alcohol industry.

The standard of these models is the same as the previous run. The printing is sharp and the orange band is correct, as it was not V/Line orange. The only problem is the quality of the wheels which area bit chunky.

The other problem, is that the metal walkways seem to have had some rough handling on assembly, with sections been pushed down. These can be straightened by carefully pushing from beneath with a thin flat object. I had a privilege to select my two units, obtaining two with minimal damage to the walkways.