Anzac weekend running

It has been a while since all the door modules have been connected to allow not stop running on the layout. All the track in the station area has been relaid, and tested to make sure that there is power. The reason for all this, is that, my mate Tony wanted to run his newly acquired, preloved, Powerline 830 class diesels, in Mustand Pot livery. Unfortunately, his old Trax 830 model is wired in reverse to the two Powerline units.
A bit of encouragement, and the 830's were on their way. Then it was on with his Austrains, (first run) 700 class in AN livery: no trouble with that one. The DC running was all over, when son Craig wanted to run his Auscision AN 3 in Ghan livery. Disconnected the DC power, connect up the DCC to the command station, and within minutes there was about eight locos on the track. (Not all working, as you must write down the correct numbers for them to run). The difference, from running one train, to several.

The above photo shows a grain passing over my river crossing. (The sheep in their unfenced paddock know to keep away from the track). The hoppers furthest from the camera are all green, and the loco that is actually pulling all these wagons is an Mehano HO scale EWS class 66; which is not bad, as usually these are hauled by an X/A class double head: there are more, out of shot to the left.

SDS Models FQX flats

Goods new for container flat car addicts. SDS Models have announced that their FQX wagons have completed production and are heading our way.

Photo: SDS Models

Photo: SDS Models

These wagons run with just about all operators, and the all these liveries would be found on any Pacific National inter-modal service, right across Australia. There are many, still in AN green and VR red, (though probably not coded VR), you just would not notice, as they are covered in road grime.

The first run liveries, are VR red, Freight Australia green, Pacific National grey with sunflower stripe, QRNational grey, SAR grey and Australian National green and gold, plus road grime.
Bad news, is that the first run of SAR and AN flats came out the factory incorrect, having four chain boxes, instead of two. This is to be corrected in the next run. 

Update from SDS, is that the rerun of FQX wagons is to arrive late July, hopefully with the correct SAR/AN version. 

The correct South Australian versions arrived August 2014
 

Swire containers

I don't usually chase trains after leaving work, but I decided to go to Bunnings Hardware to check out some foam board, listed in their new catalogue. Passing over the bridge at Anzac Highway, noticed an intermodal service lingering at Keswick, but more particularly, it was loaded with many Swire Shipping containers. the only other time I had seen a unit was a while ago at Port Flat yard. Along with an assortment of 20 and 40' Hamburg Sud containers, there where few other liveries on the service. I finally managed to get ahead with time to spare dry dry creek, as the train had to slow to before it could pass through the triangle, to head down to Port Adelaide.

NR 90 and NR 36 leading, heading towards the triangle and onto Port Adelaide terminal.

Swire shipping container JSSU 11201468 2261 (Wagon is a NQKY). all the Swire containers were 20' units.

Hamburg Sud 40' Hi-cube, on a RQAY skeletal flat. (one of many on this train).

Heat wave destruction

I have been home three weeks now after time away, missing the three weeks of heat wave temperatures of over 40DegC. Decided to have a running session, or a shunt session, as usually I only use the bottom section, and shunt grain wagons at my silo complex. this is because the drop in area across the garage door is heavy (needs to be redesigned).
It was when I was operating a shunt, I noticed something not quite right with the upper station area. The area of laid ballast had cracked severely, the area of hard stand in front of the goods shed:which had been laid on foam board; the top layer of paper had lifted away from the foam. (This is the result of heat. The garage is probably not the best spot to built a model rail lay-out).
So I hit the track with large amounts of water, and started to carefully lift (which was not too hard).
by the end of the day, the effected ballast was gone, and most of the track relayed, and rewired. Plus the mess had been cleaned away.

The photos show the after effects, with the ballast cleaned away. The bricks a weighting down some re-glued cork, and the water spray bottle is where the hard stand used to be. Some repair work needs to carried out on the bridge ( just as well not all the steel beams had been put in!).

Periodical New Zealand post

Having returned from three weeks in the Canterbury region of the South Island, (and having missed some of the hottest weather in SA recorded history), managed to catch some rail action on the Midland Line. Not just coal trains this time, as I was out to photograph Kiwi Rail's superb new coaching stock, now running on all three passenger trains. I concentrated on the Tranz Alpine service, as it passed close to where I was staying.

A standard Tranz Alpine consist rapidly passing through Darfield with new coaching stck, heading for Springfield, where the train makes a stop for about ten minutes.
 

The Tranz Alpine departing Springfield. The DXC class used on this train re the only ones allowed, as all have had fire extinguishing equipment installed, in case they should catch fire passing through the Otira tunnel. (This resulted from the Pike River mine explosion inquiry).

The AK and AKC carriages, were the last items of rolling stock to be built by Hillside Engineering workshops, in Dunedin.

The other train a must to view, are the WP trains on the timetable, that all service the huge Fonterra Milk factory just out of Darfield. There is one milk powder container train on each morning, except Sunday, and a containerized coal train. These are scheduled for each day, except Sunday, but only run as required.

Containerized coal arrived from, Christchurch. These boxes are loaded on the West Coast, railed across the Alps to Middleton depot, then back to Darfield, as the siding into Fonterra is only one way.

Monday afternoon, and the extra loading is shipped out from the factory. The locos came down from Springfield and attached to the consist that was waiting on the Fonterra siding. All of this is visible from the highway and access road to the plant,  as there is a massive lawn area on the factory side of the track. All these containers are bound for China.
If visiting the area, beware, that there are road milk tankers everywhere, especially during the mornings.

Dooen, finally the new Horsham freight terminal.

The Wimmera Intermodal Freight Terminal at Dooen now has four train movements per day. Two, WCL/SCT in and out to Melbourne, and two QUBE in and out to Melbourne; after and agreement was reach recently in Novemeber, with WCL over access to the terminal by QUBE.
Both trains are currently hauled by GL class locomotives, on hire from CFCLA. This is while the SCT, CSR locomotives are out of action, due to asbestos removal.
QUBE Logistics container movements are now from the nearby Viterra terminal to WIFT, and by rail, instead of been road hauled through to Melbourne, after QUBE ceased rail operations from the old Horsham yard about half way through 2013.

Dooen terminal is about ten kilometres from Horsham. The main line is just to the right, in the above photograph, and this is where the terminal spur also connects.

Here is some action from the Stawell rail Cam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-wER_ImR-k

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stawellwebcam/11505416664/

Building a SCT's PQFY

Something must be wrong! I have 99% completed two models recently. This time it is a PQFY in line fuel tanker for SCT. SCT services across Australia all haul a PQFY wagon directly behind the locomotives. This means that SCT does not have to stop on the Nullabor, and pay for fuel from a competitor, at their prices. Originally they used VTQF tank wagons from freight Australia, but when these came under Pacific National, SCT and Liquip International, developed their own inline fuel system, involving twin TILU 30' 35000litre tanks on ex Commonwealth Railways RMX container flats.

I began by scratch building the wagon. I used drawings of the Mechanical Handling version: first batch, built 1968; obtained from Inprotrans, a while ago. (Note: that there are minor difference between the wagons, depending on their manufacturer. The oval hole version was built by Commonwealth Engineering in 1969). The wagon was painted red, with a grey deck, and fitted with Auscision 70t ride control bogies.

The tanks came from DSAutoModelle, via ebay (they also have a online shop). I purchased the cheapest 30' tanks with red frame work they had. These were sand back to remove the unwanted European Owner markings, then painted white. The walkways were cut back to only leave a top inspection plate.

The pump unit was built from pieces of plastic and brass wire, follow a near enough arrangement from photos viewed from other sources, and attached to the tanks with some black coated wire.

Now just await a couple of  SCT EDI GT46C-ACE's; probably due during 2014, and not from source that has been advertised.