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Australian Modelling


Grant Newhouse
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A friend of mine has one of those Eureka HO garratt's with DCC sound and they are a damn impressive, beautifully smooth loco. I think they were about 750 euro, which is a lot of money. But for DCC sound, nicely weathered, smooth running giant locomotive (and they are made in limited numbers iirc) I think its a fair price. Was even tempted to get one myself!

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Thanks all, its alot to consider. I think i'll put the australian layout on the back burner for now, or untill i get some more space/cash dry.gif but ohh well. I did find an old lima 4f in my stock box and i think i could make a nice little Generic 0-6-0 out of it with a few modifications and new chassis. B)

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...

Once upon a time to get a decent NSWGR steam loco the only way to go brass. Very expensive I know as I purchased a 32, 55, 38 Class. But at one stage some of the white metal kits were the way to go, ie 19 class. Then came along DJH who had some great kits, although pricey, but very well detailed. Compare what I paid for my Mansfeild Hobbies streamlined 38, (unpainted) back in 1990 or so to what a new brass 38 is now, is unreal ! To have Eureka and Austrains producing quality models in plastic RTR form is awesome. When you compare the detail of the Austrains 44 class deisel to the old Lima 44, you can see why we pay more. Now compare the prices of some of the Heljan locos produced for the UK market and then convert to Aussie dollars, we are doing pretty good down under for such a small market base !!

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  • 1 year later...

Australian modellers have never had it so good. At one stage in the not too distant past the only R-T-R was toys from Lima, Triang/Hornby or if you wanted quality, Korean Brass which came unpainted. I have a brass 36, Z26 and an 80class. The 36 is like an old Hornby Dublo in that the cab is full of motor. I also have two Eureka 60 class, the weathered DCC sound models. Yes the Eureka models cost $980 each, but if you were to buy a DJH Garratt kit and then factor the labour of making it, painting it, weathering it and finding authentic sounds for the DCC decoder it would come out price wise at more than the R-T-R would be.   

Edited by faulcon1
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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

With the Eureka Garratt's does anyone know how to reprogram the CV's for the headlights so that if running forward and I want the headlight on ONLY the front headlight comes on not both front and rear. I have turned off the 'voice' by setting CV 62 to 0. 

My only other problem is that the loco doesn't coast to a halt, it puffs to a halt.

Any solutions to the problem would be greatly appreciated.

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  • 2 months later...

I wonder what happened to the Lima product that was re-released a few years ago to a terrible editorial caning from Australian Model Railway Magazine? It seemed to disappear of the Hornby International website very quickly. Sure it was the 1970's tooling and mechanism, but it was still great as introduction sets for kids which most "enthusiasts" seemed to forget. And it would have allowed Hornby to judge the potential market properly before modernising them.

 

We don't seem to hear the same complaints about any errors in the Bachmann "Outback Hauler" or "Desert King" sets despite the non-prototypical ore cars and loco errors. For the importer to have commissioned these sets after the Lima drubbing was game, particularly to have one of the Pilbara cab loco's specifically produced is great. http://www.pilbararailways.com.au/ . Now that I have my 600 sq m block of land I just need the many thousands of dollars to replicate any of the Pilbara railways in HO or N!

 

 

Cheers,

Hendo

Edited by Chris hndrsn
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The Lima 44 Class was my second loco I purchased after the Lima C38 Class plus three coach (MFE, MBE & TAM 12 wheelers) trainset to start me off. Both of these came some time after my first Lima trainset, which was European based 0-4-0 and three wagons, Coca Cola van, Shell Tanker and a open wagon, with a circle of track, battery powered ofcourse !

 

I thought that the Lima 44 was an exquisite model for the time as no-one else bothered to produce such models at a reasonable price. Lima was probably at the forefront of ready to run Australian models, producing models of South Australian Railways, Victorian Railways and the New South Wales Railways. Kudos for doing this !

 

I too wonder why Hornby elected to drop the outline Australian models, where all they had to do was what they do with their old tooling, just update. I guess one good thing that came out of it was a hole left in the model railway circles down under. Now we have some great examples of models available, some at cost I will say. These days the replacement for the Lima 44 is the Trainorama model. It is an excellent model with proper mesh grills, accurate detail, scale knuckle couplers, flush glaze windows and the list goes on...

 

Compare these two, Lima on top, Trainorama below.

 

post-14327-0-93110100-1399702151_thumb.jpg

 

 

post-14327-0-25065600-1399702184_thumb.jpg

No. 1 end of the two 44's, Lima left, Trainorama right. I had added an extra skirt to the front of the Lima model and also Kadee couplings. My weathering was pretty ordinary back then as well !

 

 

post-14327-0-33164200-1399702245_thumb.jpg

No. 2 end comparison. Trainorama left, Lima right. Headlights, number board, flushglaze windows, window wipers, correct horn, crew, lower skirt, brake lines....

 

 

post-14327-0-10541000-1399702267_thumb.jpg

Body & bogie detail on Lima 44

 

 

post-14327-0-49315600-1399702374_thumb.jpg

Body & bogie detail on Trainorama 44. Note the detail on the grills, staff exchange, steps and bogie mouldings compared to the Lima model.

 

Ok, the Trainorama model had cost me $150.00 (on sale, generally $200.00), whereas the Lima model cost approximately $65-70.00, way back in the mid 80's, some 30 plus years ago...

 

Hope you enjoyed the comparison !

 

Cheers, Gary.

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The 44 is interesting. It's the first time I've seen a prototype that has it's cab steps split off below the body and added to the truck side. Happens all the time for RTR models, presumably because of the sharp radii (and little fingers) that would break them off otherwise.

 

Andy

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The NSWGR 44 Class was built with the steps seperated from the body. See here ; https://www.flickr.com/photos/60850520@N05/14068755164

 

As were a few other locos, like this G Class ; https://www.flickr.com/photos/63943065@N02/6735837783

 

The 46 Class : https://www.flickr.com/photos/58476760@N05/5513996708

 

The 80 Class ; http://www.our-australia.com/railway/comeng/nsw-80class.html

 

Cheers, Gary.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've had the same problem trying to find Australian models, but with the added difficulty of modelling in N scale! Granted there are a few n scale producers, but I'm more interested in the modern era stuff and there is definitely a scarcity of those. So instead I turned to shapeways to made my own - which I think is the best way for modellers in small markets (like ours) to go about it. 

If you're interested, you can check out my threads on making a CityRail Waratah  and the Vline V'locity by Shapeways!

Edited by bluemattersoda
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  • 3 weeks later...

Those are really interesting comparison photos, thanks, Gary.  The Trainorama model obviously wins hands down on detail and appearance.  But the Lima 44 runs quite well, so I just wondered what sort of performance the Trainorama loco delivers.

 

Thanks again.

 

 


These days the replacement for the Lima 44 is the Trainorama model. It is an excellent model with proper mesh grills, accurate detail, scale knuckle couplers, flush glaze windows and the list goes on...

 

Ok, the Trainorama model had cost me $150.00 (on sale, generally $200.00), whereas the Lima model cost approximately $65-70.00, way back in the mid 80's, some 30 plus years ago...

 

Hope you enjoyed the comparison !

 

Cheers, Gary.

Edited by Dorkingian
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  • 1 year later...

Just to give this thread a little bump...

 

Picked up this Trainorama 44 - 4461 on ebay recently at a reasonable price.

 

 

post-18421-0-40410700-1439662911_thumb.jpg

 

Shown on my slowly coming together SAR layout - so it's out place already but I couldn't resist the model in that livery.

 

Any other UK based Aussie modellers about?

 

 

 

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  • 5 months later...

Just picked up a Trainorama South Australian Railways 830 Class from Bobs Hobbies.

 

http://www.bobshobbies.com.au/  5 days from order to delivery in UK - great service.

 

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australian_Railways_830_class

 

 

Fantastic models - if I had any doubts why I switched from UK OO  to Aust HO this model dispels 'em - its superb.

 

For those interested I paid £165.00 inc P&P

 

Better pics tomorrow whens its sunny (!)

 

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Excellent Models indeed Ross. :imsohappy:

 

The 830 Class is the equivalent of the NSWGR 48 Class. Both are very versatile locos, used for mainline, branchline and shunting duties.

 

My other purchase at the same time I picked up the 44 Class, is the 49 Class. Another outstanding model to say the least and a bargain at $140.00 ! (£68.60)

 

post-14327-0-03015500-1455429839_thumb.jpg

 

post-14327-0-62355900-1455429879_thumb.jpg

 

Apologies for the slightly out of focus pic above.

 

post-14327-0-65949800-1455429911_thumb.jpg

 

Now, all I need to do is to dig out some wagons and build a NSWGR based layout. Maybe an Inglennok or something similar...

 

Cheers, Gary.

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Nice looking 49 there Gary.

 

When they came back from Parkes and were allocated to Delec we used them mainly on trip trains around the metropolitan area. An inglenook based on one of the suburban goods yards or private sidings would make an interesting layout.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

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There are (or were) a couple of prototype Inglenooks around NSW. Some bits of Clyde Yard, the down end of Glen Innes, the repair sidings at Goulburn and Grafton, the flour mill at Murruburrah, the Keys sidings at Narrabri. Just a few I have spotted looking at signalling diagrams.

 

Cheers

David

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  • 1 year later...

Now if they did the Overland I might get the West Coast PCO I need!!

 

Accidentally sent Auscision an email for two more A class off the next run - Still not sure how I have justified A66 in V/Line MK3 though.............................

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Okay, I'm a sucker for wirescrapers of all descriptions.

But the Auscision models of the VR 'L' Class and the NSWGR 46 Class look absolutely superb. 

Minded to obtain at least one of each (in the non-gaudy liveries) if only for the mantelpiece.

 

http://www.auscisionmodels.com.au/46%20Class%20Locomotive.htm

 

http://www.auscisionmodels.com.au/L%20Class%20Locomotive.htm

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