An Australian Adventure.

[D6775]

Firstly, a bit of back ground and an apology for the first four waffling posts in this thread! If you get to the end well done. I had always wanted to go to Australia, I have no idea why but it was always on my to do list growing up. After college a friend of mine emigrated and had said to many of us to go and see her. Well, my parents bought be a flight for my 21st birthday so off I went to see my friend. This was not meant to be in any way a railway holiday but I thought if there is a chance to do something or go somewhere, I’d try and do it. Another friend and by that time Railway colleague (I had not long started on the railway) had been not long before I was to go so provided me with some gen on loco hauled in and around Melbourne. It was all GM but there was some interesting older traction.

 

I spent most of my time in and around Adelaide as this was where my friend lived and so accommodation was pretty much free! I did however book a trip on the overland to Melbourne for a few days. I had a good wonder round and took myself to various places including the puffing Billy Railway and a ride out to Warrnambool. The Melbourne to Warrnambool services at this time operated by West Coast Railway using 1950’s vintage GM loco’s. This is what really sparked my interest. An evening trip out to Geelong with an N class I was greeted with a B returning from Warrnambool, going out blind I had no idea what to expect, this hulking 1950’s GM Bulldog pulling into the station making a right racket – I was hooked. The following day I made my trip to Warrnambool with S302.

 

The following are a few pictures from that first trip:

A70 – a rebuild of the B class in the 1980’s using mostly the same internals of the N class, unfortunately I can’t remember where I took this, but I know I was disappointed being bowled with a DMU for my return journey back into Melbourne.

N456 – Seen at Spence St (now Southern Cross) Built in the 1980’s, effectively a clone of the Irish 071’s.

P13 – a rebuild of the T class loco’s with HEP for working passenger an refrigerated freight traffic. Somewhat similar to Irish 121’s.

S302 – Seen at Spence St (now Southern Cross) & Warnambool with X51. This was too be may Haulage for the day. The single cab version of the B class. Both S and B class loco’s were turned at both Melbourne and Warrnambool, even thought he B’s had two cabs only one was refurbished.

X2002 – The unmistakeable sight and sound of the UK HST clones!

And for completeness 8A at Belgrave on the puffing Billy railway.

 

I found a couple of model shops on this trip, but they we’re mostly filled with British and American stock, what was available we’re some Lima offerings. So on my return I decided to scour the internet. Eventually I found a company call Auscision Models who we’re proposing an A & B class loco. Now these we’re at least a year or more away but I decided to take the plunge stumping up some of my hard-earned cash for what some these days would call ‘vapourware’. Well, Auscision have now become one of the main suppliers of Australian models.

[D6775]

Roll a couple of years (and a number of delays) and I now had some Australian models in my greasy mitts but I had no idea what I was going to do with them! They would sit in a display cabinet until my second trip down under in 2008. Another trip to Melbourne and a wonder around Dynon Depot thanks to the staff on duty that particular day I walked into the office trying my luck after one of the station staff at North Melbourne gave me a nudge! This sparked my interest yet again.

A73 – Dynon Depot.

H3 – Dynon Depot.

Broad Gauge turntable.

 

This time I would come back with a T class loco & a rake of grain wagons in my luggage, still none the wiser with what I was going to do my Australian collection. By this time I was helping a friend out with his EM gauge Scottish layout and it was doing one of the EM gauge shows. Now I alluded to a little earlier that these loco’s run on the Broad Gauge (5’3”) in Victoria at the time of my first visit (a lot has now been re-built to Standard Gauge) so I wanted to replicate this in my models, EM being relatively easily accessible and extremely close to 5’3” in HO (OK its 0.175mm out). SO off I trotted to the show for the weekend with my little T class in my bag, on producing the loco out of my bag on the Saturday afternoon it turned out that the layout next to us was built by a chap called Ian Hunter and he was about to release his Australian layout ‘Broadford’ onto the circuit with both Standard and Broad Gauge trackwork! A long conversation ensured and a number of purchases to make my first foray into EM now I had half an idea what I was doing.

[D6775]

On to the models! After my chance encounter with Ian, I set about planning my first diorama I suppose. A small board with a Peco Turntable inserted and some hand-built track somewhat to Victoria Railways standards (any Autralian’s look away now, these re by no means perfect or 100% accurate, but it did me at the time.

 

 

By this time the fleet was starting to expend, wagons coaches and more loco’s would arrive, but I still didn’t have the knowledge to actually build a layout in EM, points scared me and still do, but I will come to that later. The Turntable project would stall and end up stored, I then came across a picture of Geelong Tunnel entrance that I wanted to re-create, again a small boar was knocked together and I started building.

 

 

These snaps from Google Earth give an idea of what I wanted to achieve.

 

Again, this stalled. As much as I wanted to build something, I didn’t really have the knowledge of trackwork, experience or motivation. Trackwork has always been a dark art to me.

[D6775]

Roll on January 2021. I’ve now had about three or four years mucking about with O gauge, building stock and working on layouts with Cam who lives not far away from me. Between the two of us we’re managing to give each other a bit of motivation and achieving a few things. He has now diverted into a German HO project (we can’t get together to build the O gauge layout at the moment) and I’ve had another delivery. With a bit of encouragement, I have dusted off the Aussie project and will be attempting to properly get it off the ground this time. I am still none the wiser with points but I plan on re-joining our local club when the world has recovered and hopefully trade some knowledge or skills to get this off the mark.

 

The new delivery’s (and the original B class):

 

 

& the plan:

 

 

I have also ordered a Greenwood 60’ Cowans Sheldon Turntable, this scales to c68’ and the one at Warrnambool was a 70’ version so should be a better fit than my Peco one. Let’s hope there is some proper progress on this!

 

Plannig this week to get the shed building ready for painting and we'll take it from there.

[faulcon1]

In 2016 there was a gathering in New South Wales of streamlined diesel locos from Alco and GM and here's a video of it

 

 

[D6775]

10 hours ago, faulcon1 said:

In 2016 there was a gathering in New South Wales of streamlined diesel locos from Alco and GM and here's a video of it

 

Would have loved to have been there for that but alas it was a bit far to go. I see S313 & A66 are doing a Spence St - Warrnambool run in a few weeks, again I'd have jumped at the chance but stuck in a wet dreary locked down UK!

[faulcon1]

On 30/01/2021 at 21:30, D6775 said:

 

Would have loved to have been there for that but alas it was a bit far to go. I see S313 & A66 are doing a Spence St - Warrnambool run in a few weeks, again I'd have jumped at the chance but stuck in a wet dreary locked down UK!

Some diesels are still in daily use and others are preserved 42101 is one unit of a class of ten and 4204 is one unit of a class of six. 4461, 77, 86 and 90 are part of a class of 100 although many have been scrapped. As an example diesel like steam loco numbers are numbered the same way here, so the 44 class were numbered 4401 to 44100, never 4400 to 4499. Of the 42 class three have survived out of the six in the class being 4201, 04, 06. The B's, S's 42 and 421 are all GM. The 44's are Goodwin Alco, Goodwin being the Australian agent for Alco US. Most GM's here were Clyde EMD's or Electro Motive Division. In NSW we only had one class of British built diesels, the British Thompson Houston 41 class Bo-Bo. They were a complete failure. They were the same shape (but a lot bigger) as the class 17 "Claytons" and they suffered from continuous overheating. The first wagon on a freight train had to be a low sided wagon otherwise the rear radiator didn't get any air. Only one survives from a class of ten, 4106. 42101 can be driven from both ends on a train but 4204 cannot. It can only be driven on a train from the streamlined end the other end has driving control but only for light engine movements. The 44 class can also be driven from both ends on a train.

 

[faulcon1]

Here's another video of streamlined diesels operating in New South Wales.

 

 

[faulcon1]

If you like roar of GM's then have a look and listen to this. Without the "super series wheel slip control" in the leading G class this train would have stalled on the grade of 1 in 52. Turn up your volume.

 

 

[faulcon1]

Here's another one of more old diesels working their guts out on the same grade. I do like the original livery of these old Victorian railway diesels. Again turn up the volume.

 

 

[faulcon1]

Here's a final one a video of a cab ride in a streamliner ascending the notorious 1 in 40 of Cowan Bank. The driver gives a good detailed explanation of what he's doing and concerned about. The loco is painted orange but in front of the divided windscreens is matt black paint. That's done to stop the sun reflecting off the paintwork straight into the crews eyes. The locos and train are maintaining a steady 11-12mph in 8th notch.

 

 

 

Edited February 1, 2021 by faulcon1

[D6775]

A little progress on this, a Greenwood Model Railways 60' EM Turntable Kit. Being HO this scales to around 68'6" so being used to represent a 70' Turntable. Hopefully have it pretty much together over the weekend. Missing an important bit that should be on its way tomorrow!

 

[D6775]

Well the turntable has been coming on this week now I have the missing piece! The Well is basically complete. It just needs weathering and some static grass. I've now got to finish the deck (wiring, painting, and hand rails) and its done.

 

 

 

Brickwork before mortar:

 

 

Brickwork after mortar:

 

[D6775]

I am calling the turntable well done now until I've got hold of a static grass applicator to grass a fair bit of it! Should sort the last bits for the deck this week and start to get that into paint too.

 

[D6775]

Borrowed a static grass applicator off a friend today so had a go at adding some to the turntable well. I am quite pleased at the outcome.

 

 

[Captain_Mumbles]

Wow. Is this still going? how is it?

[D6775]

I've not managed anything more on it at the moment, been concentrating on my 7mm stuff & the garden but I should have power in the shed before long so will likely progress a little more over winter. 

[philg]

Thanks for the great read Al - especially about Auscision!

 

I just splurged on a sound fitted NR class (memories of Sydney to Perth in 2014) - sight unseen

 

http://www.auscisionmodels.com.au/Indigenous NR Class Locomotive.htm

 

I’d also not heard that much about Auscision in the UK, but the promised specs seemed to fit the asking price - fingers crossed

 

Good luck with your modelling 

 

 

[r12477]

On 26/08/2021 at 23:53, philg said:

I just splurged on a sound fitted NR class (memories of Sydney to Perth in 2014) - sight unseen

 

http://www.auscisionmodels.com.au/Indigenous NR Class Locomotive.htm

 

I’d also not heard that much about Auscision in the UK, but the promised specs seemed to fit the asking price - fingers crossed

 

You will undoubtedly love this model. Auscision is one of premier manufacturers for RTR Australian prototype models and the Indigenous NR class locomotives are nothing short of spectacular. I have even been tempted to purchase one of these, purely for display purposes, despite modelling primarily in N scale myself. 

[philg]

6 minutes ago, r12477 said:

 

You will undoubtedly love this model. Auscision is one of premier manufacturers for RTR Australian prototype models and the Indigenous NR class locomotives are nothing short of spectacular. I have even been tempted to purchase one of these, purely for display purposes, despite modelling primarily in N scale myself. 

Thanks for that. I’m fixing g the waiting really hard (especially since I’m also waiting “patiently” for an Accurascale Deltic and Bachmanns 1938 tube stock!j

[D6775]

On 26/08/2021 at 14:53, philg said:

Thanks for the great read Al - especially about Auscision!

 

I just splurged on a sound fitted NR class (memories of Sydney to Perth in 2014) - sight unseen

 

http://www.auscisionmodels.com.au/Indigenous NR Class Locomotive.htm

 

I’d also not heard that much about Auscision in the UK, but the promised specs seemed to fit the asking price - fingers crossed

 

Good luck with your modelling 

 

 

 

You'll not be disappointed. The two new B's above are sound fitted, which reminds me I ought to give them a spin on my mates 00 layout before I re-gauge them.

[Philip Jackson]

So I have by way of a self birthday gift / Pished eBay purchase acquired an Auscision B65 class and what a beauty. Can anyone suggest suitable passenger carriages to go with it?

[wairoa]

Good thread. I bought a pair of NR Class by SDS models and Austrains. 1 was a dummy and the other powered. I believe Auscision makes better models however, I really like the 2 I bought. I have also just ordered an Auscision 46 Class electric locomotive. So looking forward to that.