Chris hndrsn

1ngram, I believe there is a HO ROD locomotive planned for/being produced for the Australian market. A number of them were used until 1973 on colliery lines. Chris

John, Thanks for the encouragement. I also note Hornby are doing the J15 this year. Cheers, Chris

Jonathan, Thank you very much for pointing me to AMF87, the Euro price is eye watering for me! But a few intriguing wagons popped up. I am taking liberty to post the images of the wagons from the AMF87 website and translated extracts from the website as well. First is a WD well wagon (AMF kits K220 and K221) which was produced in a short and long version: the translation from AMF87 states: "These lowered cars were built for the British War Department during the First World War, arrived in France in 1918, several specimens were embedded in Park Co. North with 2 styles here reproduced 13.2 m and 17.7 m (which make a very long car for the time), some of these cars were modified wagon obviously central. All had a very long career and experienced for most registration UIC." Comment: I suspect these wagons would have been introduced for carriage of the Mk IV and Mk IV tadpole tanks, the tadpole being noticeably longer than the MkIV. The next is a 20 tonne metal van (AMF kit K240), the site states: "These cars were built in Britain at the end of the First World War on a model derived from boxcars to 20t skins friezes wood Co. North and attributed to it in compensation for losses suffered during the conflict. The body is full metal, a characteristic they share a little later with the North covered unified "rebuilt" with domed roof." Third is a WD Guard Van (Kit K241) : "These cars were built in Britain at the end of the First World War for the operations of the British Army in France. After the war they were sold to the Compagnie du Nord. They share many common elements with the boxcars built simultaneously for the same reasons. Originally vans were equipped with a corrugated tin roof and a large periscope, some were also equipped with a hand brake screw gangway to make them linkable to increase the weight of the trains brake while n 'using the services of a single agent. Quickly, roofs were redone in a conventional manner (wooden slats covered with tarred canvas), lost their gangways for those who had received him and provided a smaller periscope." Finally there is another short wheel based van mentioned with commentary mentioning WD relating to the Brake Van, but the translation is not quite clear, overall very interesting, a pity they are not in OO. Given the cost for these HO kits and the likelihood that they will be noticeably smaller with OO stock something I am unfortunately not willing to risk buying. With regard to the SNCF Society, no I haven't, though given my quite narrow and specific interest I am not sure joining would be worthwhile. Cheers, Chris

If I can find the plans of the correct French 50 men/8 horses vans I may be able to get them converted into a CAD/CAM for 3d printing. Cheers, Chris

1ngram, Cross checking the ROD book with the Model Rail Model and Kit directory for 2013, the eight available loco's I can identify are: GWR Dean 2301 0-6-0 by Hornby GWR Churchward 43XX by Bachmann GWR Robinson 30xx by Bachmann Southern Drummond 700 0-6- by OO Works Southern Billinton E4 by Bachmamm (this year) LNER Stirling/Ivatt J4 by London Road LNER Worsdell J15 by PDK LNER Worsdell T1 by 52F Models I too am planning a small layout based on the ROD and light railways and have the same problem, I don't know what standard gauge rolling stock was used and what is available. Bachmann and Hornby will no doubt release their loco's in limited edition ROD livery and numbering. I have a few questions of my own to add to yours: Does anyone know of an OO gauge versions of the French 50 Hommes/8 Chevaux (50 men/8 horses) box van's (braked and unbraked) so common in wartime images of the ROD? Can anyone point me in the right direction for a book of French and Belgian rolling stock of the period? Does anyone know of drawings for the Belgian SNCV Type 21 metre gauge locomotive? The UK built 50 locomotives and 1200 wagons to operate on the metre gauge around Ypres. I believe they were Type 21's as that type is referred to in the books by Bishop and Davies. Can anyone recommend passenger coaches for the period to make up Haig's and Gough's command trains and add coaches to the ambulance train coming from Bachmann? Being in Australia and not having the ability to wander into decent UK, French or Belgian railway bookshops that may be able to help me, I would greatly appreciate any one pointing me in the right direction. Cheers, Chris H

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

Hi, I have only just bumped onto this thread, so my apologies if someone has already pointed out that 17th (Anzac) Light Railway Operating Company did actually exist. It formed at Fricourt Brigade Camp, France when 1st Anzac Light Railway Coy were withdrawn for a rest. It was formed from 1st Anzac Light Railway on the 11th June 1917. The war diary is at: http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/records/awm4/15/4/awm4-15-4-1.pdf It ended its time as 3rd (Australian) Light Railway Operating Company. Don't trust W.J.K Davies book on this as he seemed to miss all of the Australian company's except the 15th. You can find the three Australian Light Railway and Three Broad Gauge company war diaries here: http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/records/awm4/class.asp?levelID=83 Otherwise superb work! Cheers, Chris

G'day David, I am anew member who yesterday spent most of the day reading this thread, superb work on these models. Can I offer a suggestion for smoothing Shapeways models - ice cream sticks, tooth picks and balsa wood are good for burnishing the rough surface, a straight edge on the ice cream stick for flat surfaces and balsa wood where you have corrugations will often help polish off the excess powder without doing damage to detail. You also mention in a recent post that you made the Plasser track machines from photographs, Plasser UK, US and AU have pdf side elevations of their machines along with outline dimensions on their websites that may help you. Any chance of creating and selling some rescaled to 1/160 Plasser machines on Shapeways? Yours would be the only ones out there and would satisfy many elsewhere in the world. Cheers, Chris