Aussie Cars

Just a quick post today. I recently purchased two Road Rager models; a 1962 Ford XL wagon and a 1966 Ford XR sedan. These models are two of a wider range of Australian cars of the 1950’s to 1960’s. Produced in HO scale, they are nice reproductions of some iconic Australian automotive history.

The models have been lightly weathered, as they will be relatively ‘new’ when appearring on my circa late 1960’s to early 1970’s VR layout.

T Ice Van

A short post. This is a Steam Era Models T iced van kit, which was constructed, painted and weathered by a good mate of mine. I really do like VR four wheel traffic, and this is a lovely representation of the prototype.

According to Mark Bau's web site (www.victorianrailways.net), "The T's had an ice bunker running along the middle of the ceiling that was filled with ice from hatches in the roof. They were used to transport meat carcasses or other goods that required a cool temperature. The walls were about 6 inches thick for insulation. The vertical channel at the end was a drain for the ice bunker. This series of T vans had a 15 1/2 ton capacity. Truly a relic from a bygone age they lasted to the late 70's in general box van service."

Detailed GYs

I’ve been rather busy lately trying to complete some of Steam Era Models GY kits (see previous post). After looking around the internet for reference photos, I came across some images of Precision Scale Models’ brass GY. Released some years ago, the details on this model are amazing. This instantly became my new standard. The results (thus far) are a common ‘inside sill’ GY and the less well known ‘outside sill’ GY (kit-bashed).

Each model took around 3 hours to construct, and includes;
• Etched brass lashing rings and shunters steps from Model Etch.
• Lost wax casting brake hose from Model Etch.
• Eye bolts (for decoupling rod) from Details Associates in the US (sourced from Austral Modelcraft in Brisbane).
• Centre brake rod made from Evergreen 0.5mm rod (#218).
• End grab irons made from Evergreen 0.5mm rod (#218) and 0.25mmx1.0mm strip (#102).
• End brake rods (between brake shoes) made from 0.2mm brass rod.
• Brake rod catchers/protectors and decoupling rod made from fine wire (small E acoustic guitar string).
• RP25-88 broad gauge (ie EM gauge) wheel sets from Steam Era Models.
• Etched brass handbrake kit (Inside sill GY only) from Steam Era Models.
• Hand wheel and brake gear (outside sill GY only) from Model Etch.

The other three GY’s will follow shortly. One of those will include GY1080. Of the ~6000 made, GY1080 was the only inside sill GY fitted with a hand wheel brake gear.

GY Wagons, Incomplete Kits and Ghana.

I am currently in Ghana, West Africa undertaking some work for a gold mining project. The locals are very friendly and the accommodation is more like a tropical resort than the ‘utilitarian’ mining camps that I’m accustomed to in Australia.

Knowing that I would be here for a month, I decided to bring some kits with me to monopolise the otherwise slow evenings. I had purchased a Broad Gauge Models (BGM) 5-pack of the Victorian Railways' GY four wheel wheat wagons quite some time ago. Used primarily for bulk wheat transport, these wagons were fabricated in the UK and in various government railway workshops throughout Victoria during the 1940’s and 1950’s. They eventually numbered well over 6000 and were found widely across the rail network. A VR ‘icon’, one might say. The other kit being a VR Products' GH conversion kit.

During a recent visit to Melbourne, I dropped into the Victorian Hobby Centre and noticed the 5-pack GH kit and thought ‘that looks interesting’. Using GY underframes, this ‘conversion’ kit enables the construction of five GH wheat wagons. Like the kits, the real life GH wagons were converted from older GY wagons. According to Mark Bau’s web site (http://www.victorianrailways.net), the conversion was “...a major undertaking and you have to wonder how many new bogie hoppers could have been built with the money used to convert the GY's into GH's. By the late 1970's VR was so seriously short of grain wagons that drastic measures like this had to be undertaken...” With all this in mind, I carefully packed my kits and modelling gear, and ‘set sail’ to Ghana.

One warm and wet evening (it’s rarely anything else in southern Ghana), I pulled out the kits to read the instructions. What a pity I hadn’t done this back in Australia... The VR Products kit does not include all the material required to complete their kit! Materials I have in abundance at home in Australia, and are not so easily sourced in Ghana (ie impossible). After some mumbling and cursing, I was forced to make a decision; should I wait until I get back to Australia to make the GH’s, or make some GY’s instead? I noted that the original BGM GY kit included etched brass brake gear. These, along with discovery of 5 Kadee couplers in my modelling box, were interpreted as ‘providence’. That was it; I decided to construct the first (and possibly last) Victorian Railways GY wagons in West Africa!

I have managed to complete 2 of the GY kits so far. The etched brass braking gear, along with some additional breaking rods, makes for a kit that really captures the prototype. Anyway, find attached a picture of the two completed GY's, a drill rig in the middle of the jungle and some rather large snails and millipedes found here in sunny (and very steamy) Ghana.

QB Well Wagon

I have recently commenced the construction of Steam Era Model’s QB well wagon. I have chosen to model the wagon in its post 1970’s state.

According to Mark Bau’s web site (http://www.victorianrailways.net), "...these wagons were designed originally for loco boiler transport. Although in service they were more typically used as a heavy duty flat wagon capable of carrying unusual loads. Large rolls of cable drums that were too high to be carried on regular flat wagons, monopolised the depressed wagon centre, enabling the item to remain within the loading gauge."

While the kit requires soldering, I would be hesitant to say that it is ‘difficult’ to construct. The key word in my opinion is ‘patience’ rather than skill – although some of the latter won’t hurt! I sourced some good quality flux, along with 145°C and 179°C solder from DCC Concepts’ Sapphire range of products. This, along with some good advice from DCC Concept’s proprietor, Richard Johnson, and a good modelling mate, made for an enjoyable experience. Finally, this was my first attempt at a brass kit. Therefore I can speak with authority when I say that all the old advice is ‘surprisingly’ correct: keep the model clean, use good quality products and that ’less’ solder is definitely ‘more’.

More photos will follow as the kit approaches completion.

Grass

As an avid reader of the UK-based magazine, Model Railway Journal, I had often noted contributors’ reference to using carpet underlay to represent grass. The results always seemed quite effective. So when considering how to model long dry grass at the end of summer, I thought it was time to try the method myself.

First, I had to locate some of the underlay. This is the old, ‘hairy’ material that has now been superseded by a foam-based alternative. Consequently, trying to locate some was a little challenging! After several phone calls and a visit to a large carpet supplier’s commercial outlet, two linear meters worth was purchased. (Yes, I know; that is a lot of underlay...)

The underlay was teased apart and dunked in a bucket of cheap bleach. This gets rid of the grey/brown dye and takes it back to a light blond colour. The rinsed underlay is then glued to the layout in small balls. Once dry, the small, tightly ‘planted’ balls are severed with a scapple and then the new ‘grass’ is trimmed with a pair of small scissors.

While I could have left the bleached underlay the blond colour, it just didn’t look quite right. A treatment of highly diluted light yellow paint was applied with an airbrush to give depth and a sense of realism. I’ve provided an image of the results on my trial plywood board, which also features an attempt at using locally sourced sand and BBQ ash for ‘gravel’.

I am reasonably happy with the overall effect but in the future will use less yellow as well as other ‘earthy’ colours to tie the gravel and grass together.

Trackwork

As previously mentioned, I have decided to model Victorian Railways broad gauge in 18.2mm gauge. This has resulted in me having to hand lay my track. While some people try to avoid such activities like the plague, I actually quite enjoy the process.

After gluing some lengths of 3mm cork sheet down, I proceeded to lay my sleepers – one at a time! Given that my lay out is based on a rundown early 1970’s branch line, terminus sleepers were laid in a somewhat random fashion (while observing the prototypal spacing). The sleepers are coloured with mahogany colour wood stain and weathered with various shades of grey and brown acrylic paint.

The Micro Engineering code 55 track is held down by Micro spikes, which themselves are installed by countersinking a 0.75mm drill hole. I have used brass etched fish plates from Model Etch.

The track has been weathered – although I’m not entirely happy with the colour. I have supplied an image of track section that is nearing completion. This length of track is the defunct turntable pit road – now without turn table. The introduction of diesel locomotives some 15 years before renders such infrastructure redundant.