DERM Part 1

This is a HO scale model of the VR DERM (Diesel Electric Rail Motor) built from the SEM kit. DERMs ran all over Victoria on both main and branch line passenger services until withdrawal in the late 80's, early 90's ( I think - don't quote me on that). I have read a description which basically called the DERM's the ugliest railmotor to have operated on any railway anywhere, or words to that effect.

The kit is in my opinion the best in the SEM range. It's injection moulded with accurate parts, minimal flash and well designed, and most importantly builds into an accurate model of the real thing that LOOKS right.

The photos above show the completed body with the roof temporarily in place, which took about two nights work. The biggest problem with this kit is how long it takes to paint....

To be continued...................

VR BW Passenger car

This is the first item of rollingstock to come off my workbench in a while - 12BW, built from the left over bits and pieces that accumulate when you've built a few of the SEM E car kits.

Of course, you can do it the easy way and simply buy the kit but I wanted to get rid of some of the aforementioned bits and pieces. Even though this kit's been around for a while I think it builds into a very acceptable model, even by today's standards.

I used this model to test some of the Tamiya spray cans, rather than use the SEM enamels. Much quicker, cleaner and easier to use than my airbrush, and even though I think the red's not quite right (Tamiya Itailian Red), I'm happy to accept the compromise. With some weathering I think it will still look pretty good.

Cairns Kuranda Railway

I've been in far north Queensland recently so I haven't had time to do much modelling. While I was in Queensland I did get the opportunity to ride the famous Cairns to Kuranda railway. Unfortunately it was diesel hauled, but it was still an amazing ride anyway ( I understand there was steam haulage until fairly recently). The service is run by QR using nicely refurbished heritage carriages, and the line has some amazing views. However, the best feature of the line wouldn't be noticed by the vast majority of passengers. On arrival in Kuranda, the station and yard are controlled completely by mechanical signalling - it is like a throwback to the fifties. Then again, it is in Queensland...........

30th September 2006

This is the Broad Gauge Models VR D3 kit referred to in my first post, completed but obviously unpainted. Subsequent to these photos the model was painted and sold.

Some elements of this kit were excellent - the loco body and tender are nicely detailed and capture the image of the prototype well, but in my opinion the overall quality of the finished product is let down by the tender bogies, which were hard to build properly and did not run well, and by the gearbox, which didn't sit properly in the boiler, and as a result kept stripping gears.

Anyway, building this model provided me with some invaluable experience as it was the first kit I've built where I experienced significant difficulties in putting it together.

Currently I've got a number of projects on the go, the most pressing being a VR station building for my layout (I can't progress any further with my layout until it's finished). As far as rollingstock goes, I've finished another couple of the SEM cattle vans that always seem to be lurking around my work-bench, and I'm part way through building the second of two of the original BGM K class loco kits. The first one is finished and delivered to it's owner, and the second is mine and about 60% complete. At some point in the future I will do a mini-review on these models with some photos of construction............

I'm Back!

I apologise for not updating this blog. Between running my family's business, starting a new business with my wife, building my first layout, and building models for clients, I haven't given this blog a lot of thought until now. I'd like to get things back on track (pardon the pun) soon!

First Post

Welcome to my model railway blog. I model the railways of Victoria, Australia in HO scale. As I'm a fairly prolific model builder I hope to use this as a record of the models I build as I go along. From time to time I imagine I will ramble on about various aspects of the model railway hobby in Australia - I don't know if anyone will read this but I'll do it anyway. Anyway, on to business.....my current projects.

In the workshop:

VR Wooden Overland Sleeping Cars: These were the sleeping cars used on the Melbourne-Adelaide "Overland" passenger train from the early 1900's until the mid 50's. As of last night I've finished building two of these cars from the BGB polyester resin kit, and hopefully I'll get a start on painting these this weekend. I think these are actually pretty good kits, they go together easily, the detail is good and they look the part when painted. The downside is that the resin is extremely brittle and you have to handle them with kid gloves to avoid chips and breakages.

VR M Cattle Vans: I'm building a couple of these small 4 wheel wagons from the Steam Era Models kit. Something has gone horribly wrong with the first one because it has the worst wobble when rolled down the test track that I've ever seen, and I've built a lot of these SEM 4 wheel kits. At first I thought the wheels were not true, and spent close on an hour last night checking and adjusting the wheels, to no avail. I know these kits have a reputation for being difficult to get to run without wobbling, but this one has really got me scratching my head.

D3 Class Steam Locomotive: Built from the BGM whitemetal and brass kit, this has been the most difficult, frustrating and time consuming model I have ever built. Even though others I have spoken to have had no problems I remain convinced I got a lemon. In no particular order, I have had the following problems; the tender bogies kept falling to pieces and for a long time I could not get the tender to sit on the bogies properly, the gear box kept stripping one particular gear, there were numerous tight spots and binds in the valve gear and driving wheels, and i ended up leaving off the brake gear on the loco because it was shorting out the motor. Anyway, after solving most of these problems this loco is now 99% complete and just needs a good running in session. Hooray!!!!

So they are my current projects, another progress report soon!