My piece of the Victorian Railways

More work, and a visitor from SA arrives...

2006-10-01T04:42:00.000-07:00

After a couple of days work, I thought a photo essay might be better than a blow-by-blow description of the works undertaken. I figure I will describe the major changes in a later post.

Due to a industrial dispute in South Australia, Australian National sent veteran bulldog GM12 to Melbourne for painting into their new corporate colour scheme. Once completed, the GM and S31o (also fresh out of the paint shop) ran a trial trip to Tallangata and return. The attached photo shows GM12 running around the loop prior to its return to Melbourne and subsequent forwarding to Adelaide.

GM12 and S310 arrive back at Tallangata after a test run to Shelley. The two locos had been turned to allow S310 to lead back to Melbourne as GM12 didnt have the nessesary radios to lead on the main line.

After the trial run had departed, all was quiet for a while until B80 arrived with the evening train from Melbourne. The train unusally consisted of a D van, an AS, State Car # 5, 2 x ABS and a BS.

The normal three car W car set has been stabled in Tallangata in preparation for the Monday morning train to Melbourne. It seems that as it is a public holiday, the train will be very poorly patronised.

From the cab of B80, looking toward the terminus. T363 stands in the loco depot, while the monday morning car set stands in the holding siding.

The T will provide the motive power for tommorrows passenger train to Melbourne.

The water tower and coaling stage (invisible from this angle) have just been added.

As its a long weekend, the ARHS SA Div in conjunction with the ARHS Vic Div operated a combined tour train from Adelaide to Melbourne, and then Melbourne to Tallangata and return using a SAR 250 class Bluebird Railcar. Here we see 258 crossing the main street of Tallangata.

A severe thunder storm the night before had sparked a scrub fire in the foreground.

24/9

2006-09-24T02:26:00.000-07:00

T363 crosses the big trestle

Now the crows have dropped out of the finals race, The summer has arrived, and work can now commence. Since the last post, work has continued, albeit slower than I would have expected given I have been on holiday.

The back area which had previously been left as a white plaster coat, has been given the 'royal treatment' and has been partially sceniced.
A few trees have been planted around the big trestle (see photos).
The line from Shelley to Cudgewa has been ballasted as far as the small trestle (still to be built).

T363 on the Big Trestle

Updated Photos

2006-09-15T01:29:00.000-07:00

Well, as promised I got out the back and took some new photos.

On the right, we see T363 leading the local passenger train into Tallangatta platform. The leading car is State Car No.5

The photo on the left, shows state car No.5 coupled to the front of the local passenger train, just after T363 had cut off and run up into the locomotive depot.

State car number 5 is a heavy kitbash of a Powerline BS car. Originally purchased second hand, the car was stripped down and modifed (complete with new car ends) to represent the special service car.

If anyone has any questions about this conversion, let me know and i'll post a more detailed post about it.

T402 and T363 lead the local passenger train out of Tallangatta.

The overall view of the layout room.

Locomotives

2006-09-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

Well, while this is all based in the high-country, we still from time to time have the need for some high-horsepower units. C508 is seen here lifting T402 and B80 out of Tallangatta yard. The area in the forground has now been sceniced.

On the current roster are the following:

C508 - Austrains, weathered and slightly modified.
T402 - Dual Gauge Products body, proto2000 mech.
T363 - Dual Gauge Products body, scratchbuilt mech, using athearn SW2 bogies and motor
T357 - Northern Models Body, PCB chassis, SEM Black Beetle power bogies - under construction
B80 - Lima body, proto2000 mech, directional headlights, detailed.
S310 - Lima body - repainted into fresh V/Line livery, superdetailed.
S315 - Lima, unmodified.
B74 - Lima - repainted and detailed - currently not used as operational MP.
F211 - Modified Hornby 'OO' scale Class08 - lowered and modified to more closley resemble the F class. Needs a mech despiratley!

The first posting

2006-09-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well, anyone who has visited the model railways forum on Alyz Takla's railsa, would have seen the Tallangatta - Cudgewa line, Nick and myself are currently building in HO scale.

While not exactly like the prototype, we have incorporated our favourite aspects of the Victorian and South Australian Railways into this new layout.

This blog will serve as a location for updates of the layouts construction.

Construction is continuing, with the following additions to the layout:

Plastering and basic scenery has been added around the Tallangatta and Cudgewa yards.
The big trestle has been re-ballasted.
The large SAR style water tank has been moved to the summit, to be replaced in Tallangatta yard by a VR styled corrugated tank. A coaling facility will also be added in due course.
A second series high-nose T class is currently under construction - this will be subject to a seperate post.
T363 has finally returned to service, after having a complete overhaul and recieving a new scratchbuilt mechanism.
T402 has finally recieved its A end handrails, after operating for some time in an unfinished state.

More updates will come in the not-so distant future.

Cheers,

Pete