Broad Gauge Models - models

Broad Gauge Models is well known to modellers of the Victorian Railways for their extensive range of models and RTR Brass locomotives. I am unclear when they started probably some time in 1980 with their first release in late 1980. They continued in business until c1990 when they split into Steam Era Models – who got the plastic kits and bogies, Heritage signals –the brass signals and Broad Gauge Models who kept the name and the locomotives, although under new ownership. The structures seem to have gone to Ian Lindsay Models.

In a misguided fit of enthusiasm I decided to see whether I could garner a list of all the Broad Gauge Models releases from the reviews in AMRM using Magindex. The result is an impressive list although a few items seem not to have been reviewed. I recall the E steam locomotive kit – I know this as I have one, and there was a Y steam locomotive and a SAR 700 class.

Here is the list (comments welcome)

VR standard 4 -door goods shed (HO) AMRM Reviews In the November/December 1980

VR Y class bogie sideframe (HO) AMRM Reviews In the March/April 1981

VR style shunters steps and brakewheels (HO) AMRM Reviews In the March/April 1981

VR G side frame casting AMRM Reviews In the May/June 1981

“Blacken-it” chemical metal blackener AMRM Reviews In the July/August 1981

VR E series and PL series passenger bogies (HO) AMRM Reviews In the July/August 1981

“Weather-it” chemical ageing for wood and cardstock AMRM Reviews In the September/October 1981

VR shunters steps and brake handles (HO) AMRM Reviews December 1981

VR GY open wagon (HO) AMRM Reviews April 1982

VR station building (HO) AMRM Reviews August 1982

VR K class (HO) Samhongsa/Broad Gauge Models AMRM Reviews August 1982

VR GY brake gear and shunters steps (HO) AMRM Reviews December 1982

VR D3 class 4 -6 -0 steam (HO) Samhongsa / Broad Gauge Models AMRM Reviews February 1983

VR A2 class 4 -6 -0 steam (HO) Samhongsa / Broad Gauge Models AMRM Reviews December 1983

VR archbar and cast steel bogies (HO) AMRM Reviews December 1983

#2 gauge 3/16in pan head screws AMRM Reviews December 1983

VR U van (HO) AMRM Reviews February 1984

VR UB van (HO) AMRM Reviews April 1984

VR E open wagon (HO) kit bash – not reviewed but released August 1984

VR T van (HO) AMRM Reviews October 1984

VR X class 2 -8 -2 steam (HO) Samhongsa / Broad Gauge Models AMRM Reviews February 1985

VR Y class diesel (HO) Samhongsa / Broad Gauge Models AMRM Reviews February 1985

VR loco numbers (HO) AMRM Reviews February 1985 issue,

VR I wagon (HO) AMRM Reviews April 1985

VR M cattle wagon (HO) AMRM Reviews August 1985

VR GY brake gear and shunters steps AMRM Reviews October 1985

VR I open wagon and M cattle wagon Decals AMRM Reviews February 1986

VR X class diesel electric (HO) Samhongsa / Broad Gauge Models AMRM Reviews April 1986

VR T van (HO) Decals AMRM Reviews October 1986

V/Line G class diesel electric (HO) Samhongsa / Broad Gauge Models AMRM Reviews February 1987

AN BL class diesel electric (HO) Samhongsa / Broad Gauge Models AMRM Reviews February 1987

Silver and V/Line green/white lines Decals (HO) AMRM Reviews February 1987

VR W series passenger cars (HO) AMRM Reviews June 1987

VR W passenger and Plate frame bogies (HO) AMRM Reviews June 1987 issue,

16 .5mm gauge wheelsets (HO) (16 .5mm) AMRM Reviews June 1987

VR 18ft T van conversion (HO) AMRM Reviews June 1987

VR IY wagon (HO) AMRM Reviews December 1987

VR C class diesel electric (HO) Samhongsa / Broad Gauge Models AMRM Reviews February 1988

VR timber trestle bridge kit(HO) AMRM Reviews June 1988

VR / V/Line FQX (VQCX) container flat wagon (HO) AMRM Reviews October 1988

VR Z van (HO) AMRM Reviews August 1989

VR bogie wagon brake gear (HO) AMRM Reviews February 1990

VR A2 class 4 -6 -0 passenger, Stephenson valve gear, coal fired version (HO) :Kit by DJH / Broad Gauge Models AMRM Reviews February 1990

Liquid modelling water AMRM Reviews August 1990

VR / V/Line SFX (VFLX) bogie flat wagon (HO) AMRM Reviews April 1991

Colonial cottage: Kit (HO) AMRM Reviews June 1991

VR N class 2 -8 -2 steam locomotive kit (HO) Kit by DJH / Broad Gauge Models AMRM Reviews August 1995

VR D3 class 4 -6 -0 steam locomotive kit(HO) Kit by DJH / Broad Gauge Models AMRM Reviews October 2000

National Rail RQZY 5 -pack container wagon (HO) AMRM Reviews June 2004

Bowen Creek (Epping 2009)

I am a perennial visitor to model railway exhibitions – sometimes I am there for only a few minutes and leave depressed by the overall amateurish modelling or the evident lack of interest the exhibitors have towards the public. But every so often comes a model that is so impressing that it just blows me away. From my past I remember Woodend, Crafton, Boliva, Sunset Siding, Time and Patience …

At Epping was another, possibly the greatest - Bowen Creek .

Bowen Creek represents a unattended crossing loop on an imaginary line in Central West NSW. The layout is built to Proto:87 standards but with skill and subtlety that is rarely seen in modelling.

The strength is two areas – the landscape and in the display. The landscape is constructed so that the railway sits in the landscape as in real life.

Look at this section for example the track is almost invisible.

yet there is incredible detail in the track and with the shunter’s shed. There is a point rod to the lever and wire to the signal. The inside of the shed has internal bracing

visible. Look at the landscaping around the short siding and the S truck.

Then look at the wider shot I took (above) and you can see how it all works together.

The other matter is the display. The model is constructed from steel tube with a high density polystyrene foam as the base. The module encloses the scenes and lights them with lights from the front. This allows the modeller to control the light and the view of the scene. It is also raised fairly high again to control viewing. Unfortunately at Epping, Bowen Creek caught the afternoon sun and this made photography a bit tricky.

The other layouts on show such as Palden Hill and Brunswick Park probably had similar quality modelling but because of their standard design they had no control of the light and they looked fairly gloomy.

Being P-87 all the rolling stock had to be converted but some old RTR favourites were there such as a 620/720 rail car, the C30 and this 47. They tended to be a few derailments which I put down to this being the layouts first show, others might reflect unkindly on those finescale flanges.

Bowen Creek is a credit to all involved in particular its owners Ian Millard and Andrew Campbell.

TW Bogie Tanks Wagons

After some head scratching and discussion on Railpage – one of the internet discussion groups Australian modellers regularly use to nut things out I have begun.

Progress is at a measured pace largely due to the need to Araldite the brass to the underlying plastic frame. Tonight I have added the headstocks using “Slow Zap” CA which is a slower acting cousin of the dangerous “Zap a Gap” which could be relied to stick anything just where you don’t want it (such as another finger).

The headstocks needed some serious holding in place but there was no space to clamp so CA was the way to go and it seems to have worked.

Cement and Railways – SCMRA Seminar

The Southern Cross Model Railway Association runs an annual thematic seminar on matters relating to modelling the railways of NSW. It is usually held in a community centre in Epping with a spit roast provided. I have been to a few – notably one with a just broken foot.

The topic for this year was Cement and the running order was:

Modern Day Cement Trains - Alex Nadalini

Cement Wagons -John Beckhaus

Portland Cement works -Howard Armstrong

Cement plants and their railways - Trevor Moore

Kitbashing a limestone wagon - Alec Warner

Weathering your Cement Wagons - Mike Crompton

Models for Cement - Trevor Moore

Modelling a Cement Batching Plant -Marcus Ammann

Smaldon the layout -Geoff & Ben Small

Closing Discussion -John Parker

It was a well run event and for me very useful in giving me lots of ideas about modelling approaches and techniques.

Here is Marcus Ammann’s presentation –this view unfortunately shows off the bald pates of the audience!

A sample of the model rolling stock is below.

I am not sure who is doing this but a cement works is under construction in HO and it looks pretty good.

Below is one of the curves on Smaldon Curve.

This model shows what you can achieve with a simple concept. Better still it was completed one of a number of models Geoff Small has completed to exhibition standard(roughly 1 every 2 years).

Strange Beauty

These three beauties were sculpted by Mr W.P. Macintosh of Annandale and were erected at the new offices of what was then Metropolitan Board of Water Supply and Sewerage, in Sydney (1918).

The figures represent (from L to R) : The City of Sydney (notice the resemblance to Clover), Aquaria symbol of the water supply and Hygeia symbolising water supply (as she holds a cog and ewer). There is no symbol for sewerage so it is left up to our imaginations.

All this seems right an proper and done in copper (during a World War when copper might have better uses). Imagine the fuss if Sydney Water tried to do a similar thing today.

Photos of the Edwin Davey Weighbridge

Here are some photos of the remains of the rail weighbridge used by the Edwin Davey Flour Mill.

This is the Flour Mill building sitting on the sandstone escarpment. The siding was located in the middle ground where the fence is. The weighbridge and loading facilities were located roughly where the graffiti can be seen.

The overhanging part of the building is where the grain was elevated to.

This is a view from the top of the escarpment looking down on the rail weighbridge. You can see the weighbridge itself and remains of the balance and evidence of underground loading facilities.

This is a close up shot of the weighbridge and balance. The weighbridge was made by the Australasian Scale Co, Sydney which were associated in some way with Avery’s the British scale manufacturer. You can see artefacts associated with graffiti art discarded on the ground.

The Edwin Davey Flour Mill and its rail connection

I have been doing a heritage assessment on the rail weighbridge that served the Edwin Davey Flour mill in Pyrmont. The Mill which was established c1890 and taken over by Edwin Davey in 1900 was connected to the Darling Harbour Goods line when it was constructed c1922.

The siding was cut into the sandstone escarpment on which the mill stood creating space for several wagons and a rail weighbridge. Wagons presumably were weighed and then discharged into underground bind that conveyed the wheat to bucket lifts that took the wheat up the escarpment to the storage silos in the mill. There is no evidence that the Mill discharged flour into rail trucks.

This is an undated photo of the siding and the mill. From the ‘newish” look of the exposed sandstone cutting it must have been taken when the siding was newly opened. If you look closely you can see that the wagons on the street outside are horse drawn.

What is interesting about the place is that later a connection was made to the Sydney City Council’s depot which seems to have been established in an old quarry (probably “Hellhole”).

I haven't been able to establish a date for the siding. If you look at the website for the City of Sydney archives (http://www2.photosau.com/cityofsydney/scripts/home.asp) you can search on Wattle Street and see pretty much all their photos. The earliest ones date to 1931 and show the siding with wagons “in situ” (e.g. SRC 13736). It looks like that the Council had established an asphalting plant on the site which was located at the rear of the site next to the quarry face and which was loaded from Jones Street.

The railway wagons seem to have discharged from their elevated track onto the area at the base of the asphalt plant. Later there was some sort of cement making plant as well. It seems obvious that the wagons (only 4 wheelers have been seen) brought in material for Council use.

This plan taken from the current Parish Plan shows the layout of the Council’s siding and the rather complex shunting required from the Flour Mill siding. There wouldn't be much room for traffic so presumably the trains were short or stood on the main line while portions were shunted.

The Council siding seems to have lasted until at least 1970 – it is not there in 1973 I think. The siding to Edwin Dave lasted until 1995 – I even saw a 48 class hauling some wagons from the siding when I first moved up here.

My thoughts about this area also drift to what an interesting little model railway this would make.

Any further information on the topic would be most welcome.