Latest News

 

July 2021

Model train manufacturing has been beset by many issues over the past 15 months. The greatest impact we’ve experienced was the longer than normal times for assembly, this was due in part to the ongoing shortage of skilled workers and the other has been the short supply of proprietary items we need from America and Europe. 

Whilst the supply of skilled workers now appears to be increasing, as travel restrictions are eased, there is still an ongoing shortage of electronic components as suppliers try to rebuild their stock levels.

 

Victorian Railways   PL Series Passenger Carriages

Recent arrivals include the VR PL carriages with smooth sided panelling and original style swing doors. Some of these cars were running from the mid 40s through to the 70s. They are available in Single packs.

We also received a re-run of the 1950s sliding door Twin packs, however the later packs including the BCPL cars have been delayed a little due to material shortages. They should be arriving early September.

 

SDS NR Class

We have also received a top up of NR locomotives with DCC option. Once we receive the balance of the ESU V5 decoders, later this month, our guys will be able to complete the assembly of the Great Southern, Real Trains not Road Trains and Overland NRs. These should arrive late August.

 

Victorian Railways      D3 Class 

Three examples of the Phoenix Reproductions VR D3 steam engine arrived recently and we are extremely pleased with them. Our supplier will commence final assembly early next month and have them ready for shipping later in August. We are limited though in the availability of DCC decoders for this project as ESU struggle with worldwide component shortages. We have enough to cover our pre-orders and some stock, and as the model is sound ready we can retro fit decoders locally.

 

As an aside to providing the engineering and design of the Phoenix Reproductions model, we’re releasing two VR D3 models under the SDS Models brand. These are era specific and represent an earlier period of running with two road numbers  from the late 1940s thru to the mid 50s.

NSWR 49'3" LHG Brake van

Currently in production is our revamped Austrains NEO NSWR LHG brakevan, these vans are currently at the decoration stage and should be shipped with the sliding door PL cars and arrive in early September. We’ve made some small improvements to the model ride height and coupler box location and tidied up the malthoid roof lapped joins. We’ve added a version in Deep Indian red coded GHO1800, this was used exclusively for the Kosciuszko Ski Express in the late 60s before cascading back to general duties in the 1970s.

 

81 Class Locomotive

Our SRA 81 class assembly is underway, we’re very pleased with the running samples we’ve been testing over the past few months. This supplier recently relocated into an industrial park in the Dongguan region, they’d outgrown the old site and new government regulations meant they had to paint, off site, for the past year. Their new facility will provide some increased capacity going forward.

 

Victorian Railways    T Class Locomotive

Victorian Railways T class diesel new samples have arrived and we’ve been testing the new gear drives. They are now close to being production ready and will follow the 81 class in assembly later this year and into 2022.

       

South Australian Railways 900 Class Locomotive

The SAR 900 class diesel tooling has been completed and we’ll start moulding parts next month. We have a sound file in development, using the same EE engine type as these ‘streamliners’ were fitted with, and we should have a sample ready to share by early September. Delivery in early 2022. We’re finalizing the program now and we’ll have order forms online in August ’21.

 

Two further re-runs for late 2021 will be some more NSWR End Platform Cars and SAR Ore Wagons:

 

NSWR  End Platform cars

The NSWR End platform cars are the same packs we ran last year and these will be the last run we’ll do with this early panelled body style. Next year we’ll have two new sets of EP cars, VUB Set 75 in Caves Express blue and cream and DUB Set 63 in Deep Indian red and the RG greyhound car.

 

SAR   SO SOC Ore wagon

The SAR SO/SOC are a mix of old and new packs, we’ve included a limited number of packs of the CR coded GQ wagons. We’ve also added some AN green/yellow packs but coded for National Rail service. We have added our Barber S2 bogie to the PN coded packs to produce the ROHF coded wagons.

 

WAGR  F Class  /  TAGR  Y Class  /  QR  1620 Class

Introducing our Narrow Gauge range of English Electrics.

Our first foray into the Australian Narrow gauge scene is an extension of the English Electric family of medium horsepower locomotives. Based around our venerable SAR 800 class model, the Midland Railway F class and the Tasmanian Railways Y class shared a common style, the Queensland Railways 1620 class adopted a more Australian outline. All the models have similar overall lengths and wheelbases.

Our design team worked hard on achieving a consolidated tooling package, ensuring the economic viability of the three models. Whilst also managing to incorporate gauge specific gearboxes, for each model, as we felt this to be an important aspect for reliable operation and ease of assembly.

Our first engineering prototypes are due late 2021, with delivery slated for Qtr 3 2022.

 

NSWR  KP Mail Van 

The NSWR KP mail sorting van is presently being re-tooled with improvements to the roof, side details and chassis. This will allow us to represent more modern liveries and offer models to suit more up to date train compositions.

 

NSWR  LHO / LHY Brake Van

The NSWR LHO/LHY has also received some re-tooling and the enhanced range now includes a modern 4 door Guards compartment version and the option of a YMD bogied version as an LHY. Combined with a ‘modern’ KP these vans will be welcomed in any Mail Train.

 

NSWR  MHO / VHO / DMC

Also underway is the ubiquitous NSWR Main Line brake van, the MHO and VHO. The vans represented the most numerous and common brake vans for all mainline trains. Our range includes matchboard sided versions of the MHO/VHO and Dynamometer car DMC1902. We’ll also release a smooth sided DMC1902, as rebuilt in the late 50s, a KB parcel van and a modernised MHO. First engineering samples will be available in August.

 

  Victorian Railways      K Class 

We have been running a couple of samples recently, we’d like to incorporate several of the D3 drive train and functionality ideas into this model. Once the factory ship the D3 models they’ll be into the K class re-tooling and we’d like to be in position to commence assembly after Chinese New Year in 2022. We’ll have a program of running numbers and liveries online by August ’21.

 

NSWR  End Platform cars 

 "Caves Express"  &  Greyhound cars 

New NSWR End Platform car tooling for 2022:

The colourful VUB Set 75 with low elliptical roofline and enclosed end platforms and the RTM set of the 70s and 80s DUB Set 63 with it’s mixture of high elliptical and low elliptical roofline cars. Some smaller number of modernised smooth sided car sets and the RG (Racing Greyhound) car.

 

NSWR  KB Mail Van 

The KB Bulk Mail van with clerestory roofline is an interesting looking vehicle.              

 

Victorian Railways    Y Class Locomotive

 The Victorian Railways Y class diesel re-tooling is complete and we’re expecting the first running samples in August ’21.