[Rowdy]

A little while ago I gave up on my plans for a large freelanced railway and decided to model the small Aramac Tramway. It was called a tramway because it wasn't owned by the State governments railway department. The local shire council ran this line from 1913 to 1975 connecting with the government owned line at Barcaldine. The freight wagons remained in Queensland Rail ownership, the railmotor and trailer were owned by the tramway. Models are being made to HOn3.5.
These are what I have started so far
First is an Ian Lindsay models PL class railmotor trailer. I am thinking of making it as the tramway ran it for a while not long after purchasing it, ie with out seats in order to carry freight.

An ALY wooden louvered van. Can't remember who made the body kit, the sideframes are by Wuiske.

A steel FJS and a wooden F wagon.

An Ian Lindsay QR RM55 'Red Fred' railmotor kit, being modified into the tramway's RM28 'Aunt Emma'. The main difference being the removal of the last passenger compartment and replaced with a luggage box. RM28 was orginally a QR railmotor.

The next wagon is a modern QR PRZY container wagon which I am scratchbuilding. These wagons have electrical wiring and outlets for refrigerated containers. The model has been built from memory of when I used to perform the electrical maintenance on these wagons.

Geoff

 

[pedromorgan]

looking good.

Its always good to see someone doing some modelling as opposed to unpacking their purchase!

Have you started the layout yet or just the stock?

Peter

 

[Rowdy]

QUOTE (pedromorgan @ 21 Jul 2007, 22:29) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>looking good.

Its always good to see someone doing some modelling as opposed to unpacking their purchase!

Have you started the layout yet or just the stock?

Peter

About the only thing I can purchase RTR is the last steam loco the Tramway used and even then it would require some extra detailing to make it correct as the model is the standard QR loco. I just need to save the $AU 600 or so to get it.

I also have a custom built mech from Hollywood Foundry so I can one day start to scratchbuild the first diesel loco the tramway purchased. After reading the history of the line though I reckon I will have to build both diesels the ran.

So far have just being slowly working on the rollingstock. I am still a bit unsure how much of the line to model. I want to include the junction so QR trains can run past for added variety. I also however want to model as much of the line as possible. Some of the stations on the line were just stopping places with only a very small shed for parcels and no points/ sidings etc. so I might start one day on one of them, just to get started.

Geoff

 

[alastairq]

I like the 'Red Fred' railcar.....very characterful?

how would this be powered?

 

[Rowdy]

Ian Lindsay models who make to railmotor kit also do a suitable mech. Contains a Mashima 1224 motor. This drives through gears the single driving axle the railmotors had. It is necessary to source the lead bogie from elsewhere though. The mech is for HOn3.5 only.

QR had several of this style of Railmotor. Red Fred is the name given to RM55 which has been preserved. The Aramac one, RM28 Aunt Emma, still exists too. It is in the old goods shed at Aramac.

 

[Ravenser]

Looking good. An interesting and unusual prototype and some interesting kits and things we don't normally get to hear about over here.

What track are you going to use? 12mm gauge ? (eg Peco HOm) or handbuilt?

 

[Rowdy]

Yeah commercial HOm track. I'm not real keen on the idea of handbuilding track.

 

[Rowdy]

The operation was a success Red Fed is now Aunt Emma. I finally managed today to attach the rear luggage box to my railmotor completing the main changes necessary to the body for the conversion. Aunt Emma was the only railmotor of this type to have a luggage box. Will post some pics once I work out why my camera and computer have stopped talking to each other.

Geoff

 

[Rowdy]

The body conversion of Aunt Emma is now completed. I now need to add the lead bogie, the Mech, side steps and couplers. Then decals, weathering and windows.

The PL class trailer similarly requires the addition of bogies, decals, couplers, side steps, decals, weathering and couplers. The tramway owned 2 of these trailers. Often they had the seats removed and were loaded with small freight items. Which is how I modelled it.

Also constructed a Queensland Rail QLX wagon. A Wuiske models kit. It also awaits decals, couplers and weathering.
Except for two 4 wheel louvered vans all freight rollingstock used on the Aramac tramway was owned by QR.

Geoff

 

[Rowdy]

A little bit of progress has been made on my model trains, have been having extra shifts at work. Anyway some wagon bodies I managed to get done.

a KKB wagon

The Aramac Tramway's guards van

and my QLX van after some light experimental weathering.

Geoff

 

[Rowdy]

I managed to get some more work done on the KKB wagon today. It still needs couplers, and decals. It will eventually get some windows to as I found out the my bottle of Krystal Kleer is empty today.

A couple of shots with the QLX wagon.

 

[Rowdy]

since taking this photo I have applied windows to my KKB, once they dry it will be complete making it the first wagon completed for my version of the Aramac Tramway. Unfortunately the photo is a bit blurry.

 

[Rowdy]

Finally managed to get some more work done the Aramac rollingstock. I did some more work on RM 28 Aunt Emma. I repainted the model and replaced the door hinges and handles I damaged and added some wire handrails. Pics came out a bit blurry unfortunately.

I also painted the guards van kit that represents the guards van used by the tramway.

Off track I made up an Australian cattle truck. The prime mover is an Athearn mack that has been Australianised. I have added a bullbar and converted it to right hand drive. The trailer is scratchbuilt on a promotex chassis. This truck won 3rd prize in the truck and trailer section of the local model show last week.