GZ Wagon

Steam Era models recent GZ model just makes it into Glenburn's 1925-1935 era, this model having been produced from 1935. Modifications to backdate are minimal - apart from the buffers (note heavier style) and dual coupling, the stirrup step and re-addition of the non-brake end hand grabs are the only changes. Given the late in day timing of this wagon, weathering is very light, it being virtually new.

S.A.R M Van

 

Orient Express Models were good enough to produce one of their M vans in the earlier livery prompting the addition of one to the fleet and the purchase of my first RTR Chinese plastic wagon for Glenburn. Changes for the reversion to era were minimal as shown in the pre-painting/weathering picture - Straight coupler release lever, change air pipe, buffers (SEM VR style are indicative rather than accurate for SAR), and add a 3 link coupling to the knuckle to approximate the transition coupler.

OT Class Oil Tank (Substations)

OT 8 was one of the very early VR oil tank wagons and was quite special as it was allocated to Jolimont and used for meeting the oiling requirements of the substations as part of the electrification of the Melbourne suburban Network. As such it is very appropriate to the layout and I set about backdating the exquisite later-configured model of this tank made by Precision Scale Models. Below are after/during/before pictures with a picture of the prototype also.

Picture: Public Record Office of Victoria (PROV)

Changes were removal of the later additions (ladders, platforms, presumed breathing pipe on top, couplings), and fabrication of the hose box and supporting struts below chassis (styrene), switch box (styrene), pump (modified train bits and chopped up machine guns from my misspent youth modelling war subjects), valves (chopped up aircraft landing gear from that same misspent etc.) and screw link couplings, before a respray and very light weathering. With thanks to members of the Victorian Railways forum for detail on operations of this wagon, and Phil Dunn for accurate information on the changes.

I Class Wagon (later IB) (7 Tons)

An early steel I wagon initially rated at 7 tons, I think the later chassis type may have seen this increased to 8, but have no evidence, so 7 it is. I had one blurred side-on photo and the basic diagram to work from, so the end detailing is pure speculation. Few in number initially, only a dozen or so made it to/through my era and this one doesn't seem to have been WH fitted hence the white square for through piping. Livery/weathering is deliberately heavy for a wagon very much at the end of its life, and likely they were mostly in terminal traffic or like. Few made it to be re-stencilled as IB's, so this is an I. Scratch styrene etc. body and brake gear on SEM chassis.

IG Class Wagon (12 Ton)

The smaller 12 ton drop door wagon, also coded IG as with its larger drop door brethren. Build was primarily styrene with Archer rivet decals atop SEM's 10'6" chassis, usual era-specific details. With thanks to Phil Dunn for detail provided on these not uncommon, but rarely photographed wagons.

QN Bogie Ballast

Years ago I purchased some Scaleways (I think?) QN parts and after a decade the casts were still sticky, so I re-cast them and put them together with Steam Era Models plateframe bogies, Model Etch brake wheels and other detailing from styrene and wire to make them suit Glenburn's era. As with other non-SEM kit builds, decalling is sourced from SEM's Imperial Decals sheet which covers a very wide range of VR wagon types and is recommended for anyone modelling this era.

MM Bogie Livestock Wagon

I recently received a PSM MM courtesy of a very kind donation by Phil Dunn. For backdating the  following changes were made, most of which are visible in the pre-painting shot above and the two final pictures above that:

- Adding coupler strike plate and screw link couplers

- Adding buffers (tapered style per pre-autocoupling)

- removal of centre below chassis “step”

- removal of triangular fillets in top of door frames

- re-lettering following the 1933 Diagram

- repainting and weathering

There were a couple of other points of difference that I left as I considered them immaterial and/or I could not find enough evidence to date them to this era.