Rolling Stock

I & IA Class "Tommy Bent" Wagons

SEM's fine kit with the standard "Glenburn" detailing and real coal load (at least on top...).

This one still as an I, not dual load rated.

P Class Powder Van

One of the original Powder (Explosives) wagons which lasted through to the 1950's in what I have guessed was the livery during the 1920's/30's - red with wagon red chassis. Interesting features of the original vans included springs inside the W irons, lamp irons and no class letter painted on. Model was scratchbuilt in styrene (including over 400 hand punched rivets but who's counting?) with Steam Era wheels supported in modified Model Etch W irons.

H Class Van

By the 1920s/30s the H Class were mostly in departmental service and this one may be. Model body is a cast of a Phil Dunn master on an SEM chassis with new roof and added iron bar doors and detailing.

Another variant of the H, also in its very last days of general service, is this round roofed version. Model is again a cast from a Phil Dunn master on an SEM chassis with scratchbuilt detail including corrugated iron roof.

XYZ Class Passenger Brake

Literally a "whole train within a carriage", the XYZ had 1st, 2nd and Guards compartments and was typically attached to mixed branch line workings. This one is modified from Steam Era's excellent Z van kit and I have included a couple of "in progress" shots that show most of the alterations.

Dd Class - Complete

The completed model as D1 634, Phoenix last D for Victorian Railways. The only purchased items other than the chassis were the buffers (SEM), jacks (Kerroby) and couplings (W&T) - all up cost around $120 (and a month's elbow grease!).

Dd Class - Under Construction

Nearly ready for painting, these pictures show the Bachmann 10 wheeler before and after conversion to a Dd, the changes being mostly visible with those sections of the original used being black. Changes not so apparent are the narrowing of the tender, shortening the cab floor length, simplifying the valve gear and replacing the lead bogie wheels with wheels closer to scale.

Q Class Bogie

One of the original Q bogie wagons made from wood and wire with SEM bogies, with a crawler tractor and Milicast Rolls Royce Armoured Car (1920 model) as alternate loads.

Historical Accuracy Note: Some of the original Q wagons remained in use through the period of the layout, however no proof is to hand they were used for military loading at this time. While the Australian Army used RR Armoured Cars in WW1, I can find no evidence they brought them back home after use in the Middle East theatre. In any case the model here (1920) is a later version and I can't find records this version was imported, though they were common throughout the Commonwealth. However Australia did possess and develop several kinds of armoured cars during the layout period, to which the RR here is visually similar. So this pairing is plausible but not probable, rather it has been assembled to represent the era.

U Class Van (Steel)

One of the 6 wheel vans with corrugated iron roof prior to change to four wheels or bogies in the late 1930s. Modified from a SEM standard 4 wheel U van.

My second steel U van represents one of the short 10 ton versions, and is notable in that it is the first wagon I have rebuilt from one of my Shelley Railways - Cudgewa wagons. Some of the modifications are shown in the pre-repainting shot below, and by comparison with the original NG version also below. Not so noticeable in the backdating is the replacement of the handrail cut-outs at the end with the original louvre - the handrails only appear to have been added once automatic couplings were introduced, to assist Shunters.

IB Class Open Wagons (Wooden)

Wooden versions of the IB, scratchbuilt from wood and styrene on SEM chassis, 2 with MJT compensation units.

2nd Class Motor 64M

64M was the first of the "Ballroom" motors, so named due to the extra large van section between cab and compartments. Model utilises a Hollywood Foundry chassis. Model uses my castings for sides, ends, partitions, cab and motor gear below chassis, with modified G&E clerestory, Tomix pantograph and SEM bogie sides.

TT Class Van

The sole 3 door version of the TT Class, the first built. A kit donated a long time ago by my good friend Mark Tregoning, running on Steam Era diamond frame bogies. If the body manufacturer is out there please let me know as I would like to credit your work.