Side projects

 Side Projects.

QUBE train 3112 heading north, departs Junee yard (Dec11, 2025) very slowly with a very long container train.  The level crossing at Junee was blocked for over 10 minutes, with traffic banked up on both sides of the crossing.  Fortunately, I was able to escape the lineup, and headed up the line to photograph the lead engines

Carriage upgrades and interiors.

Way back in the 1980s, when I started to seriously model NSW railways, I acquired the available RTR carriages being sold under the Trax and Lima brands.  These carriages were pretty basic, lacking details, interiors, proper couplings, no NMRA wheelsets.  With the availablity of detail items, including flushglaze from Lloyds Model Railways,  I made a start on improving the carriages.

(note: The TRAX range of carriages was sold to Powerline, and are still available new, or can be found on the  second-hand market)

The BS/FS/BSR all got new roof vents, kadees, and flushglaze.  They were lowered 1.9mm, and run successfully for many exhibitions.  But, they got put to one side whilst other projects took priority.

Carriage Interior kits

A number of years ago,  Sydney Hobbies brought out an interior kit for the FS and BS.  I bought these kits, and installed the interior of the BS.  

Sydney Hobbies BS interior fitted to an original TRAX BS coach.  The roof is one that has been modified with roof vents.

But they were not the only makers of interiors

DRB Workshops had a laser cut interior kit for the TAM.  Thanks to Steve who supplied me with 3 kits - sadly no longer being made.

Ozzy Detailing Parts had a 3D printed TAM kit.  Not the best kit, as the cleanup of the parts was not easy - the printing process left a lot of spider-web like plastic strings, that are near impossible to remove.

Paul's 3D prints are a new supplier - the prints are in a pleasing colour.  Geoff obtained these from Paul's stand at the Rosehill exhibition.  one BS, and two FS prints.  Price around $20 each.  Paul also has a TAM interior, but I didn't need that

Fitting interiors to the BS, BSR and FS

The interior of the FS coach is pretty empty

Pauls 3D Interiors loosly fitted to (Top to bottom) FS, FS, and BSR.  I plan to screw them in after painting the seats.

Pauls 3D interiors fit as advertised.  There is a gap in the sides of the bulkheads to accomodate the window "glass" which is moulded into the roof.  Of course, this gap would not be needed if flushglaze is fitted, but once the roof is on, the gap is not really noticeable.  The Paul's 3D prints have a thick floor - which adds some needed weight, but also means leg amputation of any passengers.  The seats in the compartments are not detailed, but very hard to see through the carriage windows. 

TAM, and other 12 wheelers

My lima 12 wheelers were always going to be a long term upgrade project.  Never did I expect though it would be over 40 years.  Yes, I bought flushglaze, and replacement K&M wheels (with 25mm axle length), and then set them aside.

Geoff also purchased from 3D torpedo roof vents when he was at Rosehill.  These are printed like mushrooms on a block of plastic.  The stems are 0.8mm in diameter, and quite fragile.  Three had broken off in transit

Flushglaze for Lima 12 wheel carriages came in 3 styles

Assembled DRB workshop TAM interior.  

The DRB interior inside the TAM.  Once again, there is gap in the sides of the bulkhead for provision of the roof attached window glass.  The DRB interior lacks the seats or other carriage furniture

TAM compartment interior.  This is a compartment in TAM1040, residing at the Junee Roundhouse Museum.  How far should one go in detailing?

TAM coach after fitting flushglaze, and applying a masking tape layer to the roof to simulate malthoid.  The moulded on roof vents had been earlier filed down, and holes drilled for the replacement roof vents

Infront Torpedo Roof vents fitted, and secured from inside the roof with 2 part epoxy

AMRM had an extensive series of articles on the NSW 12 wheelers, and upgrading  the LIMA carriages.  The underframe of the LIMA carriages needs major changes,  and the article covers this well.

First Step was to remove all underframe parts.  Razor saw and patience

Then the thought struck me.  A year ago obtained via a well known auction site, a Eureka Models 12 wheel MAL sleeper

The Eureka MAL carriage.

The MAL underframe.  Very similar to what theTAM should be.  Disappointingly, I am kicking myself for believing the seller, and not checking the model when it arrived.  What he didn't say was that one of the truss rods supports were broken, and the brake details, triple valve etc were missing.  The perils of buying at auction.  And I didn't save much money either.

Well, that is where I am up to.  The reality is that the Eureka 12 wheel carriages are superior to Lima in every way.   The effort to try and address the Lima's shortcomings is time consuming, and quite expensive.  I am questioning my logic of doing the upgrade when there are other things that need doing.

Restoration of a private owner wagon plate

Pete offered me a pair of old plates that came off a private owner wagon.

Plates as supplied by Pete.  Lots of flaking paint, and surface rust

These came off the hopper when it was being scrapped in the 1970-80s.  I don't have a picture of the actual wagon, but below is one that is similar, and 10 ton load.

This image stolen from "Rusted to the Rails" 2014 blog post.  The design of the registration plate is similar to the plates from Pete

Wire brushing got rid of a lot of the flaking paint

Commercial paint stripper

After cleanup, the plate is looking good, still with some evidence of the original paint.  I debated whether to leave it like this, but I was encouraged to press-on.

I had a rattle can of red "white knight" brand paint that had started to leak, so that settled the colour.  Sprayed with a cardboard backing

Once touch dry, the plate was put aside for a few days to dry fully

I mad up a foam applicator to transfer the white enamel paint to the lettering, pressing lightly.  There was a bit of fine white "mist" cleanup beside some of the letters, and a fine paint brush also used to "white" some of the creases in the lettering the foam didn't touch

Both plates finished, and ready to add to my train display wall.

Free Running at Kangaroo Valley

I made the trip across to Murrumbateman in December, for a free running session on Kangaroo valley layout.  I will document a train operation that occurred, using diesels and rollingstock that were mostly outside the time period that we normally run

4601 leads a train of wheat hoppers (BWH) south out of Sydney yard.  This is not a train one would sight during a normal operating session 

In the meantime, another wheat train headed by Alco 44224 prepared to depart Eden.  In the background there is an international visitor from China

Continuing south, 4601 passes through Osport

And arrives at the end of the catenary section at Violet, where 4601 will be replaced with a diesel

We capture the southbound wheat train now headed by Alco 4010 waiting in front of the Kangaroo Valley meatworks. Kangaroo Valley is the end of the double mainline from Sydney, and single track working from there to Eden 

4010 was waiting to cross for the northbound wheat train headed by 44224.  

Kemp Street Bridge - Update on Inland Rail progress

Since the Kemp Street bridge was removed in September, progress on the replacement has lacked any sense of urgency.  The work just plods along.  The authorities said 18 months.....

The road approach from the eastern side has been blocked off.

The roadway ramp from the eastern side has been excavated, leaving the existing brick abutment in place

From the western side of the tracks, chain mesh fencing installed beside the tracks, and steel upright piles installed.  The long siding that used to go under the bridge has been cut.

I suspect these are piles for the future pier.  Seems quite wide

The span gap from the western abutment of the old bridge can be estimated from this picture.

My earlier report on the bridge removal, and showing artists impressions are via this URL

https://buildingwagga.blogspot.com/2025/10/kemp-street-bridge-changes-for-inland.html

Finishing up

May all my readers have a great Christmas break, and I trust some more goodies arrive under the tree.  Until next time, have fun, (it is a hobby after all), and make a new year's resolution to build a model or two.

Kemp Street Bridge changes for Inland Rail

 Kemp Street Bridge - the removal

On the weekend, September 13-15th 2025, Kemp Street Bridge in Junee was removed.

Kemp Street bridge in Sept 2023.

The Kemp Street bridge was finally opened on March 8, 1945, after many decades of community pressure to build it.

Whilst I won't be modelling Kemp Street on my layout, the bridge was built in a similar manner to the Edmonston Street bridge in Wagga, that I covered in a blog post in September 2022.  Well, that is my justification for this post, and also an excuse to document this small part of the Inland Rail project, from a modellers persepective.

I am indepted to the Junee Bulletin, particularly for the drone pictures of the bridge's removal.

100 Mile project Facebook page had a picture of the bridge, taken from the opposite direction to my first picture.

Junee Bulletin Drone picture in May 2025, shows Junee yard beyond

My detail pictures from September 2023.  (n.b. to get a bigger image, click on a picture)

Set of steps from Edgar Street to the bridge

Abutment beside Edgar Street

Besides the roadway, and railway, the bridge also crossed a storm water drain

The platform that was for the semaphore signals

Water pipe for the ???  Was this pipe for watering steam locos at Junee station from the water tanks close to the roundhouse? 

There were 4 lamps of this design on the bridge.  I understand that these lamps are to be reused in the replacement bridge landscaping

Signal platform. 

Roadway ramp retaining wall detail, besides the steps up from Edgar street

I was always interested in semaphore signals, and in 1996, well before I moved to Junee, I took this picture of the signals that were part of the Kemp Street bridge until 2007.

Inland Rail changes

Artist impression of the replacement bridge.  The footpath takes a serpentine route to meet new standards to minimize gradients

For the last 2 years, there has been a succession of activity, surveywork, and closures of Edgar Street, whilst detail design work is undertaken, and services relocated.  There was also changes to the train operations being made to limit the length of time trains would be blocking the level crossing near the railway station.  Removal of Kemp Street bridge is a significant bit of infrastructure for the town of Junee to lose for 18 months. 

Image from the Inland rail website shows the current bridge 

Image from the Inland Rail website shows an artist impression of the new bridge.  Double stacked containers requires addition clearance, and was the real reason for removing the existing bridge.  Disappointingly, the pedestrian bridge extension north from the concrete pier is missing from this artist image.  That lack of detail does not give me confidence that they will get it right.

The demolition

The last cars to cross the bridge were on Friday, September 5th.  Workers than started the demolition process, although the main work was to wait until the major railway shutdown on Sept 13-15th.

A sneek peak of the bridge taken Sept 10th, also showing some abandoned infrastructure remaining in Junee yard

My picture on on Saturday, 13th Sept.

    The following images from the Junee Bulletin facebook page

The days after

After all the activity leading up to the demolition, the days following have been a letdown.  There was an erection of a fence, and then nothing.  

From the Olympic way approach to the bridge, it almost seems like you could launch a car, Dukes of Hazard style, up over the ramp to land over the gap

 

Close up of earlier image.

From a slightly different angle

The new bridge is expected to take 18 months to install.  New abutments, piers, and roadway alignments will be needed, along with earthworks to raise the olympic way intersection.  

Other work occuring

The shutdown weekend 13-15 September was a hive of activity on the line from Illabo south, mostly associated with inland rail.  

Whilst travelling to Stephe Jitts's operating session, we quickly stopped to observe a culvert being installed just south of Illabo.  Both main lines have been cut, and the equipment was digging out  the channel.  The canola makes a good backdrop

 

Junee Bulletin's drone image shows this a lot clearer

Side projects

Stephe Jitt's operating session (Sept 13, 2025) at Murrumbateman  (2 hrs drive each way from Junee)

I was assigned the Limestone local, which gave me a lot of time to take some pictures.

A 13 class, with a single CCA carriage at Limestone's small platform.  The 13 class is a Craftsman Model kit, restored to DCC operation by Macca.

Down the short branch to the mainline at Violet

Arrival at Kangaroo Valley, where the train terminates

Runaround at Kangaroo Valley station.  Use of the tank loco means no need for turning.

A stop at the cement works.

Mansfield 43 class repair

Many decades ago, I was on a work course in North Sydney, and after the course had finished for the day, I travelled north by suburban train to Mansfield Hobbies, where I acquired a new 2nd run Mansfield brass 43 class direct from David Anderson.  I never got around to painting my model.  So when a painted Mansfield 43 appeared on ebay recently, I thought it would satisfy my need for  painted brass 43.   I was successful

  The painting of the model is esquisite, only let down by the cloudy windows.  But the shell hid a problem, that the seller hinted at with a statement that the model didn't run.  Whilst the cause was not stated, there was a picture on the ebay listing of a gear tower with a split.

That seemed like a challenge.  I have a few spares, replacement gears, and a pair of 1st run Mansfield 43 bogies that might help.  

After removal of the shell, I then disassembled the gear towers.  Besides being overoiled, there was no evidence of any cracked gears, or issues with the gears, bogies, or motor.  There is a fine crack visible on the gear tower case, that didn't appear to be a problem

But, the split gear tower was a symptom of a more serious problem.  The M2 sized screws had stripped the thread inside the gear tower, and closer inspection showed zinc pest deterioration of the casting.  So the metal is weak, and will probably get worse in time.  Anyway, unless I make, or buy a replacement gear tower, the best repair was to add some foil to allow the screws to bite.

The loco is now back together, and runs extremely smoothly with the improvised screw thread repair.  But for how much longer?  I doubt I will fit DCC, so it will head to my display case.

Another trinket for the Train wall.

To all my readers from the USA....here is one for you.  Another recent ebay purchase was a General Electic loco builders plate from a C39-8.  The seller didn't say what loco it came from.  Anyway, to my surprise, my modest bid was successful.

As the plate arrived.  Dirty, and grimy.  The red around the "GE" was difficult to see

A clean in nothing more than detergent, and a toothbrush on the grass outside my train room

    

Slightly damp, the black and red paint really pops

Once dry, the colours once again fade, but the red is now easily seen without the grime

I did some research on the internet, and found the plate was installed to this loco, Norfolk Southern #8640 - here seen at Chicago in 1991.

Now the plate is attached to my display wall, with other locomotive plates, some real, some reproductions

Conclusion

Life often gets in the way of a finding time to devote to my model train layout.  I keep telling myself, it is a hobby, and delays are OK.  But it still is frustrating, although I am certainly getting lots of exercise pushing the mower around, in battle with the extreme grass and weed growth this spring.  I will try and do better for the next blog post.  

Until next time, build a model or two.