Adding some STEAMRAIL rollingstock

There's a lot to like about my latest unexpected addition to Philden Street Yard. For a layout that wasn't designed to handle passenger services, it would seem that I finally have a passenger train!

The runaround loop in the yard is too long for the 3 car tour, so it has to be split up.

What started out as an idea to add a single Powerline Models West Coast Railway ACZ passenger car to simulate a empty car transfer between Melbourne Yard and Ballarat, ended up becoming a 3 car Steamrail tour train instead. After watching Will James's STEAMRAIL Otway Explorer video on YouTube, I found myself counting how many years it had been since I last took the train from Melbourne to Warrnambool and back just for the fun of it. Those red passenger carriages with the yellow strip down the side just seem to beckon you to jump on board for an adventure. When you're living in Queensland and a visit to Victoria has become as impossible to organise as a trip to the moon, buying a pair of ex-Victorian Railways model heritage passenger cars becomes the next best thing.

As the Steamrail cars were available as individually boxed carriages rather than having to resort to buying a set of 4, and given that Will had an exclusive 10% off at Australian Modeller offer through his channel, I bought the SECOND CLASS car 46BE that was shown in his Otway Explorer video, and the blue and gold BAGGAGE/GUARDS VAN 18CE. The day they arrived, I was so taken with the quality of these passenger cars that I bought another! This time the combined FIRST/SECOND CLASS 3ABE with the white toilet window in the middle.

I only bought 3 individually boxed STEAMRAIL Passenger Cars rather than a full set.

I quite like the sprung diaphragms and the protruding handrails on the Auscision E cars.

I don't know if West Coast Railway's B65 shunting the Steamrail passenger cars was ever prototypical, but it has had to do for now until a more accurate locomotive for the occassion arrives. As is often the case, going down the path of adding something new to the layout usually generates more spending, and adding some Steamrail rollingstock was no exception! In a stroke of good luck, I just so happened to find the perfect locomotive to haul this short tour train from its place of storage in Philden Street Yard to the passengers waiting on the platform at Melbourne's Southern Cross Station, or the former Spencer Street Station as it was back in the day. It is in the mail on its way north as I type this, so I'll keep it a secret for now.

46BE is the SECOND CLASS car.

18CE is the passenger BAGGAGE/GUARDS VAN.

While 3ABE is a composite FIRST & SECOND CLASS car.

Adding the 3 Steamrail passenger cars to my roster, (and the soon to be revealed locomotive that will haul them), was made a little easier by my earlier decision to move on my DC model of the Steve Irwin NR75 Ghan locomotive rather than afford the extra cost of converting it to DCC sound. I'll have two NR Class locos anyway once my long awaited Indigenous pair arrive shortly, but this next locomotive will easily become one of my small layout's highlights. You'll just have to wait and see.

The locomotive can run around its train in staging via the loco escape track beneath the overpass.

The Number 1 Siding can hold all 3 cars in the secure laneway down the back of the distribution centre.

So, it's back to work on my next book and another small layout project that I announced earlier this week. With the exception of purchasing one of Auscision Models' upcoming G Class locos, Philden Street's roster is now effectively done! There's a few buildings and fine details to complete, and then its ready to be exhibited. When that will be, who knows? Plans keep changing by the week. I hope to have some more news on our circumstances soon.

'Till next time...