Friday Film Club ~ Southbank

Welcome to another episode of Friday Film Club. This time a visit to the creative playground of Brisbane's Southbank Parklands.

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Weathered by Philden Showcase 26

This week I managed to fire-up my airbrush and weather a couple of boxes of the SDS Models FX/VPFX flour wagons to list on eBay. These were the very last of my Victorian HO scale models I had sitting aside waiting to for some spare time to give them a light rust spot treatment and general coat of grime, before they found new homes.

Also in need of finding new owners, were my pair of CFCLA diesel locomotives, FL220 and JL406.

After providing years of enjoyment on my former Philden Street Yard layout, and then surviving a further year of running on my NSW North Coast Philden Beach layout, the time seemed right to move them both on. Especially as I am wanting to nudge the timeline forward to include some QR National running on the Beach.

My DCC sound equipped Auscision Models ex-422 Class loco sold first.

And the DCC sound equipped Auscision Models ex-442 Class followed a week later.

This SDS Models VPFX flour wagon is finished in silver with the large Victorian Railways VR logo.

While this VPFX flour wagon is painted white with the large VR logo.

This is an earlier FX flour wagon with the Kimpton's and So-Lite Flour logos on the side.

This FX flour wagon features the Water Wheel Flour logos.

While this FX wagon has only a very light application of rust and grime.

I guess by moving on my CFCLA pairing of Auscision Models locos, I'm keeping the traffic on my small shelf layout fluid. Both locos ended up going to the same owner, so its a nice thought to know they will be plying some new rails together for the years to come.

My thoughts can now turn to planning to introduce some more region-specific power onto my Philden Beach layout and further fine tuning my modern-ish era.

My latest batch of weathered flour wagons are now all live on eBay, and take the number of models I have weathered in this little venture to over 250. More importantly, the total number I have sold now stands at 232, which is a pleasing success rate. My next weathering weekend will see me finally attack my sugar hopper fleet for Philden Beach, and 4 lone N scale coal hoppers that I misplaced after my N scale sell-off late last year. The boxes are so tiny I must have missed them! I'm just waiting on my graffitti decals to arrive so I can do a real job on them all.

Click on the above banner to view my eBay sale...

As has been the custom since I started weathering some models to offer for sale alongside my own books, all models sold come with a signed certificate, just so you know that the model has been personally detailed by me. It is just a small way of saying thanks for your continued support as a writer, modeller and general all-round railway tragic. Without the added sales through my eBay shop, ultimately this blog would not be able to continue.

For my own record...

Models sold 232/255

Friday Film Club ~ Milton

Welcome to the 2nd Edition of Friday Film Club. This time I visit Milton Station, set against the iconic background of Brisbane's famous XXXX Brewery for a spot of trainwatching.

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Friday Film Club ~ Bowen Hills

Welcome to Friday Film Club, where each week I'll be posting a short Philden TV railfan film on YouTube, starting with...

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2024 TOP 10 ranking

It's time to ask ourselves that annual question... "where did January go?" (Although to be honest, I'm still asking myself where 2023 disappeared to?) However, after a year which saw more changes in my modelling preferences and circumstances than perhaps ever before, the Philden Model Railway Blog has featured in Feedspot's 50 best model railway blogs worldwide list for the third year running, holding its 8th place ranking from last year.

I find that amazing. Firstly because over the past 3 to 4 months I removed close to 150 old posts that were no longer relevant to the direction that my modelling, and this blog, were headed. That in itself caused a small blip in viewership while I archived posts that I wanted to keep, and performed a rolling refresh that included adding new pages that by their own definition take some time to show up in search algorithms. Secondly, because for the best part of 2023 I was busy writing, self-producing and releasing 4 model railway books. That in itself leaves very little time to put towards writing blog posts.

Despite the great news of another TOP 10 ranking, the costs of self-producing 6 model railway books while writing full-time for the past 18 months have financially piled up on the whole Philden Model Railway enterprise. After ensuring that each book was properly financed and then proven to be profitable before committing to anything more than the next one, the whole cost of living shebang necessitated I finish with a 6th and final book.

Not that I didn't have any ideas for further volumes. More so because producing any further books or expanding upon the whole Philden thing, would involve a dedicated 2 car Titan garage to set up a professional photo quality work studio, and also house a larger layout to provide the neccesary material. Since 2021's release of Build a Bookshelf Layout, the numbers say I'm no closer to affording to move out of the 2 bedroom city apartment that my wife and I share. Not that we'd want to anyway, as that in itself would involve risking everything we have on an idea that is essentially a hobby.

Which brings me to January. I like to take notice of the business success within the hobby, and given 2024 saw UK institute Hatton's Model Railways close their doors after 77 years of serving the hobby, there are definitely financial factors at play behind closed doors that most modellers wouldn't be aware of. Trying to project sales figures in advance for models that can take up to 4 years to produce overseas, global economic factors and worst-case war scenarios that can effect supply are all modern day business considerations.

Yet despite being registered as a business, I am just a one person operation. That means that you have to afford everything personally, and returning to studying photography full-time at TAFE this year has seen me hand over money for course fees, a new laptop and a more advanced camera body. On top of this has been the cost of financing the new book Revamp An Existing Layout. After ordering the first advanced copies at the end of last year, unfortunately the entire shipment of books has arrived damaged and now needs to be scheduled to be reprinted. Hopefully that will happen sometime in March.

It's times like these that dictate where your hobby stands in relation to more pressing issues, such as hitting some wildlife on a highway and now also needing to come up with the insurance excess to commence repairs. Instead of drooling over what new models have just been released or announced, you ask yourself what prized models you can afford to part with, which is what I had to do to get through the first few weeks of study. (Hopefully my Indigenous NR Class loco is now being enjoyed by its new owner).

The timing of my new book seems entirely relevant to the modern day modeller, revamping an existing layout for a budget of zero! Producing the book however has come with a huge financial burden, one which I now must attempt to recoup, (along with seeing to some car repairs) before I can look at replacing the few prized locomotives that I sold recently with hopefully just one newly released model that I'd dearly love to get. Then, and only then, can the hobby finally return to being just a hobby. From this point onwards I'll simply leave any future book ideas to any other modeller brave enough to attempt it!

So thanks to everyone for sticking by this blog through thick and thin! I've been told my open style of writing makes each post more relatable to the average modeller. At the end of the day, all this blog was supposed to be was a little bit of fun alongside my initial small shelf layout. Yet somehow it became so much more.

Until next time...

Weathered by Philden Showcase 25

Every now and then I weather a model to the extent where I surprise even myself, such as these Auscision Models NDCH/NDMX Railcorp infrastructure wagons. While Auscision did a great job producing these models, the one colour rust/grime on the inside of the open wagons called for a rust job worthy of the ages. So, over the course of a week using whatever time I could spare, I weathered my set of infrastructure wagons to resemble a late 2000's era works train.

This Auscision Models NDCH spoil wagon is the Rail Services Australia version.

The two different style open wagons were purchased individually on eBay. In the real world however, these infrastructure wagons were all rebuilt from former NSW NOBX open wagons. The NDMX wagon was repainted orange for Railcorp around 2005 along with the NQJX flat wagons, of which a fleet of 20 were made available to be leased to private operators. While the rusty-looking brown NDCH with the ribbed side panels and fresh white painted side-striping was a hold-over from the late 1990's Rail Services Australia era, prior to the formation of Railcrorp.

For my Philden Beach layout, the set of four NQJX container wagons can be swapped in and out of my intermodal service. While two individually weathered pairs of the SB spoil bins will also enable me to fit out a pair of the container flats complete with spoil bins to move across onto my infratructure train, joining the orange NDMX and rusty NDCH open wagon to make a 4 wagon set. This versatality will ensure the set of six wagons stay in constant use on my shelf layout, and now that they are all weathered they look the part.

While this Auscision Models NQJX container wagon has two SB spoil bins positioned on top.

And another example, only with a subtle difference of colour on the axle bearing caps.

The NQJX wagons were weathered separately, so that the spoil bins could be swapped for containers.

The four NQJX wagons can then be moved between my intermodal or infrastructure trains.

Next on my weathering hit list is a small batch of Victorian Railways FX flour wagons I had purchased some time ago with the intention of weathering them up to sell. So I might be able to make a slow start on these between study periods over the next few weeks to keep some new items coming to my eBay store, before I start on my own set of NSW NGGF sugar hoppers for Philden Beach.

I'm particularly pleased with how my set of infrastructure wagons turned out, and if I had the spare money I would probably invest in a couple more sets to make another batch available for sale on my eBay store. Time will tell once I finalise the release date for my next book. More on that to follow.

Click the above banner to view my eBay listings.

All of my weathered models that are still available for sale may be found by clicking on the banner above. As always, each model comes with a signed certificate to ensure that they have been personally weathered by me. It is simply my way of saying thank you for supporting my writing, and this blog, as this is now my main income stream while I undertake a year of full-time study. So thank you to all who have now helped me reach the 200+ models sold milestone. It is very much appreciated!

For my own record...

Models sold 216/249

Weathered by Philden Showcase 24

Another quick weathered update to share the final few Queensland Railways models I have listed for sale on eBay. That's all. Finito. Over and out. My few years spent collecting and modelling Queensland narrow gauge has now come to an end. The only models now sitting beside the spray booth awaiting an airbrushing of grime, are my own. And that is only if I can find the time amidst full-time study and preparing to release another book. Time and money, two things that just don't seem to be my friend!

Right now, after thinning my own personal collection down, and moving on anything that doesn't belong on either of my two current layouts, I really need to afford some new camera gear and update my computer as I move away from writing about model trains, and into studying a new creative field. One that is proving to be just as expensive!

These Wuiske Models QSC tautliner wagons now need to find a new home...

...as does this SDS Models refrigerated container, this one lettered for QR's RACE exchange fleet.

And these Wuiske Models QLX vans will be sorely missed...

...as they were one of the reasons I originally was drawn towards modelling the QR.

Since the beginning of this blog back in May 2015, I've lost count of how many models I have bought and sold as a result of building new layouts and changing eras, not to mention the 140+ models I purchased and weathered as part of writing my Model Railway Weathered Wonders book last year. Along with the weathered models I have listed, there are over 1,000 items in my eBay shop to keep you interested in looking through. Link below...

Click on the above banner to view all of my items listed on eBay.

Each weathered model comes with a certificate of authenticity to thank you for your support.

For my own record...

Models sold 199/239

Weathered by Philden Showcase 23

With every Queensland modeller currently excited about the CGL/SDS Models joint release of the QR 1460/1502 model locomotives, I've gone and done the opposite... I sold my pre-ordered model to a friend, and have just finished weathering up the last of my Queensland 12 mm gauge HO scale models to list for sale this week on eBay.

I guess for me, my QR modelling days are now behind me. The HJS Wuiske Models open wagon (above), and the following QR models I have photographed below, are waiting only for a batch of QLX and QSC wagons that are currently drying downstairs in the garage, for my QR fleet to be dispersed.

A Wuiske Models PCS container flat wagon.

A Southern Rail Models ALY louvred van, painted yellow and stencilled for Poison Spray - Roma St.

Another Southern Rail Models ALY/T van, this one with ARHS stencilling and a subtle yellow side sill.

Once more, I will list each model for sale only through eBay, and each will come with a signed certificate as a way of saying thanks for your support over the past couple of years of writing full-time. Instead of regretting letting my Queensland stuff go, I'll still get to enjoy watching some of my former models turning laps on my friend's layout each time I visit.

As for the rest, I should have the last photographed and listed by the weekend, so be sure to follow my eBay seller page on the link below. With time commitments pressing in 2024, I won't be weathering as many models for sale as I did last year.

Click here to view my latest listings, with all my ex-QR models going live this week.

For my own record...

Models sold 199/234