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Thanks to Paul Martin of EDM Models I have had chance to take a close look at something different!
Wuiske Models and Haskell Co have joined forces to produce a model of the Queensland Rail 1550 class. The prototype Co-Co diesels were built by Clyde Engineering in Brisbane entering service in the mid-1970s to the 3'6" gauge of QR. The model is offered in HOn31/2 gauge for 12mm track and with an incorrect HO gauge to run on 16.5mm track for those who may not be adhering to the scale gauge. The model will run on 18" radius curves or greater and is compatible with major brands of rolling stock
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I would never have given the model a second thought as being outside my normal interest areas but I'm pleased that Paul took the time to send the models over. It really is a very appealing loco and model; the finesse of the moulded detail on the body is excellent, the density of paint finish and the standard of decoration is more than a match for what we currently see in the UK. The chassis and bogie have a wealth of crisply moulded detail capturing pipe and cable runs.
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The red and yellow is QR's more recent corporate livery and this model depicting 1572H is according to Paul's site suitable for a 1994-2006 time frame, the dark grey chassis shows the level of detail to great effect. I'll freely confess that I know as much about the real thing as it's possible to write on the back of a Roo stamp but I've taken time to compare the model to photos of the real thing (including some great pictures of pairs of locos slogging away on heavy freight workings). It seems as though many of the 1550 clas have gone on to be refurbished and uprated but they're recognisable as the same beast.
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The fan and exhaust meshes are very fine etches with the moulded fans clearly visible beneath. The roof-mounted horns are clearly a separate fit item and the panel lines are fine but distinct.
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The pictures above show a low bonnet variant which gives a clearer view into the cab; the earlier blue and white liveried example shown below features a higher nose and in its guise as 1573 is suitable for the 1979-1991 period. Even the grille on the high nose is a painted etch and perfectly captures the slightly rounded edges to the higher nose.
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Each model comes with a pack of buffers which can be fitted to depict earlier models if so desired. The model has an 8-pin socket to fit a decoder with sufficient space to fit a standard size decoder.
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The models feature directional lighting and the illuminated number displays are a delight, I've only had chance to run the the locos on a 15" length of 12mm track but I can say that the slow-speed performance is a s good as you'd expect to see in a quality UK-market item and the twin flywheels with the model's 236g mass should give a smooth performance. As a HO scale item the model is not much larger than a OO gauge Class 20 for example and it seems from many videos that they were similarly found in pairs so I think it's appropriate to show this video as an indication of their performance on a layout.
See from 2:30 - astonishing!
The models are available from Paul at ngtrains.com - http://www.ngtrains..../1550class.html with a selection of 5 early livery and 3 late livery locos to choose from. The price is
Thanks to Paul Martin of EDM Models I have had chance to take a close look at something different!
Wuiske Models and Haskell Co have joined forces to produce a model of the Queensland Rail 1550 class. The prototype Co-Co diesels were built by Clyde Engineering in Brisbane entering service in the mid-1970s to the 3'6" gauge of QR. The model is offered in HOn31/2 gauge for 12mm track and with an incorrect HO gauge to run on 16.5mm track for those who may not be adhering to the scale gauge. The model will run on 18" radius curves or greater and is compatible with major brands of rolling stock
[attachment=543648:jpg57.jpg]
I would never have given the model a second thought as being outside my normal interest areas but I'm pleased that Paul took the time to send the models over. It really is a very appealing loco and model; the finesse of the moulded detail on the body is excellent, the density of paint finish and the standard of decoration is more than a match for what we currently see in the UK. The chassis and bogie have a wealth of crisply moulded detail capturing pipe and cable runs.
[attachment=543649:jpg58.jpg]
[attachment=543650:jpg59.jpg]
The red and yellow is QR's more recent corporate livery and this model depicting 1572H is according to Paul's site suitable for a 1994-2006 time frame, the dark grey chassis shows the level of detail to great effect. I'll freely confess that I know as much about the real thing as it's possible to write on the back of a Roo stamp but I've taken time to compare the model to photos of the real thing (including some great pictures of pairs of locos slogging away on heavy freight workings). It seems as though many of the 1550 clas have gone on to be refurbished and uprated but they're recognisable as the same beast.
[attachment=543642:jpg51.jpg]
The fan and exhaust meshes are very fine etches with the moulded fans clearly visible beneath. The roof-mounted horns are clearly a separate fit item and the panel lines are fine but distinct.
[attachment=543651:jpg510.jpg]
[attachment=543652:jpg511.jpg]
The pictures above show a low bonnet variant which gives a clearer view into the cab; the earlier blue and white liveried example shown below features a higher nose and in its guise as 1573 is suitable for the 1979-1991 period. Even the grille on the high nose is a painted etch and perfectly captures the slightly rounded edges to the higher nose.
[attachment=543646:jpg55.jpg]
[attachment=543644:jpg53.jpg]
Each model comes with a pack of buffers which can be fitted to depict earlier models if so desired. The model has an 8-pin socket to fit a decoder with sufficient space to fit a standard size decoder.
[attachment=543643:jpg52.jpg]
[attachment=543645:jpg54.jpg]
The models feature directional lighting and the illuminated number displays are a delight, I've only had chance to run the the locos on a 15" length of 12mm track but I can say that the slow-speed performance is a s good as you'd expect to see in a quality UK-market item and the twin flywheels with the model's 236g mass should give a smooth performance. As a HO scale item the model is not much larger than a OO gauge Class 20 for example and it seems from many videos that they were similarly found in pairs so I think it's appropriate to show this video as an indication of their performance on a layout.
See from 2:30 - astonishing!
The models are available from Paul at ngtrains.com - http://www.ngtrains..../1550class.html with a selection of 5 early livery and 3 late livery locos to choose from. The price is