Epping Model Railway Club - Thornleigh Exhibition:

As usual, Eureka Models will be attending the Thornleigh Exhibition over the June long weekend.
Apart from all the usual goodies the following items might be of interest:

The CG Bogie Open Ore  Wagons:
 A shipment has arrived by air and will be on sale at the exhibition.
CG 3-packs in black and NOEFs in blue and red will be available.

The NCR First Test Shots:
The first test shots of the four NCR set cars have also arrived by air and will be on display at the exhibition.

HUB Set Additional Cars:                                                                           A clean up of the Eureka Models warehouse has produced about 40 FH and BHs additional cars. Just about all are weathered.

The Specials Box:
The "Specials Box" will be particularly well stocked with all the normal items including plenty of 38 tenders, AD60 bits, CTH trailer cars and some 620/720 bodies that should go early.

The Thornleigh Exhibition is always a good one and we here at Eureka Models are looking forward to catching up with everyone and hopefully getting in some personal shopping of our own.  See you there.

NCR Test Shots Arrive.

 

   Nicely detailed bogies from which the twelve wheelers derive their nick name.

    Our new manufacturer who is currently delivering the CG Bogie Ore Wagons is setting a cracking pace with the delivery of the first test shots for the NCR set.

Four car set undergoing testing at the factory.

Nice roof vents and roof profile.

           The test shots are of a very high standard. Apart from two minor injection blemishes early inspection has revealed no concerns. Once the inspection process is complete any necessary modifications to the tooling will be carried out. This will be followed by further test shots and when all involved are satisfied, the tooling will be polished and the project will move to the squirting and painting stage. Final assembly will then take place.
          

The corridor connections are particularly nice.



 

          

           Artwork for the NCR sets has been completed and will be available on our web site shortly.

 

           The factory says that the NCR project is still on schedule for delivery in time for the Liverpool exhibition.

  

CGs Almost on the Water:

As can be seen from the accompanying photos assembly of the CG Bogie Ore Wagons is nearing completion:

The assembly process is quite straight forward.
Once the test shots have proved the tooling then the injection process is carried out to deliver the many bits and pieces that go to make up the model to the assembly line.
Here the injected parts will be combined with other manufactured parts such as wheels, motors, couplers etc, which are often purchased from sub-contractors to make up the final model.
Before final assembly however, the parts will usually have to visit the paint shop.



A spray booth is where the model will receive its basic livery. This may involve only a simple one colour coating or may involve complex multi-colour liveries requiring the use of paint masks.

Once the basic colour scheme is in place, detail lettering and markings are added usually through a pad printer as shown above and below. 

 



When painting is complete and the painted parts are dry (after a week) the parts are ready to enter the assembly line.
 

The assembly line will usually consist of a a dozen or so young women who have the dexterity to handle the often delicate tasks involved in the assembly process. Fundamentally, all models are at their most basic level, a kit. What most of us modellers are now doing is contracting out the assembly of these kits to the young women in the picture above. These days, most of us in the hobby no longer have the skills, the inclination or above all the time to do this work ourselves and so we happily pay to have someone else do it for us.  

With proper checking at each step in the process and care and attention the final result is an accurate, good running model to add to our collection.

Assembly of the CGs will be completed in the week ending the 15th of May. 2015. This will allow shipping to take place in the following week with arrival in Port Botany in time for the June long weekend exhibition.



An Old Acquaintance Returns to Port Botany:

 

 

 

 

MV Cosco Dalian is due in Port Botany on the 1st of January bringing with it the re-run of the LCH/CCHs and the RSH rutile/fertiliser four wheel hopper variation on the standard underframe.



The Cosco Dalian has previously delivered cargo for Eureka having landed the R class at Port Botany in October, 2013.
Clearance of cargo from the wharf at Port Botany is expected to take up to a week at this time of the year but as the Eureka staff will be in China from the 6th to the 16th of January, distribution of the LCH/CCH/RSH should take place in the week commencing the 18th of January.

The fertiliser variation of the RSH

 

 

The G Wagons Arrive

 

 

Monday the 22nd of September saw six cubic metres of G wagons delivered to the Eureka Models' offices.

 

Distribution of orders has commenced and will be completed by the Liverpool exhibition.

 





W44 with it's consist of GC wagons.

GC wagons are available in packs of five at $275 per pack.

 

 

The G wagon in black.

G wagons are available in packs of two at $110 per pack. 

 

 

The HGM in blue. Also available in black.

HGM wagons in both blue and black are available in packs of two at $110 per pack

 

 

 The NOGX in red.

NOGX wagons are available in packs of two at $110 per pack.

 

Eureka's G wagons can be purchased from the Eureka office, selected retailers or the Eureka stand at the Liverpool exhibition.

More R Class Movements

In the eight year saga which was the R class project there were a number of times when the spirit and enthusiasm of us here at Eureka sunk to a pretty low ebb and several times the will to push on was severely tested.
The eventual arrival of the project in November and the positive reception that has been received has gone a long way to dispelling these feelings but it must be said that the arrival of photographs such as the two reproduced here has caused more than just a little feeling of pride.
A superb weathering job using pastels and magnificent surroundings certainly brings out the best in pre-preservation R 707.
Thanks to all those who have conveyed their positive feedback on Eureka's R Class. It is much appreciated.

A first pass through the R class order database has now been completed and over 70% of orders have now been delivered. The remaining 30% will progressively be contacted but as previously advised a quick email or telephone call to the Eureka office will result in an expeditious dispatch of an outstanding order.

R Class Movements

 

On Tuesday the 12th of November, three truck loads of R class arrived at the Eureka Offices and in the pouring rain were quickly stowed safely under-cover before the real work of posting out orders could commence.
Two weeks later 50 % of orders have been dispatched and at the current rate another two to three weeks should see distribution almost totally completed.
Priority in distribution is being given to fully paid orders and the process is a slow one given the need to contact each person with an R class on order to confirm order and address details.
Anyone wishing to short-circuit the process should contact the Eureka office to confirm their details and their order will be put in the post immediately.