40 Class Update

 

Original pre-production sample on trials on Ray Pilgrim's "Bylong".

With delivery of the NCR sets now completed the attention of the factory has turned to the 40 class. Production of the 40 class has been dependent upon retrieval of the tooling from our old factory. This has now been finalised and the production process is finally getting underway. The first step is to test the tooling to ensure that all is well with the tooling and that all tools are in fact present.
As with most factories, our production house sub-contracts out tooling to a specialist tooling shop. This is not an issue with the 40 class as the tooling has already been completed. It is interesting to note that in all of the 20 projects for which tooling has been completed for Eureka projects the tooling was contracted out to outside tooling shops in all 20 projects.
The second major step in a project is to use the tooling to squirt the parts that go to make up the model. Again, all but the largest of production houses sub-contract out the squirting process to outside injection houses. Eureka's 40 class tooling will go to its injection facility where the tooling will first be tested. These tests will be done on a low pressure injection machine and the test pieces will be used to produce running samples by our assembly house.
Our assembly house has extensive spray painting and pad printing facilities which are used to prepare the injected pieces for assembly along with such basic items such as a mechanism into finished samples. Our assembly house estimates that we should have running samples within eight weeks.
We know that there are no problems with the tooling from our previous samples and so there are no delays expected in the process. Our assembly facility anticipates moving straight to final production and predicts delivery within sixteen to twenty weeks. It would be nice to have the 40 class in time for the Liverpool exhibition in October.

Watch this space for reports on significant stages in the assembly process.

    

 

 

NCR sets here for Christmas

 



 

 

Motor Vessel "Safmarine Mulanje" carrying the production run of the NCR sets is due in Port Botany on the 25th of December, 2015. Allowing for delays likely at this time of the year we expect to start posting orders in the first week of 2016. Distribution should only take two to three weeks.

Production run samples of all three liveries have been received and are shown in the accompanying photographs.

The Red and Cream livery is very attractive and is certainly different. It is already proving popular and will undoubtedly be the first colour scheme to sell out.

 

Tuscan and Russett

 

 

  



Indian Red.  This is one of the cars from the above set. The apparent difference in colour is due to lighting. The colour in the four car set photos is more accurate.

 



Arriving with the production run will be quantity of spare bogies which will be available at $25 per pair.  More than half of the quantity ordered has already been sold so anyone wanting spare bogies should move quickly.

 

 

 

 

50 class on the move.

Weathered 5263 at Ardglen on an empty stock train.

 

 

Sound equipped 50 class together with more non-sound units arrived on Wednesday the 16th of September and distribution commenced the same day.

As usual, every person with a model on order is being contacted to check address and model details before an order is packed and put in the post.

Post out is expected to take about four weeks and anyone wishing to short circuit the process can do so by contacting the Eureka office to confirm their details.   

 



50 Class on the way.

                   MV OOCL Shanghai in Port Phillip Bay

    MV OOCL Shanghai is currently loading in Shanghai before proceeding to Hong Kong where the cargo it will pick up will include Eureka's 50 class. The shipment will include all of the "with sound" models and more non-sound units.
    The OOCL Shanghai is scheduled to depart Hong Kong on the 1st of September and is due in Port Botany on the 12th of September.
    Allowing a couple of days to clear customs the post out of orders should commence around the 15th of September and be completed in about four weeks. As always, those with pre-orders will be contacted before models are posted out. A telephone call to confirm address and order details will ensure prompt despatch.
    The pre-discount price period is now over. The basic price of $680 now applies to all orders new orders and any orders not yet fully paid.

Eureka at Malkara

Eureka will be at the Malkara Exhibition this weekend the1st and 2nd of August.
We will have non-sound 50 class locomotives available for sale and inspection and sound equipped models running on one of the layouts. Sound equipped 50 class are due for delivery last week in August.

   
 The 50s start to arrive and are quickly pressed into service.

         Superheated 5063 drifts into Breeza.

      Weathered 5165 shunting in Breeza yard.

This week saw the arrival of a shipment of 50 class from the production run currently underway at the factory. One of each variation was received including three with sound and several weathered versions.
The past few days have been spent putting the models through their paces and just generally enjoying running them. The sound is excellent and the QSI Titan decoder used is a generation ahead of Eureka Models' last sound equipped engine (the R class). For those who enjoy playing with sound there are a lot of opportunities here but those of us who just enjoy the sound of steam will not be disappointed.

The factory has advised that delivery of the non-sound units will take place on the 28th of July with the sound equipped units being delivered around the 24th of August.

A short video including a sound clip can be found at:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3-yhMq1W_9eNVRuQ25Xd1pqTUk/view?usp=sharing

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.