Where does the time go?

It's been almost two months since my last update, so after being inspired by another Blogger (thanks Bob - http://southcoastrail.blogspot.com ) to get tapping on the keyboard again, I thought I'd bring the blog up to date with the latest goings on.

On the domestic front, I can begin to see some light at the end of the tunnel in as far as the non model railway work slowly dropping off around the house. Once again any actual modelling has been scarce lately but I have been doing a lot of research and collecting ideas for future projects.

The latest bit of rolling stock for the wish list is the 1940's Dairy Farmers BMT 1 twin tank milk transporter (pic at top). There were some articles in AMRM many years ago with some detailed photos and drawings of the various milk tankers in NSW, and this particular one looks very interesting and will be something a little different.

The biggest problem with this particular item is that I cannot locate any coloured photos, nor can I find any drawings of what an "open framed" NSWGR E Wagon looks like. I assume it looks like an E Wagon with the decking removed, but to model it this way I will need to fairy accurately model the open frame. Anyone got an E Wagon frame drawing laying about?

Also there is some conjecture as to the colour scheme of the tanker in it's original livery. I tried contacting Dairy Farmers hoping they may have some archival colour photos but no luck there.

So far I have this information from AMRM .......

"Initially the colour scheme was dark (C38) green tanks with silver cradles and end retainers; the underframe, ladders and bogies were black. The lettering on the tanks was red with a yellow border, the lettering style and wording is shown in the photograph."

But then Bob G from aus_model_rail added this ......

"Back in 1965 I was working with a signwriter that had spent his yuth at Dairy Farmer's Ultimo depot. Sam would have been in his late 50's then and admitted to having dressed up one of the double tanks. To hi it was a job. I worked out that he musy have worked on BMT1 but could only get out of Sam that the tanks were a blueish colour."

In looking for information though, I came across some very interesting photographs from the state archives, of what appears to be the actual glass lined tanks, being delivered by two trucks to the Ultimo Dairy Farmers location, with signs attached saying .....

HYGIENIC GLASS LINED MILK

RAILWAY TRANSPORT TANKS

DAIRY FARMERS CO OP MILK co ltd

The following text went along with the image -

Title - Two of J McFarland's White trucks with new glass-lined milk tanks for rail transportation at Dairy Farmers Co-op Milk Depot.

Date of work 1933-34

Place - Dairy Farmers Co - operative Milk Co Ltd (700 Harris Street, Ultimo, N.S.W.)

Not that it really helps with modelling the tanker, but for me who likes to know as much as I can about things, this was a great find. I cannot see any reason for these not to be the actual glass lined tanks from BMT 1 before it was built?

I've ordered a NSWGR E Wagon kit, so that I can at least get a wagon of the correct size to begin the projet with, albeit with decking in place, and I'll have to grab a set of bogies to suit. I bought some PVC tubing of the almost correct size, so I can also being on some tanks and fiddle around with the various supports for them as well.

So the research on this interesting project continues and hopefully I'll actually be able to make a start on building it one day and adding images to this Blog.

Coming up is the big Liverpool model railway exhibition where I hope to be able to buy a few more items to boost the rolling stock numbers, and like always keep an eye out for those exhibition specials that often appear.

I'm also very much looking forward to taking delivery of a black streamlined 3803 from Eureka Models, which I believe are on the boat somewhere between China and hear and should be here soon. I believe there will be some at the Liverpool exhibition so I'll be able to see first hand what I will be getting, and I cannot wait.

That's about all the news for now so until next time, happy modelling to you all.

PS. My Casula Hobbies E Wagon arrived yesterday, however there is no frame detail whatsoever, so no luck with BMT 1's frame details as of yet.

I've e-mailed Greg Edwards at Datasheets ( http://datashet.actewagl.net.au ) to see if he has any plans that may help.