The Flimsy. Ross scratch built NSW passenger cars in N scale

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1 Volume 4, Issue 8 August 2013 The Flimsy The Newsletter of Division 2 of the NMRA AR Today s meeting at John Bullen s attracted 11 humans and one large bear. As usual the bear was there first but, having settled down on the best seat, he took absolutely no interest in the meeting. Ah well, it is midwinter and bears do have their own priorities. By Order of our Imperious Leader we don t acknowledge Long Distance Pilgrims any more, but A Special Mention must be made of Stephen O Brien who walked all the way from Waramanga to Weston for today s meeting. Trudging up the final hill he was overtaken by several drivers, none of whom offered him a lift. They said they didn t want to spoil his fun. Announcements We still don t know the date for this year s model railway exhibition at Wagga Wagga. Ladbroke s and SportsBet clearly favour 2-3 November, but we ve still heard nothing official. Do let our Esteemed Leader know if anyone hears anything definite. Now upon us, the Malkara exhibition is on 3-4 August and several of us will be involved in operating the Yendy s layout which will be on display. The NMRA Australasian Regional Convention IN CANBERRA on September looms ever closer. Our Convention Planning Committee will be meeting in the next few days to decide who will volunteer for which jobs. You can run but you can t hide! This is your last chance to get in first by voluntarily volunteering for any job that you actually might like to do. Our Convention Registrar John Gillies was proud to announce that Convention registrations have now reached 28 and that 12 of them, no less, are local. This shows that our All-Powerful Leader s subtle recruitment methods clearly work. Further proof of this immediately followed when Ross Balderson thought out loud that maybe he d better register sometime. Pouncing swiftly, John Gillies said he had all the papers with him and could fix Ross up on the spot. Score now 29, including 13 locals. Ross s offer to have his award winning Sydney Central Railway Station N scale layout on display at the Convention was accepted with gratitude and enthusiasm. Show & Tell Ross Balderson showed us some of the N scale items he has handmade from etched brass for his 1899 Newcastle harbourside layout. Today Ross displayed seven horse-drawn vehicles, one penny-farthing bicycle and three NSW railway wagons. Further work has still to be done on them, but these exquisite models delighted us all with their intricate and fine workmanship. Because this is to be an operating layout, all railway rolling stock must not only look good but must also run well and pass smoothly and reliably through turnouts. This presents a challenge to such items as the wagon running on four evenly spaced axles but Ross is pleased to announce that it has passed all tests. Ross scratch built NSW passenger cars in N scale John Bullen, in full flight in his presentation, has to pause to explain something to Wal Pywell, which surprised Rob Nesbitt and casued Ross Balderson to giggle. David Mitchell presented his HO scale NSWGR overhead water tank which he has built from three different kits, using one kit for the stand, another for the tank itself and the third one for the fittings. It looks very good as it is, but it has yet to be filled. Dave sought Continued on page 2)

2 The Main Show John Bullen now spoke on the Orient Express, congratulating his audience on their special privilege of being addressed by an expert on this subject. To support his claim, John proudly brandished his study aids a DVD of the 1938 Alfred Hitchcock film The Lady Vanishes, a DVD of the Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot film Murder on the Orient Express, and an eyecatching coffee-table sized book of James Bond Girls. Passing these items around, John mentioned that Dave Mitchell s HO scale NSWGR water tank advice on this aspect, fearing that conventional imitation water to an appropriate depth would damage the model. Several suggestions were offered on the spur of the moment, including the use of Perspex sheet which would enable the internal struts and other fittings to be seen. More thought is still needed though. Further suggestions greatly appreciated. Dave also displayed the HO scale VR DERM railcar that he is working on. It s looking good already, though he has still to paint the under body detail and the roof, to fit the bogies and windows and to apply the decals. Dave had brought the DERM along today so that Rob Anderson could see what progress had been made, but Rob isn t here. Where is he? Testing his long awaited and newly arrived VR R Class loco? No way. And kindly don t mention the R Class. John Bullen mentioned that Rob is hard at work on the farm today and that John had sent Rob an egging him on with these words of encouragement... In much more comfortable surroundings we shall all be thinking of you toiling earnestly to create a paradise for us all to enjoy without us having lifted a finger to help. Cheers, Your Mates. Most kindly, John didn t mention the R Class. these people had much to do with the Orient Express being the world s most famous train, but together they spanned only 40 years of the existence of a train which commenced operating in the 1880s and still runs today. Noting the slow passage of the James Bond book around the room, John was forced to severely restrict the individual perusal time for each eager viewer. Originally the brainchild of the Belgian entrepreneur Georges Nagelmackers and his Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits et des Grands Express Européens, the Orient Express first ran from Paris to Constantinople in Named the Orient Express by the press of the day, the name stuck to what was, by any standards, a luxury train. Its delighted passengers felt as though they'd entered one of Europe's finest hotels. They marvelled at the intricate wooden panelling, deluxe leather armchairs, silk sheets and woollen blankets. Initially the Orient Express ran from Paris through (Continued on page 3) Dave s VR DERM railcar 2

3 (Continued from page 2) Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest to Constantinople, taking 80 hours for the journey. This was soon shortened to 68 hours by bypassing the Black Sea route from Varna to Constantinople. John displayed an HO scale sleeping car of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits et des Grands Express Européens. These elegant teak-clad sleeping cars were in regular use from the 1890s to the mid-1920s. Fortunately several are preserved today. The dining cars were almost identical in appearance to the sleeping cars. The German surrender at the end of World War 1 was signed near Paris in a Wagon-Lits dining car. That coach was then proudly exhibited by the French until it was used at the same spot by Hitler to humiliate the French, now forced to surrender in Taken to Germany, it was deliberately destroyed in 1945 before it could score a hat-trick of surrenders. Sadly, the Nazi SS was not into railway preservation. Thanks to its luxury and its passengers in the three decades before World War One, the Orient Express became known as the King of Trains and the Train of Kings, its reputation being enhanced by the somewhat unorthodox approach to rail travel displayed by some of its royal patrons. Tsar Nicholas II of Russia demanded that special cars be built for his state visit to France. Scared of assassins, King Ferdinand of Bulgaria locked himself in the toilet, but on another trip, he preferred the locomotive footplate. An enthusiastic amateur, King Ferdinand insisted on driving the train himself through his own country, which he did at perilous speeds. And there was King Leopold II of Belgium who made elaborate arrangements to penetrate the harem of a Turkish fellow passenger. But all this was stopped by World War One. And afterwards, things were very different. Not entirely trusting the Germans, a new route was adopted which dodged Germany entirely, passing through Lausanne, the Simplon tunnel, Milano, Venice, Belgrade and on to Istanbul. By 1930 a third route, also avoiding Germany, went through Basel, Zürich and Innsbruck, linking up with the original route in Vienna By 1930, in the Golden Age of passenger railway travel, the Orient Express ran along its original route three days every week, the Arlberg Orient Express ran through Zürich and Innsbruck on three of the other four days each week, while the Simplon Orient Express ran on all seven days, 3 having now become the main route. Together they formed a comprehensive network between Calais and Istanbul, with sleeping car connections to Berlin and to Prague. It was in 1929 that the Simplon Orient Express was trapped in an impenetrable snowdrift 130 km east of Istanbul for about a week. This incident inspired Agatha Christie to write Murder on the Orient Express. All trains were steam hauled by the top ranking express passenger train locomotives in each country, with one exception Switzerland. The 20-km long Simplon tunnel was the world s longest until 1982 and had been operated by electric locos since it opened in Also, in a country with no coal resources and ample hydroelectricity, it was natural for the Simplon Orient Express to be hauled through Switzerland by an electric loco. John displayed an HO scale Simplon Orient Express train of the 1930s with a correct loco at the front. This was the Swiss Federal Railways class Ae4/7 loco, with four driving axles, each driven by its own motor. Fast (110 kph), powerful (2300 Kw) and highly reliable, this unglamorous looking loco series was immensely successful and was still in regular passenger service in the 1980s. Again, the Orient Express was brought to a stop by a world war. And again it was very different afterwards, this time thanks to the Iron Curtain. Despite the obvious difficulties, a reduced Orient Express network continued until 1962 when it was further curtailed. By now the new Trans-Europ Express was connecting Western Europe with a more modern and more comprehensive network, saving time and offering extra facilities on board for the businessman. And by now the Orient Express was just another international train, though it still clung to its old prestige as a luxury train. By the mid-1970s, attempts to maintain the old glamour of the Orient Express had largely fallen into selfparody, with patrons being encouraged to dress in 1920s garb. On one trip a murder mystery game was staged, but this was not considered a great success. One writer reported meeting a tired and cranky contessa who declared near the end of the trip... "If there are going to be any more murders on this train, it will be the steward who wakes me up at 5 am." Progressively losing its glamour as Europe s modern Inter-City rail services thrived, the Orient Express continued to run in ever straitened circumstances. Eventually it became just the name for the main overnight train between Strasbourg and Vienna, making its final run in December (Continued on page 4) John s HO scale model of the Simplon Orient Express train of the 1930s with a correct loco at the front

4 (Continued from page 3) But this was by no means the end. In the meantime, the privately run and magnificently restored Venice Simplon Orient Express had started up in 1982, offering luxury travel in the grand old style. It is not cheap. The current single one-way fare for London to Venice in two days and one night is just under $4000. That does not include the cost of the wardrobe you will need in order to look the part. Evening dress is mandatory. And ladies, no fake jewels in the tiara, thank you. At least two attempts have been made by the Venice Simplon Orient Express company to extend the luxurious style of the Orient Express further east. One of these is the Eastern and Oriental Express which commenced running between Bangkok and Singapore in 1993 and which still operates today. The other example is the short lived Great South Pacific Express between Kuranda and Sydney. It ran from 1999 to 2003 when lack of patronage forced its closure. The fare in 1999 for a single one-way ticket for a 4-night journey from Cairns to Sydney was $4000 for a Pullman compartment, $5000 for a State compartment and $6300 for a Commissioner s compartment. Sadly, it did all its interesting travel at times when its passengers would either be sleeping or partying. In other words, it was more of a social experience than a railway experience. John passed around an elegant hardback book covering the creation and operation of the Venice Simplon Orient Express and the Eastern and Oriental Express. Copiously illustrated, this book shows the opulence of the coaches and the style of travel. John also passed around the glossy publicity brochure produced in 1999 for the Great South Pacific Express, together with its price list and other information. This train ended ten years ago, but its coaches are still in storage. Finally John passed around a grand coffee-table book on the Orient Express itself, covering the entire history from Georges Nagelmackers onward. Colour photos of the coach furnishings, especially the intricately inlaid woodwork, convey the impression of the genuine luxury of the Orient Express. After afternoon tea, the ever trusting John s final act was to search everyone as they left, ensuring that the James Bond Girls did not leave the premises. z 4

5 From the Editor: Largely a single theme issue this month after an excellent presentation by John Bullen on the Orient Express. Preparation for the convention is now well underway and we now have reached the 50 mark for registrations! A further visit to the Kaleen High School has confirmed it as an extremely suitable convention venue, with several separate rooms for clinics, sales and contests. Layout tours are now set and a booklet describing them and giving directions is about to be sent to all registrants. Less than five weeks to go! Viv div2sup@nmra.org.au National Model Railroaders Association Australasian Region Division 2 ACT Bringing model railroading to you News Next meeting will be at Viv Brice s home in Mac- Gregor on Saturday, 24 August when he will talk about controlling trains with Smartphones. The 2013 Convention here in the ACT will be held 21/22 September Called Canberra Rail 2013, it will be held in the University of Canberra High School Kaleen (was the Kaleen High School). Disclaimer: Any resemblance between characters in this newsletter and real model railroaders is purely intentional but no offence whatever is intended. Only the facts may have been altered to protect the guilty. Every reader has the right of reply and we look forward to publishing them! 18.4 x 13.6 Venice Simplon Orient Express on the Luogelkin viaduct as it descends towards Brig in the Rhône valley in southwestern Switzerland, Photographer: David Gubler 2 Tbfpmox # 5 #