Decorating 3265

Ixion's Technical Director Phil Badger has just sent the factory this artwork for our model of 3265, which is preserved in the beautiful 1930s lined maroon express passenger livery.

Phil drew the New South Wales Railways (NSWR) crest from scratch in Corel Draw; I'm not an expert in the software, but this looks like a creative tour de force to me. Bravo, Phil!

He has also completed the artwork for the etched "Hunter" nameplate, seen in the photo below.

As always, click on the pictures for a larger version.

As promised in tonight's earlier post below (read it for other news too), here are some images of the finalised 32 Class CAD. It's looking good!

As always, click on the pictures to see a larger version.

C32 CAD finalised

Three important announcements tonight:

1. Ixion's Technical Director Phil Badger has signed off on the CAD drawings for the 32 Class, which is a major step in the production process. The tooling now has to be modified to match the drawings, and a new prototype sample manufactured and assembled - the second Engineering Prototype (EP). I am currently working on the box artwork, and then we'll have to create the instructions for the decoration samples for our chosen liveries.

I'll post images of the new CAD in a few minutes (I need a different computer, as the Blog software can't access them on my iPad! Unless I'm doing something wrong...)

2. Internet pre-release sales of the 32 are strong, with the $50 saving on the release price proving very attractive. 3265 in its preserved lined maroon livery is the runaway winner at present, so if you're thinking you'd like one, maybe don't delay too much longer. Sales are available on our website at www.ixionmodels.com.

3. I have got the Ixion Facebook page up and running, about three or four years after I created it! I just couldn't make sense of it, and had to wait 'til my eldest son returned from Canada with his wife and moved in temporarily with us. This gave me a captive Technical Advice Bureau, and so Ixion has properly entered the Social Network.

Search for "Ixion Model Railways" and Like the page to stay up to date with us on a different news platform.

32 Class - Production Update

If you have looked at the wonderful photos of the 32 Class first EP below, you'll see how far we've come in a short time! Thanks also the people who responded to our request for a 'once-over' of the model, looking for corrections There are surprisingly few, reflecting the quality of the feedback we received when we asked you to evaluate the CAD drawings for the 32.

Regrettably, though, correcting these errors means we are going to miss our hoped-for deadline of the Liverpool AMRA Exhibition on the October long weekend (3-5 October). We are now aiming for a Christmas release. Special thanks to all those customers who have placed their faith in us and pre-purchased online - we really appreciate your support.

In load trials yesterday, the EP pulled eight Austrains FO coaches up a variable 1:100/1:50 grade. This is very satisfactory performance at this point of its development, with regard to the prototype's capability. We may be able to post a video soon (this is dependent on my technical capability).

In company news, Ixion has decided to open an Australian arm (Ixion Model Railways Ltd is a company registered in the UK). 
Named Ixion Model Railways Australia Pty Ltd, this will mean a whole lot more payment options open up to our customers, both online and at exhibitions, including EFTPOS machines and direct internet transfers. Stay tuned.

Lindsay.

Photos - Low Frame 32 Class First EP!

As promised yesterday, here are the first photos of the first EP of Ixion's NSWGR low frame 32 Class. 
REMEMBER - the EP is a first trial build of the components to assess fit, accuracy, compatibility and running qualities at this stage of the production process.

This model has been pulled apart to examine wiring, connections, and mechanism. Some parts are not glued in, and some details are not yet present. A number of mould surfaces have not yet been polished, so the tell-tale "spiral" patterns of the toolmaking machines are  present on the surface.

Before each photo, I have made comments about some of the issues already identified with the EP. However, (as indicated yesterday) I am posting this from my hospital bed, so if I forget some of what Phil has told me please allow me some leeway!

As with the CAD drawings posted earlier in the year, Ixion invites your email feedback to info@ixionmodels.com. In particular, we are looking for what could be designated 'obvious errors', remembering that all models contain necessary production compromises. Even if you are just as excited as we are that the model has reached this stage, and would like to share your enthusiasm, we'd love to hear from you. And if you'd like to save $50 by purchasing a loco at the pre-release price of $545 (post free), visit our website here to see the available variations, or scroll further down this page.

Click on the photos to see a larger image.

Curved running board, original P Class 6 wheel tender. 
Note the beautifully fine RP88 wheels, and the PCB for the operating LED inside the headlight. The removable piece in the front buffer beam for fitting a front end Kadee can be clearly seen; the buffers are sprung. The join in the chimney is commendably flush, and the cutout in the front of the cylinder to permit traversing of 18" (45cm) radius curves is unobtrusive. The loco will be supplied with a piece to glue into this space to correct the compromise for modellers with larger radius curves.

The loco boiler is a bit crooked - it was not quite re-seated properly after being disassembled. The running plate also slightly bowed - it came from the factory thus, and is not a production model feature! Some of the pipework is loose on the boiler and is not seated in the appropriate brackets. The generator on the firebox should have a vertical exhaust pipe - shouldn't it? We are checking the angle of the cylinders - it looks slightly off.

The P Class tender has been shared with Ixion by Shrike Models, from their 30T loco. (In return, a modified version of our C32 bogie tender is the one which will be available on the Shrike loco.) Note that the fitting of a Kadee No.5 coupler is the Shrike specification - all Ixion locos will be supplied with the Kadee No.58 'scale' coupler as seen fitted to the bogie tender below. The bow in the running plate is evident in this shot, as is the 'lean' of the boiler. Sorry about that.

Curved running board, 3650 gallon T Class tender. 
Even as an EP, I love this picture. It looks like a low-frame 32 to me! This is the same loco body as above, now with the bogie tender, so all the comments above apply. We are delighted with the fine vertical handrail on the far side of the front buffer beam.

The rear view showing the scale #58 coupler. Again, we are very pleased with the fineness of the detail additions, in this case the brass fire iron brackets on the far side of the tender top.

The cab interior., showing the mechanical and electrical connections. This not my area of expertise, but I think the copper fall plate should be wider than that! The water glass looks a little to the left of where it should be, one of the wheels on the left Phil described as "an impression" - please email if you can see the issue. The circular moulding 'sink hole' to the left of the RH cab window will not be on the finished model, and nor will all those spiral grooves where the mould surface has not yet been polished.

An etched brass piece was supplied which will be fitted to the back edge of the cab roof which will complete the prototypical appearance, but we didn't want to glue it on, and thought it would have looked poor if we just blu-tacked it in place!

At this point, we expect the cab interior on all locos will be painted light green from the floor to point halfway up, as it is on the preserved 3265 (which, incidentally, is the loco that this variation represents). We would be glad of photographic evidence which would support any other scheme in the regular "in service" black C32s represented by our other models.

Thanks all, for looking. I'd be pleased to hear your feedback.
Lindsay.

Stop Press - first 32 Class EP arrives

We are delighted to announce that we have this morning received the first EP* of Ixion's HO scale NSWGR 32 Class. 

Ixion's Technical Director Phil Badger and some other keen-eyed modellers have been poring over it today, and as soon as the loco is back together he will send me some photos which I will post as soon as possible. I am currently still in hospital, recovering from three major bowel surgeries in a fortnight and, whilst I am on the mend, I do tend to glaze over mid-sentence and forget what I'm saying; or so my family tell me. So some things like adding images may be more of a challenge than normal, and if there's a delay in posting them, I ask your forgiveness in advance.

After this check over, running trials will be conducted on a layout on Thursday and we would expect to post video of those as well. We have both a bogie tender and a six-wheel tender, so you'll be able to see how both variations look. 

More soon!
Lindsay.

*EP = Engineering Prototype. This is a fully built-up, running sample of the model, but missing a range of things like some rivets etc which are added when all else is correct. There are often also areas of the tooling which have not yet been polished, so the final surface is not yet apparent.

More Test Shot Photos

Here are three extra photos of the first test shots from the C32 tooling. Hopefully, they show the level of detail already evident in the moulds for the footplate and the superstructure of the loco. The tender is looking especially convincing.

Click on the photos to see a bigger version.