Volume 4, Issue 8 August 2013 The Flimsy The Newsletter of Division 2 of the NMRA AR

You can run but you can’t hide! This is your last chance to get in first by voluntarily volunteering for any job that WHEN WE MET IN JULY you actually might like to do. Our Convention Registrar John Gillies was proud to Today’s meeting at John Bullen’s attracted 11 humans announce that Convention registrations have now and one large bear. As usual the bear was there first but, reached 28 and that 12 of them, no less, are local. This having settled down on the best seat, he took absolutely shows that our All-Powerful Leader’s subtle recruitment no interest in the meeting. Ah well, it is midwinter and methods clearly work. Further proof of this immediately bears do have their own priorities. followed when Ross Balderson thought out loud that By Order of our Imperious Leader we don’t maybe he’d better register sometime. Pouncing swiftly, acknowledge Long Distance Pilgrims any more, but A John Gillies said he had all the papers with him and Special Mention must be made of Stephen O’Brien who could fix Ross up on the spot. Score now 29, including walked all the way from Waramanga to Weston for today’s 13 locals. meeting. Trudging up the final hill he was overtaken by Ross’s offer to have his award winning Sydney several drivers, none of whom offered him a lift. They said Central Railway Station N scale layout on display at the they didn’t want to spoil his fun. Convention was accepted with gratitude and enthusiasm. Announcements We still don’t know the date for this year’s model Show & Tell railway exhibition at Wagga Wagga. Ladbroke’s and Ross Balderson showed us some of the N scale SportsBet clearly favour 2-3 November, but we’ve still items he has handmade from etched brass for his 1899 heard nothing official. Do let our Esteemed Leader know if Newcastle harbourside layout. Today Ross displayed anyone hears anything definite. seven horse-drawn vehicles, one penny-farthing bicycle Now upon us, the Malkara exhibition is on 3-4 August and three NSW railway wagons. Further work has still to and several of us will be involved in operating the Yendy’s be done on them, but these exquisite models delighted layout which will be on display. us all with their intricate and fine workmanship. The NMRA Australasian Regional Convention IN Because this is to be an operating layout, all railway CANBERRA on 21-22 September looms ever closer. Our rolling stock must not only look good but must also run Convention Planning Committee will be meeting in the well and pass smoothly and reliably through turnouts. next few days to decide who will volunteer for which jobs. 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

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 John Bullen, in full flight in his presentation, has to pause to good as it is, but it has yet to be filled. Dave sought explain something to Wal Pywell, which surprised Rob Nesbitt and casued Ross Balderson to giggle. Continued on page 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 eye- catching 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. these people had much to do with the Orient Express More thought is still needed though. Further suggestions being the world’s most famous train, but together they greatly appreciated. spanned only 40 years of the existence of a train which Dave also displayed the HO scale VR DERM railcar commenced operating in the 1880s and still runs today. that he is working on. It’s looking good already, though Noting the slow passage of the James Bond book he has still to paint the under body detail and the roof, to around the room, John was forced to severely restrict the fit the bogies and windows and to apply the decals. individual perusal time for each eager viewer. Dave had brought the DERM along today so that Rob Originally the brainchild of the Belgian entrepreneur Anderson could see what progress had been made, but Georges Nagelmackers and his Compagnie Rob isn’t here. Where is he? Testing his long awaited Internationale des Wagons-Lits et des Grands Express and newly arrived VR R Class loco? No way. And kindly Européens, the Orient Express first ran from to don’t mention the R Class. John Bullen mentioned that Constantinople in 1883. Named the Orient Express by Rob is hard at work on the farm today and that John had the press of the day, the name stuck to what was, by any sent Rob an email egging him on with these words of standards, a luxury train. encouragement... “In much more comfortable Its delighted passengers felt as though they'd entered surroundings we shall all be thinking of you toiling one of Europe's finest hotels. They marvelled at the earnestly to create a paradise for us all to enjoy without intricate wooden panelling, deluxe leather armchairs, silk us having lifted a finger to help. Cheers, Your Mates.” sheets and woollen blankets. Most kindly, John didn’t mention the R Class. Initially the Orient Express ran from Paris through (Continued on page 3)

Dave’s VR DERM railcar

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(Continued from page 2) having now become the main route. Together they Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest to formed a comprehensive network between Calais and Constantinople, taking 80 hours for the journey. This was Istanbul, with sleeping car connections to Berlin and to soon shortened to 68 hours by bypassing the Black Sea Prague. route from Varna to Constantinople. It was in 1929 that the Simplon Orient Express was John displayed an HO scale sleeping car of the trapped in an impenetrable snowdrift 130 km east of Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits et des Istanbul for about a week. This incident inspired Agatha Grands Express Européens. These elegant teak-clad Christie to write “Murder on the Orient Express”. sleeping cars were in regular use from the 1890s to the All trains were steam hauled by the top ranking mid-1920s. Fortunately several are preserved today. express passenger train locomotives in each country, The dining cars were almost identical in appearance 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 1906. 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 to the sleeping cars. The German surrender at the end of was the Swiss Federal Railways class Ae4/7 loco, with World War 1 was signed near Paris in a Wagon-Lits four driving axles, each driven by its own motor. Fast dining car. That coach was then proudly exhibited by the (110 kph), powerful (2300 Kw) and highly reliable, this French until it was used at the same spot by Hitler to unglamorous looking loco series was immensely humiliate the French, now forced to surrender in 1940. successful and was still in regular passenger service in Taken to Germany, it was deliberately destroyed in 1945 the 1980s. before it could score a hat-trick of surrenders. Sadly, the Again, the Orient Express was brought to a stop by a Nazi SS was not into railway preservation. world war. And again it was very different afterwards, this Thanks to its luxury and its passengers in the three time thanks to the Iron Curtain. Despite the obvious decades before World War One, the Orient Express difficulties, a reduced Orient Express network continued became known as the King of Trains and the Train of until 1962 when it was further curtailed. Kings, its reputation being enhanced by the somewhat By now the new Trans-Europ Express was connecting unorthodox approach to rail travel displayed by some of Western Europe with a more modern and more its royal patrons. comprehensive network, saving time and offering extra Tsar Nicholas II of Russia demanded that special cars facilities on board for the businessman. And by now the be built for his state visit to . Scared of assassins, Orient Express was just another international train, King Ferdinand of Bulgaria locked himself in the toilet, though it still clung to its old prestige as a luxury train. but on another trip, he preferred the locomotive footplate. By the mid-1970s, attempts to maintain the old An enthusiastic amateur, King Ferdinand insisted on glamour of the Orient Express had largely fallen into self- driving the train himself through his own country, which parody, with patrons being encouraged to dress in 1920s he did at perilous speeds. And there was King Leopold II garb. On one trip a murder mystery game was staged, of who made elaborate arrangements to but this was not considered a great success. One writer penetrate the harem of a Turkish fellow passenger. reported meeting a tired and cranky contessa who But all this was stopped by World War One. And declared near the end of the trip... "If there are going to afterwards, things were very different. Not entirely be any more murders on this train, it will be the steward trusting the Germans, a new route was adopted which who wakes me up at 5 am." dodged Germany entirely, passing through Lausanne, Progressively losing its glamour as Europe’s modern the Simplon tunnel, Milano, Venice, Belgrade and on to Inter-City rail services thrived, the Orient Express Istanbul. By 1930 a third route, also avoiding Germany, continued to run in ever straitened circumstances. went through Basel, Zürich and Innsbruck, linking up with Eventually it became just the name for the main the original route in Vienna overnight train between Strasbourg and Vienna, making By 1930, in the Golden Age of passenger railway its final run in December 2009. travel, the Orient Express ran along its original route (Continued on page 4) 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, John’s HO scale model of the Simplon Orient Express train of the 1930s with a correct loco at the front 3

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

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

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Venice Simplon Orient Express on the Luogelkin viaduct as it descends Photographer: David Gubler towards Brig in the Rhône valley in southwestern Switzerland, 2012.. 2 Tbfpmox # #5