The R Class
Progress on the R class project has been painfully slow but after a bit of a
shake up on the last visit to the factory we were given to expect a pilot
model in October/November which always represents a major step in a project.
To all those who have placed orders for the R class and are waiting patiently
we apologise for the slowness of the project. Unfortunately we cannot provide
an explanation for the delay but we are confident that we will see some real
progress in the second half of this year.
The K class
The second locomotive in our VR collection will be the K class. Drawings are
complete and the factory is pressuring us to give permission to start the
tooling . The problem is that if tooling is started now the K class could
arrive not long after the R class. It would be preferable if there was a break
of around twelve months between the two models and so we intend holding up
permission for the start of tooling on the K class until we receive a pilot
model of the R class towards the end of the year. We normally now start
accepting orders on a model once tooling has commenced and this would suggest
that we will probably commence taking orders for the K class in
November/December this year.
The CPH/CTH
This project continues to progress smoothly with few hold-ups. We have just
received (20 July) our second and final pilot model for the masonite sided
version and it looks superb. The improvements that we requested be made to the
first pilot have been added these being the support for the headlights which
are now angle iron as on the prototype and see- through radiators which are
now etched brass rather than a solid casting.
We are also doing something totally different for the electrical connections
between the motor car and trailer car in that we are not having any. The
wiring looms used on the 620/720 were less than ideal and given the open space
between the CPH and CTH the original proposal to use wiring looms the same as
on the 620/720s produced an ugly set of wires between the two cars on the
pilot model. To overcome this we have decided to adopt an approach that
will be a first for Australian models and places us at the forefront in the
application of technology to models anywhere in the world.
What we
intend doing is placing a limited function decoder in the CTH for use with all
sound equipped CPHs. This limited function decoder will allow full independent
control of the lighting functions in the CTH trailer car. Thus when operating
under DCC the headlights on the CTH can be turned on/off according to
direction of travel. When operating under DC the headlights will respond
according to track polarity as on the non-sound equipped version. (See below
for further comments.)
Both the motor car and trailer have working marker lights.
The physical connection between the two cars is a bar with clips at both ends
that clip around a round fitting under the floor of each car. This coupler bar
is shaped to look like the chain-link connections used on the prototype. This
bar connector will be common on all future projects in the CPH series so that
marshalling a number of vehicles into a lash-up will not be a problem either
physically or electrically.
Tooling of the tongue and groove siding version with crown lights is almost
complete and a search for appropriate sound is currently underway.
Paint samples and associated artwork are currently being prepared and at the
completion of this process numbers will be chosen and made public in a future
edition of this newsletter.
The way this project is progressing it is possible that the CPH/CTHs could be
ready around the same time as the 38s so we have informed the factory that we
would like delivery of the CPH/CTHs to be delayed until about three months
after the 38s. We probably could not handle the delivery of two projects at
once and our bank manager would probably have a stroke if we asked him to pay
for two projects at once.
The LCH/CCH and CHG
Trainpaks
These
two projects are progressing quickly as well. Tooling on both the LCH/CCHs and
the CHG have been underway for some time and we hope to have test shots by
October. In addition to a choice between ten packs of LCHs and CCHs, a mixed
pack of five LCHs and five CCHs will be available. At least five sets of
numbers will be available for a total of 50 different numbered vehicles.
Estimated delivery time is early 2008.
The AD60
As
the above photo by Ray Pilgrim shows there are a lot of AD60s now in every day
revenue earning service. We are still are holding around 30 models against
orders so if you have not yet received yours please contact us to arrange
delivery.
We still have garratts in stock although holes are starting to appear in the
available numbers. With sound models are no longer available in 6039 and 6042.
The 900 class DEB set:
The
drawings for this project have commenced and we are looking an early
2009 delivery. We will announce full details including price when the drawings
are completed towards the end of this year.
Crystal Ball Department:
Remembering
that last years National Conference of Fortune Tellers had to be cancelled at
the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances here is our best attempt at
predicting the future so far as the Eureka Models program is concerned.
The above list contains only
items on which work has commenced. There are other projects in the pipeline
which have not yet reached the stage where there is much point talking about
them. One thing that is certain though is that the above program will
inevitably be subject to change.
CPH/CTH and a
technological first.
Eureka Models from its outset has attempted to incorporate the very latest in
technology in its models. This has been done in order to make available to the
modeler the most advanced features which enhance the experience of
owning/operating a Eureka Model and in the process expand the enjoyment of
participating in the hobby. Controllable interior lighting, QSI sound and
installed DCC are examples of these features at the cutting edge of model
railway technology.
The problem of the electrical connections between the CPH motor car and its
CTH trailer provided both the challenge of doing away with the unsightly
wiring looms between the units and an opportunity to adopt a solution which
utilises the latest in digital decoder technology. Basically what is being
done is one of the worlds leaders in digital decoder technology is designing a
basic decoder specifically for Eureka Models which will reside in the CPH
trailer and will control all lighting functions in that car. When operated
under DCC all lighting functions including headlights and interior lighting
will be controllable by the operator.
Although this decoder comes at a cost the future applications may turn out to
be considerable. Coming projects such as the DEB sets, the Silver City Comet
sets and other planned self propelled sets as well as passenger sets such as
the HUB set may all find the decoder useful. Car by car independent control of
lights, marker lights and headlights all without wiring between units. How
does controllable electrical generator sound in the HUB sets sound (pun
intended, sorry). These are just a few thoughts on what might be
possible with only our imagination being the limit.
Distribution:
In
line with Eureka’s policy of making its products available through selected
retail outlets at an appropriate time the following retailers now carry Eureka
products.
Christmas Every Day – Labrador
QLD.
Hobbyco – Sydney NSW.
Model Railroad Craftsman – Blacktown NSW.
Railway House – Echuca VIC.
Toms Hobbies – West Ryde NSW.
Vic Barnes Cycle and Model Train Centre – New Lambton NSW.
and from the following retailers on the exhibition circuit:
Gwydir Valley Models
Antons Trains
Other retail outlets are progressively being appointed.
Rant Corner:
Rant No.1
- The most common question we get asked is ..”what is the
delivery date on such and such a project?”
Unfortunately, the real and most accurate answer to this question is “We
don’t know”. The factory never gives a delivery date for a project for the
simple reason that they do not know either. There is so much that can happen
in a project that results in a delay. The factory quotes a standard fifteen
months delivery on all projects but with the benefit of hind sight from two
completed projects and one nearly completed we now work on 30 months at least
per major project and even this can be wrong so when we give an expected
delivery date is just our best guess on the likely delivery date given the
stage which the particular project is currently at. To those who
persist in asking for the “real” delivery date on a project as if there is
some secret program I hate to disappoint you but there isn’t. We here at
Eureka can only just keep plugging away until each project eventually reaches
completion and there is not much that anyone can do that isn’t already being
done that will change this situation.
Rant No.2 - We currently receive between 100 and 150
emails per week. If each one takes about five minutes to answer that is
between ten and fifteen hours time per week. As Eureka Models is operated on a
part-time basis and is fit in around a my other employment even with the help
of volunteers and our hard-working part-time assistant (Charlotte) it is
almost impossible to answer immediately all emails that we receive. We
therefore adopt the following approach. All emails are quickly scanned each
day as they are received and assigned a priority. Some are answered
immediately whilst others take a bit longer and some most likely will never be
answered. Any that are abusive tend to be pushed down the list and those that
are in the “What is the latest on such and such a project” category tend
to also be pushed down the list as AMRM, this newsletter and our web site
provide this sort of information. We don’t mind answering most emails
but time spent in this endeavor is time that is not spent on newsletters,
projects etc.
