Welcome to Buggardine. . . .
This proto-freelance model railroad is based on a branch line terminus as found on the New South Wales Government Railway (NSWGR) in Australia, circa 1972-1980. The inspiration for Buggardine is the Binnaway-Gwabegar branch, built in the early 1920s and reaching north of the Warrambungle mountains into the northwest plains.
Buggardine is a bowdlerization of the actual station names of Bugaldie and Baradine, and replaces the actual wide-spot-in-the-road village of Gwabegar with a town a bit larger, supporting a flour mill and two petrol distributors.
But rural rail service is in decline as improvements in roads and a shrinking population are eating away at the role of the Goods Train in small-town Australian life. Passenger service provided by rail motor is on the verge of abandonment, and a little more than a decade remains before the branch exists solely as a means to move grain, a role that would end in the early 2000s with embargo and then abandonment of the route.
Buggardine is a bowdlerization of the actual station names of Bugaldie and Baradine, and replaces the actual wide-spot-in-the-road village of Gwabegar with a town a bit larger, supporting a flour mill and two petrol distributors.
But rural rail service is in decline as improvements in roads and a shrinking population are eating away at the role of the Goods Train in small-town Australian life. Passenger service provided by rail motor is on the verge of abandonment, and a little more than a decade remains before the branch exists solely as a means to move grain, a role that would end in the early 2000s with embargo and then abandonment of the route.
The Trains
Buggardine is the end terminal of a thrice-weekly Goods Train originating at Dubbo on the northern mainline between Dubbo and Werris Creek. The train works all goods traffic between these points, interchanging cars at Merrygoen (bound for the Central West mainline and Sydney via Lithgow) and Binnaway (primarily grain bound to the port at Newcastle via Werris Creek ). This train will arrive at Buggardine, its crew taking “crib” (rest) at the crew bunkhouse before shunting its wagons and returning to Dubbo the next day.
Passenger Service is provided by a five-day a week Rail Motor set (620/720 series diesel cars), which arrives from a connection with the Central West main ex-Lithgow, lays over a few hours, and returns in the late afternoon. The remaining two days of the week, a mail train ex-Lithgow arrives late afternoon and lays over for departure the following morning; it consists of mail storage and postal office cars and a pair of coaches.
Conditional trains—what we in the states call “extras”—include occasional wheat trains (limited to 12 wheat wagons and 2 locomotives), stock trains (cattle and sheep), and depending upon contracts in place, containerized cotton train from a new loading facility on the flour siding.
Passenger Service is provided by a five-day a week Rail Motor set (620/720 series diesel cars), which arrives from a connection with the Central West main ex-Lithgow, lays over a few hours, and returns in the late afternoon. The remaining two days of the week, a mail train ex-Lithgow arrives late afternoon and lays over for departure the following morning; it consists of mail storage and postal office cars and a pair of coaches.
Conditional trains—what we in the states call “extras”—include occasional wheat trains (limited to 12 wheat wagons and 2 locomotives), stock trains (cattle and sheep), and depending upon contracts in place, containerized cotton train from a new loading facility on the flour siding.
Locomotives
Light rail and sparse to non-existent ballast marks this branch as a “pioneer railway” line, and fifty years after its construction, it still looks the part. In the steam era, only light locomotives were allowed on the line, and restrictions continued until the line’s abandonment with the use of only 47, 48 and 49-class diesel-electric branchline locomotives.
The twenty 47 Class were the last branch line locomotives built for NSWGR, by A. Goninan in Newcastle in 1972-73—1000hp using a 16-cylinder turbocharged D399TA Caterpillar engine, weighing 85 tons.
The eighteen 49 Class from Clyde-GM came in 1960-64, weigh 80 tons, and produce 875 hp from its 8-cylinder EMD 567-C power plant.
Most numerous on the branchlines were the 165 48 Class Goodwin-Alco DL531 locomotives, built in several batches between 1959-70; they weigh between 74 and 76 tons and produce 950hp from their 6-cylinder turbocharged inline Alco 251B power plant.
The state railway was stodgy and slow to change; using more than one branch line locomotive on an assignment as relative rare during the period modeled, with the exception of bulk commodity trains. The 2.5% climb south from Buggardine requires the standard 12-wagon wheat train to use two branchline-class locomotive; all other assignments call for a single unit.
The twenty 47 Class were the last branch line locomotives built for NSWGR, by A. Goninan in Newcastle in 1972-73—1000hp using a 16-cylinder turbocharged D399TA Caterpillar engine, weighing 85 tons.
The eighteen 49 Class from Clyde-GM came in 1960-64, weigh 80 tons, and produce 875 hp from its 8-cylinder EMD 567-C power plant.
Most numerous on the branchlines were the 165 48 Class Goodwin-Alco DL531 locomotives, built in several batches between 1959-70; they weigh between 74 and 76 tons and produce 950hp from their 6-cylinder turbocharged inline Alco 251B power plant.
The state railway was stodgy and slow to change; using more than one branch line locomotive on an assignment as relative rare during the period modeled, with the exception of bulk commodity trains. The 2.5% climb south from Buggardine requires the standard 12-wagon wheat train to use two branchline-class locomotive; all other assignments call for a single unit.
Operating Conditions
Per Australian practice, compass points are not used for railway direction; rather, everything is either “up” (towards Sydney) or “down” (away from Sydney). We keep it simple on this layout: trains climbing the hill out of town are “up”; those coming down the grade. . . “down.” Nice and simple.
Operations on the branch are governed by “simple staff and ticket” safeworking (dispatching). To operate on a controlled section of track, you need either the physical staff shuttled between sections of the railroad, or “ticket”, a paper form which substitutes for possession of the staff allowing greater flexibility in movements than the staff itself provides.
Authority limits for the staff and ticket begin at the “starting signal,” the manual semaphore just beyond the outermost points of the station district (typically, far enough out to allow headroom for most shunting moves). Near the starting signal, but facing the direction of trains arriving at a station district is the “home” signal; trains with a stop indication at the home signal must contact the station master before entering the district. Trains with a proceed indication will enter the district prepared to take the route established by the station master, typically towards the main or loop to the station building, where they will surrender their staff or void the ticket with the train controller.
Trains shunting loaded petrol tanks to the petrol siding must utilize a spacer wagon between locomotives and the tanks. All movements across streets must stop and crew provide flagging protection.
Four-wheel freight wagons—S, K, CF and KF codes—are quite light and easily derail when shoving against heavy bogie wagons; when making up a train, they must be placed in the rear-half of trains whenever possible.
Horns: Australians aren’t as horny as Americans. At grade crossings, a single “toot” suffices. When starting or changing directions, a couple short horn notes are customary. When stopped at a home signal displaying stop, two longs and a short will be sounded to get the attention of the station master. Four short notes will be sounded to get the attention of the train’s guard.
Shunting at Station: a train crew consists of a driver and assistant driver on the locomotive and a guard on the guard van (i.e. caboose). While shunting within a station precinct, the station master will usually assist by throwing levers on switch frames controlling points on the main line and loop track. Be nice to him. He’s got seniority and doesn't hesitate to ‘old head’ the train crews.
Operations on the branch are governed by “simple staff and ticket” safeworking (dispatching). To operate on a controlled section of track, you need either the physical staff shuttled between sections of the railroad, or “ticket”, a paper form which substitutes for possession of the staff allowing greater flexibility in movements than the staff itself provides.
Authority limits for the staff and ticket begin at the “starting signal,” the manual semaphore just beyond the outermost points of the station district (typically, far enough out to allow headroom for most shunting moves). Near the starting signal, but facing the direction of trains arriving at a station district is the “home” signal; trains with a stop indication at the home signal must contact the station master before entering the district. Trains with a proceed indication will enter the district prepared to take the route established by the station master, typically towards the main or loop to the station building, where they will surrender their staff or void the ticket with the train controller.
Trains shunting loaded petrol tanks to the petrol siding must utilize a spacer wagon between locomotives and the tanks. All movements across streets must stop and crew provide flagging protection.
Four-wheel freight wagons—S, K, CF and KF codes—are quite light and easily derail when shoving against heavy bogie wagons; when making up a train, they must be placed in the rear-half of trains whenever possible.
Horns: Australians aren’t as horny as Americans. At grade crossings, a single “toot” suffices. When starting or changing directions, a couple short horn notes are customary. When stopped at a home signal displaying stop, two longs and a short will be sounded to get the attention of the station master. Four short notes will be sounded to get the attention of the train’s guard.
Shunting at Station: a train crew consists of a driver and assistant driver on the locomotive and a guard on the guard van (i.e. caboose). While shunting within a station precinct, the station master will usually assist by throwing levers on switch frames controlling points on the main line and loop track. Be nice to him. He’s got seniority and doesn't hesitate to ‘old head’ the train crews.
