Since my "Eureka" experience I've always shied away from the fully paid early bird payments. But a $45 discount on a $295 model (15% discount) with a company that does deliver in a reasonable timeframe (422 aside) has me printing out the order form.
Tony

Does anyone know what is meant when they refer to 4531 as having the "duck egg logo"?

It's the oval shaped coat of arms on the short-end hood, I believe.

I thought the coat of arms was applied to the short-end hood on all the 45s as delivered and would have remained there until progressively painted into candy colours during the 1980s. If so what makes 4531 different?

Tony

They all had the metal state coat of arms on the front nose when delivered, I do not know about 31 but maybe the duck egg, as Auscision terms it, was an oval label from the PTC era, or perhaps its the large white background coat of arms seen on some 44cl.

Its certainly a term I have never heard of before.

With the 35 class variations one would think that a surprise 600 class announcement would be the case. The fact that no mention has been made of a definite 'no' can only indicate that its more than likely.
There are quite a few variations of this class that would indicate a thumbs up for good sales so I guess Auscisions silence is a good thing. As a NSW collector I still would go for a mustard pot and AN green to compliment interstate workings.

I still can not believe how many candy variations there are?  Auscision really do cover all the variations superbly!!

Next year is going to super expensive.
45/46/86/Tangara/XPT and maybe even the V/RUB/Southern Aurora!!!

While the 600's were basically the same as the 45cl, there are enough differences in them from the as delivered version, through to those done on them for SAR use, then when they came to PTK for the Local working & to Medway, they were rejected until mods were carried out on them back in SA.

Further mods were carried out on them after they went back. I would think that any company producing the 45cl would do the 600's as its a good spin off, but it will mean several variations to them both major & semi minor.

On a positive aspect.....at least the "guts" of the model would be identical, as the chassis, motor, drive line and bogies would all be identical (I think), so the differences would be the cosmetic outer-shell items only. Given that there are already some variations in the outer-shell within the 45 class range (eg: the position of the sand boxes and possibly some of the filter grills on the sides of the long hood etc), one would imagine that it shouldn't be all that difficult to bang out some other castings for the 600. But then again, what I know about injection casting (if that's the right term) could be written in bold print on the back of a half-sucked Aspro!!!

Roachie

Interestingly Bill when they went back for the sand box mods, the retained the old front loading sand boxes but IIRC it was slightly different to the 45cl setup.  The new side openings were then cut in at a lower point than the front ones, whereas the 45cl the front box was simply welded up & a new one positioned at the same level to the side.

There were differences to the Dynamic brake grids in the nose also, & several other subtle differences.

More pre Xmas news!

GL class finally announced:

Very interesting development. I know there are some body differences between the GL and the 442 but it certainly raises the question of how much more work would be required to produce a 442.

Tony

Hi Tony
my thoughts are that the mech would probably fit, and Auscision are smart enough to make sure it does  Were the bogies ,frame and fuel tanks unchanged from a 442? My guess is that they moved the air receivers around or did something else that might make a simple body change undo-able by some of our manufacturers?
However the tanks and piping could actually be designed as a second piece similar to the way Austrains built the C Class tank?
Cheers
Rod



Marcus Wong Picture 442S3

GL Class

Looking at the differences, if the length of the GL is the same as the Jumbo it would certainly need a full new body to be tooled.