21st Edition
Welcome to the twenty-first edition of The Eureka Times.
Another year has come and gone and the editorial and production staff here at The Eureka Times wish to pass onto all our readers our best wishes for the coming year and our hopes that good health and prosperity is the order of the day for all in 2011. 2010 was an unusual year in that it was quiet delivery-wise with no deliveries in that year.(The AD60 re-run and the CPH/CTH with sound are expected to be delivered before the end of the Chinese Year but that probably does not count as a 2010 delivery.) As pointed out in the last edition, manufacturing arrangements for Eureka’s projects have been anything but stable in 2010 but 2011 is shaping up to be the opposite with at least six deliveries likely as our new manufacturing arrangements settle down. All indications to date suggest that the new manufacturing arrangements will provide significant benefits especially with regard to delivery times. At the same time detail quality is expected to be the equal of our old manufacturer and for a number of reasons operating excellence and reliability is expected to return to that delivered by our old manufacturer in our early projects. Well, let’s have a look at what 2011 should bring.
AD60 and 38 class re-runs, 40 Class and CPH/CTHs with sound. Latest from the Old Factory.
Back in the middle of last year, our old factory committed itself to completing four “in progress” projects (AD60 re-run, 38 class re-run, 40 class and CPH/CTH with sound) but to not commencing any new projects. The four “in progress” projects were to be completed before Chinese New Year but since then it has become apparent that the old factory has decided not to complete the 40 class and 38 class projects even though both projects were ready for final production and assembly. Chinese New Year this year falls in early February and assuming dispatch of the AD60 re-run and CPH/CTH with sound occurs before then, then mid-February should see these projects in Sydney ready for distribution. This then leaves the question of what to do about the 38 class re-run and the 40 class.
40 Class and 38 re-run off to the New Factory.
Considering the lack of progress in these two projects at the old factory the only way forward for these two projects is to add them to the growing number of projects currently at various stages of production at Eureka’s new manufacturer. To this end arrangements have been made for the 38 class and 40 class tooling to be collected from the old factory and transferred to the new (along with all of the other tooling). Discussions with the new factory concerning a production schedule for the 40 class especially are underway and whilst a definite schedule is not yet available a mid-year delivery date is being considered. The 38 re-run will likely see a second half of the year delivery date. More details in the next edition of The Eureka Times and on the Eureka blog.
The NSW NTAF Oil Tanker:
During WW11 the Department of Defence commissioned the construction of 25 three dome, 10,000 gal. oil tanks to support the war effort. The tanks were placed on modified E wagon under-frames supplied by the NSWGR. In 1947 all tank cars were sold to the private oil companies and around 1957 the NSWGR required that the old under-frames be replaced. As a consequence the tanks were placed on new fully welded under-frames using 6 inch channel side sills. The replacement under-frames were built by various contractors and as a result there are differences between the various batches. Eureka’s model will come in six company liveries as well as in standard black. The model will be available in 3-packs consisting of two different company cars plus one standard black. Two versions are planned. The post 1957 version with a NTAF coding and a pre-1957 version featuring oil Company numbering. Enclosed is an order form with details of each pack.
On the Subject of Tooling.
For those who are interested, tooling represents the major cost of a project and whilst the aim is to recover fully the cost of tooling in the first run of a project (there may not be a second run) the hope is that the tooling will be needed for future re-runs and so the question of storage between runs becomes an issue. Tooling is paid for and owned by the Organization commissioning a project but the tooling for a project is by its nature a rather heavy affair. It is not the sort of thing that lends itself to carting around and so the normal arrangement is for the manufacturer to provide facilities for the holding and storage of such tooling. In the case of Eurekas’ previous manufacturer the tool stores are a major undertaking. Protection from damage or loss are obviously important considerations both to the manufacturer and the owner. The movement of the tooling for Eureka’s seven completed projects to Eurekas’ new manufacturer is not a task to be taken lightly involving as it does several truck-loads, fork lifts and a lot of heavy lifting. Hope they don’t drop any.
Current Projects – Some Observations:
A New Production Schedule:
With the transfer of all Eureka projects apart from the AD60 re-run and CPH/CTH with sound to new manufacturing facilities a major re-working of planned delivery dates has had to be under-taken. The table on page 4 below is a summary of arrangements arrived at after discussions with the new manufacturer. The schedule does involve delays to some projects but results to date are already suggesting that the dates in the schedule are likely to be far more reliable indicators than has been the case previously. The move has involved much dislocation and considerable heart-ache but with the first test shots for a project due in two weeks progress to date is promising. There are a couple of projects under consideration that may need to be slotted into the schedule so even with the likely increased reliability of delivery dates they should still be regarded as a work in progress and subject to movement but nothing like has been the case in the past.
VR/SAR Bogie Open/Flat/Oil Tank wagons. Test shots are due by the 2nd week in February with a June delivery date as the target. Due to demand a 3-pack of SAR O Bogie Open Wagons is being offered and consideration is being given to producing an OB Wagon at a later date.
The R Class and the K. All tooling on the R class is nearing completion. The factory says that an engineering sample should be available in March which will be a significant step forward. It will be very nice to have something to touch and to photograph on a project which has been underway almost since Eureka Models was established. As has been advised in the past it has been the intention that once test shots for the R class were received tooling on the K class would commence. This will be the case and tooling is in the schedule to start in 2nd quarter, 2011. Order forms and the much heralded special offer to those who have an R class on order will be included in the next edition of The Eureka Times which is scheduled for late March.
The BMT Milk Trainpak Project. The Milk Tank project is being planned to include two vehicles. The first will be a BMT (Bogie Milk Tank) and the second a four wheel louvre van modified to carry milk. This four-wheeler will feature a louvred body on a 20ft underframe. This vehicle will be part of a larger project utilising the 20ft underframe and may lead to the MV Meat Van, PV Explosive Van, ICV Insulated Van, SRC Refrigerated Van and F.J. Walker Refrigerated Van being produced.
As the heading suggests this table is an attempt to fore-see what can be expected from current projects over the next three years. The 2011 project stages are factory estimates and are reasonably re-liable. There are also a number of other projects that are under consideration and which may be fitted into the above program. Some of these are spin-offs from the above projects whilst a number are new projects altogether. Logically, as one moves down the schedule dates become less firm and more subject to change. More next edition.