Firstly, this page is to show the models that I currently own.  This includes models purchased as r-t-r stock, kit built and scratch built.  Where I have done some work on a model, I will indicate it.  Where I plan on doing some work I will also indicate it.  Just to repeat this is not a wish list, I have at least 1 of everything shown here.

I hope this is not going to be a disappointment for some, since I actually do not have a lot of South African railroad models.  I am actively in the process of changing that though!

I am also working on my own layout (at last), but unfortunately, it will not be a SAR prototype.  I decided to freelance this as an intro into a more serious layout.  I chose to use N scale to make it feasible to attempt.  I live in a flat, and there is no way I can sacrifice a whole room to my trains, my wife will never allow that.

In December 2002, the club I belong to held a South African models parade.  Click here to see what we have in our club on the SAR front.
 

	This is a Lima Class 34 Diesel.  This unit is unchanged.  These models are available in either this version, or the blue version with yellow stiping.  Now to get some more of these...
This is a Lima 5E1.  This unit is unchanged.  The second unit (no picture) has had the cow catchers and couplers removed from the bogies, and attached to the shell. I think a respray might be in order after the mods are complete... and some weathering.  Currently the under frame of one of these locos, serves as a under frame for my Class 36-200 diesel loco pictured below!
	This is a Lima 5E1.  This unit is unchanged.  The second unit (no picture) has had the cow catchers and couplers removed from the bogies, and attached to the shell. I think a respray might be in order after the mods are complete... and some weathering.  Currently the under frame of one of these locos, serves as a under frame for my Class 36-200 diesel loco pictured below!
	Lima managed to make some pretty convincing SAR models.  This version of the ES is NOT one of them. It is too long, and the door details are incorrect. And those bumpers on the ends!!! But it looks passable in a train, I'll keep this thing for now.... I added the coal load.  Polystyrene as a shaped base, covered with Scenics SA large coal.  Still needs some dirt and weathering.
This is a better rendition of the ES.  Still not spot on, but closer.  Again, those bumpers on the ends!  A coal load is added same as above.  I also experimented with a modification on the stock Lima coupler to get the wagon closer the the others.  The coupler on the left has the ring cut off, and the plastic bit containing the pin cut off just in front of the hinge for the metal ring.  It works good, but is a little more difficult to couple..... Needs to stand out in the rain and wind a little... Bottom is the same, but covered with a plastic 'tarpaulin' or seil (afrikaans).
	Lima is slowly learning a few things about casting in plastic.  This is a fair version of the brown OZ wagons,  the only really bad thing is the quality of the lettering, and that shiny plastic!  And that silver car is much closer to chrome than I would like! I got a lettering set containing some replacement decals which will be applied in due course.
	This is the first stage parts breakdown of my scratch built XB-10 cement tanker.  The wheels and bogies are commercial kits. Everything else built from scratch.  Ladders are made from brass, Tanks are an old fax paper roll tube, ends and bolsters built from styrene.
In this photo, I mounted the bolsters. Since the bogies were not yet assembled, they are not mounted.  The tanks are sprayed with a gray primer.  Although the color in this photo is not quite right, in reality the primer is a fairly good match for a freshly painted Spoornet wagon.  After a recent mold making and casting workshop I attended, I might consider it to make 5 or 10 of these for a nice long train.
	The parts are getting a test fit.  I have started to assemble the end details, and will soon start with the valve and pipe details...
Lima SAR XPD-15 petrol tank.  Generally this is a pretty accurate model.  Main problems here would seem to be the ugly plastic ladders.  Also, the modern version is painted grey.  I think it will look nice to have a block train with a mix of brown and grey wagons...
	Lima made these V-8 compo Guards van and 2nd/3rd class passenger van. Again, a pretty good model, however, no interior, and the plastic is a little shiny.  Commonly, the 3rd class was used for passengers of color.  These are no longer in Revenue Earning Service.
My second scratch build effort, the Vapour-Clarkson steam heat wagon.  This model is constructed from brass, styrene and wood.  The cab was also my first attempt at etching brass.  It is painted in a white primer to highlight imperfections.  The tanks are made from white PVC electrical tubing.  The chassis is brass sheeting and brass shapes.  Still a lot of work to be done. But I like it...
	A closer look at the side of the cab, showing the details I tried to get from etching brass, rather than scribing styrene.  This was a steep learning experience.  I had to redo the cab 3 times before I was happy with the results.  The dome on the roof is not shown here, but that is made from styrene.  (Even I have only so much patience...)
At last she is just about complete!  I did make some mistakes, mainly with the lettering.  I tried using a brass etched stencil, but the paint would run in under the brass, and thus the blurred lettering.  I will touch this up with a fine 000 brush when I have a chance.  I used some nail poplish remover to 'ice' the windows, since there is no interior.
	SAR C-36(?) sleeper from the The Lima 'Golden series'. It was probably called that because of the high gloss plastic and paints used!   And those inter coach connectors!  The 3mm plastic heat shrink works wonders to get them looking better.  I still need to get Lionell Penning's under body details to fix those dummy 2D tanks and boxes.  Also the interior still needs some doing...
Next coach from Lima.  This is a A-2 diner car.  All that was said above applies here too.
	Yet another Lima 'master piece' :) At least I like kit bashing.  Maybe I should drop the maroon and gray and go for the slightly newer blue and gray scheme? Only time will tell... Oh yeah, this is a K-52 guards and parcels van.
This is my first venture into scratch building anything other than structures.  This 36200 is not complete, it still needs grab rails and step rails, and still has no couplers.  I made an area where a kadee no5 and kadee draft box fit.  The whole body is made from styrene.  All the door and panel details are hand scribed with a X-Acto knife and no11 blade.  Grilles are brass etchings or brass mesh.
	The other side of 36211.  I built this model, without ever having seen one for real.  I only had a manufacturers drawing, and some photos from some friend from the SAR-Modelling list.  I managed to see my first 'live' loco when I was ready to paint!  I managed to get the big cooling vents on this side wrong.  I might fix that later, or I might not....
Not much can be said really, there are lots of little errors.  The most significant being the chassis and wheels.  This is a Lima chassis, salvaged from a 5E1,  thus, the wheels are too far apart on the bogies, although the bogie centers are close.  The box in the center is completely incorrect, and the numbers are too big... but hey! I enjoyed making this model!
	The front view.  The headlight contains a white LED.  The rectangle on the cow catcher is where the kadee draft gear fits through.  A little fiddly to get in, but VERY secure and solid when done.  Clearly not visible here, again those hand rails, and also no brake hoses and MU cables...  All in good time.
Again, no hand rails or coupler installed yet.  This end does not have a LED installed yet, but space is provided.  I chose to model all doors closed for simplicity.
This was one of my first ever scratch build attempts.  It is a goods warehouse, based on a drawing and some photographs I got of the web of an American branch line goods depot.  The structure is built completely from styrene, and was airbrushed with Humbrol enamels.  Details are old Life Like Scene master.  Figures are Atlas and were hand painted by the author, while his wife made sure a steady stream of coffee was available to keep the shakes away....
	This is another of the Life like Scene Master series of details.  I bought a set of 4 of these trucks.  I added stakes to this one, and cut up another to model an old wreck that will lie behind a farm house or something....
Just to get a little back to the South African theme I would like to maintain, what South African scene would be complete without a squatter camp nearby?  This module belongs to one of the club members.  All the structures were hand built.  It contains a squatter camp with soccer field, shops, stolen cars, a shebeen (illegal bar), and a terrorists shack where a bomb exploded while being built!  It also has a whole burnt down block. According to Willie, he really set the block alight and let it burn!!!
	The sawdust burner in the front is a cone made from styrene, and the grille at the top is a cutoff piece of bridal netting, salvaged from my wife's sowing area.  The tent and camper in the front are my wife's idea.  The trestle is scratch built from balsa wood, stained with dirty thinners after a paint session with black enamel.  The water is made with fiberglass resin, cast in about 5 layers.  The waterfall was shaped with a bunch of strands of mono filament fishing line, and the resin was allowed to run over this and dry.  All the ground cover are from Scenics SA, since I can not afford Woodland at all.
Yet another of my wife's ideas, an angler on his boat on our lake.  The ground in the back is still very shiny, because the acrylic paint was still tacky.  It will become more matte and dusty after some work!  The reeds are made from sisal rope, dyed with food color, and glued in place before casting the lake.  Again, water was made from fiberglass resin cast in around 8 or 9 layers.  The angler is a slightly modified Atlas figure, and the boat is scratch built from off cut pieces of styrene.
Other stuff not shown here... well there is not really all that much, but I have an etched Brass side for the Lima Passenger coach, converting it to a lounge car (B-7).  It is unbuilt as yet.  My friend, Leon Croucamp, also made some wagon loads for my DZ-7 models. I also have a B-2 from Precision Miniatures. Some of CMD FZLs, and a VL-8 guards van.	I am looking into modifying some of my European or American models to bash into some of the SAR goods wagons.  I am especially interested in tankers, and will be focussing on the more interesting Pepper Pot type and maybe the V type tankers.  Rest assured that I will post updates as and when available.