Tri-ang Australian

Tri-ang Railways Moldex R.257 Double Ended Electric

1960 - 62

Illustration used in the 1960/61 Australian Catalogue. The model shown is actually the UK version.

The R257 was made by Moldex in 1960 using body mouldings and bogies from the contemporary Australian R159A and fitted with a roof and pantographs imported from the UK. Since the body and bogie mouldings are from the Australian double ended diesel tooling, the same differences between Australian and UK models are present.

The Australian R.257 models used VR nose wings, diesel cowcatcher mouldings and a different shade of orange paint. The green plastic used was the same shade as that used by Moldex for their R.152 Diesel Shunters. Unlike the UK models, the Australian model had the same loco. number (5007) as the diesel.

Only a small number of these models were made in 1960 and it is unlikely that there are any major variations.

Unlike Rovex, Moldex did not remove the catalogue numbers from the tool when they introduced the R257, so the models were still marked "R159A/R250A", as well as 'Built in Australia & NZ".

Information and photographs Graeme Brown