Tri-ang Australian
Moldex Short TC Coaches
R26 Coach & R27 Vista Dome Coach
R420 & R421 Buffet Cars
1958 - 1967
The
short TC coaches were based on the UK made R24 & R25 TC cars, but were
shorter by one window. The R24/25 cars were based on Pullman Standard designs
from North America and had little resemblance to most modern Australian
passenger carriages, which were usually smooth sided. Vista Dome carriages were
not used by any Australian railway.
1964
Australian catalogue illustration.
Moldex
shared the tooling for these coaches with New Zealand. During the Tri-ang and
Tri-ang/Hornby period between 1958 and 1967 they were produced in three body
types and eight known livery variations. All were used in various sets during
this period, but only some were available separately.
Buffet
Cars were fitted with UK made Pullman car interiors. Early Southern Aurora
coaches were fitted with seat units from the Series 2 TC coaches.
All
models were fitted with Australian diecast metal bogies with sleeved wheels and
open axleboxes. The MkII coupler was used in 1958 and 1959. The tool was then
modified and used the Australian versions of the MkIII coupler from 1960 to
1967.
Early
coaches had ‘Made in Australia’, but this was changed to ‘Made in Aust
& NZ’ at about the time the ‘TransAustralia’ lettering was introduced
in 1962. The two versions are shown in the Photo below.
The
models produced by Moldex are summarized in the table below.
Lettering codes
TR
(Tri-ang Railways) |
TA
(TransAustralia) |
VR (Victorian Railways) |
SA
(Southern Aurora) |
BC (Buffet Car) |
The
coach numbers quoted are the ones usually used, but it is not unusual to find
the Vista Dome number on a coach, and vice-versa.
Cat.
No. |
Type |
Lettering |
No. |
Colour(s) |
Lining |
Coupler |
Years |
Coach |
TR
- white |
10724 |
Blue |
- |
MkII |
58-59 |
|
Vista-dome |
TR
- white |
20425 |
Blue |
- |
MkII |
58-59 |
|
Coach |
VR
- yellow |
20711 |
Blue |
Yellow |
MkII |
58-59 |
|
Vista-dome |
VR
- yellow |
30711 |
Blue |
Yellow |
MkII |
58-59 |
|
Coach |
TR
- white |
10724 |
Red/cream |
- |
MkII |
59 |
|
Vista-dome |
TR
- white |
20425 |
Red/cream |
- |
MkII |
59 |
|
Coach |
TR
- yellow |
10724 |
Blue |
Yellow |
MkIII |
60-61 |
|
Vista-dome |
TR
- yellow |
20425 |
Blue |
Yellow |
MkIII |
60-61 |
|
Buffet
Car |
BC
- yellow |
20711 |
Blue |
Yellow |
MkIII |
60-61 |
|
Coach |
TR
- black |
10724 |
Silver/red |
- |
MkIII |
60-62 |
|
Vista-dome |
TR
- black |
20425 |
Silver/red |
- |
MkIII |
60-62 |
|
Buffet
Car |
BC
- black |
20711 |
Silver/red |
- |
MkIII |
60-61 |
|
Coach |
TA
- yellow |
20711 |
Blue |
Yellow |
MkIII |
62-67 |
|
Vista-dome |
TA
- yellow |
20711 |
Blue |
Yellow |
MkIII |
62-67 |
|
Coach |
TA
- yellow |
20711 |
Red/yellow |
- |
MkIII |
64-67 |
|
Vista-dome |
TA
- yellow |
20711 |
Red/yellow |
- |
MkIII |
64-67 |
|
Coach |
SA
- red |
- |
Silver |
- |
MkIII |
66-67 |
|
Buffet
Car |
SA
- red |
- |
Silver |
- |
MkIII |
66-67 |
Information and photographs Graeme Brown