Happy 50th, DL531!

Under the southern stars at Werris Creek, April, 2009. . .

Put on your party hats and stick a noise-maker in your mouth--today's the 50th anniversary of the delivery of the first DL531 Goodwin-Alco in Australia!

The design has proven more than durable, and even the newest such units are celebrating 40 years of service in New South Wales, and don't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. NSWGR purchased 165 of the 6-cylinder, 251-powered roadswitchers; SAR 45; and Silverton another three. To celebrate, here's a few of my shots of 48 Class taken in April:
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Four Mk IV 48 class roll a grain train into Narrabri just after sunrise. . .
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. . and depart a few minutes later under a plume of smoke after safeworking at the Narrabri station.
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Classic face at Werris Creek. Can anyone enlighten me as to the meaning of the yellow star, found on the nose of several units?
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48144 and 48135 inside the Downer-EDI shop at Werris Creek before heading out the door to move still more grain from the North-West. . .

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The Living and the Dead: Stored and active 48 class around the turntable at Werris Creek loco.
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Side view of the new Powerline Mk. I 48 class (test shot, from the Model Railways In Australia Yahoo group). . .

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I really wished I could do my share of celebrating operating a finely-detailed HO scale model, but it looks like I'll have to hold off until next year some time for my Trainorama Mk I and IIs to show up (now looking like mid-2010 at the earliest). Powerline has released some photos of test shots of their (new) version of the 48 Class, and posted them to their Model Railways In Australia Yahoo group. It doesn't look too bad--certainly the under-frame piping gives the Train-O a run for the money. I'm a bit concerned about the molded handrails (I'd prefer wire) and the couplers seem to be taking aim skyward. The model features a cab interior as well as etched brass steps, but curiously, the radiator grill is molded. Hopefully,these issues will be addressed before they're released sometime in 2010.

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For the life of me, however, I can't understand that while Trainorama is making their first run strictly a Mustard Pot and Indian Red affair, Powerline isn't looking to sieze a bigger market share by offering any Freight Corp or Pacific National livery in their first run. Talk about missing the market!