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21st Century France


Peter Crawford
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I am in the process of commencing work on a modern-image French layout with TGVs, TERs (and Intercites?) etc.

 

A.Where can I get LGV catenary?

B.How/where to get the rolling stock?

C. My space is limited, 12/13ft x 7/8 ft, are there any good space-savers for modelling the rather vast (compared to the UK) railway infrastructure, where any station even in relatively small towns have massive yards?

 

Thanks!

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I am in the process of commencing work on a modern-image French layout with TGVs, TERs (and Intercites?) etc.

 

A.Where can I get LGV catenary?

B.How/where to get the rolling stock?

C. My space is limited, 12/13ft x 7/8 ft, are there any good space-savers for modelling the rather vast (compared to the UK) railway infrastructure, where any station even in relatively small towns have massive yards?

 

Thanks!

What scale are you thinking of using?

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Firstly, unless you're modelling a section of LGV, the catenary would be either 1500V dc (south of Paris) or 25kV (north of Paris)

Sommerfeldt do a range http://www.blackwells-miniatures.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=34_167&zenid=jggali51o63ir790n0cdgvij97 The lattice masts are similar to those found on 1500V systems.

Secondly, a lot of the yards have been reduced to a couple loops and a siding or two, as SNCF have largely withdrawn from the wagon-load market. As elsewhere, many of the freights are block trains; variety coming from the intermodal trains that traverse the country, most originating from, or destined for, other countries.

You might find this link to be of interest:- https://lapassiondutrain.blogspot.co.uk/ The people involved are from the Calais/ Hazebrouck/ Dunkerque area, so it's the area that is predominantly covered, but they have correspondents elsewhere.

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At least you are aiming to work in N rather than HO. TGVs really a bit long to use HO in the space that you have got.

 

But I would repeat the advice given above. If you want to model a wide selection of trains, you need a station served by TGVs but on the historic network. So the catenary will be of a classic SNCF variety rather than the LGV type.

 

One station you might want to look at is Montpellier. Most of the platforms are covered over by a concrete raft with buildings and a bus station. So you could just model the southern approaches to the station with platform ends and sidings.

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That is quite a good point. I am tempted by the LGVs, but I realise it will probably end up being a very boring layout to operate. My main priority is to capture what SNCF has done well, but what the UK network lacks (i.e. Modern Infrastructure, Fast and Reliable Services, Constant Upgrades). 

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That is quite a good point. I am tempted by the LGVs, but I realise it will probably end up being a very boring layout to operate. My main priority is to capture what SNCF has done well, but what the UK network lacks (i.e. Modern Infrastructure, Fast and Reliable Services, Constant Upgrades). 

You are talking about the outfit who operates the railway at the other end of the Channel Tunnel?. A large amount of SNCF's infrastructure is subject to speed restrictions of various degrees of severity, due to resources being used on the LGVs at the expense of lesser routes. Time-tabling can appear bizarre to those used to the relatively regular and frequent services in the UK; quite often, a 'train service' will consist of a train to the nearest urban settlement in the morning, then buses throughout the day, and a return train in the evening. 'Constant Upgrades' often include a long period (months on end) with trains replaced by buses. This , of course, occurs frequently in the UK, but rarely for much more than a weekend, and the railways are heavily criticised for it.

The one part of SNCF that really works well is the Press and PR department...

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But I would rather have a cheap, frequent and fast London-Edinburgh train any day compared to the twice-daily 'Village Line' calling at 'Delays Central', 'Works Overtime', 'Temporary Halt', 'No Ticket Exchange' before terminating at 'Poor Service'. AND it cost me loads more than the ticket price of a comparable journey on the other side of the channel.

 

For example, let's look at London-Edinburgh and Paris-Marseille One-way (Needless to say, both are considered 'Premier Routes'). I am leaving Saturday (In 2nd Class) at 11:30 AM

 

Gare de Lyon- Gare St. Charles

 

€90    £78.42 approx. £80   3h23m

 

 

KGX- EDB

 

£155.50   4h37m

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Hello

 

This sounds an exciting project!

 

If you are you wanting 1500v DC catenary in N and would like a lower price option then I produce a range that has been 3D printed. I am currently designing a range of double masts but my current range includes tension and compression masts as well as a few other styles.

 

If kits of obscure rolling stock are of any interest then I also do a range of bits and pieces that would look good on a modern layout including the DU65 draisine maintenance vehicle (in snow plough version and standard formats), the DU84 maintenance vehicle and the XR6000 trailer which was towed behind the X2800, X21/2200 units. I am also currently developing the Z2 emu.

 

If you do choose N then you will find that you can cram more in and have longer runs for your trains. I will look forward to seeing your layout develop.

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I would like to use N, I'm just having difficulties with the fiddly pinning down of track.

I used Kato unitrack which I then disguised as I have similar issues with neat track laying. The advantages of built in turnout motors and simple and effective within systems are a definite bonus but it is a little pricey.

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I plan to visit gaugemaster on Saturday, is there anything to watch out for or ask specifically?

With Kato or N gauge in particular? With railway it is worth thinking about whether you are going DC or DCC. There are some good sound locos out there now that are worth buying (there is an example of the tricolour cc72000 on eBay at the moment for a bargain £150!!!!). Then it’s about what your budget is, what you want from the layout?

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In N Kato do the TGV in various guises including the new duplex versions. Piko do the Corail carriages and Sybic locos (which I understand are set for rerelease this year). Minitrix do the 67400 which is still in limited use on the network. They also plan to release sound versions of the 9200 later in the year in the Capitole livery but this is a bit earlier than your chosen era. Arnold also produced the cc72000 which is a great loco. As well as this they produced the x73500 autorail which would be of use to you for this era although it appears they no longer manufacture this any more. Mikadotrain have made some serious inroads into the N gauge market with the X2200 which is a lovely model. They have also done a rendition of the x2800 which suffers a little from compromises necessary for working in N scale.

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It appears that Mikadotrain/REE also do a good X73500 as well... thanks!

 

Thanks for everyone's help, especially that of SNCF Stephen. :)

 

But, does anyone have a plausible excuse to be running an Intercites train alongside TGV or not?

 

Kato TGVs are top of my list, especially with their reasonable RRPs (20,000 yen which appears to be £200 for a 10-coach set) 

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Also, the Mikadotrain x73500 is not bad (I have had one) but it suffers a little from having to ride on an over the counter chassis so seems a bit larger on some of the dimensions that it should be. On the other hand they are fairly easy to obtain and there are a variety of liveries.

 

If you google trains160 there is a rather good French online shop that specialises in N gauge stock and scenery. I often look at the vast array of stock there is and put t on my birthday list.

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But, does anyone have a plausible excuse to be running an Intercites train alongside TGV or not?

 

 

 

TGVs do not use LGVs exclusively. Less than year ago the Le Mans avoiding LGV was opened, but until then all TGVs to Bretagne had come through LM, rubbing shoulders with all sorts of TERs, freight etc, and using ordinary railway all the way to Bretagne. Both single and duplex TGVs use the route. And loco-hauled sets still run the bulk of the TER trains from LM to Montparnasse. Superb riding qualities. 

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How about modelling something completely random like Les Sables where TGV’s were dragged (from Nantes) by 72000’s, there was even a length of OHLE which was used to enable the 72000 to be shunt released.

 

The station was a reasonably small, with local, Grand Lines and TGV’s.

 

See below

 

5580250185_78a3d82d26_b.jpgSNCF 72062 and TGV375 at Les Sables d'Olonne 3 by Neil Sutton, on Flickr

 

5580250059_351fe5150f_b.jpgSNCF 72062 and TGV375 at Les Sables d'Olonne 2 by Neil Sutton, on Flickr

 

 

Thanks,

 

Neil

Edited by Neils WRX
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It appears that Mikadotrain/REE also do a good X73500 as well... thanks!

 

Thanks for everyone's help, especially that of SNCF Stephen. :)

 

But, does anyone have a plausible excuse to be running an Intercites train alongside TGV or not?

 

Kato TGVs are top of my list, especially with their reasonable RRPs (20,000 yen which appears to be £200 for a 10-coach set) 

 

Well, a couple of years ago my TGV service (Nimes to Lille) took a dreadfully long time, once it had passed Paris. It had been diverted off the LGV line onto a slow secondary line running through places like St Quentin, Cambrai and Douai.

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