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Česky Západ - HO Czech Layout


Neils WRX
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Layout was Originally a Balkan Layout but has moved a few hundred miles north to be in the Czech Republic.... 

 

Balkan / Belgian Fusion... ( now with added Danish)

Having just found this bit of the forum I thought I'd introduce my layout.

The idea of this project goes back to a trip to the Balkans in the mid 1990's. I was taken by big noisy GM (General Motors) diesels working local trains on 4 wheeled rolling stock and decided I'd like to try an recreate this in HO scale, my first thoughts were to use American prototypes to represent the diesels I had seen, I also fancied a play with manufactures such at Althern etc as previously I had been modelling a Belgian / German layout.

However on further inspection these proved to be much larger than European HO and just weren't suitable, the only RTR models available at the time were a SZ Slovenian Railways and HZ Croatian Railways Air-con coaches by Roco which were 1:100 scale so not even scale length. Over the years there have been limited runs of models that are useful eg the Klein Eas bogie open wagons and Heris Gbs 4 wheeled vans, and these have been added to by rebuilding / repainting other models to use on the layout.

The layout itself is based on a border station between Croatia and Bosnia in the east of the country, the trains like the prototype are often short so don't look out of place on a 9 foot scenic section. Passenger trains are a mixture of local and international services, the Bosnian passenger services often run as mixed trains with a tail load of a few wagons. Freight traffic is generated by the factory at the rear of the layout and by the concrete pad at the front where logs are loaded.

There is a small power plant off the scenic section than receives coal and operates a couple of steam locomotives including a class 33 which is a former German Railways class 52 Kreislok. These trains re-engine in the loops opposite the station building.

At the moment there is a fiddle yard at only the right had end of the layout, at some point in the future it's planned to build a fiddle yard at the opposite end of the layout as well and operate it as a through station at exhibitions, as the layout would be to large to fit in its current location at home with fiddle yards at both ends.

The layout is currently 13 foot long by 2 foot wide and is portable and has survived two house moves, construction of the scenery has been going on very slowly over a number of years.

Buildings are by Kibri and Walthers and have all been rebuilt / repainted. Trackwork is by Peco code 100 and uses a mixture of concrete and wooden sleepered track, concrete for the mainline, wooden for loops and sidings. Catenary was originally from Pola (?) but has since been replaced by Sommerfeldt masts. Control is DC with the points are all motored with Peco motors controlled with an electric pencil.

This has since been changed to a Roco Z21 DCC system with a Multimaus wifi controller (which I think is excellent)

15919991454_ff18884956_c.jpgHZ 2061011 G16 Balkan Models by Neil Sutton, on Flickr

Here's a link to the album:
https://flickr.com/photos/52825810@N08/sets/72157626264044375

My interest in Belgian models was reawakened a year ago and I had the idea to change the layout by changing buildings and scenery and even the catenary (again using Sommerfeldt components). The Belgian layout is DCC controlled using a Roco Z21, most of my original models were DC only without decoders sockets, so they have been replaced by loco's with decoders and a number also have sound which I'm now hooked on.

21103227768_3849b812f7_c.jpgSNCB DMU's Old and New Together by Neil Sutton, on Flickr

Here's an album of the Belgian models :
https://flickr.com/photos/52825810@N08/sets/72157646646831559

 

Now with Czech models, here's the album :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/neil_sutton/albums/72157683098661445

I'll try to provide updates as things progress

Thanks

Neil

Edited by Neils WRX
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  • 2 weeks later...

And now for something completely different, Danish night, swap some stock and take the MZ and MY out of there boxes.

Here a MZ passes light through the station https://flic.kr/p/BCJse3

 

23388163660_930e14d72c_b.jpgRoco 62713 - DSB MZ1414 by Neil Sutton, on Flickr

More at : https://flickr.com/photos/52825810@N08/sets/72157662118774282

Edited by Neils WRX
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  • 3 weeks later...
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I'm looking for a forklift to park in this space along with some pallets etc.

 

Are the Wiking forklifts any good? They look a little plastic to me. Any suggestions of other makes to try?

post-27790-0-10818900-1464248319_thumb.jpeg

Edited by Neils WRX
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I have a Wiking forklift. I know what you mean about it looking a bit shiny.

 

I gave it a wash of thin black Humbrol and it now looks better.

 

Noch has some new nice looking pallet trucks too.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Pete

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  • 1 month later...

Actually put the Belgian and Danish models away and have done a bit of railway modelling.

Having been so impressed with DCC Sound on the above models I've decided to convert to DCC for the Balkan layout.

Only issue is most of the models don't have DCC sockets. First conversion to be attempted was one of my Croatian 2061's, which started life as a Balkan Models kit. Looking at various how to's on line it all looked quite straightforward, so I cut the wires and wired in a 8pin DCC socket (as I didn't want to hard wire in a decoder). On trying to get the bodyshell back on it sat a little high so, unsoldered every thing, shortened the wires and tried again.

I tested the model with a decoder which worked fine. I've downloaded an American loco with a 16 cylinder GM567C engine (which is the correct power unit), to get my the motor sounds. My current issue is getting the correct air horn sounds, I never realised there were so many versions!!

From memory the loco's have a classic American horn (but which one is correct) and a more European horn as well, again not sure which ESU on to use. Have tried listening to YouTube videos but struggling a bit.

Any ideas?

 

Here's a picture so far:

https://www.flickr.com/gp/neil_sutton/81e27b

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  • 4 weeks later...

I've recently made the decision to swap over to DDC control (using my Roco Z21) for the Balkan Layout which is going to involve converting the fleet. In some cases this is just a matter of inserting a decoder eg into a Roco former DB212. I've become hooked on DCC Sound from my Belgian and Danish fleets as well, so the objective is to include sound where possible.

 

My first new purchase was a Brawa DB 212 in blue which has had ZBH logos applied but not yet renumbered. The model is sound fitted and comes with digital fan and digital couplers which are quite novel.

 

My first attempt at a DCC conversion was my Balkan Models 661 kit, which I had numbered / painted as a Croatian example numbered 2061011. The actual conversion was quite straightforward, the only issue was squeezing the speaker inside the bodyshell. The chip is a Loksound ESU V4, and the DCC socket came from EBay.

The sounds came from the ESU website and are for a 16 cylinder GM 567C power unit, I have changed some of American sounds (such as the bell) for European sounds and added things like jointed track etc

 

Here are a couple of short mpegs shot with my Go-pro.

 

https://flic.kr/p/LaPYnm

 

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https://flic.kr/p/LaSgBN

 

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Here's a picture of the initial installation.

 

post-27790-0-30979900-1471988474_thumb.jpeg

Edited by Neils WRX
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  • 1 month later...

Back to Belgium again (I really must build that SNCB Motive Power Depot I keep sketching out), and the smallest loco has arrived a SNCB class 91 shunter. The model is a 0-4-0 and it really captures the look of the original locomotive.

 

The model is by Van Biervliet and is fitted with DCC sound and a stayalive chip which works really well over my point work.

 

A great little model but a bit expensive now thanks to the poor pound.

post-27790-0-52372500-1476310811_thumb.jpg

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Nice 91 - have you got a couple of M2s for the Mons Arsenal staff P train?

 

As requested!! The M2's are from Marklin (I have I think about 16 of them).i never covered the Mons Arsenal train myself, was always too busy chasing other stuff elsewhere.

post-27790-0-23102500-1476397445_thumb.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Latest addition to the collection a Danish DSB class ME by McK.

 

Model is of course fitted with DCC Sound, and is even fitted with flashing lights on the side which flash when the train is about to depart. Also has cab and engine room lights etc. An excellent model.

post-27790-0-45236300-1479334701_thumb.jpg

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