Verney SCF2 railcars - info/drawings?

[rue_d_etropal]

Whilst searching for some info on French railcars, I came across the Verney SCF2 railcars on the old line that ran from Montpellier down to the coast. I have also found out they ran on the St Chinian line. I found side drawings(no scale, but nicely coloured to illustrate various versions and liveries), but would really like some front and back scale drawings showing sides and ends. 

[ianp]

Whilst searching for some info on French railcars, I came across the Verney SCF2 railcars on the old line that ran from Montpellier down to the coast. I have also found out they ran on the St Chinian line. I found side drawings(no scale, but nicely coloured to illustrate various versions and liveries), but would really like some front and back scale drawings showing sides and ends. 

 

A quick Google brings up this link to an article from the magazine Ferrovissime: http://fr.1001mags.com/parution/ferrovissime/numero-55-decembre-2012/page-26-27-texte-integral

It may not offer what you want, but may suggest other lines of enquiry. May I just say that the lack of RTR models of French railcars is deplorable.

[Andy Hayter]

No drawings in that article unfortunately.  Nor anywhere else that I have been able to find.

Sorry Simon

[rue_d_etropal]

I found that article.That was where I saw the reference to St Chinian. 

I have , in the past, downloaded(and paid) for magazines from this site, very useful for drawings. Managed to copy what is online in enough detail to read. I wonder if it is worth looking though all the Loco Revue magazines. 

 

It is frustrating that there are no published books on French standard gauge railcars. I did notice a short book had been published on the Palvalos line, and it is available with some others on a DVD, but not cheap and no guarantee of drawings. The line looks like it was busy, the sheds show a number of railcars, and then there was the bogie diesel which is often photographed pulling the old coaches. The only steam locos were 080s and I have seen one 'preserved' on a plinth with one of the coaches. 

There were variations I think with these railcars, some are 2 axle, and some had a bogie at one end. There are some Verney railcars preserved, different type, but their similarity to the Verney road bus is very obvious. 

 

There are some nice side illustrations(no scale, but should be able to work from buffer height). Also noticed some are De Dion-Bouton M-102

 

Found this nice photo, and I gather the Verney railcar was semi articulated. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Chemins_de_fer_de_l%27Hérault_-_Chaptal_-_Autorails_Verney_et_De_Dion.jpg. Might be able to do a drawing of ends as buffers are clearly seen and showng both ends. Another project to distract me. 

Edited December 10, 2017 by rue_d_etropal

[Joseph_Pestell]

I have drawings of some French railcars but I don't think I have that one. Is the SCF2 one of those that existed in both metre-gauge and standard-gauge variants?

 

For many years, I would agree that there had been very poor coverage of this subject by model manufacturers. But the recent Atlas series filled a few gaps.

[olivegreen]

Some interesting points above. I agree that there is little of what I would term 'value' in print on French railcars in general whatever their gauge (though I may have missed something, of course), but magazines do occasionally have articles that cover them, often indirectly. (Edit: but see post 7 below!)

For example, in the current issue of Le Train (issue 356, December 2017) there is an article on railcars in the Est region - not what you are looking for, I realise - but even there it is short on detail useful to the modeller.

Equally, I find drawings of French rolling stock extremely difficult to come by. Again, as an example, I have long been searching for a properly-dimensioned drawing of a Nord fourgon (the type later modified for use on the Night Ferry) without success.

We live in hope!

 

Mike

Edited December 10, 2017 by olivegreen

[Joseph_Pestell]

I found that article.That was where I saw the reference to St Chinian. 

I have , in the past, downloaded(and paid) for magazines from this site, very useful for drawings. Managed to copy what is online in enough detail to read. I wonder if it is worth looking though all the Loco Revue magazines. 

 

It is frustrating that there are no published books on French standard gauge railcars. I did notice a short book had been published on the Palvalos line, and it is available with some others on a DVD, but not cheap and no guarantee of drawings. The line looks like it was busy, the sheds show a number of railcars, and then there was the bogie diesel which is often photographed pulling the old coaches. The only steam locos were 080s and I have seen one 'preserved' on a plinth with one of the coaches. 

There were variations I think with these railcars, some are 2 axle, and some had a bogie at one end. There are some Verney railcars preserved, different type, but their similarity to the Verney road bus is very obvious. 

 

There are some nice side illustrations(no scale, but should be able to work from buffer height). Also noticed some are De Dion-Bouton M-102

 

Found this nice photo, and I gather the Verney railcar was semi articulated. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Chemins_de_fer_de_l%27Hérault_-_Chaptal_-_Autorails_Verney_et_De_Dion.jpg. Might be able to do a drawing of ends as buffers are clearly seen and showng both ends. Another project to distract me. 

 

There is a whole series of books on standard-gauge railcars, all with good drawings. But I only have one of them.

[olivegreen]

There is a whole series of books on standard-gauge railcars, all with good drawings. But I only have one of them.

 

Oops - I stand corrected on the first line in my previous post!  Are they in print and available, I wonder?  

[Joseph_Pestell]

http://asptv72.wixsite.com/asptv/rr-voyageurs

 

There may be something here to help you. Search under the "construction" button.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Oops - I stand corrected on the first line in my previous post!  Are they in print and available, I wonder?  

 

Autorails de France. They are a series published by La Vie du Rail, so it should be easy enough to find whether they are still in print but  I note that mine was published in 1994. I only have Volume 2 which covers the production of CGC, Decauville, Lorraine, Berliet and Renault.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Some interesting points above. I agree that there is little of what I would term 'value' in print on French railcars in general whatever their gauge (though I may have missed something, of course), but magazines do occasionally have articles that cover them, often indirectly. (Edit: but see post 7 below!)

For example, in the current issue of Le Train (issue 356, December 2017) there is an article on railcars in the Est region - not what you are looking for, I realise - but even there it is short on detail useful to the modeller.

Equally, I find drawings of French rolling stock extremely difficult to come by. Again, as an example, I have long been searching for a properly-dimensioned drawing of a Nord fourgon (the type later modified for use on the Night Ferry) without success.

We live in hope!

 

Mike

Mike,

 

Ref the Nord Fourgon, I am sure that there is a Loco-Revue drawing (which I may have).

 

I think that it should also be in the La Vie du Rail "Encyclopedie des Voitures SNCF". Will take a look after lunch.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Autorails de France. They are a series published by La Vie du Rail, so it should be easy enough to find whether they are still in print but  I note that mine was published in 1994. I only have Volume 2 which covers the production of CGC, Decauville, Lorraine, Berliet  and Renault.

 

http://www.boutiquedelaviedurail.com/autorails-de-france-tome-4,fr,4,110193.cfm

 

Volumes 2,4 & 5 seem to be currently available and at a reduced price but I am not sure that there are any Verneys here unless (as they may well do) they have been included as "autorails legers".

Edited December 10, 2017 by Joseph_Pestell

[rue_d_etropal]

Autorails de France. They are a series published by La Vie du Rail, so it should be easy enough to find whether they are still in print but  I note that mine was published in 1994. I only have Volume 2 which covers the production of CGC, Decauville, Lorraine, Berliet and Renault.

 

Don't think they are in print. looked on amazon, and vol 2 is reasonable price, but daft prices for others. can't see Verney on any of the titles though. 

My aim is to plug gaps in model market  by producing some railcars using 3D printing. As if I didn't have enough to do. I might look at other standard gauge stock(nothing post 1960s), if I can find drawings.

[rue_d_etropal]

​ found this interesting website(blog?) , mostly road vehicles but some rail, in particular this page. 

 

http://louisrenault.com/tag/automotrice/

 

It is a very confusing website. I had trouble finding this page again.

Apart from the rail vehicles, some of the lorries interest me, in particular the Renault take on the articulated tractor and traler, similar to the more successful FAR/ Scammell one. I had seen no reference to Renault in any of the Mechanical Horse Club info. 

[Andy Hayter]

I found that article.That was where I saw the reference to St Chinian. 

I have , in the past, downloaded(and paid) for magazines from this site, very useful for drawings. Managed to copy what is online in enough detail to read. I wonder if it is worth looking though all the Loco Revue magazines. 

 

 

 

 

I can save you some work on the Loco Revue front.  Unless there is a drawing in the first 25 issues (rarer than hen's teeth in the main), there are no drawings there.

[rue_d_etropal]

thanks Andy. I have just bought a couple of the books recommended. Not sure if they will help with the Verney, which seems to have less info than others. 

[MickRalph]

If you are a member, the French Railways Society (formerly The SNCF Society) has all four of the Autorails de France books in its library for loan to members, who pay only the return postage.

 

Mick

[rue_d_etropal]

Thanks Mick , I should have thought.

Price was reasonable especially for French books from France, and I can always sell them in the future. Good books, especially ones with scale drawings are a good investment. As I mentioned, I have side illustrations of the Verney units, and should be able to work out front and backs as there are some good photos online.  

I plan to get one of the double deck steam units done for the Derby get together in April, and might look at other designs. Concentrating on the smaller ones, partly because they are not so common as models, and they are cheaper to produce.

[rue_d_etropal]

Received Tomes 4 and5 today. Not as many drawings as hoped. pity but at least it is a start. It means I can start on a few, without feeling I have a long list to complete. Hopefully one benefit will be ability to produce some drawings myself. It i mainly the smaller units I am interested in, and I aim to do scales from N up to G1.

Many of the standard gauge units look like stetched versions of the metre gauge ones. In particular the classic Billard. I know there were comments about the model Atlas Edition did, saying it was a cross between standard and metre gauge.

 

Also Merry Christmas to everyone.

Edited December 22, 2017 by rue_d_etropal

[rue_d_etropal]

had not realised I started this so long ago.

Anyway, with some more info on dimensions I have done a design for this autorail. I still don't have a plan view or end view drawing so have donebest I could based on some reaonable photos.

[SirBud]

Simon,

Not sure if this helps, but probably a couple of years ago now I purchased a copy of "Voie metrique en Correze Le POC" by Stefan Hoob.  Its a beautiful book with numerous photos, drawings and coloured front and side elevation drawings of De-Dion, Verney, and Billard Autorails as well as locomotives and rolling stock.  Can't remember where I purchased it.

Best regards,

Trevor

[SirBud]

I also have the attached drawing that I found somewhere on line years ago.

 

 

[rue_d_etropal]

that is on my list to do, but it is metre gauge not standard gauge. Drawings of any standard gaug railcars is more difficult.