RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted November 12, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 12, 2020 (edited) Hi all, This pic was taken by my uncle in Taormina, Sicily in August, so if the Caimani are off passenger trains it is a pretty recent development. Apologies for the slightly blurry quality but it was taken on a hot day from his balcony half way up the mountain! And lots of pine trees and other greenery adjacent to the tracks... cheers Ben A. Edited November 12, 2020 by Ben A 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted November 13, 2020 Author Share Posted November 13, 2020 Thanks @Ben A - good to have up to date info from the locals! Now that's a balcony view... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted November 14, 2020 Author Share Posted November 14, 2020 (edited) Needless to say, I was delighted that the stones pines arrived on this very wet Saturday - an ideal opportunity for some planting! The stones pine has a really distinctive flat topped, umbrella canopy and I really wanted to add some to the layout as they are seen all along the Ligurian coast. Fortunately https://www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk/? stock a variety of specific tree types due to their architectural modelling focus , including the stones pine for me! I am really pleased with the shape and appearance, albeit the metal armature was bare which I didn't expect - I fashioned trunks out of blue tack and then sprayed with my preferred Humbrol dark brown to complete them. After much re-arranging, taking pictures, more rearranging and so on I have settled on this as a main grouping (please excuse my straining phone camera): As ever with trees, I think I could have bought twice as many; I think the natural extent of my scale treeline is probably the next main terrace up - I can feel another tree order coming on... I've also revived the sea a fair amount with a new layer of PVA over the repaint - fortunately it did dry clear this time! Edited November 14, 2020 by 9FEd 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted December 7, 2020 Author Share Posted December 7, 2020 Freezing fog on Sunday led me to retreat to the sunnier climate of Lockdown Liguria and I added another swathe of foliage, this time focusing on flowers and ground height palms. Although modelling high summer is a bit of cliché, when you are modelling the Med you inevitably think of azure seas, skies and vibrant colours and I'm enjoying embracing that! I've tended towards white and yellow wild flowers (which seem to predominate in pictures) - the solitary Interfrigo van was a 99p eBay find, I'd like to accumulate a full length Interfrigo train and ideally pair it with a blue/grey E656 too... The top terrace adjacent to the vineyard has acquired its planned flower farm, here I have gone for 'deliberately cultivated' serried ranks of red flowers: The eagle eyed will also note the half painted chapel building - this is slightly underscale (6mm) but I am experimenting with using it to force perspective (currently undecided!) 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted December 7, 2020 Author Share Posted December 7, 2020 An overview shot - mostly because this is my favourite view point! 14 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted December 10, 2020 Author Share Posted December 10, 2020 Proof (if any were needed) that you can find anything on the internet, in this case an E656 cab ride along the Ligurian coast! I've copied the video url when the train is on the run in to Sanremo station (station itself at c.12mins): 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted December 10, 2020 Author Share Posted December 10, 2020 On 26/05/2020 at 14:43, 9FEd said: Major outstanding tasks include: 1. the retaining walls Done (after agonising over card vs plastic) 2. additional foliage, trees (and Ligurian palm trees...) Done, delighted to get both stones pines and palms! More general greenery still required... 3. the sea Done... twice! Still needs a little bit more work perhaps... 4. sourcing and installing catenary Done Sometimes its good to look back and realise that, more or less, most of those tasks I set myself in May did eventually get done! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted December 16, 2020 Author Share Posted December 16, 2020 In homage to the inaugural run out of the 'Blue Pullman' HST last weekend, I decided to have a commemoration in miniature: 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted December 28, 2020 Author Share Posted December 28, 2020 Still exercising the Blue Pullman, the 'Modena' filter on my phone seems to suit Liguria (vaguely appropriately): 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 3. the sea Done... twice! Still needs a little bit more work perhaps... Excellent work, looks superb. As someone with a growing selection of similar European stock this is quite inspiring (admittedly Swiss, but there is an FS branded Eurofima coach in my Eurocity set!) Ref your comment about the sea in the check list and your previous comment when you had to re-do it, is this one of those times to learn to quit while you're ahead? it looks good as it is in the pictures. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted January 10, 2021 Author Share Posted January 10, 2021 (edited) On 08/01/2021 at 17:09, Satan's Goldfish said: Excellent work, looks superb. As someone with a growing selection of similar European stock this is quite inspiring (admittedly Swiss, but there is an FS branded Eurofima coach in my Eurocity set!) Ref your comment about the sea in the check list and your previous comment when you had to re-do it, is this one of those times to learn to quit while you're ahead? it looks good as it is in the pictures. @Satan's Goldfish thank you very much, I really appreciate it. Swiss railways offer many a fine prototype too! (I did Chur-St. Moritiz in Winter 2019 on the metre gauge network, it was spectacular). I've really enjoyed building this and its nice to have a layout for a bit of Italian N 'on the side', I feel like I've retrospectively justified all the stock I collected! Just seen you are the custodian of Warren Lane - a superb model that caught my eye when casually flicking through a copy of Model Rail back in 2010 (?) - it actually set me on the track to picking up railway modelling again, in fact I liked it so much I went to an exhibition for the first time in years to see it! Looking forward to seeing you evolve it. Edited January 11, 2021 by 9FEd 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satan's Goldfish Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 35 minutes ago, 9FEd said: @Satan's Goldfish thank you very much, I really appreciate it. Swiss railways offer many a fine prototype too! (I did Chur-St. Moritiz in Winter 2019 on the metre gauge network, it was spectacular). I've really enjoyed building this and its nice to have a layout for a bit of Italian N 'on the side', I feel like I've retrospectively justified all the stock I collected! Just seen you are the custodian of Warren Lane - a superb model that caught my eye when casually flicking through a copy of Model Rail back in 2010 (?) - it actually set me on the track to picking up railway modelling again, in fact I liked it so much I went to an exhibition for the first time in years to see it! Looking forward to seeing you evolve it. Swiss trains really are my poison, I have examples in 3 different scales! In N I'm hoping to eventually create a 'simple' 2 track mainline mainly based on the Gotthard (rule 1 would see some German stock and a TGV too), looking at the pictures on this thread i'm going to have to add more colourful FS carriages to go with it, they do look good on youtube behind a bright red SBB loco. The wife and i have had a couple of stays at Filisur (on the Chur-St Moritz line), it's a lovely area of the world. I'm hoping our next visit will be a winter trip... whenever that ends up being! Thank you 9FEd, hopefully i do it justice in the long run, it's always been an entertaining layout to operate. Working away from home at the moment and when i'm back the domestic authorities make me prioritise DIY around the house and garden so progress has been frustratingly slow. Great to hear it inspired you back into the hobby, can you remember which exhibition it was? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted January 11, 2021 Author Share Posted January 11, 2021 19 hours ago, Satan's Goldfish said: Swiss trains really are my poison, I have examples in 3 different scales! In N I'm hoping to eventually create a 'simple' 2 track mainline mainly based on the Gotthard (rule 1 would see some German stock and a TGV too), looking at the pictures on this thread i'm going to have to add more colourful FS carriages to go with it, they do look good on youtube behind a bright red SBB loco. The wife and i have had a couple of stays at Filisur (on the Chur-St Moritz line), it's a lovely area of the world. I'm hoping our next visit will be a winter trip... whenever that ends up being! Thank you 9FEd, hopefully i do it justice in the long run, it's always been an entertaining layout to operate. Working away from home at the moment and when i'm back the domestic authorities make me prioritise DIY around the house and garden so progress has been frustratingly slow. Great to hear it inspired you back into the hobby, can you remember which exhibition it was? I can relate to that - I've been relatively disciplined so far in sticking with N despite the paucity of Italian options until more recently - but you never know... a Rivarossi H0 model could be just around the corner! Sounds ideal and CH does host lots of cross border services, plus N allows a really nice depiction of a mainline with 'trains in the landscape' in a relatively modest space too. Gotthard route a true classic - go for it! Ah very nice - and an excuse for me to dig out some of my shots from our trip, inc. the Landwasser viaduct (please excuse window reflections): I'm sure you will and great that it lives on, freight services (regardless of era or country!) have always held my interest and I enjoy that they are put as the focus of Warren Lane and modelled in such detail and fidelity. Plus the working cranes imbue it with a sense of purpose - the trains really are being sorted for unloading! Re: exhibition - it was hosted at Firepower, the Royal Artillery museum in Woolwich but could have been any of summer 2010, 11 or 12! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan68 Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 There was a company who made MDVC (regionale) coaches and E464 propelling locos a few years back, they would look really good on your superb section of Liguria, something like this.... They were called LoCo models but I'm not sure they make them anymore. I think these are available on Ebay too. Just a suggestion though, it's your layout and you choose what you put on it! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted January 28, 2021 Author Share Posted January 28, 2021 (edited) @Stan68 thank you for the kind words and suggestions are most welcome! I wasn't actually aware the E464/MDVC had been done so that's good to know. Its fair to say the passenger service on Lockdown Liguria is currently limited - and I haven't shared so many pictures of it either - so here is the current offering, my E483 with the Fleischmann XMPR livery coaches (a Pirata commission): If I'm honest, I'm yet to fully warm to the E464, I think in large part because they displaced the classic Italian traction generation of the E656/E444R - I've still happily photographed them though (Bordighera, 2011): Most of all, I'd really like to grow the XMPR rake and put the forthcoming E656 on the head of it (now supposedly arriving this summer), although an MDVC would be a fine addition on the rear! Great picture - the classic spot at Cervo! Edited January 28, 2021 by 9FEd 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan68 Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 (edited) 25 minutes ago, 9FEd said: @Stan68 thank you for the kind words and suggestions are most welcome! I wasn't actually aware the E464/MDVC had been done so that's good to know. Its fair to say the passenger service on Lockdown Liguria is currently limited - and I haven't shared so many pictures of it either - so here is the current offering, my E483 with the Fleischmann XMPR livery coaches (a Pirata commission): If I'm honest, I'm yet to fully warm to the E464, I think in large part because they displaced the classic Italian traction generation of the E656/E444R - I've still happily photographed them though (Bordighera, 2011): Most of all, I'd really like to grow the XMPR rake and put the forthcoming E656 on the head of it (now supposedly arriving this summer), although an MDVC would be a fine addition on the rear! Great picture - the classic spot at Cervo! Oh the E656 in front would be infinitely better. Such a shame that the line from Andora - Imperia P.M. - San Lorenzo has been rerouted inland, I wish it was still there because it was such a beautiful line. It's great that people are modelling it though! I saw the E483 down at Scarlino in Tuscany for the Tioxide works down there, it was shunting when I went past on a Frecciabianca. It sure looks nice on an IC though! Looking forward to the next update! I saw that Mehano made an E444 Tartaruga too but I'm more of an HO person myself. Stan Edited January 28, 2021 by Stan68 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 5944 Posted January 29, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 29, 2021 https://www.locomodels.it/it/prodotti/carrozze-passeggeri/tipo-mdvc/ https://www.locomodels.it/it/prodotti/locomotori-elettrici/gruppo-e464/ Ignore the pre-production E464 photos and look at the ones on the layout. They look pretty good, well as good as they can look! No idea what the quality of them is like in the flesh though sadly, or what the running qualities are like. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted January 31, 2021 Author Share Posted January 31, 2021 On 28/01/2021 at 10:24, Stan68 said: Oh the E656 in front would be infinitely better. Such a shame that the line from Andora - Imperia P.M. - San Lorenzo has been rerouted inland, I wish it was still there because it was such a beautiful line. It's great that people are modelling it though! I saw the E483 down at Scarlino in Tuscany for the Tioxide works down there, it was shunting when I went past on a Frecciabianca. It sure looks nice on an IC though! Looking forward to the next update! I saw that Mehano made an E444 Tartaruga too but I'm more of an HO person myself. Stan @Stan68 it was a great route, sounds like we are on the same wavelength! The combination of spectacular, sun drenched views and powerful articulated electrics mean I've always wanted to model it (even if I did largely park the aspiration for a decade or so!). The E483 certainly does look at home on IC duties, loco hauled services will always be featured on Lockdown Liguria! Re: E444 - that's correct and recently re-commissioned/re-released by Pirata; I'm wavering on taking the plunge on the XMPR1 livery variant... Lots of great models in H0 - I only decided to persevere with N for Italian prototypes because I fancied trying to exploit the 'railway in the landscape' look it enables. I do really fancy an H0 E656 though... ! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted January 31, 2021 Author Share Posted January 31, 2021 On 29/01/2021 at 10:51, 5944 said: Ignore the pre-production E464 photos and look at the ones on the layout. They look pretty good, well as good as they can look! No idea what the quality of them is like in the flesh though sadly, or what the running qualities are like. @5944 ah great, thank you. They look do pretty good although feel like I probably don't need to take a punt with the E656 around the corner (all being well). I'd probably crumble on the Pirata/Mehano E444R first I think (see above!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted January 31, 2021 Author Share Posted January 31, 2021 (edited) I've got around to creating a YouTube channel so I can share some of the videos off my phone - here is the E483 with the XMPR stock heading West. You can see that the tunnel portal doesn't quite hide the sharp transition to a 9in curve (learning point) and the ground palm has since been replanted elsewhere (because... I didn't like it there!) but hopefully this gives a better overall flavour of the scene than pictures alone Edited January 31, 2021 by 9FEd 7 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan68 Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 1 hour ago, 9FEd said: @Stan68 it was a great route, sounds like we are on the same wavelength! The combination of spectacular, sun drenched views and powerful articulated electrics mean I've always wanted to model it (even if I did largely park the aspiration for a decade or so!). The E483 certainly does look at home on IC duties, loco hauled services will always be featured on Lockdown Liguria! Re: E444 - that's correct and recently re-commissioned/re-released by Pirata; I'm wavering on taking the plunge on the XMPR1 livery variant... Lots of great models in H0 - I only decided to persevere with N for Italian prototypes because I fancied trying to exploit the 'railway in the landscape' look it enables. I do really fancy an H0 E656 though... ! Have you thought about Thello coaches? I caught that service from Milan to Paris in 2010 and even in the night I could see the sea over the single track line! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted January 31, 2021 Author Share Posted January 31, 2021 3 hours ago, Stan68 said: Have you thought about Thello coaches? I caught that service from Milan to Paris in 2010 and even in the night I could see the sea over the single track line! @Stan68 sounds fantastic - we did Paris-Milan on the Thello in 2017 (albeit a different route by then). I thought the Thello coaches only exist in H0 (but happy to be wrong!). We arrived in Milano Centrale at 7am behind this E402b: Said Thello carriages behind: 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan68 Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 17 hours ago, 9FEd said: @Stan68 sounds fantastic - we did Paris-Milan on the Thello in 2017 (albeit a different route by then). I thought the Thello coaches only exist in H0 (but happy to be wrong!). We arrived in Milano Centrale at 7am behind this E402b: Said Thello carriages behind: Looks good! A company called Fratix make them but they are quite expensive at €195 for 3 coaches. Even three coaches would look good on your layout so have a think. Here is the link http://www.fratix.it/prodotto/art-fx-2209-set-thello/ as always, your decision! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
9FEd Posted February 2, 2021 Author Share Posted February 2, 2021 (edited) 19 hours ago, Stan68 said: Even three coaches would look good on your layout so have a think. Thanks @Stan68 and agreed, how about this for a prototype shorter rake (looking the other way at Cervo from your original post): https://issuu.com/europeanrailtimetable/docs/12samplepages_sum2017_website Edited February 2, 2021 by 9FEd 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan68 Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 Just now, 9FEd said: Thanks @Stan68 and agreed, how about this a prototype shorter rake: https://issuu.com/europeanrailtimetable/docs/12samplepages_sum2017_website Perfect! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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