HO Scale French Diesel Autorail Models and Manufacturers Question

[BillB]

Hi, I see both Mistral and REE box a Renault VH. Are these the same model (with variations) in different boxes, or of different manufacture, please? If the latter, what are the pros and cons, please? The Mistral VH models tend to come with trailers.

 

Same question for the Mistral and LS Picasso models?

 

BTW the plastic buffers on my REE VH look frighteningly fragile!

 

Grateful for any comments,

Thanks,

Bill.

[Pacific231G]

Hi Bill

I've got a few examples of REE rolling stock and there's a lot of detailing on all of them that looks frighteningly fragile for an operating layout. So far as I know, the Mistral and REE models  are separate productions as were the Mistral and LSModel Picassos.

[Gordonwis]

2 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

Hi Bill

 So far as I know, the Mistral and REE models  are separate productions as were the Mistral and LSModel Picassos.

 

I agree. Mistral is a Belgian firm, LS Models is a different Belgian firm, and REE is French.

 

I recall a lot of discussion in France and within the French Railways Society on the comparative merits of the Mistral versus LS Models Picasso. I think most votes went to the LS Models, including this person:

http://challenger60.over-blog.com/pages/Les_Picasso_Mistral_LS_Models-8655858.html

 

As I grew up with Picasso on the Bellegarde - Divonne les Bains branch (but not to a terminus!) I spent lots of money on an LS Picasso even though I don't mainly model in HO

 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Gordonwis

[Gordonwis]

3 hours ago, BillB said:

Hi, I see both Mistral and REE box a Renault VH. Are these the same model (with variations) in different boxes, or of different manufacture, please? If the latter, what are the pros and cons, please? The Mistral VH models tend to come with trailers.

 

Same question for the Mistral and LS Picasso models?

 

BTW the plastic buffers on my REE VH look frighteningly fragile!

 

Grateful for any comments,

Thanks,

Bill.

 

 

All but a very small number of 20th century French Autorail designs have been single coach railcars designed to run with separate trailers, so the 'with trailer' is moot. If you can get hold of an SNCF 'Unifiee' (= standard) trailer it can be paired with virtually any SNCF autorail   

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Gordonwis

[BillB]

Thanks for your helpful replies. I thought the models could be of the same parentage because there seems to be a lot of swapping of products between manufacturers now, e.g. previously Fleischmann HO models being issued as Roco, Liliput as Bachmann, etc., and a lot of items are made in China with the same factory seemingly servicing more than one European brand.

 

Best regards,

Bill.

[Oldddudders]

I have several of each LSM and Mistral Picassos, and each has its merits. They are most definitely not the same model, but both have modern Chinese frailties. A motor seized on an LS version, while a drive-coupling broke on a Mistral. The Mistral version has a roof separate from the superstructure, enabling the exchange of the electronics card, so I've managed to upgrade most of mine to the Titanium DCC version, essential for control of the lights to max advantage. I am still awaiting LS Models' promised release of the X93953 in unique blue and white, which I have ridden a couple of times on my local TRANSVAP preserved line. 

 

The REE and Mistral VHs are equally separate models, but I have limited running for each.

 

I can recommend the discontinued Rail 87 X5500/5800 Mobylette railcars, which run well, but not the R37 (apparently the same chap as was Rail87, in Tours) FNC railcars, which do not run well. 

[Pacific231G]

22 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

 

I can recommend the discontinued Rail 87 X5500/5800 Mobylette railcars, which run well, but not the R37 (apparently the same chap as was Rail87, in Tours) FNC railcars, which do not run well. 

Neither I believe did the actual FNC. They even had to build special lightweight trailers for them as their performance couls be described by reference to the skin of a rice pudding. 

 

How did Rail 87 handle the two sets of tiny wheels on the Mobylette (that I think were fixed rather than bogies) ? I have one of the Atlas models and it would be fun to motorise it.

[Oldddudders]

3 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

How did Rail 87 handle the two sets of tiny wheels on the Mobylette (that I think were fixed rather than bogies) ? I have one of the Atlas models and it would be fun to motorise it.

I am currently in Torquay, but if my luck holds re permissions, Covid certs etc, I hope to be in France before Thursday. I will look closely at one of my Mobylettes and let you know. 

[Oldddudders]

Back in France. The gendarmes were at my door less than 12 hrs after I got home, reminding me of my obligation to quarantine. And 24 hrs after that the whole issue has been dropped - but maybe not for those like me already here? That would be so French! They had 300k positives yesterday, more than twice as many as the UK. 

 

The Rail 87 Mobylettes have bogies. Tiny, with tiny wheels, but they do swivel. I find they run well on my Peco Code 75 and 83. 

[Pacific231G]

On 14/01/2022 at 13:21, Oldddudders said:

Back in France. The gendarmes were at my door less than 12 hrs after I got home, reminding me of my obligation to quarantine. And 24 hrs after that the whole issue has been dropped - but maybe not for those like me already here? That would be so French! They had 300k positives yesterday, more than twice as many as the UK. 

 

The Rail 87 Mobylettes have bogies. Tiny, with tiny wheels, but they do swivel. I find they run well on my Peco Code 75 and 83. 

Thanks for that. I suspect the tiny wheels will make it a nono for motorising - though I did wonder about cheating by using a four wheel chassis with the little wheels as dummies outside the actual ones. Anathema to the fine scale fans but it might work visually.

I assume SNCF did it that way to keep the CofG low so they could whizz round tight sécondaire curves at twice the speed of a loco hauled train.