SBB driving trailers in N scale

[Gordonwis]

I've decided that the Piko RBe4/4 and associated EW's are simply too pricey for me to justify purchase, so I'm reverting back to my already work in progress modifications to available existing models / spare parts / Shapeways 3D.

 

I'm still reasonably content with the 2nd generation Lima / Minitrain / Minibahn / Arnold, especially as the pre-Arnold models are so robust and stand up to putting on an off layout hastily. Furthermore a batch that I obtained 2nd hand a few years ago had been fitted with shortened couplings by a previous owner. 

 

The old Eriam driving trailer (a 'full brake' Dzt version) is a good match to the 'Lima' type if 'lowered on its haunches'

 

Here is my modified (lowered) Eriam Dzt EWII driving trailer lined up with a Lima EWI, a Brawa EWII and compared to the original Eriam (preserved in old state until these comparison pictures were taken - I will now start converting that one too.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2021 by Gordonwis

[Frutigen]

How did you lower the Dzt? I simply put mine on Lima bogies but it looks like you’ve managed to get it lower so the roofline matches the coaches better. 
 

I’m with you on the green Lima etc EW1, good solid models that look the business.  

[Gordonwis]

16 hours ago, Frutigen said:

How did you lower the Dzt? I simply put mine on Lima bogies but it looks like you’ve managed to get it lower so the roofline matches the coaches better. 
 

I’m with you on the green Lima etc EW1, good solid models that look the business.  

 

Needs a Lima chassis to be chopped around. You can't get the required lowering by just changing the bogies, nor really by retaining the bulky Eriam chassis.

 

Lima EWI chassis, trimmed all round, stretched; buffers sacrificed to accomodate coupling at lowered height

 

 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Gordonwis

[Frutigen]

Thanks, especially for the helpful photos. 
 

 

[Satan's Goldfish]

(Does anyone else find that if they have 'Eriam' as a notification term on Ebay they get regular notifications of a Handbag being available?!)

[MOB 2002]

Yes, closely followed by a desperate attempt to make me change my search to replica football shirts!

 

Sadly that’s one of the smaller frustrations of a post Brexit eBay as the number of sellers willing to send to the UK seems to be decreasing all the time, judging by the lack of variety on offer in Swiss items of late.

 

Mark

[Satan's Goldfish]

11 hours ago, MOB 2002 said:

Yes, closely followed by a desperate attempt to make me change my search to replica football shirts!

 

Sadly that’s one of the smaller frustrations of a post Brexit eBay as the number of sellers willing to send to the UK seems to be decreasing all the time, judging by the lack of variety on offer in Swiss items of late.

 

Mark

 

Yes I had noticed the pickings are rather slim. Just means going with a shopping list next time we head over there on holiday.

[MOB 2002]

Good point ... I do wonder how much one can bring back without attracting attention though? What’s the personal allowance for toy trains? 

 

Mark

[Satan's Goldfish]

Has anyone here attempted one of these? https://www.shapeways.com/product/PEXWMDQGC/sbb-cff-ffs-bdt-scale-n 

[Gordonwis]

On 27/05/2021 at 22:20, Satan's Goldfish said:

Has anyone here attempted one of these? https://www.shapeways.com/product/PEXWMDQGC/sbb-cff-ffs-bdt-scale-n 

Yes, I bought two of these about 2 years ago. (this is indeed the 'Shapeways 3D' in the first para of my initial post)  The cab shape is wrong (issue with the windows), and I had a warning from Shapeways when I ordered the first one that it 'might not be up to the correct standard - do you want to buy anyway? '

Edited May 31, 2021 by Gordonwis

[Gordonwis]

o.l.d. modeles - a relatively recent French artisan with whom I have been corresponding since he started creating some interesting 3D loco and unit  models, originally SNCF. Some items are curiously odd scale and size - wise, others are spot on so, take care when looking to purchase.

He (now they, since there is more than one person involved) has branched out from SNCF, and has produced some SBB stuff, including the much discussed BDt driving trailers.

I bought one 'blind' as there was no picture on the website. I was initially super pleased as the cab end is a good representation of the rebuilt Dts.

Unfortunately this did not last as I discovered that as others have done before, they have made a mistake and produced a mishmash of EWI and EWII. This is presumably due to using outdated drawings.

As such although the cab is brilliant, the sides are inaccurate. It has the vent in the cantrail above one window and a small vestibule window so is presumably intended to be an EWII. However these two features do not go together. A rebuilt EWI BDt has a different window arrangement, no vent and retains a passenger type folding door near the cab. A rebuilt EWII BDt has the vent but only six passenger windows not seven, plus a driver's cab door on the 'right hand' side when the cab is running forwards. Neither EWI nor EWII rebuilds have the old style luggage compartment doors.

 

The grey one is as received. The colour one is my first draft paint job. I have covered the incorrect window but I have not attempted to alter the luggage compartment doors

 

 

Edited June 15, 2021 by Gordonwis

[Satan's Goldfish]

Sorry, I missed your previous reply at the end of last month. I'd like a couple of BDt's at some point, do I take it from your reviews that despite the side inaccuracies, the one you've pictured above is a better effort because of the cab end details than the one I previously linked on shapeways? I know I'd definitely be after a green with red end example, but I think the doors at the corridor end wouldn't be correct for that.

[Gordonwis]

1 hour ago, Satan's Goldfish said:

Sorry, I missed your previous reply at the end of last month. I'd like a couple of BDt's at some point, do I take it from your reviews that despite the side inaccuracies, the one you've pictured above is a better effort because of the cab end details than the one I previously linked on shapeways? I know I'd definitely be after a green with red end example, but I think the doors at the corridor end wouldn't be correct for that.

 

Yes undoubtedly the 3D print is much better, but it's no good.  For a green with red end version, ironically the vent/number of windows is correct, but the cab end face is wrong (needs to be the older cab with access door)  plus as you say it needs a traditional folded door. 

 

Indeed, now the o.l.d. print satisfied my requirement for a rebuilt 'S-Bahn 540' type BDt I will now be using various parts that I was previously kitbashing to create other things.

 

I have in various stages of chopping and conversions and mix and matching: three Arnold RBe4/4 body carcasses (from the German spare parts suppliers), the Shapeways BDt, loads of spare Lima EWIs

Edited June 15, 2021 by Gordonwis

[Satan's Goldfish]

WRT the above driving trailer in white/blue/yellow doors livery, just started watching the below video. The first train, train at 2.00 min, and at 3.30 min (so far), not something I'd seen before but shows them in use with parrot and comfort stripe ew i and ii coaches. Having only ever seen videos of them running with similar liveried coaches, this might prove useful to someone else.

 

 

 

 

 

[Gordonwis]

3 hours ago, Satan's Goldfish said:

not something I'd seen before but shows them in use with parrot and comfort stripe ew i and ii coaches. Having only ever seen videos of them running with similar liveried coaches, this might prove useful to someone else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was standard practice. Once SBB had reached the point where Papagei and 'stripe' green stock was being used in push pull, there were no EWI/II driving trailers left in any livery other than 'NPZ' blue and white. 

In my 2 July 2013 picture seen here, taken in the evening peak at Killwangen-Spreitenbach the 'white' BDt is in the far distance at the front of this Westbound commuter working pushed by 11210 :

 

Edited October 2, 2021 by Gordonwis

[Gordonwis]

Reviving this thread because I will be putting my work on my newly acquired Piko spare part BDt here.

 

[cornish trains jez]

On 08/11/2023 at 23:47, Gordonwis said:

Reviving this thread because I will be putting my work on my newly acquired Piko spare part BDt here.

 

I wonder if one of these could be modified to represent the prison vehicle running on the Swiss network?

 

[chb2488]

Both the BDt and the St are EW II, but the St (along with its D(Z)t brethren) has its rain strip higher up on the body. You would also have to remove the rather prominent louvre mid-coach. That being said, nothing that can‘t be solved (or overlooked)…

[Gordonwis]

The Eriam Dzt might be a better starting point as it is a bit rough and ready in contrast to this body... 

[Gordonwis]

I am reposting my 2021 post showing my Eriam Dzt with its modified LIma chassis because the pictures were lost on the RM Web crash last year.

 

This is as a precursor to showing what I've now done using the Piko body:

 

Posted June 15, 2021 (edited)
 

 

o.l.d. modeles - a relatively recent French artisan with whom I have been corresponding since he started creating some interesting 3D loco and unit  models, originally SNCF. Some items are curiously odd scale and size - wise, others are spot on so, take care when looking to purchase.

 

He (now they, since there is more than one person involved) has branched out from SNCF, and has produced some SBB stuff, including the much discussed BDt driving trailers.

I bought one 'blind' as there was no picture on the website. I was initially super pleased as the cab end is a good representation of the rebuilt Dts.

 

Unfortunately this did not last as I discovered that as others have done before, they have made a mistake and produced a mishmash of EWI and EWII. This is presumably due to using outdated drawings.

 

As such although the cab is brilliant, the sides are inaccurate. It has the vent in the cantrail above one window and a small vestibule window so is presumably intended to be an EWII. However these two features do not go together. A rebuilt EWI BDt has a different window arrangement, no vent and retains a passenger type folding door near the cab. A rebuilt EWII BDt has the vent but only six passenger windows not seven, plus a driver's cab door on the 'right hand' side when the cab is running forwards. Neither EWI nor EWII rebuilds have the old style luggage compartment doors.

 

The grey one is as received. The colour one is my first draft paint job. I have covered the incorrect window but I have not attempted to alter the luggage compartment doors

 

 

[Gordonwis]

And the other pictures:

 

 

[Gordonwis]

On 11/11/2023 at 23:35, chb2488 said:

Both the BDt and the St are EW II, but the St (along with its D(Z)t brethren) has its rain strip higher up on the body. You would also have to remove the rather prominent louvre mid-coach. That being said, nothing that can‘t be solved (or overlooked)…

 

 

Yes, the 3D model and the Piko BDt have the prominent louvre, the Eriam DZt doesn't

 

 

.