Korean State Railways K62 in 1:120

[britishcolumbian]

Someone asked me to post about this, so here it is, since I think this is the most appropriate location.

 

Some years back I made a TT scale (1:120) model of a North Korean K62 class locomotive, specifically number 602, which has the distinction of having been inspected by Kim Il-Sung (and carries plaques commemorating this event), and of having been the first locomotive to cross the inter-Korean border since the end of the Korean War in 1953. I used the Roco M62 as the basis, modified slightly by removing the buffers, repainted it, applied custom printed decals based on photographs of the original (the banner under the cab windows says "Jaryok Kaengsaeng", that is, "Self-Reliance") and used Dapol's knuckle couplers in the NEM pockets to represent the Janney-type couplers used in North Korea and China. I don't have it anymore, though, as it was bought by someone in Denmark.

 

Edited November 10, 2022 by britishcolumbian
correction

[jjb1970]

Nice model! I have a DPRK railways version of the Chinese DF5 diesel locomotive by Aurora. Chinese manufacturers occasionally do models of the Chinese trains exported to neighbouring countries. There were models of the Vietnamese DF3 locomotives. However, the North Korean DF5 locomotives carried pretty much the same livery as many of the Chinese examples, a mid-blue with white trim.

[britishcolumbian]

I wish 1:120 would be a thing amongst Chinese manufacturers. Or maybe I shouldn't wish for that...

[jjb1970]

If model railways had been a hobby earlier in China I suspect they'd have adopted TT given their (admittedly up and down) ties with the old Communist bloc. The hobby is a relatively recent thing in China (well, probably 20 years or so) and is still something of a niche. There's a good range of manufacturers making some superb models and great coverage of diesel and electric types, with a fair few steam locomotives. The hobby seems to be entirely focused on the PRC era. Because it is a relatively new thing the dominant scale is HO, aligned with most of the world, and with a growing range of N models.

[britishcolumbian]

Yeah, I did buy an SS8 when I was working there (2004-05) but found nothing else in the city.

 

I've got a dream of one day building the Asia Express in 1:120, but I'm more likely to become an astronaut first.

[jjb1970]

When Bachmann started their Chinese range with the DF11 I think they expected it to be as much about overseas interest than local hobbyists but the hobby has grown in China. Although Chinese models can be hard to find outside Hong Kong and mainland China there are some good online sellers and EBay shops, and AliExpress, Tabao etc if people are OK using Chinese platforms (personally my experience of Ali and Tabao has been very good). Only bad things is that, perhaps counterintuitively, prices are rather high.

[britishcolumbian]

3 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

When Bachmann started their Chinese range with the DF11 I think they expected it to be as much about overseas interest than local hobbyists but the hobby has grown in China. Although Chinese models can be hard to find outside Hong Kong and mainland China there are some good online sellers and EBay shops, and AliExpress, Tabao etc if people are OK using Chinese platforms (personally my experience of Ali and Tabao has been very good). Only bad things is that, perhaps counterintuitively, prices are rather high.

Yeah, I remember a local shop, Van Hobbies (who used to commission Korean producers to make Canadian steam in brass), had a few pieces of Chinese models from Bachmann. And there used to be a local importer you could by direct from, but haven't heard about him in years now. I do kinda regret having sold my SS8, but I'll manage, I really needed to focus on one scale, if one country/railway is impossible... (and even then that isn't complete, I still have all my Japanese N...)