Trainmaster64

Well, I may be a bit late, but still have a simple question to raise: is it

Would be good to see some details of the layout itself.

Hi andyram; I'm planning on starting three blogs after this one is fully updated - one for the line itself, one for the engines and one for the rolling stock. They'll all be done in good time soon enough...

Hello Trainmaster64,

There is a product by Peco called Electrolube, which is ideal for lubricating the bearings on split frame chassis and electrical pickups. Thanks for the blog.

Thanks for the heads-up; I wasn't aware of that product. I will definitely be sure to check around and see if I can find that. Thanks for the tip and kind words.

A superb loco ! Keep the updates coming enjoying reading them ...

Thanks for the kind comments, welsh wizard; I'll be making updates to the fleet soon enough. For now, all the locomotives have had their initial profiles completed - save for one...

Howdy,

Nice model, you simply must get some CN stock for it, though!

I have one of the 'Train-line' B-A1A versions in the early New Haven scheme - that is a really excellent model!

I do have a few P1K models and they are pretty good value.

Cheers,

John E.

Thank you for your kind comments, Allegheny1600; though I prefer to model CP Rail I do admit that the livery of this engine is striking on its own - definitely different than the typical black and red scheme found on more inferior-quality products, and all the better for it as well. As I had also said I do own some Canadian Pacific streamlined carriage stock, which the locomotive is able to pull with ease.

Have you considered ballasting equipment like this:

http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index.php?autocom=custom&page=A1-Hobby-Ballast

It looks decent enough for spreading out your ballast effectively.

Strange that two identical locos failed. I hope that the new A4 provides better service.

Indeed - it could have simply been a bad batch of locomotives that were released; it's happened before where batches of locomotives have been released and issues have arisen from poor construction. Look at the early T9s from Hornby, for instance. Part of it could also have been the fact I operate a DC line at the moment - but I doubt that it was the whole reason.

No.60010 definitely provides much better and smoother service, and is possibly my favourite locomotive. No.60022, on the other hand, will not be returning again - I have no interest in going through this nonsense with the locomotive a third time. Decent looks, but poor performance...

The Swedish N Gauge history page run by N-Modell.se (http://swen.nmodell.se/) recommends a Fleischmann BR91 as a suitable donor chassis for the model. I'm sure some cutting/filing work would be involved, but probably doable!

That appears to be a decent thought - in time, I will definitely consider doing this, cost permitting. Thanks for the heads-up - wasn't aware of that, myself.

I've seen a few of these on eBay, but never been tempted enough to buy one! I have no idea how accurate the bodywork is? The chassis is pretty shocking through - personally I would be tempted to either find a similarly sized chassis from a more modern locomotive, and see if it can be made to fit, or build a new chassis entirely from 2mm Scale Association parts! (i.e. to fiNe standards)

Hi justin1985,

Thanks for commenting on this - I do appreciate the feedback. In regards to your queries, the locomotive itself is unique in terms of looks - not many Swedish locomotives out there in any gauge. From the limited photographs of the real Class S1s out there, the locomotive seems to be fairly accurate to its looks; considering that this model could have originated from as far back as the 1970s, I feel it's fairly accurate. Lots of molded detail, but plenty of character.

The chassis, however, is the biggest letdown. A standard 2-6-4T chassis (look up the American Q1B at the link below), its biggest problem lies in its motor - a standard amongst Lima products, and wholly unreliable. The issue with replacing the chassis would be the alignment of everything - steam pipes, motor placement, etc. This could be a bigger problem than first thought. However, I do believe that you do have a point, and in time I may consider doing that. A modern chassis would probably not work in terms of fit and placement, but a newly-built chassis could work.

Alternately, I could try to simply replace the motor - although I have no idea how well that would work, or indeed if there are any motors that would work for replacement!

Thanks again for commenting on this; I do appreciate it.

I could indeed - the problem with this being the availability of parts from Bachmann, as well as the difficulty in repairing the model. On paper it seems simple enough - a split-frame chassis mechanism, which I believe is the same as the tooling used in the Bachmann UK models of the 49xx Class - but my worry is that, in practice, this will not be as simple.

There's another factor: this was the first locomotive I ever received, and thus any decisions I make with it must be done very carefully. A cosmetic overhaul is no problem - simply repair or replace the body and tender shells - but a mechanical overhaul could be trickier, and I really don't want to risk any further mechanical wear or damage to what is my oldest, and one of my favourite, operating locomotives.

Thanks for commenting on this, by the way - I do appreciate it.

looks like you have the start of a railway empire there ! keep the updates coming ...

Thank you very much, welsh wizard - I try to keep the fleet updated and on top form as much as possible. It will be worth saying that, in the end, I don't intend to kep all of these engines in operating form in my fleet - I definitely plan on selling on at least one.

My updates will keep coming as much as I can - I have initial profiles for most of the engines to do, after all. You'll see each engine up here soon enough...