ruggedpeak

Bachmann 32-124 Class 08 785 in Freightliner Orange £79.95 https://railsofsheffield.com/products/class-08-08785-freightliner-g-w-diesel-shunter-locomotive

How times have changed, you wouldn't dare post a selfie like that any more!!!!

Going far off piste with some actual models now 😲, myself and my daughter took the opportunity to visit one of Geneva's model railway clubs this morning. CEDEG are based in Petit Lancy and have coffee and croissant mornings, so we popped over. A friendly club, the Club Secretary provided a tour and information on the club in English due to my less than satisfactory French. They have a large layout that has HO analogue and DCC, HOm and Marklin circuits. The current layout is being retired and a brand new layout is being custom built and installed later in the year, funded by the proceeds of a bequest of a deceased member. The club room is in a basement and has the layout, a bar, library and numerous exhibits. They also do train trips in Switzerland and Europe and site visits, with a private depot visit planned for later in the year. Their new website is being upgraded but can be found at http://www.cefeg.ch/, and they are on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CeFeGCH Coffee and croissant mornings on a Saturday are regular throughout the year and they meet on a Wednesday evening as well https://www.cefeg.ch/evenements/. I am seriously considering joining, work permitting. If anyone is around or visiting Geneva I'd definitely recommend a visit, drop them an email first as finding the club room is not easy and you will need the door code! Open house on 21st April 2024:

Can't resist a graffiti'd wagon, assume this is a cripple, sat in a siding at Nyon today. Nice work on the vegetation!!

Half term was a couple of weeks ago, and the Coop supermarket here periodically do a special offer on SBB Day Passes, CHF49 for a day pass with unlimited use of SBB services and buses, plus reductions on non-SBB services, cable cars etc. If you already have a SwissPass/Half Pass then you need to be careful to get your money's worth and travel a long way to make it worthwhile. We planned a 2 day trip at the end of half term week. Whilst my preference for a 20 hour day of train rides was not shared by the others (!) we agreed to go to Montreux and get the Golden Pass all the way to Lucerne. What is not advertised IIRC by Coop but included with the day pass is an offer to upgrade to First Class for CHF20. That makes it a bargain, especially as the 2nd class Panorama car was booked out on the Golden Pass, thus making the upgrade to First Class a no-brainer! Trip to Montreux was the usual Lake Leman trip up the mainline. Once the MOB left Montreux it was an incredibly steep and winding climb up the mountainside. So almost immediately stunning veiws of Lake Leman and the Rhone valley: Not bad for a start! First leg was to Zweisimmen, pausing at Montbovon. Note the stacking of rails by the track: At Montbovon: Rear DVT In the vicinity of Gstaad, lots of well dressed rich types but not much snow! Most pistes were only operating due to snow cannon. Passing the opposing service at Chateau D-Oex: In true Swiss rail efficiency style, we had 4 minutes to change trains at Zweisimmen for the next service to Spiez, so hardly any time for photos. This is on the run into Zweisimmen, note the Beilhack style snowplough: Taken through the coach window as I was getting off the train, spot the well camouflaged loco...... The GP route has plenty of variety in locos and rolling stock, this was on the other side: More time at Speiz, the view from the front of the station: Some tasty motive power sitting around at Speiz: Then onto Interlaken. I'd recommend getting off at Interlaken West and walking to Interlaken Ost if you have time and the weather is good. Just by the river at West is a lovely bakery where you can sit outside under blankets for lunch, then follow the river to Ost. You have a choice then of following the railway line, the river, or walking into the centre of Interlaken. Here's a service departing West for Ost. In the foreground is a group having fondue on an inflatable raft...... Immediately to the left the river path meets the railway and is a good photo stop. This is the rear of the same train with Re 460 010 pushing in its 'Swisstainable' livery https://company.sbb.ch/en/the-company/responsibility-society-environment/sustainability/swisstainable.html Focus is a bit off as I was playing with the settings on the camera due to the low winter sun and juggling lenses! Go left and follow the railway here or carry straight under the railway to follow the river. Golden Pass Express DVT (don't know what the Swiss call them..) approaches Ost from West, pushed by BLS 460 012 Then it was onto Lucerne, which is stunning. Weather turned a bit after leaving Interlaken but still a great trip: The train goes past lots of interesting scenery and the famous Meiringen airbase, where F18's live in caverns inside the mountain, and the runway has public roads across it that they have to close for takeoff and landing. At Meiringen the train reverses to take the line to Lucerne, which is partially rack and pinion so a rack and pinion equipped EMU was attached to the front, and there is a very steep climb as soon as we left Meiringen. ZB HGe 4/4 101 966 at Meiringen. Lucerne has a huge station, a huge transport museum and much more. At one of the small hydro plants on the river there is a short railway.... We spent the following day exploring Lucerne and the Transport Museum then a direct train back to Geneva.

Hi Mol I wish I could answer your questions, I still have a lot to learn about how Swiss trains operate and so far it appears finding information is not as easy as the UK. My trips are sporadic and fitted around work, family and other commitments so a bit ad hoc. I think it is safe to say that at Morges the MBC is pretty busy. However whether it is every day I can't say, but the sheer number of rollbocken sets at Morges suggest it is regular. I am piecing together movements, so the MBC train above with 11387 and the green hoppers (note Jouet Bollet in Geneva have a double pack of them in HO in their window if anyone wants some!) appears to originate in the factory sidings at Gland and then I assume gets taken up the MBC. Hope to get to Gland to find out more. Responses on FB suggest military trains still operate but I would assume they are rare for moving large amounts of armoured vehicles etc. As an aside whilst wandering through Rolle I saw several learner drivers in 6 wheel APC's which I think were MOWAG Piranhas - they had special glass boxes on the top of the turret for the instructor to keep an eye on things. When you are at a zebra crossing outside the supermarket and one of those coming down the hill from the station with L plates on, it gives crossing the road an extra degree of excitement!! So far my conclusion is that I need to spend a day somewhere on the mainline between Geneva and Morges and observe as there is loads going on. I am going to a local model railway club tomorrow so I will see if I can find out more on how to get more info. Best. Tony

A recent discussion on the Fraser business model: https://www.cityam.com/frasers-group-what-mike-ashleys-retail-empires-endgame-could-be-after-boohoo-asos-currys-ao-and-n-brown-investments/ Noting that Frasers bough Matchesfashion a few months ago and it is now in administration: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/08/luxury-clothing-brand-matchesfashion-to-enter-administration

I have noticed interesting loco hauled passenger service consists with the Re 460's, not sure if this is normal. There appear to be some services originating at Geneva airport which have 2 loco hauled sets (with loco) joined together, to presume split further up the line. However I grabbed some shots of this combo with the 460 and double decker set also have a single decker DVT passenger control car on the front at Cornavin 05/03/2024. Back at Rolle on 28/02/2024 Re 420 387 heads north with a short freight:

It occurred to me that many of my photos and excursions around Swiss railways are the more mundane, day to day aspects, whereas popular perception is probably of the mountains and snow and stunning scenery. I recently travelled the Golden Pass route from Montreux to Lucerne, which was stunning if very short of snow, and will post pics once I have resovled the rotating picture issue! [now done - see below] I recently discovered a footpath right next to the Geneva-Lausanne mainline just south of Rolle, probably a bit too close for good photography especially with low sun but it is right by the track. Yesterday (07/03/2024) 234 435 Bautracktor was running backwards moving a Kirow crane, running towards Geneva. Shortly after Re 420 283 hauls a mixed and heavily graffitied freight service towards Rolle from Geneva. A real mixed bag of wagons, including ballast cleaners (?), track panel carriers, skip wagons and the usual covered wagons: Meanwhile at Nyon there is an array of PW equipment and shunters and freight locos that have been operating for several weeks there. Here Re 460 081 departs Nyon northbound as a sister loco arrives pushing a Geneva airport service:

Those who can do, those who can't blather on social media. To save anyone watching this video his conclusion is Hornby should have done N gauge because the product would fly off the shelves. I think this guy would benefit from a business course.

John Dutfield in Chelmsford has just released some Colas 56's that were not collected of anyone is looking, and the double pack. Give them a call. https://www.facebook.com/share/UxhUcQqw5XUALe69/

Great news. Greater Anglia and Renatus for me, spent several decades commuting on them,

The unlimited chocolate continues at Maison Cailler, the Chocolate Express is a multiple unit now.

Just seen this on the Swiss Railways FB group, historic train running last Saturday. https://www.facebook.com/groups/894282347331350/permalink/7377291042363749/

Trains & BBQ? I'm in 👍

Old news but an interesting article on the business side of TT on the Continent, Roco making a strategic move into TT by acquiring Kuhn Modell & Digital last autumn https://www.roco.cc/ren/roco-news/a-perfect-pair-khn-modell--digital-hands-over-tt-to-roco.html

Here are the joins between the modules, the top two include the siding ends and the switch is indicated by the yellow arrow. So working fine, when I get some time during the week I will get all 4 laid out together in the hall of the flat to have a full run. Then onto some form of scenery, and think about how I control the two lines, probably a simple switch box that switches the controller between either line.

After the MBC trip, today was an hour long TPG bus trip from Cornavin over the border to Gex in France for the Exposition-Vente Lego Gex 2024. This is one of two locations that the 'Les Briques du Leman' run their events, the other being Evian-les-bains - https://www.lesbriquesduleman.fr/fr/ One of the Lego train layouts had an excellent selection of SBB trains running, including a 460 with a cattle train (!), push pull set and PW train. I'm always impressed with what the Lego fraternity can do, here's some photos and videos. The SBB trains were modelled by LE LUG. They take Lego pretty seriously in this part of the world. I was in Evian a few days after their event there in September 2023, and on at least 2 of the roundabouts in the town were 2 giant Lego figures. I haven't reported on that trip, from Geneva to Bellegarde then on the French side up to Evian-les-bains, as it was mostly French but Evian is an interesting station. Will do a post on it in due course as SBB operate there.

After several trips to DIY stores, I settled on a very simple mechanism for connecting the 4 Mosslanda modules that I have now finished. Small metal right angle brackets are fixed to each end and are held together with a bolt and wingnut. To keep the metal brackets from scratching the floor a short length of wood is fixed at each end as a leg. I have found that the modules don't need screwing together as long as they don't get knocked. Nothing remotely scientific or engineered about it but it works. Electrical connection is via wires soldered at each end with bullet connectors. This ensures power along the length of each line. One module has 2 siding ends rather than a through line, so the two ends are through wired with a switch, so that top line can be powered along it's length or the sidings operate as a isolating break. The switch is mounted in the module floor tucked inside the lower wall, ensuring it is protected during storage etc. Successful running has taken place and will post videos later. So concept works. Obviously there is scope to make a more engineered joining

Excellent news. The hobby appears to be in rude health. It is clearly going through a period of change but the omens are good.

Looking at his feedback profile, he's a trader. My guess, probably thought buying one of these would be an opportunity to make a quick buck not realising nearly everyone who wanted one pre-ordered. Same thing has happened with AS 37's, loads on Ebay from those thinking there would be a shortage. Just coming up with an excuse why he's selling, no one cares about the drivetrain if it works.

Cavalex have managed to avoid the fanboi following that AS seem to have generated in some quarters, it can get a bit "Life of Brian" on those forum threads at times. Cavalex have also delivered a model that has made everyone in the market sit up and take notice.

So not OO then.......

it is well worth the trip to Chelmsford just for the rummage factor.

Yes, there were models where the driver pops up and down and coaches where the doors open in stations made by continental manufacturers. However they are not features that have continued AFAIK in the contintental scene, presumably as no one wants to pay the extra. Some stuff people just don't want, like Bachmann putting passengers in coaches and charging a premium. The bulk of customers want qood quality trains that work, have longevity through reliability and spares availability, and are reasonably priced for the detail and function.