sncf231e

From my e-book on Gauge and Scale (free to download at http://sncf231e.nl/gauge-and-scale/): The 1:87 scale was not in all cases used with H0-gauge; some manufacturers used larger or smaller scales in the beginnings. Fleischmann for instance used first 1:82, then 1:85 before using the correct 1:87 scale while Trix Express used 1:90 in the beginning. Further, and even in recent times, sometimes models are made to scale in height and width but not in length. Having a shorter length for long passenger cars was, and still is, done to make it possible to use these passenger cars on small radius track. Shown here are three German coaches which have an original length of 26.4 meter. The top two are made by Märklin and are made to a length-scale of 1:110 and 1:100. The third car is made by ADE and is to the correct scale length of 1:87. Regards Fred

The plus with a raised track is the ease of operating and cleaning; the minus is that you do not have much possibility for scenery. The good thing is that all interest goes to the trains. So if you are a trainlover that should be enough. I have a raised layout without scenery in the garden and play outside for hours; just watching trains going round. I can run trains in gauges 1, O and S in any scale ( but do not know what G Scale is). Regards Fred

All postwar JEP looks rather dated. JEP designs were used over a long period. Regards Fred

This Reference Guide was made by Donald Troost (Dutch like me) who also made a Lone Star Reference Guide. I bought it from him at a swap meet some 10 years ago. Since then I have not seen him again and I have also not seen this book again; the edition I have is from 2011 and he was then still adding to it. I looked in the book for your green locomotive and red passenger car, but it is not not mentioned or shown. Regards Fred

Are there bodies available for these? Regards Fred

Old wood and paper kits from Germany and the US, I made a few: Regards Fred

As far as I know from other collectors, but it is not confirmed, the 20 is the ID of the person checking/packing the content and 8 is the last figure of year of production (i.e. 1958 (or 1948?)) Regards Fred

Most train sets were bought as a present for a child. Until a couple of years ago I assumed that train sets where made by the toy or model train manufacturers to initiate the child to a hobby, such that they would want more, profit generating, items to expand on the set. Recently I came to the conclusion that cheap tinplate clockwork train sets were sold as a toy by itself; the manufacturer just gets profit from making and selling sets. Some manufacturers, like JEP, CR (Rossignol) and Bing, even made train sets using a gauge for which they did not supply extra track or rolling stock to expand the set. Gauges of 30 mm and 25 mm were used, which, as was normal with tinplate trains, were called respectively 33 mm and 28 mm. Here is a JEP 28 mm like new train set from the fifties: Regards Fred

The TootsieToyTango 😉 I do not know whether TootsieToy inspired Dinky Toys. There were many manufacturers that made this type of small (size N gauge) pushtrains in al sorts of material (tinplate, diecast, plastic...). Regards Fred

Planned delivery: 4th quarter 2023. Regards Fred

From 60-63 GWR King Richard 6027 in 2 or 3-rail electric was available from B/L as made to order. Regards Fred

This looks like a 2-4-0. I thought it was supposed to be a 0-6-0 (like my GER (not an E22)): Regards Fred

These engines, which were originally built with slide valves for the low pressure (inside) cylinders and piston valves for the high pressure (outside) cylinders were rebuilt with poppet valves at LP and HP by Chapelon. I do not have a 3D drawing of the layout, but what you see on you photo are not double piston valves. Regards Fred

Founded in 1876 TootsieToy is one of the oldest toy companies in the USA. They made many toys including a large number of diecast toys like cars and trains. Here in this video I present some TootsieToy Railroad Sets made from 1932-1950. Regards Fred

Since I just run trains and have not much interest in amking a model railway I combine 4 scales on my layout: Regards Fred

I use Microsoft/Access which I think is more friendly and easier to use than Excel. Regards Fred

That is a youtube video I made: Regards Fred

That is a very dangerous advice. I did that (avoiding the agony of making a decision on scale or gauge) and now have gauges 3.25 inch, 1, 0, S, H0/00, TT, N and Z and scales 1:16, 1;32, 1:48, 1:45, 1:43.5, 1:64, 1:87, 1:76, 1:120, 1:150, 1: 160, 1: 200 and some more. Regards Fred

On the North American steam locomotives the bell was operated by rope or by air (i.e. not steam). Both the rope as the air valve were hand operated 😉. Regards Fred

This was inspired by the Palitoy A3: For more on this and other A3/4's see my e-book: http://sncf231e.nl/lner-pacifics-and-nyc-hudsons/ Regards Fred

This afternoon I had a run with the GNR (Great Northern Railway) S2 4-8-4. It is a bit bigger than the GNR Single: Regards Fred

Regards Fred

The Kitmaster model (Italian Tank No 8) was a Gr 835. The same prototype as the RivaRossi model shown above and also made in earlier, simpler, versions by RivaRossi. Regards Fred

Here is a 2-rail electric small tinplate train made by LR (Le Rapide) at the end of production. The same locomotive was longer available in a clockwork version. The "Electro Express" was made to run on a battery so it runs on 4.5 Volts. I do not have the original track (I have never seen it even), but used Fleischman 2-rail electric track, which is from the same period (mid fifties). Regards Fred

Anything goes with a BR95: Regards Fred