Gordonwis

The '1st generation' Jouef 141R would definitely not be DCC ready, pre DCC many modellers superdetailed Jouef 141Rs and they looked OK. 2nd generation Jouef 141Rs with sound are available.

SNCF tend to use heavier rail than UK on modern main line track, so Code 100 is fine IMO. With concrete sleeper track, one famous difference between SNCF and Britain is the use of 'bi-bloc' concrete sleepers much more often than monobloc concrete. Peco recently recognised this with their Bi-bloc track

Interesting how different people see things differently, I have never once thought 'BR class 58' on seeing a G2000! I think that may be something to do with the loading gauge. A class 58 is already 2m longer than a G2000, but a 58 looks even longer to the eye due to the lower height necessitated by British loading gauge. It is interesting to note that a BR class 58 is longer than some French 'classics' - even eg CC7100

Perfect graffiti on the Eaos, just like the rake I saw at Cossonay a few years ago

Here's the new order at Möhlin in October 2017

Last sugar beet activity I witnessed was at Chavornay in 2019. ex SBB Em3/3 growling around shunting rakes of of the new containers. I recall lots of knackered graffiti - covered Eaos at Cossonay a few years ago.

Much more interesting than Wisbech & Upwell! A few years ago at the end of our summer holiday my wife and I were heading cross country towards exiting Switzerland at le Locle and we went across country near Payerne. For about 5km our route was the same as a series of hand made signs pointing to a 'field market'. Whe we reached the 'market' it was a farmer's field by the road laid with rows upon rows of just harvested squashes of all types - for sale to all comers.

I doubt you will have seen them in any photos as the Minitrix model is a fantasy. It is an inaccurate Swiss livery on a pure German wagon, a type that AFAIK never went outside Germany. Minitrix used the same model to make a 'British Rail' HTV - an even worse falsehood! By contrast the Lima (latter Minitrain, Arnold) are actually a very good rendition despite the tooling dating from the 1980s (if not earlier)

I have always looked at layouts from end on if and where I can (not easy at many shows for layouts not on 'corner plots'). It's by far the most realistic view of most scenes

That plan looks pretty good to me. I do like Scuol, and have been there pre (including on the mixed with a Croc...with a cab ride on the return leg...) and post modernisation. Here is 406 from aforementioned GmP - shunting at Scuol, 1984

I'm not an expert but it is my understanding that French engineers used smoke deflectors and 'arrowhead' features (as on PLM pacifics) to do the job of 'streamlining', although there were of course the 232R, S and U in the later SNCF era

That's the one - decided Teckinden sounded a bit convoluted. I have a fascination for that zone, where you come out of the low populated rural Jura and the urbanisation and industrialisation starts up. The only down side to that journey is that it often means I am on the way out of Switzerland (either from Basel SBB or Euroairport) . btw on the latter subject - does anyone else hate the sounds they play on the Zurich airport terminal shuttle peoplemover? Hearing alpenhorn and cowbells is fine if you are arriving but you hear it when leaving as well which is a depressing sensation.

MLG Trafic is another good source, http://www.mlgtraffic.net/Coll_DE_E.htm beware of one or two poor translations - eg on coaches 'UIC pathways' = UIC type corridor connector rubbers and of course the old faithful Railfaneurope http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix_frameset.html

I would be happy to swap with you had I bought the latest livery version, but I bought the blue version, even though a lot of my layout is 'present day' because I really hate the latest BLS liveries. I find the grey paint drab, not that I didn't phot one arriving at Brig in 2019...

By the way - very stylish table cloth as well.

Full marks. The instant I looked at your model it looks instantly correct for the modern Swiss post buildings (I'm very familiar with the one at Genève)

Hobbytrain have quickly announced a correct 'normal' driving trailer for this year. I succumbed and bought the Autoverlad version because I have an Autoverlad on my layout. Trouble is I'll want the normal version as well now - so that will be £200 plus for two coaches...aargh!

I'm struggling to like the older design Swiss N gauge chalets nowadays - the new kits are so much finer. However putting the two types together does give a sense of the juxtaposition of ancient and modern that you see so ofte in Swiss urban areas

Hornby International does not include Fleischmann/Roco The Hornby International portfolio comprises Arnold (N), Jouef, Rivarossi and Electrotren (HO). Each of the HO brands concentrates on the 'home' subject relevant to the original provenance of the company, namely Jouef (France), Rivarossi (Italy), Electrotren (Spain). In N scale, Arnold was a German company but has throughout its history (and this is continued under Hornby) produced models of all European subjects. Fleischmann (family firm) ran into financial trouble and was acquired by the same financial organisation as had already rescued Roco. To avoid duplication of work, the combined company decided to concentrate one brand on each scale. Fleischmann had a (sort of) market lead in N scale so was chosen as the N specialist, with Roco the HO specialist Piko is mot certainly not at the 'inexpensive' end of the market any more. A few years ago their prices jumped suddenly from 'bargain' to 'prestige' level Then there is the Märklin group, covering the brands: Märklin (HO ac system, plus Z scale) , Trix HO and Minitrix N

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

Are you going to stick with 1:100? If I were you I would make them 1:120 so that they are to one of the 'standard' model railway scales. TT9 (aka TTm) is under represented - even with 3D printing, but is an ideal combination due to the huge range of motorised chassis and parts available for 9mm gauge track, and the plethora of 9mm gauge track systems available. Whilst some of the latter may not be exact scale (sleeper spacing etc) many modellers wouldn't be too worried I suspect (and most exhibition visitors wouldn't know the ins and outs). Taking myself as an example, as an N gauge specialist I have boxes full of track (mainly Kato Unitrack which my last 4 - 5 layouts have been laid with) and a box full of Japanese chassis and other spares for various N gauge projects (including RhB Nm9) - raedy to go for any TT9 projects. The other advantage of 1:120 is the ready availability of 'TT' scale scenics

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.

I pressed the 'reserve' button for the Ds van on Hobby Search around 2 weeks ago, along with a load of spares, including parts relevant to some of the new items to facilitate the ongoing kitbashing programme .

I should have added that it is 100% Kato Unitrack, taking advantage of Kato's double track sections, superelevated double track curves etc (blended in with scenics and additional Kato ballast where necessary). The 'plug and play' simplicity of Unitrack means that the whole layout including fiddle yard of at least (because Unitrack fiddle yards can be easily modified) 4 tracks each way is powered - with all isolation achieved using the points - by just one feed on each loop, connected to the up and down main just inside the tunnel entrance

This is class 50, which is not a 'Kriegslok'