BillB

I forgot to ask, what is the role of the brakeman's cabins when the train has a proper Gepackwagen at the back? And in special reference to short goods trains on branchlines, did a train need to have a gepackwagen too if it had a van with a brakeman's cabin? Thanks, Bill.

Hi, I am asking this here rather than on the prototype board because it is about getting my modelling practice right. I have several questions and even if some have been asked before I thought it might be handy to have all the answers in the same place! 1. Were brakeman’s cabins glazed, and the un-glazed models just a cost-cut? 2. Did each cabin just control the brakes on that wagon? 3. Was every brake cabin in a train manned? Or was there a mandatory number than had to be manned when a train was moving? 4. Did the brakemen on a train have to be from the same Landerbahn as the engine crew? Or could they inter-operate? 5. Did the brakeman on a train need to be in a cabin on a vehicle belonging to his own employing Landerbahn, or could he use the cabin of a “visiting” wagon? To put the above in context, if a goods train ran from Berlin to Dresden did responsibility for braking the train change at the border between Prussia and Saxony? Or could a Prussian brakeman in a Prussian wagon with brakeman’s cabin control the train for the whole journey? I have used Prussia and Saxony as the example, but the question applies more widely. And could you have a train running entirely within Saxony, say from Dresden to Leipzig, where the only wagon(s) on the train with a brakeman’s cabin was a Prussian wagon, with the cabin manned by a Saxon brakeman, or would the train need to have a Saxon wagon with brakeman’s cabin for the Saxon brakeman to use? 6. Would a branch-line train always have a wagon with brakeman’s cabin from the home company, or could the brakeman occupy any convenient cabin? 7. Did there have to be a wagon with brakeman’s cabin at the end of the train (e.g. to prevent runaway if a coupling broke mid-train). 8. Where the brakeman’s cabin is lower than the height of it's van and so has no commanding view, would that be manned in a journey or just used to brake the wagon when stationary, and thus that wagon could not act as the brake on a running train? (example, Fleischmann 5853 K). I'd be grateful for any relevant info, Thanks, Bill.

Thanks very much, I never thought of googling the question in French! Best Regards, Bill.

It's just too easy to post something and forget to click the "Follow Topic" button. Maybe it would be better if the default was "Yes" and you had to click something to not follow it? You can't follow a topic you forgot to follow except by posting another message and clicking "Follow".

Hello again, I'm browsing REE SNCF Ep.III wagons, and I see a van with a big "VB" on the side (REE WB-741 SNCF(exPLM) 20T van. EpIII), another van with a big "MT" on the side (REE WB-742 SNCF (exPLM) Fruit van. MT. EpIII), and a flat car, also with a big "MT" on the side (REE WB-502 SNCF Plats TP . EpIIIb). I am wondering what these letters indicate, e.g. something simple like "Vacuum Brake", or something restrictive like "Maintenance of Way Dept", or "Not for use on the main line". I'm also wondering if there is an index somewhere of French wagon lettering - not hopeful and have searched the web, but there are comprehensive indexes of, e.g. German military nomenclature, so maybe..... Thanks, Bill.

Hi Andrew, thanks very much for your reply. By coincidence my question was prompted by my browsing PD's weekend "Promos", but I had not seen the MMM RG coaches. Unfortunately I have a Metrop ETAT "Bicyclette", of dubious running qualities, and so I probably need all of those MMM ETAT coaches for it, but with their ETAT lettering unaltered, but not this weekend!! But you made me think of the Jouef "Imperial" fourgon which is commendably short, 3 1/2" over buffers, and which has open doors, enabling a bit of character to be added in the form of packages, milk churns, etc. I have just hooked up a Jouef ETAT fourgon with a Roco ex-KPEV 6-wheeler and they look fine together, buffer and coupler height are perfect, and even the "greens" are close enough to look the same. The roof of the fourgon is a bit low, such that the roof of the birdcage lookout is level with the main roof of the 6-wheeler, and lower than the clerestory, but that wouldn't matter if its primery role was luggage, not train safety. And thank you David. I had not been thinking of a fourgon being required as a safety buffer. I had been wondering in part whether if a guard / brakeman was present in the Guerite, that would make the need for one in a van redundant, thus the only purpose of a van would be for luggage / cargo. And I hadn't envisaged branch line trains to be anywhere near as long as in your photos. Thanks again, Bill.

I am contemplating an HO French branch terminus to fiddle-yard in a small space, probably 6-ft long, and possibly as small as a 4-ft scenic section plus a 2-ft FY on the same board. I appreciate that in France there was a standard gauge mainline network and a narrow gauge secondary network, so I may be introducing an English concept, but I want to work in standard gauge, not narrow gauge. I like the Roco ex-Prussian 6-wheelers. They are interesting and short, and I have most of them, so I want to use them! But they have no luggage compartments as an English branch consist would have. So I am wondering how a French branch line would handle passenger luggage. Did they make provision for luggage of the type an English branch line would, e.g. mail sacks, bicycles, etc. There are Roco 4-wheel “Thunderbox” type vans, Roco France 4204F, but they have a different character to the coaches and might be overkill on a branch train? They look more like a French equivalent to an SR GUV / PLV for mainline trains. And there are Roco G10 boxcars. I would appreciate thoughts from anyone who knows / has attempted similar / or is interested! Thanks, Bill.

Re "Did anyone buy the Olive set?", I did, to run behind my Olive H2 "South Foreland", as I found a pic of an H class heading a rake of these on the Brighton to Portsmouth service. B&W, so can't be sure everything was Olive, but who cares! On a different topic, and not rivet counting, but are the LSWR set "too pink"? I saw them in Rails and they look pinker than the old PC models LSWR "Salmon", but which is right (and does it matter, as I think the only suitable "LSWR" liveried engine is the "BR Heritage" T9 by Hornby Collectors Club). Best Regards, Bill.

Regarding the delayed J26, I hope it is because they are improving the chassis and the current collection wipers. I bought both LNER J27s and both developed the same problem on their first run out of the box - they ran forward fine, then on the first run backwards a strange noise started, and on inspection one wiper on each loco had twisted round and was catching between the wheel spokes. It was a different position wiper on each loco, one was rear left and the other was front right. Both were sorted out with a fine screwdriver blade, but both are now mis-shapen and don't contact their wheel tyre as well as they might. The loco needs stiffer / better current collectors on the driving wheels. On a related issue, the tender pickups are also weak, on LNER No.1214 the pickup on one side on the tender middle axle doesn't even touch the wheel. There seems to be no springiness in the pickups to press them against the wheel tyre. Once they are bent they stay bent. The second issue with my J27s is they are noticeably stiff going through Peco #2 radius points ST-240 / 241 (the set-track points - I know I shouldn't use them, but in a limited space...). In contrast my Hornby J15s glide through my passing loop of Peco #2 points, so an 0-6-0 chassis can cope with set-track! On the positive side, the J27 looks wonderful, especially the fully lined LNER No.1214, and when working properly they move slowly, smoothly, and silently. I can't quite decide whether No.1214 looks nicer than the also lined Hornby J36 LNER #722, the early L. &. N. E. R. with the number below on the tender on both locos to me looks splendid, and the best LNER goods lettering, but the J27 certainly looks a more powerful and purposeful engine and the 2-window cab also gives it more substance. Best regards, Bill.

Thanks to all for a very rich reply. For Chris I attach a link to a page about an accident at Woodlesford in 1910 when a rake of carriages was pushed through the buffers and onto Aberford Road. I hope your ancestor played no part in it! I use the last pic on my lockscreen, as being a published postcard it must be in the public domain, and wonder which of the assembled villagers I encountered as a child. BTW in the 1970s I commuted daily from Woodlesford station to Hebden Bridge, change at Leeds, and was never without a choice of seats on either leg of the journey. My main problem was falling asleep, and I once woke up in an empty Trans-Pennine DMU in Leeds. https://newwoodlesford.xyz/woodlesford-station/trains/carriage-mishap/

Just seen photos of the MR station at Grassington. I hadn't realised the MR built all-wood stations (my local was Woodlesford - called Wood but actually brick). How common were they, were they just on branch lines, and are there any kits of a wood MR station building? I am familiar with the Airfix MR signal box. Asking on the prototype board because I'm also interested in other real examples. And why did the MR build Grassington in wood in an area where stone is plentiful? Did they have pre-fab wood buildings like the LNWR? Grateful for any info, Bill.

Yes, I know it's not the best, but I am expanding a train set. The Bachmann UK website lists all the E-Z track parts and beside almost all it says "Arrived". But on retailers websites except for a few items Rails have it says "On Order". There is no way to email Bachmann to ask them why they seem unable to get their stock to their retailers, and they don't have an on-line shop like Hornby. So I am faced with the prospect of having to buy the parts I need by mail order from the USA, at huge cost in postage. I am talking basic items here, like the packs of 4x 9" straights, BAC 44511, and one each of the 30, 45, and 60 degree crossings and 2 Hayes bumpers. Even on ebay all the items listed are from the US. There is a "Find a Retailer" function on the Bachmann website, but locally apart from Rails most are small shops that don't have websites and don't even answer the phone. I have looked on all the big retailers websites, Rails, Kernow, Gaugemaster, Antics, and some smaller ones like B&H in Lincoln. BTW, why don't Hattons carry Bachmann anymore? Grateful for any info, Bill.

A used Peco SL-43 just sold for £50 on ebay! Another sold for £26 yesterday. They had their issues - keeping the PB clean and you had to rig your own end-gates. But one unit was a perfect cradle for exchanging a pair of HO scale 40-ft boxcars in the FY - I believe the new double is still a bit shorter than one old single, and the end-gates are internal so you have less length if you use them. Lifts are perfect for couplers that can uncouple vertically like Kadees or PECO Simplex. More of a fiddle for other types, as you can't get an uncoupling ramp right up to the entrance.

Hi, I am looking to use OO loco lifts as cassettes. My experience is that the copper(?) tarnishes quite quickly, and cleaning it with a fibre-glass pen makes nasty dust. I'd be grateful for tips on how folks keep their lifts clean and conductive. Also, I only have experience of the old lifts, and the new loco lifts look a lot more enclosed and thus harder to service? I'd appreciate any advice. Thanks, Bill.

FYI I found the answer - "Peters Spares PS34 Lima Replacement 11.5mm Wagon & Coach Wheels" are a perfect fit and roll smoothly on Code 70 track. Bill.

I can confirm that the "Peters Spares PS34 plain disc Lima Replacement 11.5mm Wagon & Coach Wheels" are an exact fit to replace the original wheels in the old Jouef Imperiale coaches. I replaced one axle in the coach shown above and the coach was horizontal on the track, i.e. the same height at both ends with a mix of axles, and when I had replaced both axles the buffer and coupler height matched an un-converted coach of the same type, and the coach ran like silk on PECO code 70 track. Whilst I used the plain disc wheels there are also PS115 3-hole disc wheels and PS116 8-spoke wheels of the same diameter and axle length. I didn't order the spoked wheels as they look a bit "waggony", but I will try them for appearance under my green birdcage brake / luggage vans (Jouef 5648). I found a drawing of a double-decker coach which shows the same style of disc wheels as the photo of the preserved example, with the distinctive four small semi-circular cut-outs near the rim (see pics below), and as no-one makes anything like that I think I will use plain discs for my double-deckers. Not least, the two decks must have made them heavier than the single deck coaches or the vans, making discs more necessary for strength and safety reasons. Next tasks, order the Rails d'Autrefois books "Hors-série n° 2 : Les voitures à impériale" and I also saw "Hors-série n° 6 - Les locomotives 030 Bourbonnais du PLM"; and I need to find some smoother-operating couplers than the Jouef originals, which rarely couple without help from the "big hand from the sky". I hope that by upgrading my coaches the more effort I put in the more likely it is that REE will issue some scale coaches to match their forthcoming Bourbonnais!!!!! Not much point in upgrading my Rivarossi Bourbonnais now REE are stepping in! (though it is cosmetically excellent and a reliable runner). Thanks for your help, Bill.

Thanks very much. If you want to see the Jouef maroon 4-wheeler, google "Jouef 4501". They are nice little coaches, and I have found a supplier of 11.5 mm dia wheels on 24.5 mm pinpoint axles intended as scale replacements for Lima wheels, and have ordered some samples to see if they fit. It is "petersspares.com". I will provide an update when they arrive and I have tried them.

The Jouef "Imperiale" 4-wheeler coach models have disc wheels, and photos of a preserved double decker also show disc wheels, but I am wondering if that is about modern safety standards, and whether back in the 1850s - 1910s they might also have had spoked wheels. I'd be grateful for any info. Also, the Jouef models are all lettered for the ETAT, but they use both Green and Maroon for the 2nd class bodies. Does anyone know what the correct class liveries were? And were the colours era-specific?? Grateful for any advice, Thanks very much, Bill.

I saw some speculation earlier that the Airfix Booking Hall is to HO, not OO (which would mean 1/87, not 1/76). I am building it at the moment and the "normal" doors / doorways are 25 mm high (6' 3" in OO), and the double doors / doorways are 26 mm high (6' 6" in OO). I got the following from the Everest website (!) The most common (standard) door width in England and Wales is 2’ 6” – 30 inches – 762mm. In Scotland, the door width is a little smaller, usually measuring 28.5 inches – 726mm. The most common (standard) door height in England and Wales is 6’ 6” – 78 inches – 1981mm. In Scotland the door height is a little taller: 80 inches – 2040mm. So I think that makes it OO. Especially as people were shorter in the 19th Century !! Bill.

Update - ZZ 24603 is just as impressive as ZZ 24602. Bill.

Hi, I know at least some of the Airfix Trackside OO/HO kits were based on real buildings, e.g. the Signal Box was based on the MR signal box at Oakham, Rutland, and the Church was based on Old St Boniface Church, Bonchurch, Ventnor, Isle of Wight. I wonder, does anyone know the original buildings the Booking Hall and Engine Shed were based on? Info on any other prototypes for the Trackside kits would be welcome too. Not sure if I am asking in the correct forum... Thanks, Bill.

I am wondering if there is a simple replacement wheelset with a shallower flange-depth? Photos of the preserved coach show solid disc wheels with small semi-circular cut-outs near the rims, but I don't expect to find any of those! I am wondering if they all had disc wheels, or if spoked wheels were also used, as they always make vintage rolling-stock look more interesting. Grateful for any input, Bill.

Good news update – Having received email notices of January sales I bought a DCC-sound version, Novateur Modeles NM20004S (DCC-Sound) Autorail diesel ZZ 24602 livrée rouge ex-ETAT, from Jura Modélisme at 10% off. On inspection I saw an AA battery-like cylinder below the roof in one passenger compartment, which I thought might be a stay-alive. My test track is PECO Set-Track, 2 parallel tracks 44 inches long linked by a passing loop using PECO Set-Track points, which I think are Radius 2, and as “dead-frog gappy” as you can get. The railcar ran through these at slow speed, both straight and round the loop, without hesitation or even a flicker of the cabin lights, repeatedly in both directions. Assuming what I saw is a stay-alive I can’t say how a DC version would perform. Other observations, in no particular order: The instructions include a written explanation with clear diagrams of how to remove both the driver’s cabin roof or the main car body to install a driver or passengers. This matters because the passenger cabin and driver’s cabin lights are very bright so an empty cabin is noticeable with the lights on. The gearing is very low. The car moves off smoothly at speed step 1 of 128 at a very slow speed. On my track I didn’t get above step 19, which was still quite slow, though I imagine step 128 might be quite quick. But it is perfect for arriving / departing on a small end-to end layout. The motor is located in the centre between the main passenger doors and thus hidden at normal viewing. It drives both axles via shafts which can be seen thru the windows rotating at floor level along the isle between the passenger seats, so passengers would need to be secured to avoid them coming loose and interfering with the drive shafts. Finish is good. The “about to fall out” appearance of the windows on the (crew’s?) doors on the end angles is because the glazing of these doors is an individual pane, not part of the continuous glazing elsewhere, and because of its thickness the edges show, but a gentle touch with a fingernail shows it is secure, if slightly unsightly. There is no provision for NEM coupler pockets. There is a small peg beneath each end for a clip-on draw-bar to link two cars. This bar is provided, and on mine came clipped onto the peg at one end, which made it slightly delicate when unpacking and could have got lost. It just pulls off horizontally, which I did and put it in a safe place. Sound is very full and high quality, suggesting a good speaker. The light in the driver’s cabin only operates when the car is stationary, and I found if you activate it whilst the car is in motion it then comes on when the car stops, which is neat on arrival in a station. The documentation says the manufacturer of Novateur Modeles is L’Atelier du Train, which I hadn’t realised. I was sufficiently impressed to immediately order the other ETAT sound model, ZZ 24603, but this time from Pierre Dominique, as Jura did not have it. I await it’s arrival! Hope this helps someome! Best Regards, Bill.

Hi, I am wondering how well these run as they only have 4 wheels. My enquiries in another thread about country stations suggest my 9.25" wide baseboard is too narrow for that project so I am now planning that on a 67" x 13.5" board, which leaves me with my 65" x 9.25" board, and I am contemplating a depot for autorails. Several small cars buzzing in and out might be more interesting than fewer bigger cars, but they would be crossing several sets of points and that's no good if they keep cutting out. There is nothing worse than a DCC+Sound model that cuts out and has to go thru re-start. It's not like DC where problems can be solved by quick application of a fingertip! Grateful for any info on these little autorail models. They seem to run fine on youtube, but most of that is at medium speed over plain track. Also, some publicity pics (e.g. close-ups of NM20004S) seem to show cab window glazing not too well fitted. Thanks, Bill.

Thanks for your helpful replies. I thought the models could be of the same parentage because there seems to be a lot of swapping of products between manufacturers now, e.g. previously Fleischmann HO models being issued as Roco, Liliput as Bachmann, etc., and a lot of items are made in China with the same factory seemingly servicing more than one European brand. Best regards, Bill.