MOB 2002

27 minutes ago, Montreux_1991 said:

 

Plan A would be: one bogie from a Marklin z-gauge diesel (re-gauged if possible to 5mm - I think 4.5mm has been done) plus a small coreless motor with flywheel and stay-alives.

 

Ideally with DCC sound too...

Ingenious. Would be fascinated to see the results. 
 

I don’t think I’d trust myself to produce something reliable. It’s not being able to work out a RTR z scale chassis to fit that’s been putting me off a similar purchase for quite a while now.

Mark

3 hours ago, Montreux_1991 said:

Recently received from Shapeways:

 

In front, an MGN Bhe2/4 - by Swiss Z scale models, and I assume the basis of the proposed AB-Modell ready to run offering - printed in one sturdy piece.

Behind, both cars of an MOB ABDe8/8 - by  TT Trams - with separately printed roofs and slightly distorted / in need of a sturdy sub-structure.

 

 

Very interesting! What chassis are you planning to use for the MGN vehicle?

Mark

6 minutes ago, Montreux_1991 said:

Mine had Farish-style split gears on at least one of the powered axles. I found replacement wheelsets on Ebay.de and the actual repair was straightforward.

 

Subsequently sold, but I still have a ‘dead’ Minitrix 12518 and a DCC sound-fitted donor loco somewhere...

 

 

Taking the bogie frames off, I think they’re all split, but only one seems to be binding. Might attempt a little bit of gentle attention with a file first, just to see if it will get a rough mesh and to see if there’s anything else wrong.

I can’t fault the accuracy of all this though - clearly buying secondhand V200s is fraught with problems!

Mark 

The second hand ex DB Am4/4 was not one of the SBB’s finest moments, but nevertheless I’ve been looking out for one as part of the stock collecting for my new layout.
 

This is the Roco version and it looks great. However, true to the original, it doesn’t really work! I’ve only investigated quickly and it seems to be a problem somewhere in the gear train within one of the bogies. My current explorations have only succeeded in making it worse so far, but I’ll have another go again shortly.

If all else fails, it’ll look lovely sat in a siding awaiting attention, just like the real thing!

Mark

Loving the attention to detail. The log loading seems like the opposite of what you’d see on the RhB, well done for not taking the easy way out.

Mark

Does anyone have any views on when we have to stop referring to this as a hobby and start calling it an addiction? 
 

Piko Ae3/6 No. 10710 joined the collection today. I’ve wanted one of these for ages and nearly bought one from Germany, but one finally came up on UK EBay and I was weaker than I realised. 
 

It’s actually a pretty old model now, but I don’t think it had ever run. Took some liberal application of graphite to the rails and a spot of lubrication for satisfactory running. May need a bit more attention yet.

Mark

The pantograph is sprung. Certainly not the best on the market, but not the worst either. Windscreen wipers, front hand rail and mirrors are all separate parts. The mirrors in particular are an immediately noticeable improvement on the old Roco models big plastic lumps.

Mark

This month really hasn’t gone well. Just when I thought the new Hobbytrain Re4/4 IVs might never arrive - this appeared on the Scograil website:
 

Looks pretty good, runs really well and of course a vast improvement over the old Roco model in terms of detail.

Must resist getting another!

Mark

I’ve had another Contikits splurge. Some more FS passenger stock, and some other little gaps filled.

The rarest addition was probably this Wabu small series full brake, obviously adapted from Hobbytrain RIC parts.
 

A lot less sophisticated is this Lima FS full brake. It’s not accurate at all, but it’ll be a useful stand in as there’s no sign of this livery appearing on something more accurate any time soon.

Just like 95% of people who have bought the Kato RIC pack with two couchettes and a green/grey RIC rebuild I suspect, there was only really one of the three that I ‘needed’ but they don’t come up often in the U.K. so never mind. I’ve seen some suggestions that the livery doesn’t sit well next to Roco/Fleichmann EWIV, but I don’t think it’s that bad.
 

And I’ve now got an excuse for an EWIII to make an appearance in due course. A pair of the Sputnik brakevans used as barrier vehicles for moving EWIII stock. The Arnold Ee3/3 was also a new purchase.

I think I’ve added a dozen carriages, two brakevans and two locos in a little over a fortnight. The modelling budget has really had a battering this month - whoops!

I’ve also just realised that I’ve now got more than 100 carriages for a layout I haven’t even started 🤦‍♂️

Mark

A real bargain just arrived today. Hobbytrain Re4/4 II of the first batch in green. There’s a 2021 date written on the box, but it looks like it’s never been used and ran well straight from the box.
 

Even the most discounted price I’ve seen for a ‘new’ one was in the region of £120. This one, £50! 

And I thought the days of the eBay steal were long gone.

Mark

1 minute ago, Mol_PMB said:

Any rail service will struggle to compete with the flights at current prices though. Living in Manchester, we have regular direct flights to Geneva at much less than the cost of a train ticket from Manchester to London!

The actual ticket is only one element though … I paid more for parking at the airport than I did the return flights last year, then there’s the time penalty of insane check in requirements and in most cases exorbitant additional costs if you want to take a decent sized bag - it all adds up.

Mark

I’m not even sure it needs to be direct, just avoid the complications of a cross Paris connection. A simple cross platform change somewhere and I’d be sold.
 

Given that year-round Newcastle - Geneva flights are no longer a thing, it’s only the time lost and aggro involved in the current connections that tips the balance towards flying for me now.

Mark

27 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

A big parcel has arrived from Schnellenkamp in Germany containing my birthday presents to myself. Despite their origin they are for the Swiss theme. 

Three Om turnouts, two more Om rollwagen, and two O standard gauge vans suitable for the Broc branch. Also, not shown, an Om rolling road. 

I’m sure all of these will feature on the Broc branch thread in due course. First to be used will be one of the turnouts so I can finish the fiddle yard tracklaying. 

Do you still consider your project ‘stalled’?

Mark

Agreed wholeheartedly- it is very frustrating that every possible version seems to have at least one error!

My cant rail observations are merely from photos on the likes of Polier.ch, although even ScalaeNNe has a comparison photo showing that various nations got their cant rail treatment completely different. As far as I can tell actual uniformity only arrived at the UIC Z family. 

My donor bogies are on the way and I’ve worked out how to dismantle the Fleischmann roof so all being well I’ll get something passable in the end. 
 

Mark

31 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

The bogies also look too tall, as well as being spaced too far from the underside of the carbody. Can you get some alternative bogies that could be swapped in, hopefully solving the wheelset problem at the same time?

In a word … yes:

It turns out that Rivarossi bogies clip straight in and what a difference they make! Buffer heights now line up and the overall height is much more acceptable.

I’ll need to take the razor saw to them to lose the moulded in steps and coupling pocket, but that looks doable. Just trying to source some more now as I don’t want to destroy the FS sleeper I’ve borrowed this one off to test the concept.

Thanks so much for the suggestion - I guess I didn’t expect the solution to be that easy! Now to decide whether I try to tackle the roofs.

Mark

10 hours ago, Gordonwis said:

No, I just got rid of most of mine where possible! I favour Minitrix and even old Lima and Atlas Rivarossi for DB style UICs.

Part of the problem seems to be the size of the wheels. They look enormous. I might gamble on some small diameter wheelsets before I write the job off completely as a lesson learned.

Mark

This is technically Italian stock … but very definitely for a Swiss layout - so only partial apologies. I’ve picked up a trio of Fleischmann UIC carriages in FS liver and grey livery.

Now I know they’re less accurate than ideal, particularly around the roof, but the scarcity of vehicles in that livery and the mix and match nature of stock during the era I’m modelling still made a purchase fairly desirable. 
 

I also knew in advance that the Fleischmann UIC stock rides high - but I don’t think I was quite prepared for how high! 
 

In reality the cant rail of the FS UIC is higher than the SBB equivalent on the right. But not that much higher. Has anyone successfully lowered the overall ride height of a Fleischmann UIC? 

Mark

It’s been a long time since I’ve had some time for this layout, but things have conspired to give a few hours.

I was never really happy with the Kato office building that was screening the exit to the fiddle yard. A while back I bought an alternative, a grain warehouse and silo set from Faller. This is them nearly complete and posed in place to allow me to adjust the scenery and check clearances before the last detail components get fitted.
 

The silos also come with enough bits to create a conveyor belt bridge over the railway to add a proper scenic break for the first time. I need to get everything perfectly in location before I build and install that though.

Lots of tidying up to do, but a definite improvement in my mind.

The Fleischmann Re4/4 II is another project. One of a pair acquired to improve the glazing and replace the pantographs while awaiting the next generation model.

Mark

1 hour ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

 A nice reminder how long the Re460 locos have been around, seeing them with mainly green coaches, Keith.

Scary isn’t it … I still consider them the ‘modern’ locos that displaced the ‘interesting’ stuff! 😳

Mark

It’s a 1st / 2nd composite (ABm in Swiss parlance) of the UIC X type, a 1960s design primarily intended for international traffic.

Mark

On 10/02/2024 at 11:15, Mol_PMB said:

The little brother of mine just came up on ebay, if you're feeling flush?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256407240198

Actually the price doesn't look too bad compared to the recent Bemo releases.

Just back from a work trip to the South Coast - if that’s still available after I find out how much it’s going to cost for repairs to my car caused by the utterly horrendous road surfaces in Kent and Sussex (at least one shock absorber now on the way out) I might be very tempted by a bit of articulated MOB filth!

I think I’ve got space for a shelf style HOm layout, but not a lot more without scrapping my N scale plans at great expense.

Mark

14 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

The Capricorns ‘big train’ has already been admitted to not work as they thought and I’d be looking to restore standard couplings so they can haul a couple of wagons instead. 

Being on board during a coupling is an experience to say the least - anyone who isn’t expecting it or steady on the feet is going to be stumbling at best. I wonder if anyone has actually been hurt. Presumably they need quite a thump to join reliably? 
 

Incidentally I did see a passenger totally wiped out by the retracting steps on a Capricorn at Wiesen. It turns out the steps retract before the doors actually shut, so at a low platform the step can be literally taken away from underneath passengers.
 

I suspect a moderately updated Allegra (or something similar to the Zentralbahn Adler sets) would have been a whole lot better. 

Mark

Some lovely stock there - I did the chocolate train in its latter days, not long before the Broc regauging, with the branded Gde4/4 and it was a good day out. Fully booked too so it must have been worthwhile for the MOB.

And you’re totally right on the Dze6/6. I’ve only ever sampled it at Blonay Chamby. Even during the big anniversary steam gala they did a few years back (eight or nine locos in steam I think), there was still a group of photographers around No. 2002 whenever it moved. A really special loco. 
 

One day I’ll succumb and buy a model of it too - but I’m scared I’ll want to build a layout to go with it … and seeing your inspirational work isn’t helping either! 🤣
 

Mark

I’m not basing my thoughts on the old loco vs unit debate. I’d prefer to be in an EWI, but I have to admit the Allegra and Capricorn are very decent trains. 
 

I’m more basing it on the fact that I don’t believe the RhB of even a few years ago would have had months of bus replacements. It also feels like the Bernina and Albula lines are increasingly seen as of much greater importance than everything else. I think Davos has probably suffered more than most. The Landquart-Davos line has felt like it was seen as a lesser route even before Covid.

I hope it’s a blip, I still love travelling on the RhB. I’m a long day out kind of person who likes to squeeze a lot in - so buses on the later and earlier trains is a massive turn off for me. 
 

I commented to someone the other day that Graubunden seems to get far less attention from marketing to international visitors than it once did. The Jungfrau area seems to be pulling that off better than most these days - certainly for summer visitors. Perhaps there’s a bigger trend at play?

Mark

16 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

The article suggests this is caused primarily by driver shortages rather than a lack of demand, and that many new drivers are in training to fill the vacancies. I can't comment on whether that's the only cause though.

Agree - I’ve worked in journalism and media relations for long enough to know that the truth will be much more complicated than conveyed. 

Mark