Our News
Steam loco N 1304 has been given a repaint. On closer inspection, we have identified that Swedish steam locomotives are not gloss, so it has been given a matt black coating. Pipework and other add-ons are being picked out in bare metal colours so that they can be seen and appreciated without compromising the visual appearance of the loco. Being a kit-built model, it was also due its 3-yearly overhaul, which for a model that hasn’t yet been run-in, didn’t amount to much work taking place!
Manufacturer News
ACME has produced two sets of carriages for the current day (Epoch-VI) SJ international sleeper train, which uses former German and similar stock. Article ACME55311 contains one WLABmz Type MUn sleeping car and three Bvcmz248.5 couchette cars in blue livery with SJ logos. Article ACME55315 contains additional carriages for the Euronight consisting of a WLABmz Type 32s sleeping car and a Bvcmz248.5 couchette car in blue livery with SJ logos. The train operates Berlin – Hamburg Hbf – København L – Stockholm; and uses an Rc6 for the Swedish portion. It is much too modern to run here on the RTJ!
HNoll has reported that after a great start in 2024 with the new B4/BF4/BF7 carriages, all sales of their products have stopped completely! They are going to try Tradera (the Swedish eBay) for a trial period to reach out to more customers who haven’t found HNoll’s products yet. Customers who already know HNoll are referred to the retailers who do a great job stocking all their products.
HNoll’s Blue-X/IC-11 and Special carriages will be manufactured during the summer and should appear in the early autumn. The production of these carriages is almost halved to adapt to anticipated sales volumes. There are no started or finished tools for other carriage types in the 80s series and HNoll will not start any more 80s carriages in 2024. (However, there is another carriage project where tool manufacturing will begin within the next few weeks, but HNoll is not letting on what it is!)
Currently, there are over 2500 HNoll carriages of various designs in stock. The series B4/BF4/BF7 carriages released in February 2024 have not yet recouped their investment cost, which means that HNoll has to slow down spending for the time being. People are being urged to take a closer look at the A7/A8/B7 with ASEA bogies, which have never been correctly produced before. They have correct window placement, correct undercarriage, correct window size on doors, and many fine details such as transverse grooves on the roof, shunter steps and a really nicely painted interior; somewhat superior to similar carriages that have been in production from another source for a few decades.
Other News
This year’s Hjulmarknaden has been advertised for one date on their website, and another date in the press (in Tågsommar). In a Facebook post as April ended, they have confirmed that it will be on November 23rd, not the end of the month (30th).
Behind the Scenes
Mini-Series about the new railway; 5: Fenixås Jernväg
Last month, we told you about the potential for a narrow-gauge railway in H0n3. There is also a plan for a much smaller railway, and actually much easier to create, using H0e (9mm gauge) to represent Sweden’s 802mm gauge (not exactly, but close enough; see below). This small railway is the ‘extra’ plan that was hinted at for Skarpa Gård, and it will be said that the narrow-gauge line runs between the manor house and the nearby beauty spot at a local lake. The line’s imaginary history suggests that the house was formerly a mining office, and the lake was the mine; thus justifying the line’s existence!
Using commercially available track components, it is intended that this line shall cross the standard gauge line on the level, thus a special ‘diamond crossing’ with one gauge crossing the other! The few 802mm gauge railways were mostly industrial, so it would be easy and appropriate to find a suitable European or Soviet steam loco (or diesel) to provide the main motive power. There is even a consideration for a British 00-9 scale “Fairlie” loco; as standard gauge versions had been used on the railway that passes near the house where we are!
H0e is normally associated with the central European gauge of 760mm, but this gauge is very rare in Sweden (we’re not convinced that it was used at all, in fact). However, the track gauge (9mm) scaled up from 1:87 is actually 783, so 802mm gauge is close enough! The name is a translation (from Welsh) of a similarly gauged (00-9) model railway in the UK (Rheilffordd Bryn Ffenics / Phoenix Hill Railway), whose owners are Friends of the RTJ, and were instrumental in safeguarding the Railway’s artefacts when the FLMJ closed.
And, having mentioned the owners of the Rheilffordd Bryn Ffenics, we would like to extend our congratulations to them for their wedding (or coupling-up) during April! The ceremony took place at the Talyllyn Railway, very fitting.
Next Month: Sörlidsbanan.