Our News
Jeco’s Rc4 1182 has arrived into shops (along with other new models), and one has arrived here. This model is privately owned and on loan to the Railway until a time that has been mutually agreed. Overall it is a nice model, up to the detail standards that Jeco manage so well; and its performance ‘out of the box’ is much better than the T23, for example; though it will need running in, properly. The ‘set place’ for the driver-side windscreen wiper is not the correct resting place and it would be an irritation to the driver being right in his line of vision. One oddity that we actually quite like is that the model has mis-matched ploughs; a snow plough at one end and a moose plough at the other! The mirrors needed attaching and the reflective part painted on, but one of ours was slightly broken, so extra care will be needed when bending them to the correct profile!
After lengthy considerations ‘behind the scenes,’ we have decided to replace the proposed station name ‘Skarpa Gård’ on the RTJ with ‘Sköndal.’ Nothing else has changed; it will be a countrified location between Rickbacken and Töjnan, and most likely the first to actually get built!
One of our Friends in the UK is now the owner of the Steninge model, and he has been rebuilding it. From the photo, it can be seen to be a little more built-up now and the track is being completely re-laid. Whilst work is progressing, the diorama made an appearance at an exhibition at the beginning of June. The Y1 railbus is in Epoch-V livery (1990s-2010s-ish)!
Model News
Quite unannounced, HNoll has produced the S4 conference carriage in ASEA livery (predates the ABB livery) and had funds permitted, we would have liked one here!
Jeco has recently announced the proposed production of no fewer than 20 TGOJ M4 3-axle ore wagons to be available in four packs of four wagons, and two packs of two. Ideal locomotives for these wagons are their proposed TGOJ Bt-loco, or recently produced TGOJ Ma-loco (but it seems that the TGOJ Hg-loco was used on other duties, including shunting these wagons).
One87, via their online Tradera shop has produced working models (as kits) of the derailers used in sidings (instead of the British ‘catch point’), a long overlooked article. They have also produced models of the Kalmar platform tractor, with trailer.
The PCX87 Saab 900 saloon has arrived into the shops; four different colours plus a Swedish “polis” car, and at least one especially commissioned livery that we know about. Its window and door profile seem a little different to their 3-door hatchback, but there’s 7 years between production versions (the saloon from 1981, and the hatchback from 1988).
Other Interesting News
Rc2 001 (a former ÖBB class 1043, but in all respects, the same as the SJ Rc2) has been repainted into the earlier livery that it wore whilst in service in Austria. A local business in Sweden made up the special number plates so typical of those used in Austria. Ten extra Rc2 were built for the ÖBB and supplied in SJ livery (without the markings), and they were so successful that ÖBB followed them up with the more locally built class 1044, which were not as successful! Eventually, they were all retired and the nine survivors were brought back to Sweden, where they are used in goods and ‘service’ operations. Visibly, they differ from the Swedish versions with different head and tail lighting, a modification that was made during ÖBB ownership.
Rc4 1166 has been repainted into an Amtrak livery by its new owners, Nordic Re-finance. This is almost identical to the livery it wore when it went to Amtrak in the USA for trials which ultimately led to the order for ASEA locomotives type AEM7, which are essentially Rc4 in a different body! They were very successful and Amtrak was not the only company to buy them. At the time of writing, this locomotive is being used almost exclusively by Nässjö railway museum for their non-steam rail-tours.
Now, we’re just waiting for Rc6 1377 to be rebranded Rc5 and painted in either the white-silver livery, or the ‘disco’ livery that followed!