Ett litet team av vänner undersökte den tilldelade platsen för den nya järnvägen; mäta det, besluta om material som ska användas och den ungefärliga kostnaden, rum för rum. Den förenklade karaktären hos de tidigare FLMJ:s golvlister är perfekt lämpliga, och med endast subtila förfinningar, kommer den att kopieras här. Förutom golvlisternas material och konstruktion övervägdes hålen för att bära järnvägen genom väggarna och de verktyg som behövdes för att möjliggöra dem. Dessutom övervägdes elförsörjningen och vissa VVS-ändringar, liksom tillhandahållandet av en ny säkerhetsdörr.
Tillverkarens Nyheter
De nya Dekas “Gs” och “Hbis” godsvagnarna har anlänt till butikerna under månaden. Medan “Hbis”-vagnarna är en omkörning av sina tidigare modeller (som möjliggör längre autentiska tåg utan att behöva numrera om dem), har “Gs”-vagnarna tillverkats i samarbete med NMJ, som tidigare har gjort versioner av dessa, så det finns borde inte vara några problem med kompatibilitet.
Andra intressanta nyheter
SJAB har meddelat att de drar in pendeltåget Stockholm till Uppsala från tidtabellsändringen i december och skyller på illojal konkurrens från SL och Mälartåg som får kommunalbidrag. SJAB är ett privat aktiebolag som ägs av svenska staten och har till uppgift att driva lönsam kollektivtrafik på järnväg. Därför har de inte fått subventioner, och som alla statliga organisationer finns det inga investeringar. SJAB-biljetter är mycket dyrare än sina konkurrenter, och det är om man kan få sin app att fungera, vilket många resenärer inte kan. (Appar är det enda sättet att köpa SJ-biljetter nu!) Tyvärr kör inte deras konkurrenter trafik som stannar vid Märsta (SL-tåget slutar där), så lokalbefolkningen kommer att förlora på det. De konkurrenter erbjuder inte heller förstklassiga sittplatser.
A small team of Friends surveyed the allocated space for the new railway; measuring up, determining the materials to be used, and the approximate costings, room by room. The simplistic nature of the former FLMJ baseboards is perfectly suitable, and with only subtle refinements, will be copied here. In addition to the materials and construction of the baseboards, the holes to carry the railway through the walls were considered and the tools needed to enable them. Additionally, the electrical supply and some plumbing alterations were considered, as well as the provision of a new security door.
Manufacturer News
The new Dekas ‘Gs’ and ‘Hbis’ wagons have been arriving into shops during the month. Whilst the ‘Hbis’ wagons are a re-run of their earlier models (enabling longer authentic trains without having to renumber them), the ‘Gs’ wagons have been made in conjunction with NMJ, who has previously made versions of these, so there should be no issues with compatibility.
Other News
SJAB has announced that they will withdraw the Stockholm to Uppsala “pendel” train from the timetable change in December, blaming unfair competition from SL and Mälartåg who receive local government subsidies. SJAB is a private limited company owned by the Swedish government and tasked with operating profitable public railway transport. Therefore, they have not received subsidies, and like any government organisation there is no investment. SJAB tickets are much pricier than their competitors, and that is if one can get their app to work, which many travellers cannot. (Apps are the only way to buy SJ tickets, now!) Sadly, their competitors do not operate services stopping at Märsta (the SL train terminates there), so local people will lose out. The competitors do not offer first class seating, either. It is also a little sad to reflect that during the FLMJ Director General’s first holiday to Sweden in 1990, this train service was used several times and it has been a staple of regional train services, providing (mostly) travel in traditional loco-hauled carriages, including one with one compartment – how nostalgic!
Behind the Scenes
Mini-Series about the new railway; 9: Tuppkråksjärnvägen!
So far, we have considered, not only the RTJ, a replacement for the FLMJ; but also no fewer than four narrow-gauge lines (each to a different gauge,) and a tramway. Satisfied that we had exhausted all reasonable options, it was taken with some mirth when another possibility was suggested. Thus, came the Tuppkråksjärnvägen, a miniature ‘pleasure’ railway, not small enough to represent the interest that some of our Friends have in 7¼” gauge railways (184mm in metric); but the name pays respect to the Great Cockcrow Railway, where the FLMJ’s Director General had been a member for 39 years, and some of our Friends still are. The track gauge would be as used for so-called ‘T’ scale (3mm, don’t confuse with ‘TT’); but this proposal is so unlikely, that there really is nothing more that can be said about it for now, or for a long time! It would represent 10¼” gauge (260mm); the next regular size up from the GCR’s!
Summers in Sweden are short, so we have spent more time outside than in; thus no model-making has taken place!
Manufacturer News
As above, summer shutdown, so no real news. One manufacturer-related thing is that this year is the 40th anniversary of the launch of Roco’s Rc5, a model that set new standards, at least for Swedish railway modelling. It had a centrally mounted motor with prop-shaft drive to both bogies and driven on all wheels. The traction tyres were asymmetrically placed so that the loco gave matching performance in either direction. (Sadly, the newer DCC-compatible versions of this model are not so highly specified!) Jeco has followed Roco with their specification, but other manufacturers have lagged behind.
Rc5 1344 at Lövhöjden. The prototype is now Rc6 1344, but the FLMJ’s model remains like this as a modern ‘heritage’ loco! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Other News
The August edition of the British magazine Continental Modeller carries an advertisement for the Scandinavian Railways Society, which has been restarted (the advert) following a pause partially created by the recent pandemic. When first established, roundly 30 years ago, the Society was pivotal as a hub for sharing information about the railways of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, and members enjoy a regular glossy magazine and the opportunity to meet and take part in events around the country (the UK). Sadly, there is a viable argument that most information about the subject matter can be easily found online, and member numbers are dwindling, not just in this society, but in many others, also. This could, however, be temporary, due to the fact that people are finding that the information published online is mostly unchecked for accuracy, and this is leading many people astray in their pursuit of a reliable and authentic interest in these railway systems. This could lead to a reboot of membership numbers. Any society of this type will have an assortment of members including those who have, and are willing to share, valuable and reliable information relating to the subject matter; and membership of such societies is thoroughly encouraged. It is a typical situation of not being missed until it’s gone, so one hopes that the recently restarted advertisement will be successful for the Society.
Behind the Scenes
Mini-Series about the new railway; 8: Trams?
We did have a couple of trams, which occasionally ventured out onto the FLMJ! One was in a livery suitable for Göteborg, and the other for Malmö; but neither were true representations of their assumed prototypes! With no tramway prospects for the FLMJ, they were sold on. Could we build a system, now? Rickbacken has been ruled out because it would not blend very well with the nature of the town scene, which we’ll look at in a later update. Skarpa Gård is said to be out in the country, so that is unlikely, also. That leaves Töjnan, a size-compromised area (due to the necessary lift-out section), with a lot going on. But, whilst there are no serious plans to include a tramway, the representation of the outskirts of one, with a line leading into the main industrial area at Töjnan, would have its commercial justification. So, maybe a circuit from fiddle-yard to the industrial area and back again?
And if we’re considering trams, what about trolley-buses? No! Although trolley-buses do exist currently, and have existed in Sweden in the past, there seems to be a gap in their existence through Epoch-IV!
Somrarna i Sverige är korta, så vi har spenderat mer tid ute än inne; alltså ingen modelltillverkning har skett!
Tillverkarens Nyheter
Som ovan, sommaravstängning, så inga riktiga nyheter. En tillverkarrelaterad sak är att det i år är 40-årsjubileum av lanseringen av Rocos Rc5, en modell som satte nya standarder, åtminstone för svensk järnvägsmodellering. Den hade en centralt monterad motor med kardanaxeldrift till både boggier och driven på alla hjul. Dragdäcken var asymmetriskt placerade så att loket gav matchande prestanda i båda riktningarna. (Tråkigt nog är de nyare DCC-kompatibla versionerna av denna modell inte så mycket specificerade!) Jeco har följt Roco med deras specifikation, men andra tillverkare har släpat efter.
Andra intressanta nyheter
Augustupplagan av den brittiska tidningen Continental Modeller innehåller en annons för Scandinavian Railways Society, som har startat om (annonsen) efter en paus som delvis skapades av den senaste pandemin. När Sällskapet grundades för ungefär 30 år sedan var det avgörande som ett nav för att dela information (på engelska) om järnvägarna i Danmark, Finland, Norge och Sverige, och medlemmarna åtnjuter en regelbunden glansig tidning och möjligheten att träffas och delta i evenemang kring land (Storbritannien). Tyvärr finns det ett hållbart argument för att den mesta informationen om ämnet lätt kan hittas på nätet, och medlemsantalet minskar, inte bara i det här samhället utan även i många andra. Detta kan dock vara tillfälligt, på grund av det faktum att människor upptäcker att informationen som publiceras på nätet för det mesta är okontrollerad för korrekthet, och detta leder många människor vilse i deras strävan efter ett pålitligt och autentiskt intresse för dessa järnvägssystem. Detta kan leda till en omstart av medlemsnummer. Varje sällskap av denna typ kommer att ha ett urval av medlemmar inklusive de som har och är villiga att dela med sig av värdefull och pålitlig information om ämnet; och medlemskap i sådana sällskap uppmuntras grundligt. Det är en typisk situation att inte missas förrän den är borta, så man hoppas att den nyligen omstartade annonsen kommer att bli framgångsrik för föreningen.
Under juni månad var vår primära uppgift att modifiera de två Pocher-vagnarna så att de kan tas i bruk. Arbetet krävde att båda eftermonterades med NEM-kopplingar. Men DF5 behövde lite extra arbete inklusive att måla om taket till en satinfinish, sätta in en korrekt interiör inuti och vrida ner hjulen; och den behövde en ny låda. Båda modellerna hade redan modifierats kraftigt innan vi köpte dem, så att göra det här arbetet ogiltigförklarade inte något arvsvärde som de kan ha haft. Våra versioner av modellerna är från mitten av 1960-talet, men karossformarna går tillbaka till 1958 och 1959. C3b är från 1904, och 1911 kompletterade 20 C3c-vagnar 99 C3b. C3c hade en toalett i ena änden. Märkligt nog är Pochers modell nummer 1449 och har korrekt C3b-interiören, men markeringarna är helt klart C3c (som vi kommer att ändra när vi kan få lämpliga dekaler). DF5 är från 1929 och 30 byggdes. Skillnaderna inom flottan var små, men Pochers modell, nummer 2884, kommer med passagerarsäten vilket är helt fel, därav det extra arbete som krävs!
Även under juni månad monterade vi ihop vår modellsats av en skånsk bondgård. Detta var ett gammalt kit från Heljan, så det passade inte ihop så bra och instruktionerna var ganska hopplösa; men jobbat klart och det ser faktiskt ganska trevligt ut. Det är lite underskala, men för en gammal skånsk gård är det nog inte så mycket problem!
Tillverkarens Nyheter
I en uppdatering från HNoll har försäljningen av B4, BF4 och BF7 gått långsammare än önskat (uppenbarligen på grund av ekonomin och att modellbyggare inte har lika mycket pengar till övers som tidigare) och behöver ett rejält lyft. Det har varit problem med att etiketterna på BF7-vagnarna är fel och att nya skulle tillverkas. Tyvärr har detta dragit ut på tiden och kommer inte att fortsätta. Helt enkelt är vagnarna rätt märkta men etiketterna (på lådorna) var fel. Etiketter har också varit fel på några tidigare vagnar.
Andra intressanta nyheter
I slutet av maj avgick en stor del av styrelsen vid arvsjärnvägen vid Nora efter en utdragen konflikt med stiftelsen som äger spåren. På ett extra möte lördagen den 29 juni diskuterades föreningens framtid och en ny styrelse valdes. Deras tre huvudsakliga syften är nu att arbeta för ett bättre samarbetsklimat med stiftelsen, att förbättra deras ekonomi och att återuppta museitrafiken så snart som möjligt. Föreningen Nora Bergslags Veteranjärnväg (NBVJ) och stiftelsen Nora Järnvägsmuseum och Veteranjärnväg (NJOV) förvaltar tillsammans Nora-Järle och Nora-Pershyttan järnvägslinjer. Nora-Ervalla järnväg var den första normalspåriga banan i Sverige för allmän trafik, invigd 1856. NBVJ är en ideell förening som äger merparten av fordonen och sköter trafiken själv. NJOV är en stiftelse som äger banan. Stiftelsen startades av bland annat Region Örebro län och Nora kommun.
Through June, our primary task was to modify the two Pocher carriages so that they can be brought into service. The work required both to be retrofitted with NEM couplings. But the DF5 needed some extra work including repainting the roof to a satin finish, putting a correct interior inside, and turning down the wheels; and it needed a new box. Both models had already been heavily modified before we bought them, so doing this work wasn’t invalidating any heritage value that they may have had.
Pocher’s C3b and DF5, suitably modified for use today. These models are roundly 65 years old!
Our versions of the models are from the mid-1960s, but the body-moulds go back to 1958 and 1959. The C3b dates from 1904, and in 1911, 20 C3c carriages supplemented the 99 C3b. The C3c had a toilet at one end. Curiously, Pocher’s model is number 1449 and correctly has the C3b interior, but the markings are clearly C3c (which we will change when we can get suitable decals). The DF5 dates from 1929 and 30 were built. Differences within the fleet were slight, but Pocher’s model, number 2884, comes with passenger seating which is totally wrong, hence the extra work required!
C3b interior with a few subtle modifications.DF5 interior as it should be.
Also during June, we assembled our model kit of a Skånska farmhouse. This was an old kit from Heljan, so it didn’t go together very well and the instructions were quite hopeless; but job done and it actually looks quite nice. It is a little under-scale, but for an old Skåne farm, that is probably not much of an issue!
A Danish (or Skånska) farmhouse, which will find a home on the RTJ.
Manufacturer News
In an update from HNoll, sales of the B4, BF4 and BF7 have been slower than desired (obviously due to the economy and modellers not having as much money to spare as previously) and need a real boost. There have been issues with the labels on the BF7 carriages being wrong and new ones were to be manufactured. Unfortunately, this has dragged on and will not be continued. Quite simply, the carriages are correctly marked but the labels (on the boxes) were wrong. Labels have also been wrong on some earlier carriages.
Other News
At the end of May, a large part of the board at the heritage railway at Nora resigned after a protracted conflict with the foundation that owns the tracks. At an extraordinary meeting on Saturday 29 June, the association’s future was discussed and a new board was elected. Their three main aims now are to work for a better cooperative climate with the Foundation, to improve their economy, and to restart museum traffic as soon as possible. The association Nora Bergslags Veteranjärnväg (NBVJ) and the foundation Nora Järnvägsmuseum och Veteranjärnväg (NJOV) jointly manage the Nora-Järle and Nora-Pershyttan railway lines. The Nora-Ervalla railway was the first standard gauge line in Sweden for public traffic, inaugurated in 1856. NBVJ is a non-profit association that owns most of the vehicles and runs the traffic itself. NJOV is a foundation that owns the track. The foundation was started by Region Örebro County and Nora Municipality, among others.
E2 1182 with an unusual grey boiler, at Nora.
Behind the Scenes
Mini-Series about the new railway; 7: Zätaspåret
When we selected H0e for the Fenixås Jernväg, this was because our preferred industrial gauge, 600mm would have been much more difficult to model, especially the different gauge crossings. Nevertheless, space permitting, Kållstorp (along the H0n3 Stuverydsbäckens Järnväg) could have a narrow gauge line using H0n2 (7mm gauge) to represent Sweden’s 600mm gauge (not exactly, but close enough). 600mm was certainly the most popular gauge for industrial railways, and it ought to be represented if possible. But for Epoch-IV, its industrial use should probably, quite authentically, give way to tourist traffic! Train models for this gauge all seem to be American-influenced, so some modifications to make them acceptable, would be necessary. This narrow-gauge line is probably the least likely to be built (of the ones discussed so far), but it will ‘remain on paper’ until development of the RTJ has reached a stage where a firm decision can be made. The name has a local reference, and should not be confused with ‘Z’-gauge, which is actually 6½mm.
T23 120 was taken onto the workbench during May. We removed the ‘chip’ and the circuit-board that it was connected to; and then connected the cables from the wheels directly to the cables to the motor. This done, the loco gave a very smooth performance; and that is before low-speed running-in or the fitting of a suppressor! Now that we KNOW the problem lies with the chip (or circuit-board) we can ask Jeco to fix the problem. We were unable to tell if it was the chip or the circuit-board that was at fault because there was no means of hot-wiring the circuit-board with the chip removed!
Jeco T23 120 with the circuit-board (and chip) removed so that it can run properly (just needs a suppressor to be fitted).
Manufacturer News
We have no news from the Manufacturers, this month.
Other News
Nässjö Railway Museum held an open day at the beginning of the month, where amongst other attractions, the steam railbus from the former Halmstad Nässjö Railway was giving rides along Nässjö station, and there was an opportunity to get photos of a T21 diesel loco ready for when we make new handrails for the Heljan models!
HNJ steam railbus at Nässjö.T21 110 at Nässjö.
Nearer the end of the month, the same museum celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Nässjö Oskarshamn Railway, a line which passes through the village where we are now located, so a day out was organised with them. Because today, there are no turning facilities at Oskarshamn, the steam loco (SJ class A5 number 1545, formerly Kalmar Railway number 17) at the front was assisted by a diesel loco (SJ T41 200) at the back, and the diesel headed the train on the return, at least as far as Berga. The train was delayed at Berga, so with sufficient loops at the station, the steam loco was moved to the front, albeit running tender-first. There had been a fear that the steam loco would not have been allowed to run, due to the hot dry weather (and line-side fire risk), but thankfully there was quite a lot of rain on the day before…!
SJ A5 1545 (formerly KJ 17) at Eksjö.NOJ 150SJ T41 200 at Oskarshamn.
Behind the Scenes
Mini-Series about the new railway; 6: Sörlidsbanan
A third narrow-gauge element is possible, at Rickbacken, to be seen as a remnant of a much larger system, but now only permitting a shuttle service between the station and the town’s main school. But why? Well, this would be H0m (12mm gauge) to represent Sweden’s 1067mm gauge (not exactly, but close enough), to add to the variety. This section would include, using commercially available components, a dual-gauge section (H0+H0m), because that is so Swedish, and is therefore, the reason that we want to do this! Given that this will be a graded line (station level to town level), Sörlidsbanan seems a good name (and it has a local connection). We mentioned earlier that 891mm was seemingly Sweden’s most popular narrow gauge, and it is one of the two where railways were absorbed by the State. Some of the 1067mm gauge railways were also absorbed by the state. At the very minimum, we would need one railbus, a YBo5t which would have been regauged from the 891mm YBo5p!
A dual-gauge point where the 891mm gauge splits from the 1435mm gauge; this to be fitted at Jenny, near Västervik. Similar track components existed for the 1067mm gauge!
(As a rule-of-thumb, the final SJ suffix ‘p’ indicated trains gauged for 891mm, and ‘t’ for trains gauged for 1067mm. Other narrow gauges did not have a suffix, but were also not owned by SJ. Pre-1970±, the small ‘o’ indicated rolling stock fitted with bogies instead of 2 (or 3) axles.)
T23 120 togs upp på arbetsbänken under maj. Vi tog bort “chippet” och kretskortet som det var anslutet till; och kopplade sedan kablarna från hjulen direkt till kablarna till motorn. Detta gjorde loket en mycket jämn prestanda; och det är innan låghastighetsinkörning eller montering av en dämpare! Nu när vi VET att problemet ligger hos chippet (eller kretskortet) kan vi be Jeco att åtgärda problemet. Vi kunde inte säga om det var kretskortet eller kretskortet som var felet eftersom det inte fanns något sätt att koppla kretskortet med kretskortet borttaget!
Tillverkarens Nyheter
Vi har inga nyheter från tillverkarna denna månad.
Andra intressanta nyheter
Nässjö Järnvägsmuseum hade öppen dag i början av månaden, där bland annat ångjärnvägsbussen från före detta Halmstad Nässjö Järnväg körde längs Nässjö station och det fanns möjlighet att få bilder på ett T21 diesellok redo för när vi gör nya ledstänger till Heljan-modellerna! Närmare slutet av månaden firade samma museum 150-årsjubileet för Nässjö Oskarshamns Järnväg, en bana som går genom byn där vi nu ligger, så en dag ute med dem anordnades. Ångloket (SJ klass A5 nummer 1545, tidigare Kalmar Järnväg nummer 17) låg längst fram och fick assistans av ett diesellok (SJ T41 200) baktill, och dieselloket styrde tåget på returen ända till Berga. På Berga flyttades ångloket till fronten, om än att det gick tender-först. Det hade funnits en rädsla för att ångloket inte skulle ha fått köra på grund av det varma torra vädret (och brandrisk på linjen), men tack och lov kom det ganska mycket regn dagen innan…!
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!
N 1307 after overhaul.
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.
Roco A7 (left) and HNoll A7 (right) compare the differences and quality.
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.
Ånglok N 1304 har fått en ommålning. Vid närmare eftertanke har vi identifierat att svenska lok inte är glansiga, så de har fått en mattsvart beläggning. Rörledningar och andra tillägg plockas ut i ren metallfärg så att de kan ses och uppskattas utan att kompromissa med lokets visuella utseende. Eftersom den var en byggsatsmodell berodde den också på sin 3-åriga översyn, vilket för en modell som ännu inte har körts in inte behövde mycket arbete!
Tillverkarens Nyheter
ACME har producerat två uppsättningar vagnar för dagens (Epoch-VI) SJ internationella sovtåg, som använder tidigare tyska och liknande vagnar. Artikel ACME55311 innehåller en WLABmz Typ MUn sovvagn och tre Bvcmz248.5 liggvagnar i blått med SJ-logotyper. Artikel ACME55315 innehåller ytterligare vagnar för Euronight bestående av en WLABmz Type 32s sovvagn och en Bvcmz248.5 liggvagn i blått med SJ-logotyper. Tåget trafikerar Berlin – Hamburg Hbf – Köpenhamn L – Stockholm; och använder en Rc6 för den svenska delen. Det är alldeles för modernt för att köra här på RTJ!
HNoll har rapporterat att efter en bra start 2024 med de nya B4/BF4/BF7-vagnarna har all försäljning av deras produkter stoppats helt! De ska prova Tradera (den svenska eBay) under en provperiod för att nå ut till fler kunder som inte hittat HNolls produkter än. Kunder som redan känner till HNoll hänvisas till återförsäljarna som gör ett bra jobb med att lagra alla sina produkter. HNolls Blue-X/IC-11 och Specialvagnar kommer att tillverkas under sommaren och bör dyka upp tidigt på hösten. Produktionen av dessa vagnar är nästan halverad för att anpassa sig till förväntade försäljningsvolymer. Det finns inga påbörjade eller färdiga verktyg för andra vagntyper i 80-talsserien och HNoll kommer inte att starta några fler 80-talsvagnar 2024. (Det finns dock ett annat vagnsprojekt där verktygstillverkningen kommer att påbörjas inom de närmaste veckorna, men HNoll kommer inte att säga vad det är!) För närvarande finns det över 2500 HNoll-vagnar i olika utföranden i lager. Serie B4/BF4/BF7 vagnar som släpptes i februari 2024 har ännu inte fått tillbaka sin investeringskostnad, vilket innebär att HNoll måste bromsa utgifterna tills vidare. Människor uppmanas att titta närmare på A7/A8/B7 med ASEA-boggier, som aldrig tidigare har tillverkats korrekt. De har rätt fönsterplacering, rätt underrede, rätt fönsterstorlek på dörrar, och många fina detaljer som tvärgående spår på taket, växlingssteg och en riktigt snyggt målad inredning; något överlägsen liknande vagnar som har varit i produktion från annan källa i några decennier.
Andra intressanta nyheter
Årets Hjulmarknaden har annonserats för ett datum på deras hemsida, och ett annat datum i pressen (i Tågsommar). I ett Facebook-inlägg som april slutade, har de bekräftat att det kommer att vara den 23 november, inte slutet av månaden (30:e).
Slutligen vill vi gratulera RTJ-vännerna Daniel och Andrea till deras bröllop (eller koppling) under april! Ceremonin var på Talyllyn Railway, en mycket passande plats.
