Archived News: 2002-2015

Latest News (2016 onwards)

In other news; the poor weather on the (British) Bank Holiday Monday at the end of August meant that FLMJ-time was spent indoors, and in addition to catching up on all the overdue stock maintenance, some of the heavier jobs were tackled also!
The Tc-loco was re-glazed using a product called 'Micro Kristal Klear' which gives almost flush glazing, albeit not as strong. This will improve the appearance of the loco and enable us to fit more of the accessories such as windscreen wipers.
X2000 car UB2X 2510 was reassembled with its modified floor (so that the wheels don't rub on it any more), and although it is pending number transfers, it is now fit for service (along with X2 2008). We hope to bring the rest of this Heljan train into service over the next few months. (The X2-2 set remains for sale, but in an unmodified state.)
Work is also taking place on a project known simply as "R5". It is in response to the lack of dining carriages available for the H0-scale Swedish scene, and although inauthentic, it will serve as a could-have-been, and will probably raise a few eyebrows. When the project is a little more advanced, we'll tell you more about it, complete with photos; but for now it is being hushed up! (Now, that's got you guessing!)
One of the Y6 models (a regular guest) has had a wheel-set replaced with one with traction tyres, enabling it to haul both trailers that came with it. Whether or not the prototype could have managed two trailers is questionable!
The Klein Modellbahn 'Fas' wagons that bowed out of shape are making reasonable progress. The floors are needing to be filed down, and then the sockets for the locating pins will be enlarged. The floors, when refitted will be lightly glued to the chassis, enabling them to hold the NEM coupling mechanisms in place, without distorting the wagon bodies.

 
Left - The two 'Fas' wagons awaiting the next step in the process to make them serviceable again.
Right - The UB2X seen on its side with the modified floor very much to view.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

09.08.15 We have a quick update from an extra session in early August. As the photos shew, more clearing has been done where the boards were recently removed, and the next main board for the Siljansbanan has been built - but not fitted yet.

 
[Photos: A. Allum.]

06.08.15 FLMJ Volunteers made significant progress at the beginning of August, despite the low numbers present. The old locoshed board was removed, and the new one fitted. It is level, and has an extra centre-leg for support. The new leg has been set in concrete. After lunch, all of the boards at the southern end of the Park Home were removed and broken up for scrapping. The legs have been left in situ for the moment, but they might need replacing with higher ones. The ground area here will be tidied up and made as smart as possible before we fit the new boards for the rebuilt railway.
There will be quite a change when this area is rebuilt. The Siljansbanan will go all the way to near the back fence so that it runs parallel with the Södra Stambanan. This moves the 90° corner to the Lövhöjden end of the station. But it also gives us much more space to work in. As if that isn't enough, it also means that we can fit in a second industrial area here, alongside the back wall of the home. The actual track layouts for both industrial areas have still to be confirmed, but there is a very positive feeling for these changes.

 

Top Left - The new locoshed board is a bit higher than the old board; this is so that we can run a board through the tunnel.
Top Right - Siljansnäs is seen just as work was about to start.
Bottom - By the end of the day, the area had been cleared, ready for groundwork to be done.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

In other news, we have finally repaired an NMJ 'Os' wagon which had a few broken stakes. Spares were bought ages ago and put somewhere safe ready for whenever we could get around to doing the job. And then they disappeared! Recently a new pack of spares has arrived, so we didn't delay doing the work. Usually, lost items only materialise when a replacement has been procured, but in this case, the original ones remain elusive!
We have also taken apart two of the Klein Modellbahn wagons that were sold to one of our Friends. They were beginning to bow, one of them quite badly, and efforts to straighten them using the hot water method failed. After some investigation we found that the metal floor is such a tight fit within the plastic body that it cannot expand in warmer temperatures. Not even in the very slight way that would be appropriate. We have taken the floor out of the two offending wagons and they are virtually straight again. Now we are trimming the floors so that they can go back in, but we need to be able to secure them because they hold the NEM coupling mechanisms in place! But at least this problem is moving in the right direction.
During July we purchased the Hornby Z65 555 which we had been borrowing (but not using because we were unable to change the couplings). We have now managed to remove the Kadee couplings (one of them did come away in one piece), and we shall be fitting NEM pockets to the loco at a later work session. Although the Jeco model is awaited, this one will be used with the projected Rönnöfors exhibition layout.
And finally, Rc5 1323 is about to become officially an FLMJ model. We've had it on loan, but we are buying it from its owner in exchange for the chassis that we were going to use with the TGOJ Yco5 railbus; a project that has been abandoned with the trimming down of the TGOJ collection!

 

Top Left - The two 'Fas' wagons await the next step with their repairs.
Top Right - Z65 555 is seen at Gärde with the Kadee couplings removed.
Bottom - Rc5 1323 and the 'Os' wagon referred to, seen at Gärde.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

13.07.15 Lack of available volunteers on the Saturday, and poor weather on the Sunday prevented any real progress being made on the FLMJ at the beginning of July. This now rules out an open event this year! (Three extra weekends have been pencilled in.) Before the scheduled maintenance weekend, all of the track at the recently relaid locoshed area was lifted and the board cleared of all artefacts. We are considering mounting the new board over the top (being narrower, it could provide a nice scenic effect) instead of replacing it completely, but it is not a one-man job.
On the Sunday, an amount of surveying took place in preparation for the cable runs to make that part of the project easier to manage. From the Lövhöjden control panel there will be 18 cores of track cables going in the Månstorp direction, and 20 in the other, plus 4 to the block-section relays. In addition to this there will be 24 signal cables and 30 point (motor and detector) cables going in the Månstorp direction, and 20 and 30 in the other; plus 10 point cables going to the new cross-over mid-platform at Lövhöjden station. For the purpose of the signals and points, there will be seven local disconnection boxes.
In other news; all three Lima 1940s coaches now have NEM coupling mechanisms fitted, and the whole sleeper train is now close-coupled. Correcting our earlier report, we also have 5 UGJ coaches that need attention before we can fit close-couplings (they have the NEM boxes, but they don't turn very freely) and of course there is the Märklin V5-loco that will present an equally big challenge alongside the Lima Ra-loco!

 
 
Top Left - The locoshed board, ready for replacing - or building upon.
Top Right - Various plans shewing cable-runs, termination schedules, and even part of a proposed plan for Fjällnäs!
Bottom Left - The Roco NEM mechanism fitted to an old Lima coach, and the bogie with enough filed away to enable it to fit.
Bottom Right - The close-coupled sleeper train (back behind the Ma-loco) is seen at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

06.06.15 Two Friends worked at the FLMJ on Sweden's National Day, June 6th. The only job: sort out the base under the new Ålunden shed! It was hoped that we could do this without dismantling the shed too much, but an attempt to roll it out of the way was disastrous as it all collapsed, and we are very lucky that no serious damage was done! (We lost one of the pins for a door hinge, but we made a replacement with brass tube from the modelling tray!)
One of the Friends had donated 12 bags of sharp sand and six paving slabs. Using these (plus four purchased bags of sand) with the best of what we recovered from under the shed, we were able to lay a new base, quite smartly, and the result is most pleasing. The only awkward bit is where the shed overhangs part of the original hard-standing, and we had to work around that (as one of the photos shews), but the shed is now level, the roof fits, and it all went together much more easily than first time

 
 

Top Left - The floor leaning up against the roof, against the hedge!
Top Right - The new base ready for building a shed upon.
Middle Left - The awkward corner!
Middle Right - Awaiting the roof - which went on remarkably easily.
Bottom - The finished building (well, a bit of snagging required here and there).
[Photos: A. Allum.]

In other FLMJ news, one of our older coaches, Lima's R3 4413 has been retrofitted with Roco NEM close couplings using the mechanism from their pack 40344. This has worked out so well, that we are going to do the same to their two sleeper coaches (WL2 4476 and 4477, the latter renumbered by us). Then, we will have only a few wagons that need their NEM boxes adjusting (mostly Hobby-Trade) and two locos, to have a complete NEM-coupled railway. One of the locos is Heljan's T21 which has NEM boxes but they cannot 'turn' due to the shape of the buffer beam; and the other is the Lima Ra which will be a greater challenge because it has no NEM boxes and it is not clear how we can fit any!

R3 4413 between B5F 4768 and A7 5237, all close-coupled. [Photo: A. Allum.]

There is more news from the recent trip to Sweden, but this will be covered in an unusual and interesting article in the next week or so!

03.05.15 As is becoming usual whilst the railway is not in a serviceable state, there were no Friends attending the Railway at the beginning of May; but for the Director General it was a chance to do a little garden maintenance and some stock-taking. The plan, now, is to move a fair proportion of the contents of the Ålunden shed to the other shed and to the lock-up garage about a mile away. This will save time when we do the base under the shed. Also, the timber base that was being used will be extended and brought back into use. Once the Ålunden shed has been firmly re-established, then work on the railway can continue. Sadly, there will be no Open Days in 2015.
During April, a model bus arrived, a Scania Vabis CF in the Wasatrafik livery. There were roundly 900 of these in Sweden at one time, and although a little before our epoch, they are at least for right-hand traffic, and we might get a couple more (in different liveries). However, a much more modern bus has also arrived. As the FLMJ is a "Heritage" railway, there is no reason why modern road vehicles can't be seen here and there. The model is of the Polish-built Solaris Urbino 12, and in SL livery on route 44 to Skansen - quite how far this is from the FLMJ's Lövhöjden station is best left to the imagination!

 
Left - The timber base from under the old Ålunden shed is leaning up on the Arjeplog shed; it will be extended and reinstated. The former Toraberg baseboard is leaning up on that, and the new Ålunden shed can be seen in the background.
Right - The Scania Vabis CF bus waits behind the Solaris Urbino 12 bus, at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

08.02.15 Although major work is required at Ålunden to correct the mistakes that were made in January / February, we were short on the number of available volunteers at the beginning of March, so that work didn't get done. Instead, the engine shed area was rebuilt on the existing board. A decision had been made to reuse the existing boards where they were not in too bad condition, and this is one of them. When the Siljansbanan section is rebuilt, and therefore detached from the engine shed board, the latter will be raised at the country end so that it is perfectly level, but for now the new track layout is down, the two essential point motors are connected to the points, and some of the buildings and roads are refitted. Signals were repositioned also, and even the Repeater signal has a new location, so a working one would be nice - at a later date.
T44 349 was used for testing, and power was provided by placing a 9v battery onto the rails! Much of the new layout was soldered up, but a new control panel will be provided, complete with a tag-strip to make the wiring tidier and easier. The new layout features the engine shed being located between the Siljansbanan and Norra Stambanan, and it has two new longer sidings; one for temporary storage of the rail-buses operating the Siljansbanan shuttle whenever Lövhöjden station gets crowded; the other for a diesel refuelling point. The new layout also features the Toraberg curve being moved to a slightly wider area in the garden, thus enabling a more gentle radius!

An aerial view of the engine shed area. The curved line in the foreground is the Norra Stambanan to Gärde and eventually Fjällnäs; the F6 baggage coach is standing on the Siljansbanan. The other line disappearing behind the shed is the railbus siding, whilst the siding on the opposite side of the shed is to the refuelling point. The loco is standing on a trap and headshunt section. [Photo: A. Allum]

08.02.15 2015 has got off to a bumper start. Well, actually more "er-bump"! The horrendous metal structure that we knew as Ålunden has now been replaced by a plastic structure (which we proposed doing many years ago, but have been saving up the cash ever since)! The new structure intended to be the same dimensions, isn't! We were expecting more height (as with the other shed), but the floor plan is bigger than expected. We enlarged the already botched base, but it is not very good, so we will be re-doing it before we can reinstate the railway at Ålunden!
This has given us, also, the boost that we needed to rebuild the railway. The polycarbonate sheets have not worked very well, and we will soon make a decision about an alternative material. With Park Home sites, timber is not advised, so we're looking at alternative plastic products. But at the same time, we're doing away with fancy structures, which have added to the woes of the railway instead of enhancing it. Except at corners which are not at true 90°, we shall be using square-ended sections; and the circuit Månstorp - Kopparberg - Lövhöjden - Siljansnäs - Månstorp will be completely level, with an up-grade from Månstorp to Ålunden, from Lövhöjden to Gärde, and from Gärde to Fjällnäs.
By the end of the February session, the Ålunden section (including baseboards behind Siljansnäs) had been removed completely, as had the curve through Toraberg. The track between Lövhöjden and Siljansnäs had also been lifted, but the board remains in place at the moment. The Toraberg curve will be wider (thus shortening the distance between Lövhöjden and Gärde), enabling both F-locos to run more freely there; and the locoshed at Lövhöjden will be between the Norra Stambanan and Siljansbanan - and bigger!
This is a very stressful time for the Friends, having no operational railway for a few months, and knowing the amount of work required before it does work again - as well as a severe shortage of funds! But, we're hopeful of some operational movement during the summer.

The new Ålunden. Note the removal of the Toraberg section in front. [Photo: A. Allum.]

15.12.14 December's main activity was proposed as a running session for guests who had attended during the year. However, not only was the railway iced over in the morning, but the padlocks were also not letting us into Ålunden or the other shed, so we had to cancel at short notice.
During the day, we managed to open Ålunden (but we need a new padlock) and now the one working door slides more freely than it has ever done! Nevertheless, the structural enhancements proposed for this metal shed early next year will still be necessary.
Also during the day, a start was made on sorting the (mostly) junk that is stored in various drawers at the Railway, and this will continue at every free moment during December. Usable items that are unlikely to be used at the FLMJ have been thrown into a tin for FLMJ Friends and Guests to help themselves to (for a small fee); useful items have been returned to the cleaned and more organised drawers - and a lot of junk thrown out!

21.10.14 The FLMJ Had its main Open Weekend mid-October, and it was a special one; not just an opportunity to commemorate the centenary of the Swedish F-class steam loco, but also the final farewell to post-Epoch-IV on the railway!

 
 
Top Left - Rc3 1135 and Rc2 1097 on stand-by at Lövhöjden engine shed. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Top Right - HNJ rail-bus at Lövhöjden. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Left - Rc6 1324 (withdrawn and sold at the end of the weekend) alongside Y2 1373. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Right - DSB EG-loco on a goods working, alongside Rc6 1410 with an InterCity train. [Photo: A. Allum.]

The plan was to have Modern day on Saturday and Heritage on Sunday, but with the weather forecast as it was (despite being unreliable), we swapped these themes over - so that we could get photos of the final days of the modern trains - and most of them did get a run. Also, the modern models are now for sale - among friends presently - and will appear on eBay in due course. We had another attempt at running the micro-camera round on a new wagon (bought especially for the purpose), but again we had a derailment with this, which was probably more track at fault than wagon, so we will try again, later. One borderline train that visited on both days was a Jeco model of the X2000 in original livery - suitable for the last days of Epoch-IV (at a push), but also symbolic of the last train built by a Swedish manufacturer before being bought out and eventually closed down (in Sweden, anyway).

 
 

Top Left - Green Cargo Re-1423 also on its last FLMJ goods working. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Top Right - Both FLMJ steam locos were in service, Sa 938 nearer the camera, but F 1207 celebrating a centenary! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Middle Left - Hector Rail 142 loco with the Sleeper train to Norway, seen at Gärde. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Middle Right - T44 269 came out at the end of the weekend to transfer (ownership of) some coaches. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom - X2000 and Rc5 1353 (the FLMJ's is Rc6...) side by side at Lövhöjden. [Photo: T. Crame.]

X2 set passing through Lövhöjden tunnel. [Video: T. Crame.]

Du-loco with train arriving at Lövhöjden. [Video: T. Crame.]

14.10.14 The FLMJ used to have a "British 00-scale" weekend; but we have now extended this to include anything that could not normally be permitted to run when we're running Swedish trains! Such weekend took place (on the Sunday only) early October, and saw trains from America, Britain, Germany, and we're not quite sure where - see photos! The new monitors for Månstorp and Siljansnäs worked very well, and we even managed to connect up some temporary switches for isolating sections at Gärde!

 
 
Top Left - This would have been an interesting performer if it hadn't been fitted with RP25 wheels!
Top Right - From the US...
Bottom Left - From goodness-knows-where...!.
Bottom Right - One of two German trains.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

A little bit of maintenance took place also (in readiness for the main SJ-themed open weekend), which included several track bonds at Månstorp and Lövhöjden, crossing realignment at Toraberg, and track repair at Ålunden. It was an enjoyable day until the rain arrived at the end of the day.

 
 
Top Left - More variety...
Top Right - Seems that some made a day out for the event!
Bottom Left - Another German...
Bottom Right - The LMS is a regular subject at these events!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

A compilation of the day's running! [Video: S. Davison.]

05.10.14 AJK (Adnalms Järnvägsklubb), which operates and maintains the FLMJ has changed to AJF (Adnalms Järnvägsförening), meaning that we are more a group of Friends, than a Club. This change does not affect the way that anything gets done at the FLMJ, but it does reflect the need to 'comply' with the awkwardness of revisions to the Park Rules where the railway is housed. This website has been updated accordingly, and you may notice that our homepage heading also reflects the turning back of the epoch that we're interested in, with a train in earlier livery!

06.09.14 All four AJK members were at the FLMJ at the beginning of September, along with some family members and neighbours! The FLMJ provided Hg2 787 with a postal train and Rc6 1393 with an InterRegio passenger train. There was an assortment of other Swedish trains from members, plus a British 00-scale train from a neighbour (really to see if it was in running order, etc). The FLMJ also brought out Ue 592 with a 'Kbps' wagon and micro-camera, which would have been good if the wagon hadn't derailed! These wagons are too light and don't like being propelled, but they are the only ones suitable (presently) for the camera. We also fitted up three location cameras (at last) so that the Lövhöjden driver can see operations at Månstorp and Siljansnäs, and for the Ålunden driver to see operations at Månstorp. These worked very well, and although the cabling will become more permanent, the cameras have been mounted in such a way that they can be taken in. The same applies to the monitors.

02.08.14 With a poor weather forecast, we didn't bother setting up the FLMJ for August's session. Instead, we built the replacement goods shed for Gärde (a new copy of the existing building but without bits missing). Later, with improved weather, we ran a few trials with track cleaning trains, using Ma 879 and T21 64 as motive power (mostly) and wagons from Roco, Herkat and LUX-Modellbau. We even experimented with the latter two running together, using the latter's powered 'wheel' to propel the other - not very successfully!
A Neo model car (Saab 95) was also repaired on this day - the chassis had broken apart and needed modifications before it could be put back together, and as a result fits together much better now. Models from this manufacturer are nicely detailed but badly assembled - our other four NEO models will be modified in due course.
Whilst we were working indoors, we repaired three 00-scale wagons owned by one of the members, and this included re-gauging them with correct back-to-back measurements, and they were tested in the afternoon. Finally, a former FLMJ S17 coach had some extra weights fitted - we ran it so seldom that we were unaware that it was easily blown away by the wind!

 
Left - Self-propelled wagons - or so it seemed. Experiments in track cleaning.
Right - The repaired Saab 95 is seen parked outside the newly built goods shed at its location at Gärde.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

06.07.14 Most of the AJK members were at the railway at the beginning of July, along with a guest, despite the weather! We were able to run a few trains, but although Swedish, none were FLMJ models (a few were former-FLMJ models)! We experimented with a different type of cab-perspective-camera, with better results, but we need to move the focus area down and to the right a bit (we used an NMJ Kbps wagon, where the stakes hold the camera in place very well, but not at quite the right angle). We will buy a new wagon especially for this purpose. Our Hamo Rc loco was finally taken away by its new owner, and an Epoch-VI "Hector Rail" loco departed, also.

 

Top Left - A Dm+Dm3+Dm loco brings an iron ore train through Månstorp.
Top Right - A T44 with works train and an Ra with a dynometer car are seen at Lövhöjden.
Bottom - A TMX is also seen at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

On a previous date (but not the one shewn in the image), the new micro-camera was tested on a Kbps wagon, and here it is running from the tunnel at Lövhöjden to Gärde station. Again, there are improvements that need to be made, but at least this is moving in the right direction (if you'll excuse the play on words)! Attempts with this train more recently didn't work out due to wet track and derailments! [Video: A. Allum.]

TMX 1012 with a cement train seen passing the loco shed at Lövhöjden and departing across the level crossing! [Video: D. Hill.]

09.06.14 The FLMJ was open for members at the beginning of June, and a couple of friends were invited also. The weather on the Saturday was not conducive to operating a railway, so work was done indoors on the newer Artitec kits that are to join the others at Månstorp. Sunday was a much nicer day and the full timetabled service was operated, plus a few guest trains. Hg2 787 brought the Summer-Sundays-Only service to and from Gärde: the green TGOJ passenger train. But, just to be on the safe side, this loco worked a goods train earlier in the day, and its performance is superb! Du 338 worked the InterRegio train, and F 701 brought the Inter City train to the railway. The local shuttle service was operated by the Säröbanan railbus. Four wagons were sold during the day, also! One unusual activity was the recording of a cab-ride - but the camera sent a radio signal to a receiver plugged into the USB on the PC ... and the signal got poorer the farther away the train got, so between Kopparberg and Månstorp it really is quite bad. Nevertheless, one recording has been uploaded to YouTube! (Non-radio versions are available, but they are only motion-controlled; so stop at a red signal or a station, and they will stop recording!)

 
 

Top Left - Säröbanan railbus calls at Siljansnäs.
Top Right - A visiting NSB El.13 brings a goods train through Månstorp, to the Siljansbanan.
Middle Left - An attempt was made with a camera-train, but sending radio signals to the PC indoors - not very reliable!
Middle Right - The TGOJ train passes the InterRegio train at Lövhöjden.
Bottom - An impressive back-scene is developing at Månstorp!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

Hg2 787 brings the TGOJ excursion into Lövhöjden.

A poor-quality trip around the FLMJ - the image was radio-transmitted, and the signal was poor, but it's a start!

12.05.14 May's club session was mostly rained off! The track had been cleaned on the Friday, so in the dry morning, Ma 879 was able to test run the new wagons purchased during the recent trip to Sweden, and then with the TGOJ passenger train. This latter train will have a Sundays Only run during the summer timetable this year, and will become a more regular part of the schedule if and when a TGOJ green Hg-loco arrives! With the poor weather later on, the new Tekno-Bygg warning signs were assembled and painted, as well as a start on another Artitec low-relief building kit.

 
 
Top Left - Ma 879 with a goods train at Månstorp.
Top Right - Ma 879 with the TGOJ train at Månstorp.
Bottom Left - Warning signs (sound hooter but not between 22:00 and 06:00)!
Bottom Right - "BR InterCity 'Executive' light grey" is a good colour for cement; seen at the start of work on this Artitec kit!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

09.04.14 Two AJK members worked upon the FLMJ at the beginning of April, with a timetabled train service also operating so as to break up the monotony of the work. Y7 1136 worked the Siljansbanan shuttle, Rc2 1103 worked the InterRegio train, and Rc5 1344 worked the InterCity train. But by having the railway in working order, we were able also, to test Ma 879 on its new chassis and wheels, and it is running-in beautifully.
The three houses at Gärde were mounted onto a new base and these will now have a level scenic area, even if the ground around it isn't very level. The same is being done for the station building here, also.

 
 

Top Left - Rc5 1344 with the InterCity train at Lövhöjden, in track 2 due to an electrical fault in its usual track 3!
Top Right - Rc2 1103 in track 1 at Lövhöjden, with Y7 1136 in track 3 at the operating end of that track.
Middle Left - Gärde's three houses were moved to this plinth to enable some local scenery to be applied.
Middle Right - The station building at Gärde, also seen on a new plinth.
Bottom - Ma 879 with the correct colour lights, brings an officers' train past Toraberg.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

02.03.14 There was a very low turnout of members at the FLMJ at the beginning of March, so the Director General made the most of this to finally produce the long overdue last 2013 edition of FLMJ-Nytt. Then, after repairing a bit of storm damage, some of the Artitec buildings were worked on. The block of four is almost finished, now mounted on a pavement, glued together with strengtheners, but still awaiting railings and the pavement painted. This is due to go to Månstorp. We also worked on two others, but a third might be useful for this second block!

The block of four buildings on the dining table (!) mounted onto the unpainted pavement. The figures are temporary! [Photo: A. Allum.]

01.02.14 Three AJK members operated the FLMJ at the beginning of February, despite the windy weather. The promised rain did not arrive, so it was the falling temperature that determined the end of the session, not the damp! The two Y7 railbuses operated the InterRegio service, with a member's Y6 operating the Siljansbanan shuttle. Non resident Da- Ra- and Rc-locos operated a number of InterCity trains, and a former FLMJ model, TMX 1014 made an appearance also. At the end of the day the Y6 was coupled to the Y7 pair to make a nice final trip back to Ålunden.

 

Top Left - Y7 (pair), Ra and Y6 standing at Lövhöjden station. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Top Right - TMX 1014 with train, also at Lövhöjden. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom - A taste of the 1970s, visiting Da 936 on a rake of brown 1960s coaches, beside Y6 and Y7 railbuses [Photo: D. Hill].

A 3 car train made up of Y6 and Y7 railbuses arrives at Månstorp. [Video: D. Hill.]

26.01.14 AJK members enjoyed a day out at the Nene Valley Railway, home to Swedish Y7 railbus 1212. On the day, it was only this train that was in service, and the team enjoyed a couple of trips along the railway, despite the miserable weather. Whilst we were there Swedish steam loco 101 (shewn to be class A, not B as previously thought) was on static display, but no easy sign of the S-tank loco - if it is still there!

 

Left - Y7 1212 at Wansford station. (There's not many European trains that can look small alongside British coaching stock!)
Right - A 101 on static display at Wansford station.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

Y7 1212 departs from Wansford in the pouring rain. [Video: D. Hill.]

07.01.14 The abysmal weather put an end to any plans of working upon the Railway during the January main club session, but some work was done indoors on some of the models.
One of our NMJ 1960s coaches had developed a problem with a buffer popping out. There was no obvious cause to this problem, nor remedy, but we managed by pressing the buffer in, and putting a small blob of glue on the inner end of the shaft, which once dried, would prevent the buffer from popping out. So far, so good!
Rc 1010 was put on the test rig, and this worked as well as it has ever done, so this will hopefully be going to its new home soon. Rc2 1100 was brought in for cosmetic repairs, following one of the mirrors falling off (we had experienced some difficulty getting them on in the first instance!). This job was not finished on the day (it's a metal mirror going into a plastic body), but one Tuesday evening, perhaps...?
The old Euro-Mod buildings (from our lamented Köpingsvik layout) were recovered over the Yuletide break, and whilst some were put to one side for selling, four others are to be retained; the Åseda station building, signalbox, goods shed and house with garage. They were in various states of disrepair, but they are now fit for deployment again - obviously on an indoor exhibition layout - they're not suitable for going outdoors, being made of balsa-wood!
The storms that have been bashing the UK have taken out one of the Railway's 12v electrical disconnection boxes, but in real terms the damage is minimal.

The Euro-Mod (Europa Modell) signalbox is the only truly Swedish signalbox ever made as a commercial model; behind it are the rooves of the goods shed and car garage, the latter belonging with the house seen to the left (the station building is out of view). To the far right can be seen Rc2 1100 on the running-in test-track.

08.12.13 One AJK member and five guests attended the FLMJ's limited run in December. But there was also a lot of work going on, not least the electrics following the work that has taken place recently. All of the routes were open to traffic eventually, but a failure occurred in track 3 at Lövhöjden, so we had to work around that. The FLMJ provided a local passenger train for the Siljansbanan, the InterRegio train, and an ASG block goods train; and one of the guests provided a goods train and a passenger train.
A second batch of Hornby Acho platforms have arrived, and Månstorp station has been extended slightly, and a platform provided at the rebuilt Siljansnäs. We were not sure about the station building layout here, but after a while we settled on a similar layout to previously.

 
Top - ASG goods train at Lövhöjden, Rc5 1344 at the front.
Bottom Left - Y7 1201 at the rebuilt Siljansnäs, the T-bana C2 cars might become a fixed feature here!
Bottom Right - Månstorp station with its extended platforms.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

19.11.13 Three AJK members worked upon the FLMJ mid-November, a session that had been put back due to other railway-related activities taking place earlier in the month! The track along the Siljansbanan was reconnected and preparations made for the electrics to be refitted - a temporary arrangement for December and then a complete refit in the new year. Also, the track just outside Ålunden was relaid, and this included the removal of the 'throat' point so that there is no passing facility here now, but the disconnected track is now a long headshunt still connected to the double-slip. A considerable amount of de-weeding also took place and this will make further work in the Ålunden and Siljansnäs areas much easier to do.

 
 
It started to get dark before we thought to take any pictures...
Top Left - The track to the industrial area (Industriområdet) is the right one, the through Siljansbanan is the left one - and you can faintly see its old alignment farther to the left!
Top Right - The line to Ålunden is now a single track all the way to the double-slip, but the old loop is now a siding.
Bottom Left - A new disconnection box has been fitted to the home, allowing the older less accessible one to be withdrawn.
Bottom Right - Not so much a jungle under the baseboards - this was a painstaking job to ensure that none of the sagging wires got caught up in the weeds and accidentally cut!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

23.10.13 Despite the unhelpful weather, the FLMJ was open for invited guests October 19th & 20th. Between the many rain showers, our new models did get a turn on the railway, Rc2 1103, Ue 592, one passenger coach and two goods wagons; along with some more regular models. As usual, there were guest models including new Ue 716 and F 1202 (like our F 1207 but in the more familiar black livery).
The Siljansbanan was closed for the weekend, due to engineering, but there was no sign of the replacement buses on the Sunday! There were also very few stops at Månstorp station, mainly because this is a difficult place to stop at when we have so few members present (until we find an affordable CCTV system). We had about 15 guests over the two days; and raised some revenue by parting with some modern models that we hardly ever ran, including loco TMZ 1410 in the TGOJ blue/green livery! Part of this revenue has already been used in the mail-order purchase of two NMJ wagons more suited to our operations!

 

Top Left - Ue 716 & 592, the latter coupled to Ub 717, at Lövhöjden.
Top Right - Ma 879 with the Sleeper train at Lövhöjden, alongside Rc2 1103.
Bottom - F 1202 about to depart from Gärde.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

Ue 592 and Ub 717 bring a goods train through Toraberg. [Video: A. Allum.]

Da 823 brings a passenger train through Toraberg. [Video: A. Allum.]

08.09.13 Work has started on the alterations at Siljansnäs and Industriområdet, concentrating mostly on the track layout, before doing any re-wiring. A new control panel will also be required here, but the points will all be locally controlled. At the end of the session at the beginning of September. the line from Lövhöjden to Industriområdet had been relaid, but the line through Siljansnäs to Månstorp still needed to be done.

 
Left - EG 3112 with a train, seen at Toraberg.
Right - Ra 994 at Lövhöjden alongside Da 936.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

Whilst this work was going on, there were also trains running on other parts of the railway, including a member's new model of Ra 994, which needed running in. (This is a Lima model, and is a copy of one that a regular guest brings to the railway, so to avoid confusion, the member's model will not run when the guest is present!) One of the FLMJ's models that was in service was the EG 3112 loco from Denmark (but which operated into southern Sweden), primarily to get some photos of it before it is sold as part of the FLMJ's trimming down of pre-Epoch-V models!

 
 
Top Left - T43 224 with a train of Fb-u wagons passing over the Siljansbanan, with the 'works' train beneath.
Top Right - Ma 879 bringing the 'works' train back to Ålunden.
Bottom Left - Siljansnäs as we were setting up for the day's work.
Bottom Right - Industriområdet with the new run-round loop (and a new siding).
[Photos: A. Allum.]

19.08.13 August's club-session upon the FLMJ was in the middle of the month, and this coincided nicely with the midway adjustment to the summer timetable. The day started with the sleeper train, running in true SJ-sleeper style, about an hour late. It was double-headed by Rc 1010 and Ma 879 as a special tribute to the change of regular loco for this train. Rc 1010 has undertaken this duty for quite some time, but it is going to a new home. Ma 879 is taking over in theory, but Jeco has identified a problem with the chassis (and we have identified a problem with the lighting), so it will be going back once a new chassis is ready. Therefore, Ra 988 could take over the sleeper train whilst Ma 879 awaits modifications!

Rc 1010 and Ma 879 double-head the sleeper train through Månstorp. [Photo: A. Allum]

The Postal train received another DV30 wagon during the week, so this is now five wagons long (although two are not strictly post vans), and was headed by Da 940. T43 212 and T44 349 had goods trains to take care of during the day, but Rc5 1323 and Y7 1136 provided the main regular passenger services. One of the 1960s (NMJ) coaches behind the loco (the Rc5) developed a fault with a sprung buffer popping out, so the entire 3-car set was replaced about halfway through the day. The InterCity train comprised the 1960s stock headed by F 701.

A fourth coach (the AB2 behind the loco) is added to one of the InterRegio services as a through coach to Östersund!

The afternoon's train service was disrupted by rain, or more to the point, floods at Månstorp! New drainage holes were drilled, and we were soon able to resume a train service. Nevertheless, one return trip along the Siljansbanan had to be cancelled. T21 64 came out with the engineers' train whilst this work was going on.
At the end of the day, the Siljansbanan was closed for the rest of the (late) summer timetable, and this closure will run into the start of the Autumn timetable also, whilst we rebuild this area so that it is a bit more tidy! In addition to the coach requiring buffer repairs, another four require looking at following an incident where strong winds blew them off the track as they crossed the bridge over the Siljansbanan, one of them will need special attention! Also T21 64, in its usual fashion, threw off some of its attachments, so these will need measuring up for stronger replacements to be made and fitted!

Ma 879 with the empty sleeper train returning to shed (literally)! The stationary train is Da 940 with the post vans. [Video: A. Allum]

T44 349 with a goods train through Månstorp. [Video: A. Allum.]

26.06.13 The FLMJ was open for invited guests at Midsummer, and despite slight showers during each day, we had 14 visitors over the weekend. The railway was mostly reliable; there were a few derailments over an old track join which was "patched up" until we can get the time to re-lay the curve where it is located, and a Peco point required a new point spring which thanks to Peco's new design took 45 minutes instead of the usual 2 minutes!

 
 
Top Left - NSB BM.69 at Gärde station.
Top Right - Gärde station took on a new look and identity on the Saturday!
Bottom Left - A postal train is seen at Toraberg.
Bottom Right - Ra 994 is a regular visitor, with its 1960s train; how delightful!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

On the Saturday, we operated as a modern railway, but with heritage trains also running, and these included the beautiful new model from NMJ, the Norwegian BM69 electric unit, brought by one of our guests! This was accompanied by a Norwegian station building, so for the day, Gärde became known as Hell! A substantial buffet was also provided by some of the guests, so with a board placed over the 'Workmate,' we were able to enjoy a Smörgåsbord!

 
 
Top Left - Ex-FLMJ TMX is seen at Lövhöjden station, note the SJ livery on the feeder-bus in the foreground! [Photo: D. Hill.]
Top Right - The TGV at Gärde! [Photo: A. Allum]
Bottom Left - This ex-Hornby Z65 is working its way into IBAB livery; seen here at Ålunden. [Photo: A. Allum]
Bottom Right - Jeco's X2000 set was in interesting visitor - lack of restaurant car has prevented the FLMJ from buying a set! [Photo: A. Allum]

On the Sunday, we set the Epoch up to 4 (end of the 1980s), but again with trains that even then could be considered "Heritage." But the licence was really put to the test when a (French) TGV turned up! Despite being a Lima model it ran quite well. This was also a chance to test the Dm with the Iron Ore train, and it seems that we have an issue with coupling height that needs resolving! For the purpose of testing the continuity in a point, we also had a rare visit from our own TGOJ-3, the Volvo rail-car!

 
 
Top Left - This ballast vehicle was built from a kit - on the Saturday evening. We never got around to building it and so we sold it, not expecting it to turn up again on the Sunday! [Photo: A. Allum]
Top Right - A Finnish post-bus stretched the Scandinavian theme. [Photo: A. Allum]
Bottom Left - A temporary rain cover was made up and used on both days for brief periods. [Photo: A. Allum]
Bottom Right - The improvised Smörgåsbord! [Photo: L. Spiegelhalter.]

Many of the FLMJ's older models were for sale during the weekend, including the IORE and IC-11 set (though we're keeping one A11 for having one coach in that unique livery) among others, and indeed many items went to new homes - not that we doubt the likelihood of them visiting the FLMJ in the future!

BM.69 (from NSB) passes through Månstorp station. [Video: A. Allum.]

Ra 994 passes Toraberg whilst a taxi waits at the crossing. [Video: A. Allum.]

Dm 836+837 brings an ore train through Månstorp. [Video: A. Allum.]

03.06.13 Two AJK members worked upon the FLMJ at the beginning of June, continuing the rebuilding work at Månstorp - which actually meant lots of rewiring, both in terms of cable runs and fitting track bonds. Nevertheless, we were successful and by the end of the (extended) day, we were able to run trains over the whole layout with the exception of the industrial area (but that is due for overhaul next).
The new arrangement with the rationalised Månstorp is that there is no control panel here, now. Track section LO at Lövhöjden, which led to the block section along the Siljansbanan, now extends through this whole section and through Månstorp station up to the point with the main line. Similarly, track section LA at Lövhöjden, which led to the block section through Kopparberg, now includes that former block section and the point at Månstorp with the Siljansbanan. From this point, the line to Ålunden is now an extended block section (it includes the main line through Månstorp station, which it didn't before), and will be extended further (in the Ålunden direction) when the area around Siljansnäs and Industriområdet is rebuilt. (The rebuilding at Ålunden will have to wait until funds can be procured!)
The need for a trap point at Månstorp has been identified, and this will be fitted on (hopefully) a Tuesday evening club session, and then the wiring. Some special interlocking is being designed for here, also, which we'll elaborate on later!

 
 

Top Left - The block controls for the section to Ålunden are now on the Lövhöjden control panel.
Top Right - Only two relays remain in the relay box (presently), these for the only remaining block section.
Middle Left - A familiar sight - legs poking out from under the baseboards! The 12v 'ring' was given a 'termination point' in the open disconnection box.
Middle Right - The disconnection box with its cover on - nicely painted and more pleasing to the eye.
Bottom - Dm 836+837 pauses at Gärde on its first run under power. Apart from one pony-truck which was prone to derailing (and is under investigation), it performed very well.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

16.05.13 April's session at the FLMJ was cancelled due to over-running signalling work on a miniature railway, and then in May, members were either away, unwell, or otherwise engaged. Nevertheless, there has been some slight progress at the railway.
Dm-loco 836+837 arrived in late April, and this has released our disappointing IORE-loco for sale (which already has a buyer whom has been briefed on the model's history and modifications). The Dm-loco has been fitted with Kadee couplings and will be the primary motive power for the iron ore train. The UGJ kit for the Dm-loco is for sale along with etched chassis kit (and with the useless white-metal bits thrown in).
One of Jeco's resin body moulds representing a trailer car to go with the Y6 series, has been completed in that it is now a grounded body adapted for use as a café by staff at the loco depot at Lövhöjden. It's livery is a little unusual and is authentic, but not on this particular variety of body-type; maybe historians can recognise it! Being a grounded vehicle, we decided that it didn't need to be in an authentic service livery!
Progress was made with the SMJ coaches. Windows have now been fitted and the general body assemblies have been joined to their respective chassis and rooves, but not glued yet. Due to differences, the two ex-OKB coaches will probably be built first, as a pair, and then the other coach will follow.
The owner of Hamo loco Rc 1010 has decided to sell it, but has agreed to wait until the Ma loco has arrived! Because the former is not NEM-fitted (couplings), it has become the main loco for the sleeper train comprising two Lima WL2 coaches, one Lima R3 and one (NEM-fitted) Roco AB8K. Even though we expect the Ma loco to be NEM-fitted, it will have conventional couplings to start with for working this train. The longer term plan is to retrofit NEM couplings to the Lima coaches (NMJ's proposed WL2 and R3 are likely to have older style gangways)!

 
 
Top Left - Dm 836+837 brings a train of iron ore wagons from Gärde.
Top Right - The new café (kafe) at Lövhöjden - a crossing to reach it is the next job; and perhaps some curtains...!
Bottom Left - One of the SMJ coaches (standing on a Roco bogie) - looks like we need to refit a window...!
Bottom Right - Rc 1010 at the head of the sleeper train, seen passing Toraberg.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

02.03.13 Three AJK members set to work on the FLMJ at the beginning of March. Some scenic work was done at Månstorp, including the laying out of a new platform using Hornby Acho components which had been donated to the railway. We could do with a few more (straight sections mainly), if anyone has any to spare! In order to use these components (which really do look the part), we have retained the location of the existing Månstorp station building (to use as a parcels office) and placed the proposed Siljansnäs model as the main building here. Having two buildings at one station is not uncommon, though there is usually a greater difference in epoch; Åre is a good example!
Additionally, the Månstorp control panel, along with most of the cabling was removed. The block relays for the section through Kopparberg were removed, as were the same for the Siljansbanan - these two sections will now be part of the Lövhöjden control panel. For the line to Ålunden, we made a start on rewiring the block relays, and much of the cabling was replaced due to the dubious condition of what we found! In order to distinguish between old and new, the latter is having ferules crimped on. All cables from Ålunden have been connected, as well as the new track supply cables. Only the new feed from Lövhöjden needs to be done (at probably the next session).

 
 
Top Left - The new Hornby Acho platforms are long enough for a three coach train if the loco overhangs the end of the platform, so more sections would be a help. The extra dip near the back of the train (nearer the camera) will be made to look like a removed crossing - unless we get enough extra plain sections so that we can remove it altogether!
Top Right - Track-eye view of the crossing area at the station.
Bottom Left - The old Månstorp panel being decommissioned!
Bottom Right - Only two relays remain, and ferules are in use for the new schedule.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

03.02.13 Work at Månstorp continued in February, with the track layout completed, but with the electrics to follow! A Z65 was used in the works train (convenient for storing track pins and suchlike) and for testing the track afterwards. Once the electrics have been completed, there is one particular area that will need checking, but the work - and visual effect - is rather pleasing.

 
 
Top Left - The old track coming up near the tunnel at the up end.
Top Right - The old alignment and crossover at the down end of the station.
Bottom Left - The simpler track layout, with the works train disappearing in the background.
Bottom Right - The curve toward Kopparberg has been slewed to one side; here the works train departs for the day.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

13.01.13 Three AJK members attended the FLMJ at the beginning of 2013, but the weather was not conducive to the work required on the railway. Right at the end of December, track one through Månstorp was lifted in readiness for the work required here, and the intention was to continue with this work. Instead, rolling stock was serviced indoors, which was not a bad thing as we were about two months behind schedule!
Over the Yule holiday, a Lima wagon was retrofitted with NEM couplings with pretty good success, and two Jeco tank wagons arrived, which are very different to any other brand available. Also, a large number of rarely run items were put aside for selling during the new year. This should create some capital and shelf space for the newer more desirable models!

 

Top Left - V5 152 on the rolling road, following servicing.
Top Right - With track one lifted, the spirit level shews the proposed alignment; the track slewed to one side through the tunnel and then a straight route through the station area necessitating the repositioning of the station platform.
Bottom - Rc3 1135 with a train comprising the Lima container wagon retrofitted with NEM couplings and the two Jeco tank wagons.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

02.12.12 The FLMJ was open for a few guests and rolling stock in December, guests who had visited during the year. The temperature was quite cold, but we had packed away by 5pm, which is when it got unbearably cold! Some new wagons were run in, and this included putting post vans into the InterCity train! Also, the Y6 family of trains, newly fitted with improvised couplings made a few journeys on the railway, including a grand finale with them all coupled together, comprising two Y6, two Y7, two UB6 and two UFV. This included three vehicles owned by a member, and the two FLMJ Säröbanan vehicles! There probably wasn't quite enough amps to shift the train at any speed, especially considering that there is too much friction in the bearings on the trailer vehicles, so we have more work to do - but what a sight! One of the visiting goods trains was hauled by a Fleischmann steam loco with incompatible couplings - it managed to do the outward journey, but it didn't remain coupled for the attempted return and other arrangements had to be made! Another visiting train comprised a T43 (Lima) with barrier wagon and another wagon carrying a Y6 under construction from a kit and scratch-built!
After this event, the FLMJ has closed for a major refit around the Ålunden and Siljansnäs areas and a new track layout at Månstorp. This work will continue into the summer, and we cannot predict when the FLMJ will next be open for guests!

 
 
 
Top Left - Rc2 1100 with InterCity train including two postal vans at Gärde.
Top Right - The FLMJ's SJ railbus set at Lövhöjden with a T43 and interesting load in an adjacent track!
Middle Left - The steam loco shunting its train at Gärde.
Middle Right - The railbus special is also seen at Gärde.
Bottom Left - T21 64 also made an appearance following repairs (after being dropped)!
Bottom Right - The X10 set didn't get a run, but X10B 3149 has been repaired and the set is ready for trials. In this picture, the half-unit is seen at Gärde with it's new full-size plough!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

Railbus train departing Siljansnäs. [Video: A. Allum.]

Railbus railtour arriving at Lövhöjden. [Video: A. Allum.]

03.11.12 Two AJK members operated the FLMJ at the beginning of November, with Swedish trains and to the correct timetable - "H" (as part of "SoH") because of the Swedish holiday! The FLMJ provided two Y7 railbuses (not coupled) for the Siljansbanan shuttle, and a goods train headed by Rc2 1100. A member provided the Inter-Regio train, headed by a Da-loco for most of the day, but with one turn headed by a T43; and the InterCity train, headed by a Ga-steam loco! Goods trains were headed by another T43 and a V10.
An experiment was conducted with Radio control, but we were alarmed that the unit managed to output 20v despite having only a 12v input! Nevertheless, the radio signal was received from all around the home, so investigations into radio control will be continued.
Further consideration was given to the consolidation of the railway, with an improved suggestion for Månstorp and a complete re-think of the Siljansnäs area including the industrial area. Even Fjällnäs was given some consideration, and with a new track layout, this is looking much better. But there are more things to consider, so no formal announcement can be made, yet. One thing that has been agreed is that the name (FLMJ) can remain.

 
 

Top Left - Y7 1136 and Y7 1201 at Lövhöjden.
Top Right - Y7 1201 at Siljansnäs, alongside the new station building to be used here!
Middle Left - T43 217 with a goods train at Gärde.
Middle Right - Rc2 1100 with a goods train at Gärde.
Bottom - V10 702 with a goods train at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

Y7 1136 arrives at Lövhöjden. [Video: A. Allum.]

Da 936 arrives at Lövhöjden. [Video: A. Allum.]

T43 217 passes Siljansnäs. [Video: A. Allum.]

28.10.12 Sa 938 made a few return trips to Småtorp on October 28th, with the usual train of wooden body 2-axle coaches. This was at an exhibition at Colchester, where it worked the 'morning fast train' in that timetable. Unfortunately, we didn't get any photos of it at the station, but got a nice line-up in the fiddle-yard; and a couple of videos!

Sa 938 (to the right in this picture) alongside two of Patrick Grace's own steam locomotives. [Photo: A. Allum.]

Sa 938 arrives at Småtorp. [Video: A. Allum.]

Sa 938 departs Småtorp (with a lot of noisy cake sellers in the audible background)! [Video: A. Allum.]

22.10.12 Only two AJK members were at the FLMJ for its October session, and the day was spent running in various models, not all of them Swedish. We were reminded why British Hornby does not appeal at the FLMJ, with a locomotive tender with wheels that slide sideways on their axles, so that they have no constant gauge! Nevertheless, a goods train with 18 wagons made a few trips around the railway; changing motive power between turns with the other models. We ran Re 1423, then Rc2 1097 (which needed assistance from Rc3 1135), then Da 823 + Da 940, then T43 212 + T43 227. Da 823 lost a traction tyre (again), so this is now in the works awaiting a new one to be fitted; with coupling rod drive, this is going to be a big job!
We also looked at the fact that the railway does not attract many active members now. This is making it difficult to keep up with the railway's maintenance and development, and the worst areas are Månstorp and the industrial area, both because they are at the front of the home, away from the hub of activity (and often absent from photos), but also vulnerable to casual light-fingered passers-by. We are therefore, drawing up a plan to make many big changes, but which will make the railway easier to manage. This website (and our Journal) will keep you up to date.
Unfortunately, we did not get any pictures from the weekend!

16.09.12 The FLMJ was open to invited guests on September 15th & 16th. Unlike the summer that we've had both days were quite dry. On the Saturday, the FLMJ's trains were epoch-IV, but our attempt to run one of the new B6 coaches was in vain; it still doesn't stay on the track very well! (The other one is receiving a different modification, and once that has been completed and tested, then we can decide how to move forward!) Jeco's Rc2 1100 worked the regular InterRegio train, whilst Rc6 1393 worked the InterCity, and T43 227 worked the Siljansbanan shuttle with just one coach. Da 940 was the standby loco. Ub 717 made an appearance with a short goods train, also. Visiting trains comprised a Ga steam loco and a Fleischmann Da loco, both with 1960s Lima carriages; and the ex-FLMJ American AEM7 loco, which worked with our iron ore train. Z65 555 (on loan, but not yet passed for service) made an appearance, still fitted with Kadee couplings, but the iron ore train was too heavy for it! One unfortunate incident involved a child tripping over the control lead (unhurt, thankfully), but in so doing pulled the controller, plug and socket away from the baseboard, and it all had to be re-soldered; resulting in a 20 minute delay! The repair is quite substantial. We also had a few problems with bonds failing, but the soldering iron was never far away, and hardly got cold!

 
 
Top Left - Visiting Da and Ga locomotives, with their trains, at Lövhöjden.
Top Right - Z65 555 with an ambitious train!
Bottom Left - Rc2 1100 with an InterRegio train plus couchette coach, at Månstorp.
Bottom Right - The repaired socket, mounted onto a new 'plate.'
[Photos: A. Allum.]

Sunday was probably the better day for the railway, although the Ghost of the Siljansbanan struck again and we had to disconnect wires, and reconnect them again to get it to work! The FLMJ provided mostly epoch-V & VI trains, pride of place going to our most modern train, Rc6 1410 in black with a suitably liveried train (ie; assorted liveries)! We had two failures on the Sunday; T43 212 (our most recent one) failed with a dropped coupling and by losing a buffer! This was found, but the most was made to straighten them all up! The couplings will take longer to investigate. The other failure was T21 64, which fell from its less-than-impressive box and sustained considerable damage! To the other extreme, F 1207 was brought out and worked an Officers' Special train, with only one minor derailment. Our confidence with this loco is getting better and we hope to have her in proper service soon. With no Fjällnäs, and therefore, no turntable, the tender-first return was aided by Rc3 1135, which would have otherwise returned from standby duties as a light-loco! (Incidentally, the T21 was intended as a recovery loco for a train (with conventional couplings) that needed more power, so TGOJ V 803 performed this duty instead! Visiting stock included some of the regular models from club members and guests, but also included a German Rheingold train and a double-decker train from Alaska!

 
 
 
Top Left - V803 assisting a visiting train. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Top Right - Rc6 1410 at Lövhöjden. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Middle Left - An Alaskan train at the FLMJ! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Middle Right - Rc3 1135 with F 1207 and the one-coach Engineer's train! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Left - Visiting T43 224 waits in the loop at Månstorp while Rc5 1351 passes with the InterRegio train. [Photo: D. Hill.]
Bottom Right - Y6 railbus waits at Lövhöjden whilst a T43 arrives with an eclectic mix of goods vans! [Photo: D. Hill]

Rc2 1100 arrives at Lövhöjden [Video: A. Allum.]

Rc2 1097 passing Toraberg [Video: A. Allum.]

Rc6 1410 brings an InterCity train through Månstorp [Video: D. Hill.]

F 1207 arrives at Lövhöjden [Video: A. Allum.]

03.09.12 AJK Members were allowed to operate their British 00-scale trains upon the FLMJ on September 1st, but this did include one British H0-scale train! Pride of the day was the 5-BEL set in original livery, but the electrical couplings are a bit of a joke, and we couldn't get the intermediate coaches to light up! A Caledonian Single in LMS livery also had problems in that the motor was seized (despite being a brand new Hornby product), but we were able to free it up and get it to work. The bogie wheels, however, don't go round, so we shall work on that, for the member, during the Autumn. Harry Potter made an appearance ... well, the Hogwarts Express and the Knight Bus; as well as a few other interesting trains. The H0-scale model was the old Fleischmann set comprising a "Warship" locomotive and three Bulleid coaches.

 
 
 
Top Left - The youngest person ever, to operate the Lövhöjden control panel, although not quite the switches we wanted changed or when we wanted them changed, not quite one year old, yet!
Top Right - The H0-scale train; H0 but British!
Middle Left - The race to Hogsmead...!
Middle Right - A line-up of visiting 00-scale models at Lövhöjden.
Bottom Left - The 5-BEL set at Lövhöjden.
Bottom Right - On the following day, the garden was attacked ... the grass cut so low there's hardly any left, and the hedges trimmed back, all making the garden seem bigger!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

The Brighton Belle racing through Månstorp. [Video: A. Allum.]

04.08.12 Poor weather (again) precluded any activity upon the FLMJ at the beginning of August, but a new modern image locomotive was placed on the track with power to check that it is OK. This is Roco's Rc6 1410 in SJ black. Also new from the same delivery are two NMJ wagons (one 'Gs' and one 'Gs-u') in ASG livery, and these are seen in the picture, along with the Lima 'Gbs' at the back, for comparison! After the photo was taken, the models were modified with close couplings (so they are unlikely to be seen with this particular Lima model again), and the loco had all its extra bits and pieces added. Sadly, the yellow handrails (and footsteps) are made from yellow plastic and not painted, and really do look it. Inside the loco, in order to make room for the DCC chip, one of the weights is half-size, and there is nothing to hold it in place; it will be modified in our workshop! Also, the box requires modifications in order to put the model away now that we have fitted the handrails and mirrors. Roco's overall quality really does seem to be slipping.

Rc6 1410 (also identified as 91 74 106 1410-6) brings a short train toward Toraberg, comprising two NMJ wagons in ASG livery, and an old Lima wagon in the same livery. Add-on parts were fitted after this photo was taken. [Photo: A. Allum.]

26.07.12 The FLMJ was operational for members in July, but with people away on holiday and so on, there was only the Director General present! Nevertheless, as the sun was shining and none of the clouds were offering any more rain, a timetabled train service was provided. Rc6 1324 worked the InterRegio service, but with two new black B7 coaches, and with the new SSRT B9, which was detached and reattached at Lövhöjden to operate the shuttle service along the Siljansbanan, hauled by TMX 1014. Rc3 1135 was on standby. Both T43 diesel locomotives worked with goods trains, which were coupled together for the final return to Ålunden. Rc7 1421 worked the day's InterCity train with the IC-11 set of dark blue coaches.
Being the first dry day for many months, the lawn was cut also, which makes access to the railway much easier. But the other main job was the creation of a "Runestone Sundial!" The higher central stone casts a shadow over carefully placed smaller stones to mark out the approximate hours from 10am to 4pm (then the trees on the other side of the brook block the sunlight)! One curiosity for the day concerned the TGOJ 'G' van, to which we fitted Roco close couplings, replacing not the standard H0-pattern couplings as usual, but NEM Kadee couplings!

 
 
Top Left - Two B7 coaches in different versions of the black livery are seen in a train at Lövhöjden.
Top Right - The "Runestone Sundial" at Gärde.
Bottom Left - The two T43 diesels at the front of a goods train; spot the differences.
Bottom Right - Rc6 1324 has just arrived at Lövhöjden and will continue on to Gärde once the rearmost coach has been detached; TMX 1014 will take that coach to Siljansnäs and Månstorp.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

The Ålunden to Gärde service arrives at Lövhöjden with new liveries in the formation! [Video: A. Allum.]

T43 212 and T43 227 bring a goods train through Lövhöjden. [Video: A. Allum.]

01.07.12 On June 27th, five new models arrived at the FLMJ, following their purchase during a trip to Sweden. The much awaited Rc2 1100 in orange (and almost original condition) was one of two locos, made by Jeco, and their attention to detail includes not only different roof profile to our two more modern locos, but also the window surrounds (which were changed during the 1990s)! The other new loco was T43 212 in orange and blue livery; but this differs from our T43 227 in that the 'skirting' below the running board is missing / removed. This makes it a later version, but the model is still suitable for the closing years of Epoch-IV. Only one passenger coach arrived, the Heljan Co8cs, a 1930s design, complete with older style gangways! There is a very poor selection of 'refreshment' coaches as models, so this coach will fill that gap, and will eventually have newer gangways made in our workshop! NMJ has released the first of a different version of the 'Gbs' van, and one of the two desired models has arrived (the other seems to still be pending production). The modern epoch was not forgotten, with the purchase of a 'Kbis' from Rivarossi in "Nordwaggon" livery. Aside from railway models, it is nice to note that Herpa's model of the Volvo P1800 has now been released!

 

Top Left - T43 212 and two goods wagons at Gärde; the model van is also new!
Top Right - Rc2 1100 with the Co8cs carriage and new cars at Gärde.
Bottom - Herpa's Volvo P1800 nearest the camera; a nice (new) model.
[All photos by A. Allum.]

Apart from some snagging, the new-look Uppsala station is now complete, and very smart it is, too! One of the platforms has a slightly lowered track in readiness for X60 trains extending the Stockholm commuter service beyond Märsta! More X60 trains are on order, and these will lead to the eventual withdrawal of all remaining X10 sets. This is essential because the new Citybanan will require opening doors to align! The X55 train (also known as the X3000) is now in service, only a year late, but all seems to be well, now. Trains entering the tunnel at Riddarholmen (in either direction) are facing a speed camera! Well, no, it isn't quite that; it is a camera that is triggered by a passing train; or more to the point, by a passing pantograph. This is to monitor their condition.

 
 
 
Top Left - HectorRail locomotive at the front of a train at Uppsala, before setting off to Malmö.
Top Right - Rc6 1359 at Uppsala in the Black livery, but note the (replacement) mirror in blue!
Middle Left - X55 / X3000 (take your pick) at Uppsala station.
Middle Right - A camera to monitor pantographs as they pass under!
Bottom Left - Caught as it sped by; SSRT Rc6 with test train.
Bottom Right - X60 passing Riddarholmen.
[Photos: A. Allum]

An Rc4 leads a double-headed goods train from Stockholm Centralstation through Riddarholmen, and is passed by a new X55 unit (known also as the X3000, to augment the X2000 trains)! [Video: A. Allum]

The Tvärbanan (tramway) is being extended beyond Alvik, towards Solna, via Sundbyberg. The work is at an advanced state (except at Solna) and a test-tram was run a few weeks ago, which apart from knocking down a road sign (on a tight corner), it all went very well. It should open next summer. Various T-bana lines are being closed during the summer for heavy engineering, some of which is in connection with the Citybanan construction.

 
 

Top Left - Preserved tram on Djurgårdslinjen in Stockholm...
Top Right - ...And hopefully to enter service soon, a combination of 2-axle tram and trailer - but not when its raining!
Middle Left - Your ideal summer-house? Seen in Stockholm!
Middle Right - A day out to Åland (Finland) was arranged; no trains, but a beautiful setting!
Bottom - Dancing at Midsommarafton, Sollentuna!
[Photos: A. Allum]

A day was spent on the Uppsala Lennakatten (narrow gauge steam railway). The journey was all the way to Faringe and back. Faringe was a junction station with the line from Gimo in the north, and there were various carriages stored under covers on a small part of that line! Whether this railway extends to Gimo or southwards to Rimbo, we cannot speculate!

 
 
Top Left - The signal and point controls at Uppsala for the narrow gauge railway.
Top Right - Thor taking on water at Marielund; note the signal on top of the swing-arm!
Bottom Left - Old Roslagsbanan carriages on the Gimo line, awaiting restoration, we presume.
Bottom Right - Yp 809 at Marielund.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

Yp809 departs from Marielund station on the way from Uppsala to Faringe, on this 891mm gauge railway. [Video: A. Allum]

10.06.12 The FLMJ was open for invited guests in early June, which was quite a risk considering the bizarre weather we're having, continually going from one extreme to the other!
Saturday was a sunny day mostly, with plenty of cloud to prevent it from getting too hot! Two AJK members were present, along with nine guests, some with visiting rolling stock. We started to operate the timetable, but this soon gave way to ad-hoc running of trains. Our new Rc3 1135 double-headed with Rc6 1324 on the first train, and then went on shed at Lövhöjden as a stand-by loco. Our other new loco, Rc2 1097 worked a goods train comprising, among others, the new articulated wagon from Hobby-Trade, but this (wagon) was taken out of service because it did not stay on the track very well. We have identified some modifications that we need to make to it! The IORE loco came into service with its 12 wagons, plus more wagons with loads; quite a lengthy train! A visiting Rc (a copy of our Hamo Rc 1010) operated with a brown (Lima) InterCity train, and later this worked with a camera-wagon, so that we could see the layout from the driver's-eye view! Unfortunately, there was no facility to record this (yet) but it was helpful in identifying uneven track! In the evening, the Lövhöjden controller was rewired, and the point recently removed from Månstorp was replaced.

 
 
Top Left - The main InterCity train, hauled by HectorRail loco type 142 is seen approaching Gärde.
Top Right - Two locomotives are used to slowly transport the failed wagon back to Ålunden.
Bottom Left - The side-show at Kopparberg featured projects that we are working on!
Bottom Right - The Camera wagon leading a train at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum unless stated otherwise.]

Sunday was dry to start with, but very light rain appeared mid-afternoon, but although we continued to operate the railway for a while, we decided to pack everything away, and did so just in time before the rain got heavier! Again, we had only two AJK members, but only five guests. Rc6 1353 worked the InterRegio train and TMY 101 was a standby loco. All other trains were provided by the other member and guests. They included some German diesel locos that are in the process of being modified to Swedish! During the day, we reached the conclusion that Peco's PL-11 point motor just isn't up to the job, and although it gives a positive throw, the throw isn't enough for blades to completely close against the rails. We had it set so that the throw was equal (so it wasn't anything that we could adjust), and we are amazed that a Peco point motor cannot provide enough throw for a Peco point! It was removed and replaced by a traditional PL-10!

 
Top - Operating in true Swedish style - cabs together for working in multiple - a visiting goods train passes Toraberg.
Bottom Left - A beautifully captured scenic shot of a Volvo parked outside the cafeteria. [Photo: D. Bullions.]
Bottom Right - The two low-relief buildings at Månstorp appear to be occupied, now!
[Photos: A. Allum]

An InterCity train from Gärde towards Toraberg. [Video: A. Allum]

Ballast tamping at Månstorp; well, why not? [Video: A. Allum]

A visiting train passing the Lövhöjden servicing area. [Video: A. Allum]

05.06.12 On Tuesday 5th June, some of the FLMJ's team commemorated the Queen's Jubilee by operating British trains upon the railway, especially those with a Royal theme. There was quite a hurry to get all the photos and videos due to the predicted rain, which arrived almost on time! Mostly, the railway worked very well (which is especially good with the Swedish themed open weekend approaching), but one point at Månstorp developed a fault and had to be removed! A temporary plain piece of track has replaced it, but we hope to get a new point before the weekend...!

 
 
Top Left - A goods train is seen on route to Gärde.
Top Right - One of the many visiting locos taking part in the event.
Bottom Left - A Jubilee class loco (but "Silver Jubilee") on shed.
Bottom Right - The double-headed special about to depart Lövhöjden (also known as Liverden during British events)!
[Photos: A. Allum]

The double-headed special arrives at Liverden! [Video: A. Allum.]

05.05.12 It was with shock and disappointment that we found that the ceiling in the shed we use for Ålunden had fallen down! This was a hardboard ceiling, fitted to batons inside the metal shed! Because the shed is such a rubbish piece of kit, we do intend to replace it in the not-too-distant future, but a repair was necessary.
An extra club session was called for late May to tackle this job. We started by clearing all the top shelves in there (and this meant moving out all the buildings for the railway), and then bringing the panelling down. We also cleared the brambles off the roof outside, and having cleaned and washed the roof, we re-sealed the skylight and put on a new roofing-felt ridge. We have not replaced the ceiling because we hope to replace the shed before next winter (major disruption to train services to and from Ålunden will be inevitable)! With the skylight, this gives us more natural light inside, and a bit more headroom!
Whilst all this was going on, the other shed (named Arjeplog) was cleared out, tidied up and slightly modified now that it is no longer needed as a CTC for the railway! There is a lot of junk in here presently, some to go to the dump, some to go to a miniature railway, some to go on eBay! The weather was favourable throughout the day, and the Director General expresses thanks and appreciation to the club members who took part in this exercise, and to his neighbours for allowing access to their garden so that we could reach the back of the metal shed roof!

 
 

Top Left - Steve, Daniel and Martyn at work with the metal shed, Ålunden.
Top Right - Putting things away after the work was made easier with all the junk cleared out.
Middle Left - The skylight back in use; note that we have left the batons up, these carry cables for the lighting.
Middle Right - Arjeplog now has a shelf fitted up (for light objects only)!
Bottom - A nice and tidy presentation inside the plastic shed, Arjeplog.
[Photos: A. Allum]

05.05.12 The English drought weather - rain - affected the club session at the beginning of May, but a few jobs were done (mostly indoors). The latest arrival, carriage SSRT B9 5201 was tested and then had all the extras fitted to it before being run in a train. With only one member present, the Director General, an effort was also made tidying up indoors, in readiness for a forthcoming guest event!

Rc3 1135 brings a train past Toraberg towards Gärde, with the new carriage directly behind the loco. [Photo: A. Allum.]

22.04.12 With a sunny start, but bad weather forecast for later, two club members set to work on some repairs to the railway at the delayed April club session. There has been a slight gradient at Gärde, causing uncoupled trains to roll along the track whilst the locomotive is running round. The boards were lifted half-way along the station, and again on the next two pairs of legs towards Toraberg, each time by about 20mm. This has made Gärde much more level, and evened out the gradient between there and Toraberg.
The next job was to screw down the platforms at Lövhöjden where they're coming up, and cosmetic repairs following this modification will be done when the weather is more agreeable! From there, we returned to Toraberg and the railway bridge. The track has been slewed so that it is parallel to the bridge sides (and not crossing at an angle), and then a support was glued to the road section here, ready for the top surface to be applied.
On the second day, Månstorp was the focus of attention where mid-station gradients are a much bigger problem, but where we found that we hadn't really provided enough support to prevent a 'hump' appearing mid-platform! With the assistance of a guest, the track recently refitted was lifted(!), all packing pieces pulled out, and some of the baseboard supports undone. We found that the boards were misaligned at the front, and by realigning them, the station is now so level that there is no movement between couplings as trains pass. To round off the morning, the platforms were screwed down, and then it rained again!
Prior to the weekend, a new HobbyTrade wagon arrived (type 'Laaeilprs'), which is a double wagon for car carrying. There are three versions available (different running numbers), but given all the problems that we have had with this manufacturer's products, we decided that the 600:- SEK price tag justified buying just one to test extensively before committing to buy any more. Initial tests are pleasing (the NEM pockets are correctly positioned), but further testing (in better weather to assess running quality) will be necessary, first.

 
 
Top Left - The old screw holes indicate how much the boards halfway along Gärde needed to be lifted.
Top Right - Another screw about to be removed; but just look at the difference in baseboard height - it was level at the back!
Bottom Left - Bricks are used to ensure that the roofing felt stays flat whilst the glue dries!
Bottom Right - TMZ 1410 with the new car transporter twin wagon (and others), at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

09.04.12 The FLMJ's 2-hourly timetable was created with two specific considerations. One was to have many gaps so that we can run as many extra trains as we want (but the timetabled ones must run); the other was by concentrating the timetable activity to a confined 30 minutes, we'd have 90 minutes to do jobs on the railway. This is especially useful in that jobs don't get too boring - if we have to stop to run a train every so often! And so it was over some of the Easter weekend that a few jobs got done!
Månstorp was the first to be attended to, with the repositioning of point 104 (the only powered one, presently). This was made necessary by the fact that it is over a baseboard join, and there has developed a 'summit,' causing the points to not throw properly. The tie-bar is now farther away from the summit, but a lot of under-track packing was necessary to permit trains to pass without uncoupling as they do so. To support this work, the baseboard heights were adjusted (remember how we designed them this way?), but more work in this respect will be necessary. Most trains will now pass safely, but those with questionable NEM coupling placements need observation! Månstorp also received it's first background building, the plastic models bought second-hand, ready-built from an exhibition, which we have heavily rebuilt and joined to form one block! (The rest of this area will have Artitec resin kits.)

Low-relief background kits at Månstorp. [Photo: A. Allum]

The area up-line from Lövhöjden (where the Siljansbanan diverges from the Norra Stambanan) has been given the name "Toraberg" in honour of a late friend of the Director General. This area saw some scenic work done, using more roofing felt for the roads, and now we are confident that all of the buildings (here) are where they are going to stay!
Three of the houses at Toraberg came from nearer the station at Lövhöjden, and the road has now been diverted, and the apartment block with shops has been repositioned, alongside the two Auhagen kits of blocks of flats. The scenery is in need of a lot more work, but the visual effect, especially from the track-side is very good. Opposite the flats (on the other side of the track), there will be a grass hill with a couple of trees, otherwise the residents might complain about the view from their balconies - unless they're all railway enthusiasts, of course! The Post Office has stayed put, it works well, where it is.

 
 
Top Left - The crossing now leads to two houses. The white house just off to the right is reached from between the two tracks!
Top Right - The three yellow cottages at Toraberg, now located away from the station area.
Bottom Left - A good general view of the Auhagen buildings, and repositioned shops-and-apartments. Note that we've repainted the front of the 'second' block of flats (see news 12.02.12).
Bottom Right - Y7 1201 passes behind the back of the new flats.
[Photos: A. Allum]

The train service (when not rained off) was entirely Epoch-IV, and many of the locos from this epoch were used. Sadly, there were two casualties; Rc6 1422 failed completely (no response at all) just after leaving Ålunden with the Day's only InterCity train; F 701 came to the rescue, and was used for this service on the following day; Da 823 kept losing one of its traction tyres, and at the end of its last service, the tyre (not being able to come away completely because the coupling rod is in the way) got caught on a protrusion on the edge of a sleeper bringing the double-headed train to a very sudden stop! These two locos are now out of service pending a full overhaul.
A set of distance markers were made up for the stations, measuring track lengths in scale 50m intervals. These are a bit small, but very authentic. We ran out of materials for them (using off-cuts from Peco's insulated rail joiners) and Gärde is awaiting one 150 marker!
Mislaid bags of components were found, enabling work to resume on the construction of the UGJ AB7 coach and a forgotten-about BC1! The AB7 is in an advanced state, and we hope to have it in service for the summer timetable. The BC1 needs more work (including new bogies and coupling mechanisms), but this coach was acquired as a free replacement for one where the body had bowed! However, having removed the roof, and then re-gluing it, we were able to 'tension' the body back into shape, so the original one has never been withdrawn from the FLMJ! We don't feel obliged to return the 'spare' or offer payment, as a sizable deposit was paid for A3 and B3 coaches in 1970s condition that UGJ proposed, but which were never produced (and now these kits are produced by another manufacturer - but not in 1970s condition)! AB4 3502 received repairs to its damaged coupling pocket (enabling it to return to service), and the main service schedule was brought up to date!

 

Top Left - Du 373 with a goods train at Gärde.
Top Right - AB7 4359 nearing completion, now on its bogies (and wheels), glazed, and with other additions; but awaiting buffers, internal weight, and transfers; and then the roof gluing down! The BC1 body is alongside.
Bottom - An assortment of models needing attention in one way or another - you can just about see the loose traction tyre hanging off Da 823. Note also, the Artitec low-relief buildings, getting ready to go to Månstorp!
[Photos: A. Allum]

F 701 passes Toraberg on route to Lövhöjden. [Video: A. Allum]

Da 940 and Da 823 depart Månstorp with an InterRegio train. [Video: A. Allum]

Y7 1201 arrives at Lövhöjden. [Video: A. Allum]

25.03.12 With untypical March weather (glorious sunshine and warm temperatures - and the first signs of hay-fever), the FLMJ ran a Sunday timetabled train service, plus a few specials. It was an opportunity to put the new Jeco model of Rc2 1097 through its paces, and we are very pleased with it. (We hope that Rc3 1135 will arrive very soon, also a Jeco model.) Most other train services were provided by regular guests to the railway, Da 936, Rc5 1351, T43 217, T43 224 and Y6 1109; but steam loco Sa 938 managed a few excursion trains, also. Due to a track-bond failure, a works vehicle was also brought out (these don't usually get used, but we needed to 'possess' the line) to add to the effect! Whilst all this was going on, modifications were made to the scenery, with a road in progress from Lövhöjden towards Gärde, and with it, a few building relocations! The three yellow houses near to Lövhöjden station have been moved away, to the area of the 170° curve near the locoshed, and once the road near where they were has been realigned, some apartments and shops will take their place there!

 
 
Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - Rc2 1097 alongside T43 224 at Lövhöjden.
Top Right - A 'works' vehicle at the site of the track repair, between Ålunden and Månstorp.
Bottom Left - Y6 1109 at Månstorp.
Bottom Right - Sa 938 awaiting departure from Gärde.

[Photos: A. Allum]

Hector Rail 142 002-5 with an InterCity train between Lövhöjden and Gärde.

Green Cargo Rc2 1097 with a goods train arriving at Lövhöjden.

Yes, Rc3 1135 arrived at the FLMJ on Monday, seen here bringing a train towards Gärde. [Photo: A. Allum.]

19.03.12 The FLMJ's planned session for members in March was rained off, but we decided against not shewing off our latest acquisition, Jeco's model of Rc2 1097! The photo and video were taken soon after delivery (in the previous week), during testing of the model. (Apparently, some of these models have difficulties getting round curves, but ours appears to be fine - and manages the tight radius on the Peco curved point without any problems.) We also took delivery of Jeco's Rc3 1135, but the wrong model (3-rail AC) was inside the box, and our supplier in Stockholm is exchanging it for us.

Rc2 1097 nearer the camera (Rc4 1277 behind; this has now gone to a new home), during testing, seen near Gärde. [Photo: A. Allum.]

T44 269 leads a train into Lövhöjden (over the tightest radius point we think we have) with Rc2 1097 in the formation. [Camera: A. Allum.]

12.02.12 With freezing temperatures, the team decided that it was really too cold to do any work on the railway, so we did something else instead! In fact, the second Auhagen block of flats was built, and one part painted so that there is a difference between the two!

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - The second Auhagen block of flats seen at the end of the day (hence getting dark); note the green panel, which is yellow as supplied - we did consider orange, but felt that this would clash with the roof!
Right - On the previous Sunday, the FLMJ was buried under snow, and here at Gärde, Y7 1136 with the larger Norrland plough is waiting at the station!
[Photos: A. Allum]

23.01.12 Five locomotives, thirteen coaches and seventeen wagons were taken to Strömstad for a Model Railway Exhibition at Harpenden (near St. Albans) on January 21st. Patrick Grace took his own models, of course, but halfway through the day, they gave way to the FLMJ's models (though not all of the wagons were used)! Here's how it all worked:

• The express passenger train comprised loco F 701 with coaches F4 55125, A2 5047, B3S 3683, B5 4776 and B1 4816. It also had one of two extra coaches, alternately B5 4752 and BC1 3989.
• The regional passenger train comprised loco Da 940 with coaches F6 55202, Bo5 4757, Bo1 4898 and ABo2 4854. It also shared the two extra coaches with the express passenger train, above.
• The local passenger train comprised loco Da 338 with coaches BF2 3554 and AB4 3502.
• The main goods train comprised loco Du 373 with an assortment of wagons (details not recorded, sorry).
• The local goods (vut?) comprised loco Ub 717 and just four wagons (again, not recorded, sorry).

Unfortunately, loco F 701 came to grief over a set of points, and with the momentum, one of the snow ploughs got broken off! (Patrick retro-fitted the appropriate coupling to his new Da 821, and that took over this train.) Passenger coach AB4 3502 lost its coupling at one end, due to UGJ's rather compromised "NEM" coupling box, and the train was knocked down to just the one remaining coach for the rest of the afternoon! Also, one of the Os goods wagons suffered damage to two stakes, but as with the other models, these are not beyond repair.
On the whole, the layout was quite reliable, but a recurring short-circuit kept appearing, and we finally got rid of it by plugging in a different controller! Unfortunately, the replacement controller had been withdrawn from regular use on this layout, and it too, was not in the 'best of health!' But, we managed. The other operational problem was an operator forgetting to reset one set of points, and bringing the express passenger train through a goods loop and almost into a buffer-stop instead of alongside the platform!
Whilst at the event, two low-relief buildings were purchased for probable use at Månstorp (as Artitec kits are so hard to get), but they will need taking apart and rebuilding to make them presentable. One just fell apart on the way home; nothing like a good head-start!

 

Click thumbnails for large image
Top Left - Da 940 with the 'day' coach and in the background the sleeper coach. On an adjacent track, Ub 717 awaits its next turn of duty. [Photo: P. Grace]
Top Right - Da 821 (with Norrland plough) awaits departure from Strömstad with an Express train. [Photo: P. Grace.]
Bottom - F 701 looking rather sorry with a plough missing! Behind it can be seen the two low-relief buildings - still with price labels on! [Photo: A. Allum.]

14.01.12
Two AJK members set to work upon the FLMJ in January, despite the heavy frost that greeted us at the start of the day! The first job was to repair three disconnection boxes where their wooden posts had rotted. One was actually removed and deemed surplus, the CDU that was inside it is now inside the Månstorp control panel! One of the others was the 240v mains unit, so although it was not opened in the process, the power was cut from the house. Taking advantage of that, the external socket at Ålunden was replaced with a more robust version!
We found inside Ålunden that the ceiling was drooping, and where this had compromised the insulating effect of the materials used, it was sodden with condensation! The long term solution is to replace the metal building with a plastic one (around £800), but we may have to make a temporary repair until the funds are available.
We did run a few trains (and serviced a few that didn't perform too well), but a few other jobs were done also, such as fitting the locating-blocks for the two Heljan Maisonettes, assembling and painting the "sound hooter" warning board, and assembling the engineers' telephone kiosk that was purchased in Sweden.
By mid-afternoon, the temperature had dropped to -3°C, so we didn't hang around, putting everything away!

 
 
Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - A new post for the Lövhöjden 'up' disconnection box.
Top Right - The Månstorp CDU is inside the control panel now (bottom right).
Bottom Left - The Heljan Maisonettes in place at Lövhöjden.
Bottom Right - The FLMJ's new Y7 1201 is flanked by a member's Rc5 1351 and T43 224.
[Photos: A. Allum]

11.12.11
The FLMJ braved the weather forecast and a light train service was provided until some guests arrived; then the weather turned! Our new Y7 1201 was tested, and a Green Cargo train was run to show-off the new tank wagon to good effect. A member ran a train with some newly-delivered NMJ coaches (and he has sold his Lima ones), and various other models were given a turn on the layout. Later, but before the rain, our Y7 1136, coupled to YBo6 5 made a trip from Ålunden to Lövhöjden to test the couplings, but the fact that UBoy 11 was originally in the train also, but suffered broken couplings, indicates that our experiments with couplings for these Jeco models are far from concluded!

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - The Green Cargo train dominates the scene; the tank wagon is new and is a rather limited edition. New Y7 1201 is in a nearer track.
Top Right - The two railbuses coupled together, but the coupling used isn't reliable enough!
Bottom - A member's steam locomotive with five new coaches, at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

A very unlikely train GSJ and SJ railbuses coupled??? [Video: A. Allum.]

10.12.11
The FLMJ's Director-General visited Sweden in late November/early December. Read his report from the trip here.

In November 2011, the FLMJ was featured as an article in the Swedish railway modelling magazine, "Modelljärnvägsmagasinet." It was written in English by Adrian, but translated into Swedish by the editor. It has been translated back into English - in the setting of the magazine's layout, and here it is for your perusal. Some of the other pages from that edition have been included (also translated where possible) so that you can appreciate the quality of this magazine. Click to read the article (Adobe PDF).

22.11.11
FLMJ models and AJK members were present at the Warley Model Railway Exhibition at the NEC at Birmingham in November, operating upon Patrick Grace's "Småtorp" layout. The Sa-loco with its three 2-axle coaches provided a regular passenger service, but the "Säröbanan" railbus also made an appearance. This was so that we could search for suitable couplings for it. We have found one, but it didn't like the tight curves in the fiddle-yard area on the layout (and we completely demolished two couplings)! We will conduct the same tests upon the FLMJ, and hopefully, we will have some better news soon. A new TGOJ wagon arrived on the Saturday, so this was taken to the event for the Sunday. Unfortunately, the photos on the Saturday were taken on a phone (due to the camera being left at home), but some better photos were achieved on the Sunday.

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - The Säröbanan railbus on the bridge near Småtorp on the Saturday.
Top Right - The TGOJ G-van in a train, awaiting its first turn on the Sunday.
Bottom - An older style railbus, in HNJ livery, waiting at Småtorp station.
[Photos: A. Allum]

16.10.11
The FLMJ was in action on October 15th, but despite plans to run more modern stock, we ended up with the Epoch-IV orange and brown liveries! The FLMJ provided most of the regular time-tabled passenger trains plus one goods train, and there were a few visiting models, all regulars! A new operation was inaugurated today, the InterRegio train had an extra coach which was taken off the train at Lövhöjden. The one coach was taken around the Siljansbanan to Månstorp whilst the main train continued on to Gärde. On the return, the single coach was shunted back into the main formation before continuing to Ålunden. Two of the coaches were new to the FLMJ, and are likely to be the last brown ones from NMJ (considering that they've withdrawn plans to produce the restaurant or luggage coaches). We also had a very long goods train, double headed, but which even the long track at Ålunden struggled to accommodate! Some scenic work was also applied, particularly a double level-crossing near the locoshed for a road giving vehicular access to houses!

 
 
Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - The InterRegio train approaches Gärde. Note that the three coaches are all in different versions of the brown livery!
Top Right - The single coach with a diesel loco (the Siljansbanan in closed to electric locos)!
Bottom Left - A car waits to get over the new crossing to a house (in the background).
Bottom Right - A goods train takes the Siljansbanan route to Månstorp, seen here diverging off the main line to Gärde alongside the locoshed at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

The 'through coach' from Månstorp and Siljansnäs is added to the InterRegio train from Gärde to Ålunden.

A very long goods train passes through Lövhöjden.

18.09.11
On Saturday 17th September, AJK members were permitted to operate their British 00-scale trains upon the FLMJ. Three members took advantage of this opportunity, but the event was cut short by heavy rain! Of special interest, was a model of "Kestrel," a prototype loco that was eventually exported to Russia. Unfortunately one steam-outline loco failed in service with the infamous "wheel-tapper's nightmare," a broken wheel!

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - "Kestrel" with a goods train at Liverden (usually known as Lövhöjden)!
Top Right - A Southern electric set operated upon the railway also.
Bottom - 75023 with its broken wheel (the one under the cab, the tyre is still there but not all of the actual wheel)!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Then on Sunday 18th, the FLMJ was open for a limited service with guests (to make up for the August event being inappropriately timed)! Again the weather was an issue, but our new Säröbanan railbus (without trailer at the moment) got its inaugural run, much to the bemusement of the (imaginary) passengers at all stations served! A more regular but new Y6 railbus got a run before the rain started; this came as part of a set, but it doesn't have enough power to pull the trailers! It does, however, come with a replacement wheel-set with traction tyres, so hopefully that will resolve that problem. There is also an issue with the couplings; it is not designed to be coupled or uncoupled in service (as the model needs to be turned upside-down), but we couldn't get the locating pins to fit! (A similar problem exists with the Säröbanan (GSJ) set.) A red-white-blue T43 also took to the rails, this time the Jeco version. Unfortunately, the FLMJ's new flagship loco, Rc6 1393 failed in service, but this is in the workshop already! Although the rain lasted for about only 45 minutes, the railway was too flooded for us to be able to continue!

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - Månstorp passengers must have been a bit confused to see a GSJ railbus!
Top Right - T43 217, owned by one of the club members, seen at speed on its way towards Ålunden.
Bottom - Y6 1109 at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

14.08.11
The FLMJ had it's second 2011 Open Weekend in early August, and during this event, there were a few inaugurations! First, as advertised, the Northern Mainline - as far as Gärde - was opened on the Saturday. FLMJ Friend, and fellow SRS member, Raymond Butler cut the ribbon across the track at Gärde; and the special train comprising Rc7 1421 with the IC11 train and Conference car was then allowed into the station. The regular timetable was operated on both days (but Saturday was the last day of the main summer timetable, and Sunday was the start of the late-summer and autumn timetable).
On the Saturday, Rc6 1324 worked with a set of InterRegio coaches, and a member's Y2 1373 provided the shuttle service along the Siljansbanan for most of the day. The last turn along this route was performed by a new FLMJ model, Y1 1364! This model is still under construction, but the body, chassis and bogies are now together, and this was an ideal opportunity to test it before continuing with the work. Number 1364 has been chosen for this model because this was the one in which Adrian had his first Swedish cab ride, from Rättvik to Mora, in 1990. There were a few visiting trains, mostly epoch-4, but we're not normally too strict about the epoch rules for visiting models! T43 224 was brought to the railway, and given a rake of UGJ container flat wagons, most with loads. One of the unladen wagons was very unstable, but otherwise the train performed quite well, with only a few minor incidents! It is very rare for these wagons to run due to the fact that they have traditional couplings (in NEM boxes) because of the nature of the boxes that they are stored in! Other visiting trains included Ra994 with short InterCity train, Rc2 1035 and T43 220 from one guest and Rc2 1072 in GreenCargo livery.

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - Rc7 1421 with the special train, seen at Lövhöjden, flanked by Y2 1373 and T43 224.
Right - Y1 1364 at Lövhöjden. It's appearance will be greatly improved with glazing and ploughs - and transfers!
[Photos: A. Allum]

On the Sunday, Rc5 1344 worked the regular service Ålunden-Månstorp-Lövhöjden-Gärde, and Y7 1136 worked the Siljansbanan shuttle. The timetabled InterCity train was headed by F701 with a rake of 1980s coaches in tow. New Du338 was the standby loco at Lövhöjden and Da940 worked a goods train. It was hoped that Rc6 1393 would enter service, but it took longer to apply the number transfers than we thought it would, but this loco should be ready for the next session! It did get a run for photographs, but without any handrails, mirrors or couplings.

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - A Volvo Owners' Club rally was organised for the area between Lövhöjden and Gärde.
Right - F 701 at Gärde with the 1st-class coach of the InterCity train. This coach, A7 5237 is the oldest in service, being purchased in May 1990!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Throughout the weekend, we had no problems with the electrical equipment along the Siljansbanan or anywhere else! It was quite a pleasure to operate the railway in this way, and suitably inspired, the work (the extension especially) continues...!

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - Rc6 1393 spent a few minutes on the railway, going from Ålunden to Lövhöjden for photos, and then returning.
Right - Da 940 with the tanker train at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

The IC11 train returning from Gärde to Ålunden. [Video: A. Allum.]

Rc5 1344 arriving at Lövhöjden. [Video: A. Allum.]

23.07.11
On Saturday July 23rd, there was a combined work party and running session upon the railway. This was two weeks later than the usual 2nd Saturday in the month, but due to other commitments. There was a 2-minute silence at 11:00 in commemoration of the 91 people killed in Norway (Sweden's neighbour) on the previous day. There was actually very little work done on the railway, but there was a survey of the road/rail bridge on the new extension, and it is possible that the road will be lifted before the Open Weekend in August so that the railway can work properly! There was also a little electrical work (remedial) on the Kopparberg block circuits, and some of the platforms were glued back down, but a better solution is sought to this recurring problem. Trains run were from the Epoch-IV collection, and in addition to the FLMJ's stock, there were two visiting locomotives (from a club member). Toward the end of the afternoon, a brown-locomotive-line-up was arranged for photos, and this is one of the photos with this update. In addition to the locos shewn, there were two T43 diesels and the Y7 on the railway.

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - Y7 1136 with the one-train-a-day at Gärde station. Train services to this station will be improved once all of the isolating switches have been fitted, and hopefully a local controller, also.
Top Right - A brown loco line-up at the shed at Lövhöjden. On track A (farthest), visiting Da 936 and (FLMJ's) Da 940; on track B, Du 373 and Da 823; and on track C, T21 64, Ub 717 and F 701. A second Du is on order at the time of writing!
Bottom - T43 224 is owned by an AJK member, and if you can't see the number you can still tell them apart by the traditional H0-style couplings!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Double-headed Regional train plus Conference car! [Video: A. Allum.]

20.06.11 - FLMJ News
If there's one thing that is predictable about the British weather, it is that the forecast will be wrong in one way or another. The FLMJ was open to guests on Saturday 18th June, and the forecast offered a dry morning, but with showers later in the afternoon. It was the other way around! Nevertheless, one AJK member and five guests were able to run a few trains between the showers. The setting was modern image, but a visiting D-loco and Canadian loco (!) were also permitted to run. The FLMJ's local train was hauled by an Rc-loco with two regular coaches (AB3 and B1), but the InterCity train was hauled by the recently repaired HectorRail 142 loco with a train comprising A2, RB4, two B7 and one DB (German) coach! The last local train for the day is scheduled to traverse the Siljansbanan, so the Rc-loco gave way to the TMX. The F-electric loco was brought out for photographs alongside a visiting one in the more original guise (A-end markers, etc), and the D-loco was brought out to compare with the visiting one. Whilst we were comparing, both of the FLMJ's Da-locos were brought out for the guests to see the differences between them. None of these were actually run; neither was the Ub-loco, though this had been intended to go to Lövhöjden as a relief loco, but the weather put a damper (literally) on that idea! At the end of the day, steam locomotive K24 1775 came out with an engineers' train, but it failed at Lövhöjden!

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - HectorRail 142 at the front of the InterCity train, at Lövhöjden. The coach is an old Lima A2 (not NMJ).
Right - The K24 with new (to the FLMJ) Engineers' coach, at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

The FLMJ was open again on the Sunday, and the weather was mostly dry, but there was a little rain in the late afternoon, just as we were about to pack away (so everything had to stay out longer to dry off in the sun-heat that followed)! There were three members and two guests on the Sunday. We set the clock back to the end of Epoch-IV (late 1980s) and this meant orange Rc-locos, a Y7 railbus, a double-headed goods train with Da-locos at the front, and so on. A visiting Ra-loco worked with the FLMJ's TGOJ coaches (complete with new baggage van), but needed more power, so the FLMJ's Ra-loco assisted on the return trip. The new TGOJ baggage car and one of the new Gbs vans need a bit of attention - this was their first time in proper service and they didn't hold the track very well! The T43 and (orange) T44 were brought out as relief locos, and the former was also used for haulage tests - we will be limiting goods trains to 7 wagons on the Siljansbanan unless double-headed, due to the severe gradients!
Despite the inclement weather, it was a nice Open Weekend, and we are already planning and looking forward to the one in August.

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - InterCity train alongside the Y7 railbus, at Lövhöjden.
Right - Double-headed Ra-locos with the green TGOJ train, at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

The double-headed train passing the Post Office. [Video: A. Allum]

SJ News
In early June, the FLMJ's Director General made a visit to Sweden. The FLMJ acquired, as a result, a second Da-loco, number 940, which has detail differences to our number 823 (was 936 from Roco); a second-hand Roco Rc6 in the orange livery which will become number 1391 once we have found some transfers for it (there are none with it and the numbers 6 and 9 weren't on the original Roco sheet - we need to find an old Jeco one - can anyone help(?)); and a green TGOJ baggage coach by Heljan to go with the UGJ set of three coaches.
In order to help a fly-shy friend get to Sweden to see family, Adrian agreed to share driving duties with the friend's husband, so instead of a 2½ hour flight each way, it was a 2½ day journey each way, which included the ferry between Harwich and Esbjerg (Denmark). Now a tip: if you make this journey, do NOT stop off at a Danish MacDonald's; they do not understand the "fast-food" principle, it took 40 minutes to get served on the outward journey (and it wasn't crowded) and the one in Esbjerg town centre on the way back had just one person serving and one cooking! We were also a bit miffed with having to pay for fuel before actually putting any in (not just getting the card authorised, but actually paying). So we estimated the amount required, and the result was that the petrol garage diddled itself out of revenue because we could have bought more!
From a railway point of view, the new X55 got seen but not photographed - it was never in a suitable place (or at a suitable moment) to get any photos. The X3 (Arlanda shuttle) sets are in a revised livery; and so are some of the older T-bana cars, where there is a broad white band (full window height) to denote that the car has very few seats, ideal for people with baggage, or for the disabled, or simply to ease over-crowding by making commuters stand! There were a lot of the older trains in service. This is also true of the Pendeltåg, where there were many X10 units in service, but although quite a few of the older X1 units were seen in sidings, none were in service.

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - An older style T-bana car in a revised livery.
Right - X10, X60 and Rc6 at Märsta station.
[Photos: A. Allum]

There appears to have been a power failure in the Centralstation area on Thursday 9th (or this was the explanation offered). The SL journey from Märsta to Centralstation was beset with problems. After departing Rosersberg, the train came to a very abrupt stop (about one train-length from the station), and after a lengthy delay, the driver sounded the horn and reversed back into the station, where the train waited before setting off again. The train sat at Sollentuna station for 20 minutes, and from there, it was checked at many signals, and at some times proceeded at walking pace! Thus, there was quite a flurry of activity at Centralstation once trains were rolling again.
During the second visit to MJ-Hobbyexperten, Adrian was told about a short walk to a railway bridge where some photography could be possible. The directions were easily followed, and conveniently, there was a bus from the bridge to Älvsjö station. Towards the end of the holiday, a visit was made to Uppsala station, which is being heavily rebuilt, and this includes platforms for the narrow gauge railway which used to have a 'nearby' station. (It still does, but is not quite so 'near' whilst the work is ongoing.)

 
 
Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - One of the new trams operating on the erstwhile preserved route number 7!
Top Right - X60 seen from a bridge near Älvsjö (also near MJ-Hobbyexperten).
Bottom Left - The new platform (number 9, perhaps) at Uppsala station - for the preserved narrow gauge railway.
Bottom Right - A telephone box at Sigtuna (near Märsta) - very similar to a model that was on the "Steninge" layout before we got it!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Busy at Stockholm's Centralstation (north end). [Video: A. Allum]

31.05.11 Some behind the scenes work has been taking place at the FLMJ recently. More NMJ wagons have arrived, this time the Gbs, but of a different version to the Lima model, there were at least three! (We are preparing a special feature on 'G' wagons for this website in due course.) Spare parts for the Roco HectorRail loco have arrived and been fitted, and at last this loco is in a presentable condition, so is likely to be seen in traffic more often. We had difficulties fitting the parts when the loco arrived, and some got damaged; but it took some time to find a dealer prepared to order spare parts now that our previous supplier (near Oxford) no longer provides this service. Work has also progressed at Gärde with the scenery, and 'mounting blocks' have now been positioned for the station building and three cottages (so they don't blow away in the wind), but the goods shed still needs doing, as does the news kiosk, which is still under construction, with a photo to follow later! (It's a delightful model, worth waiting for...!)

 
 
Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - The two new Gbs wagons are adjacent to the goods shed, but the darker wagon on the other track is the Lima Gbs, coupled to some other varieties of the 'G' series! Nice to compare.
Top Right - Scenery is going in at Gärde.
Bottom Left - The HectorRail class 142 seen in 2007 with damaged handrails, missing wipers and so on! These are very fiddly components to fit.
Bottom Right - The same loco after a second attempt; much more pleasing to the eye!
[Photos: A. Allum]

16.05.11 Only one person was available during the May club session, so the number of jobs completed was very low! The new track alignment at Ålunden was finished, with bonding wires where necessary, and the control panel for the loco shed at Lövhöjden was fitted to the baseboard. A start was made on the modifications at Siljansnäs, but this area needs a completely new panel to provide one more motorised point and at least one more switched section! Unless Tuesday evening club sessions are well attended, the industrial area will have to stay out of action during the Open Weekend in June!
To break the monotony (and to test things) a timetabled train service was provided, using Epoch-IV stock. Da 823 worked the main passenger train, and Du 373 worked a train of through coaches (normally on our M-F timetable only). T21 64 was used for testing the track at Ålunden, and later at Siljansnäs. The last train of the day required access to the Siljansbanan where electric traction is barred, so we took the opportunity to test the K24 following minor overhaul.

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - The control panel for the Lövhöjden loco shed is much more accessible, now.
Top Right - Da 823 and T21 64 at Lövhöjden.
Bottom - K24 1775 with train at Månstorp.
[Photos: A. Allum]

10.04.11 Only one member worked upon the railway during April's maintenance session, laying the track that arrived earlier in the same morning! The main curve is as tight as we dared, and thankfully, the F-ellok does go around OK. All bonding connections were made, but at the Lövhöjden end, temporary jumper wires were connected across the block join so that it could, indeed, be tested. The main test train comprised mostly 'O' wagons of various sorts and one van, worked by our newest loco, Jeco's T43 227. The extension reached to the first point at Gärde, and as work finished, one further section was put in, onto which the buffer-stop was fitted! To break up the monotony of the work a 2-hourly passenger timetable was operated also!

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - In this view, the revised alignment is very visible, with the discoloured area shewing the originally proposed route.
Top Right - F 701 with local passenger train stopping at Månstorp.
Bottom - T43 227 brings the test train around the main curve from the bridge towards Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

The test train! [Video: A. Allum.]

20.03.11 Three AJK members set to work upon the FLMJ in March, with the primary job being to apply the roofing felt to the new extension. In addition to being tacked down, we have glued it with the appropriate adhesive, so hopefully it won't lift. We also did a few track repairs (including the entrance to Ålunden) and then ran a few trains. One member had brought along the Roco model of the Re-lok, and this was compared with our ACME Re-lok. There are several detail differences, Roco being better in some areas, ACME in others. But the Roco model is the better performer (apart from the very dim lighting).

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - Matt painting the boards with roofing felt adhesive.
Right - Doug working under the layout; see how clean and tidy the boards look, now!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Five new NMJ wagons have arrived recently, and these were put out on display at Lövhöjden, and then joined with various other wagons to make up a decent length train. The train comprised 11 NMJ wagons, 2 Lima, 2 Roco and 3 Rivarossi; but none of the Jeco locos that we tried (Du, F, T44) could pull it up the very steep Siljansbanan. However, the Roco Da did manage this train (and the loco is somewhat heavier), as well as the ACME Re-lok (we didn't try the visiting Roco Re-lok as it had different couplings).
This was also the day that we said farewell to some of our lesser used (if not never used) models, one of the Roco blue Rc-locos and the Roco Norwegian El.16 loco, along with two of our Norwegian passenger coaches and two SJ passenger coaches, all Lima.

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - ACME and Roco Re-locos side by side at Lövhöjden.
Right - Da 823 brings the goods train up the 'more gentle' gradient from Siljansnäs, towards Månstorp.
[Photos: A. Allum]

Da 823 with goods train arriving at Lövhöjden. [Video: A. Allum.]

27.02.11 The FLMJ took part with the operation of Patrick Grace's "Strömstad" layout on February 27th, at the Solent Model Railway Exhibition at Eastleigh. F701 was taken along as a test loco, but as expected (by both Patrick and ourselves), the curves and some points are a little too tight for this loco to operate freely! However, Du373 worked a local train with our ABo2 (a single coach train to replace a faulty railbus, so we understand), and later on, it worked a different local train with our Ao2, Bo1 and Bo5 coaches. This latter train previously consisted of our T43 233 and the three green TGOJ coaches that have hardly ever been run! The T43 has been for sale for quite a while, and during the day it was successfully sold (but not the coaches, we're keeping them)! GC Re1423 was taken along for static display on the nearby Scandinavian Railways Society stand, but our T21 didn't get used as Patrick had his own - and with the same number - and a few goods wagons were left in their boxes. But it was a good and enjoyable day out.

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - F701 arrives at Strömstad whilst on test.
Top Right - T43 233 backs onto the TGOJ coaches.
Bottom Left - Du373 at Strömstad with its short local train!
Bottom Right - Patrick's Ra10 with typical 1960s train at Strömstad.
[Photos: A. Allum]

Du373 departs Strömstad with a passenger train [Video: A. Allum.]

13.02.11 There was a small work party upon the FLMJ in February, and this meant that the new baseboard extension to Gärde could be completed. The small closure piece is a removable section, but our intention for the track is to use Fleischmann rail joiners, because they are fractionally too large for Peco Code 100 rail. This means that they will slide easily without compromising the alignment. The electrical conductivity will be with a separate plug and socket. If, however, this does not work as well as planned, then it will be easy to just secure it into place as a permanent piece. Some points and motors were 'serviced' but the only motor actually in use, our only Peco PL-11 appears to have a mechanical defect, which we are investigating.
A couple of trains were run in order to check that everything is working properly, and to give us a chance to get photos of the F701 loco and the newest NMJ coaches that have arrived this year so far! Jeco do warn potential purchasers of the F-loco that it won't take the tightest of traditional train-set curves, and we found that Peco's "Medium Radius" is about the tightest that it will negotiate. The loco certainly needs proper running-in, but it is still very much an admired model!
As the day drew to a close, a start was made on replacing the troublesome 3-way point at Ålunden with two ordinary points, and these were fitted and connected electrically. However, connection to the tracks in the fiddle-yard is to be a later job. Again, as the temperature got colder as evening approached, the relays on the block sections started to fail, but even the oil lamp didn't generate enough heat to keep them working!

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - The narrow lift-out section shewn to good effect.
Top Right - Rc5 1344 and F701 side by side at Lövhöjden.
Bottom Left - To the left, first class passenger coach type A2 in the last brown livery that these carried in the late 80s and early 90s; to the right, second class passenger coach type B1 in the original brown livery from the 70s (only the type designation is different from the 60s).
Bottom Right - The new points in place at Ålunden; tracks 1 and 2 need trimming so that they can fit, but track 3 needs a closure piece fitted!
[Photos: A. Allum]

F701 departs Månstorp. [Video: A. Allum.]

Rc5 1344 arrives Lövhöjden. [Video: A. Allum.]

09.01.11 AJK members set to work with the extension to Gärde in January, and progress was very good. About 10m of boards along the back fence were assembled, fitted with legs and cemented into place. Additionally, the board that abuts the existing railway at the up end of Lövhöjden was cut to its irregular shape and fitted up. There is just one 'closure' piece that needs to go in, now, and then we can look at applying the roofing felt and then a railway! There will be a crossing place for people getting to Ålunden where it had originally been proposed, and we are looking for an easy means of sliding stock boxes under the layout for ease of access.

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - Daniel is seen working on one of the new boards. We used some existing frames that had been given to use, so the polycarbonate sheet was attached to this and then trimmed, and then the legs attached. We only made two completely new boards, the one abutting the present railway was cut to shape first, and then the frame and legs attached. Then small holes were dug in the ground for the legs, and filled with "postcrete" once the boards were at the correct height.
Top Right - A good overview of the work, from a photo taken the following morning.
Bottom - A suggested layout of buildings, but a small supermarket is also destined. The railway would be along the back (left) edge of the boards, two tracks wide (and a short third track in front of the goods shed).
[Photos: A. Allum]

12.12.10 The FLMJ had a special event on December 11th, more of a social event to commemorate the Director General's final payment for the home, but a good excuse to run trains! Unfortunately (perhaps), the snow from the previous week had cleared, so we didn't have that challenge or photo opportunity. Being a general open event, we weren't too choosy about visiting models, so a TGV and Leopold Gun in H0-scale and British "4CEP" trains in 00-scale were among them! One member set to work installing the connections to the tracks in and around the locoshed at Lövhöjden, but we had to make plans for the next project with further problems with the Siljansbanan relays also affecting the relays on the line between Månstorp and Ålunden - so a complete rewiring of the block controls has been agreed.

 
 
Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - Last train home was pulled by the new steam loco, F 1207; seen here under floodlight (and camera flash) at Lövhöjden.
Top Right - We think the TGV took a wrong turn at Nice...!
Bottom Left - Things did seem to be getting serious - or not, as the case may be - with this Leopold Gun and train!
Bottom Right - One of the three 4CEP units (with a class 73 electro-diesel at the other end), at Siljansnäs.
[Photos: A. Allum]

13.11.10 Three club members attended the railway in November, and although no work was done on the railway itself, we made a significant step forward with the projection to Gärde and Fjällnäs. First, the planning and surveying. We shall have a radius of nearly 1.5m for the curve to the back fence. There will be a gap between the railway and the fence in case we should need access along the back. There will be a standard-width board for the extension to the fence, but which will have a narrow point for somewhere for people to cross the railway (and we shall make this look like a bridge over a river). Then there will be narrow boards towards Gärde, and then standard width boards at the station. This much is certain; beyond there to Fjällnäs is still subject to some discussion. The track layout at Gärde, despite the suggestion in the latest "FLMJ-Nytt," will be based on Badabruk (1953) on the Fryksdalsbanan; more about that in a forthcoming "FLMJ-Nytt." We spent the afternoon, however, replacing the two damaged fence panels and refitting two others. They're far from level, but we now have a bit more privacy from the public footpath alongside the brook, and it looks a bit tidier, also.

 
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Top - Spot the two new fence panels...!
Bottom Left - The frames for the boards at Gärde station, laid on the ground more-or-less where they will be fitted.
Bottom Right - Daniel prepares one of the recycled boards for the line to Gärde.

10.10.10 A club day was proposed for a Saturday in October, but members were mostly engaged with other things. Nevertheless, the opportunity was taken to run-in the railway's latest acquisition, the Heljan model of SJ's former "flagship" locomotive type, F-class, number 1207. This model, like Heljan's T21, is not very well made, and it has been given some very bad reviews. This particular model (part of a later batch, apparently) does at least have better wheels, and apart from one slight kink in our track, the loco stays on the rails (we've sorted out that kink, of course)! It appears that the loco drive wheels and some of the tender wheels are driven (10 wheels in total), but it still struggles up some of the FLMJ's inclines. Detail on the model is very nice, but too intricate for an 'operational' model!
The Sunday of the same weekend was the British 00-scale day, but again with a poor turn out of members. The local passenger train service was provided by a pair of class 150 diesel units, but all else was much older; mostly LMS, including a very fine Patriot loco. A 9F brought a 17 wagon (plus brake van) train around the layout, and even managed to get around the Siljansbanan without major issue (but the loco is very fussy over the slightest kink)! Some track repairs were made also; the two lines into Ålunden were re-laid (one at a time) and the sliding expansion joins were removed as they slide upwards in addition to their intended movement! This problem was causing derailments, and both sections needed relaying anyway, so we just got on with it. There is a plan to replace the 3-way point here, but that would have had a serious effect on the day's operations. Some track along the Siljansbanan was also realigned, as well as the kink mentioned in Saturday's report!

 
 
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Top Left - F1207 at Lövhöjden; the unusual loco colour shews a different shade in different lighting conditions; strictly speaking, it is labelled as "blue." [Photo: A. Allum.]
Top Right - This "Jubilee" loco in BR green relieved another failed loco on a goods train! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Left - Class 150 DMU and an LMS 'Patriot' 4-6-0 at Lövhöjden. [Photo: D. Hill]
Bottom Right - LMS G2A 'Super-D' 0-8-0 passes through Kopparberg with a goods train. [Photo: D. Hill.]

F-1207 through Lövhöjden and Kopparberg. [Video: A. Allum.]

F-1207 through Månstorp and Siljansnäs. [Video: A. Allum.]

F-1207 tender-first up the 1:30 Siljansbanan! [Video: A. Allum.]

Two 'Sprinters' pass the loco yard at Lövhöjden (aka Liverden). [Video: A. Allum.]

19.09.10 The FLMJ was open for invited guests on September 18th & 19th. In essence, the Saturday was a modern day and the Sunday was a "pre-Epoch-5" day. However, a few 'older' items did appear on the Saturday, not least the Du-loco with a special train for the official opening of the rebuilt railway; and a few newer items on the Sunday!
The special train ran at 13:00 with Du 373 at the front of a train of 1960s coaches, a mixture of Lima and NMJ models. It was stopped just before the platform to allow a ribbon to be cut, and then the train entered the station.

 
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Left - The ribbon being cut to declare the rebuilt railway "open."
Right - "Skinnebuss" at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

A few regular visiting trains were run, including several former FLMJ models now sold to new owners, as well as some new models, including an Epoke model of a Danish "skinnebuss" railbus and trailer. This DCC model was deemed OK to operate on the analogue FLMJ, but it was very slow and operated in the wrong direction! One especially unusual train, given that a visiting T44 had different couplings at each end, was a short goods train comprising three wagons, headed by the FLMJ's T43 233, and with the visiting T44 376 at the rear! Towards the end of the Saturday, the IORE was brought into service, the first time since its overhaul. It performed better than it has ever done in the past, an unfortunate slur on current Roco quality!

 
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Left - The IORE arriving at Lövhöjden; other trains from left are visiting Ra 994 with an InterCity train, visiting Rc6 1323 (a duplicate of our Rc5 1323) with Märklin train, and T21 64 with cement train.
Right - Re 1423 with a Green Cargo train at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

On the Sunday, an assortment of older models (both in terms of epoch and in some cases, age of the model) was brought out with not a Blue-SJ model in sight! Du 373 had a 12-wagon goods train which made no effort to slow down the loco, so there are no issues with power here! Rc5 1344 worked a passenger train for most of the afternoon, but failed, and had to be replaced by Da 823. During the day, work was carried out on the new small control panel for Lövhöjden's loco depot, and two of the eight tracks were brought into use.

 
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Left - From left, Rc5 1351, Du 373, Da 936 (just visible), and Rc5 1344.
Right - A triple-header at the end of the day - to get all the stock back to Ålunden in as little time as possible!
[Photos: A. Allum]

23.08.10
Part One - Sweden
The Director General took a one-week holiday to Sweden in August, part of which was to take an up-to-date look at the Swedish railways. The Wednesday seemed an ideal opportunity to go to Avesta Krylbo, a busy railway junction on the Uppsala to Borlänge route; shewn in one of the "Svenska Tåg" programs as such. There was hope of seeing an Ma-loco, but that didn't happen. Instead, Rc-series locos of both Swedish and ex-Austrian (class 1043) types were to be seen; a HectorRail 161 (Adrian got a video of this, but the rain was too heavy to then get a photo of it while it waited), Banverket Rc-loco with an interesting cargo (see photos), a RailCare Vossloh diesel, and so on. Well worth the effort. Later in the evening, a visit was made to the Djurgårdslinjen depot near Skansen, to look at the extended shed with two extra tracks, and the new trams that are taking over bus route 47 (a sensible move as the buses never have enough room for all the pushchairs and other goods that accompany families going to the many attractions along that route)! Also, during the trip, a visit was made to MJ-Hobbyexperten, but read more about that in Part Two!

 
 
 
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Top Left - X40 3712 bound for Falun, at Avesta Krylbo.
Top Right - Rc2 007 and Rc4 1170 at Avesta Krylbo; the Rc2 is an ex-Austrian ÖBB class 1043, in TGOJ livery but with their logo removed and now in use by TÅGAB!
Middle Left - A Vossloh diesel loco in RailCare livery - no models yet!
Middle Right - ELL 0002R with InfraNord markings in Banverket's distinctive livery.
Bottom Left - An interesting cargo.
Bottom Right - One of the trams on test for the replacement bus route 47 service!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Part Two - the FLMJ
On the Sunday after returning from Sweden, the FLMJ was brought into use, partly to run the new models, and partly to do some work on the layout ahead of the forthcoming Open Weekend! There had been no new locomotives purchased in Sweden, but three new NMJ coaches, SJ types AB3, B1 and B5L (all in plain brown with the white "Meat-Stamp" logo) were run-in, along with an NSB type AB11 for our "International set" and one goods wagon, a Lima flat wagon marked for the NSB as type 'Rs,' but carrying containers with the "Kalix" town shewn in the livery; Kalix is near the Finnish border, up on the north coast of the Baltic. The Du-loco also came out with a train as it is also quite new. Point 104 at Månstorp was connected to a motor and wired up. It works very well, which is actually a relief because we are experimenting with Peco's product PL-11 here, instead of the tried PL-10. The layout will have an assortment of both types as we go around installing them!

 
 
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Top Left - Da 823 with the three new SJ coaches, seen at Lövhöjden, with the NSB train in the far background.
Top Right - The NSB AB11 at Lövhöjden; El.16 2212 runs round.
Bottom Left - The Rs wagon with 'Kalix' containers is directly behind the loco.
Bottom Right - The motor for point Mtp-104 in place.
[Photos: A. Allum]

02.08.10 With Lövhöjden back in working order, the FLMJ saw a train service at the beginning of August. For about an hour, though, the problematic Siljansbanan was attended to, and eventually we were able to use this. A 'dry' solder-joint also needed attention at the loco depot, and then a point motor fitted, but not connected up.
The FLMJ provided an assortment of motive power, including the new Du 373 and T21 64, both fitted with standard H0 couplings (the T21 (a Heljan model) because the NEM boxes are in the wrong place and cannot work with close-couplings); and the Hector Rail 241 002 (TRAXX) loco and Green Cargo T44 269, fitted with close couplings. During the day, Re 1423 (another TRAXX loco) was delivered, and after running in, was fitted with a close coupling at one end and it then double-headed with the other TRAXX loco from Lövhöjden to Ålunden. As with the previous ACME model, we will need to build and fit the NEM coupling box for the other end before we can attach a coupling head!
Visiting trains comprised very modern Rc6 locos in Grey and Black liveries (and coaches to match), a T43 / V5 with goods train, Ga steam loco with passenger coaches, and a few other items.

 

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Top Left - Y7 1136 alongside the new station building at Månstorp.
Top Right - Black and Grey Rc-locos with train at Lövhöjden.
Bottom - Re 1423 at Lövhöjden, with an old Da-loco to contrast in the background!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Modern passenger train departing Lövhöjden. [Video: A. Allum]

Green Cargo and Hector Rail joining forces, both TRAXX locos. [Video: A. Allum]

30.07.10 On July 29th, the first train arrived at the rebuilt Lövhöjden station, under its own power. The locomotive selected for this honourable duty was our newest, Du 373, along with a short goods van and four 1940's coaches. A few other trains were also brought into the station, and a few tests were conducted; and now with an operational railway once again, we can relax a little and enjoy it more!

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Du 373 passing Kopparberg on route to Lövhöjden with the first passenger train since the layout was rebuilt. [Photo: A. Allum]

The first passenger train arriving at Lövhöjden. [Video: A. Allum]

12.07.10 Work is progressing at the FLMJ, but not as fast as we would like. The fact is, this wonderfully hot weather that we're having is making it unbearable to work upon the railway! On Sunday 11th July, for example, we started with work on the control panel and track bonding at Lövhöjden, because the sun was on the other side of the home. From midday, both Lövhöjden and Månstorp were out of bounds due to the heat, so we did scenic work at Kopparberg (very enjoyably, as the photos suggest), and it wasn't until the evening, that a little work got done at Månstorp!

 
 
 
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Top Left - Lövhöjden's control panel seen being prepared for the insert with the new switch layout.
Top Right - The step lifted so that track bonding could be completed through the tunnel.
Middle Left - A tractor arrives at the farm at Kopparberg - a nice scenic setting.
Middle Right - The farmhouse in its improved environment; but more will be done here.
Bottom Left - The trees are drilled into the baseboard; spare bases are used as tree stumps!
Bottom Right - Allotment huts looking very drab without surrounding scenery along the front of Månstorp station!
[Photos: A. Allum]

09.05.10 Two members (and for an hour, two friends also) set to completing the work at Lövhöjden on 9th May. After some discussion at the AGM and Members' Day of the Scandinavian Railways Society on the 8th, it was agreed that the layout of the loco shed (with the headshunt) is not at all authentic, so in removing that, we were able to replace the strips of roofing felt with one large sheet. This one sheet was extended through the tunnel and all the way to meet the felt that comes up with the Siljansbanan!
Three new points had arrived during the week, and these were bonded and fitted into place, allowing the tracks alongside platforms 1 and 2 to be laid, as well as the 'neck' that will form the line to Fjällnäs, the junction (and connection) to the Siljansbanan, and the new better-positioned loco shed. In other words, the track has been completed. There was also some moving about with the scenic effects, but the three yellow houses, as well as the two large buildings that were on the former high-level town scene, are now on the main board and blend in very well - just wait for the rest of the scenery to go down!

 
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Left - A much neater (and more authentic) layout at Lövhöjden.
Right - The loco shed, with the main line to the left (and Siljansbanan branching off to the left of that)!
[Photos: A. Allum]

We used two Roco B7 coaches to test the track (with close couplings, we can see how well the gangways move as they go through curves), and a T44 to test platform clearances. During the afternoon, however, we cut from a very thick sheet of plastic, a platform gauge, which will make this job easier in future. For the photo-call at the end of the day, the newly delivered "HectorRail" class 241 loco was stood alongside the shed.

 

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Top Left - HectorRail loco, 241 002-3 alongside the loco shed.
Top Right - The three yellow houses; the road will pass between the middle and right one in this view.
Bottom - The bigger buildings at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

01.05.10 AJK members have the opportunity to meet on Tuesday evenings, and usually the rolling stock gets serviced then. During April, our sessions were more productive than usual; with the IORE been refurbished so that it no longer relies upon the feeble electrical coupling between units, the Artitec houses being brought much closer to being ready, and three Volvo 164 kits making good progress!

 

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Top Left - IORE 102 (the 'Slave' part of this Roco model, now an 'equal' to the former 'master') on the rolling-road.
Top Right - The Artitec low-relief models are now free-standing with side walls to 'fill-in' any gaps caused by the different profiles.
Bottom - The Volvo 164 kits. We need to find a way to glaze them (they have interiors), and then after painting the 'detail,' there's not much more to do.
[Photos: A. Allum]

11.04.10 On Saturday April 10th (and Sunday 11th as there was nothing better to do), the poorer quality roofing felt through Kopparberg and Lövhöjden was removed and replaced with a better quality product, identical to the type purchased for the Månstorp and surrounding areas. Then, we set to work laying track. We decided to recycle as many old "insulfrog" turnouts as possible, and see how far we got. By the end of the weekend, all of the track was down except through platform tracks 1 and 2, and we need to buy one of each, long radius points, left and right turns. Despite moving the station as near to Kopparberg as possible (and including the use of a curved turnout to assist with this), we didn't quite have enough room to lay out the engine shed as we had wanted, but the compromise does suggest that there had been a turntable years ago, so it'll more than do.

 
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Left - Månstorp point 101 (nearer the tunnel) with the point motor now on the other side.
Right - The nice clean line through Kopparberg. Hopefully the scenery will stick, this time!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Some of the scenic effects were also placed out, and these included the farm at Kopparberg (which is more-or-less where it was), and the (Seglora) Church, which has moved to the other side of the track where there is now more room for it. The station building will be at the "Fjällnäs" end of the platforms, but we cannot fit this precisely until the tracks and then the platforms are in place. The engine shed and head-office building have been moved to the other end of the station also, and they look very nice in their new positions.

 
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Left - The compromised layout of the engine shed, but hey, it looks good!
Right - T44 349 testing the new shed layout for size.
[Photos: A. Allum]

There was a plan to do some work at Månstorp also, but in the end, only point 101 got replaced. The old point had a partially broken tie-bar, but the new one allows us to move the point motor to the other side of the track, giving more room for the roadway to go behind!
It would seem that the next job is the track through platforms 1 and 2 at Lövhöjden; and then we can prepare the electrical installation here. The area to the other side of the step hasn't been covered (with roofing felt) yet, so that is also another job for probably the next club session. There will be just one point in this area, a left hand divergence to the Siljansbanan, and this, also, will use a long radius point. We have used some of the removed roofing felt to cover the platforms and this looks good, so we'll do more of that. We're also thinking of using it as a road surface, so that the gravel effect of the better felt doesn't ruin the visual effect of the roads!

 
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Left - The church has a new location (but is still the right way around)!
Right - Station building, engine shed and railway head office, all seen in their new locations (station building to be finalised)!
[Photos: A. Allum]

06.04.10 Inspired by the FLMJ, one of our members has just started building his own garden railway, albeit in a much larger scale - we'll link to the website when one appears.

 
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Left - The FLMJ's Director General helps out with the baseboard construction.
Right - The first baseboard of the new railway, with track loose-laid on it for testing.
[Photos: D. Hill.]

01.03.10 A number of FLMJ models were taken to the Eastleigh Model Railway Exhibition (Eurotrack) at the end of February to be on static display in support of the Scandinavian Railways Society stand. This year, the available space was not taken up by a DCC layout, and thus the models could be seen. A "progression" of goods diesel locomotives (T21, T44, TMZ) were on one track; the NMJ ABo2 (brown) and AB3 (blue-black) were in front of them; four Roco Hbikks (or similar) wagons were behind a Danish steam loco (but the wagons were two Swedish, one Norwegian and one Finnish), and the Hobby-Trade double wagon was alongside, demonstrating the manufacturer's unfortunate faux-pas with the position of the NEM couplings!
In addition to this, Patrick Grace had his "Småtorp" layout there, and the FLMJ's Sa938 with wooden bodied coaches provided the main passenger train service. Later in the day, our T21 64 was given a run on the layout (still without couplings, so it was light-loco), and it does at least work in that respect!

 
 
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Top Left - Sa 938 with train, having just arrived at Småtorp; our old Y7 railbus is much too modern for this layout!
Top Right - The turntable and shed area on the layout.
Bottom Left - T21 64 at the station.
Bottom Right - Some of the FLMJ's models on static display (among others)!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

Videos - Hosted by YouTube

T21 64 departs Småtorp.
[Video: A. Allum]

13.02.10 Two AJK members set to work, at last, on the rebuilding at Kopparberg and Lövhöjden. Unfortunately, everything didn't go to plan, but we were able to press ahead anyway. The same roofing felt as before couldn't be found, so we bought a different but equally lightweight product. It doesn't colour-match, but it will eventually be covered in scenery, so we're not bothered about that. Unfortunately it tears very easily, and a number of repairs were necessary! In all the confusion with finding a suitable product to use, we didn't get enough, and were unable to finish the job! The continuation will be with the same type that we used at Månstorp; we will allow more time to find somewhere selling it!
During the week leading up to this, some work was carried out on our latest arrival, the T21 diesel from Heljan. This arrived damaged, but we weren't aware of the extent of the damage initially, and it is really too late (politely) to send it back now! (We have heard from friends modelling British 00-gauge, that Heljan's models do usually arrive damaged, and their reputation is not good. They generate sales by producing (mostly) models that other manufacturers haven't bothered with!) Two steps have been glued back on, as well as two of the cylindrical tanks, but the three handrails are still to be done. We haven't yet worked out how to remove the 'scale' coupling so that we can fit a proper coupling. A pricey disappointment!

 

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Top Left - Lövhöjden being dismantled and baseboards completely cleared.
Top Right - And this time with its new covering (mostly) and stored track.
Bottom - T21 64 laying on its side whilst the glue dries - more repairs to this loco are necessary.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

09.01.10 For January's work session, the FLMJ was under a scale depth of 46' of snow, and the temperature was well below freezing! So, we didn't start the work at Kopparberg or Lövhöjden, but we did try running trains instead! We have run trains in the snow before, but it was just too cold to stop the ice from forming wherever we cleared the snow! The locos had already been taken in to thaw by the time the photos were taken!

 
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Left - Lövhöjden in the snow, with a single track cleared for through trains.
Right - Månstorp in the snow, with two tracks cleared.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

12.12.09 With poor weather preventing a start on the rebuilding of the railway at the Kopparberg and Lövhöjden areas in November, we decided that rather than start just before Yule, we'd run a few trains during our December club session. It was the first chance to run in the NMJ 'Os' and 'Kbps' wagons (and they're much too light to stay on the track), and also one of our Rc4 locos came back into service. Visiting Rc5 1351 was performing rather poorly and we found that it was picking up power from one bogie only (not usual for a Roco model). After an investigation and soldered alteration, it now works properly. A "Jultomten" special train was run towards the end of the day, headed by the K24 steam loco.
Hopefully January's weather will be conducive to the planned rebuilding work!

 

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Top Left - Rc4 1277 with a train of 'Om,' 'Os' and 'Kbps' goods wagons at Lövhöjden.
Top Right - Also at Lövhöjden, Rc5 1351 with a passenger train.
Bottom - Flash photography was necessary for the special train, seen approaching Månstorp.
Photos: A. Allum - with a new camera, in need of different techniques!]

14.11.09 The FLMJ had a work party on November 14th, but the rain and strong winds put an end to the plans to start the heavy work at Lövhöjden and Kopparberg! Instead, we worked indoors on motive power and rolling stock. V5 152 received its main overhaul, and this included swapping over some wheels so that the traction tyre is on the centre axle. The regularly visiting Green Cargo Rc2 1072 was fitted with Entec mirrors, wipers and windscreen surrounds, greatly improving its appearance. Visiting Trix T44 376 was looked at with a view to renumbering it, but we need some orange paint in the matching shade before we can do this work! Two UGJ coaches, the A5 and B8 were serviced and passed for operation, though the B8 is still missing its decals on one side - we have no idea how these went missing! A Lima WL2 was also looked at, but this needs one buffer replaced before this can re-enter service. One wagon was also serviced, one of the Eaos wagons that had been out of service for many years following a derailment in which it lost its coupling springs. Replacement springs have now been found, and the wagon is at last, back in service.

 
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Left - Rc2 1072 is seen with its new windscreen surrounds, wipers and mirrors; the mirrors will need painting. V5 152 is in the background on the running-in test-bed.
Right - Eaos 31 74 540 0 049-6 is seen standing on track after being returned to service.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

13.10.09 The FLMJ's Director General, Adrian Allum took a short holiday in Stockholm at the end of September, during the week when the weather turned; +15°C upon arrival and -1°C upon departure! At the end of the holiday, the FLMJ benefitted with six new wagons from NMJ (purchased of course at MJ-Hobbyexperten), but none of the desired locos were actually in production yet! Some useful notes and observations were made, however.
Heljan's F-lok steam loco was desired for the FLMJ, but the price was prohibitive. Thankfully we were not tempted to just "go for it," as the loco is reported to be unstable (keeps coming off the track) and is a generally poor runner! Another disappointment was with the overpriced På-Sporet B6 coaches; they look nice from a distance, but it was disappointing to see that they are held together in ancient Triang fashion with a large ceiling-to-floor bolt. (Of the six wagons that we did buy, four have incorrect 'check' digits, even!)
A tour of most model shops was made, and there is no real change to report. Harambee Hobby used to have a good selection of road vehicles, but this is no longer the case; H0-scale modelling there is limited to Märklin trains and a few building kits. Wentzels' selection would fit into a suitcase, and Adrian was unsuccessful finding the new location for Eskader. MJ-Specialisten in Solna was visited, but they were renovating the premises, so there was very little there, but a return visit will be made during a later visit. As already mentioned, MJ-Hobbyexperten was visited, and some money spent! This is the main outlet for Jeco models, and by being located on an industrial estate instead of a retail park, they can afford to have a bigger shop with more stock!
New X60 trains provide most of the suburban services (pendeltåg) between Märsta and Södertälje, and between Bålsta and Nynäshamn, but a handful of X10 units remain in service also. Due to the high failure rate of the doors on the X60s, there remains a number of X1 units in service also! (Oddly, it was an old train on the Saltsjöbanan that had this sticky door problem whilst Adrian was onboard!) With so many liveries, SJ's trains were quite multicoloured, and one was seen on the last day with almost every current SJ livery in its formation - at least 6 liveries (original and revised blue, inter-regio, original and recently-revised black, IC-11 blue - only the grey was missing)! At least one black Rc6 was seen sporting a UIC number - really necessary?
There was plenty of evidence of the Citybanan being constructed. Track alongside Tomteboda has been slewed to one side; part of the T-bana blue-line was closed due to the work, and near Riddarholmen, there was plenty of construction work going on. Revamping around Stockholm Östra station meant that Roslagsbanan trains were starting and terminating at Mörby, and a trip out to Kårsta was along a section that made London's Metropolitan line seem smooth by comparison! During the trip, approval for the extension of the Tvärbanan from Alvik to Solna was reported on in the newspapers, so that is something to look forward to - then we will just need a section from Solna to Sickla Udde to complete the circuit! Just after the trip, the Djurgårdslinjen route south of Skansen was closed so that the route can be improved, including moving the tracks farther apart so that trams can pass each other along that section!

 
 
 
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Top Left - A tram at Alvik, presently the terminus, but not for much longer!
Top Right - Buses at Sollentuna have a new timetable - that does not connect with the trains.
Middle Left - Djurgårdslinjen's service car, an old Volvo P210 has now been retired!
Middle Right - Even the old trams will be subject to changes soon.
Bottom Left - X60 just south of Centralstation.
Bottom Right - Who would believe that the temperature was almost down to 0°C?
[Photos: A. Allum.]

21.09.09 The FLMJ had its Autumn Open Day on September 19th, a busy one with unexpectedly good weather! The previous day had seen some work done on the layout (including the relocating of the block controls at Månstorp onto the new control panel) and we were confident of a reliable layout! Apart from some point motor switch failures at Lövhöjden, all did go very well. As the point motors were changed, some of the detector switches went beyond the rest position breaking the contact, and with Electrofrog points, this resulted in dead 'V' sections. But that really only applied to two motors; and one other failed completely, but was unsuccessful in bringing the railway to a stand!
The FLMJ provided a short InterRegio train, the railbus, and a goods train. The guests provided the rest, including a Roco Dm3 loco with scale-length train (well, at 56 wagons, it was too long), but this could not manage the up-gradient on the Siljansbanan, so the train was reduced to 24 wagons; this determined by the length of the loops! A second Dm3 came out also, an intriguing loco, DC-analogue with sound. When the power was turned up, we had to wait 10 seconds before it would move. And then it would cut out for no apparent reason before starting the 10-second cycle again! This problem has occurred with other similar models, so "DC-analogue with sound" models are now banned from the layout (in addition to all DCC models - regardless of the false claim that they are compatible on DC-analogue)!

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - First two trains of the day; the railbus for the Siljansbanan shuttle, and the InterRegio train with a couple of NSB sleeper coaches and a spare loco to be detached at Lövhöjden!
Right - Dm3 with shortened iron ore train passing through Siljansnäs.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

As a side show, we had a Volvo Owners' Club car rally in the field at Kopparberg, and this was prompted by the arrival of Brekina's model of the 140 series, and in particular, three 145 estates here (the 144 saloons are still awaited - it seems that Brekina's awkward attitude to British importers hasn't changed)! We were even able to make up a suitable sign, having trawled the internet for Swedish-based VOCs!
We had 11 guests, which is a good figure, three of whom were children (all girls), who appreciated the 'hands on' policy, as they all got a chance to drive some of the trains.
From now, the entire Lövhöjden and Kopparberg areas are to be pulled up and rebuilt. This work will include the laying of fine roofing felt (because scenic materials do not stick to the polycarbonate sheets) and providing a new track layout at Lövhöjden (loosely based on the layout at Ätran, but heavily modified). We are allowing a year for this work, but if we get ahead, then we might have a July Open Day! Stay tuned.

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - The FLMJ's Ub-loco came out for a while to work a short goods train.
Right - About half of the Volvo rally at Kopparberg!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

Videos - Hosted by YouTube

The iron ore train headed by a Dm3, seen departing Lövhöjden.

Former FLMJ maintenance vehicle visiting - and in a hurry!
[All Videos: A. Allum]

On Sunday September 20th, friends of the FLMJ were invited to the new premises of the Western Model Railway Society. Construction of a new permanent layout has not yet started, but the Grunfurter Strasse layout was up and working (as well as an N-scale layout), and that was where two FLMJ trains were put into service.
We took two long goods trains, with the Hector Rail 142 and DSB EG locos for traction. Although both locos struggled with a steep and tightly curved incline, the Heljan model (the EG) had the edge, but the Roco model was less likely to run away on the downhill section! DB trains (one with SNCB coaches) were also in service, as well as a RENFE suburban train and a BR (H0-scale) train.

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - EG 3112 at Grunfurter Strasse.
Right - 142 002-5 along the high-level section.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

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Two FLMJ trains passing at Grunfurter Strasse.

15.08.09 On August 15th, the FLMJ had its annual one-day invasion of British 00-scale models! The theme was mostly LMS, but a BR(W) loco needed running in, and a few others were running also. Two H0-scale models also ran; a BR "Warship" with train (as made until recently by Fleischmann) and a newly bought Trix SJ T44 for running in.

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - Jeco T44 on the left, Trix on the right.
Right - Prototype Deltic at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

The Trix T44 is much slower than the Jeco one and the detail is not as fine. The cab end windows just don't look right, either! Further, with "DCC onboard," the lights don't shew very well on analogue systems. But it does have a cab interior. The "local collection" provided a BR(W) 93XX loco for running in, but this jerks from side to side quite badly, so it will need working on; and a BR(M) "Jubilee" gave erratic performance to start with, but it did get better as the day progressed. A visiting brake van needed regauging so that it would go through the points (a common problem with Hornby products), and a Hornby "Princess" loco that has been back to factory twice before it could run still needed further attention, but we were able to do this in our own workshops, and now it runs very well. A freelance 0-4-0T loco in BR black livery was so light that we found enough space to add 14gm of lead weight and its performance improved considerably.
Minor track issues occurred during the day. A sliding expansion joint at Månstorp had got distorted, so it was replaced. Re-laid track along the Siljansbanan was out of alignment, causing occasional derailments, so this was re-laid, and point 102 at Lövhöjden was also adjusted for the same reason!

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - H0-scale British outline model, a Fleischmann "Warship" at Lövhöjden.
Top Right - A BR(M) Jubilee (right) alongside a LMS "Princess" and "Patriot."
Bottom - Parcels Delivery at the loco shed.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

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Prototype 'Deltic' between Månstorp and Lövhöjden.

LMS 'Princess' and 'Patriot' class locos double-head a train through Månstorp.
[All Videos: A. Allum]

09.08.09 On August 8th, the FLMJ was open for traffic, but not strictly as a guest event, though we did invite some neighbours in. Rc6 1353 provided a reliable service through the day, but it is clear that all the lamps need looking at because they're not working in either direction! It started with an InterCity train, but by the afternoon, this had changed to InterRegio. Ub 717 was on hand for shunting, but TMX 1014 worked a goods train that featured a new wagon that arrived last weekend! The Y7 1136 also saw some service as did the steam loco Sa 938 with its regular 2-axle coaches. Later in the day, TMZ 1410 brought out the iron-ore train (IORE 101+102 will be repaired as part of its major overhaul next year) and TMY 101 came out to act as a relief loco, stabled at Lövhöjden shed. The TMX joined it and for a while the HectorRail 142 002.5 loco took over the goods train, but performance was not satisfactory, so the Danish EG 3112 took that over instead.

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - Rc6 1353 with an InterCity train at Lövhöjden; note that there is still a Lima A2 in service (behind the loco).
Right - Both of Danish origin, the EG-loco is in charge of a general goods train, whilst the Kadee-fitted TMZ is in charge of the Ore train.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

A pause in traffic was made so that we could finish rewiring up the Siljansbanan (as part of the previous work at Månstorp), and towards the end of the day, this line was brought back into service; and we shall make good use of it during the September Open Day, especially as that day will be the last with Lövhöjden in its present guise. A diagram of the new track layout was on display near the station, also.
It was refreshing to know that railway modelling in the UK is beginning to appeal to more and more girls; our two young female guests enjoyed themselves very much. Britain seems to be way behind the rest of the world in accepting that girls can be just as interested in trains as boys, and it was a pleasure to be able to share the enjoyment of the FLMJ with them in this way.

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - Two young guests, one at the controls easing Y7 1136 out of Lövhöjden station.
Top Right - Ub 717 with a very short passenger train (probably a staff train), seen at Månstorp.
Bottom - Sa 938 with its train, alongside Y7 1136 at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

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Y7 1136 arrives at Månstorp along the newly-reopened Siljansbanan. [Video: A. Allum]

11.07.09 The FLMJ was open to invited guests on July 11th, and the Director General took a day off work on the 10th to get things ready. So, let's look at the preparation first, especially as there is something rather bizarre to report!

The main job for the day was to connect up the switches on the control panel at Månstorp, so that all of the track sections could be switched on or off - connection to a remote controller will be later! This was a fairly straight-forward procedure, and the weather was conducive to this sort of work (warm, dry, but not too hot)!
Then it made sense to test the tracks and isolations with a locomotive. T44 269 was selected. It got off to a good start, but derailed over point 106 (the one nearest Ålunden). A check was made to ensure that the point blades were closing properly, which they were, but again the loco came off. An assortment of adjustments was made, but again the loco would not stay on the track. In order to make sure that this was not a fault with the locomotive, a carriage was brought out, so that it could be rolled over the point and observed (the point is too far away from the controller to observe a powered loco closely). And it came off - the wheels simply rode up over the rails - on both sides! And here's the bizarre thing; the point had regauged itself to 15mm - all of the sleepers appear to have shrunk (Peco SL-98 long-radius 'Y' point)! The immediate remedy was to bend the rails outways, but this compromised the strength and reliability of the point, so a new one was purchased for installation on the Saturday morning!

So, Saturday arrived with rain. By 8:am, it had stopped raining and we were reasonably confident of running the railway. Nevertheless, we got off to a bad start with the discovery that the wrong point had been ordered for Månstorp number 106 (SL-97 short radius), and having lifted out the old (15mm gauge) point with it falling apart as we did so, the adrenaline started to rush! One of our team agreed to pick up the correct component on his way in, but then got stuck in traffic, so we temporarily fitted an old "electrofrog" version!
There had been a plan for a big special train to 'open' Månstorp station, but with the reconnection of the block controls taking a lot longer than planned, the 12:30 opening took place at 13:00, and then had to wait for another half-hour while track repairs took place in Månstorp tunnel under the step to the front door! Then, just as we really got it all running, it started to rain again!
For the rest of the day, the rain kept coming and going, but for most of the time, we were able to keep the railway running. The FLMJ provided a goods train headed by T44 269, and three other locos were on standby, Rc6 1353, Ub 717 and V5 176. The V5 failed completely, so a thorough service will be necessary! Also, Rc5 1344 brought a short train out, apparently carrying the dignitaries for the opening of Månstorp station! One of the regular team provided at least three modern passenger trains, and another a goods train. The two new control panels worked very well, and the new method of working them has been given the 'thumbs-up' by all who have used them.

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - Rc5 1344 at Månstorp's temporary platform with the official train for the opening of Månstorp station.
Right - Tågkompaniet made an appearance with this Rc6 and train; note the observation carriage.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

The decision has been taken to not start rebuilding any more of the railway until after the September Open Day. Before then, we will continue with the work at Månstorp and Siljansnäs, and the control panels there and at Ålunden. The new junction at Ålunden also needs some attention, it seems! After September, then we hope to start work on Lövhöjden, rebuilding it to the new proposed layout. To be absolutely sure of a reliable open day, we're thinking that we won't hold one in July, but just to do the September one - or at a similar date. Obviously, that will depend on the progress made, and will be decided much later.

Click thumbnail for large image
Rc7 1420 with an InterRegio train at Månstorp. [Photo: A. Allum.]

15.06.09 AJK's weekend in June was for 1½ days; Saturday afternoon and all of Sunday. Officially, this is the last weekend before the Open Day on July 11th, but weekday evening work will be essential if the railway can open then. Invitations are being delayed for this reason!
We spent the Saturday on three main jobs. Whilst the sun was too hot to get into hard work at Månstorp, we set to work at Lövhöjden and Ålunden. A few rail joins needed bonding, but all was tested and with the exception of the point to siding LC at Lövhöjden, all is OK. This point motor will not be repaired because other areas are more important right now, and soon it will all be pulled up in line with the general overhaul of the railway! It might be used for static display in July. As the sun worked its way around the home, we were able to work at Månstorp. All of the wiring was pulled up because we would be asking for trouble if we didn't have a fresh start with it - there were indeed many joins and terminal blocks in each loom, and we wish to reduce our maintenance quota!
On the Sunday, new cable runs were laid at Månstorp and by the end of the day, all of the tracks were connected up to the terminals inside the control panel, as were the leads from the train controller. Whilst this work was going on, the point motors at Ålunden were connected up, but not completed, partly due to running out of the appropriate cable. There is also an issue here with the terminations in that they need to be changed as we will not now be needing so many at Ålunden. Cabling from the former down line block controls was also recovered, and some of this has been fitted up to be used with point detectors, but at a later date. The one 'urgent' point detector was partially connected, but this will be continued during the week!

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - Månstorp's control panel has been fitted into a hole left by the removal of the old one!
Right - T44 269 came to grief over a point, having struck a lump of loosened ballast.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

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First train out with the new control panel (at Ålunden), and even a new train controller mounted onto the panel. [Video: A. Allum]

01.06.09 On Sunday May 31st, the Ålunden control panel was swapped over; not the easy task as we had hoped for! All of the track switches had been tapped into the plastic and so needed unscrewing, but this was not possible due to the wiring that went from switch to switch, and we did not want to have to un-solder and re-solder! We were able to turn the switches by 360°, which by turning into the plastic, opened up the thread enough to wriggle the switches out, though one did get damaged and had to be replaced.
Once this was done, the block controls (for only one line) were moved across also; the obsolete line's controls pending disconnection, and then the buzzer - all now on the main control panel. The decision was made that a panel controller will be fitted here, but none of the ones in stock were any good, so a new one will be purchased. It is hoped that at the next club session, this will be fitted into place along with the optional track cleaner and two relays, one for working with the track cleaner controls, and the other for working with the master 'in'-'out' switch.
With a CD providing background music and only half-way through, a smaller job was looked for and this turned out to be the old Triang power transformer that had stopped working ages ago. It was found that the mains lead was damaged, and the damaged part was cut away and all else repaired and working satisfactorily. Once a stock of 3-core mains cable has been replenished, we will replace the old lead completely, for safety's sake.

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - The new control panel in place, but still a lot of connections are needed.
Top Right - At least the block controls are working.
Bottom - And this transformer is back in use, but will probably be loaned to the Acton Miniature Railway, where the FLMJ's Director General is the General Manager!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

10.05.09 Having re-laid the track through Månstorp, a small work-party turned the attention to the control panel and wiring. With all wires removed, the front was cut out so that a replacement panel could be mounted behind. Many of the switches were fitted, but the new control panel has more functions than the old, so this work was not completed. A new panel was also made up for Ålunden. Unfortunately, a blossoming bush over the garden fence gave the Director General a bad time for Hay-fever, so his input was severely restricted!

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Top - The 'old' control box with the switch and diagram area cut out, ready to receive a new 'insert' with the new layout!
Bottom Left - This is the new panel for Månstorp. Track and point switches have been fitted, but all the others will be done later.
Bottom Right - This is the new panel for Ålunden. The track switch layout is the same as the old one so that we don't have to rewire it all!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

13.04.09 The dedicated work-day for the FLMJ in April was a bit of a washout, and it was pointless trying to do the desired work, further tweaking at Månstorp! So, instead, many locos, carriages and wagons were given their annual service (some of them quite overdue), and even the "CombiTrans" wagon (a repainted Roco product) was brought back into serviceable condition. It appears that the paint used for its new livery (professionally done in Sweden) has reacted with the plastic, and it is quite brittle; but we will put the wagon through its paces this year and see how it gets on!
Five wagons were sold to a club member (five that never really got used) but five new Hobby Trade wagons arrived from Sweden, two 'Ibcos' insulated vans and three 'Om' flat wagons. There is one minor problem with one of the vans (a foot-step is missing from one of them - hardly worth returning), and one bigger problem with both of the vans (the NEM coupling boxes are too far in, so with close couplings inserted, they don't reach)! But overall we are very pleased with them.
The sunshine finally broke through on Easter Monday, so no time was wasted at Månstorp. Track 1 was realigned so that the 'S' curve at the down end could be straightened out, and then the other tracks realigned to match. Track 3 was reduced to a shorter length away from the down end, and the point moved accordingly. Although this now gives us only two long tracks through the station (and a short loop), it has removed the 'S' bends from tracks 2 & 3, made the whole area look less cramped ... and is more authentically based on Läggesta as it was in 1935 (see "FLMJ-Nytt" edition 3/08). Point motors were also fitted, but not connected electrically. These are all 'above baseboard' and will have suitable buildings placed over them - including the one between tracks 1 & 2 (a relay room would be nice, there)!

 
 
Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - The CombiTrans wagon with a long bolt now holding one of the pony trucks in place.
Top Right - A point motor in place. Note the orange 'bonding' wires; these will be hidden by ballast, eventually.
Bottom Left - T44 349 bringing a short goods train into track 3 at Månstorp.
Bottom Right - Da 936 departing Månstorp with a local train.
[Photos: A. Allum. (Note that the electrics are not yet in, so these photos were 'posed!')]

15.03.09 The FLMJ had a busy weekend in the middle of March, which started on the evening of Friday 13th. Da 936 and TMZ 1410 were taken to the Western Model Railway Society for the occasion of their 73rd anniversary and the dedication of the new building. There is no permanent layout there presently, but Grunfurter Strasse (a German layout) has been set up, and this is where the trains operated; Da 936 with the new NMJ 1960s coaches and TMZ 1410 with the Iron Ore train. This latter loco is dedicated to this train (and has NEM-mounted Kadee couplings) until the IORE loco has returned to service following repair and modifications. TGOJ traditionally worked Iron Ore trains from Grängesberg to Oxelösund, but not with this loco or these wagons; but in order that this train can run in service, we've used a bit of "Modellers' Licence!"

 
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Left - TMZ 1410 with Iron Ore train at Grunfurter Strasse.
Right - Da 936 with passenger train at Grunfurter Strasse.
[Photos: A. Allum]

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TMZ 1410 and Iron Ore train

Da 936 with 1960s passenger train
[All Videos: A. Allum]

On Saturday 14th, a number of models were taken to a model railway exhibition to operate on the rebuilt Ekenäs layout. The layout is very small, so again, some compromise was made with authenticity; T44 349 with a solitary ABo2 carriage being one such example. However, Y7 1136 was at home here, and T43 233 worked a few short goods trains. Sa 938 also did a few goods workings in addition to its more regular 2-axle coaches, but only two of them!

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - T44 349 and T43 233 with trains at Ekenäs.
Right - Y7 1136 and Sa 938 at Ekenäs.
[Photos: A. Allum]

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T44 349 with through carriage.

Y7 1136 departs Ekenäs.
[All Videos: A. Allum]

Then on Sunday 15th, a small team set to work upon the FLMJ. As the laying of roofing felt continued, it made sense to continue into Siljansnäs (and beyond); and as luck would have it, we had in stock the necessary points for the new layout there, so Siljansnäs was re-laid to its new layout also (originally proposed for October)! Whilst this was going on, the track at Månstorp was completed along with the connections to Ålunden and to Siljansnäs. This latter route included easing the curve under the main line, and it is not so tight now. Some modifications were also made in the tunnel section near Ålunden due to the appearance of a kink at a rail-joint. Månstorp's buildings were also put out and had locating blocks provided so that they can always go in the correct place. The (Heljan) cinema will not be a part of this scene anymore, and the road is now on the other side of the railway. The vacant area on the old road side will become allotments!

Click thumbnail for large image
TMX 1014 at Månstorp with a test train - note new positions of buildings!
[Photo: A. Allum]

15.02.09 Three FLMJ Friends worked upon the railway on February 14th; the task being to rebuild Månstorp. The site was cleared completely, then lightweight roofing-felt was put down (something that we had successfully used with the old wooden baseboards), and then some track was laid. The job was far from finished, but it is inspiring and a lot tidier than before. The morning was interrupted with a trip out to the local line-side to see "Tornado" steam through; a celebrity loco if ever there was one!

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - An evening photo shewing the new alignment at the Up end of the station. The short track off to the left is a siding and there will be only the one track going through the tunnel under the step, now. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - 'Tornado' passes through Southwood (near Farnborough) at speed. This loco is brand new, having been built from scratch over the last 20 years. [Photo: D. Hill]

17.01.09 Friends of the FLMJ (formerly AJK members) made very good progress on January 17th with the rebuilding at Ålunden. All of the necessary trackwork has been done, all point motors fitted, and some baseboard modifications have been made also. The tracks were connected to the control panel; and the only significant job that didn't get done was wiring up the point motors; but we need to build the new control panel for them, first. Testing was done with the Ub-717, but Rc 1010 was brought out later with a couple of coaches.

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - The new alignment featuring a double-slip and a three-way point.
Top Right - Just inside the tunnel, there is now a point.
Bottom - Rc 1010 with a short train approaching Ålunden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

02.01.09 - We start the new year with a letter from the Director General:

Dear Friends of the FLMJ,

2008 was one of the worst years in FLMJ history, due in the main to my prolonged unemployment, which finally came to an end in July. Taking a low-paid job has meant that investment in the railway has been negligible since. This was also the year when some of the club members moved away to college courses or into work, and there has really been only two members who have tried to keep the railway running. This, I expect to continue for the foreseeable future, so the rebuilding of the railway is expected to take longer than the 18 months originally proposed!

The woes of 2008 were also evident in the delays to the publication of the journals, especially FLMJ-Nytt. This has been partly due to a lack of news to be published. Nevertheless, the various editions have been prepared, and I am hopeful of getting them shipped as a block in early January. Subscriptions for FLMJ-Nytt in 2009 have been waived in view of the delays.

The purchase of new models that are so suitable for the railway is being made possible with the sale of models that the FLMJ simply does not use any more. (And of course, the economic downturn is affecting this course of action!) There is also a trend to put the clock back to the late 1980s, to the end of Epoch-IV, and brown and orange liveries are becoming more apparent. The FLMJ remains committed to representing the railways of Sweden as they are today; but with the absence of r-t-r models of X2, X40, X60, Regina and Itino trains, we would have to virtually give up a regular passenger service!

Nevertheless, with suitable inspiration, I hope to rekindle FLMJ activities very soon, and get to work with the big overhaul that the railway desperately needs. Also, in collaboration with the Webmaster, I am intending to make a few changes to the website, to present more than just the FLMJ as a railway ... you'll see what I mean, later!

Thank you for your interest in the FLMJ; I hope that you share my enthusiasm for the new look railway that is about to emerge.

Adrian Allum
Director General
Ålunden, January 1st 2009.

09.11.08 November 9th was an AJK session, but being a Sunday, members were preoccupied elsewhere! Nevertheless, the Director General got on with a few jobs, including marking the wiring at Ålunden, ready for the electrical work that will be required there as part of the track rationalisation. As the temperature dropped, he turned his attention instead to the long overdue editions of "FLMJ-Nytt," and it is hoped that a batch will be proliferated soon, and that edition number 5(08) might be on time, or at least before the end of the year!
The most enjoyable part of the day, however, was taking stock of the new arrivals from Sweden, the first four NMJ coaches of types Ao2, ABo2, Bo1 and Bo5. These are being paid for by the selling of older models that are seldom used, and of course, the older Märklin versions of similar coaches. The Lima ones will also be sold eventually, but not before the appropriate liveries come from NMJ.

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - Ao2 5052, a model from NMJ, on show at Siljansnäs.
Top Right - The show-train flanked by Rc5 1323 and V5 175.
Bottom - The only disappointment is that with close couplings, they're still not very close!
[Photos: A. Allum]

12.10.08 Four AJK members operated the FLMJ on October 11th, though there was some compromise on the authentic nature of the railway! We were expecting only two, so it was permitted that one member could run-in his new British 00-scale models as well as his repaired and returned similar models. Thankfully, he also wanted to run-in his new Roco Da-loco also, so along with some of the FLMJ's models, there was a fair sprinkling of SJ upon the railway!
There was a plan to start track lifting during the day, in readiness for the new layout, but with four members present on what is officially a 'running' day, that got postponed. Nevertheless, Månstorp's platform did get removed due to clearance issues!

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - Da 936, a Roco model, has just arrived at Lövhöjden in this view, with a typical brown train.
Top Right - T44 349 rounds the curve toward Lövhöjden station with an Epoch-IV goods train.
Bottom - A British DMU stands alongside a steam locomotive, both 00-scale!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Videos - Hosted by YouTube

Da 936 brings a train around the railway (wait for it, it takes a while to appear from behind the signal in the foreground)!

FGW DMU on a similar journey.
[All Videos: A. Allum]

29.09.08 The FLMJ had a "last as it is" Open Day on September 27th! From now, we are going to consolidate the railway, and this includes considerable modifications to the track layout both at and between stations. But more about that, later! The FLMJ provided very little stock for this event; V5 152 was the shunting loco allocated to Lövhöjden and V803 went to Siljansnäs, dropping off two 4-wheelers at Lövhöjden on the way round! AJK members and guests provided the rest of the stock, including a silver Danish train and a goods train that featured the new Piko bogie tank wagon (of which one is wanted at the FLMJ). We had only two members present and five guests.

 
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Left - A Danish visitor at Lövhöjden, among Swedish friends!
Right - A suitably weighted T43 (see a recent news entry) with a passenger train, also at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

On the Sunday, AJK members had a private day (all two who turned up), and only FLMJ stock was brought out. V803 brought a short train to Lövhöjden again, before continuing light to Siljansnäs. Rc6 1408 worked with an Intercity train, Ub 717 with a short goods and T44 269 with a cement train. Later, steam loco Sa 938 brought a train to Lövhöjden, ready to work the last train away.

There were many areas of the railway that were not functioning properly this weekend, and during the weekend, two new failures occurred. We do not have enough active members to enable us to keep on top of the maintenance requirements, so the railway is to be rationalised, to make it easier to maintain and operate by only a minimal number of people, but with the scope for more people to get involved if they so wish. Therefore, over the next few months, you will read reports of track being lifted, baseboards being cut; but also track being re-laid, progressively! Stay tuned

 

Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - T44 269 at Månstorp with a cement train.
Top Right - V803 at Siljansnäs, about to propel some goods wagons into the industrial area.
Bottom - The town area at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

01.09.08 AJK members were permitted to run their 00-scale British trains upon the railway on Saturday August 30th. There were only a few members present, but the new shunting yard at the Industrial Area kept the operators busy for quite a while.

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Two British Railways 'Standard' class 4 tank locomotives bring a suburban passenger train towards Lövhöjden, which for the event was renamed, "Liverden!" [Photo: A. Allum.]

10.08.08 On a rather wet Saturday, we abandoned our plans to operate the railway, but instead set to work on some of the models owned by one of the club members; three Lima T43 diesel locos, one Lima Rc2 and one Märklin V10 (converted to 2-rail operation). The Lima T43 locos are notorious for negligible tractive effort, and so after some testing (with weights balanced on the roof), extra weight was added inside the body (and on the chassis) to each of them. With 40g, the test loco did well, but there was only room for 34g inside. The result could not be properly assessed because the rain had made the track wet and slippery, but it did just about pull a 15-wagon (30-axles) train! The Rc2 needed the 'dummy' bogie refitted so that it wouldn't fall out; only minor adjustments were necessary to enable this to happen. The V10 has one traction tyre on one of the end wheel-sets. This impairs performance on curves, so the wheel-set was swapped with the centre one. We were unable to carry out thorough testing, but its performance through points (another 'grey' area) was smooth!

 
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Left - The V10 on test on the wet Saturday, after two of its wheel-sets were swapped over.
Right - Almost all of the Lima goods stock was brought out, but only 15 wagons were used.
[Photos: A. Allum]

On the Sunday, with somewhat better weather (but not entirely dry), the FLMJ's three T43 locos were weighted down by 28g each. The FLMJ then became something of a T43-fest, with six such locos on the layout. One of the member's models, a duplicate of another of his, was renumbered from 241 to 245, so now for maintenance purposes, it is easier to tell them apart. Also during the Sunday, the five Fb-u wagons blew over in the wind a few times, and the opening 'flaps' acted as sails; so they were glued shut and 14g of weight was added to each chassis! Rc6 1422 is a loaned loco from a friend in the US, and this had all of its handrails and other attachments fitted (minus one mirror that is missing), and was then allowed to run in, doubling with the FLMJ's Rc5 1344. Later, another loaned loco, Rc5 1323 doubled with a member's Rc5 1351, and these hauled a long goods train towards the end of the day. Curiously, there were no passenger services during the weekend at all!

 
 
Click thumbnails for large images
Top Left - One of the FLMJ's T43 locomotives shewn opened up with the extra weights. The non-FLMJ ones also had weights attached under the cab roof. Note that the lighting 'tab' on the chassis has been bent to allow the body to fit back onto the chassis!
Top Right - T43 locos on shed.
Bottom Left - Ub 717 alongside loaned Rc6 1422 in the sidings at Lövhöjden.
Bottom Right - An interesting line up of locomotives at Lövhöjden; but can you identify them all?
[Photos: A. Allum]

Videos - Hosted by YouTube

Determining how much weight to add to the T43s by placing weights on top of the model ... at the head of a longer train.

Testing a T43 with weights added. (The wet track did not help performance).

An Rc-loco and Da-loco bring a goods train towards Lövhöjden

V10 passes Lövhöjden with a goods train.

Rc6 1422 and Rc5 1344 passing through Lövhöjden

Two Rc locos double-heading a long goods train through Lövhöjden.
[All Videos: A. Allum]

13.07.08 The FLMJ was open to friends and other invited guests on July 12th. Four AJK members and three guests kept the railway running between the many-but-brief showers. Rc5 1323 (loaned to the railway) was kept on standby at Lövhöjden along with HectorRail 142.002-5, whilst train services were provided by Rc6 1408 with an InterRegio train, and the IORE with the Ore train until the two halves of the IORE became separated, breaking the electrical coupling once again. (We hope to have this back in service for our September Open Weekend!) The American AEM7 took over Ore train duties! A visiting American T1 steam 4-4-4-4 loco with sound (which worked on Analogue) was an impressive sight and sound, and this also worked with the Ore train. There were a few other visiting trains, mostly Swedish, but also featuring a Spanish goods train. As the day came to a close (an hour before closing time) and the weather not looking much better, we started to clear away, only for more guests to arrive, complete with children. So, we set things up again, and provided a slightly compromised train service for another half-hour or so.

 
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Left - The two standby locos ... two because of the different coupling types deployed!
Right - Ub 717 waits with a short goods train at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

Guest events only take place on Saturdays now, due to the unavailability of members on Sundays. Nevertheless, the Sunday was a club day, so the railway was prepared for operation again. Typically, the weather was much nicer, and the railway saw a few more trains. However, after lunch, out came the tools and spare cable, and the new industrial area was wired up and brought into use. For this, we requisitioned the old panel controller from Månstorp, so local shunting is literally controlled locally. (We almost ran out of cable in the process!)
Now, brace yourself for a shock ... the problematic Siljansbanan appears to be cured! The fault was traced amid much difficulty, to a faulty connection where the relay plugs into the socket ... yes, we just wriggled it about a bit, and it all works satisfactorily now!

 
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Left - Stockholm T-bana at Siljansnäs? No, whilst we wait for an opportunity to motorise these, they are a youth hostel! (Well, there is a boat-hostel at Stockholm, so why not a train?)
Right - T44 269 with a goods train at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

In addition to similar trains to the Saturday, T44 269 brought out a modern goods train, and the TGOJ V-class diesel loco was brought to the industrial area to be the 'resident loco' here. V5 152 also saw a few duties at the industrial area (as the test loco) before being left on standby at Lövhöjden. We also had a few trips with a model of one of the G(23) British single car units as used on the London Underground; 00-scale, obviously. (See the Little Red Train's website for more information!) The final train of the day comprised four coupled locos, Ub 717, V5 152, V 702 and the unmarked and unpowered Z65. In our attempts to get a video of it (they stalled too much for us to keep the recordings), we didn't get any still photos ... maybe another time.
Between now and our September Open Day, we are going to rebuild the Ålunden junction area, as this is a very problematic area, and detrimental to the operators' enjoyment of the railway!

 
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Left - V 702 shunting at the industrial area.
Right - V5 152 stabled in the goods yard at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

Videos - Hosted by YouTube

Top - USA steam loco departing Lövhöjden.
Bottom - Green Cargo and Hector Rail locos on a goods
[Videos: A. Allum]

Top Left - The existing and proposed track plans for Ålunden.

22.01.08 January's club session at the FLMJ was poorly attended, only one person each day! Nevertheless, the newly re-laid track through Kopparberg was bonded, and a start was made on the 'front panel' for where the controllers will plug in at Ålunden. The engine shed at Lövhöjden has also received a cosmetic facelift with repainted doors, touched-up brick-work and the roof re-glued into place where it was beginning to come away!

 
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Left - The infamous unidentified Z65 stands outside the loco shed at Lövhöjden, the latter with repainted doors. The white squares above the doors don't shew very well the letters A or B, indicating which track is which! The loco is destined to become Z65 586. It will not have a motor, as it is useful as a brake (too much friction in the bearings) when we are working on the track and need wagons with spare parts in (track pins, rail joiners, etc); but can be easily moved about when required. A second identical Hornby model will be finished in a different livery as Z70 718.
Right - A very heavy but pliable track bond. This cable is very easy to work with, but we will see how well we can hide it under the ballast before deciding to continue with it!
[Photos: A. Allum]

10.12.07 AJK members enjoyed another visit to the indoor railway at Acton, hosted by the Western Model Railway Society, and some of the FLMJ's Epoch IV models were taken also. The T44 (349) certainly looked impressive with its rake of goods wagons, and its performance was as good as we could expect. The Rc5 (1344) took a passenger train, but the Y7 didn't get a run! Also on the layout, there was a small selection of American and Spanish models, and a good selection of British 00-scale models. The planning permission for the new building at Acton has been approved, so it is likely that this was our last session there ... until the new layout has been built in the new building!

 

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Top Left - The three Epoch IV models awaiting deployment!
Top Right - T44 349 at the head of a goods train.
Bottom - A Spanish DMU at the main station.
[Photos: A. Allum]

Videos - Hosted by YouTube

Top - T44 349 with a goods train.
Middle - Rc5 1344 with a passenger train.
Bottom - FLMJ Director General's BR(S) train,
[Videos: A. Allum]

3.12.07 A few AJK members and a few friends made the journey up to Birmingham to the Warley Model Railway Exhibition at the beginning of December. This is one of the largest shows in England, with many inspiring layouts on show, and a huge variety of traders to cater for almost every taste. This year, however, there were no Scandinavian layouts on show, and the only Swedish models that we could find were the Roco TMY and some Heljan coaches. Adrian did come away with a Swedish railway DVD and model car, but only because he met former AJK-member Thomas, who had bought them for him whilst in Sweden, recently!

28.11.07 AJK's first session in the non-operating season started with a meeting to outline the proposals for the winter work. One important item was the consideration of concrete baseboards raised on brick piers for the extension of the railway. This would effectively 'shut-up' the belligerent landlord who claims the existing boards are a 'Fire Risk,' though in actual fact, the risk is very low. (And in any case, he'll just look for something else to be unpleasant about ... he's like that!) However, there would be problems with siting point motors (although we're going to experiment with Peco's new PL-11 motor, to test it for outdoor use, it does not have detectors (an auxiliary switch),) and with fixing the track down. We also discussed the club outing for 2008 and the open days, which will be notified in the usual manner, probably in early January.
After the meeting, we set to work lifting all of the track through Kopparberg. Although this is one of the areas under threat of rationalisation (to single track) it will be relaid double, for now! The reason for lifting it was the kinks that had formed at some of the track joins, and these needed to be sorted out. The down line was re-laid to a slightly changed alignment, using two new lengths of track (the rest was recycled). A start was made on the up line, but failing light and workable temperature prevented us from continuing. All of the track on the FLMJ is bonded (short wires that enable the current to bypass the fishplates), and the soldering is very difficult when the weather is cold. Also, point 107 at Lövhöjden was replaced with an Insulfrog type, as part of a programme to replace all Electrofrogs with Insulfrog. Platforms at Månstorp and Lövhöjden were also worked upon, but again, temperature (or lack of it) stopped progress!

 

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Top Left - Matt working on the 'new' down line. Works train with unpowered loco on what's left of the up line!
Top Right - Tracksetta templates are used for making the curve as smooth as possible. By using different radii, we get good transitions!
Bottom - Point 107 at Lövhöjden is now Insulfrog, and therefore less likely to cause problems.
[Photos: A. Allum]

14.10.07 On October 13th & 14th, the FLMJ was open for invited guests (in the usual manner). We had a special celebration, that of the 40th anniversary of the Swedish Rc-loco design. For this event, we spent many hours during the preceding week, preparing two new locomotives, both type Rc4, converted from Rc6. (One of them was to have been converted to type Rm, but the modifications to the bogies were beyond the abilities of the engineer involved!) One of these locos (and one owned by another AJK member) was repainted from SJ orange into Green Cargo green livery, complete with awkward transfers, and we will have to get some spares to improve the present appearance! So, having done all this, Saturday's event started with a loco parade, featuring all designs from Rc1 through to Rc7, plus Rc-derived models in the shape of Norwegian El.16 and American AEM7! After that normal running took over, and these new locomotives were joined not only by other regular models, but also the two new T44 locomotives, now fitted with all the extra handrails and other accessories.
We should also record that before trains were in operation, most of the point springs at Ålunden were replaced, and a whole point was replaced at Siljansnäs, thus improving performance there considerably. As a result of this, a decision has been made that all future point installations will be Peco Insulfrog instead of the Electrofrog type that we are using presently! Further modifications were made during the Saturday at Ålunden, but it looks as if the whole junction point arrangement there will need to be re-laid this winter! Following damage to a locomotive recently, the warped wooden platforms at Månstorp and Lövhöjden were removed prior to this event ... but we ran out of time to fit the new plastic ones!
On the Sunday, there were fewer members present (but more guests), and Månstorp station was switched 'out' (though we put some extra buses in the forecourt for disgruntled passengers). We managed to put on a good show and a regular train service.

 
 
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Top Left - Rc4 1277 enters Lövhöjden during the Rc-parade. Time ran out with this conversion (from Rc6) and the roof fittings will be added later!
Top Right - The other two conversions, Rc4 1174 (from Rc6 1407 ... was to have been Rm 1257, but see text!) and the Webmaster's Lima Rc2 1027, both on shed at Lövhöjden.
Bottom Left - Two locos shunting, GC RC4 1174 and GC T44 269; the latter a Jeco model.
Bottom Right - SJ T44 349, another new model, poses alongside two Da-locos, one by Märklin, the other by Fleischmann!
[Photos: A. Allum]

14.10.07 This was our last 'official' event for this year. Consideration is now being given to a major change to the railway; to rationalise the main line between Ålunden and Lövhöjden to single-track with limited passing facilities at Månstorp. The FLMJ requires a lot of maintenance, and we do not have enough regular members to keep up with the workload. Even when we did have a good turnout of members, the double-track nature of the railway was so rarely used, that when the new Månstorp panel was fitted, the second controller was not wired in! Our website question for November will ask for your views on the matter. You are welcome to email your views to us also. It is unlikely that any track will be lifted before the end of the year, but the present Down line is closed to all traffic!

 
 
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Top Left - Visiting T43 241 with a train of 'O' wagons.
Top Right - Another visiting loco, this beautiful Finnish loco is seen on shed at Lövhöjden.
Bottom Left - The Custom Car Rally was set up at Kopparberg, as usual.
Bottom Right - Månstorp's cinema shews the latest films ... we understand that two of these advertised, actually had their Swedish premieres this weekend!
[Photos: A. Allum]

30.9.07 On 29th & 30th September, AJK members were allowed to run their British 00-scale trains upon the railway (something that is usually arranged once a year)! This year, we also acknowledged Sir Edward Elgar's 150th anniversary (the great composer had been a regular railway passenger), so we invited a few guests to join us. We had the usual minor problems, but the Siljansbanan worked much better than it usually does! One of the track sections at Lövhöjden stopped working completely, and this was eventually traced to a faulty switch on the main control panel. All of these switches were bought new, so to avoid this sort of problem! We managed to do a "bodge" repair by connecting the wires to the other 'throw' of the switch (as this is not yet in use), but a replacement switch will need to be fitted before our October event. On the Saturday, a special train was run, comprising a steam locomotive named "Sir Edward Elgar," and a rake of coaches including two Mk.3 'royal train' coaches. On the Sunday, an electric loco appropriately named took this service. Also, on the Sunday, this 'special' was driven by the daughter of one of our members as a Birthday Treat for her!

 
 
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Top Left - The steam special arriving at Lövhöjden ... Stephen filming the train's progress in the background!
Top Right - Despite being a British train, this one is in H0 scale; Fleischmann coaches and Lima loco.
Bottom Left - Sunday's Special passing through Månstorp.
Bottom Right - Could this be a S&DJR Special? 9F 92192 at the head of a rake of Southern coaches.
[Photos: A. Allum]

After the event finished on the Sunday, the two new T44 diesel locomotives were tested, a wise move considering the problem that we have with them ... they're too wide for the platforms! (It doesn't help that the platforms move regardless of how well they're fitted down!)

 

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Top Left - Engineers' train near Kopparberg ... c/w evidence of much-needed track maintenance!
Top Right - The two T44 locos ... look at the footsteps in relation to the platforms; especially on the orange loco!
Bottom - Dad and "Birthday Girl" with a train at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

Videos - Hosted by YouTube

Top - The Elgar-150 special between Lövhöjden and Siljansnäs.
Bottom - The two T44-locos departing Lövhöjden ... very slowly.
[Videos: A. Allum]

25.9.07 In the morning of September 24th, a tornado struck Farnborough (and was reported in the news). We are pleased to announce that the FLMJ was not in its path and that no damage was done here. We are humbled by and appreciative of the enquiries that we have received to our well-being at this time. Thank you.

23.9.07 During September, Adrian visited Sweden for his semester. Upon his return, the FLMJ had two new diesel locomotives, both types T44; one in an early orange livery with SJ markings, the other in the newer blue livery with GC markings. These are Jeco models, and as such, we have high expectations of them! New ready-made signals for Steninge were also purchased, as the kit-built ones were not as "tidy" as we had hoped ... and for an exhibition layout, we would prefer a better appearance!
Whilst in Sweden, a day out at Gävle was arranged, with travel to and from the railway museum on a vintage train headed by a beautifully restored Ra-loco. Stockholm suburban services are worked more and more by the new X60 units ... when their doors don't fail! Whether of not any models of these trains are ever produced, remains to be seen (remember, unlike the X10 units, of which the FLMJ has a model, the X60 is not made in Sweden). One nice surprise, was to see the only Rc-loco that still carries orange livery (Rc4 1290); this was waiting at Älvsjö with a goods train, for an express passenger train to pass.

 
 
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Top Left - T44 269 and T44 349 side-by-side at Lövhöjden. This "delivery photo" shews that the handrails and other accessories still need to be fitted.
Top Right - The beautifully restored Ra-loco at Stockholm before shunting onto the train to Gävle.
Bottom Left - X60 units passing just to the south of Årstaberg station.
Bottom Right - Celebrity loco, Rc4 1290 retains the orange livery, albeit, somewhat modified!
[Photos: A. Allum]

4.9.07 During the club session on the evening of Tuesday 4th September, Månstorp point-motor 108 was refitted. This one had been fitted with a home-made cantilever, but during the operational session on the 2nd, this broke! The repair features an extension piece, so that the motor is away from the catenary post, and a pillar to stand it on, rather like with point 111. Due to ongoing electrical work with the power supply, we were unable to test it, but there was enough energy in the CDU to throw the point once, and we were pleased with the result.

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The repositioned motor seen in a late evening shot, the deployment of the maintenance train is to 'enhance' the photo! (Yes, the catenary post does need adjusting, but the cut wire is now surplus; we've fitted a bypass for it.)[Photo: A. Allum.]

2.9.07 AJK members met for a club session on September 2nd (a week earlier than usual), but due to their "other interests" (non-Swedish railway modelling), the FLMJ was host to 00-scale British models! It was also a good chance to make a list of the various failures on the layout, and these need to be repaired before the next main event.

 

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Top Left - Diesel railbus with a goods wagon on route to Ålunden. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Top Right - Impressive line-up of BR Steam at Lövhöjden; from left, two class 9F locos, a WD class 8F and an Ivatt 4MT mogul. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom - Virgin Trains class 390 'Pendolino' EMU and class 221 'Super-Voyager' DEMU at Lövhöjden. [Photo: D. Hill.]

Videos - Hosted by YouTube

Virgin class 390 'Pendolino' departs Lövhöjden. [Video: D. Hill.]

14.8.07 It's been a busy few days at the FLMJ! Our session for August 11th had been cancelled so that we could visit an O-gauge garden railway, owned by a friend in Enfield, but with so many members away on holiday, we had to postpone that visit. It seemed pointless, therefore, setting up the FLMJ, so members went to other activities. However, the railway was set up to operate on Sunday 12th, partly because we had invited people to visit the railway, people who would not have been able to get to one of our designated Open Weekends. We were still low on the number of club members, but three of us kept the railway running (or at some moments, the phrase, "got it running again" would be more appropriate), and we had six visitors, including a nine-year-old boy from Devon, who was on holiday with his grandparents in this area! As usual, our hands-on policy applied, and the young lad certainly enjoyed his visit ... as did our other guests! Visiting stock featured American and British trains; the latter including Bachmann's new "Ivatt 2MT" which couldn't manage more than two coaches! The light American wagons did not stay on the track very well. An unusual train was a model of the London Underground 1938 Tube stock, EFE models modified with Tenshodo motors!

 
 
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Top Left - Daniel's Märklin D-loco arriving at Lövhöjden with UGJ coaches in tow.
Top Right - The Y2 passing Kopparberg on route to Lövhöjden.
Bottom Left - TGOJ T43 loco near Månstorp with a "Works" train; after the event had officially closed ... for track maintenance!
Bottom Right - An unusual view of Y7 1136 at Månstorp, with the station building and kiosk in the background; a late-evening photo!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Just before the weekend, the old "Arjeplog" shed was demolished and replaced with a Keter plastic shed (which will also be known on the railway as "Arjeplog"). This new shed is so impressive (though expensive at roundly £400 for 8' x 6'), that consideration is being given to replacing the "Ålunden" shed with an identical one also. Recently, one of the doors became stuck again, and got buckled whilst we tried to open it. However, here, we would need to lift track and remove shelving; not forgetting, of course, the looms of wiring that exist there! See September's Opinion Poll question...!

 
 
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Top Left - William and Stephen demolishing the old Arjeplog shed.
Top Right - The new Arjeplog shed.
Bottom Left - Damage to the door to Ålunden ... should we replace this shed altogether?
Bottom Right - 1938 Underground stock at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

1.8.07 On August 1st, "Steninge" took part in the 100th anniversary celebrations for the Scouting Movement! It was on display at a Scout camp, and was admired by, among others, His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. For the event, the RETB boards had been replaced by working signals and a new control panel, but there were still technical problems that needed sorting out. Nevertheless, His Majesty watched a few trains come and go, and shewed particular interest in the local passenger train, none other than the Y7 railbus!
After visiting Steninge, His Majesty looked at the "Little Red Train" (also operated by AJK members), which had been brought along to provide free rides. Unfortunately, the King's arrival where we were set up was very sudden and we had only just finished setting up ... so we didn't get any photos! The Site Warden has promised to forward any that come to light from other photographers!

 

 
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Top Left - Tågab loco with goods train arriving at Steninge. [Photo: A. Allum]
Top Right - The new control panel for Steninge, and to its right, a bank of relays for the signalling! [Photo: A. Allum]
Middle - Martyn shaking hands with His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf before offering him a LRT baseball cap!
Bottom Left - All operators were given scarves for the occasion, here, Martin is seeing wearing his whilst working the "Steninge" layout. [Photo: A. Allum]
Bottom Right - A close-up of the scarf logo. [Photo: A. Allum]

17.7.07 On July 14th & 15th, the FLMJ was open for invited guests. The weather was more agreeable than it has been for the last few weeks, and Månstorp's control panel was fitted into place in the early morning (on Saturday), with the track and controller wires being connected as the 12-noon start time approached.
On the Saturday, we had to close the Siljansbanan again due to a power failure! This line's track wiring was completely replaced last winter; but we overlooked some track joints that needed bonding (essential on a garden railway), and there were a few dry-solder joints. By the evening, the line was back in use. We ran a couple of passenger trains, three goods trains, and then a third passenger train as a steam-hauled special to commemorate the 30th birthday of the Swedish Crown-Princess Victoria! Well, why not? But, before any of these trains ran, AJK-member Stephen Trower passed his Driver Test with Honours. (The Driver Test exists so that we can ensure that the FLMJ's models are in safe hands!)

 
 
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Top Left - V3 loco with a coal train in the sidings at Lövhöjden.
Top Right - Matt Scrutton's goods train at Lövhöjden.
Bottom Left - The HectorRail locomotive arriving at Lövhöjden.
Bottom Right - The new control panel installed at Månstorp.
[Photos: A. Allum]

On the Sunday, still more problems were apparent with the Siljansbanan, but after about an hour, it was all working again. The timetable was deployed for about the first hour, but it was not possible to maintain this with only one member present when there are also guests present; so it was abandoned! (A new timetable will be written over the summer to make the railway easier to operate regardless of how many people are present.)
It is nice to reflect on the fact that the new Månstorp control panel worked perfectly throughout the weekend.

 
 
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Top Left - The first train on Sunday was an intercontinental Sleeper service; shunted into the sidings during the day! [Photo: A. Allum]
Top Right - The X2-2 gave a good performance (once it had been run-in). (Månstorp's cinema is advertising the latest films...!) [Photo: A. Allum]
Bottom Left - The HectorRail locomotive arrives at Lövhöjden whilst the Y7 railbus waits in a siding. [Photo: M. Munsey.]
Bottom Right - An Rc loco arrives at Lövhöjden. [Photo: M. Munsey.]

Videos - Hosted by YouTube

Top - The Steam Special on the Saturday.
Middle - The HectorRail loco backing onto a goods train ... with a bit of a bump.
Bottom - InterRegio train departing from Lövhöjden ... FLMJ's Director General, Adrian, at the controls!
[Videos: A. Allum]

9.7.07 Sunday 8th of July was designated an extra club session, but at short notice, there were very few members available ... only one! The urgent job was the work on the new Månstorp control panel. This took up the whole day, and there is only a little more to do before it is ready to be moved into place outside. Foolishly, very little reference was made to the similar panel at Lövhöjden, and there was a better way of doing this job; but this will be tidied up later (when we're not in so much of a hurry)! Work will continue during the week to get everything ready for the Open Weekend, next!

 
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Left - Shortly after work started, this photo was taken; shewing only a few cables installed. The piece of square-section down-pipe behind the panel is to hold the top half in the right place!
Right - As the day reached a close, this photo was taken; shewing many more cables installed. The coil of red cable is acting as a balance weight to keep this lower half on the table!
[Photos: A. Allum]

2.7.07 Members and friends of the FLMJ made a visit to the indoor layout of the Western Model Railway Society in Acton for probably the last time, on July 1st. (With the WMRS's proposed new building there is a proposal to not replace the Permanent Layout despite it being one of the key advantages of that club!) Trains were mostly of British Origin, but a German train did make quite a few trips around the layout (with assorted motive power), and there were also some Swedish trains, including a goods train double-headed by the FLMJ's oldest and newest electric locomotives - symbolic of this last run. There were also many videos made of this event, and we hope to link to these (probably via YouTube) in due course.

 
 
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Top Left - British (Southern) tank loco with a train at the main station.
Top Right - Rc6 1353 (purchased in 1991) and 142.002-5 (purchased in 2007) double-head a train around the main line. (N-gauge loco in the foreground!)
Bottom Left - Ivatt class 4 (BR Midland) locomotives at the main station.
Bottom Right - We were interrupted by a steam train passing on the mainline nearby!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Videos - Hosted by YouTube

Top - Rc6 1353 and 142.002-5 double-head a train around the main line.
Middle - SR (BR) N-class at Acton
Bottom - Pullman train top and tailed by class 57 and class 37 diesel locos.
[Videos: A. Allum]

26.6.07 The FLMJ was brought into use for the first time this year on June 9th, and oh dear! The new control panel for Månstorp is still not in, and the old one is not at all serviceable. We could only run trains by making Månstorp a through station with access to the Up line to Ålunden and the Down line to Lövhöjden, via platform track 3! All worked reasonably well at both Lövhöjden and Ålunden, though. Being a running-in session, no actual Swedish trains made it onto the railway(!), but it was interesting to see one Spanish train and a few British trains; including a "4TC" unit built as a conversion project by one of the members. A train representing the "Underground Ernie" TV series also made an appearance, reminding us all not to take our hobby too seriously!
Club Tuesday Evening sessions will be dedicated to getting the new Månstorp Control Panel built and installed!

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - "Underground Ernie" train leading the 4TC into Lövhöjden!
Top Right - An APT also made a few trips on the railway, with reasonable stability!
Bottom - A Spanish train shunting at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

30.5.07 On May 26th, Six AJK members (and two guests) had a relaxing day out on the River Thames, in the "Blue Lady." From Walton Marina, we travelled as far as (almost) Windsor. The weather was cool and there was even some rain, but although nobody had a swim, we did all enjoy the day out. The only trains were the ones we saw crossing over the Thames on a couple of bridges!

 
Click thumbnail for large images
Left - The crew of the Blue Lady (minus the photographer)!
Right - Stephen gets a go at the controls.
[Photos: A. Allum]

14.5.07 The FLMJ didn't get to see any trains running during May's club weekend, due to the weather! Nevertheless, we spent the Saturday fitting up the new point control panel at Månstorp and then wiring it up. We followed this with installing a power supply to Siljansnäs for the point motors there, and this included fitting up a CDU (Capacitor Discharge Unit) at Ålunden (because the supply will also be used for the point motors in that area also)! The CDU is housed in a former EXPO box, very smart and a useful application of waste material! On the Sunday, 15 locomotives got serviced, including Da 799 (which is for sale ... and may soon have a new home to go to) and an Rc5-loco on loan from Patrick Grace. (Incidentally, our Märklin D-109 loco, which we never got around to converting to 2-rail operation, was sold to a friend during the previous week, to run on a Märklin 3-rail layout.)

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - Månstorp's point control panel is now fitted into place ... the remaining holes are for the signal controls!
Top Right - The CDU in its new, original home.
Bottom - Patrick Grace's Rc5 1323 on test after servicing.
[Photos: A. Allum]

21.4.07 A small group of AJK members (including a previous guest who has now joined the club) set to work in April on the ground around the FLMJ. After a number of previous jobs, the garden had become quite untidy, and a complaint from the landlord was not entirely unjustified! So, this was the main job for the weekend, plus sorting out the "Arjeplog" shed (which took much longer than anticipated)! A few locomotives got serviced also, including the Tc-loco, which was finally able to run up and down a short test track with the gears meshing properly! This loco now needs only couplings and buffers, and then it can enter full service!
On the Tuesday following the club weekend, the FLMJ took delivery of a much awaited locomotive, 142.002-5 in "HectorRail" livery! This is a Roco model, and some of the detailing parts were so small (and didn't fit very well), that we now need to order some spares! Although this is a goods train operator, the 142 locomotives are also used on the sleeper trains operated by Veolia (formerly Connex), so the FLMJ's model will probably see assorted duties!

 
 
Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - Stephen Trower testing the Tc-loco (minus cab roof) at Ålunden!
Top Right - The Arjeplog shed has suffered rain ingress, and the floor needed drying out.
Bottom Left - A large number of cars, buses and lorries are being sold off. Here, the cars are on display!
Bottom Right - 142.002-5 on the main line between Månstorp and Ålunden (the mis-aligned handrail due to missing parts - see text!).
[Photos: A. Allum]

19.3.07 The few Swedish model railway layouts that exist in the UK have been joined by a new one, called "Ekenäs." Owned by a regular visitor to the FLMJ's Open events, it was on show at a model railway exhibition in the middle of March, and the FLMJ provided motive power and rolling stock for this event.
The Y7 railbus provided a regular and reliable service, with the TGOJ V3 diesel loco taking care of the goods traffic. The goods traffic comprised one train of assorted wagons, and one train of five coal wagons. The K24-loco also saw a little traffic with a train comprising one of the Märklin/Trix wooden coaches and the Heljan F5, but after failing, the Sa-loco took over! (The K24 looks "serious," so it might be a while before that runs again!) The Volvo Rälsbil also made a few appearances during the day! The layout was operated as if in the 1965-1970 era.

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - Y7 1136 at the 'minimal' station.
Top Right - Sa 938 took over the other passenger train.
Bottom - The 4-axle Esso wagon spent most of the day on static display!
[Photos: A. Allum]

11.3.07 AJK members had a busy weekend in March; helped, no doubt by the good weather. The fallen tree was finally shredded and disposed of, giving us back a garden in which to enjoy the FLMJ! Electrical work continued along the Siljansbanan and a better layout for Lövhöjden's town scene was painted down. Problems have developed with the low-voltage lighting in Ålunden (purchased from a 'large' British DIY chain), and this was replaced with an IKEA product, which not only looks better, but gives off more light (even if only slightly), white light, not blue! Ålunden also received its annual tidy-up!
Plans are being made for our guest events for this year. All recent guests will be notified accordingly; newcomers are welcome, but please contact us if you would like to be invited. We have even made elaborate plans for our "British Weekend!" This is an opportunity for AJK members to run their 00-scale British models in the outdoor environment that the FLMJ provides. It is not an event that is usually taken seriously; except that this year, we will be running one or two special trains to honour the 150th anniversary of the birth of Edward Elgar, one of Britain's greatest composers.

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - Overall view of the town scene: one house missing, but two big buildings provided!
Top Right - The tree being shredded ... good AJK teamwork in motion!
Bottom - The new lighting at Ålunden; it would be a big job to remove the old, and equally big to hide the cables!
[Photos: A. Allum]

11.2.07 February's club weekend saw progress made at Siljansnäs with much of the rewiring done. A new control panel was made for here, so that shunting (for the Industrial siding) can be done with a local controller. More work was done on the Månstorp Point Control Panel, but couldn't be completed because we ran out of 2A terminal blocks! However, work also continued on the construction of the Artitec low-relief buildings, which will go in at Lövhöjden. These are resin kits, so paint and glue are not so well bonding, but we are making good progress. We will have some pictures of these a little later.
The Saturday started, however, with the first of six sessions of a "Master-Class" on railway electrics. Here, we go back to basic roots, and started by explaining how the 12v dc system works, how directional headlights work, and even studied Roco locos that go the wrong way and had a brief look at Märklin's 3-rail system. The purpose of the Master-Class is to encourage people to use their own brains and to enjoy creating a working railway, instead of using just two wires and surrendering to DCC, which does all the thinking for you ... and of course, charges you more for it!

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - Wiring going into the "Disconnection Box" at Siljansnäs, but the control panel needs fitting before it can continue.
Top Right - The small control panel for Siljansnäs, seen on the workbench, almost ready to be fitted into place.
Bottom - A junior member has learnt the skills of soldering (how many 12-year-olds can do that, these days?)! However, there was a little too much bare wire exposed, so he has also learnt how to use "heat-shrink!" Oh yes, the FLMJ is also an educational railway. (This is part of the back of the Månstorp Point Control Panel.)
[Photos: A. Allum]

21.1.07 After some perseverance, the Kibri kit (mentioned in the previous item) has finally gone together! With this job complete, the town area at Lövhöjden can be completed, but we are going to move some of the buildings around ... and that might mean one of the small cottages being removed (for use elsewhere).

 
Click thumbnail for large images
Left - This is the backview ... the evening photo session wasn't very good around the front, but there will be more photos when this area is developed!
Right - However ... we are quite proud of the shop fronts (photo from the workbench). "Lövhöjdens Tidningar Tobak och Spel" and "Konditori Rallaren" are names that have been made up here; but "Akademibokhandeln" and "Salong Carneval" are authentically Swedish, and the shop signs were downloaded from the internet!
[Photos: A. Allum]

15.1.07 The first club weekend in 2007 got off to a good start. Point motors at Siljansnäs were fitted up, and a "Disconnection Box" was provided there also, as part of our plan to rewire completely, the Siljansbanan! Whilst this was going on, more work was done to the new point (and signal) control panel for Månstorp, and our youngest junior member learned the skills of soldering! Having found the misplaced bases to two of the new building kits, they were assembled over the weekend; a Vollmer post-office and a Kibri 'shops and apartments' block. The Vollmer kit went together very well, and the instructions ('exploded' diagram) were easy to follow, though some of the finer parts were very fiddly to work with. The Kibri kit was not so good. The instructions (another series of 'exploded' diagrams) were very badly drawn, but worse, the part numbers did not match the part numbers on the diagrams. On more than one occasion, we had to stop and unglue what had been done because we found that parts went together differently to how they were shewn! Four locomotives were also serviced.

 
 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - Point motors installed at Siljansnäs.
Top Right - The disconnection box at Siljansnäs.
Middle Left - The point and signal control panel for Månstorp under construction on the work-table.
Middle Right - The Vollmer post-office; a German design, but not out of place in a Swedish diorama.
Bottom - The Kibri kit; still not finished, and still not right!
[Photos: A. Allum]

1.1.07 The club's session in December was different in the way that it always is in December ... well, nearly! On the Saturday, the railway held its annual sale of surplus models. Although a number of models had been reserved, only a few were actually sold on the day; these being the T42 diesel locomotive and a Liliput "G" wagon. Also, a spare Fleischmann "Da" body was sold, as well as a pair of resin body kits for the Y6/UBF6 railbusses that were originally intended for construction at the FLMJ ... but, well, time was a factor not in our favour, hence the purchase of the Jeco model during the Summer! Consideration was given to selling the Märklin "D 109" loco, due to the lack of facilities to convert it to 2-rail operation, but the club members discussed the possibilities for this, and the loco was not sold. During the day, a few other models were worked upon, including the "SSLidJ" loco, "Tc" loco (now ready for renewed testing), "Y1" railbus (to be continued off site), Roco Iron Ore wagons and the new Märklin Coal wagons (pinching replacement wheels from the ailing UGJ Iron Ore wagons)! The "FM4" was also evaluated for continuation of work, and we are hopeful of having this 'freelance' model in service soon!

 
 
Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - The K24 with the Märklin Coal train.
Top Right - The El.16 relieved a failed RENFE loco ... before failing also!
Bottom Left - The V10 on track cleaning duties.
Bottom Right - The AEM7 with the FLMJ's Iron Ore train.
[Photos: A. Allum]

On the Sunday, we visited the indoor layout at Acton again. Trains were a mixture of American, Spanish and Swedish 'H0' and British '00,' but the main oddity was the Iron Ore train being hauled by an American AEM7 (derived from the Swedish "Rc" of course) because we were reluctant to uncouple the IORE locomotive to make it safe to transport! But we wanted to run the Roco Iron Ore train! (The long-term solution is to make a special box for this loco, and that is something for the new year!) Also, the Märklin coal train was worked by the Liliput "K24" locomotive, a fine sight indeed. The Director General also operated one of the British trains, a 9F steam loco with five Southern coaches in tow! This was to commemorate the fact that about one month previously, he had driven a real 9F with similar train on one of Britain's preserved railways.

 
Click thumbnail for large images
Left - AJK member, Daniel Hill is building up a good fleet of locos ... Rc2, Rc5 and Da on standby.
Right - There was a strong Southern influence with the British models.
[Photos: A. Allum]

5.12.06 Adrian Allum (and a former AJK member) took a weekend trip to Stockholm at the beginning of December, to visit "Hjulmarknaden," a big railway fayre at Sollentuna Mässan. The shopping list was hopelessly long, and the FLMJ's budget does have a limit. One item hoped for, was Roco's new "HectorRail" locomotive, but there was no sign of it at all! Nevertheless, the rolling stock register gained four new Roco Iron Ore wagons to go behind the IORE locomotive, and five "preserved" coal wagons in a set by Märklin. The scenic side of the FLMJ (well, the roads) gained three Volvo Duette vans, and one Volvo 123GT. There were also five DVDs, including a review of SJ-150 and two cab-rides; and an enamel "Rökning Förbjuden" (no smoking) sign (purchased from Spårvägsmuseet)!
After the Fayre (on the Saturday), a visit was made to Stockholm's Model Railway Club, whose layout (seen at www.smj.org) is located in a basement to an apartment block. On the Sunday, a visit was made to the depot for the Museum Trams (at Stockholm) and we were shewn a start that had been made on a model railway, located beneath the floorboards. This is not daft, because the floor 'panels' are lifted away, and indeed, we were treated to observing this! Whilst we were there, I noticed a model bus in "Ekmanbuss ab" livery. A chance visit to Spårvägsmuseet later, and there was one of these models for sale! We were intrigued to see that the Toy Museum has been moved to here, and this was certainly an interesting detour whilst going around! Some casual non-railway shopping later (mostly along Drottninggatan and at Kista) procured two CDs and five more DVDs!
This trip occurs every third year (in theory), partly because it is on the same weekend as the Warley Model Railway Exhibition at the NEC (Birmingham)! Now, the funds need to recuperate!

 
Click thumbnail for large images
Left - Old tram and trailer preparing to enter service.
Right - The floor being opened up to reveal a model railway under construction.
[Photos: A. Allum]

6.11.06 Temperatures have finally dropped to 'near normal' for this time of year (and we ought to be grateful for the mild weather that we enjoyed during our open weekends this year), but the cold didn't put members off with the work needed upon the railway. All of the point motors at Månstorp were fitted except for the one to the siding. Most of them were wired up also, but the switch panel was removed so that it could be wired up indoors (switch wiring is always tricky, especially as we are using 16/0.2 cable for point motor supply). All of the motors will need lubricating and testing later.
Before work begun on the Saturday, members had a meeting to discuss the winter maintenance programme; a bit ambitious, but not unreasonable. Work was also started on preparing a Sale list of surplus models at the FLMJ!

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - A member's girlfriend did some soldering on the control panel (as well as other jobs) ... a new trick learnt, but that is part of what the FLMJ is about!
Top Right - One of the point motors (partly hidden) at Månstorp. By turning it upside-down, the weather cover does not need to be too high and ruin the scenic effect!
Bottom - There is now some space on the stock shelves as a few models have been removed to be offered for sale!
[Photos: A. Allum]

15.10.06 The FLMJ was open for guests for the last time this year (officially) on October 14th & 15th.
On the Saturday, the FLMJ provided only one train (the IC-11 set) plus two locos and a railbus (TGOJ V10, SJ V5 & Y7), with club members running their own Swedish stock on the layout. Oh, yes; the IORE also made an appearance, but it's train is probably best not mentioned...!
All members (but one) were present, and the day was a mixture of running trains and doing maintenance. Of course, emphasis was on running trains whilst our guests were present. During the day, Lövhöjden point motors 111 and 115 were connected up to the control panel (completing that station) and Månstorp points 108 were connected to their motor (via a cantilever, due to the restricted space). Ålunden was provided with layout lighting (mounted under the shelf above the tracks), though the wiring for this will eventually be made more permanent. We entertained nine guests during the day, many of whom got the chance to drive a train also.

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - V5 175 arriving at Lövhöjden with a mixed goods train.
Top Right - The member's non-FLMJ express train passing Kopparberg with Rc5 1351 at the head.
Bottom - The IORE with a most inappropriate train on Saturday!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Sunday was a much quieter day with only two members present, and only one guest who arrived just as we were finishing for the day. Three trains were in regular service; a member's Y2 set and his express passenger train, and the FLMJ provided a goods train with the IORE loco. Out of the twelve UGJ iron ore wagons, only five were serviceable, and then we had a derailment, knocking another one out (couplings pulled out)! So, we looked at running the Roco iron ore wagons instead. With incompatible couplings, we fitted NEM Kadee couplings to two of the Märklin "O" wagons, and these served as barrier wagons. The train was quite inauthentic, but it was nice to see it going around. The Y7 was on standby for most of the day, and a V5 with scrap train spent the day at Lövhöjden along with an engineers' trolley!
Also, during the day, one member assembled his 00-scale kit of a British train(!), whilst the other worked on lorries buses and cars that have been in stock for a long time, but not actually fitted with mirrors and so on; and therefore never seen on the layout!
At the end of the day, we paid tribute to Ian McKendrick, a friend of the FLMJ (who had introduced us to the indoor layout at Acton, where we frequently visit), who passed away on the previous Sunday. We ran a short train in his honour, headed by the K24.

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - The IORE with its unusual train on Sunday.
Top Right - The Engineers' "trolley" in the sidings at Lövhöjden.
Bottom - The K24 worked a special train at the end of the day, in memory of a friend of the FLMJ who died recently.
[Photos: A. Allum]

Inspired by a report and photos in a Swedish magazine, we had, as a side-show, a car rally at Kopparberg ... old-timers, customised cars, and so on. It was actually quite a shock to realise just how many cars we have here!

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - The car rally at Kopparberg!
Right - A few customised lorries also turned up!
[Photos: A. Allum]

Videos - Hosted by YouTube

Top - The special train in the honour of Ian McKendrick, who passed away recently. Here it is passing Kopparberg.
Middle - The IORE passing Kopparberg with a train on Iron Ore wagons, but also with "O" wagons acting as barrier vehicles whilst we decide how to sort out coupling incompatibilities!
Bottom - A visiting train, headed by Rc5 1351, starts away from the Lövhöjden home signal.
[Videos: A. Allum]

2.10.06 AJK members took the layout, "Steninge" to the Model Railway Exhibition hosted by the Western Model Railway Society on September 30th / October 1st. Although Adrian is a member of the WMRS (and ought to have acted as a Steward rather than Exhibitor), it was kindly agreed that we could exhibit Steninge in recognition of SJ-150. In the event, we provided more operators than necessary, and were able to double-up as Stewards wherever necessary.
The layout's performance was reasonable, but problems with conductivity in the points were apparent mostly on the Saturday; but on the Sunday, we needed to solder a wire back onto the traverser, and later suffered a switch failure! Rolling stock was too varied to try to describe here, but as one might guess, the Y7 made frequent appearances, as well as the 'old' T43 ... after the latter had been serviced! The photos shew some of the 'other' trains!

 
 
 
Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - AJK member, Stephen Trower behind the layout on the Sunday morning. [Photo: A. Allum]
Top Right - The ballast train is not a regular visitor to Steninge, but was popular enough to be drafted in more often! [Photo: A. Allum]
Middle Left - Fb-u wagons at the dock ... note the 'old' Volvos parked nearby. [Photo: A. Allum]
Middle Right - The local Taxi awaits custom at the station. [Photo: A. Allum]
Bottom Left - The Sa-lok is seen alongside a baggage van. [Photo: A. Allum]
Bottom Right - Following service on Saturday morning, this T43 gave good performance over the weekend. [Photo: M. Munsey.]

24.9.06 Four AJK members spent Saturday September 23rd working on the Steninge layout, getting it ready for the Model Railway Exhibition next weekend. This work included providing new bolts to hold the sections together (complete with new dowels and holes); a new backscene that really does look good (but needs finishing), and just a little bit of cleaning! No damage appears to have been caused to the frames during the recent flooding, and we are moderately confident of good performance at the Exhibition.
In the evening, some of the members went to an industrial estate near to the local main line to watch "Tangmere" (British steam locomotive) bring a 'Special' train through Farnborough!

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - Y7 1136 at Steninge before the work started.
Top Right - Y7 1136 at Steninge at the end of the day ... the misaligned track join is one of two jobs outstanding!
Bottom - "Tangmere" racing through Farnborough.
[Photos: A. Allum]

23.9.06 The FLMJ was open on September 16th & 17th, for a Scandinavian themed event, with trains from Denmark, Finland and Norway joining the usual Swedish theme. (Iceland regretted that they were unable to take part due to a slight technical problem ... they have no railways!)
Unfortunately, the event was not advertised in the Scandinavian Railways Society (as had been intended ... and material submitted), so numbers (people and trains) were low! We made the most of this (or at least one member did) by working on the pointwork at the down end of Lövhöjden, to make it easier to use and more reliable. This did cause some disruption to the service, but, well, that only makes it more authentic!

 
 
Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - Daniel's Y2 set pauses at the new platforms at Siljansnäs.
Top Right - The Danish EG loco spent some time on stand-by.
Bottom Left - "The Scandinavian Job?"
Bottom Right - We have a "hands-on" policy at the FLMJ, much to the delight of this young lad at Månstorp!
[Photos: A. Allum]

By the end of the weekend six of the eight points were fitted and working, with the other two almost ready. For a side-show, we set up a small narrow-gauge circuit, to whet an interest in the eventual NG section that will be a part of the FLMJ one day!

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - The steam loco for the eventual narrow gauge railway, in service on a temporary circuit at Kopparberg!
Top Right - Following failure of the El.16 loco, the NSB train was hauled by TMY 101!
Bottom - Daniel's Rc3 (Ex-FLMJ model) departing Månstorp with a goods train.
[Photos: A. Allum]

Videos - Hosted by YouTube

Top - The Y2 set speeding through Månstorp.
Middle - The IC-11 set arrives at Månstorp.
Bottom - The Y7 railbus departs from Månstorp.
[Videos: A. Allum]

4.9.06 After a little research, we have concluded that our model of the diesel railbus number 1136 is a class Y7, as modified from Y6. The obvious difference with the model, is the large drivers' window; but internally, the Y7 has 2+2 seating, and the Y6 has 2+3 seating.

13.8.06 The FLMJ was open on August 12th & 13th for its "Tågetsdagar" weekend. ("Tågetsdag" was a day during the Stockholm Water Festival in the summer when "SJ had a party!" Sadly, this no longer happens ... except for here at the FLMJ!) As a side-show, we had a display of lorries at Kopparberg, illustrating Swedish commerce, including a larger-than-we-remembered collection of "ASG" lorries!
The weekend got off to a start on the Friday evening, when one of the new models bought in Sweden only two weeks previously was run-in at the indoor layout at Acton ... so that we could be sure of reliable service during the weekend and thereafter! Therefore, on the Saturday, both the FLMJ's Y6 railbus was brought into service, and a club member's Y2 unit also. This latter item is the retooled Heljan model, and its performance puts the earlier version (such that the FLMJ once had) to shame! With a low turnout of members, we were not too adventurous with the number of trains in service, and we had the customary electrical failures along the Siljansbanan and at Månstorp! Nevertheless, once these were dealt with, we had an enjoyable day, with four guests; and a Swedish Crayfish Party in the evening!
For Sunday, we had been promised some rain! Sure enough, it had rained through the night, but there was only a light drizzle in the morning, so everything was set up, ready to roll. Soon after midday, the heavens opened, and the continuation of the event had to be cancelled!

 
 
Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - Y6 1136 being run-in on the indoor layout at Acton.
Top Right - Y6 1136 and Y2 1373 ("Horrevin") side by side at Lövhöjden
Bottom Left - ASG lorries; (almost) as far as the eye can see!
Bottom Right - The flooded field at Kopparberg precluded the lorries being put out again on the Sunday!
[Photos: A. Allum]

9.7.06 The FLMJ celebrated SJ-150 on July 8th, with a big parade of Swedish Railway History at Lövhöjden. Friends of the railway provided some of the trains from the earlier eras, and the event went down very well. We had the use of a CCTV system to make operation of the railway flow more easily; and this certainly helped. The IORE was back in service (but was only able to run light-loco) and the Tenshodo "Sb" made a start, but expired near Kopparberg! Its train comprised a new Heljan F5-LÅ van with "Pressbyråns Tidningstransport" markings and an 'Om' wagon carrying the band. The train was parked over a CD-player that was playing Swedish Marches; and the effect was good! Most of the photography was taken from one vantage point ... to suggest that the photographer was among a crowd that had gathered to watch the parade! These things that we do for effect...!

 
Click thumbnail for large images
Left - Sb 1306 with train, having just arrived at Lövhöjden. There is a band in the rear wagon ... and a CD-player under the baseboard!
Right - HNJ 14 railbus, provided by Patrick Grace, seen pausing at Lövhöjden.
[Photos: A. Allum]

On the Sunday, there was no parade, but there was a bit of rain, so we got off to a slow start, but by the afternoon, the weather was quite nice, and we ran a normal service, but not to the timetable. AJK members who turned up early on the Saturday got a Swedish-style breakfast, and an evening meal (Swedish-style again) was provided for those who helped pack away on each day. This is becoming an AJK tradition!

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - Ra 994 locomotive (Rapid 10), provided by Raymond Butler, arrives with a 1960s passenger train.
Top Right - V5 175 with wood pulp train arrives at Lövhöjden.
Bottom - And the band played on...
[Photos: A. Allum]

The Director General's new camera was put to good use over the weekend taking video clips of the railway, which we present below.
These, along with videos taken by another club member have also been added to a new videos page.
The videos are hosted by YouTube and require Macromedia Flash to play. They are not guaranteed to work on all browsers.
To play, click the play symbol in the middle of the video.

Top - Patrick Grace's Swedish Dk locomotive bringing a train into Lövhöjden.
Bottom - TGOJ V class rounding the curve from Kopparberg to Lövhöjden with a short "Enthusiasts' Train." on the Sunday.
[Videos: A. Allum]

3.7.06 Members of AJK and guests were invited to a running session at the indoor layout of the Western Model Railway Society at Acton on July 2nd. The theme for this event was "Scandinavian." The FLMJ's stock was mostly confined to goods, but the X10 was ready to run if needed. Other Swedish stock was provided and run by the members and guest, and a good day out was had by all. Unfortunately, the day was marred by one of the member's car breaking down on the way home!

 
 
 
Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - The FLMJ's Danish EG-loco with a long goods train.
Top Right - The X10 awaiting a journey (AJK member, Daniel Hill in the background)!
Middle Left - "Don't break any windows," was the special instruction with this wagon's train!
Middle Right - Daniel Hill's K24 steam locomotive.
Bottom Left - One of the more artistic shots ... a guest's Ga-loco with goods train.
Bottom Right - Even the Narrow Gauge branch line was used!
[Photos: A. Allum]

19.06.06 The FLMJ was open for invited guests on June 17th & 18th. This also served as our chance to "shake-down" all of the winter work, and as one could almost predict, the event could have run better; but we still had an enjoyable weekend.
On the Saturday, track failures at Månstorp were frequent, and only served to highlight the need for the new control panel and wiring here. As the weather got hotter during the day, we reached the point where it was too hot to be working under the polycarbonate baseboards, and the service had to be reduced to single-line working, on the Up line only. And to make operation easier, the Siljansbanan was closed for the day! In the evening, it was suitably cooler, and Månstorp was repaired, ready for the Sunday.

 
 
 
Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - Matt Scrutton's "K" class loco shunting at Lövhöjden. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Top Right - Visiting T21 diesel locomotive arriving at Lövhöjden. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Middle Left - Rc6 1353 on stand-by at Lövhöjden. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Middle Right - The X10 unit provided a very reliable service around the Siljansbanan on a shuttle between Lövhöjden and Månstorp, seen here at the latter. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Left - InterRegio train rounding the curve into Lövhöjden. [Photo: S. Davison.]
Bottom Right - Adrian working on the Scenery at Lövhöjden's new town scene. [Photo: S. Davison]

On the Sunday, our new timetable was trialled. The Iron Ore train was not run (as the IORE loco is still out of service) and the first Malmö train didn't run. (At the start of the day, there were too few members present to make this operation run smoothly!) But after that, all worked well, though glitches were found in the timetable, and these were adjusted as we went along. Rc7 1421 derailed at Månstorp and it was found that both of the traction tyres had come loose. Whether this was the cause or consequence of the derailment, we shall never know; but it was returned to service, suitably put-right, soon after. (Unfortunately, there were no photographs taken of the TMY diesel pulling the IC-11 train from Månstorp!)
One of the GaugeMaster controllers developed a fault, putting it beyond use (the direction switch simply stopped functioning), but we were fortunate in that this was at Månstorp, where the spare is still connected up! So, although this was inconvenient, we were able to keep running. GaugeMaster controllers have a lifetime guarantee, so we should be able to get it fixed or replaced quite easily ... we'll keep you posted!

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - After repairs at Lövhöjden, Rc7 1421 was put on the front of an older-liveried train to go to Ålunden!
Top Right - One of the fields at Kopparberg was requisitioned for a Volvo Car Rally ... an FLMJ side-show.
Bottom - Progress at Lövhöjden's town area...!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

12.06.06 Sunday June 11th was the last chance to get the FLMJ ready for the impending Open Weekend.
Membership turnout was again, low; but by the end of the day everything was working except for the Up line between Ålunden and Månstorp when switched to be controlled from Månstorp. (We can use the Open Weekend's Saturday morning to sort that out!)
Whilst this was going on, foundation work for a scenic overhaul at Lövhöjden was also effected, and over the next few months, this area should be turned into something quite nice.

 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - This is what we wanted to see ... full power on the block section between Ålunden and Månstorp; here on the Down line.
Top Right - Workers celebrate the completion of a new baseboard at Lövhöjden ... scenery is next!
Bottom - Herpa's new Volvo models (two version of the P1800ES) are now available, and they were 'on display' during the weekend.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

02.06.06 Electrical work continued at Ålunden during an extra club session towards the end of May, and is continuing afterwards at intervals in non-club times! The fact of the matter is that we have an open weekend approaching, and Ålunden is still without power or control! The progress made at the end of May was good and inspiring, with the four main tracks inside the shed powered up correctly, and the running lines between here and Månstorp also under power, but needing further work. A temporary GaugeMaster twin-track controller has been procured for this area, but the more permanent controllers will be decided upon (which type to get) once we have had some use of the equipment here.
We hope to have a "Shake-down" on the Sunday before the open weekend, to have everything ready by then, and be able to test it all!

14.05.06 The FLMJ was operational for the first time this year (not if you count the "British 00-scale" event) on May 13th & 14th. Very few members were present on the Saturday, so there was no opportunity to work on the Ålunden control panel. The panel, now with almost all of its wires on, was fitted into place on the evening of the12th, and now it just needed to be connected up! Some wiring work was done on the Saturday evening, but much of that evening was also taken up by the sudden demise of the cistern over the toilet and the need to sort that out! Another "Ivar" corner shelf had been located and purchased on the 12th, and it is hoped to fit this up at some point. We are not going to replace the home-made effort, as it has the track fitted to it; but another shelf below it will make the whole corner assembly more stable! It also makes the storage of materials easier!

 
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Left - The control panel at Ålunden before wiring up, shewing the Ålunden area to the left, and the Månstorp area to the right. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - Rc6 1353 and EG 3112 at Lövhöjden. [Photo: A. Allum.]

On the Saturday, one of the members was permitted to run his new German steam locomotive alongside the Swedish stock (at least it is H0 scale, and our argument is that it was working an enthusiasts' special service). For most of the day, this pulled a train comprising Lima sleeper coaches among others! One of the FLMJ's Rc-series locomotives hauled a passenger train around, and the Danish EG-loco worked a goods train. With no control panel at Ålunden, we were limited to a circuit route involving the Siljansbanan, but we still managed to enjoy the session.

 
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Left - Sb 1306 was on shed, on show; looking much better, and almost ready for service! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - B8FR 3974 derailed too many times to continue in service, and was stored in a siding at Lövhöjden before evening repairs! [Photo: A. Allum.]

On the Sunday, only one member was present, so the Ålunden control panel was wired up to the terminations. It was found that four track wires had been missed off the panel, and this is going to be tricky to remedy ... it would be a big job to remove the control panel now, but there is not much room for getting a soldering iron where we need it! To break the day up, a shuttle service operated along the Siljansbanan (to the timetable), but using the IC-11 train with a loco at each end; and extra train services (not on the timetable) were provided by the Sa steam loco with coaches AB4, BF2 and B15F; and an Rc6 with four Inter Regio coaches, but which at the end of the day, had three special coaches added!
Extra club sessions are to be announced, as Ålunden needs to be working for the running session in June, a 'guest event!'

 

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Top Left - A derailment at Lövhöjden, but no damage done. [Photo: S. Trower.]
Top Right - The new DB Steam locomotive and a SJ steam locomotive double-heading through Lövhöjden! [Photo: S. Trower.]
Bottom - The Inter Regio train on the Sunday, heading towards Lövhöjden from Siljansnäs. [Photo: A. Allum.]

06.05.06 AJK members had a "British 00-scale Weekend" upon the FLMJ at the end of April; acknowledging the fact that many of them have an assortment of British 00-scale models, including the Director General! This event is usually arranged only once a year; though in practice it doesn't happen every year. Being the first operational session this year, there were many problems that needed sorting out, and most of the Saturday was spent working on the layout! Having re-laid Siljansnäs to a new layout, the wiring was incomplete and incorrect on one point. Unfortunately, with the Ålunden controls behind schedule, plans to operate on a circuit using the Siljansbanan were foiled! The control panel at Ålunden was held up when we discovered that we had ordered the wrong switches! The ones that control Månstorp need to be three-pole, but we had ordered two-pole! Although the Månstorp controls at Ålunden are not being installed yet, we wanted to provide the wiring so that we don't have to remove the panel to do it later! Thankfully, with Månstorp's new control panel behind schedule, we've taken the switches from there, and we will order replacements this week!
There was a selection of British models on the layout, including the Director General's new BR 4MT 2-6-4T in "Preserved" Green, and an Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 among others. A celebrity engine turned up on the Sunday (see photos), as well as a model produced by Hornby to acknowledge HM The Queen's 80th birthday! Also, at the request of two of the members, there was a British Bus Rally on the field at Kopparberg! The weather was threatening on the Sunday, but operations did not need to be suspended.

 
 
 

Click thumbnail for large images
Top Left - Daniel Hill at work at Siljansnäs, rewiring the station area.
Top Right - Adrian's new BR 2-6-4T in a siding at Lövhöjden.
Middle Left - Matt Scrutton's Ivatt 2-6-0 awaiting departure from Lövhöjden.
Middle Right - The Celebrity loco (from the "Thomas the Tank Engine" series) seen at Lövhöjden!
Bottom Left - "Queen Elizabeth II," a special from Hornby (which surprisingly - for Hornby - didn't need re-gauging)!
Bottom Right - The "RM2" (left) alongside an RML at Kopparberg. The RM2 was the second prototype of what became the famous London buses (recently withdrawn), and the RML is an extended version of the basic RM.
[Photos: A. Allum]

10.04.06 Work at Ålunden was the main job for AJK's weekend in April, and despite the low turnout of members, exceptionally good progress was made. By the end of the Saturday, all Block Circuits on the railway were working. The new Control Panel at Ålunden met with a delay, due to the absence of some panel indicators and switches that are needed for the part that looks over Månstorp. Although we don't need these indicators and switches yet, it makes sense to fit them so as to avoid disturbing the panel once it is in place. The panel will also need the necessary holes drilled, and the tracks need to be drawn on also.
Whilst all this was going on, scenic work was taking place at Månstorp. The remaining buildings were put in place (Månstorp has lost the cafe, but the white cottage was reinstated on the Sunday) and the roads marked with a fibre-pen. Parking lay-bys, bus-stops, taxi-ranks and so on were plotted and then the main road painted on the Saturday with the rest on the Sunday (once stocks of paint had been replenished). It appears that the Mod-Roc has stuck exceptionally well to the baseboard, so we are reasonably optimistic with this work being done. The edge of a lake was also put down at the edge of a baseboard between Månstorp and Kopparberg, and once the surrounding scenery has been put down, it should look quite nice! Some scenic work was also done at Lövhöjden, but only road surfaces (as we had the paint open)! Unfortunately, rain-stopped-play on the Sunday, but not before the road paint had dried - thankfully!

 

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Top Left - Tracing the route of cables is not an easy job, but working methodically, we got there in the end!
Top Right - Painting the main road at Månstorp; buildings safely out of the way.
Bottom - The reinstated cottage at Månstorp, with colour-matched car in the drive (not intentionally colour-matched, you understand)!
[Photos: A. Allum]

28.03.06 A few AJK members made the most of an extra club session at the end of March. The main work was electrical, with the re-wiring at Ålunden, which included the construction of the first part of the main Master Control Panel. Also, some scenic work was done at Månstorp. Unfortunately, no pictures were taken, but we hope soon to present a new-look Månstorp, and the new control panel! We were joined for the day by a guest, who has indicated a desire to join the club, and was therefore given the necessary paperwork!

12.03.06 Despite the bitterly cold weather, a few AJK members turned up to the maintenance weekend in March. The priority now is to complete the refurbishment at Ålunden, and by the Saturday evening, track had been re-laid through the opening (or 'access hatch') into the indoor area. In order to achieve this, the baseboards outside Ålunden needed to be raised by about 2cm, and the two 3-way points replaced with four 2-way points, as the former is quite unreliable in an outdoor environment. (Presently, there is only one 3-way point remaining, in a siding area at Lövhöjden, and therefore of low priority!) There was a gap between the end of the Ivar shelving and the access hatch, and this was bridged using an off-cut from the corner shelf that we needed to build last month. It is thus fitted to the Ivar shelves using the correct method with two pins, but is screwed to the wall with brackets. Part of the off-cut from that was used for the missing corner commented on last month! (So we haven't wasted anything!) One of the shed's metal doors developed a crack (caused by being knocked - very easy to do), and this caused the door to virtually fold in half! We remedied this with a wooden brace, and all appears to be well. However, we would advise people against buying metal sheds! (If you live on a Park Home estate where wooden sheds are banned, look into a plastic shed instead ... we will eventually replace the home-made 'effort' at Arjeplog with a plastic one, and news updates here will let you know how we get on with it.)
On the Sunday, this work continued. Track laying was the priority - it is a fairly easy job and it got us into the mood for the electrical work needed later in the day! The tracks are now numbered 1-4 from the back (the track nearest the wall), and track 4 now has a point half-way along, with a long siding going around the corner (on the corner shelf that we built) to the end of the shelving unit. This will allow us to run longer trains than the 2m limit imposed presently, but only in limited numbers ... there is only the one long track! There is a sprung buffer-stop on this section as there is a "visibility issue" when two operators are in the area! All tracks (including both parts for track 4) have insulated end sections, so that we can have turn-over locomotives without having to reach over to the far corner of the fiddle-yard. And whilst locomotives are awaiting their next turn of duty, a single length of track has been provided (track-5), not connected at either end to anything (or to a power supply), for the safe storage of them. There is a slight gradient on this section (don't know how that happened), so un-motorised rolling stock will be prohibited from this section. The main difficulty arose when the electrics were started, in that there is not enough cable on the switch panel for it to reach to where it would be best located! Therefore, the decision was made to stop at this point and prepare the schedule for the eventual master control panel. This can be built in sub-sections and now Ålunden will go in as a prototype. The block control switches were temporarily placed, but it was felt that although quite logically placed, there would be more visibility issues! An extra club session (one day only) has been proposed for later in the month, and members will get the chance to air their views and then continue with the installation.

 

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Top Left - The new alignment outside Ålunden's indoor area, but still part of the fiddle-yard.
Top Right - The block control switches temporarily mounted near the access hatch. The section control panel is in the background (back facing) pending replacement.
Bottom - The point in track-4; two engineers' trains pose in both sections.
[Photos: A. Allum]

18.02.06 Progress has continued at Ålunden, and now the Ikea "Ivar" shelves are in.  The lighting has still to be fitted, but the lighting especially made to go with the "Ivar" range doesn't fit, so we're going to make it fit!  With only one corner shelf available, the lower one was made up from two standard shelves.  We may lower the top shelves as there is a lot of wasted space presently, but we will make this decision after the track has been laid and we can determine how much space we need above the layout.  
Before this all went in, the flooring was completed, and this now looks very smart; though we'll spare everyone the "Shoes off indoors" rule ... but a decent brush-mat will be bought!

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The view looking into Ålunden, with the "Ivar" shelves in place.  Note the home-made lower corner shelf with its extending support, ready for a filling piece to be fitted.  The higher corner post is for hanging things on!
[Photo: A. Allum]

14.02.06 AJK members had a very busy weekend in February, completely rebuilding Ålunden!  The only thing not interfered with (much) was the actual metal shed into which the Fiddle-yard was built!  Having got everything out, as much of the original polystyrene sheet was re-glued, but damaged sections removed.  Extra sheets were purchased, and the whole shed was covered with it.  This will provide vital insulation, especially considering that we have mains power supply here, and cannot permit any condensation!  As much of this as possible was then covered with an inner wall made from hardboard, but we were unable to do this where the sliding doors need to pass.  The same was done on the ceiling, but the floor has a different insulation under the hardboard, and floor tiling over the hardboard.
For the railway, IKEA's "Ivar" shelving has been used, despite IKEA's desperate attempts to stop us ... or so it seems.  The materials were bought and got home one recent Friday ... and then it was noticed that we needed another corner shelf.  So back we went, to find that all the others had gone ... not sold ... IKEA has withdrawn these items.  Yes ... overnight!  This is now the fourth time that IKEA has done this (twice with parts of the 'Ivar' range, so we will be making no more big purchases there ... see note below about lighting).  The railway is carried on the lower level shelves, and the control equipment is to be located above.  Extra shelves have been bought to go below the railway to provide safer storage for stock boxes, buildings, tools, and everything else that has cluttered up the area in the past!
The railway is lit from "Tjugofem" lighting sold at IKEA.  This is mounted to the underside of the shelves above.  We will need to extend this, so expect the 'Tjugofem' range to be withdrawn!  Having forgotten to think about lighting for the rest of the area, and knowing that we may need to extend it when we can see how well it all goes together, we decided against going back to IKEA.  We bought some low-voltage LED lamps locally, and the results are impressive.
Starting on the Saturday, we made reasonably good progress, and we found a suitable point at which to stop for the evening.  The trip out by some of the members to get more materials took a lot longer than planned, but it was worth it!  On the Sunday, however, we had rain to contend with.  It didn't stop all day.  This made it very difficult to continue as we couldn't just put everything out in the garden again.  Much of the cutting and drilling had to be done outside, but not only were we getting wet, the materials were getting wet, and this was not good.  We had problems getting glue to stick to damp materials, so we changed the way we were fitting panels into place, and managed quite well.  The garden became a mud-bath ... but it will be quite some time before we can afford to pave it all over (and that is on the list of jobs to do)!  Thankfully, the weather was better on the Monday.  (Some members had arranged for the time off work, and younger ones had the Half-term holiday this week!)  Progress was more apparent, but by the time that we had to stop for the night, the job was still not complete.  Nevertheless, the Director General is able to continue with some of this work during his week's leave, and in essence the job has been a success.
During the work, we found only a few lost items; but none of the important ones that are still elusive!  Photography was limited, and the images provided here will be added to, once one of the members has had a chance to upload them and forward them to us!

 

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Top Left - The old shelves being dismantled - quite unusual to see this all so clear!
Top Right - Here is Ålunden's clutter ... out in the garden, out of the way!  A good sort-out is in order before it all goes back in properly.
Bottom - The new Polystyrene insulation, shewn here, around the opening to the FLMJ!
[Photos: A. Allum]

15.01.06 AJK members enjoyed a trip out to visit an open day in Epsom, a collection of model railways in an assortment of narrow gauge scales, including some of the more obscure ones, thus: 00n9 (1:76), On9 (1:43), H0e (1:87), Se (1:64) and Sn9 (1:64) on 9mm track; and Fn16.5 (1:20.9) and Sm (1:64) on 16.5mm track!  One of the layouts, (Se scale) was based on a Norwegian setting in 1937.
Earlier in the day, some work was done upon the FLMJ, including the fitting of the final point motors at Lövhöjden ... now they need wiring up ... and attention diverted to Månstorp!  Also, quite a few trees were 'planted' and the fence along the edge of the church yard was provided.
On the Sunday, seven new point motors were fitted at Månstorp.  However, the FLMJ suffered it's first rationalisation with the removal of the passing loop at Siljansnäs, as it was considered too elaborate.  The only trains scheduled to stop here are the goods trains for the industrial area, and a run-around loop is to be provided in that area.  It is easier to maintain one locally controlled point at the closed station, than four, and work has begun!
Consideration has been given to abandoning the plan for a Narrow-Gauge line from Gärde to Folketspark, and instead, having a tramway from Månstorp to Siljansnäs and the Industrial Area.  The unreliability of 9mm indoors has provoked this idea (outdoors would be even more difficult to maintain), and the tramway would be standard gauge with bigger and better motors.

 
 
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Top Left - A scene from Tempelfjord Kolgrube Kompani A/S, the Norwegian layout at the Epsom open day.
Top Right - New up-turned Peco point motor bases (with the motors beneath) in place at Månstorp.
Bottom Left - The facing point on the left track has replaced a trailing one that connected with the point on the right track.  This is the start of the work to rationalise Siljansnäs!  The new facing point was lifted from the other end of the passing loop.
Bottom Right - The new fence between the church and the railway.  Note also the new trees in the background.
[Photos: A. Allum]

15.12.05 The FLMJ was open for invited guests on December 10th (but we abstained from imitating a Nobel Ceremony (note the date),) mainly for the purpose of selling off withdrawn models.  Some of the surplus Lima "Om" wagons were sold, but otherwise, this was just like any other open event ... only colder!  
Due to the ongoing work on the route between Månstorp and Ålunden, we had only the down line available on that section, which made for some interesting movements at Månstorp, especially considering that the 'scissor' crossover is completely "Clipped & Padlocked."  In view of the operational challenges today, the train registers were not used. 
We had eight guests, one of whom may become a new member of AJK.

 
 
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Top Left - AJK member's steam loco (touched-up photo) running up the down-line towards Lövhöjden.
Top Right - The Portacabins hide the hole to the former subway (that led to the platform) at Månstorp.
Bottom Left - To make the 'closed' line between Ålunden and Månstorp look busy, it was put under possession by various works trains.
Bottom Right - Guests enjoying the cold afternoon.
[Photos: A. Allum]

14.11.05 Now that the "Maintenance Season" is upon us, a lot of work was done to the layout during the club session in November.  In preparation for the new controls between Ålunden and Månstorp, some rail joints were cut, but insulating fishplates are out of stock.  (This is not a problem presently, but needs to be dealt with before we run again.)  Also, the old Block equipment between these two locations was removed, and the new equipment installed.  The 12v Power Supply Ring around the layout was completed, with a spur to Ålunden also provided.  With enough members present, more point motor installation was carried out at Lövhöjden.  The temperature dropped to almost freezing, so we didn't continue as far as we would have liked (and at least one member was going down with a cold)!

 

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Top Left - A point motor ready to be fitted into place at Lövhöjden.
Top Right - The Relay-rack at Siljansnäs.  The two relays on the left are for the Block Equipment on the Siljansbanan, but the four empty relay bases on the right are for the Up and Down lines between Månstorp and Ålunden.
Bottom - A hoody at work?  No!  With the extreme cold, it made sense to keep the head warm (as well as everything else, of course).
[Photos: A. Allum]

31.10.05 The FLMJ's new EG locomotive (Danish, but purchased because these work into southern Sweden, over the Öresund crossing) was run-in at Strömstad; Patrick Grace's layout, which was exhibited at the Colchester exhibition at the end of October.  As is typical of Heljan locomotives, Roco close-couplings cannot be fitted without modification to the loco, and parts of the snow-ploughs needed to be cut away!

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EG 3112 arrives at Strömstad with a short goods train. [Photo: A. Allum.]

11.10.05 The FLMJ was open for invited guests on October 8th & 9th. 
New Block Equipment had just been installed, and there was still some electrical work being undertaken as the first guests arrived, but the railway did get into full operation as the day progressed. 
The FLMJ's own stock was complimented by Swedish stock from another member and some Spanish stock for a short while during the Saturday.  Unfortunately, it started to rain during the latter part of the afternoon and services had to be suspended.
Sunday's weather was much better, but guests (and members) were fewer.  Nevertheless, an enjoyable operating session was had.  The last train of the day was the Steel train, double-headed by blue Rc6 1407 and orange Rc6 1328 ... these locomotives have now been taken out of service for conversion to blue Rm 1257 and green Rc4 1277!

 
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Above Left - The new Block Signalling apparatus, seen here at Lövhöjden.
Above Right - Rc7 1421 awaiting the signal at Månstorp.
Below Left - The carpark at the main depot at Lövhöjden was resurfaced during the weekend also.
Below Right - Rc6 1407 on a steel train at Lövhöjden.  This loco was taken out of service immediately after the weekend, to be converted to an Rm type.  Ironically, steel trains would be the main traffic for this loco in its new guise.
[Photos: A. Allum.]
 

 
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Above Left - TMY 101 passing Kopparberg on its way to Lövhöjden.
Above Right - The X2-1 set with the new coach clearly visible ... in the original livery!
Below Left - Rc6 1328 awaiting its next turn of duty at Lövhöjden.  This loco was also taken out of service immediately after the weekend, to be converted to a green Rc4!
Below Right - V 803 was used on the engineers' train at the end of the weekend.
[Photos: A. Allum.]
 

27.09.05 AJK organised a visit to the permanent indoor layout of the Western Model Railway Society at Acton on September 18th, for the benefit of its many friends.  Unfortunately, turnout was low, but the FLMJ arranged for five trains to be there and there was a French steam train also.  (There was also an attempt to run-in a recently purchased second-hand Fleischmann Swedish loco, owned by another AJK member, but this was in vain ... the loco needs looking at!)  One FLMJ wagon got damaged during unloading, and it will need new components from Roco before it can run again!

 
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Left - Rc6 1353 with an Inter City train arrives at the main station, exiting a tunnel as it does so.
Right - The French coal train on the steep climb behind the Fiddle-Yard.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

A work session was arranged for the last weekend in September, and progress was made, though there were compromises!  The old Point Polarity switches at Månstorp points numbers 101 and 104 were reinstated, and the 12v dc power supply tidied up (obsolete cable-runs removed in the main).  Månstorp has now been declared fit for limited service.  (Points 102, 103, 105 and 106 remain "clipped and Padlocked" to use the correct terminology!)  At Lövhöjden, all sidings had ballast applied by a guest to the railway, and the appearance has improved considerably.  Also a few trees were 'planted' at Kopparberg and Lövhöjden, and the area around the church was cosmetically improved with an improved carpark and new footpaths.
We have now decided that the open weekend planned for October will go ahead, and invites will be sent to those who are on our invitation list.

 
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Above Left - A new tree at the Engineers' Office near the sidings at Lövhöjden was 'planted' during the weekend, and a bench provided.  Also, the office was repainted! 
Above Right - A better carpark and new footpaths were provided at the church near Kopparberg.  (A wall will be provided behind the church at a later date, to 'border' the railway.)
Below Left - Even the farmhouse was decorated with out-of-season flowers!
Below Right - We have been asked to provide a photo of the X2000 model for a forthcoming magazine article.  We took several ... here's one of them, slightly enhanced digitally! 
[Photos: A. Allum.]
 

12.09.05 We have two items to report from:
The FLMJ's Director General had a long weekend in Stockholm at the end of August.  During the visit, he bought seven wagons for the FLMJ (Marklin's set of three "Oms" wagons but fitted with Roco wheel-sets, and Roco's set of four "Uad" wagons).  New Double-Decker X40 units were observed in service along the Svealandsbanan between Centralstation (Stockholm) and Eskilstuna, but one new X60 Pendeltåg unit was seen in a siding for driver familiarisation, and not actually in service.  The new Årsta bridge is now open, and the old one closed for renovation.  A trip was made to Malmköping (by car as public transport is not so good at Malmköping) to the tram museum there (well worth a visit), and advantage was made of a Steam Special train from Centralstation to Nynäshamn (buying the ticket, as advertised, on the train - not in advance)!  Adrian bought only 3 CD music recordings (another of his Swedish interests), and it is unlikely that he will ever beat ... or come close to ... his 1994 record of 30 CD records!
On 3rd September, our exhibitable layout, "Steninge" was taken to the "Woodmansterne World" model railway exhibition, where it worked alongside other Scandinavian layouts representing Denmark and Finland.  Three AJK members kept Steninge running with an assortment of "weekday" modern services and "weekend" preserved trains!  There were a few equipment-related stops, but on the whole we kept the show running.  We also had reduced power from the controller ... but it was when we started to pack away, that we found out why ... one of the cables had been screwed into the terminal block so that the insulation was gripped, not the bare wire!  (Something to look out for in future!)

 
 
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Top Left - Roco "Uad" wagon at Lövhöjden.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Top Right - Marklin "Oms" wagon at Lövhöjden.  It is better than the Lima model in that it has NEM couplings and printed text; but it is worse in all other respects ... badly scaled for example, and it has a curious platform along the outer sides that does not exist on the prototype!  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Above Left - X40 at Centralstation.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Above Right - E class 0-8-0 steam loco alongside an X1 unit at Nynäsgård.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Below Left - Southbound X1 unit coming off the new Årsta Bridge, with the old bridge seen on the right.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Below Right - One of the many preserved trams arriving back at Malmköping after a trip along the 3km line to Hosjö, and back.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom - A modern diesel shunting some preserved wagons at the dock at Steninge.  [Photo: P. Grace.]
 

17.08.05 AJK members were thwarted in their attempts to work on the FLMJ by the weather!  Nevertheless, before the rain got too heavy, an even better method of fitting the point motors was devised, and two were fitted in place.  As one of the photos shews, the motor is mounted upside down into a hole in the baseboard, so it is in effect still above the baseboard and needs weather-proofing, but this protection will take up less space and be less of an eye-sore than presently! 
Also during the weekend, the rest of the new block control units was assembled, and all ten are now ready for fitting and wiring up! A member's K24 locomotive (early Liliput) was also investigated during the Saturday afternoon as it had stopped working completely.  After locating the fault directly to the motor (everything else worked and there were no loose connections), the motor was removed.  It is a sealed unit, so deciding that there was nothing to lose in breaking it open, a repair was in fact made, the motor then put back together, and the locomotive now works very well! The Saturday was finished off with a truly Swedish Crayfish Evening! 
Saturday was also the 60th birthday of one of Sweden's most famous literary characters, Pippi Longstocking; but please don't take the "themed photo" too seriously!

 

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Top Left - Point Ldn-108 with the motor arrangement attached ... and working very well, indeed!
Top Right - The K24 on the workbench a.k.a. kitchen table!
Bottom - Pippi Longstocking celebrating her 60th birthday upon the FLMJ!!!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

10.07.05 The FLMJ's Guest Weekend for July had been cancelled due to overrunning engineering!  And a wise move it was too! 
With much of the layout out of use due to the point motors not being fitted (and the polarity change-over switches having been removed), we wouldn't have been able to provide a train service at all.  So, during that weekend, we set to work on the point motors ... and by the end of the weekend, we still hadn't completed one!  Part of the trouble is that we're moving them under the baseboards.  We've found a way of doing this without them getting damaged by rain ingress.  But the stupid polycarbonate sheeting that we use for the baseboards, is just too thick to allow the motor to move the tie-bar on the point!  (We're using this polycarbonate as we have been asked by the landlord not to use timber ... even though a neighbour has been allowed to have wooden decking all around that home!)  As we packed away for the evening on the Sunday, a theory was proposed on how we can improve the most recent modification to allow the installation to work.  Watch this space!
Some scenic work was done also, and the temptation to play (see photos) was inevitable!

 
 
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Top Left - A wooden base section ... we will now attach the motor to the underside of this section (having cut a large hole in the baseboard), and the point and the motor will be attached to the same section, preventing sideways play during operation.  That's the theory.
Top Right - The sidings at Lövhöjden, and an old wagon.  Note the weeds!
Bottom Left - The siding at Månstorp with the V10 stabled.
Bottom Right - Summer sun and ... well ... summer madness ... a Prieser bikini-clad lady running along Månstorp's new platform!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

01.07.05 AJK member Daniel Hill has just completed a 3 year Computer Science degree course at Oxford University and has received a First (highest grade). His final year project was the development of the Signalling System currently being installed upon the FLMJ. So we are all very pleased for him. - Adrian Allum, Director General

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A screenshot of Lövhöjden on the FLMJ's signalling system; Daniel's degree project.
[Graphics & Software Design: D. Hill]

21.06.05 The first of the new Block Section Control Panels for the FLMJ was made on June 18th.  There will be 10 of these for the present layout, and the remaining nine will be slightly different to make better use of the surface space and depth within the box.  It is hoped that these will be ready for the July club session!

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The prototype Block Section Control Panel on the layout at Lövhöjden. 
There will be one of these at each end of each section of track between stations (the Block Sections). [Photo: A. Allum.]

12.06.05 With July's "Open Weekend for Guests" cancelled due to overrunning engineering, the pace was somewhat relaxed during the AJK session in June.  The tunnel section through the Up end of Lövhöjden was reinstated minus the bonding wires; these are now wired into a terminal block under the layout so that if (goodness forbid) we need to remove that section again, it shouldn't be as much of a problem!  A cable-puller was also provided in the trunking that runs through the steps to make life easier when we start using it! 
More catenary spans were painted, and some of the recently applied ballast had remedial work done.  A timetabled train service was provided by two locos working as a push-pull set with four coaches, until the wiring had been completed at Lövhöjden's tunnel, afterwhich, running round became possible. 
A new loco, Rc6 1323 provided some of the service, but this was only to run-in the loco ... it is due to be chopped about and converted into probably an older Rc4 (so it doesn't even appear on the FLMJ's roster)! 
The wiring for the British-style Absolute Block Instruments was removed over the weekend, and a new, much simpler system will be installed to replace it.  Also, during the weekend, some stop discs were made up ... these are placed on the track during engineering possessions!

 
 
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Top Left - Rc6 1323 at Lövhöjden.  Repairing handrails is quite low on the agenda as much bigger work is scheduled for this loco!
Top Right - A Plasser & Theurer machine arriving at Lövhöjden on the Sunday.  Note the Banverket logo.
Bottom Left - A Stop Disc protecting the re-ballasted track.
Bottom Right - Cables removed from the Block signalling circuits!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

22.05.05 Saturday May 21st was a very productive day for the FLMJ, though it did involve lifting track at Lövhöjden! 
There has been no through route for cables under or around the steps that lead into the back door of the home, and early efforts by AJK were in vain.  Therefore, a suitably experienced neighbour undertook the task, and now a cable trough has been provided. 
As the steps had originally been built by a tradesperson of dubious repute (!), there was much more work required than should have been necessary, but apart from a little tidying up, all is well; and we can now route the cables through the new trough under the layout, out of sight.

 

Top Left - The cable trough (square section down-pipe) in place before the inner wall was rebuilt.  Note the existing cables pinned out of the way!
Top Right - The end nearer the station is more-or-less in line with the main trough under the station.
Bottom - This is the view whilst waiting for the cement to dry; and then the track can be re-laid.  Note how the track and board comes out as a "panel" (seen to the right).
[Photos: A. Allum.]

16.05.05 The FLMJ had an operational weekend in the middle of May, but only just! 
A short-circuit had developed in the power circuits for the block signalling, and our attempts to locate it were in vain.  Therefore, all block signalling was disconnected and the tracks that rely on them were hot-wired to adjacent sections so that trains could run.  Although this was not a guest event (and we would have persevered normally), a few guests had been invited due to the Director General celebrating his 40th birthday on the preceding Friday!  So it was important to get the railway running as quickly as possible.
On the Saturday, all trains were of a "Heritage" nature, from a Ga-lok provided by a club member and a Yo1 railbus provided by a guest, to the Sa-lok and orange Rc5 provided by the railway!  With the platform removed at Månstorp, a construction scene was created there!
On the Sunday, only three trains were run, the Sa-lok with five bogie-coaches, a TMX diesel with five modern coaches and the AEM7 (!) with some Iron Ore wagons.  Regrettably, the IORE loco received some damage to the coupling rendering it out of action for the foreseeable future! 
With no guests attending, the members present made the most of the nice weather to clear out both sheds!

 
 
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Top Left - Patrick Grace's Yo1 railbus eases past the home signal (by the adjacent catenary post) into Lövhöjden.
Top Right - Even Lövhöjden's police got into the spirit of things with older "Polis" vehicles!
Bottom Left - The official "Birthday Train" (Födelsedagståget) departing from Lövhöjden at the end of the day.
Bottom Right - Sa 938 held at the home signal to Lövhöjden
[Photos: A. Allum.]

AJK member Stephen Trower has sent in some of the photos that he has taken of the FLMJ, and two of the more technical ones are here.

 
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Left - The Lövhöjden control panel - with diagram.
Right - Block Instruments at Månstorp, the home-made smaller unit is for the Siljansbanan.
[Photos: S. Trower.]

8.05.05 The FLMJ, somewhat behind with it's maintenance schedule for last winter, saw some activity during an extra club session in early May, ahead of the regular AJK session there.  During the day, four point machines at Lövhöjden were installed, and the varnish on the main line between Månstorp and Lövhöjden was cleaned away to enable the operation of trains.  (The varnish appeared as a result of making the ballast weather-proof!) 
Some test-trains were run, including a club member's Ga-lok with three brown coaches (AB8K and two Co8a) and Rc6 1328 with two catering coaches - because they happened to be closest to hand!  Also, during the day, the platform at Månstorp was removed, in readiness for the provision of its replacement!

 

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Top Left - The Ga-lok on the final curve leading into Lövhöjden.  Ballast and weeds make an authentic environment!
Top Right - Rc6 1328 on the same curve, later in the day.  The partly-built catenary looks good ... just wait until the wires are up!
Bottom - This surplus coach also appeared on the layout for photography, in preparation for selling on eBay!
[Photos: A. Allum.]

17.04.05 AJK's club weekend in April was poorly attended, but progress continued.  A fair amount of time was given to creating the new timetable (an essential part of the new signalling system), and although we are pleased with our effort, it needs much refinement!  There was also some work on ballasting and catenary.

 
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Left - T43 243 and Ra 988 at Lövhöjden.  FLMJ rules presently prohibit raised pantographs!
Right - TMX 1012 at Lövhöjden alongside recently fitted catenary posts.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

31.03.05 The Y2 diesel set has been sold on eBay to a buyer in Sweden. 
In April, we are canvassing your opinion about a possible replacement for it.  (Heljan has completely retooled this model and a sample has been seen running AOK on a model railway layout where the FLMJ's one failed to do so!)  Here are some pictures:

 
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Above Left - Y2 1372 at Röjeråsen on the old KRBJ (former name of the 'original' FLMJ).
Above Right - Y2 1372 at Köpingsvik on the old KRBJ.
Below Left - Y2 1372 at Månstorp on the FLMJ just before being packaged up ready for despatch!
Below Right - A Y2 set (in slightly modified livery) at Stockholm's Centralstation.
[Photos: A. Allum.]
 

29.03.05 Easter Friday was an opportunity for an extra club session (it's a public holiday in the UK).  More catenary masts (particularly at Månstorp) were painted into the lighter green (Humbrol 120), and some scenic improvements were made near Lövhöjden. 
Meanwhile, work progressed on the Signalling system software, something that can be done away from the railway itself! 
On the Saturday, AJK members were treated to a Swedish style Easter Dinner (not much different from a British one).  Glad Påsk!

 
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Above Left - Månstorp as seen from below the catenary masts.  It will be some months before the cabling can start.
Above Right - The railway's Head Office building has been turned through 90° and some scenery has been applied nearby.
Below - Part of the Månstorp area on the Signalling system.  Train 422 is passing on the Up main line and train 725 is about to depart from the platform track 3 to the Siljansbanan.
[Photos: A. Allum. Signalling System Graphics: D. Hill.]

21.03.05 On March 21st, an AJK member's repaired Ga-lok was tested at the indoor railway at Acton, with four FLMJ coaches in tow, all of which had been retrofitted with Roco metal wheels. 
These are models by the Swedish firm, UGJ; and all have now been passed for regular service - at last!

 
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Left - The test-train is seen in the sidings before it went out on a few rounds.
Right - One of the beautiful TGOJ coaches in the train.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

20.03.05 On March 19th, three AJK members enjoyed an extra day, hard at work upon the FLMJ! 
More overhanging trees were cut away from next-door, and the hedge where Fjällnäs will eventually stand was cut back considerably. 
The Up line through Kopparberg was ballasted, and this included a little more of the down line and the provision of a private crossing to the depot!  Also, more work was done on the catenary, but no point motors as a minor revision is to be made here, and the required engineer was not present!

 
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Top - AJK member, Stese, in the trees, whilst cutting them down!
Bottom Left - The new crossing near Lövhöjden.
Bottom Right - Ballasted curves leading toward Månstorp.
[Photos: A. Allum.]

14.03.05 The March club session proved busy.  One member set to work applying ballast along the Down line near Kopparberg, using conventional methods, but then coating the whole lot with Matt Varnish to protect it from the weather! 
Two other members got on with the catenary, including raising the spans at Lövhöjden and Siljansnäs.  Unfortunately, we discovered that we had made a mistake with the order for custom-dimension spans, but we have been able to improvise using spare double-track spans that we have in stock!  The spans to go under the steps at the front and back doors of the home have been held back, as slight modifications are necessary! 
Månstorp was reached on the Sunday with all spans going up there, but due to problems with solder and glue, these have been held up with modified paper-clips - and then glued!  Later in the day, much of the area designated for the Folk-Park was cut away so that we can get to the back of the layout - and cut down the overhang from the tree in next-door's garden!  We are going to rebuild the Folk-Park area, a little higher and with an access hatch for maintenance purposes ... an oversight with the original construction!
The final job for the weekend was to offer for sale our "Y2" set on the internet auction website, eBay.

 
 
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Top - A view towards Månstorp, the newly ballasted down line on the left.
Middle Left - A German restaurant coach with Pantograph is used to check alignment and height of the catenary.
Middle Right - The Y2 at Månstorp, on what will probably be its last visit there!
Bottom Left - T43 DLL 226 at Lövhöjden under a new catenary gantry - the latter only partially painted!
Bottom Right - AJK member, Daniel Hill at work clearing up the Folk-Park area, standing where there was once a field (proposed)!
[All photos: A. Allum.]

6.02.05 With the arrival of single-track posts, more of the catenary was worked upon recently.  Most of the posts between Månstorp and Lövhöjden have been fitted into place; the only 'missing' ones being those that need special attention!
Another AJK member has bought a "Ga" steam locomotive; this time the Fleischmann version, but without any transfers or plates!  Fleischmann are not interested in supplying these as a separate item, so we wonder if anyone reading this knows of any alternative source - from within Sweden, perhaps?  (Please use the Email facility; thanks.) 
Also, the prototype point motor cover has been out in place, over Lövhöjden point number 107!

 
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Top - A late evening shot of a works train among the catenary posts near Lövhöjden. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Left - A member's Ga-lok at Lövhöjden with his own wagons, but the loco needs a number (see text). [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Right - The relay-room covering point motor Ldn-107.  V5 175 is testing clearances. [Photo: A. Allum.]

30.01.05 AJK members are enjoying some extra sessions in the hope of catching up with the schedule of jobs to be done this winter.  The weather has been bitterly cold in recent weeks, and not only is it unpleasant to work in, but soldering is very difficult - and this is needed with the present projects!  In addition to the installation of the point motors, there have been an assortment of other jobs going on, including members testing their new purchases upon the layout - including a Swedish 'K' class 0-6-0 locomotive!  The T43 diesels have been serviced and tested, and much to everyone's surprise they all managed to haul longer trains than ever before!  (Quite how they managed this, nobody knows, but we think that they're telepathic and have learnt that their days here may be numbered!) 
All six main line diesel locomotives (3 x T43, 2 x TMX and 1 x TMY) are likely to be used for double-heading in the early part of our summer season if we haven't finished putting up the power cables, as the electric locomotives will have to work with the pantographs down!  This will make operations somewhat interesting.  But, more on that later.  We have also experimented with different shades of green on the Catenary, but cannot find one that looks right - and if the various videos that we have are anything to go by, there is no consistency anyway - so we have settled (for now) on the dark Brunswick Green.

T43 243 in TGOJ Green livery with a 16-axle goods train at Lövhöjden.  6-axles was the previous limit!  Note contrasting greens on the catenary - the darker one is the adopted one!  [Photo: A. Allum.]

9.01.05 Work continued on the installation of point motors during the club weekend in January (and now that this project is behind schedule, extra club sessions have been arranged)!  Whilst this work was going on, many of the Catenary spans were painted in readiness for installation, and the first Relay Room (a.k.a. Point Motor cover) was made and painted.  Also, the order for signals was prepared and will be placed toward the end of the month!

 
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Left - Catenary spans hanging up in front of the garden fence whilst the paint dries! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - An AJK member working on the "Prototype" Relay Room (for point 107 at Lövhöjden). [Photo: A. Allum.]

12.12.04 The FLMJ had a small open day on one Saturday in December, mainly for the purpose of selling off some withdrawn items.  Unfortunately, none of the models were actually sold, and the three guests (and three club members) had a frustrating day trying to get the railway to work!  Although the weather was dry, the track was damp, and the track-cleaning block only made the matter worse - it cleaned the dirt off, but left a moist residue in its place!  We brought into action our new electrically powered track cleaner, only to find that this also does not work on damp track!  (Was that £135 well spent, we wonder?)  Instead, it covered one of its bogies with sludge!
On the Sunday, the club visited the indoor layout in West London again, but in view of the expected turnout of guests, members took their British outline models, and the FLMJ stock stayed at the FLMJ!  (In the event, three of the guests did bring 00-scale British stock, but the other two brought Spanish and French H0-scale models!)

 
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Left - The electrical track cleaner with its cover removed.  This is made by a German firm, Lux-Modellbau, and the large grinding wheel is driven by power from the track; and the batteries are part of an accumulator to keep the wheel turning when the wagon loses contact over a very dirty piece of track! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - Well, you can't really expect us to take "British" railway modelling seriously, can you? [Photo: The Fat Controller!]

14.11.04 At AJK's November club weekend, work continued on motorising the points at both Månstorp and Lövhöjden, despite the near freezing temperatures!  Also, the track in the tunnel at Lövhöjden was re-laid onto a wooden base (instead of cork) to give it more support and prevent it from lifting or buckling, as has been the case for some time.  There was also some work done on the T42 diesel locomotive to bring it back into service, though we are still looking at how to improve the couplings - hopefully so that we can fit NEM boxes!  On the Sunday, the Sb-lok (steam outline 2-6-4T) was taken apart to be studied, and hopefully brought back into service.  Much of the heavy mechanical work was completed in the one day, but there is much more to be done to this 45-year-old model!

The Tenshodo Sb-lok on the Kitchen table.  The brass object between the centre driving wheels is a gearbox, complete with oiling points!  The overall quality of this locomotive is impressive, considering it's age (see news). (Click for full size) [Photo: A. Allum.]

25.10.04 Adrian Allum visited a model railway exhibition at Colchester on Saturday October 23rd, to help Patrick Grace operate his Strömstad layout.  Although set in the Summer of 1965, the FLMJ's X10 did make a brief appearance towards the end of the show.

The FLMJ's X10 set at Patrick Grace's Strömstad station - under the newly installed catenary! (Click for full size). [Photo: A. Allum.]

AJK members visited the layout of the Western Model Railway Society on Sunday October 24th, to operate the FLMJ's models (and a few others) in an indoor environment.  Although the number of members attending was low, the number of models taken was high, and the event was enjoyed by those who did take part.

 
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Left - Two Rc6 locomotives on standby. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - The NSB El.16 climbs the incline in the background, whilst other goods wagons are seen in the main yard. [Photo: A. Allum.]

7.10.04 During AJK's regular club weekend (not an 'open' event - though two visitors did turn up on the Saturday), very little operation was achieved.  However, the five point machines at the Down end of Månstorp were fitted.  Also, despite earlier intentions (to put this loco aside), the SSLidJ locomotive was stripped down completely, rewired, reassembled, and lo; it runs!  Some work was also done to the Tc and Z68 diesels, but there is more to do.  (A screw thread had stripped on the Tc, leaving nothing to hold the motor in place.  The hole was filled and drilled, and a new screw needs to be fitted!)  Both of the unreliable Märklin Rc-locos were serviced, and the T42 was stripped down completely for a major overhaul.

 
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Left - Five point machines loosely fitted at Månstorp, though they will need to be repositioned slightly. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - The SSLidJ locomotive at Lövhöjden after repairs were completed.  It retains its buffers (although the prototype doesn't) for the benefit of the FLMJ's operational requirements! [Photo: A. Allum.]

7.10.04 The FLMJ was open for invited guests on October 2nd & 3rd.  As with earlier this year, the weather disapproved, and the rain brought the trains to a stand for a while on both days.  Visitors were few in number, but AJK members were still able to operate the railway regardless, and an enjoyable weekend was had by all!
During the weekend points 101-103 at Lövhöjden were connected up for remote control, and this saves the operator there having to walk from the Down end of the station (where the controls are) to the Up end, just to change some points.  These are the first in a project to remotely control all points on the railway, as part of the Signalling project, where the whole railway (other than the Fiddle Yard at Ålunden) will be under CTC (Centralised Traffic Control) from an installation at Arjeplog (on the railway)!

 
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Above Left - Tenshodo "Sb" locomotive on static display at Lövhöjden, with these work-men attending to it! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Above Right - A snail was in hope of taking a train from Lövhöjden, but he didn't have a ticket! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Below Left - One of the new point motors (with two accessory switches) during installation.  These are now under covers. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Below Right - An InterCity train from Ålunden to Lövhöjden passing through Månstorp at speed, whilst a goods train awaits the signal.  Note also the recently raised masts for the overhead catenary. [Photo: A. Allum.]
 

25.9.04 AJK members had an extra club session at the end of September, to get things ready for the Open Weekend, and to become conversant with some new procedures, such as Block Working on the Södra Stambanan between Ålunden and Månstorp!  Before this, some work had been done at Månstorp to put up more masts for the overhead cables, as well as some engineering at Lövhöjden to prepare the installation of point machines there.During the club session, however, the bases for three point machines were placed, but not without difficulties.  There will be a change in specification, and unfortunately, the price for each installation will go up by about £1!  The weather, however, was damp, and it really does appear that digital cameras cannot focus in these conditions.  Sorry, no photos from the session; only one from the weekend before!

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V5 152 bringing an ex-DB restaurant car onto the Siljansbanan at Månstorp.  These coaches have a pantograph on the roof, and so one is now at the FLMJ in connection with the installation of the overhead power cables (surveying and testing).  [Photo: A. Allum.]

10.9.04 It is with great sadness that we learn of a tragic incident, where two people are known to have lost their lives in a collision between a train and a lorry on a crossing near Kristianstad, southern Sweden.  Although the blame is almost certainly with the lorry driver, it is not the blame that we focus on now, but the people who survived the crash and the friends and relatives of the deceased.  Our sincere condolences go to those affected by this incident.

5.9.04 AJK members had a sunny weekend to operate the railway in September (one week earlier than usual), and a busy schedule was managed on Saturday, with only the minor of problems.  A little track maintenance was required at Månstorp, but a slightly bigger job was needed at Lövhöjden, but being in a siding, that was postponed.  One of the newer members took his "Driver Competence Test" (and passed with Merit), and our newest member had his first session (as a member, not a guest) and got to grips with the railway's operation quite quickly.
On Sunday (warmer by all accounts), fewer members were present, but a timetabled service operated throughout the day, except for a 90-minute shut down due to a complete power failure at Lövhöjden.  The problem was corrected by diverting the power through the "back-up" wires that had been provided "just-in-case!"  The track maintenance at Lövhöjden was dealt with in the morning (whilst that station is in the shade), and the minor repair at Månstorp was replaced with new components during the afternoon, requiring the Up line at Kopparberg (between Månstorp and Lövhöjden) to be closed for a few hours.  The assortment of trains was interesting and somewhat photogenic.  Two pictures are provided here, the rest are on the gallery.

 
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Left - The Iron Ore (IORE) locomotive on the curved approach to Månstorp.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - Rc6 1328 bringing an Up goods train into Lövhöjden from the Down line, due to engineering referred to in the text.  [Photo: A. Allum.]

15.8.04 AJK's August weekend was poorly attended due to holidays, one party(!) and a special train service to see-off the old "slam-door" rolling stock - even though some will remain in service for a while, yet!  Saturday's session was cancelled, but although no trains ran on the Sunday, and there was only one member present, work was continued on the "Z68" diesel shunter.  We are hopeful of having this in service for the October Guest Weekend!

The Z68 in the sidings at Lövhöjden - still sitting a bit high on the Tenshodo "spud" motor bogie, but with more work to be done.  [Photo: A. Allum.]

8.8.04 There's more to life than just trains! Four AJK members (and a guest) enjoyed a day out on a boat on the River Thames - as a club social outing.  (Our thanks to Stese for organising this.)  Not a red signal or point failure in sight!

 
Left - Adrian "Please take a picture of me now" takes to the wheel for a little while.
Right - Three other members onboard during a Lock navigation.

17.7.04 AJK members enjoyed a day out (as a club outing) at the BSLR in Enfield.  This is a British Outline '0' gauge garden railway, that entertains many guests throughout the year, and is operational all year round!  The members operated the railway to a set sequence reasonably well (despite the lack of "Route Knowledge"), and a good day was had by all!

 
Click thumbnails for large images
Left - A locomotive on shed at Bunbury.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - '0' gauge in the garden - quite delightful!  [Photo: A. Allum.]

11.7.04 The FLMJ held its main open weekend in July, despite the weather.  Downpours even included hail for several minutes on the Saturday, and this probably contributed to a low number of visitors.  Nevertheless, as the weather improved, we were able to get the railway working.  Electrical faults were at a minimum (though there was an alarming rate of operator error...!) and down-time for repairs was, therefore, minimal.  There is a hint of a new member joining as a result of this weekend, so the weather didn't totally dampen the event!

 
Left - Rc6 1407 and visiting Da 903 at Lövhöjden, clearly showing how "overscale" the latter is!  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - Two camera-shy (!) Rc-series locomotives at Lövhöjden.  [Photo: A. Allum.]

5.7.04 Members of AJK had an extra session at the beginning of July to get the railway ready for its open weekend.  A few trains were operated upon the railway, and as they struggled, so the cause of the struggle was dealt with.  Several joints needed re-bonding and one even needed new joiners (fishplates) fitted.  The IORE locomotive was brought back into service, along with ten of the twelve wagons that usually run behind it.  The X10 had a fair run, but it still needs to be better!  The Block Instruments for the Siljansbanan were faulty (again), but these were repaired in the morning.  Added to this problem was the failure of a GaugeMaster controller, where both of the controlled DC outputs were actually putting out AC power!  GaugeMaster controllers have a lifetime guarantee, so we will be asking them to repair or replace.  (They have done this before for us (for a different unit), so we are not expecting any problems with this.)  So, hopefully, all will be well at our open weekend.

 
 
Top Left - An InterCity waits at the home signal to Månstorp whilst the Electrical Engineer repairs the adjacent track. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Top Right - Even the Director General did some track repairs - here requiring the tunnel at Lövhöjden to be lifted! [Photo: S. Davison.]
Bottom Left - Rc6 1408 'split' point 113 at Lövhöjden, whilst bringing a train into the station. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Right - Two visiting locomotives (Da 903 & Z67 637) await their next turn of duty at Lövhöjden. [Photo: A. Allum.]

13.6.04 The FLMJ entertained some of its club members (AJK) and a few guests (who casually called in) on June 12th & 13th.  Electrical problems were of a minor nature, and were sorted out as they arose.  Due to low numbers, the number of trains in service was also low, but the service was enjoyable.  Rc6 1407 had been retrofitted with Roco close couplings, and this saw more service than it has done in the past!  (For an "Rc" loco with standard "hook-and-loop" couplings, there are two Märklin models available.)  The X10 was given a run, but it is still not quite right.  On the Saturday, two brown coaches were used for the suburban service for a while, and were later replaced by an SJ coach and an NSB coach with the Norwegian El.16 locomotive! 
On the Sunday, the steam "Sa" locomotive provided this service with its three wooden bodied coaches.  The IC-11 was the main express passenger train for the weekend, but a second train was brought in on the Sunday, comprising SJ and NSB coaches!  The only goods train (apart from a short visiting one on the Saturday,) was a TMX locomotive with Märklin wagons, retrofitted with standard "hook-and-loop" couplings, as Märklin's own couplings are prone to uncoupling when in service - and have now been banned from the railway.  The last train of the weekend, was the IC-11 train with the appropriate Rc7 at the rear, but with two Rc6 locomotives at the front!  (Is this an FLMJ power-to-weight ratio record?)

 
Click photos for full size images.
Top - Rc6 1344 enters the locoshed at Lövhöjden. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Left - Rc6 1407, retrofitted with close couplings and coupled to the IC-11 train at Lövhöjden.   [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Right - The "Sa" steam locomotive at Lövhöjden. [Photo: A. Allum.]

30.5.04 On May 29th & 30th, AJK members enjoyed the first operational session upon the FLMJ for 2004.  Unfortunately, the 'snagging' that was necessary, took us right up to 5pm on the Saturday, and so the railway operated for only an hour.  On the Sunday, a more thorough service was provided until a problem developed at Lövhöjden (not the new control panel, thankfully), and we had to stop.  Unfortunately, this was a "British 00" weekend, and no Swedish trains operated at all!  However, we do have the rest of the summer for that.

Above - A club member using the new control panel at Lövhöjden.  [Photo: A. Allum.] 
For more photos (of British trains on the FLMJ), click here.

18.5.04 After Steninge's trip to the SRS AGM, some work was carried out upon the FLMJ on the Sunday.  This was concentrated on the installation of the new control panel.  This work is being hampered by the incompetence of a large DIY chain who have stopped selling the trunking that we started using!  Also, on this day, we had a look at another model railway that the Director General has acquired, with a view to modifying it to Swedish appearance.  However, we have decided that this conversion would be inappropriate, so British it will remain!
On the following weekend, the FLMJ had a sale of surplus items, along with a big sort-out at Ålunden and a photo-shoot for a forthcoming article for "FLMJ-Nytt" later in the year - about the Rc-series of locomotives.  On the Sunday, three AJK members and two guests visited the regular indoor layout in West London for an operational session there.  In addition to some Swedish stock from the FLMJ, there was some British LMS, Spanish and Japanese stock!

 

Click photos for full size images.
Top Left - A British "Warship" diesel locomotive emerging from one of the many tunnels on the layout in West London. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Top Right - Swedish "Ga" loco - not from the FLMJ - at the Terminus station on the same layout.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom - The "Da" electric locomotive passing the farm at Kopparberg on the FLMJ. [Photo: A. Allum.]

14.5.04 Steninge had its first outing (in AJK ownership) on May 8th, to the Annual General Meeting and Members' Day of the Scandinavian Railways Society, at Banbury.
Being such a momentous occasion, the camera was left behind(!), so a disposable alternative was purchased, with predictable results!  Overall, the layout worked well.  We were missing one lead to power up the Fiddle Yard, and the newly isolated section isn't completely isolated (something that was overlooked)!  Operation of the layout was kept quite simple so that we could monitor performance, but we did have a good selection of passenger trains and goods trains.  Locomotives were an assortment of steam and diesel - as there are no cables at Steninge!

 
Left - The TGOJ 'V' class locomotive was put into service, and performed very well, despite many years in store! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - The TMY worked with the modern coaches, but these were a bit too long for the fiddle yard, so Märklin coaches will be used in future. [Photo: A. Allum.]

5.5.04 AJK has received news from Brimalm of a steam locomotive to be considered for our "Available Models" page.  This has now been arranged, but the text that came with the pictures was too informative to just edit down; so here it is in full.

The prototype, Class Y3 / S5 / S7:

The private railway company Bergslagens Järnvägar during the years 1915-27 took delivery of a very successful tank engine class with driving wheels of 1400 mm diameter, which was designated BJ Class Y3. The class could be rebalanced for 12,5 or 14,5 axle load. In 1921 the same type of engine was introduced on the private Hässleholm-Markaryds Järnväg (HMJ) and in 1928-29 on  Landskrona & Hälsingsborgs Järnvägar (L & H J). The total number built was 25 engines. The locomotive HMJ 6 was taken over by the SJ in 1930 and classified HVd, but it was sold in 1934 to the private Skåne-Smålands Järnväg and became SSJ Y3 Nr. 14. In 1940 the engine returned to the SJ, keeping its class designation Y3. In 1942 the L & H J engines were taken over by the SJ as Class S5, which designation Y3 1489 now also received.
Of the BJ Y3 engines eight had 12,5 tons axle load when nationalized. They were classified S5 by the SJ. After rebalancing to 14,5 tons axle load they became Class S7. In 1947 the same thing happened to S5 Nr. 1489. Fourteen of the twentytwo BJ engines were balanced for 14,5 tons axleload at the time of nationalization and were thus designated Class S7. All engines had been withdrawn by 1970.

The model:

The Brimalm model is available in 3 versions:
1) An early version with bluish boiler and cylinders as delivered new to the BJ.
2) An early private railways version in black.
3) A late private railways and SJ version in black.
The models are hand-built in brass in a total number of 250 for all versions together.  The Y3 like our earlier productions is furnished with a flywheel equipped Swiss precision motor and ball bearing transmission system specially designed to give the locomotive excellent low speed characteristics and smooth running qualities in the range from 0 to 80 scale kph. Like the prototype the middle axle is powered and the rotation transmitted to the other coupled axles though the individually milled and prototypically linked coupling rods. Lead weights in the boiler and side tanks in combination with the fully sprung chassis gives the engine wonderful running qualities.

The model is characterized by

Exact scale 1:87 (H0)
2-rail DC with current collection through 12 wheels
Simulated 2-cylinder Walschaert steam machinery
Cab with detailed interior and removable roof (the whistle serves as fastening screw)
Detailed smokebox interior and smokebox door which can be opened
Drive system with ball bearings and exceptionally fine slow speed performance
All axles sprung
Wheel rims made of stainless steel with RP 25 flanges
Sprung couplers and buffers
Detachable snowploughs and headlight armature
A wide choice of signs and decals for different engine numbers
Realistic running characteristics 0-80 kph
Original Brimalm spare parts kept in stock
Five year technical warranty.

The price is about EUR 820 for the late version, 845 for the early black and 865 for the early blue version.

The three versions of the Brimalm Y3 lcomotive.
Top: Late Version, Middle: Old version in black, Bottom: Old version in blue.
[Photos: Christer Brimalm.]

25.4.04 With the "operational season" soon upon us, an extra club session was arranged for April 25th.  The two main areas of work were the control panel and the track.  Due to the lack of required materials at the local DIY store, the electrical work was a little different to just the track sections being connected; we also worked on the Polarity controls for the points.  Much of the track needed levelling and in some areas there was some more severe work required, such as removing kinks and resetting the super-elevation on the curves!  The only bad news was the worsening condition of the "Y2" unit (an early Heljan model), with the discovery of a missing horn-block!  Explain that on an H0-scale model...!  The unit has caused many problems in its 10-year history, and has now been withdrawn completely.

 

Top - The trunk for the cables ... will hopefully keep things a bit tidier than before.  [Photos: A. Allum.]
Bottom - The Danish diesel set on the Södra Stambanan between Ålunden and Månstorp.  The super-elevation of the curve is clearly seen in this view.  [Photo: A. Allum.]

12.4.04 AJK held its traditional Easter Dinner on the Saturday of the Easter weekend, attended by most members.  However, it was the Sunday that would see a great achievement; the new control panel for Lövhöjden was finally fitted into place, and work started on connecting all of the tracks to the terminations inside it.  (From the terminations there are cables leading to the isolating switches and other apparatus.)  Also on this day, new panels were made up for the Point Polarity switches.  These are used to ensure that the correct polarity is fed to the points when they are changed - as we cannot rely on the inbuilt self-contact feature of the Peco product, due to the accumulation of dirt on a garden railway! 
However, points 101-103 also have switches nearer the control panel, ready for when the point motors are installed (the polarity will then be changed by the motor) and they can be more remotely controlled.  A similar panel was made for Månstorp also. All three pictures by Adrian Allum.

This first picture shows the panel folded away when not in use.
We have used an old equipment case for the superstructure, with holes drilled wherever necessary. To the right, you can see part of one of the Point Polarity panels. A crossover will have just one switch for the two points involved.

The second picture shows the panel in its operational position.
Unfortunately, in this view, the track diagram is unclear.  But the layout of the new panel is clear. The top row of switches are for the main track sections.  The red lamp above them would indicate when the section is in use by another controller. (Note that three of these sections cannot be controlled from elsewhere!)  The lower row of switches are for sub-sections (sidings, for example) and Intermediate Block Section Overrides!  The switch in the top right corner is deployed to isolate the amp and volt meters and connect the High Frequency Track Cleaner - thus owners of visiting stock can choose whether or not to use this facility.

The third picture shows the panel opened up for maintenance - or more presently, installation!  In this view, only three looms of eight-core cable have been run into the panel; another fourteen looms will be added!  The terminal blocks are provided so that we can isolate and disconnect whenever necessary.  However, there are no longer any terminal blocks adjacent to the tracks; thus a reversal of our previous installation, and less crawling under the baseboards!

(Click for full size version).
This is the diagram as fitted to the front of the control panel. It clearly shows the layout of the station, and which switch controls which section. Point numbers in brackets are those that need to be operated in pairs (crossovers). Signal positions are also shown, so that drivers know where they are supposed to stop and where the shunting limits are! CAD by Hilary Hill.

29.3.04 Following on from our news of March 17th ... a lot of motive power and rolling stock was taken to an indoor layout for testing, following repairs and whatever else had been needed - with mixed results!
"Rc 1010" still wouldn't run unless tilted to one side!  After demolishing and rebuilding the 'trailing' bogie, it ran reasonably well (- it ran very well by Märklin/Hamo standards, anyway)!  The "SSLidJ" loco was dead completely!  Two Lima locomotives were taken as "back-ups," but they were taken out of service as they both failed!  The "T43" (which couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding) wouldn't even pull its own weight this time!  The "Ra" ran reasonably OK, and managed a six coach train, but we had to stop it as its traction tyres were found at various locations around the layout!  Five of the eight UGJ coaches were OK, these being the A5, B8, B15, BC1 (one of them) and S1.  The F4 had too much friction and managed to derail the whole train whilst at the back of the train - on a curve!  The AB4 has a dropped coupling and this meant taking that and the BF2 out of service as they have different couplings within (these two operate as a set). 
Despite the failures, we are pleased with the ones that have now been passed for service.

17.3.04 During the "club weekend" in March, there were a number of achievements!  The new Control Panel to go in at Lövhöjden was finally made ready, and this coincided with the track being made ready (old wires removed and stuff like that).  Whilst this was going on, track maintenance was in full swing, and the Södra Stambanan between Lövhöjden and Månstorp is now much neater, level and ready for ballast to be applied, though this is an application for the Summer.  Three locomotives (Rc1 1010, TMX 1014 and SSLidJ 20), the X10 set, four coaches (BF2 3554, and the three green TGOJ preserved models) and a track machine (Plasser OBW-10) were all serviced on the Saturday, also. 
Earlier in the morning, a delivery had been taken comprising amongst other items, no less than 6 Volvo Amazon models (made by Brekina), including two 123 sport models!  (An Estate version of this "Beautiful Swede" has been announced for release later this year!)  On the Sunday, work continued on the control panel as well as 8 UGJ coaches (Types A5F, B8, B15F, BC1 (x2), F4F, S1 and Q1M).  This is probably the greatest number of items of motive power and rolling stock worked upon during an AJK weekend!

 
Top - An impromptu Volvo Amazon rally was arranged at Steninge! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Left - The final stages of the preparation of the new Lövhöjden control panel. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Right - UGJ S1 "Konferensvagn" (Conference Coach) left to stand for glue to dry. [Photo: A. Allum.]

The latest edition of our journal, 'FLMJ-Nytt,' is now available as a free download from this website. It is intended that all future editions will also be made available on this site to reduce the need for the (costly) printing of hard copies, (these will still be available for a small fee as at present). To download, please visit the FLMJ-Nytt page.

9.3.04 On Saturday March 6th, all AJK members were present at the Model Railway Exhibition in Greenford (West London), hosted by the Western Model Railway Society.  Additionally, Patrick Grace (another modeller of the Swedish railways) was there with his H0 scale layout, "Strömstad," as well as a stand from the Scandinavian Railways Society.  Details of the "Steninge" layout were given to one potential host as well as details about AJK to another guest.  It was also nice to chat with two Swedish visitors, both of whom were impressed to learn about the FLMJ - "a Swedish layout in England!"  (Never ceases to amaze...)

15.2.04 AJK had an interesting weekend in February.  The work on Saturday took a long time to get started because everybody was distracted by a new camera that was fitted to one of the trains to give a driver's eye view of the railway.  More about that much later, once we are in the running season again!  When we did get started, we worked on the new control panel for Lövhöjden and prepared some of the layout for ballast.  With the weather forecast looking good, some ballast did get put down; but the forecast was wrong, and the rain on Saturday evening and all day Sunday prevented any of it from setting!  On the Sunday, because of the rain, we set to work on Steninge.  By the end of the day, the roads had been painted down, and the back-scenes improved (trees and clouds painted on).  There is still a little more work to do here, but it will soon be ready for the Exhibition circuit.

 
Top - A flat wagon carrying a micro-camera (to the right) and a 9v battery.  The image (in colour) is transmitted by radio to a receiver plugged into the TV - for awesome results!   [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Left - The station area on the Siljansbanan has ballast applied, but the weather, despite the forecast, did not allow the ballast to set! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom Right - Two of Steninge's back scenes waiting for the paint to dry before being refitted to the layout.  The blue areas at the bottom are hidden behind the framework, which is why we didn't bother painting them. [Photo: A. Allum.]

1.2.04 Sunday February 1st was not an official AJK session, but that didn't prevent a lot of work being done at Steninge.  The point that was to have been salvaged from the removed crossover actually got damaged in the process (it was put in very well), so a new one had to be bought to replace the SetTrack in front of the station building.  With this in place, the rest of the 'revised' track was laid, wires soldered on and ballast applied.  Unable to rest for even a minute, the gravel roadway was dug up in readiness for a tarmac one to be put down, a new pedestrian crossing was placed across the tracks between the station building and platform, and whilst this was going on, a club member's locomotive that is here for repainting was completed and the outstanding copies of the latest "FLMJ-Nytt" were made up!  And to cap it all, we remembered to take some photos...!

 

Top Left - A scrap wagon full of sand!  Where the new track is laid, proper ballast is being used, bringing Steninge a little more up to date!  Sand is quite authentic on a Swedish layout - but for an earlier era!   [Photo: A. Allum.]
Top Right - A ballast machine is seen on the new track at the station, awaiting the right-of-way. It will be towing a couple of wagons away also; one of them, an open wagon full of track pins! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Bottom - The station master still has his car parked outside his house, but the road has been taken down to bare baseboards.  Some of this work was too difficult to complete, but once it has been, the new road surface will be applied. [Photo: A. Allum.]

18.1.04 AJK's session on January 10th & 11th was cancelled due to ill health.  However, an extra session in lieu was arranged for Saturday 17th, and two members tackled trackwork on the recently bought "Steninge" model.  The "S" bend is now complete with track wires soldered back on and ballasted.  The track in line 2 has been lifted as well as the point that needed removing from track 3.  Also, the goods shed was moved further away from the point so that a wagon could be in the correct place without fouling the point, and then many of the uprooted trees were planted elsewhere on the model.

The goods shed is seen after being moved away from the point, but before trees, weeds and other effects were added.  [Photo: A. Allum.]

1.1.04 The new 'S' bend at Steninge was laid toward the end of the year, and some 'dark earth' put down where the old alignment stood! 
Ballasting will get underway soon, along with the reconnection of the track wires.  Once this is complete, the end board can be put away, and the adjacent board connected to the next board, in readiness for one crossover to be removed and one point to be exchanged.
In other news; if you have been tempted to buy a track plan of the Stockholm area, produced by Quail, hold on!  The map of the Pendeltåg routes is completely wrong.  We have written to Quail (enclosing a correct map of the area), and hopefully, a new correct edition will be published before too long.  When it does, we'll let you know.  If you already have a copy, try following the route of a southbound Pendeltåg through the 'inner' platform 1 (as it is shown) at Karlberg, through the tunnel, and then try to arrive at platform 13 or 14 as per the prototype...!

 
Left - The new track in situ.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - A (Kibri) digger seen at work at Steninge.  [Photo: A. Allum.]

8.12.03 If you want to see snow in Stockholm, wait until the new year!  Or just happen to be there for one particular weekend in December.  Indeed, it was in some way, a shame to be indoors for the purpose of our visit; but in other ways, that North Wind is exceptionally cold, even though the daytime temperature didn't go into 'minus' figures!
The purpose of this visit was the annual railway fayre, which this year had moved from the Town Hall to Vasahallen (near the Vasa Museum and Tram (line 7) Depot).  The tramway even had a special 'stop' (hållplats) for the event.  Vasahallen was a cheaper place to hold the event, and bigger, but on two floors.  Most of the Swedish 'local' manufacturers were there along with some of the bigger names in Swedish railway modelling retail!  For the AJK delegation, this turned out to be an opportunity to buy books (mostly from the SJK table), videos (LEG and LTF) and a few minor souvenirs.  No models were bought however.  The wagons that the FLMJ especially wanted were not to be seen, and JECO decided to put up the price of their Y6 chassis units, putting them out of the equation.  (We were going to buy two, advertised at 895:- (SEK), but these had gone up to 1095:- (SEK)!)  Otherwise, Roco and Lima models (and for that matter, Fleischmann also) were considerably outnumbered by Märklin, including wooden bodied bogie coaches for something in the region of £200 each!  No thanks!
After the fayre, we went to a model railway layout on Södermalm, "Ekensholmsbanan" is owned and operated by Stockholms Modelljärnvägsklubb (see www.smj.org).  To get there, we travelled on an ex-German class 420, with its hideously spartan interior!
On the Sunday, we went to Spårvägsmuseet (SL's museum - trams, trains, trolley buses and buses), where in addition to more books, two slightly out-of-scale models of the Tunnelbanan 'C2' cars were bought.  (More about these later in 2004!)
Finally, for those of you who appreciate a spot of dubious humour ... we spent the Saturday evening exploring the T-bana (Stockholm's longest Art Exhibition) and ended up at one point at Norsborg, at the western end of the Red route.  We were later thankful of this being the terminus, as at the next town, Salem, there was a riot that evening, a clash of neo-nazis, anti-nazis and police, and there were 15 injuries!
AJK's next trip to this railway fayre is scheduled for 2006.

 
Left - View from the tram (trailer) on our way back to Norrmalmstorg. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - A view of the Ekensholmsbanan in Stockholm. [Photo: Thomas Crame.]

17.11.03 Early in November, Adrian took an extra visit to Sweden for the purpose of helping some friends to migrate back to the UK, by taking an empty lorry there ... !  There was not a lot of time for railway activities, but he did get photos of Rc3 1061 (of which the FLMJ has a model - but in a slightly different livery) and the imported German trains being used to supplement SL's X1 and X10 units!
During November's delayed club weekend, the main work was on the electrics under Lövhöjden, in preparation for the installation of the new control panel there.  Also, unfortunately, much time was taken up making stone guards to go over the windows facing the brook-side path, as delinquent school brats have taken delight in smashing one and chipping another!

 
Left - Rc3 1061 at Stockholm on November 5th 2003, waiting at the head of a northbound train.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - A German suburban train now operated by SL (and also in SL livery) is passed by a conventional X1 set whilst waiting in a siding to the north of Centralstation (Stockholm).  These units have received a lot of modifications, but are still proving unreliable and troublesome!  [Photo: A. Allum.]

26.10.03 Five of the club members turned up to an extra AJK session on Saturday October 25th.  Results today included filling in the gap in the wooden fence (necessitated due to vandalism caused by stone throwing at the windows), preparing the ground near the Siljansbanan for a hard-standing, removing the old Lövhöjden control panel and installing a new siding at Månstorp.  Unfortunately, we were all too busy to take any photos of the work in progress!
One member proved himself to be extremely competent with trackwork, and has been 'promoted' to the position of "Infrastructure and Mechanical Engineer."  His main responsibilities are the upkeep of the track, point motors and overhead power cables; delegating jobs where necessary and so on.  As with all positions, he has no extra authority over other members, he's just in charge of these specific jobs.
In the evening, the new track diagram for the new control panel at Lövhöjden was presented, having been produced for the FLMJ by the mother of one of the members, using a CAD program.

13.10.03 The FLMJ's regular operational weekend in October was poorly attended, but the railway was operated just as efficiently!  Two main failures occurred on the Saturday, the IORE broke down and a fault developed with the signalling equipment between Ålunden and Månstorp.  The first job on the Sunday was to replace a faulty switch so that the signalling would work, but the IORE was put away for the end-of-season.  Some neighbours (residents on the estate where the FLMJ is located) called in for a while to watch, and the railway certainly made a good impression on the 7-year-old who visited...!

 
Left - The IORE, outer ends innermost - there can be no misunderstanding that this is out of use!  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - The fascination of trains in the garden...!  [Photo: S. Robinson.]

28.09.03 The FLMJ's final 2003 Open Weekend was held on September 27th & 28th.  Like all authentic railways, there were problems during the course of the day, but they were attended to as and when they arose.  The new control panel wasn't ready (despite our efforts), but nevertheless, operation of the layout was up to the usual high standard.  A total failure of one small part of track, almost brought the railway to a halt, but once the fault had been traced to a Peco Single-slip of faulty manufacture, a jump-wire was soldered on and everything worked OK from then on.  We had a total of 16 guests over the weekend, some of whom were new to the railway, and left suitably impressed.

 
Left - Da 903, formerly an FLMJ owned model, makes a return trip to the railway and is seen at Lövhöjden.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - An InterCity train at Lövhöjden with the IORE and train on an adjacent track.  [Photo: A. Allum.]

 
Left - During the last 90 minutes each day, non-authentic trains (for a Swedish railway) are permitted, and here a French goods train is bound for Lövhöjden with two steam locomotives at the front.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - Two club members are seen hard at work on the new control panel for Lövhöjden...!  [Photo: A. Allum.]

21.09.03 Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st were extra club sessions to enable us to get things ready for the open weekend, next.  The new control panel for Lövhöjden was half-installed, and this is looking good.  Continuation will be during the week.  Some track panels also at Lövhöjden were replaced as well as a few point over-centre springs at various locations.  There were a few other jobs done also, but only enough to have the railway in full operational order for the next weekend!

06.09.03 On Saturday September 6th, a new 'Rc' locomotive arrived at the FLMJ - but not one on the waiting list - as such!  We had been thinking about finding one cheap (but had to be a Roco model) so that it wouldn't hurt if we removed the motor so that it could act as a push-pull loco!  However, one was found for £65 (after a bit of haggling) and we're not so sure that we want to remove the motor.  A decision will be made later!
Also, an 'Rc-derivative' arrived.  This is an American AEM7.  This would not suit the FLMJ at all, but at the excellent price we felt that it would be nice to acknowledge the success of this loco.  The AEM7 is derived from the Swedish 'Rc4' and the series was built following trials with an 'Rc' locomotive sent over from Sweden.  It is fitted with Kadee-style couplings (and does not have buffers), so it will be used on the Iron Ore train towards the end of running sessions when we allow somewhat inauthentic (for a Swedish scene) motive power and rolling stock to operate upon the railway!
Finally, on this day, Adnalms Järnvägar acquired the "Steninge" layout, built by Patrick Grace.  We will use this for exhibitions (once we've completed a few modifications) until we are able to build a new "Köpingsvik" layout (subject as usual, to the availability of time and money)!

Adrian and Patrick shake hands over the transfer of ownership of the "Steninge" layout.  [Photo: Raymond Butler.]

01.09.03 The FLMJ was host to an unusual event on August 30th/31st.  This was a British "00" Weekend.  All of the Swedish models were kept off the layout, and 00-scale British models took over!  This happens usually only once a year, when it is a chance for AJK members (and a few friends) to run their British models on an outdoor layout - such as this!  Purists may be disappointed with this approach, but for them (and all), the good news is that our Electrical & Signalling Engineer managed to trace and correct the problems that we were experiencing with the Siljansbanan Block Instruments (which took most of the Saturday) and they worked faultlessly on the Sunday.

 
Left - Steam era and modern era.  Who cares?  A line up of steam and diesel traction at Lövhöjden towards the end of the Sunday.  Tender-first working was necessary for Down trains as there is no turntable at Lövhöjden.  (The one for Fjällnäs has already been bought, but that is looking some way ahead!)  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - It wasn't just trains - a selection of buses made the excursion to the FLMJ also. Worryingly, one of them had "Railway Relief" showing on its destination blind! [Photo: A. Allum.]

27.08.03 During August, Adrian took a personal holiday to Sweden.  (AJK trips are organised every third year.)  Restricting his movements to the Stockholm area, and making an effort to enjoy more than just railways(!), there is little to report.  However...First, advice to all would-be travellers to Stockholm.  Wherever possible buy your SL tickets from shops and not from SL offices.  SL staff are not very friendly.  Further, there is a difference between the 72-hour travel card and the 3-day travel card.  The latter is valid for three days (so if you buy one at 12-noon, you've wasted 12 hours of it).  The 72-hour version is valid for 72 hours from the moment you buy it - Adrian managed to time his for two and two-half days!  However, the shop sold him the wrong one second time round, but were only too helpful in correcting (replacing) it.  (Incidentally, the SL cards are now valid on the museum trams to Djurgården!)
Visiting a friend in Skarpnäck, Adrian was able to look over a new model railway and a model of the class 'Rd.'  This is a "what-if" locomotive, and is quite simply the Swiss 460 in SJ "IC-11" livery!  Very smart too!  Attempts at photographing the German stock being used on the suburban routes were in vain (they really ought to cut back the weeds at Älvsjö) and the withdrawn Danish stock was too far away to get a clear image!  However, a GreenCargo 'Rc' locomotive was photographed, as well as an ex-Austrian 1043 class - based on the 'Rc2' and having been withdrawn in Austria, brought back into Sweden! 

 
Left - The "What-if" model of a class 'Rd' in SJ livery! [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - Banverket 'Rc' locomotive (ex-Austrian 1043) at Tomteboda. [Photo: A. Allum.]

The Tvärbanan (modern tramway) has been extended beyond Gullmarsplan to Sickla Udde, and this features a long gradient that would not go amiss in San Francisco!  The tramstop at Årstaberg is to have a connection with the suburban trains and this work was underway, as was the construction of the new Årsta bridge!

 
Left - GreenCargo 'Rc' locomotive at Södertälje. [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - Tram climbing from Mårtensdal to Gullmarsplan. [Photo: A. Allum.]

25.08.03 On the weekend of August 9th & 10th, most AJK members sensibly shied away from club.  On the Sunday, it reached 35 degrees indoors!  Nevertheless, the Director General worked alone on the Saturday and had one other member turn up on the Sunday.
The bulk of Saturday's work was the control panel for Lövhöjden - the new one.  The case and equipment had been supplied by the FLMJ to Almbek Railways who planned, drilled and fitted the equipment, leaving only the track diagram to be done locally.  The next big job is the internal wiring, then the railway will stop running whilst the external wiring is changed...!

The new control panel for Lövhöjden is seen indoors pending commissioning.  [Photo: A. Allum.]

On the Sunday, a fault-finding session was arranged to find the cause of the false feed to one of the lights on the Siljansbanan Block Instruments.  The work was in vain!  The switches are still suspect, but so is the loom of wiring between the stations!  Whilst this went on, an hourly timetabled train service was provided by the X2-2 set.  And the locoshed for Lövhöjden was built.  Once this had been done, the works train was parked in it and alongside it to check clearances - and for a photo!

The Danish DMU provided motive power for the engineers' train (and accommodation for the engineers!), and is seen here trying out the new locoshed at Lövhöjden for size!  {Photo: A. Allum.]

13.07.03 On Saturday July 12th, three AJK members visited the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway as their official club outing for 2003. Traffic chaos on the way turned the 90 minute drive into four and a half hours!  However, a good day was had by all!

The RH&DR's Canadian outline loco No. 10 'Dr Syn' stands on the turntable at Hythe, during the AJK visit. [Photo: A. Allum.]

On the Sunday, four AJK members made the most of the good weather (probably too good,) to operate the railway (the FLMJ - not the RH&DR)!  More irritating problems were found with the Siljansbanan, but otherwise, all worked OK.  One member also took - and passed - his driver test.

20.06.03 AJK members hosted an open weekend upon the FLMJ on June 14th & 15th.  (Note that we do not advertise such events here as the railway is not open to the general public.  But if you would like to visit the railway, let us know and we'll "invite" you accordingly.  Our next guest event is in September.)  A full report will be published later. 
The Siljansbanan was opened at 1pm on the Saturday with "Rc7 1421" and a matching set of coaches forming the inaugural service.  Problems were encountered with the electrical installation along the Siljansbanan on the Saturday, and on the Sunday operation along that route did not commence until new controls had been connected up!  Unfortunately, on the Sunday, the control panel at Lövhöjden finally bowed out and its replacement is under way.  Watch this space!

 
Left - Rc7 1421 about to enter Lövhöjden just after the cutting of the blue & yellow ribbon that crossed the track!  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - Having opened the new route, this band played the national anthem (well, the sound came from the tape-deck below the railway, but the effect was worth the effort)!  [Photo: A. Allum.]

11.06.03 An extra club session was called for June 7th & 8th, in order to get things ready for the open weekend.  On the Saturday, four members set about with the installation of electrical control equipment, especially for the new Siljansbanan route.  (One member also set about painting the skirting around the home - but in addition to painting the front timbers to the baseboards!)  Try as hard as we could, we just could not get the route to function correctly.  Also, other sections were beginning to drop out - sections that had proven OK during the previous weekend!  And here lies a lesson ... when using terminal blocks, do ensure that the screw grips the metal wire and not the plastic insulation!  By the end of the day, having bell-tested the switches for the block controls for the Siljansbanan, we found irregularities and the switches were withdrawn!

TMX 1012 under power on the Siljansbanan, arriving at Månstorp. [Photo: A. Allum.]

On the Sunday, only two members continued with this work, and using some almost-suitable switches that were found in store (6-way instead of the required 5-way) we set about connecting these up instead.  During the transfer of wires from one switch to the other, we found that one of the switches had not been wired correctly.  Human error - and we take back all those things we said about the manufacturer on the previous evening!  At 7.30pm, TMY 101 worked Light Engine along the Siljansbanan under power, and controlled by the associated equipment.  A little later, the works train headed by TMX 1012 followed - and despite a minor problem with "frog polarity" on one (or possibly two) points, great relief was felt by all!  (We still have the indicator lights to install, but they will take only one evening.)  Also, during the Sunday, the entire junction at Ålunden was connected up, tested; and proven AOK.  We're ready for the Open Weekend!

The return working approaching Lövhöjden. [Photo: A. Allum.]

1.06.03 AJK members had an extra club session on May 31st, in preparation for the opening on June 14th!  Unfortunately, due to unavailability of required materials at our suppliers, progress was disappointing.  Nevertheless, several track repairs were made, including electrical connections; and a locomotive was tested over the entire layout.  Consideration was also given to the required repairs to the scenery, as the new baseboard material has not permitted it to withstand abuse from the weather!

 
Left - The works train headed by TMX 1012 and as-yet un-numbered Z65 enters Ålunden at the end of the day.  [Photo: A. Allum.]
Right - Weather damage upon the new layout is colossal, as seen here at Lövhöjden.  [Photo: A. Allum.]

The FLMJ is looking into the fitting of overhead power cables and already Jeco posts are in place.  But where do we go from here? 
The spans (available from a German supplier) aren't long enough - so we'd have to reposition the posts and masts.  The alternative metal solution would require a lot of soldering - but then the plastic version (our original idea) would need an equal amount of gluing!  Presently, only the posts are in place, so we can operate electric locomotives with the pantographs up, but if we fit the masts, the pantographs will need to stay down - until we have fitted the contact wire!  See our question for June on this subject!

14.05.03 Our May weekend functioned on the Sunday only, due to the Annual General Meeting of the Scandinavian Railways Society taking place on the Saturday.  Nevertheless, all of the wiring looms for the Siljansbanan were installed.  All that remains to be done on this job is the connection to a 12v power supply and the provision of Block Indicators.  These indicators are home-made as they are for a single line where it is not practicable to use tokens (as per British practice) and we need to ensure that only one train is in the section at any one time...!  AJK members now have three extra days to look forward to between now and the open event in June to get the railway ready.

1.04.03 On Saturday March 29th, some of the AJK members were tested on their understanding of the rulebook - an annual procedure.  All members who were present passed OK.  Later - as people were present - we got on with some work upon the railway including some alterations to the Siljansbanan and infrastructure improvements.  We also had a look at providing a crossing over the railway between Folketspark and Månstorp, but no 'final' decision was made.

17.03.03 Pictures of recent tracklaying on the Siljansbanan, foundation work on the Norra Stambanan and rennovation work at Ålunden have been added to the FLMJ Construction page.

13.03.03 During AJK's maintenance weekend in March, a lot was achieved.
1.All of the track along the Siljansbanan (from Månstorp to Lövhöjden) was laid and wired-up.  This included a short siding at "Folketspark" and the start of the long siding to the industrial area nearby.  (Folketspark is the name of a station along this route, which will be open until the Narrow Gauge railway is built - then there will be a station here, served by that railway; and the standard gauge one will be made to look closed - but not derelict!)
2.The junction trackwork at Ålunden was removed and modified (to make operations there a lot easier), but although the new track was fitted into place, electrical connections will be done later - we need to draw a new wiring diagram for the new layout!  Also, in connection with this work, the baseboard inside this area was levelled and strengthened!
3.The platform at Månstorp was refitted, following a cosmetic overhaul.  This was needed because the posts for the overhead cables will be fitted to the platform, and therefore, it cannot be removed later!  The underside was sealed at the edges to stop the rain from getting in, as were the holes for the screws and the area around the subway entrance.  Having made such a tidy job here, we had to improve the stairs to the other end of the subway also!
4.A start was made on the Norra Stambanan (the Northern Mainline), which will be the eventual route to Gärde and Fjällnäs.  This work involved only the provision of the legs for the first board, but as we were working with post-cement, we also prepared the way for the industrial siding near Folketspark!
A few pictures were taken - and we managed to finish the film - so some pictures will appear soon!

1.03.03 The FLMJ is better off by three locomotives, four coaches and four wagons!  The wagons are Roco's Iron Ore set of four.  Very nice too, but don't mix well with the UGJ ones!  Couplings are a bit of a joke also!  The coaches are one of each of the new "Blue-X" models - standard Roco models.  The main new locomotive is the "Blue-X" Rc7 1421, again a Roco model.  This is our first 'Rc' locomotive with the single-arm pantographs, and the whole set looks very nice indeed.

The new "Blue-X" or "IC-11" train seen passing the farm on the FLMJ.

However, it was not just the new arrival that made the news; V5 175, which has been unpowered for a very long time has finally had its motor refitted - and now it even goes the correct way!  And to cap it all, we are spending a bit of time this weekend painting and fitting the buffers to Tc 306, giving us a snow-plough-locomotive!
However, there is a little disappointing news also.  Our opinion poll has been abused.  It is provided for fun; none of the answers are ever likely to influence any decisions.  But please vote only once for each question.  Thank-you.

9.02.03 At AJK's club weekend in February, the baseboards for the Siljansbanan were finally completed.  Although there was time available, track laying didn't commence due to poor weather!  Also, the shed used for the Fiddle-Yard was cleared out so that work could commence on refitting the baseboards in there, following rain damage!  This is one of the inherent problems with metal sheds - thus explaining why the shed built for the signalbox is built of a different material altogether!  (The local council have outlawed wooden sheds on Park Home estates!)  However, an electrical problem prevented this job getting too far advanced! 
Parts of the new catenary system were taken down due to corrosion, and these are to be treated and painted in our workshops before being replaced.  The platform at Månstorp was made ready for refitting following overhaul, and this should not need to be interfered with for a long time - hopefully anyway, the catenary posts will be fitted to it!  Our new track cleaning van is almost ready for service (having been painted into SJ orange) and the 'Tc' locomotive needs very little to complete it now - Watch this space!
Tågklareraren Erik (our cartoon character) is in need of a new artist, so until one has been appointed, there won't be any additions to his page.  We'll keep you posted of any developments!

13.01.03 AJK's club weekend in January was a bit cold!  Nevertheless, we were able to continue with work on the foundations for the Siljansbanan and this is almost ready for track to be laid.  Two small connecting boards need to be fitted and that is all!  Also, the first of the masts for the overhead cabling were fitted into place.  These are white-metal products by Swedish firm, Jeco.  They're not the best on the market, but they're more than good enough and at a price that the FLMJ can justify.  We also held our annual Winter "Sell-off" of material surplus to requirements, but sales were very low.
There was an interesting response to our survey about pushing a train (December's opinion poll).  One person commented about his experiences in Sweden, thus: "I remember when I lived in Sweden, the year around 1954-55.  I was going home on the then Narrow Gauge line, NKlJ from Karlstad to Forshaga.  It was a huge snowstorm with a lot of snow coming down.  The train crew placed about 25-30 snow-shovels on the last open platform passenger carriage.  This was in case the train would get stuck in a snowdrift.  If it happened, I guess the train guard would have commandeered the passengers to assist in shovelling.  I would not have any problems doing it.  The only thing in today's world, I think, is that people are like zombies and couldn't do such a thing without creating more trouble.  I am mostly thinking about the high voltage overhead.  The NKlJ line was at the same voltage as SJ.  It didn't seem a problem for humans that year!"

01.01.03 GOTT NYTT ÅR - And let's hope its a good one!
On Saturday December 28th, AJK members enjoyed a Swedish style Christmas dinner - a five course Smörgåsbord!  The meal was rounded off with the Director General's report for the year and then three of the members were each presented with a "Certificate of Excellence," in recognition of the outstanding effort that they had put into the railway during the year.

15.12.02 On Sunday December 8th, many of the members and a few guests took a number of railway models (almost none Swedish) to an indoor layout in West London, on a Pay-and-Play basis.  This event has been enjoyed before and was probably overdue!
The following weekend was the official club weekend.  Our annual sell-off of surplus material was postponed because we just didn't have the time to get it all ready.  Therefore, we spent the Saturday morning working on the signal-box.
Saturday afternoon, however, saw a social event - a trip to a local-ish cinema to see the latest Harry Potter film!  This was quite an achievement considering the various TOC's (Train Operating Companies') efforts to prevent anybody from going anywhere that evening - and the infrastructure wasn't much better either.  However, where there's a Wizard, there's a way!
On the Sunday we continued working on the signalbox and the start of the new route, the "Siljansbanan," also.  Progress was impressive, and our recent thoughts about delaying the start of work on the "Norra Stambanan" route may not have been necessary!  Watch this space.
Club members are now eagerly awaiting the Swedish Style Yuletide Dinner...!

2.12.02 On November 30th, a few AJK members made the journey to Birmingham, to the Warley Model Railway Exhibition at the National Exhibition Centre.  This is one of the biggest shows in the UK and attracts many visitors - including from abroad!  The FLMJ benefited with the purchase of a second Roco track cleaning van (which will be painted orange).  Earlier in the week, we took delivery of a number of catenary posts made by Jeco and a few Brekina models ... of a Volvo 121 (Amazon) - long overdue, we think!

10.11.02 AJK had a quiet weekend in November.  We spent the Saturday assisting Patrick Grace with the operation of his Swedish layout, "Strömstad" at the Tolworth Showtrain Model Railway Exhibition.  One FLMJ train did visit the layout during the course of the day, the TGOJ V10 and two "Svenskt Stål" wagons.  With poor weather, nobody turned up at the layout on the Sunday (and Patrick had other helpers at Tolworth).

16.10.02 October's club weekend was quite a mixed bag.  There was some electrical work to do, involving changing the way in which the indicators from Ålunden to Månstorp work.  As usual in any project of this nature, the job took a lot longer than planned!  Work on the scenery (especially ballasting) was postponed due to the poor weather.  But there was a small train service - to break up the day.  The Sunday, however, was too wet.  There was a brave attempt by one member to get the railway working, but although there was some movement, it was mostly in vain!  The main activity on this day was the demolition of the wooden shed to make way for the new (non-wood) shed to be used for signalling!  (The local authorities have deemed wooden sheds on Park Home sites a fire hazard - despite the Park Homes being made of wood also!  See our Opinion Poll for October!)

24.09.02 Information about the latest edition of FLMJ-Nytt has been posted on the site.
Also, some more photographs from AJK's recent visit to Sweden have been posted on the Sweden 2002 page.

21.09.02 The FLMJ had an open weekend in September for the benefit of guests.  Patronage was much lower than in May, but the weather was a little cooler and we were competing with the large Model Railway Exhibition at Woking!  Nevertheless, with a good amount of scenery in place and a reliable operation, great fun was indeed, had by all.  Towards the end of the Sunday, the railway was invaded by "Fast" trains from around Europe, and a line-up of the TGV, Eurostar, Thalys and X2-2 just had to be seen to be appreciated!  (A photo will appear in due course!)
Strictly speaking, the railway is closed for operations until next year; we have quite a heavy winter building programme, but this website will keep you up to date.

16.08.02 During July, three AJK members visited Sweden, and a report can be found on this site - or click here.
Toward the end of July, some AJK members had an enjoyable day operating the railway, whilst others did some ongoing maintenance. There were a few short moments when all trains were required to stop, but on the whole, it all went OK. Some of the wiring at Månstorp was revised (and made neater), whilst both stations saw revisions to the arrangement of train controllers - each now having one fixed (temporary) unit and one remote (permanent) unit.
At the beginning of August, a special session was called on for the purpose of entertaining a guest from Sweden. Unfortunately, this visit had to be postponed, but the members made the most of this situation by relaying the track alongside the platforms at both stations - to remove the gaps in some places and to prevent the trains hitting them in others! Whether these modifications will enable 00-scale British "Hall" class locomotives to run - or not - remains to be seen!
During the regular club session in August, the temporary Block instruments between the two stations were to have been rewired, resulting in the removal of an irritating "track" switch. (We won't bother explaining this switch to you as it is now virtually obsolete, and will be completely obsolete once the new control panel at Ålunden has been installed.) However, electrical problems with some associated circuits that we were not able to find and repair, made it unwise to do the work! Nevertheless, with the help of an override facility, we were able to keep the railway running, and one member was even able to renew his qualification as a driver (done every three years).

12.08.02 Due to holidays, we won't be canvassing your opinion on a Swedish railway subject in August. Look out for a new question in September. Trevlig Sommar!

12.06.02 Over the AJK weekend in June, six members put the FLMJ to test. Now that the railway is operational, and we have got the official opening behind us, it is time to make the adjustments, to iron out the problems.  There are plenty of them, but only one is serious, and that is to be postponed until after September's open weekend!  Some wiring jobs were carried out over this weekend, but the emphasis was on running trains.  On the Saturday, the FLMJ's trains worked tirelessly for a few hours and then gave way to members' other stock - all of a British origin!  The same was planned for the Sunday, but rain stopped play during the afternoon!  One point worthy of note, is that the IBAB liveried 'TMX' locomotive was retrofitted with Kadee couplings so that we have something to haul the UGJ Iron Ore wagons until Roco can be bothered to return our faulty 'IORE' locomotive.  (This was faulty when delivered, and we have now been waiting for it for six weeks!)

1.06.02 On June 1st (an 'extra' club session), four members set to work repairing the Peco Diamond crossings (which are quite unreliable) and doing various others jobs - jobs that were deemed necessary following the opening weekend. The trackwork at Ålunden was adjusted and means of non-radio communication installed between there and Månstorp. Unfortunately, we ran out of four-core cable and were unable to finish the job.
We have made an adjustment to the website information, in that we felt that it was unwise to carry a list of members' names. Although none of them had complained, we were advised that it was for the better. Instead, we now show just how many members we have.

26.05.02 Three AJK members visited the Newmarket Model Railway Exhibition to assist with the operation of the Swedish model railway, Strömstad, owned by Patrick Grace, our special guest from the opening of the FLMJ. 
On the following day, a different group of three members visited the Hollycombe Steam Collection near Liphook for the official annual AJK outing.  Despite dubious weather (and the vehicle used for getting to and from, getting stuck in the field), it was an enjoyable day out.  For more about the HSC, click here.

18.05.02 A full report of the FLMJ's opening day, including photos of the new railway, is now available on the FLMJ Opening Page. More photos of the event will follow shortly.

12.05.02 The new FLMJ was officially declared 'open' by Mr. Patrick Grace (Chairman, Scandinavian Railways Society) at 1300hrs on Saturday, May 11th.  There were many guests present, all of whom appeared impressed with our efforts.  There were many niggling problems with the railway - mostly of an electrical nature, but we were able to keep on top of it all and keep the trains running.  During the days leading up to the event and including the day itself, two AJK members became qualified as drivers upon the railway, and another completed the written part also.  AJK also gained a new member!
On the Sunday, the atmosphere was more relaxed.  We were also short staffed - we need three operators and only had two who knew how to control things, but our newest member got a lot of training!  The Peco Diamond Crossings started to play up (a problem we've experienced before), and these will be heavily modified on site before the railway is operated again.  A rather pleasant conclusion to the day was the gift of some new radios.  The 2-way 'toys' that we had been using were far from ideal, and this gift is deeply appreciated.  Another guest enquired about joining AJK, also!

7.05.02 With time running out, extra AJK member sessions were called for at the beginning of May.  Due to other commitments, the Sunday saw no activity, but both Saturday and Bank-Holiday Monday were busy days for the members.  The main job was electrical connections at Månstorp, but lots of other small jobs all over the railway were tackled.  By 9pm on the Monday evening, with the exception of just one section of track (!), the railway was declared ready for use!

20.04.02 All but one member turned up to an extra AJK session in mid-April. Work included track laying in the fiddle-yard and on the down curve between Lövhöjden and Månstorp; more electrical installation at Lövhöjden - and a start at Månstorp; track bonding at an assortment of places; and building the cover for the tunnel extension at the entrance to the fiddle-yard.

15.04.02 The AJK session in April was poorly attended, but a lot was achieved. Repairs to the control panel at Lövhöjden took up quite a bit of time, but it is now ready (barring the installation of an extra switch) to be used.  As suspected, the built-in isolators on the Peco points have failed and as an emergency measure, polarity switches are being installed.  Thankfully, the wiring is already there...!  A start was also made on the panel for Månstorp, but this didn't get very far.  Track was laid all the way into the Ålunden tunnel, but only the Up line could reach the fiddle-yard due to some pointwork being out of stock with our supplier.  Unfortunately, modifications were necessary with some of the baseboards on this section - one problem was an 'oversight', the other a 'correction!'  That was Saturday's work!  (Very late in the evening, the FLMJ's model of the 'IORE' locomotive arrived...)
On the Sunday, work continued with the polarity switches at Lövhöjden, and the control panel for Månstorp was wired up, ready for connection to the tracks.  Ålunden's missing point was improvised with an old 'insulfrog' type from the old FLMJ, that will be replaced at a later date.  (Later in the afternoon, the 'IORE' was tested - and it is faulty!)  :-(

3.04.02 The Easter weekend was an active one for AJK members, though the railway didn't see much activity.  On the Saturday, the members were treated to a Swedish style Easter dinner.  Because of this, the members' attire was not suitable for working on the railway afterwards.  A work-day had been planned for the Sunday, but rain-stopped-play. For AJK, the Easter weekend extended into the Tuesday also.  On this day, the top level baseboard that is to carry the mainline into the fiddle yard area was completed, and track laying was in hot pursuit!

25.03.02 Three AJK members spent an extra Saturday in March, working on the railway.  It was found that the boards erected in the shed for Ålunden were too high (creating a 1:15 gradient) so these needed to be lowered. (We didn't have the use of professional surveying equipment this time! - Oops!)  Nevertheless, this work was done, and the track base continued to edge towards this shed.  Track laying couldn't continue due to none being in stock with our supplier, and the FLMJ has exhausted its stocks also!

10.03.02 Five members and a guest set to work in March on a more tricky part of the development of the new railway - the 'high-level' extension of the railway.  Some ingenuity was called for and executed remarkably well.  The guest has indicated that he may join AJK - evidently impressed with our project!
Only three members continued this work on the Sunday, but track-laying was in hot pursuit of the baseboard-laying.  One of the baseboards is split into three along most of its length (so it's not quite three boards) and the centre potion goes down (for the Siljansbanan around the home) and the outer two go up (for the main line to the fiddle-yard).  Track was laid through the station to the two crossovers at the down end (i.e., not including the 'Y' point at the start of the Siljansbanan), and one length beyond one of the crossovers to permit locomotive running round engineering trains!  Our layout plan has been modified to show the latest developments.

17.02.02 The extra AJK session saw five members in action. The final (for the time-being) baseboard was fitted in place and then attention was turned to track laying. The Down line was extended by only two panels (about 2 metres in length - or in scale terms 174 metres!), but the Up line reached through the tunnel under the top step to the front door of the home. On the following day, the Director General carried on with this work, and the Up end junction was provided. Some photos were also taken on this second day, and these will be presented on this site soon!

10.02.02 The AJK weekend in February was indeed a very busy one.  On the Saturday, five of the six members (plus a member of AJK-V) were present, and between them, they fitted more uprights into the ground, assembled and fitted baseboards, and insulated the floor in the shed for the fiddle-yard, to help eliminate condensation!  On the Sunday, three members continued this work, and although not quite finished, morale was boosted.  An extra session was mooted...

13.01.02 AJK had a busy session in January!  On the Saturday, enough uprights (legs) were purchased to carry the railway from Månstorp to Ålunden, and most of these were concreted in place.  Also one baseboard was made up (but couldn't be fitted because the uprights hadn't 'set' in time).  Five AJK members were present; but also a delegation from the Scandinavian Railways Society were present for an impromptu meeting - and of course, an inspection of the development of the new railway. Subsequently, two SRS members renewed their subscriptions for "FLMJ-Nytt," our journal.
On the Sunday, there was relatively little activity upon the layout.  However, attention was turned to the stock maintenance and a number of wagons were returned to service.

01.01.02 AJK had an extra weekend at the end of December to operate the railway. Originally, this was planned for the Saturday, but installation of the temporary control panel for Lövhöjden took longer than planned, and the webmaster was requisitioned to sort out the computer blues (printer, drivers, a hoax virus, to name but a few), this taking almost all day. Furthermore, the weather failed! Yes, the weather during the holiday had been dry, but on this day, it rained! So, at a last minute, a session was proposed for the Sunday. Over two hours were spent connecting power to the controls and then sorting out wiring errors! A revision to wiring procedures will be enforced forthwith! Then, at about 1330hrs, Rc6 1408 with a set of five coaches made its first move of many upon the layout. Later the X2-2 was also brought into service, and an enjoyable - if somewhat cold - afternoon was had. The morale of the membership was boosted that afternoon, and work can continue in high spirit...!

Keep checking this website for the latest news on the rebuilding of the FLMJ

Sponsor the FLMJ?
The FLMJ needs rebuilding, but funds are very limited, and the new plans do take this into account. The FLMJ is looking toward a brighter future with open events that are hassle-free (though the weather will always be a nuisance). Certain parts of the project have been the subject of pledges - the trackwork, the signalling and other electrical work. However, the base is the biggest cause for anxiety, and the FLMJ is still looking for assistance with this - either by sponsorship or by an interest-free loan. As the FLMJ is not a public railway, (and it is located on a private residential estate,) we are not looking at putting up big posters for the sponsors. However, we are looking at free advertising in our journals for an agreed duration, and posters for display during open events only. (Also, when the new layout is featured in the "Continental Modeller" magazine, all of our sponsors (where in agreement) will be mentioned.) E-mail AJK for more information.

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