- Swedish Railway Models
- Swedish Scenic Models
E
The first eight-coupled locomotive with superheating arrived in 1907 as class E and was intended for passenger and freight train service in Norrland, and heavy freight trains in Southern Sweden. It was SJ’s first locomotive with internal cylinders and complete rod frames. It was a successful and well-balanced type of locomotive, of which a total of 130 copies were purchased up to 1920. With their low axle load, they, unlike many other modern locomotives, survived for a long time on sidings and industrial tracks, right into the 1970s or as long as steam locomotives were used at SJ.
- Jeco teamed up with Liliput to produce a model of the E loco from 2017.
E2
In order to improve the running characteristics and increase the speed, a total of 90 class E locomotives were rebuilt in the years 1935-51 by extending the framework, installing the front running axle and moving the steam boiler forward in the framework. Some locomotives were modified in later years with external counter cranks and other details. In addition to the three-axle tenders type L, four-axle tenders type A and three-axle tenders type C2 have also been connected to some locomotives. The locomotives served until 1972 and E2 1194 was the last active steam locomotive pulling passenger trains for SJK on March 31, 1972.
- Jeco Teamed up with Liliput to produce a model of the E2 loco from 2019.
F
Since the high speed locomotive type A from 1906-09 proved too weak, a new high speed express locomotive was constructed in 1911-12. In order to guard against a rapid future development, the specification was taken to extremes and the locomotives were made for speeds far above what was allowed at SJ at that time, and became the largest conventional steam locomotives that existed at SJ. They became type F. In order to get good economy, the locomotives were made as four-cylinder compound locomotives. The first F locomotive, 1200, was exhibited at the Baltic Exhibition in Malmö in 1914 in SJ’s comprehensive exhibition. The F locomotives were then mainly used on the Stockholm-Malmö line and after the electrification of the Southern main line, the locomotives were transferred to the west coast line. Locomotive 1200 was involved in Sweden’s worst rail accident to date, the Getå accident, in 1918. The embankment along Bråviken gave way and a whole express train followed, this due to the heavy rain that had soaked up the mud under the embankment. The locomotive was recovered and soon returned to service. When the west coast line was electrified, the 11 locomotives were decommissioned and they were sold in 1937 to DSB to become their type E, where most of the locomotives served until 1970. The locomotives were so successful in Denmark, that many more were built there under licence. DSB E 964, formerly SJ 1200, was brought back to Sweden when it was decommissioned in Denmark, and later DSB E 966, formerly SJ 1202, followed.
- Heljan has produced a ready-to-run model of the “F” locomotive, but it is a very poor performer.
- Keyser produced a kit for the “F” locomotive from 1981.
- Märklin/Trix have produced a model of the Danish ‘E’ – whether or not the Swedish ‘F’ will follow, remains to be seen!
G/Ga/Ga2/G2…
In order to try to reduce the high locomotive prices in Sweden during the First World War, in 1916 SJ ordered twenty Prussian type G8.1 freight train locomotives from Linke-Hofmann-Werke, Breslau in Germany. These locomotives were considerably delayed in delivery but arrived in 1918 and received the letter G, which from 1919 changed to Ga. They were superheater locomotives with external cylinders and a respectable tractive force of 16 Mp. The locomotives were strong and reliable, but they soon proved to have some quality problems. The German boilers were soon exhausted and replaced with standard Swedish boilers, so-called BGb boilers. These new boilers were added in 1929-1932 and the rebuilt locomotives were then given the letter Ga2, later G2. A couple later received front pony trucks, and became Ga3/G3 and Ga4/G4 in 1940 and 1941.
TGOJ acquired seven of these locos, classified them G3, and renumbered them in the 64-70 series (from, in order, 1409, 1426, 1417, 1420, 1408, 1411, 1421). Unlike the two similar Gb locos built especially for the TGOJ (numbers 95/96) these are understood to have not received the TGOJ green livery.
- Fleischmann produced a model of this locomotive, but although available with Swedish markings, the fittings are not typical of the Swedish examples.
- Piko also produced the Ga, in a Swedish livery as locomotive No. 1423,
- Märklin has produced the Ga also, but as a very limited edition for their 3-rail system only.
- Trix has also produced a very limited edition 2-rail version of the Märklin model.
K24
Like many other private railways, the Nässjö-Oskarshamns Järnväg took advantage of the low locomotive prices in Germany after the First World War and ordered a new shunting locomotive from Orenstein & Koppel in Berlin.
To keep the price low, the locomotive was built according to the Prussian state railways’ famous T3 type for shunting and local trains, which was a proven, albeit ancient, construction. The locomotive was thus designed as a tank with coal storage in front of the cab and the firebox behind the rearmost axle. The locomotive was also the only normal gauge O&K locomotive owned by a Swedish railway. At the nationalisation, the locomotive became SJ type K24 and given the number 1776 (previously NOJ 29). It survived until 1964.
- Liliput made a model of the Prussian T3 type, and therefore as SJ K24, but the number decals have changed with the various releases of the model! Ours has the number 1775 (which was a solitary K23 – a Nydqvist & Holm six-coupled saddle tank); but there are others; only 1776 is authentic!
S/Sa…
For passenger trains over medium distances, a six-coupled tank locomotive type with external cylinders, side tanks, superheaters and high boiler position was procured in 1908. The locomotive type (S) quickly became popular and up to the year 1916, 46 locomotives of this type were produced. S 943-947 originally had a steam dryer, which in 1913-15 was removed and replaced with a normal superheater. Starting with locomotive 1049, the locomotives got a larger boiler and larger storage for water and Coal. The type changed to Sa in 1916 and became S again in 1942. In the 1930s several locomotives were sold and all but the TGOJ locomotives returned to SJ in connection with the nationalisation of the railways and regained their old numbers. S 1054 had in 1937-38 been converted to a tender locomotive by UWHJ, but the locomotive was restored in 1946 to its original condition. The S locomotives were mainly replaced by rail buses during the 1950s and were taken out of service. Most became standby locomotives, but were withdrawn in 1973 and scrapped with a few exceptions. Today there are six preserved locomotives in Sweden, two of which belong to the Swedish Railway Museum, and one locomotive is in Finland. Additionally, number 1178 is in England, but not currently in running condition.
- Märklin has produced this model, but only in a set with three wooden bodied coaches.
- Trix also released the Märklin set as a 2-rail version.
Sb
For fast passenger trains over longer distances, the S-locomotive from 1908 was too slow and had insufficient capacity. An enlarged variant of the S locomotive was delivered in 1917 from Motala Verkstad with 1750mm. drive wheels, axle sequence 1C2T and top speed of 90 km/h. The locomotive type (Sb) can be characterised as the most standardised at SJ, and the construction has used the E locomotive’s steam boiler and the B locomotive’s drive wheels and running bogie. Sb 1308 and 1309 were supplied with peat powder firing. The letter designation was changed in 1942 to S2 and they were taken out of service in 1962-63.
- Tenshodo produced a model of the Sb in 1959, which had very advanced modelling standards at that time. Only 750 were made!
