På modelljärnvägsmässan på Nässjö under september fick vi chansen att prata med någon från MJ-Hobby/Jeco om problemen vi har med dieselloket T23. Problemet är känt och är begränsat till den första batchen; de har skickat ett ersättnings “blanking”-chip utan kostnad.
Vi har köpt ett modellhus; inget speciellt att skrika över förutom att den har egenskaper från flera av husen i vårt närområde. Det är alltså ett ”typiskt småländska hus” från 1940-talet, som vi kommer att hitta plats för!
Tillverkarens Nyheter
Dekas Y2 har äntligen kommit in i butikerna. Vi räknar med att ett antal av de Heljanska dyker upp på andrahandsmarknaden!
Dekas har annonserat ett par intressanta nya föreslagna vagnar. Den ena är ‘His’-vagnen, som är en korsning mellan ‘Gs’ och ‘Hbis’ – eller enklare uttryckt, som ‘Hbis’ med skjutbara sidoväggssektioner istället för dörrar, men på den kortare längden av ‘Gs’ vagn. Till en början kommer det att finnas tre tillgängliga. Den andra artikeln är en öppen version av “Udg” av vilken det bara kommer att finnas två, plus tre som pre-UIC typ “Kö”.
HNoll har sagt att de kommer att förbereda SJ B2/B10-vagnarna för produktion, och tycks inse att marknaden är för svag för att överväga produktionen (för närvarande) av deras andra förslag. Detta är klokt med tanke på att 1980-talets vagnar har en kundbas och folk vill färdigställa de HNoll-tåg som de har startat; medan Ma-loco och X10/X11/X12/X14 enheterna (och andra serie personvagnar) skulle vara en ny osäker marknad för dem. Naturligtvis välkomnar vi dessa nyheter och väntar ivrigt på B2 (och första serie A7/B7) vagnarna. Förhoppningen är att B2/B10-vagnarna ska vara tillgängliga under 2025.
Andra intressanta nyheter
Det verkar inte finnas några andra relevanta nyheter för tillfället!
At the model railway exhibition at Nässjö during September, we got the chance to speak to someone from MJ-Hobby/Jeco about the problems we’re having with the T23 diesel locomotive. The problem is a known one and is limited to the first batch; so they’ve sent a replacement ‘blanking’ chip free of charge.
We have bought a model house; nothing especially to shout about except that it has characteristics from several of the houses in our local neighbourhood. So, it is a “typical Småländska house” from the 1940s, which we will find a location for!
A model of a house with Småländsk characteristics!
Manufacturer News
The Dekas Y2 has arrived into the shops at last. We expect a number of Heljan ones to appear on the second-hand market!
A ‘Y2’ diesel set, exactly like the Danish ‘IC3’ class.Heljan’s Swedish Y2 diesel set in sidings at Röjeråsen on the former KRBJ.The retooled Heljan Y2 unit, at Lövhöjden in 2012.Drawing of the Dekas Y2 in original livery. [from Dekas’ website]Drawing of the newer livery on the Y2. [from Dekas’ website]
Dekas has announced a couple of interesting new proposals. One is the ‘His’ wagon, which is a cross between the ‘Gs’ and the ‘Hbis’ – or more simply put, like the ‘Hbis’ with sliding sidewall sections instead of doors, but at the shorter length of the ‘Gs’ wagon. Initially there will be three available. The other item is an open-top version of the ‘Udg’ of which there will be only two, plus three as pre-UIC type ‘Kö’.
Drawing of the ‘His’ van wagon.Drawing of the open-top ‘Udg’ (or ‘Kö’) wagon.
HNoll has said that they will prepare the SJ B2/B10 carriages for production, seemingly recognising that the market is too weak to consider the production (at this time) of their other proposals. This is wise given that 1980s carriages have a customer base and people want to complete the HNoll rakes that they have started; whereas the Ma-loco and X10/X11/X12/X14 units (and other series carriages) would be a new uncertain market for them. Naturally, we welcome this news, eagerly awaiting the B2 (and first series A7/B7) carriages. It is hoped that the B2/B10 carriages will be available during 2025.
B10 5547 seen at Stockholm Centralstation. The B10 was rebuilt from the B2, which didn’t have the circular window, among other things.
Other News
There seems to be no other relevant news at the moment.
Behind the Scenes
Mini-Series about the new railway; 10: Köpingsvik revisited Most modellers in Sweden, tend to build, as we are, layouts that are permanently fixed into place. Model Railway Exhibitions in Sweden are few and far between; the public events that are organised are mostly for buy-and-sell (where there might be the one layout on display also), or for the so-called modular systems, where the members build sections for a display layout, sections which have to meet certain criteria, especially at the ends, so that any two can be joined together and they will line up! Thus, very large layouts are created. But, they’re entirely DCC, and so have a limited following (and also require an enormous amount of planning and setting up, somewhat dependent on who is actually going to turn up with a module)! So, what about the odd one or two stand-alone layouts that make it to the buy-and-sell events?
There is a bit of a personal attachment to the Köpingsvik theme. This is where it all started, for us. And, although we know now that the diorama is a very unlikely one, it was an interesting model and continues to invoke fond memories, even though both track layouts (remember there was Mk.1 and Mk.2) were quite a challenge. Maybe a Mk.3 can carry the memory and the theme; but by taking advantage of all that we have learned over the last 30 years, can it be much more authentic in how we present it? How would we present it? The golden rule offered to us when we were building the first, was sugar beet traffic! Loads of ‘O’ wagons with sugar beets would be the most authentic trains that we could run, and so this is easy to do. There would also be a few other goods trains carrying general goods, so the ‘G-’ wagons would be good here, but not things such as container wagons! Passenger trains would have diesel railbuses (Y6, Y1, or Y2 according to epoch) for the local routes, and probably electric units or loco-hauled trains for the main line to the mainland. And the idea of sleeper carriages detached from passing trains on the mainline at Alvesta is quite appropriate in the summer timetable.
Any new Köpingsvik would be independent of the RTJ, and time could only be afforded to it, if there is a situation causing a pause in the development of the RTJ. (This could be due to glue-drying time, or awaiting delivery of materials, or whatever.) Operationally, better-suited models are now available, and the mere thought of it is causing quite a stir among our Friends.
