Vi har köpt en vagn typ Bo14a, modell av Piko. Det är en typ som skulle ha byggts för en privat järnväg och senare förvärvats av SJ (vilket numret, 3867, antyder). Denna vagn kanske inte ens är 100% äkta, men den är en bra representation av typen och har likheter med standarddesignen från 1930-talet. Liksom Rocos Bo8a från OKB och absorberad av SJ har den delvis öppna fönster! Det är en snyggt byggd modell och jobbet för juni var att eftermontera NEM-kopplingsmekanismer. Vi använde den vanliga Symoba-enheten och med förbehåll för testning verkar allt ha gått bra. Men hjulen…! Nej, inte som vissa andra senaste köp, dessa är inte ac, men deras flänsar är inte lämpliga för kod 83 räls! Men vi har kunnat trimma dem!
Vi fortsatte vårt arbete med modellen av Åmåls stationsbyggnad. Den emaljmattsvarta färgen hade verkat ha torkat blank, och verkligen ljus lyste igenom! När vi letade igenom en “modelleringslåda” som vi hade fått, hittade vi lite mattsvart akrylfärg, och detta fortsatte med bättre resultat. (Rännorna och stuprören lämnades dock blanka.) Vi målade även fönsterbågarna (Humbrol) Aircraft Blue. Åmål station hade blå fönsterbågar vid vårt besök (för ca 20 år sedan(!)), men vi bestämde oss för att detta var för mörkt, och den valda färgen är ganska populär i Sverige för fönsterbågar!
Tillverkarens Nyheter
Med så korta somrar är det typiskt att de flesta företag här lägger ner i en månad eller två! Så det finns inga nyheter från tillverkarna.
Andra intressanta nyheter
Vi har lagt till en länk till Model Railway Forum, som är baserat i Storbritannien, och vänder sig mest till den brittiska järnvägsmodelleringsscenen. Ändå finns det lite kontinentalt innehåll där och det hanteras av en av våra vänner!
På vår kommande evenemangssida har vi tyvärr varit tvungna att markera en som “inställd”. Järnvägsevenemang med europeiska tema i Storbritannien minskar i antal, och detta hade varit ett stort evenemang för Scandinavian Railways Society (tillsammans med Global-Rail, som brukade hållas på Didcot). SRS kommer att ha sin reklammonter vid French Railways Societys evenemang i augusti och vid det stora Warley-evenemanget i november. Dessutom väntas några av deras medlemmar med danska eller norska modelljärnvägar till Bridport i slutet av juli, Comberton i början av september (ej bekräftat), Willand i mitten av september, Aldershot i oktober och Westbury i november.
For our heritage fleet we acquired a carriage type Bo14a (a Piko model). There is quite a long history to this type of carriage, and it would have been built for a private railway and later acquired by SJ (which the number, 3867, suggests); indeed the designation seems to relate to various different designs and bodies and so on. This carriage might not even be authentic, but it is a good representation of the type and has similarities with the standard 1930s pattern. Like Roco’s Bo8a from the OKB and absorbed by SJ, it has partially open windows! It is a nicely made model and the job for June was to retrofit NEM coupling mechanisms. We used the standard Symoba device, and subject to testing, all seems to have gone well. However, the wheels….! No, not like certain other recent purchases, these are not ac, but their flanges aren’t suitable for code 83 rails! But so slightly, that we were able to spin the wheels and use a file to marginally trim them! Job done; a bit of a bodge, but not unsightly and no compromises.
We returned to our work on the model of Åmål station building. The enamel matt black paint had seemed to have dried glossy, and indeed light shone through! Searching through a ‘modelling box’ that we had been given, we found some acrylic matt black paint, and this went on with better results. (The gutters and downpipes were left glossy, however.) We also painted the window frames (Humbrol) Aircraft Blue. Åmål station had blue window frames at the time of our visit (about 20 years ago(!)), but we decided that this was too dark, and the colour chosen is quite popular in Sweden for window frames!
Piko Bo14a 3867, retrofitted with NEM coupling sockets.Light blue window frames (right) and acrylic matt black (left) for our replacement model of Åmål station building.
Manufacturer News
With such short summers, it is typical that most manufacturers in Sweden shut down for a month or two! Not just model railway manufacturers, but across the country. People naturally want to make the most of the short period of very good weather! (But firmly imprinted on the memories of some club members is a holiday to Sweden, which included a trip to Öland, Sweden’s primary holiday destination, to find nearly all of the restaurants shut for the summer! This seemed a little strange, and greatly inconvenient.)
Other News
Shortly before India’s devastating train crash, there was a high-speed derailment at Arlandastad, very near to where Adrian lives. Fortunately, it was the rear of the train that left the tracks at 150kmh, and only two people needed to be taken to hospital. Had it been the front, the consequences would have been more catastrophic. Already, poor permanent way has been identified as the cause; and just like in the UK, concerns had been raised by workers, which were ignored by managers. It is our understanding that the section is a little peculiar in that it is privately owned and maintained by the company whose train derailed (which is why they can charge a fortune to customers to/from other train operators to use their platforms at Arlanda); and for the endangerment to life, there is a possibility of criminal charges being levied. Of greater hope to all passengers who use the airport is the possibility that they will lose their monopoly; and then travel to and from the airport can be without the extra charges. But, time will tell. Until then, we continue to urge all passengers (as we did even before the derailment) to take the local SL bus to the railway station at Märsta for onward travel, or the direct busses to Stockholm or Uppsala cities.
We’ve added a link to the Model Railway Forum, which is based in the UK, and caters mostly for the UK railway modelling scene. Nevertheless, there is a little continental content there and it is managed by one of our Friends!
On our forthcoming events page, we have sadly had to mark one as “cancelled”. European themed railway events in the UK are dropping in number, and this had been a big event for the Scandinavian Railways Society (along with Global-Rail, which used to be held at Didcot). The SRS will have their promotional stand at the French Railways Society’s event in August, and at the big Warley event in November. Additionally, some of their members with Danish or Norwegian themed layouts are expected at Bridport late July, Comberton early September (not confirmed), Willand mid September, Aldershot in October and Westbury in November.
Behind the Scenes
Mini-Series around the FLMJ; G: The Articles
Köpingsvik, the KRBJ, the FLMJ, and even Steninge, all featured in glossy railway magazines around the world. Peco Publications’ magazine, “Continental Modeller” is a companion magazine to “Railway Modeller”, but as its title suggests, it’s for non-British railways. The editor has nearly always been grateful to receive articles, and generally does a good job as editor. Köpingsvik was featured as a special feature, a stand-alone railway for indoor use, which was also part of a garden railway. We didn’t write a full article about the KRBJ as we had just extended to Röjeråsen (at the time of the Köpingsvik article), and there wasn’t much to show for it; yet we didn’t want to keep delaying! There existed, for a short while, a similar magazine in the US, catering for non-American layouts. This is a very low-interest area and sadly the magazine did not last for long; but the publication of a similar article about Köpingsvik was well received. In Sweden, the newly built FLMJ was featured in an edition of “Tåg” before they dropped all modelling interest, and much more recently in “Modeljärnvägsmagasinet” (“The model railway magazine”)! A very good dialogue is maintained with the editor there; and he has been keen to translate our English submissions to Swedish, given that it will be a while before Adrian is fully fluent! (Other themed articles have been sent also, hence the plural!) Returning to the UK, it is natural that the Railway has featured in “Skandiapilen”, the journal of the Scandinavian Railways Society. Without doubt, articles about a new railway will be sent to all relevant magazines, when the time is right to do so.
How the FLMJ was seen in Sweden’s primary railway magazine, ‘Tåg’.
A lucky opportunity saw the purchase of a copy of the model that we have used at Lövhöjden station, Heljan’s model of Åmål station building. It is a good representation and very typically Swedish, but our model was very weather-beaten, and we had wanted to replace it for some time. Done!
The paved area, grass, trees, and more gave the entrance to Lövhöjden station building a nice atmosphere.
We have also used our spare time without a railway for research, and will clarify an irritation with certain wagons. We purchased a ‘Kbps’ last year, thinking it was the ‘missing one’, but in fact we had recorded one with a completely wrong number onto our database with the correct number as it should have been, with the intention that we would correct it later on. So, the duplicate will either be sold or renumbered completely. NMJ’s ‘Kbps’ wagons have either 335 or 370 as the fifth to seventh digits. 370 is completely wrong, it applies to the ‘Os’ wagon. Interestingly, the latest wagon has the usual incorrect UIC control check digit, but it would have been correct if NMJ had printed 335 instead of 370; so arguably it has the correct control digit, just a wrong wagon type number! Our duplicate wagon is article 602.107, but the one that we need is 602.106, which the advertising suggests also has the incorrect 370! It does seem a shame that after all the effort that NMJ went to, to produce these wagons, they failed at the last hurdle, in not getting the number right! (We have made a list of 24 of our wagons with incorrect control digits, and 15 of them — yes, more than half — are NMJ!)
The Kbis from NMJ comes in two slightly different versions, shewn here!
Manufacturer News
HNoll is increasingly frustrated with the Chinese production lines. It seems now that the A7/B7 carriages will not be produced before the Chinese New Year, and with the delivery schedules as they are, we may not see them this side of midsummer! As for the B4/BF4, photos of a prototype model have circulated on social media, but it would be foolish to make any estimates for a date to arrive into the shops! We certainly appreciate HNoll keeping us informed; we have quite a few on order, not just for the FLMJ, but for friends, also!
This is the time of year when there is a bit of a frenzy of announcements of newly proposed models. Here are the ones that we know about — obviously many of these new items are too modern for the FLMJ, but we thought maybe some of our readers would like to know about them!
An Rc4 in SJ blue with Green Cargo branding is proposed from Roco (a revised livery on a standard product).
A black liveried Rc6 is proposed from Märklin/Trix as a completely new model, digital, metal, and even gets heated mirrors!
The BR 185.2 is to come from two manufacturers, but different in detail. From Piko, it will be DB-AG red livery but branded for “Green Cargo”; and from Roco it will be in Green Cargo’s green livery (the 185.2 is the same as the ‘Re’, a TRAXX loco).
The Hector Rail G6 diesel loco (a very modern looking V5, in essence) is to be produced by Piko. As with many modern diesels, it is a standard European design, so it is easier (and cheaper) for the model manufacturer to produce than before.
A replacement motor for the NMJ Y1 and YF1 has been announced, using the Faulhaber 1624 with specially made flywheel, and a new engine mount from Winterzone. Construction description in Swedish is included. We are unsure of the producer of this ‘kit’ but hope to know more, soon.
Sadly, in order to give Märklin’s black Rc6 a train to pull, Märklin is also releasing a set of four black carriages of their standard 1960s designs, which is totally inauthentic as these carriages were withdrawn before the black livery was introduced!
The ‘DV30’ by Märklin is back in Epoch-IV condition. (If, unlike the previous one, it comes in a box that will accommodate a close-coupling head, then one could be procured for the FLMJ!)
The ‘Eaos’ wagon will also be produced by Märklin/Trix, in a set of three with a scrap load.
The ‘Sdggmrs’ articulated container wagon is to be released by Roco, labelled for DB-AG, but carrying two “Bode Spedition” containers.
A set comprising two ‘Zacns’ bogie tank wagons in “Pure Performance” (Green Cargo) livery is proposed from Roco.
Brawa does not produce Swedish models, but they are to produce the VTG Gigawood XXL, a non-Swedish timber wagon that is used by Hector Rail in Sweden, today. But it is not due until 2023.
Behind the Scenes
Mini-Series about the FLMJ, 2: Lövhöjden, Månstorp and Ålunden
Lövhöjden, representing the central area of Sweden, was naturally the centre point on the Railway. (At least it would have been, once the projection to Fjällnäs had been completed!) But it was designed to be a major station with several passing loops and three platforms, two of which were later split into halves by a crossover in the track. The control panel was designed so that the local controller could control the whole railway (well, maybe not the industrial sidings). Lövhöjden also had the most developed scenery, as much as we could manage given the weather damage (and cat damage)! Naturally, Lövhöjden became the most photographed location, and in the final days, the most was made of this. Even with forthcoming closure confirmed, development continued until the very last day.
A general view of Lövhöjden from 2011.
The main road through Lövhöjden, with grass embankments, pavements, trees; scenic details that the railway needed.
Månstorp, representing the southern area of Sweden, needed a more modern look, and the buildings could be more European in style. Unfortunately, it became very modern in respect of being truncated, losing passing loops and becoming just the essential layout for passing trains. This had become necessary due to the vulnerable location of the station; at the front of the garden, near the gate, where things could be ‘uplifted’ by unwholesome people! Nevertheless, we made the most of what little we could have here. The track sections were switched from Lövhöjden, and a CCTV overlooked the area. The crossover points here were the first to be remotely controlled. An almost amusing fact here is that the model cars on this area of the layout were of the ‘toy’ Eko brand; no great loss.
A nice model of Diö station building at Månstorp; but the road vehicles were vulnerable, so were of the lowest standard!
The modern black Rc-loco and train clash with the heritage railbus. This loco was probably the shortest-owned model on the FLMJ!
Ålunden was our shadow station. This was the encouraged location for placing models on the track and removing them. It gave the railway a sense of purpose; the trains arrived onto the FLMJ through a tunnel (hole in the wall) from anywhere on the SJ network. Ålunden therefore, determined the length of the trains, and the tracks would accommodate seven carriage trains (so they were seldom used to capacity). One track was set aside (by virtue of a point midway, and then a long curved section) for extra long goods trains. As a secondary line; longer passenger trains would be out of place.
Both Rc2 locos, an Ma and a Da, line up at Ålunden, ready for their next duties.
The shelf above the control panel stored empty stock boxes by day, and the model buildings by night!
Next month, we’ll look at the Siljansbanan and the areas that it served.
Ett lyckosamt tillfälle var att köpa ett exemplar av modellen som vi har använt på Lövhöjdens station, Heljans modell av Åmåls stationshus. Det är en bra representation och väldigt typiskt svenskt, men vår modell var väldigt väderbiten, och vi hade velat byta ut den ett tag. Gjort!
Vi har även använt vår fritid utan järnväg för forskning och ska reda ut ett problem med några vagnar. Vår nyaste “Kbps”-vagn är faktiskt en kopia av en som vi redan har! Numret är fel och vi har antecknat rätt nummer, med avsikt att ändra det som står på modellen. Så den här vagnen kommer antingen att säljas eller numreras om helt. NMJ:s “Kbps”-vagnar har antingen 335 eller 370 som femte till sjunde siffran. 370 är helt fel, det gäller ’Os’-vagnen. Faktum är att den senaste vagnen har den vanliga felaktiga kontrollsiffran för UIC-kontroll, men det hade varit korrekt om NMJ hade skrivit ut 335 istället för 370; så man kan hävda att den har rätt kontrollsiffra, bara fel vagnstypnummer! Vår dubblettvagn är artikel 602.107, men den vi behöver är 602.106, som reklam antyder också har den felaktiga 370! Det verkar synd att efter alla ansträngningar som NMJ gick till, för att producera dessa vagnar, misslyckades de vid det sista hindret, med att inte få rätt antal! (Vi har gjort en lista över 24 av våra vagnar med felaktiga kontrollsiffror, och 15 av dem – ja, mer än hälften – är gjorda av NMJ!)
Tillverkarens Nyheter
HNoll blir allt mer frustrerad över de kinesiska produktionslinjerna. Det verkar nu som att A7/B7-vagnarna inte kommer att tillverkas före midsommar! Vi uppskattar verkligen att HNoll håller oss informerade; vi har en hel del på beställning, inte bara för FLMJ, utan även för vänner!
Det här är tiden på året då många nya modeller tillkännages av tillverkarna; här är en sammanfattning, än så länge (de flesta är för moderna för FLMJ, men DU kanske skulle vilja veta ändå)…
¨ En Rc4 i SJ-blått med Green Cargo-märke föreslås från Roco (en reviderad färg på en standardprodukt).
¨ En Rc6 i svart föreslås från Märklin/Trix som en helt ny modell, digital, metall, och får äntligen uppvärmda speglar!
¨ En BR 185.2 ska komma från två tillverkare, men olika i detalj. Från Piko blir det DB-AG rött liv men märkt för “Green Cargo”; och från Roco kommer den att vara i Green Cargos gröna färg.
¨ Dieselloket Hector Rail G6 ska tillverkas av Piko. Som med många moderna dieslar är det en europeisk standarddesign, så det är lättare (och billigare) för modelltillverkaren att tillverka än tidigare.
¨ En ersättningsmotor för NMJ Y1 och YF1 har tillkännagivits, med Faulhaber 1624 med specialtillverkat svänghjul, och ett nytt motorfäste från Winterzone. Byggbeskrivning på svenska ingår. Vi är osäkra på tillverkaren av detta “kit” men hoppas att få veta mer snart.
¨ Tyvärr, för att ge Märklins svarta Rc6 ett tåg att dra, producera Märklin också en uppsättning av fyra svarta vagnar av deras standarddesign från 1960-talet, vilket är totalt oäkta eftersom dessa vagnar skrotades innan det svarta livret introducerades!
¨ ‘DV30’ av Märklin är tillbaka i Epoch-IV-skick.
¨ Även ‘Eaos’-vagnen kommer att tillverkas av Märklin/Trix, i ett set om tre, var och en lastad med skrot.
¨ ‘Sdggmrs’ ledade containervagn ska släppas av Roco, märkt för DB-AG, men med två “Bode Spedition”-containrar.
¨ Ett set bestående av två ‘Zacns’ boggivagnar i “Pure Performance” (Green Cargo)-liveri föreslås från Roco
¨ Brawa tillverkar inga svenska modeller, utan de ska tillverka VTG Gigawood XXL, en utländsk timmervagn som idag används av Hector Rail i Sverige. Men det kommer inte förrän 2023.
