Tag Archives: Rietze

News for Second quarter, 2026

Swedish railway news

Talgo has been awarded a contract to supply 91* carriages for use on overnight services in Sweden. Additionally, ten Vectron locomotives will be ordered to haul the new trains. The new fleet will replace the existing night train fleet of carriages from the 1990s (1980s design), for services between Stockholm and Umeå / Kiruna / Narvik. The fleet will consist of seating cars, sleeping cars and bistro cars, and be able to withstand temperatures of -40°C; but built to the continental European loading gauge, instead of the larger gauge available in Sweden. (This means that the beds will be shorter.) SJ has already decided to withdraw the recently acquired central European carriages used for services to Europe, so maybe they will be used on these routes also (competing with Snälltåget). The carriages will offer four-bed compartments, premium compartments with two beds and a single-bed compartment. The latter two types will have an ensuite toilet and shower. The first new trains are expected to be introduced in 2030, with full deployment planned for 2031.

(*An unconfirmed report says that the quantity is actually much higher!)

Swedish model news

Albert Modell (www.albertmodell.com) in Hungary has produced a ‘Hbbinss’ wagon (Art: 245062) in AAE/GreenCargo livery for 470 kr.

Dekas has produced a limited edition of the TMZ diesel locomotive in Inlandsbanan livery, with more liveries to follow. Dekas has more recently announced models of the type ‘Kbis’ wagons marked for timber transport. All are to be in the blue/red livery from the 1990s, but three will be with SJ markings and two with GC markings.

A drawing of the Albert Modell Hbbinss wagon.

HNoll is re-releasing some of their earlier carriages in new versions; A11, B11, BC4, RB11, S12, WL4, WL6; 20 assorted carriages in SJ black, SSRT grey and SJ Blue-X liveries. We have no further news at this time about the awaited B2.

We have some more curiosities concerning NMJ; articles that a trader is advertising, but which are not on the NMJ website! Three 1960s carriage types including another variant of the RB2 (this time, the R2), the R1 (also as the RBo2), and the DF28 are being shewn with article numbers. Additionally, the M2 3-axle ore wagon in a pack of four with SJ markings and a pack of four with LKAB markings are shewn. There is a ‘logic’ that says if the manufacturer isn’t advertising it, then maybe it’s just a rumour. But can anyone believe that it took less than half a year to produce the Of-loco? Maybe (hopefully), some news has slipped out! This would leave just the WL1 and F5/F6K from the 1960s series to be produced!

More reliable news regarding, and directly from NMJ is that they have announced ore wagons type ‘Mas’ of the 1902 and 1908 types. These will probably be in packs of four, as before. They are also advertising a type MTR56 with crane; a former Yd railbus with half of the body cut away and converted to a service vehicle; but this is in their ‘Superline’ range with a prohibitive price tag!

The MTR 56, proposed as a model from NMJ Superline.

Rivarossi has produced a model of the East German accumulator shunting locomotive, two of which have been purchased by Swedish Tågab, and now identified as type Zö. The model is in a German livery, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to repaint. (Rivarossi is owned by the British firm, Hornby, who, also owning Arnold, has produced the same model in two liveries, in N-scale.)

In our previous model news, we advised about Roco’s intention to produce a model of the former Swiss locomotive 620.052 that was to be used by Nordic Refinance. We’ve now heard that the real loco will be scrapped in Sweden and SBB Cargo will not be selling any more of them. We don’t know how this will affect the model!

For Kit builders, SMJ (Stockholm Model Railway Club) is producing an etched kit of the type L (2-6-0) steam loco.

Busch has announced an authentic model of the VW ‘beetle’ in Swedish Polis livery from 1955 (Art: 52969).

The MicroCity H0-scale Volvo V90 is being marketed by Herpa! There are at least six models; article numbers begin 87MC0000 followed by 19 for silver, 20 for white, 31 for grey, 32 for black, 22 for an English Police car (but with the steering wheel on the left), and 35 for a Swedish Polisbil.

PCX87 is releasing four new liveries on their 1968 Volvo 164, thus; 871564 white, 871565 “Polis,” 871566 dark green, 871567 yellow.

H0 scale police cars; VW Beetle, Volvo 164 and Volvo V90 in Swedish ‘Polis’ livery, and Volvo V90 in a British livery.

Still with PCX87, and their Volvo 340 has arrived. We had stated that the 340 was a hatchback (3-door or 5-door), and that the 360 was only a 4-door saloon, as in the pictures from PCX87. This was based on casual observation in the UK from the time that they were in production, but is actually incorrect. In the period 1984 to 1989, Volvo produced 79,964 340 4-door saloon cars and 66,207 360 4-door saloon cars! The three (out of four) models that we have seen (models in red, white and dark blue) are all labelled 340 and finished in order, DL, GLT, DL.

Rietze has produced a model of the MAN ‘Lions City 12E’ bus in Skånetrafiken livery (Art: 76354).

Kalmar Model Railway Club (www.kmjk.se) is producing models of the so-called Per-Albin house as kits, which can be easily customised for different finishes. These were town-houses that were built in the 1930s and former Prime Minister, Per-Albin Hansson lived in one, in Bromma.

Winterzone has added models of the station building and goods shed from Fiskeby to their range of laser-cut kits. The former kit has ±300 parts and costs 1 599 kr, whilst the latter costs 699 kr.

MJ-Hobby Experten has announced that this summer they will be moving the store and making some other changes. This seems to be largely influenced by costs that are increasing steadily and that more and more trade is being done online. In connection with the move, they are launching a completely new and improved website with a greater focus on E-commerce with the country’s lowest shipping costs, a new generous bonus system, along with good prices and fast deliveries. At the same time, they are increasing participation in fairs and markets. Customers will be able to pick up orders and visit their warehouse store during opening hours 11:00-14:00 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, plus the 1st Saturday of the month. Phone hours will be 11:00-14:00 on +46(0)8-248910 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The new address after August 3, 2026 will be Lyftkransvägen 3, port (gate) 18, Länna industriområde, 14250 Skogås.

News that has already appeared in the UK is that Accurascale has acquired Heljan, but this relates mainly to their British 00-scale range.

Our railway news

The N-class steam loco has had its body removed, and part of the running-in problem has been found; the motor is not secure (the body was holding it in place). So, this is something that is being fixed. At the same time, the rear end lamps are being reset; they protruded too much. They were damaged during removal so extra repairs are being made. But once this is all done, the loco will be run-in without its body attached.

Nyheter från mars 2023

Våra Nyheter

“Tillbehörspacket” till Dm3-loket kom under mars, så vi började jobba med att montera så många delar vi kunde. Först, de goda nyheterna; det finns ett kinematiskt kopplingsfäste som är lämpligt för dummy SA3-kopplingarna, så dessa har monterats och Kadee-enheterna kommer gradvis att tas bort. Det fanns en viss frustration och förvirring med innehållet, och som ett exempel behöver loket fyra speglar, förpackningen innehåller sju, fyra svarta, tre kroppsfärgade. Ingen av dem passar bra och vi var tvungna att vidga hålen i kroppssidorna och trimma beslagen. Värre var dock monteringen av en av bromsslangarna med buffertbalksnivå, en tät passform, och när vi tryckte in den i lokkarossen sprack – rakt fram! Tack och lov, med lite penetrerande lim och sedan lite superlim på insidan när den väl torkat är sprickan nästan osynlig – tills vi någonsin behöver ta bort kroppen! (Hur gör en svag bromsslang så stor skada? Loket kanske redan var skadat och det var så det slutade som en begagnad rea!) Ledstängerna gick in vackert, och som ett tips till alla som har en av dessa lok; det finns en rätt väg upp för ledstänger; toppbeslaget och underbeslaget är inte samma sak!

Efter att ha monterat SA3-kopplingarna på Dm3:an var det naturligt att de två malmvagnarna, var och en med SA3 i ena änden och standard H0-koppling i den andra, skulle modifieras därefter, och nu har de båda SA3 i var sin ände.

Tillverkarens Nyheter

Vi har läst att PCX87 hade utställt på Nürnberg-mässan, en Volvo V90 (se förra månaden om V60). Återigen, för modernt för vår epok, men trevligt att se att moderna bilar av detta märke börjar dyka upp. (Ändå finns det ungefär ±25 år i historien att fylla!)

Rietze har tagit fram en modell av Solaris Urbino 12 Hybrid i modern X-trafik-livery, och för gott skull en elektrisk version för grannlandet Norge. Vidare har de producerat bussen MAN Lion’s City E 18 i “Gamla Uppsala Buss”-livery från 2018.

Andra intressanta nyheter

Gamla Lidingöbron för spårvagnar på Lidingöbanan kommer snart att ersättas av nya Lilla Lidingöbron. Inför bytet av bron kördes några specialturer med Lidingöbanans veteranspårvagn, SSLidJ 17, som var fullsatt. Resorna gick mellan Ropsten och AGA, och innehöll tre returkörningar och en enkel resa till AGA, där depån också finns. Den nya bron är subtilt välvd, så den behöver ingen lyftsektion och är dubbelspårig över hela sin längd. Några snäva kurvor (nåja, inte snäva för en spårväg) vid Ropsten-änden kommer att leda den nya sträckningen in i den befintliga stationen.

News from March 2023

Our News

The ‘accessory bag’ for the Dm3 loco arrived during March, so we set to work fitting as much as we could. First, the good news; there is a kinematic coupling attachment that is suitable for the dummy SA3 couplings, so these have been fitted and the Kadee devices will gradually be removed. There was an amount of frustration and confusion with the contents, however, and as an example, the loco needs four mirrors, the pack contains seven, four black, three body-colour. None of them are a good fit and we had to widen the holes in the body-sides and trim the fittings. Worse however, was the fitting of one of the buffer-beam level brake hoses, a tight fit, and as we were pressing it in the locomotive body cracked – right across the front! Thankfully, with a bit of penetrating glue and then a little superglue on the inside once dried, the crack is almost invisible – until we ever need to remove the body! (How does a feeble brake hose do that much damage? Maybe the loco was already damaged and that is how it ended up as a second-hand sale item!) The handrails went in beautifully, and as a tip to anyone who has one of these locos; there is a right way up for the hand rails; the top fitting and the lower fitting are not the same!

Dm 1222 with handrails, mirrors, brake hoses, wipers; and an invisible crack across the front!

Having fitted the SA3 couplings to the Dm3, it was natural that the two ore wagons, each with SA3 at one end and standard H0-pattern at the other, should be modified accordingly, and now they both have SA3 at each end.

Manufacturer News

PCX87 is understood to have had on display at the Nürnberg trade fayre, a Volvo V90 (see last month about the V60). Again, too modern for our epoch, but nice to see that modern cars of this brand are beginning to appear. (Still, there’s roundly ±25 years gap of history to fill!)

Rietze has produced a model of the Solaris Urbino 12 Hybrid in modern X-trafik livery, and for good measure, an electric version for neighbouring Norway. Furthermore, with local sponsoring, they have produced the MAN Lion’s City E 18 bus in “Gamla Uppsala Buss” livery from 2018.

Other News

The old Lidingö Bridge for trams on the Lidingöbanan will soon be replaced by the new Lilla Lidingö Bridge. Before the replacement of the bridge, some special tours were run with the Lidingöbanan’s veteran car, SSLidJ car 17, which was packed full. The trips ran between Ropsten and AGA, and featured three return workings and a one-way final trip to AGA, where the depot is also located. The new bridge is subtly arched, so it needs no lifting section, and is double-track over its entire length. Some tight curves (well, not tight for a tramway) at the Ropsten end will lead the new alignment into the existing station.

Behind the Scenes

Mini-Series around the FLMJ; D: The Review of the Year

By about now, we would have produced our annual review, and its title would have been “FLMJ 2022”. (Well, it exists on computer, but not in print!) Inspired by the lamented “Nordens Järnvägar” series by Stenvalls, it would report on all new rolling stock arrivals, new equipment, withdrawn and sold items, operational challenges; and mostly as a colour photo album with very little text. Earlier editions were also bi-lingual. Although none have been physically printed since the FLMJ closed, they have continued in digital production, and a PDF version is available upon request. Recent editions have said very little more than the stock changes (but they do have a look at the modern railway scene to provide inspiration), and even once the new railway gets started, we are wondering if we want to continue with this publication? Following the demise of Stenvalls’ year-book, they produced 6 editions of “Lok & Vagnar” at sporadic intervals. These carried less information about stock in and out, but more about themed items, technical details, usage, and in a relevant format. Might this work for us, too? Whilst online updates are timely, the purpose of our book was to summarise the year, a record of that year, a keepsake. Is that really necessary and of interest? Or do people still enjoy the nostalgia of something in print to discover when having a clear-out? We are discussing this with our friends.
On thing that the Review was intended to report on, was the so called, “2020 Vision”, the great plan for the Railway to reach Fjällnäs by (or during) 2020. It would have been a timely record of how well we did and ultimately tell the story of how the FLMJ finally reached Fjällnäs, the ‘F’ in our title. So, this is something to discuss among our Friends. We already have a template for a different way of reviewing the Railway’s development; but will it be just a new name for an old format, or will we be able to find something more relevant? The key difference, of course, is that the internet has changed the way we do almost everything these days. With the former FLMJ’s Director General now working in a book warehouse, there is an element of empathy towards that medium, but relevance is key.

Next month: The Stocklist!