“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.
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.
The Rietze Solaris bus for Xtrafik.The Rietze Solaris bus for Ruterby (Norway).The Rietze MAN bus for Uppsala.
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.
Heritage tram SSLidJ 17 at Ropsten.Looking across the new Lidingö bridge to a modern A36 tram on the old Lidingö bridge.
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.
