T21 87 ombyggd på en dag! Endast fem saker ramlade av under denna process, två av dem hyttfönster. Det är omöjligt att ta av huven över motorn utan att skada modellen. Allvarligt! De fiberoptiska stavarna löper från öppningar i karossen, in i chassit, horisontellt; men kroppen kan bara tas bort vertikalt! Tricket var att bända bort den (limmade) frontpanelen och försöka att inte tappa de övre lampbitarna! (För att ta bort A-änden måste den del av karossen som ligger närmare hytten lutas enligt Heljans instruktioner, för att flikarna ska kunna rensa chassit; men luta det för mycket och stängerna går sönder!) Ingen annan tillverkare kunde tillverka en modell med så många “problem”!
Ångloket N 1304 fick sina kopplingar återmonterade, med Roco-kärlen monterade på plastblock (men inte med den kinematiska mekanismen). Det fanns en plan att ersätta buffertarna med de fjädrade som vi nyligen hade skaffat; men vi bestämde oss för att detta var mindre brådskande och att när det är klart kommer vi att montera tillbaka strålkastarna på baksidan så att de inte hänger över buffertarna!
När BC4R 5467 levererades hade två dräneringsrör slagits av. Genom att jämföra detta med nummer 5476 kunde vi se var de skulle monteras, och detta gjordes till slut. När vi undersökte den här vagnen efteråt, märkte vi att den också har M84S boggier med riktiga spiralfjädrar, men dessa är mindre tunna än på de nyare A7R- och B7R-modellerna, och inte så uppenbara.
En av våra Ugkkpp-vagnarna, som är så kort, har använts som en testmodell för kopplingskompatibilitetstester med ångloket ovan och med T21 och T45 dieslarna; men vi upptäckte att det var mycket känsligare än vi hade insett, och ett par komponenter nära ett av hjulseten hade slagits av. Dessa återmonterades och alla fyra av dessa vagnar är nu förklarade olämpliga för “prov”-arbete!
Vår relativt nya (norska) NSB ‘Hbikks’ vagn fick äntligen de nödvändiga handrattarna, små för parkeringsbromsarna och större för de öppna dörrarna. Dessa hade inte saknats; de låg i en väska med modellen. Vi behövde bara hitta tid att montera dem!
Tillverkarens Nyheter
Vissa uppdateringar har dykt upp från HNoll som är ganska intressanta. Först några försäljningssiffror; cirka 5 700 sovvagnar och liggplatser i 51 olika konfigurationer (färg och löpnummer), 2 600 restaurangvagnar i 18 konfigurationer och 9 300 vanliga sittvagnar i ett för närvarande obestämt antal konfigurationer, med fler att följa. De senaste vagnarna säljer långsammare än väntat och HNoll undrar om de inte var lika intressanta som modeller som han hoppats (med tanke på att dessa är den närmaste konkurrensen till Roco-modellerna), eller om det är av ekonomiska skäl. Vi är övertygade om att det är av ekonomiska skäl. Människor kämpar med sina ekonomier och måste avleda hobbypengar till grundläggande överlevnad. Men med minskade inkomster, försämrade av höjda räntor, kommer det att bli förseningar för framtida modeller. Men HNoll är fast besluten att tillverka alla avsedda vagnar; som motsvarar den nästan ena 1980-talsserien. De ‘generation-2-blå’ A7/B7-vagnarna som saknades i den senaste leveransen bör anlända tillsammans med B4/BF4/BF7-vagnarna på sommaren. Förhoppningen är att specialvagnarna (S1, etc) kan levereras till hösten.
I andra nyheter, och egentligen för moderna för FLMJ:s stationsparkeringar, ska PCX87 producera en 2019 årsmodell Volvo V60 i fyra olika färger, i H0-skala.
Andra intressanta nyheter
För alltid att slå sönder de minsta borrkronorna vi har, experimenterar vi nu med 0,2 och 0,5 mm borrkronor tillverkade av Tamiya; som har 1 mm skaft. Detta förhindrar att vi borrar för djupt med de finare bitarna och kommer kanske att hålla mycket längre. Tidigare hade vi fått något liknande av en tandläkarkompis, men tandbitarna har mycket längre fina partier. Tid och användning får utvisa.
Vi har länge letat efter en officiell betydelse av bokstaven ‘h’ i vagntypen ‘Uh‘. I ’SJF 637’ från 1971 har vi funnit att det helt enkelt betyder, “för flytande och gasformiga ämnen”, eller med andra ord ’tankvagnar’. Vi har uppdaterat den relevanta delen av hemsidan!
LEG:s filmserie “Svenska Tåg” går inte längre att köpa i butikerna. DVD-skivorna kan endast köpas från en “godkänd” leverantör. Därmed slutar vårt umgänge med dem (vi har upplagorna 1 till 51). Vi kommer inte att stödja några åtgärder som potentiellt leder till stängning av järnvägshobbybutiker.
February was quite a busy month, for the wrong reasons. The employment was being wound down (not enough orders coming in) and being on a time contract, being sent home (or just told not to come in) became very much the rule. This provided time to apply for better employment (and accommodation), and in order to break up the stress, a lot of modelling! T21 87 was reassembled in a whole day! Only five things fell off during this process, two of them cab windows. Ordinarily, one should not need to remove the B-end motor cover (unless access to the DCC loudspeaker is required), and having been glued together by Heljan, we can aver that it is impossible to get off without damaging it! The fibre-optic rods go from receptacles in the body into the chassis, horizontally; but the body can only be removed vertically! The trick was to prise off the (glued on) front panel and try not to lose the upper lamp pieces! We were fortunate in that only one tiny part got lost, and that all five lamps (if you include the red) at this end work, albeit, one of the whites dimly (which is not inauthentic)! The A-end was much easier, though again there was damage to the fibre-optic rod to one of the lamps because it is fitted horizontally in a body/chassis that separates vertically! Gluing it back on was not a viable option, but pressing it into the receptacle in the chassis for its ‘mate’ to meet up with it when we mounted the body was better. (To remove this end, the part of the body nearer the cab needs to be inclined as per Heljan’s instructions, to enable the tabs to clear the chassis; but tilt it too much and the rods break!) This is being typed whilst we wait for glue to dry before refitting the last handrail (to a step that was one of the items that fell off); but there is no guarantee that this will go back on without issue or complication! [Stop Press: Yes, sure enough, the steps fell off, the nearby buffer beam fell off, and during handling to put these right, the exhaust stack fell off. No other manufacturer could make a model with so many ‘issues’!] The N 1304 steam loco had its couplings refitted, with the Roco receptacles mounted onto plastic blocks (but not with the kinematic mechanism). At the front, this sat in a small gap between the frames and behind the lighting resistor that was behind the buffer beam. At the back, there was a lot of space, so a plastic block was bolstered by some washers, but it all fits in quite nicely. There was a plan to replace the buffers with the sprung ones that we had recently acquired; but we decided that this was less urgent, and that when it is done, we will re-seat the headlamps at the back so that they don’t overhang the buffers! When BC4R 5467 was delivered, two drainage pipes had been knocked off. Comparing this with number 5476, we were able to see where they should be fitted, and this was finally done. Examining this carriage afterwards, we noticed that it too, has M84S bogies with real coil springs, but these are less flimsy than on the newer A7R and B7R models, and not so obvious. One of the Ugkkpp wagons, being so short, has been used as a test model for coupling compatibility tests with the steam loco above, and with the T21 and T45 diesels; but we found that it was much more delicate than we had realised, and a pair of components near one of the wheel-sets had got knocked off. These were refitted, and all four of these wagons are now declared unsuitable for ‘test’ work! Our relatively new (Norwegian) NSB ‘Hbikks’ van was finally fitted with its required handwheels, small ones for the parking brakes, and larger ones for the opening doors. These hadn’t been missing; they were in a bag with the model. We just needed to find the time to fit them!
With the front panel off, the fibre-optic rods can be removed – a requirement before removing the hood!The Roco coupling mounted onto the N-loco.The two drain-pipes in the corners, under one of the BC4 carriages.Lots of small parts are under each of the ‘Ugkkpp’ wagons, so they need to be handled very carefully!The newer NSB van seen just after the yellow handwheels were fitted.
Manufacturer News
Some updates have appeared from HNoll (one seemingly backdated) in which Rickard takes stock of events over the last six years. To date, HNoll has sold roundly 5,700 sleepers and couchettes in 51 different configurations (liveries and running numbers), 2,600 restaurant carriages in 18 configurations, and 9,300 ordinary seating carriages in a presently undetermined number of configurations, with more to follow. However, despite these latest carriages selling in the greatest number, it represents roundly 50% of those received from China and sales have, after the initial rush, stopped dead. Rickard wonders if they were not as interesting as models as he had hoped (given that these are the closest competition to the Roco models), or if it is for economic reasons. We are convinced beyond doubt that it is for economic reasons. Food prices in Sweden have almost doubled in the last year; electricity costs have more than doubled. People are struggling and having to divert hobby money to basic survival. And to a greater or lesser extent, this is true around most of Europe regardless of political position. Since the start, HNoll’s operations have been 100% based on home loans and other favourable loans. This was because the interest rate had been very favourable for a long time. The situation has clearly changed for the worse financially as the monthly cost with interest has noticeably increased. The revenue is eaten up by the interest and there is great uncertainty about expected sales volumes. Volumes need to be kept at a high level to generate enough revenue which have the risk of turning into loss if sales volumes are less than expected. There may need to be a halt in tool manufacturing as the loans must be prioritised. The ‘generation-2-blue’ (A7/B7) carriages that were missing in the latest delivery should arrive together with the B4/BF4/BF7 carriages in the summer. Maybe also the long-awaited Blue-X carriages, but that depends on the sale of the carriages in stock. There is currently not enough money to bring the Blue-X carriages into production this spring. (They have, among other things, differently opening windows!) It is hoped that the special carriages (S1, etc) can be delivered in the Autumn. It is of course, our hope that Rickard is able to keep the production running, even if there has to be a delay with the next round of models. But people’s private economies need to improve before this can happen; the interest and other financial problems that Rickard has experienced, have also been experienced first hand, by a vast majority of the Swedish population (and his other worldwide customers). For the FLMJ, we are looking forward to the B4; and hoping for B2, UA7X (aka AFM7), and series 1 A7/B7. (Assuming that we haven’t misinterpreted an earlier comment by HNoll, we are also hoping for one R4 (which would be original brown without the InterCity chevrons), to go into one of the night trains; but we fear that might be a misunderstanding!)
In other news, and really too modern for the FLMJ’s station car-parks, PCX87 is to produce a 2019 year model Volvo V60 in four different colours, in H0-scale.
A picture of the pre-production PCX87 Volvo V60; the first modern Volvo car in H0-scale after the 850 estate, thus a gap of roundly 25 years!
Other News
Forever breaking the tiniest drill bits that we have, we are now experimenting with 0,2 and 0,5mm bits made by Tamiya; which have a 1mm shank. This prevents us drilling too deep with the finer bits and will maybe last a lot longer. Previously, we had been given something similar by a dentist friend, but the dental bits have much longer fine sections. Time and usage will tell.
We have searched for a long time for an official meaning of the letter ‘h’ in the wagon type ‘Uh’. In ‘SJF 637’ from 1971, we have found that it simply means, “for liquid and gaseous substances”, or in other words, ‘tank wagons’. We have updated the relevant section of the website!
LEG’s film series, “Svenska Tåg” is no longer available in the shops, sadly; the DVDs can only be purchased from one ‘approved’ supplier. Thus ends our association with them (we have editions 1 to 51). We will not endorse any action that potentially leads to the closure of Railway hobby related shops.
Behind the Scenes
Mini-Series around the FLMJ; C: The Newsletter, AJ-Nyheter
AJ-Nyheter was a less glossy and more formal newsletter created for the people who were regularly active upon the railway. Instead of book and video reviews, this would have explanations to the changes in the operating rules, servicing instructions for the various models, and anything that was more appropriate to the operation of the Railway than the promotion of it. It also promoted the same for the club’s other activities, including the outings and exhibition layouts (Köpingsvik and Steninge, for example). This newsletter changed format several times, from A4 printed single sheets, to staple-bound magazines, and various alternatives in between! And whilst the main journal was leaning towards colour production, this one certainly wasn’t. With the closure of the Railway, this newsletter was naturally obsolete. However, in fact, it had stopped in production earlier because it was considered superfluous; internal issues were best talked about, not written; and any written communication that was necessary was enacted by email. It is envisaged, that when the new railway does get started, an online presence will be more likely, and that AJ-Nyheter will not go back into production. Online communication already exists among some of the Friends of the Railway, who are keen to build their own Swedish model railway dioramas, and naturally have our full support. One key area for this is the Swedish equivalent of eBay, where some very good models of Swedish rolling stock often appear, but the sellers will ship only to Sweden, or the EU, or the EEA (and some couriers will not operate in the UK now). So, delivery is taken here in Sweden, and we arrange (with the Friend) for onward delivery (or collection during a visit)! So now, two key journals have been stopped, ‘FLMJ-Nytt’ and ‘AJ-Nyheter’, and both are very unlikely to restart; but that’s not bad news! We abhor change for change-sake; but change for improvement has always been encouraged and as we will discuss during the year, we are taking advantage of this quiet spell to prepare for a new means of printed communication in support of our online presence, Next month: our Annual Review.
And finally: We aim to post our updates on the first day of the month following (February’s news on March 1st, for example). So be aware that if looking through archived news, our host records the archive date as the ‘date published’, not the date that the news is about. (Thanks to one of our readers for this enquiry.)
En del arbete utfördes på T21 87 under januari. “Bågen” i A-ändens buffertbalk gjordes större så att kopplingarna nu kan användas, och ersättningsbuffertar har monterats. Beskrivningen av det sistnämnda jobbet ges i den engelskspråkiga uppdateringen. En del arbete utfördes också på T45 328. Under januari monterade vi boggisidorna och bolster på modellen, vilket förbättrade dess utseende. Sedan monterade vi plogarna framför boggierna och sedan stegen och ledstängerna. Vi skulle också vilja få in mer vikt under kroppen eftersom loket verkar för lätt Som förväntat tog vi emot våra HNoll-vagnar av typen A7R och B7R. Dessa modeller är mycket överlägsna i kvalitet jämfört med Roco A7/B7, och de kommer i skyddslådor, vilket Roco-modellerna inte gör! De är ungefär bara 200kr dyrare än Roco, vilket tyder på att Roco är överprissatta!
Tillverkarens Nyheter
Trix ska producera en likström version av nya Märklin Rc5. Det kommer att vara i 1990-talets orange färg (med logotypen “flygande falukorv”); och märkt som Rc5 1364, säljs som artikelnummer 25281. Tidiga bilder tyder dock på att chassit är för mörkt och att taket har helt fel färg! HNolls nästa vagnar kommer troligen att vara B4 och olika derivat (BF4 & BF7), och dessa förväntas anlända i slutet av året, eller i början av 2024. Vi är intresserade av att skaffa två till de vanliga InterCity-tågen; och kanske en tredjedel för ett av sovtågen! (Vagnarna fick först identiteten B4 av SJ, men denna ändrades senare till den mer korrekta BF4 där F står för lastutrymme.) Märklin annonserar ut ett paket med tre vagnar typ Tbis571, artikel 47303. Dessa SJ-vagnar är tvåaxlade skjuttaks-/skjutväggsbilar och är i rödbrun grundfärg med grå skjutdörrar och skjuttakar. Utförandet har konvexa skjutdörrar och är utan bromsmansplattformar. Modellerna ser ut som de gjorde runt 1985. På modellerna glider faktiskt taken upp, men inte dörrarna. Vi känner inte till en Trix likström version, men DC-hjulset per bil är artikel E700580.
Andra intressanta nyheter
Om du letar efter en ursäkt för att fira något i år, överväg följande. 2023 är det 100-årsjubileum av elektrifieringen av Malmbanan; 70-årsjubileum av introduktionen av loktyperna Dm och Ma, och YCo6 rälsbus; och 30-årsjubileum av bildandet av Scandinavian railways Society (i Storbritannien), vars 100:e upplaga av deras tidskrift utkommer under året.
Work progressed on the recently acquired T21 87 diesel during January. One small challenge was the ‘arch’ in the A-end buffer beam which prevented couplings from being used. This has now been widened (one of the compromises one has to sometimes make with working models), but it is still an arch; just wider. The bigger challenge was the buffers. Heljan provides unpainted brass buffers with the model, which protrude too much and are not sprung. Not being sprung is not a problem, as long as the user does not intend to use the factory fitted chain-link coupling! But protruding too much prevents the use of close couplings. The buffers were hollow and had been mounted (with glue) over studs, so we followed a simple procedure, yet precise, to replace them.
Thankfully Heljan used weak glue and with pliers we were able to pull the buffers off.
Using a fine drill, we drilled through the studs’ centrelines and through the buffer beams.
Going through the buffer beams meant that we had reference points, so we could next remove the studs.
We then widened the drilled holes to fit the new Bachmann buffers; loose fitted them and then took them out, so that we could refit the buffer beams to the loco without the buffers; thus revealing the need to drill a little way into the chassis also.
Being on the edge of a sub-frame (not the actual chassis itself), we instead used a file to make clearances for the backs of the buffers.
Then the buffers were lightly glued into place, and the beams back onto the loco. Job Done!
The Bachmann product, incidentally, is article number 36-032, a pack of eight round sprung buffers, intended for the British 00-gauge market, but perfectly fitting – mentioned just in case any of our readers are looking for ways of rebuilding their Heljan T21 locos!
Missing its body, here is T21 87 shewing the enlarged arch in the buffer beam, and the new Bachmann buffers!
We also worked on our T45 328. During January, we fitted the bogie sides and bolsters to the model, greatly improving its appearance. We were able to discard some plexiglass pieces because they had been supplied with the model for use with the then-recommended drive-chassis from a provider in Helsingborg; but we used the more modern chassis from SV&LV, where the bogies were suitably designed for these pieces to be redundant. We had two of each type of bolster, and as with the Rc-locos, it is quite random which way round they are fitted. The one good picture that we have of the real T45 328 shews both bolsters ‘pointing’ inwards on the one side visible in the photo, so that is how we have mounted ours. Then we noticed that these are actually mentioned in the instructions and two were wrong, so they were exchanged (the bolsters should point outwards on the other side)! The next challenge with this model was fitting the etched brass components, ploughs onto the bogies, steps, and then the handrails. In all cases, we had to improvise because there was no clearly marked fitting place for any! The ploughs needed to be quite forward from the bogies, so these are mounted onto the couplings (with spacers). The handrails seemed totally wrong when all available photos were studied, so with 0,5mm brass rod we manufactured our own! Although far from perfect, we are pleased with the results, and in the process, we mounted the extra low level steps. Job Done! However, we would also like to fit more weight under the body because the loco seems too light…! More about the T45 below!
Bogie detail on the T45, shewing the side mouldings (plastic) and the sprung bolsters (metal). The bolsters have subsequently been repainted to correctly match the bogie-sides!T45 328 on the work-table, now with correct-colour bolsters; plus ploughs, steps and handrails – ready to enter service!
As expected our HNoll delivery arrived early January, comprising two A7R and two B7R carriages. These models are far superior in quality to the Roco versions, although the differences are subtle at a quick glance. The fact that the Roco models are only ±£20 cheaper, and come in unprotective brittle plastic tubs (instead of protective boxes), suggests that they are somewhat overpriced!
One of the HNoll B7R carriages, seen after delivery.One of the HNoll A7R carriages, seen after delivery.
Finally, recent correspondence suggested that the Uad/Uadp iron ore wagons had their first two digits changed at some point from 20 to 41. We tried this change with the three that have incorrect ‘control digits’ (given that none of them shew the first four digits on the wagons), and thus the ‘control digit’ was accepted as correct. Job Done!
Manufacturer News
Trix is to release a 2-rail version of the new Märklin Rc5. In the orange livery, but 1990 condition (with the “flying falukorv (sausage)” logo), it will be Rc5 1364 and sold as article number 25281. However, early photos suggest that the chassis is too dark and the roof is completely the wrong colour!
HNoll’s next carriages will probably be the B4 and various derivatives (BF4 & BF7), and these are expected at the end of the year, or early 2024. We are interested in acquiring two, for the regular InterCity trains; and maybe a third for one of the sleeper trains! (The carriages were first given the identity B4 by SJ, but this was later changed to the more correct BF4 where F stands for cargo space.)
Märklin is advertising a pack of three wagons type Tbis571, article 47303. These SJ wagons are two-axle sliding roof / sliding wall vans, and are in a reddish-brown basic paint scheme with grey sliding doors and sliding rooves. The version has convex sliding doors and are without brakeman’s platforms. The models look as they did around 1985. On the models the rooves do actually slide open, but not the doors. We are unaware of a Trix 2-rail version, but DC wheelsets per car is article E700580.
Other News
More about the loco type T45. ASEA (Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget), which for a long time was Sweden’s largest manufacturer of electric locomotives, also tried its hand at building diesel locomotives in the early 1970s. The idea was to challenge Nohab in Trollhättan, which until then had dominated the Swedish diesel locomotive market. A bogie locomotive was constructed where, among other things, the bogies and parts of the electrical equipment were the same as in the Rc locomotives, thus offering a standardisation of spare sparts. Otherwise, the locomotive was a collaboration: the diesel engine was of the SEMT-Pielstick system and was manufactured by Hedemora Verkstäder, while Norwegian Thune was responsible for the mechanical parts and the locomotive bodies. In terms of appearance, the locomotives were quite similar to the T43 and T44 locomotives, and they became the T45. Up to three locomotives could be multiple-worked. In 1969, SJ signed a contract with ASEA to rent the five locomotives that were manufactured. They were delivered in 1971-1972 in an orange/white livery similar to the Rc locos, but with ASEA branding, and no SJ logo. The locomotives were placed in Borlänge and pulled both freight trains and passenger trains on the then still unelectrified line to Mora. In 1976, SJ returned the T45 locomotives to ASEA. Operational reliability had not been so good, mainly due to problems with the diesel engines and SJ did not really want another diesel locomotive type. ASEA tried to sell them abroad but there was no interest. Only one locomotive (324) was sold to the mining company A/S Sydvaranger in Kirkenes in Norway. The remaining locomotives became shunting locomotives in various Swedish industries, including at the ironworks in Avesta and Hofors. The investment was therefore not a success and ASEA did not build any more diesel locomotives. Today, there are no T45s left in traffic and all locomotives except one have been scrapped. T45 327 is preserved at the Gefle-Dala Railway Museum Association in Falun [www.mfgdj.nu].
About 328: Manufactured by ASEA, Västerås, Sweden in 1972. Manufacturing number 1702. Leased 1972-76 by SJ from ASEA. Based at Borlänge 1972-75. 328 was sold in 1978 as a shunting locomotive to SKF Steel in Hofors, where it was given the ownership number 8631. In Hofors, the locomotive was useful on the industrial track from the mill to the station, which runs at a very steep incline (approx. 15‰). The locomotive was supplied (by SKF) with handrails around the platforms, automatic couplings, lighting and TV cameras over the ends. In 1992, SJ took over the shunting at the mill and the locomotive ended up with SJ in Gävle. When SJ took over the locomotive, it received a small refurbishment and was test driven for some speculators. However, the locomotive had some remaining faults, and was worn, and in addition, an odd locomotive construction does not warrant any sale. The locomotive was then disposed of to the Railway Museum in Gävle, but in autumn 1994 it was sold to SP Tågservice in Östersund. In Östersund, the locomotive was revised and in May 1995 it was put back into operation, now leased to Banverket for macadam (ballast) train service. During that summer, the locomotive suffered a serious failure of the diesel engine due to overloading; the diesel engine was removed from the locomotive and sent back to Hedemora. However, it was judged to be so costly to repair the locomotive that it was instead scrapped. The bogies were sent to SSAB in Domnarvet, which used them under its locomotive, 327. (327 had been sold in 1995 to SSAB in Donmarvet, where it was overhauled for approximately SEK 1 million and received, among other things, the bogies from 328.) (Information from mostly jarnvag.net and svenska-lok.se)
If you’re looking for an excuse to celebrate something this year, consider the following. 2023 is the 100th anniversary of the electrification of the Malmbanan; 70th anniversary of the introduction of loco types Dm and Ma, and the YCo6 railbus; and 30th anniversary of the formation of the Scandinavian Railways Society, whose 100th edition of their journal will be published during the year.
Behind the Scenes
Mini-Series around the FLMJ; B: The Journal, FLMJ-Nytt
KRBJ-Nytt, which eventually became FLMJ-Nytt, was a general news journal. It enabled us in our pre-IT days to keep everybody up to date with the Railway’s development and other activities, and also carried special features such as book and video reviews, and anything else that we thought our readers might appreciate (and this even included one year with a cartoon strip)! The frequency changed over its course, finally settling on five editions annually (produced week numbers 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, so there was virtually no risk of losing copies in the Christmas post)! As the Publisher program was automatically updated, so did our curiosity and development, and the last few editions were very neatly presented. In addition to UK proliferation, copies were sent to readers around the world, including USA, UAE, Australia and the Nordic countries. Today, members of the Scandinavian Railways Society benefit from their journal, “Skandiapilen”, which is now edited by Adrian, and has a much more dynamic presence than anything produced before, both for the SRS and for us. It represents an idea of what FLMJ-Nytt could have looked like if it continued in print, today!
FLMJ-Nytt front cover of an edition from its last year in print.Skandiapilen for the SRS, from the same editor as FLMJ-Nytt!
Naturally, our readers had an interest in the KRBJ/FLMJ, so everything was related to that interest. With the closure of the FLMJ in 2018, it seemed pointless continuing whilst there was no actual railway to report from, and most (if not all) of our readers are online. Therefore, the decision has been taken to not restart it once a new railway does get going; but we’re not completely forgetting our publishing heritage, as we’ll discuss later in the year!
Next month: the ‘internal’ newsletter for the committed ‘members and friends’ of the Railway!
Vi har skaffat ytterligare en uppsättning Roco-malmvagnar, men dessa är begagnade. En av vagnarna är inte korrekt för detta set och det är faktiskt en dubblett av en som vi redan har! De övriga tre var för växelström! Vi har kunnat byta hjul, men vi måste beställa nya nummerdekaler – senare! Vi har skaffat ytterligare en Roco Co8a-vagn (fd OKB-typ). Vi sålde en (kanske två) tidigare eftersom vi inte kunde hitta några bevis som stöder deras äkthet. Nu vet vi att det är en sann modell, och vi kan dra nytta av den; så vi köpte en till. Vi har även skaffat ett andra Heljan T21 diesellokomotiv! Trots de många problemen med den här modellen hade vi alltid velat ha en andra, och den vi hittade låg under vårt maxpris och i någorlunda gott skick. Den kräver förstås mycket arbete innan den är säker och lämplig att använda!
Tillverkarens Nyheter:
Förutom fler Rc-lok och ett nytt T23-lok hade Jeco på Hjulmarknaden utställda två nya och annorlunda släp för att passa Y6-seriens rälsbussar. Det fanns ingen information om dem och ingenting fanns på deras hemsida, men vi håller tummen. Dessa borde vara mycket mer populära än den 2-axlade trailern som de kämpar för att sälja! Den ena är en kombinerad sitt-/bagagesläpvagn (varav en typ nu är i drift på Nene Valley Railway i England), och den andra är en allbagagevagn (fullängd på boggier).
Andra intressanta nyheter:
En kort artikel i aktuella ”Tåg”, nämner att det i höst (2022) är 100 år sedan starten av det vi känner som H0-skalan! Tja, för att vara korrekt bör man säga spårvidden på 16,5 mm. I modelltågens barndom var det snarare spårvidden än skalan som var utgångspunkten. Större skalor hade funnits innan dess, men eftersom utrymmet blev en premie önskades något mindre. På senhösten 1922 introducerades de första små tågen av denna typ. De tillverkades av det tyska företaget Bing i Nürnberg men introducerades till en början på den brittiska marknaden. Skala och noggrannhet var inte viktigt, de behövde bara representera något vagt bekant. Elektriska modeller kom några år senare, med 4-8v. 1935 kom Trix och Märklin ut med sina respektive serier av modelltåg i Bings anda. Utvecklingen av moderna H0-modeller var alltså igång. Men “Tågs” författare konstaterar att äran att vara först går till Bing! (Termen ‘H0’ betyder helt enkelt “Halv-0” som i halv 0-gauge; som faktiskt är 32 mm, så det finns en liten skillnad! ‘0’ är en siffra, inte en stor bokstav ‘O’. Termen ’00’, som små målarpenslar, lägger bara till ett extra nummer 0 för nästa storlek ner – så ja, TT var ursprungligen känd i Storbritannien som ‘000’!)
A set of Roco Uad/Uadp wagons arrived in November, but not without problems. The set comprises one Uad and three Uadp. According to resources, none of these wagons would duplicate what we already have. But the set was second hand. The Uad has been exchanged at some time, and the one in the box is a duplicate! All Uadp had ac wheel-sets, so these needed to be changed at further expense! We need to get into the habit of taking a magnifying glass with us to exhibitions because these wagons’ numbers are very tiny, and with second-hand purchases, there is always a risk that we’re not getting what we’re expecting. (Hopefully, a future order to Byggsvenskt.nu will give us a unique wagon number!)
Roco wagon set 67055, but compromised!
To the casual observer, the purchase of the Roco model of the Co8a would seem a bit strange, especially when one considers that we’ve had two of these before, and sold them. Why? Because we could not find any information supporting their authenticity, and we suspected that they were 1:100 scale length, given that they are quite short. The fact that they also had the older style gangways did nothing to encourage an interest in them. NOW, however, we know that the OKB had two of these, built as copies of very similar carriages purchased new from Germany in the 1920s. They were indeed much shorter than other carriages in use on SJ (though the model is still a bit short; in scale terms by about 60cm), and unlike the ‘composite’ carriages, for which we were able to easily find reference, they were withdrawn quite early. With the restructuring of proposed train formations (for a new railway), a use for this carriage became apparent, so we’d been on the look-out for a while; but the model had to fit certain criteria, It needed to be complete without damage; it needed NEM couplings; it needed a box. The inner tray for the box was damaged, but with the experience of building a new one for a Heljan model recently, satisfied that the outer box was OK, we went ahead with the purchase of a suitably priced model.
Roco carriage number 2990, a model of a former OKB design, but Co8a (later Bo8a) in SJ ownership.Roco Bo8a with its new inner tray.
As the month drew to a close, a second Heljan T21 was purchased! Its price was below the limit that we had set, and it was in reasonable condition. Again, one might ask why? A second one had been wanted since before the railway closed, and being common for these locos to work in pairs, that interest still existed. Having worked extensively on the first (T21 64: see updates during 2020), we were ready for the challenge! Naturally, many things had fallen off, but all the essential parts (except for one plough) were present and correct. This now gives us a full time (evening) job; to prepare the model for reliable service; and this includes remedial measures to the motor cover so that we don’t need to replace it. With our existing one, the motor gear rubbed on the white-metal casing causing a lot of friction and a lot of swarf adding to the friction—then it died completely! The remedial work included the purchase of a third party motor and grinding down the space inside the cover! During the initial investigation with our newer acquisition, we refitted all the glazing and one underframe item. We also fitted the window to the ‘B’-end door because it looked a bit silly with the badly fitting blanking plate! With one plough missing (and one loose in the packaging) we removed the others (there are four in total; one under each buffer, not full width). Looking back through photos of the work on the other loco, that also has no ploughs fitted! Getting the body off was as usual, tricky, despite following the instructions in Heljan’s manual. They have used a tape at the ends to block the light from shining through the plastic body and this had become sticky on both sides. But once off, we removed the tape and painted matt black inside. At the end of the initial investigation, some of the loco was put back together, but without the cab or hoods, seeing that more work would be required here quite soon and we didn’t want to risk unnecessary damage!
T21 87, seen after being taken out of its box after acquisition. As usual bits have fallen off!
Manufacturer News
Not content with delighting modellers with a new loco, the T23, Jeco had on display at Hjulmarknaden, two new trailers for the Y6-series of railbuses. One is a combined seating/luggage trailer (of which one type is now in service at the Nene Valley Railway in England), and the other is an all-luggage trailer (full length on bogies). These are long overdue and no doubt purchases will be made in the FLMJ’s favour! There is no mention of them on the website presently, and no supporting literature was at the event! Another interesting thing from Hjulmarknaden was a new-ish firm selling track setting templates, rather like the ones we had in England, but for much larger radius curves. Quite possibly we will be investing in a complete set once a start has been made on the new railway.
A poor quality image of the two trailers seen with the Jeco display; could models be on their way?
Other News
A short article in the current “Tåg”, mentions that this autumn (2022) is the 100th anniversary of the start of what we know as H0-scale! Well, to be correct, one should say the track gauge of 16.5mm. In the infancy of model trains, it was the gauge rather than the scale that was the starting point. Larger scales had been available before then, but as space became a premium, something smaller was desired. In the late autumn of 1922 the first small trains of this type were introduced. They were manufactured by the German firm Bing in Nürnberg but were initially introduced to the British market. Scale and accuracy was not important, they just needed to represent something vaguely familiar. Electric models arrived a few years later, operating at 4-8v. In 1935, Trix and Märklin came out with their respective ranges of model trains in Bing’s spirit. The development of modern H0 models was thus underway. But “Tåg’s” writer observes that the honour of being first goes to Bing! (The term ‘H0’ simply means “Half-0” as in half 0-gauge; which is actually 32mm, so there is a slight discrepancy! The ‘0’ is a number, not a capital (or upper-case) ‘O’. The term ‘00’, like small paint-brushes, just adds an extra number 0 for the next size down – so yes, TT was originally known in the UK as ‘000’!)
We mentioned the 1409 website recently; and using it, we were able to track and then go out to get a photo of this train at Myrbacken! We understand that the train started with just the two Rc-locos, but after hitting a moose, causing minor loco-damage, the leading loco was brought to the rescue!
HectorRail goods train at Myrbacken.
In our update from September, we commented about an event that had been advertised, but didn’t seem to be taking place. In conversation with a trader at Hjulmarknaden in November, we were told that the event did take place at another location, but it was VERY poorly attended. No prizes for guessing why!
Behind the Scenes
Mini-Series about the FLMJ, 12: Faring up for the Future It is impossible to make any plans for the new railway until the location has been found. A perfect situation would be for us to be able to recreate what we had; maybe with the original track plan reinstated at Månstorp (before the truncation mentioned earlier in the year). More space, however, would give us bigger station areas at Lövhöjden and Månstorp; less space would need further thinking about. But this is not a doom-and-gloom prospect. We did look at a location near Karlsborg which would have been much smaller, but the shape of the area available inspired a new layout design, whilst enabling us to keep the FLMJ title! We just need to be creative and think outside the box; and as the saying goes, “only dead ideas stay inside the box”!
Since the FLMJ was closed we have kept the timetable and scheduling up to date, so that we can land on our feet when we are able to start again. Nothing (important) has been forgotten, nothing has gone to waste. We have also created a so-called ”Fantasy Layout” which enables us to trial other timetabling elements, other signalling practices, other track layouts, and many more other things that are essential to the making of the successful operation and development of a model railway. Many aspects of the new railway can be planned at this stage, and this will help us when we are ready to plan it in finer detail.
It is just over four years, now, since the FLMJ was closed. In the time since then, personal commitments have taken priority, and many hurdles have needed to be overcome; a process that continues. It is said that a bad situation is the condiment that gives the eventual good situation its flavour. Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. Over this last year, we have given you a slight insight to the Railway. A more thorough description will be in our forthcoming book.
Next month: we start a new series looking at the publications (Adnalms Förening (Järnvägar)) that have been produced over the years, from the regular journal to the year books and everything in between.
