Tag Archives: T21

Nyheter från januari 2024

Med så många nyheter den här månaden har vår “hjälp” från Google Translate varit mer än vanligt, men vi hoppas att allt fortfarande är vettigt!

Våra Nyheter

T21 64 behövde sina ersättningsbuffertar för att monteras (efter den framgångsrika monteringen av denna typ till T21 87). Vi har använt Bachmann-produkt 36-032 för dessa modeller, och de är verkligen en perfekt passform med en varning. En liten del av chassit behöver filas (eller slipas) bort för att de ska kunna passa ordentligt. Men ingen justering krävs för att de ska följa NEM, och när de är nära kopplade finns det ett hårstrån mellan buffertarna. Som väntat var jobbet dock inte möjligt utan att saker ramlade av; sex ledstänger, ett trappsteg, piparen och en vindrutetorkare! Vi passade på att skapa två nya ledstänger (för att ersätta de saknade), men vi tänker nu att ett komplett matchande set skulle vara snyggare (och nya steg också); men det är till en annan gång!

T45 328 verkar vara för lätt. Ett stort block av mässing har kapats till i storlek och använts som vikt. Vi behövde skära den i segment så att den fick plats i det begränsade utrymmet under kroppen; men tre segment har räckt och loket inger förtroende nu. Tyvärr kan vi inte köra in den än eftersom den inte kommer att köras på “tåguppsättnings”-kurvor, som vi lånar för tillfället!

Y7 1201 har använts som en ‘guide’ för eftermontering av arbetskopplingar till UB 1949. Kopplingarna som följer med dessa Jeco-modeller kan inte ‘användas’ i drift (tåget måste vändas upp och ner) så efter lite undersökning monterade vi en modifierad standardkoppling till vår Y6/Y7/etc. UB är ett nyare fordon (för oss) och behövde denna modifiering. Vi hade monterat kopplingarna till de tidigare modellerna med spårstift, men vi hade inga i lager, så vi har experimenterat med att använda lite böjd tråd; tiden får utvisa om det fungerar!

Personvagn Bo14a 3867 hade eftermonterats med Symoba-kopplingsmekanismer, men vi fann nyligen att fickan inte accepterade en insats. Den centrala stången ligger i linje med fickans inre ändar och är i vägen. Vi kunde lösa detta problem genom att fila skären till ett tunnare tvärsnitt, men det är ett knepigt jobb; och även om det har fungerat för den här vagnen, måste vi tänka om framtida användning av denna kopplingstyp.

För en tid sedan införskaffades ett gammalt Faller-kit, ett litet timmerhus med garage. Man utnyttjade en ledig söndagseftermiddag för att montera den. Taket i ett stycke passade inte riktigt och passade på väggarna, men vi lyckades få ihop det. Den har en svart kortinredning (så vi behöver inte måla mattsvart på insidan) och alla gardiner har nätgardiner också, så inget behov av inredning. Med ett par mycket subtila modifieringar gick det väldigt bra ihop, och på en dag.

Tillverkarens Nyheter

Roco har tillkännagett produktionen av ett Epoch-IV lokomotiv “set” bestående av två Rm lok i SJ orange färg; och fotomontage antyder att Roco sätter rätt boggier på modellerna (till skillnad från Märklins leksaksversion)! Paret består av loknummer 1260 och 1262 och den grundläggande analoga versionen antyds till 6041 kr, vilket inte är orimligt.

Jecos T23 dök upp i början av vecka 4, men på grund av ohälsosamma medel här, har vi varit tvungna att begränsa oss till bara en (av de två tänkta) (och en för en vän till RTJ)! Det är en snyggt detaljerad och välproportionerad modell, men som många nya saker är den inte problemfri som behöver redas ut. Genom att sakta skruva upp strömmen tänds hyttens lampa för fullt, men de riktade strålkastarna flimrar och ett morrande hörs inifrån (låter ganska som en dieselmotor, trots att det är en DC-analogmodell). Sedan vid mark-70 (GaugeMaster-kontroller) lyfter loket i nästan full fart. Vi kan sakta ner den till mark-60 (fortfarande springer fort), men lägre än så stannar den och morrar igen. Vid provning (inkörning) skruvades en av kopplingsstångsbultarna loss av sig själv och ramlade ur, stoppa loket mycket plötsligt och med hjulen ur linje! Den här prestandan är inte ett vanligt inkörningsproblem, och vi misstänker att det är en felaktig skärmplatta för DCC-uttaget, vilket inte skulle vara första gången. (Detta föremål var felaktigt på E2 ångloket, som Jeco ersatte utan krångel.) Bortsett från det ser vi ingen mening med en hyttlampa på en analog modell; om en förare har hyttbelysningen tänd och det är något mörkt ute, kommer han inte att kunna se; det är onödigt. Dessutom behöver lådan modifieras om loket ska läggas undan med en Roco-stängkoppling monterad.

Inte oväntat har Märklin och Trix annonserat tillverkningen av det svenska ångloket av F-klass, som bevarat nummer 1200. Detta följer på den nästan identiska danska E-klassen förra året. Det förväntas dock kosta över 7000kr, någon kommer inte hit!

I HNolls första uppdatering för året lämnade B4-vagnarna Kina den 17 december och är nu ute till havs. Förhoppningen är att båten ska slippa de problem som vi sett i nyheterna den senaste tiden och det är inte känt om den måste gå via Afrikas sydligaste spets. Om detta händer kommer det att bli ytterligare en mindre försening. Förväntad ankomst till butik är under senare delen av februari.

En Volvo 480 i H0-skala har nu producerats av Minichamps, och första intryck verkar bra (till skillnad från deras senaste 740); och vi hoppas kunna skaffa en eller två snart. Deras 850 sedan väntar fortfarande på.

Andra intressanta nyheter

Två RTJ-vänner tog en tur med ett av de nya X15p-tågen som nu introduceras på Roslagsbanan i början av januari, men endast två enheter var faktiskt i trafik den valda dagen (av fyra tillgängliga enheter) och vi fick vänta i nästan en timme (i –10°C, känns som –18°C). Dessa tåg är ungefär som andra nyare introduktioner till Stockholm med vidöppna landgångar mellan vagnarna som gör det mycket lätt att ta sig fram. Ryggstöden är inte riktigt lika upprätt som på X10p-enheterna, och de var lite bekvämare, men kunde fortfarande vara mycket bättre! Resan gick till Ormsta och tillbaka och hemresan var inte problemfri. Hotern hade slutat fungera (upptäcktes när den mötte en bil på en korsning framför tåget, men ingen kollision inträffade), och i enlighet med säkerhetsprotokollen fick tåget fortsätta men i högst 40 km/h; hela vägen från Vallentuna till Stockholm Östra! Man trodde att en ansamling av snö och is hade gjort att hootern misslyckades. Bortsett från barnsjukdomar ser vi fram emot att fler av dessa enheter kommer i tjänst.

Vi är ledsna över att höra att den brittiska modellbutiken Hattons snart kommer att stänga. För oss som modellerar Sveriges järnvägar har Hattons inte spelat någon större roll i vår utveckling, men en del av vår infrastruktur, kontroller, landskap och liknande kom från dem. De är inte i konkurs, men de ständigt föränderliga marknadskraven har gjort det olämpligt för dem att fortsätta handla.

En annan förlust för denna hobby, återigen i Storbritannien, är Warley National Model Railway Exhibition på NEC. Även om denna hobby lever och mår, har effekterna av pandemin och levnadskostnadskrisen tagit ut sin rätt. Det finns också det urgamla problemet med ålderdom; inte tillräckligt görs för att uppmuntra yngre människor till hobbyn. Speciellt i Storbritannien byggs utställningslayouter på en höjd som ungdomar inte kan se, vilket ger dem en negativ upplevelse av hobbyn; och några av de mindre handlarna har en krigisk attityd till yngre tippare!

Tråkiga men oundvikliga nyheter härifrån Sverige är att modelljärnvägsklubben i Järfalla måste läggas ner eftersom källaren som de hyrt i 50 år behöver förvärvas av kommunen. Strängt taget är källaren ett skydd och måste göras tillgänglig inom 48 timmar om det behövs; och nu när Sverige går med i Nato har den risken ökat. Vi befarar för andra klubbar som hyr liknande lokaler för sin verksamhet.

News from January 2024

Our News

T21 64 needed its replacement buffers to be fitted (following the successful fitting of this type to T21 87). We’ve used Bachmann product 36-032 for these models, and they really are a perfect fit with one caveat. A small part of the chassis needs filing (or grinding) away to enable them to fit properly. But, no adjustment is necessary for them to comply with NEM, and when close-coupled, there is a hair’s distance between the buffers. Perfect! As expected, however, the job was not possible without things falling off; six handrails, a step, the hooter and one windscreen-wiper! We took the opportunity to make up two new handrails (to replace missing ones), but we’re now thinking that a complete matching set would be nicer (along with new steps); but, that’s for another time, perhaps! (We celebrated this work done by watching the “Expedition Kilvamma” DVD, a film about the rescue of eight type T21 locomotives from Strategic Reserve, 20 years ago in 2004!)

T45 328 has been bothering us a little since we finished building it because it really does seem too lightweight. A large chunk of brass has been purchased from a model shop, to be cut to size and used as a weight. We needed to cut it into segments so that it could fit in the limited space under the body; but three segments seem to have been enough and the loco inspires confidence, now. Unfortunately, we can’t run it in yet because it will not run on ‘train-set’ curves, such that we are borrowing at the moment!

A Heljan T21 chassis, shewing the segment cut away to allow sprung buffers to be retrofitted.

Y7 1201 has arrived onsite, so that it could be used as a ‘guide’ for the retrofitting of working couplings to our UB 1949. The couplings that come with these Jeco models cannot be ‘used’ in service (the train needs to be turned upside-down) so after some investigation we fitted a modified standard coupling to our units. The UB is a newer vehicle (to us) and was pending this modification. We had fitted the couplings to the earlier models with track pins, but we had none in stock, so we have experimented with using a bit of bent wire; time will tell!

Bo14a 3867 had been retrofitted with Symoba coupling mechanisms, but we found recently that the pocket would not accept an insert. The central bar is inline with the pocket inner ends and is in the way. We were able to resolve this problem by filing the inserts to a thinner cross-section, but it is a tricky job; and whilst it has worked for this carriage, we need to rethink future use of this coupling type.

The modified standard coupling attached to UB 1949.

We also bought more Roco close-couplings so that we could continue retrofitting them to the stock that we have acquired since being in Sweden. That was a job for February, but with some of the other jobs taking less time than allowed, we were able to complete the retrofitting at the end of January.

Some time ago an old Faller kit was acquired, a small timber house with garage. Advantage was taken of a free Sunday afternoon to assemble it. The one-piece roof was not quite at the same pitch as the walls, but we managed to get it together. It has a black card interior (no need for the matt black paint on the inside) and all the curtains have net curtains also, so no need for interior fittings. With a couple of very subtle modifications, it went together very well, and in a day.

An old Faller house kit, assembled in a day, and shewn with a Volvo V60 parked outside.

Manufacturer News

Roco has announced an Epoch-IV locomotive ‘set’ comprising two Rm locomotives in SJ orange livery; and the photo montage suggests that Roco is putting the correct bogies on the models (unlike Märklin’s toy version)! The pair comprise locos numbers 1260 and 1262 and the basic analogue version is hinted at 6041 kr (roundly £550), which is not unreasonable.

Jeco’s T23 appeared at the beginning of week 4 (w/c 22 January), but due to unhealthy funds here, we’ve had to limit ourselves to just one (of the two intended) (and one for a Friend of the RTJ)! It is a nicely detailed and well proportioned model, but like many new things, it is not without problems that need sorting out. By turning the power up slowly, the cab light comes on fully, but the directional headlights flicker and a growl is heard from inside (sounding quite like a diesel engine, despite this being a DC Analogue model). Then at mark-70 (GaugeMaster controller), the loco takes off at almost full speed. We can slow it down to mark-60 (still running fast), but any lower than that, it stops and growls again. During testing (running in), one of the coupling rod pins unscrewed of its own accord and fell out bring the loco to a very sudden stop and with the wheels now out of alignment! This performance is not a regular running-in problem, and we suspect it is a faulty blanking plate for the DCC socket, which wouldn’t be the first time. (This article was faulty on the E2 steam loco, which Jeco replaced without fuss.) Aside from that, we see no point in a cab light on an analogue model; if a driver has the cab light on and it is slightly dark outside, he won’t be able to see; it’s unnecessary. Also, the box needs modifying if the loco is to be put away with a Roco close coupling fitted.

Not entirely by surprise, Märklin and Trix have announced the production of the Swedish F-class steam loco, as preserved number 1200. This follows on from the almost identical Danish E-class last year. However, it is expected to cost in the region of £700 (over 7000kr in Swedish money), so it is unlikely that one will be arriving here!

In HNoll’s first update of the year, the B4 carriages departed China on 17 December and are now out on the great oceans. It is hoped that the boat will avoid the problems we read about in the news recently, and it is not known if it will have to go via the southernmost tip of Africa. If this happens, there will be a further minor delay. Expected arrival in stores is during the latter part of February.

A Volvo 480 in H0-scale has now been produced by Minichamps, and first impressions seem good (unlike their recent 740); and we hope to acquire one or two, soon. Their 850 sedan is still awaited.

Roco’s image of their two proposed Rm-locos.

Other News

Two RTJ-Friends took a trip on one of the new X15p trains now being introduced onto the Roslagsbanan in early January, but only two units were (said to be) in service on the chosen day (out of four units available) and a wait of nearly one hour was necessary (in –10°C, feeling like –18°C). These trains are rather like other recent introductions to Stockholm with wide open gangways between the carriages making through access very easy. The seat-backs are not quite as upright as on the X10p units, and they were a little more comfortable, but still could be a lot better! The journey was to Ormsta and back, and the return journey was not without issue. The hooter had stopped working (discovered when coming across a car on a crossing in front of the train, but no collision occurred), and in accordance with safety protocols the train was allowed to proceed but at no more than 40kmh; all the way from Vallentuna to Stockholm Östra! It was believed that a build-up of snow and ice had caused the hooter to fail. Teething problems aside, we look forward to more of these units entering service.

An X15p at Stockholms Östra station; older X10p stock in the background.

We are saddened to learn that the UK model shop, Hattons is to close soon. For us modelling the railways of Sweden, Hattons hasn’t played a big part in our development, but some of our infrastructure, controls, scenery and suchlike came from them. They are not insolvent, but the ever-changing market demands have made it unsuitable for them to continue trading.

Another loss to this hobby, again in the UK, is the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition at the NEC. Whist this hobby is alive and well, the effects of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis has taken its toll. There is also the age-old problem of old-age; not enough is done to encourage younger people into the hobby. In the UK especially, exhibition layouts are built at a height that youngsters cannot see, thus giving them a negative experience of the hobby; and some of our Friends remember all too well the belligerent attitude of one trader towards children who happened to be anywhere near his stand!

Sad but inevitable news from here in Sweden is that the model railway club in Järfalla is having to close because the basement that they have rented for 50 years needs to be acquired by the municipality. Strictly, the basement is a shelter and has to be made available within 48 hours if needed; and now that Sweden is joining Nato that risk has been heightened. We fear for other clubs who rent similar premises for their activities.

Behind the Scenes

Mini-Series about the new railway; 2: Rickbacken—Töjnan Järnväg

Taking the crown from the FLMJ, the RTJ is to be the new main focus of attention. It was intended that construction will start at Rickbacken, which will have the largest one-piece diorama on a board (or series of boards) fitting in a space roundly 4500mm by 2200mm (±14’9″ by ±7’3″ in English measurements), but, after careful consideration, it will start somewhere else! The lowest level will have one half of the fiddle-yard, and then there will be a curved incline (or even a helix) to the next level with the track for the main station. On a third half-level, there will be a town scene; the layout of which should blend in very well, and be so very Swedish with subtleties that were missing from the FLMJ (which was actually the case with most of the FLMJ’s scenery). So, the station will be a ‘through’ layout, fiddle-yard to next diorama (the latter part going through a hole in the wall)!
At the other end of the scenic railway, there will be Töjnan, a more industrious area, but not without housing and shops. A lifting bridge (or swing-bridge—let’s see how creative we can get) will be necessary here due to an inward opening door to the ramp outside. The main board should fit in a space roundly 3200mm by 1950mm, the latter going down to 1360mm at one end due to the door. In normal operation, this door would not be used, so surrendering the railway’s right-of-way will not be ‘usual’ during operation. Being an industrious area, extra industrial sidings will give the station enormous appeal for shunting operations, and great care will be needed with designing the track layout, here.
Between the two main locations, there will be a third station, but small enough to be omitted from the railway’s name! Skarpa Gård will have a small station to serve the village that is said to have been built in the shadow of the manor house, the ‘Gård’ in the location’s name. Not all trains will stop here, but the interest should be with the scenery, which will have mostly ’country’ elements, instead of being built up. There are other ‘extra’ plans for here, also; but they’re for a later update! Due to the simpler nature of the layout here, this is probably where we’ll start building, instead of at Rickbacken.
From a technical viewpoint, the mainline, as described here (with the exception of most of the sidings), will have overhead cabling; and there will be entry/exit colour-light signals at the stations. For Epoch-IV, this is quite correct for a secondary line, which is how the layout is to be depicted. There is no specific location for the railway, and although the names come from the Stockholm and Uppland areas, we expect the scenery to imitate the Småland area because that will be local and inspiring. Nevertheless, as before, our trains will reflect all of Sweden, including iron ore trains from the far north.

Next Month: Trädgårdslinjen.

August 2020 News

As already known, the D-loco needed some post-delivery (to traffic) adjustments and so on, and during August, the transfers/decals were lacquered; and then the loco was finally put away in its box, ready for traffic (or new pantographs)!

T21 64 broke-down during the old FLMJ’s last year, and it was found that the motor had simply stopped working. It also needed some cosmetic repairs.

We contacted Heljan to ask about getting a new motor, and one would cost DKK 500 including P+P (about £60), but the payment method that they wanted would have added £25-30 in bank charges! We then found a supplier of ‘replacement’ motors to fit Heljan’s 00-scale models, but they were unhelpful regarding our enquiry about dimensions—the T21 is not a 00-model; but Howes in Oxford did respond favourably, so they got the order—and we paid £15.50 for the perfectly fitting replacement!
Connected to a 9v battery, the motor runs beautifully. So, it was mounted into the lower portion of the chassis and tested again, running beautifully and turning the wheels. Then we joined the two halves of the chassis, and there was no movement at all! But when we took it apart again, the motor was fine. So, more investigation is necessary (for next month).
Whenever handling the model, bits have fallen off, and it seems that Heljan just didn’t think this one through. The chassis (in two halves with a running plate sandwiched between) is obviously metal, but the steps are soft plastic, and the handrails for the steps are metal. So, the steps are easily nudged, causing the handrails to drop out. The tanks under the running plate are plastic, and these fall off at every opportunity. There are very small indents on the metal chassis and running plate for these plastic artefacts, not enough to properly grip them. So, additionally, brake shoes and hoses, and hooter, all came off. We found, when we took the chassis apart, that the steps were now vulnerable in that they supported the weight of the running plate.
We found that Heljan’s instructions for taking the loco apart were wrong. It says in Danish, “Løsgør forsigtigt kabinen, sådan man kan forsigtigt kan løfte kabinen op ved et let tryk på siderne”; or in Swedish, “Montera försiktigt av hyttan genom att trycka försiktigt på sidorna”. In either language, we are told that one needs to gently press on the sides of the cab. In reality, the sides need prising out, not pressing in! Whilst battling with the wrong instructions, parts of the loco were getting damaged, including the fibre optics to the lighting!
We started by simply repairing what was damaged, but after three days’ work, it became apparent that the loco needed a more thorough rebuild, including metal reinforcement behind the steps, proper fixing tabs for the other artefacts, and even a better way of fixing the buffers (which had also come off)! Everything that hadn’t fallen off needed pulling off.

The T21 in its current state; we have identified where the motor wires need soldering onto, but we need to find the cause of the ongoing problems before we do that!

Tc 306 entered service a few years ago, having been built on-site as a Modellproduktion body on a Roco chassis; and then there were issues with the gears not meshing properly! However, all sorted, we simply overlooked the fact that we had also bought a bag full of accessories from Entec to paint and fit to the model, so it was now time to do it. This also proved challenging! The instruction sheet is not at all clear (bad printing) and a lot of guess-work was necessary!

Being a sheet of etched material, the flat steps needed gluing on to the rungs of what is best described as a ladder. The ladder includes the handrails, so it needed to be bent to shape! Whilst the main part of this required a 90° turn, some handrails needed different angles and in all cases, holes needed to be drilled in the chassis for them. The etched sheet was not clearly labelled, and we were to find out that the ‘A’ end steps are the ones that actually go in the middle!
We used the last of the plastic strip that we had available to make two large steps at the ‘B’ end for the handrails to attach to (it really does seem that they should have been part of the original mould)! Suitably painted, these blend in nicely, but the top step on the ladders at the ‘B’ end is possibly too high—there were no clues about how to fit them.
But the difficult part was the windscreen wipers, which were too big and etched incorrectly. The armature that pokes into the body needed bending through 90°, but the wiper-blades also needed bending through 90°, but not from the same perspective! Armed with suitable pliers and initiative, we managed to get them fitted, suitably trimmed, of course. Comparatively, the mirrors and guards for them were very easy to make and fit!
Finally, its box was modified to make room for the fitted attachments, and the whole loco looks much nicer, now.

Tc 306 with steps, handrails, mirrors, wipers, etc. Some straightening up will be needed, but that is best done once it is safely on a home layout, rather than moved in and out of its box!

UF6 1576 is a model of a short baggage car of the type built by Hilding Carlsson. It would have been type UF2, and gone into trains with similar styled railbuses. But a few were modified to work with the newly delivered YCo6 variety, so this is the case with our model. It was purchased from a fayre in Stockholm, and we think it is a Lokstallet model. It needed three jobs to be done.

The first of these was the fitting of stabilisers to reduce sideways play. The mounting blocks for the wheel-sets seem to have H0e if mounted one way, and H0 if mounted the other; this model has then set for H0e, but has H0 wheel-sets in! For stabilisers, we used plastic strip between the blocks and the wheel-backs.
The second job was to fit couplings, to make it compatible with the YCo6 railbuses. This meant using standard H0 couplings, but lower down, and therefore with the ‘tongue’ cut off. We had brought Y7 1136 from storage as well, to use as a test match vehicle!
The third job was the decals, which really needed to be purchased from Sweden, so instead, ‘temporary’ number plates have been made (so that the model can be legitimately used) until we are able to get the correct decals.

UF6 1576 coupled to Y7 1136, having been brought up to standard.

We have a Yp railbus on the workbench at the moment; but more about that, and one that we passed to a Friend, next time!

The three SMJ carriages have received lacquer over their transfers, but also some SJ brown paint has appeared on the etched end panels where appropriate. The final job here was to make an ‘interior’ for each of their boxes so that they could be safely put away. They’re all the same and a bit strange, but they make the most of the materials that we had available!

The SMJ carriages in their modified boxes.

Two NMJ RB1 carriages have arrived into store, and these will go into InterCity trains (already designated). Sadly, HNoll continues to have production issues with the R4R (which seems to be tooling and then a production queue at the Chinese factory), but they at least have the kindness to keep modellers up to date with the situation.

Back in March, we advised about the proposed production of Swedish model cars from Minichamps, Saab and Volvo models. We are now aware that PCX87 is proposing a 1989 version of the Volvo 240GL estate. It would be interesting to compare this with the Minichamps 1986 model. (We would prefer, of course, late 1970s versions!)

In Website news, we have taken down the “Forthcoming Events” page because in the current climate, events are few and far between, and when things do get up and running again, we are going to be in a different place in different circumstances. Recognising the big changes taking place (and changing technology), we are working on the creation of a new website also, which we hope will look better and be more relevant, yet just as informative as now.