Tag Archives: Uad

Nyheter från november 2022

Våra nyheter:

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’!)

News from November 2022

Our News

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!)

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

News from April 2022

Our News

A set of six Märklin ‘Mas’ iron ore wagons has arrived (albeit fitted with DC insulated wheelsets). They have six-digit numbers instead of the five-digit numbers as carried on the Roco versions. This means that they are models of the newly built wagons from the 1950s, not the rebuilt 1908 ones from then. More about these farther down…

Desperate for the whaff of a steam locomotive, a trip was arranged to the Locoshed open day at Krylbo on 30 April, and B class 1324 could be smelt from the car park! Mission accomplished! But, this was also a good chance to have a look around as much of the shed as was open, buy a couple of items from traders, including the ‘SLM’ from 1973, and be in a proper railway environment again!

Manufacturer News

We have some news from Dekas. A shutdown has been introduced in DongGuan in southern China, to limit the spread of Covid infection. This is where their factory is located. Unfortunately, this means that the factory has been closed indefinitely. This applies not only to Dekas’ own products, but also to their OEM customers (McK, HNoll, ExactTrain, ASM and Lemke/HobbyTrain). This news reinforces the updates from HNoll.

On a brighter note, PCX87 is understood to be preparing a model in H0-scale of the Volvo 343 from 1976. This is an often overlooked car because it was always in the shadow of the 244/245 cars from that epoch, and we are delighted that PCX87 is to fill that gap. The model will be available thus: 870300 yellow, 870301 green, 870302 silver, 870303 red (and a limited edition ‘light blue metallic’ version exclusive to Model Car World in Germany).

Other News

Spårvägsmuseet opens at its new location, Gasverkstorget 1, (short bus ride from Ropsten,) on 21st May. The old site at Sofia closed a few years ago, and its reopening is a much anticipated event. (With the model railway exhibition on this day at Mölndal being cancelled, our weekend has been saved!)

This website … we have uploaded an extra 12 pictures into the category, “Rebuilt FLMJ (2016+)” on our photos page, only one of which already appears elsewhere on the site!

A brief history of the Iron Ore wagons

We hinted last month at a review of the Iron Ore wagons. It has not been possible to fully identify every type that has run, but we have been able to create a summary (here) which will become a much fuller article on this website, soon. With the models, we refer to ‘ready to run’ (r-t-r).

The story starts in 1886, with 375 type ‘Maä’ wagons built in England. When the firm went bankrupt in 1894, the Swedes built 295 more of the same wagon, but labelled it ‘Mam’. Both versions later became type ‘M1’. Many were later transferred to the TGOJ for their Iron Ore railway between Grängesberg and Oxelösund.
A new version was designed in Sweden with 75 prototypes in 1900. These were followed by 454 slightly modified versions in 1902, 255 further modified versions in 1903, and then 2730 of the penultimate design in 1908. These were all labelled ‘M2’, and would later become ‘Mas’, then ‘Ud’, and finally ‘Foo’/‘Foo-x’.
In 1950, another new version appeared (and many older 1908 wagons were rebuilt to a similar body design). These 1740 wagons were labelled ‘Mas’ from new, then ‘Ud’, and finally ‘Foo’/‘Foo-x’. Some of these wagons are referred to as the 1952 version; put simply, the 1950 version was built in Sweden, the 1952 version in Belgium and Germany.

In 1956, a few design experiments led to the construction of 11 prototype ‘Mar’ wagons, but the results were not encouraging, and the project was abandoned as a favourable 4-axle bogie design was identified!

In 1965, 199 4-axle bogie wagons type ‘Mb65’ were introduced, but still, they were not satisfactory. They remained in service, not entirely on Ore duties, and were substantially modified. Thus, relabelled to ‘Uad65’ or more correctly, ‘Uads’, they became eventually ‘Faoos’/‘Faoos-x’ and ‘Faoos-t’/‘Faoos-tx’.
Quite urgently, a modified ‘Uads’ was required, and the 1968 wagon was the answer, built in 732 samples. These became ‘Uad’ and later ‘Faoo’. Then, in 1970, 808 wagons of a modified version for the carriage of Iron Ore ‘pellets’ were introduced. These were ‘Uadp’, and later ‘Faoo-x’.
The desire for heavier trains carrying more cargo led to the ‘Uno’ wagon from South Africa. Only 68 wagons of this type were delivered in 2000, as they could not cope with the arctic winter conditions, so the balance of the order was cancelled.
To cope with this failure, and the need to move more cargo, 110 wagons based on the ‘Uad’/‘Uadp’ design were built from 2005. They were quite visibly different, and labelled ‘Uadk’.
Eventually, a Swedish designed and built wagon appeared. This wagon was built in two styles, and operates in 1000+ pairs as a master and slave. Individually, they are both type ‘Fanoo’, but the pair is ‘Fammoorr’! Interestingly, as single wagons, the ‘Fanoo’ is used a little farther south, in Norway between the Kvannevann mine and pit, and the port in Mo I Rana.
Finally, the ‘Fammrr’ is a pair of wagons operated (150 pairs) by another company (not LKAB) between a transhipment site at Pitkärärvi to Narvik. The mine is actually at Pajala, and especially modified lorries ply the route between the mine and the transhipment site! This wagon does not have bottom discharge, and is known as a ‘Helix Dumper’, with the body rotating 148 degrees on its chassis!

  • The ‘M2’/‘Mas’ in original condition has been modelled by NMJ and sold in packs of four, with mostly different running numbers.
  • The ‘Mas’ in rebuilt condition (after the arrival of the new 1950s version) has been modelled by Roco and sold in packs of four, with different running numbers.
    • (NMJ and Roco collaborated on this project to produce the models with the same chassis.)
  • The ‘Mas’ as the 1950 new production has been modelled by Märklin (with a 2-rail compatible version marketed by Trix,) and sold in packs of six, with different running numbers.
    • The new and the rebuilt 1950s wagons can be distinguished by 6-digit running numbers on the new and 5 on the rebuilt!
  • The ‘Uad’/‘Uadp’ has been modelled by Roco and sold in packs of four, with mostly different running numbers. Some packs have four ‘Uad’, some have four ‘Uadp’, some have a mixture.
    • There is also a solitary ‘Uad’ wagon with a grossly overscale working tail lamp!
  • The ‘Fammoorr’ has been modelled by Roco and sold in packs of two pairs (four ‘Fanoo’ wagons).

We are still researching these wagons and are curious to know more about the following:

  1. Roco’s ‘Uad’ has a reinforced top, but photos and images shew versions with slightly rounded tops also. Reference to Mb79 106759 as a photo on the internet should illustrate what we mean. How many of these were there and where do they fit in? Did they have UIC numbers, eventually? They are also seen in LEG’s program about the Dm3.
  2. More information on the ‘Uads’ which seems to be very different to the Mb79 mentioned above.
  3. Two versions of the Uadp are known; one with a flat top (as depicted on the Roco model), and one with a bowed top (as depicted on one of UGJ’s kits); and both seen in the aforementioned LEG program! Were they modified at random, or were a number built in this way?
  4. We also need some photos that we may use to accompany the article!

Behind the Scenes

Mini-Series about the FLMJ, 5: Train Formations

The FLMJ had an intensive passenger train schedule, but the goods trains were more for show whilst we were still developing the railway with facilities for them. There would be goods facilities at Gärde, Fjällnäs, Industriområdet and Jonshamn; the latter two reached only by diesel-hauled trains, often by shunters picking wagons out from an electric-hauled train at Lövhöjden, as described in an earlier review! In fact, the loco-shed at Lövhöjden was ‘home’ to shunting diesel locos of classes Z65 and Z70! See one of the photos in the meta-slider on our homepage! We were starting to get a good schedule going when closure brought everything to an abrupt halt. But we had enough of a start to be able to pick up on it whenever we get going again.

Passenger trains were easier to develop given that many of our members had travelled as passengers on the Swedish railways! With this experience, we created a schedule for InterCity, InterRegio, Local, and Night (sleeper) trains. All trains (except ‘night’) operated on a two-hourly interval, and considering that the InterCity trains would have come from a long distance, they were changed for each service each day! The local trains would come onto the layout from the shadow station, and stay there until the evening; shuttling between the various locations that they served. Naturally, we were limited to the models that were available (which largely influenced our eventual Epoch decision—but that’s for another time), and any new set up will see a few changes.

Our InterCity trains comprised four carriages, one of which would have first class seating. But there were no catering carriages, because none were available as models. Since then, both 1960s and 1980s rakes have had new models procured, and the trains can be five carriages long (RB1 catering carriage in the 1960s rakes, and R4R in the 1980s rake). Even our 1940s set now has the B3S for catering! With new 1980s models arriving from HNoll, we are looking at acquiring a second 1980s rake, and making them both seven carriages long! The X2000 also falls into the InterCity category of course, and that is a fixed ‘unit’ formation.

InterRegio trains comprised three carriages, one of which had composite seating (areas for first and second class). There was no need for catering carriages, and there seems no need to change these rakes. Our two main rakes comprise 1960s carriages (types ‘AB3’+‘B1’+‘B5’), but there are others, including the TGOJ 1940s rake and a 1960s rake in 1990s livery!

Local trains would normally consist of Y6 generation railbuses; but in any new set-up, we have the Y1/YF1, and soon the Dekas Y2 unit should arrive. These are all diesel units of course, but we have a new chassis to put under our X10 electric unit, so soon that will be just as reliable and useable. There were and remain also, some loco hauled local trains, one with the AB4 and BF2 carriages, and one with a set of B6 carriages, for example; but not forgetting the heritage 2-axle models!

Night/Sleeper trains will have changed dramatically since the old FLMJ closed. Then, we had a primary set comprising our two Lima sleeper carriages, Lima restaurant carriage, an often-changed seating carriage, and a Lima baggage carriage. The UGJ couchette carriages were usually run with our international carriages from Russia and Norway, but this ‘second’ set’ had no fixed formation. With the arrival of HNoll’s 1980s carriages, this has changed. A Roco B7 has replaced the often-changing seating carriage, and the baggage carriage has been replaced by three HNoll BC4 couchette carriages. The second set comprises the three UGJ BC1 couchette carriages, a HNoll R4R catering carriage, Roco B7, and two HNoll sleepers, types WL4 and WL6. (We purchased only one of each sleeper carriage because they were never brown, and we don’t want too many things in the 1990s livery!) The R4R could be changed to an R4 if HNoll does develop this. The Norwegian and Russian carriages (and a German seating carriage) are now reserved for special duties.

Special mention should be made of our 1930s rake of carriages, which don’t ‘fit’ into any of the above categories; but they have a special niche in Heritage trains. The rake is four carriages long, plus a 2-axle goods carriage. There is a small area for first class seating in one of the carriages, and there is a catering carriage.

Everything had its place in the timetable. This made the operation of the railway easier, and more organised. The timetable allowed time for getting models out of their boxes and putting them away (as Ålunden had only four tracks); and deliberate brief periods of absolute inactivity were timed perfectly for Fika and Lunch breaks!

Next month we’ll look at how it all worked; without getting too technical!