TGV now has other European cousins to play with!

[serotta1972]

My TGV is lonely no more and it looks like there are more cousins on the way.  It only took 25 years to get another European HST.

 

 

Edited September 18, 2016 by serotta1972

[FastFranz]

Ciao,

 

Nice twins You have there!!! I'd like to have the "orange" TGV to convert it into its "La Poste" (France Mail Hifh Speed Train) counterpart.

 

Francesco

[railsquid]

Snap:

[serotta1972]

My thirst for European trains has been quenched.

 

 

The craving was very strong for some European trains and I was more than willing to spend a little more money to acquire some but my order for the Dapol HST Intercity 125 fell through.  This TGV and the Duplex will more than satisfy my cravings for a while I think.  :)

 

 

 

[JR 500系]

Oh wow serotta san, your fleet is growing not only bigger, but also much wider range!  :)

[1954G]

 This TGV and the Duplex will more than satisfy my cravings for a while I think.  :)

 

Thanks for the photos, the Lyria looks perfect.  

 

Although you say you're satisfied for now, I'm sure you can make room for this when it finally arrives (early 2017?):

http://www.lemkecollection.de/de/Uebersicht/Spur-N/10-tlg.TGV-Reseau-SNCF

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Forget the Dapol HST (as much as I love the HST), give this a go...

 

https://www.revolutiontrains.com/pendolino/

 

Rapido are entering the UK N gauge market with something of a bang!

 

First test samples suggest this will be something special.

[tridentalx]

Going to be an expensive year ! My Lyria should be delivered tomorrow and I also have the Pendolino on order.

[serotta1972]

Thanks for the photos, the Lyria looks perfect.  

 

Although you say you're satisfied for now, I'm sure you can make room for this when it finally arrives (early 2017?):

http://www.lemkecollection.de/de/Uebersicht/Spur-N/10-tlg.TGV-Reseau-SNCF

 

Oh yeah, the cravings will return by then and this will suffice.  Where do we pre-order?

 

And I just put down a deposit for the Kato Eurostar with the new livery. 

Edited May 13, 2016 by serotta1972

[serotta1972]

Forget the Dapol HST (as much as I love the HST), give this a go...

 

https://www.revolutiontrains.com/pendolino/

 

Rapido are entering the UK N gauge market with something of a bang!

 

First test samples suggest this will be something special.

 

Ah, oh so very tempting!  I will really need to sell off some of my other trains if I decide to entertain this.  :)

[Welshbloke]

If you do decide to go after a Dapol HST again, one warning with the extra coaches:

 

Dapol made a few mistakes with printing, as a result there's a batch of Intercity Executive MK3s around with the wrong lettering. The real MK3 coach came in two varieties, the plain MK3 (HST only as it has three phase aircon/heating/lighting and no buffers) and the MK3A/MK3B which have standard ETH and buffers (as they were designed for loco haulage). This is why BR had a special generator van available for some time - it could provide three phase AC power to a HST set and allow it to be loco hauled during one notorious season when power cars kept failing.

 

The Dapol misprints have buffers and "Intercity 125" lettering. They should just read "Intercity" as the buffers and the chosen running numbers are correct for a loco hauled coach. Dapol were clearing them for £10 each until recently, I bought a couple with a view to either removing the "125" lettering or converting them into other types of coach. More annoyingly, they also made a mistake with the roof colour on some types so you end up with a set which doesn't quite match...

 

Oddities abound on the real thing. If HST coaches are to be moved by a normal loco then they have to be coupled between barrier coaches, with conventional buffers on the outer ends. The same goes for a lone HST power car moving to or from works. In the old days this could be more or less any spare coach (often a grotty MK1 or MK2 as BR had loads of them) but now dedicated barrier vehicles are used, often converted from a MK1 BG.

 

The 125 Group have got the surviving prototype power car running again, but are using it with a set of loco-hauled MK3s painted to match as said coaches were available and the power car now has a conventional ETH setup rather than three phase power. It was built that way, converted to production style three phase while the RTC were using it, then converted back again while being reactivated as it will be more useful on preserved railways (where electric heat is rare enough, and HST trailers unknown!)

Edited May 13, 2016 by Welshbloke

[serotta1972]

Thanks for the wonderful insights Welshbloke, sounds like the real HST 125 has much character and quirks as does the model.

[Jensen]

I always wanted to get some British train, but has never got it due high cost and/or its poor quality. HST125 is high on my would buy list!

 

Forget the Dapol HST (as much as I love the HST), give this a go...

https://www.revolutiontrains.com/pendolino/

Rapido are entering the UK N gauge market with something of a bang!

First test samples suggest this will be something special.

 

I read about this too in one of model railways magazine a long time ago, would really fancy a set of 9 cars Class 390 running side by side by Class 350 just like WCML or E6 couple with E5. 

 

Can I still pre-order it? 

Edited June 17, 2016 by Jensen

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Sadly not, the order book closed a week or so ago. They are not yet in production, but I am assumng that once they are released, some become availble.

[Jensen]

Thx Claude, will keep an eye out.

[serotta1972]

The TGV Lyria's big brother has arrived - TGV Duplex and the resemblance is uncanny.  :)

 

 

 

[serotta1972]

Got me some Trix 15376 and 15377 Historic IC DB AG Passenger Car Sets.  I was considering getting them in HO as the price difference is minimal but then it all came down to size as I want to be able to run it with my other passenger trains.  Although I decided to only get the passenger cars and will use my Japanese locomotives to pull them.  I just can't get myself to spend $150+ for an N scale locomotive.

 

 

 

My apologies to anyone offended by my mixing of trains of different Nationalities.  :)

[serotta1972]

I just acquired 6 Minitrix Swiss Passenger Cars and let out the other Loco hauled European Passengers trains.

 

 

I think I found a better matching loco for the German IC Train - an EF65, we have an EF81 for the Swiss Train and an ED73 for the German IC Train Shorties.  The Orient Express has the older version D51498.  An English or Dutch train is next. :)  

[Suica]

 I just can't get myself to spend $150+ for an N scale locomotive.

You could try to get a Fleischmann DB class 103. (catalogue number 7375 or 7376)

These were made from the early 70s until 2000s in different versions.

Even the 70s models look decent. They are fairly cheap, strong, reliable and great runners. I have one of the 70s 7375 and it's actually one of my best running locos.

 

You could even use it with your SBB cars

 

Left: 1970s Fleischmann 

Right: recent Minitrix

Edited October 1, 2016 by Suica

[serotta1972]

Thank Suica for the suggestion, I will look into these models. Im on the lookout for an Re460.

[LuckyJim400]

Thank Suica for the suggestion, I will look into these models. Im on the lookout for an Re460.

What are you looking for serotta? I have some locos for sale, among them several Re460s with different specs: DC, DCC and DCC with sound. If you let me know what you fancy and I don't have it I can keep an eye out for you. I buy and sell lots of stuff so have a good idea of what's available and what it costs and I don't expect to make a huge mark-up on what I trade. Send me a private mail to shaun1@bluewin.ch if you're interested...

Edited October 9, 2016 by LuckyJim400

[LuckyJim400]

Oh, I also have more than one beautiful Bachmann-Liliput Flirt 4 and 5-car with interior lighting for sale too. All DCC but work on DC too and they all have the original blanking plate for normal DC operation which I can swap out...

Edited October 9, 2016 by LuckyJim400