Turkish Railways

May 10, 2018

I found this nice beginner's guide to Turkish trains. I'm thinking of going to Turkey for a vacation next year, so I'd like to work in a few train journeys. The network looks better than I expected. There are even some limited high speed trains. This is the site if anyone is interested. I was wondering if anyone here has ever traveled on the Turkish network. Impressions? Any worthwhile train lines/experiences to consider? Also, does anyone know of any company that makes Turkish train models in N Scale?

https://www.seat61.com/Turkey2.htm

May 13, 2018

From what i recall, the only two Turkish model railway sets ever produced were both H0: a 3-coach pack made by ACME of Milan, Italy in a veeeeery limited series (100 for members of Turkish railway enthusiast club and 50 for internatinal sale), as part of their "international expresses" series and two local coaches from Tillig (one combined first/second class and one first class only).

http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=27277

https://www.reynaulds.com/products/Tillig/74833.aspx

For N scale, most models would have to be kitbashed, either simple repaints or more complex build-from-zero.

Some ideas:

Diesel Locomotives:

DH6500 (DB V60 - Fleischmann, Minitrix...) - Shunting and Light Freight/Passenger duties on branchlines.

New livery

http://spz.logout.cz/foto2007/dh6529is_kast.jpg

Old livery (similar to the original Deutusche Bundesbahnn colors)

http://www.bahnbilder.de/1024/dh-6538-adana-110692--404841.jpg

DH11500 (DB V100 - Fleischmann, Minitrix...) - Shunting and Light Freight/Passenger duties on mainlines (acquired second-hand from Germany in 1982)

https://img.webme.com/pic/c/catalagzidepo/11509.jpg

DH7000 (DHG 700C - Arnold/Hornby) - Shunting in industrial areas or ports.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wPjEYeCpgVo/U1F1pjlqaII/AAAAAAAAA94/qJGQt-aozZQ/s1600/DSCN4938.JPG

DE11000 - Heavy Shunting and mainline friehgts ("Roadswitc her"-type loco)

Could be kitbashed out of a Mak G1206 chassis (Minitrix, Piko) and a DHG 700C body (Arnold/Hornby)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--nwuVLjDEHU/ThMI23ohvjI/AAAAAAAAM-M/xbbUpvHYy3g/s2048-Ic42/basmane_544.jpg

DE21500 (C-C) - Mainline diesel locomotive (GE U20C)

http://www.trainsofturkey.com/uploads/Traction/de21506_karabuk_pw.jpg

Frateschi of Brazil makes them in H0 scale (in brazilian colors), not sure about N gauge tho.

DE22000 and DE33000 (both C-C) - Mainline diesel locomotive (GE G26CW)

http://www.trainsofturkey.com/uploads/Traction/de33001_tulomsas.jpg

Cold be kitbashed out of a tipical northen ameircan roadswitcher (SD40 for example)

DE18000, DE18100 and DE24000 (B-B, A1A-A1A, C-C respectively) - Turkish-built mainline diesel loco (on license by GE)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DX_58qnWAAAWLv3.jpg

Cold be kitbashed out of a tipical northen ameircan roadswitcher (C30-7 example)

Trivia: one of these was fetaured in the James Bond movie "Skyfall".

Electric Locomotives:

E4000 (Alsthom) - Mainline electric locomotive (the first ever electric locomotive to run on Turkish tracks)

https://css.trainspo.com/uploads/photos/1024/hansscherpenhuizen-14610952721364.jpg

Cold be kitashed out of a Delprado CC7107, with some parts from a Minitrix BB22200, shortened and fitted onto the chassis of the latter.

E40000 (Alsthom) - Mainline electric locomotive.

New liviery

http://spz.logout.cz/foto_album/tr_e_40000_0_0001.jpg

Original liviery

http://www.trainsofturkey.com/uploads/Traction/E40000_coopers2a.jpg

Modified original liviery

https://css.trainspo.com/uploads/photos/1024/hansscherpenhuizen-15112607051364.jpg

Could be kitbashed out of a Piko SNCF BB25600

E43000 (Toshiba) - Mainline heavy haul electric locomotive (the only turkish locomotive with a B-B-B wheel arrangment)

New liviery

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/TCDD_E43012_at_Haydarpaşa.jpg

Old liviery

http://www.bahnbilder.de/1024/tcdd-e43041-boacuteboacuteboacute-toshibatuelomsas1987-rot-weiss-blauer-379800.jpg

Could be kitbashed out of an EF81 electric locomotive (either Kato or Tomix)

E52500 (Koncar of Croatia-then Yugoslavia, on ASEA license) - Rented from Bosnia-Herzegovina Railways in 1998.

Old liviery
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/53/62/96/53629679c3e8209ca8a31a32119ffcb4.jpg

New liviery

http://spz.logout.cz/foto2007/e52512ta_jiku.jpg

Could be kitbashed out of a Fleischmann SJ RC4 locomotive.

Railbusses:

RM3000 (Uendingen Schienebus VT98)

https://css.trainspo.com/uploads/photos/1024/hansscherpenhuizen-14866376321364.jpg

Repaint of a VT98 (either Piko, Fleischmann, Minitrix, Arnold...)

Electric multiple units:

E14000

Old liviery

http://www.trainsofturkey.com/uploads/MUs/e14018_i1.jpg

Modern liviery

https://farm1.static.flickr.com/576/23246302513_508976c460_b.jpg

Could be kitbashed out of an ET420 (Arnold, Minitrix...), you have to rebuild the front part tho.

For the passenger carriages, the Turkish railway use a variety of them (mostly german-made models) such as umbwauwagens (both in the DB dark green color and in TCDD blue/Red/white standard liviery), UIC-Xs, Eurofima-type and seems even East-German built type Y coaches along with locally built type TSV2000 by Tuvolas.

In 1992 they also rented a few DB coaches, wich operated still in their german ICE livery.

http://users.metu.edu.tr/tonuk/E40003/Vagon_Yolcu/Alman_Vagonlari_4_FS.jpg

Other

-Turkish railways follow German operative procedures (including an identical signalling system), most of the network is composed of single-track non electrified lines. Electrified lines (French-type 25'000V AC) are concentrated around Istanbul and Ankara (and connect the two cities).

Useful links:

Turkish model layout in H0 scale.

https://eguraydin.page.tl/

Turkish railway enthusiast website (in english), includes complete rolling stock list, signalling station diagrams...

http://www.trainsofturkey.com/index.php

Turkish model railway forum.

http://modeltrenciler.com/forum/index.php?topic=142.new

Passenger wagons photos and reference:
http://users.metu.edu.tr/tonuk/E40003/Vagon_Yolcu/

Railfaneurope.net

http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix_frameset.html