What did you run today? (Worldwide models)

[ED75-775]

So there’s no thread that I’ve seen for running worldwide models. So why don’t I make one? After all, I think most of us have more than just Japanese models in our collections...

 

Anyway, so I promised @Cat some pictures of my 1:87 military train in return for some pictures of the yet-to-be Ibaraki senshā-dō train. Since Cat was good enough to show some tanks in lieu of that train, I thought I’d best hold my end up too. Having not run the panzer train in a while, it was a good excuse to get it out again:

 

The train consists of four wagons: three flatbeds carrying (Schuco) German M48 tanks, and a low side car carrying two Unimog S404’s, again German (and again Schuco). I like to add a second-class Umbau car to carry the tank crews.

 

The locomotive today is a BR151 from a Digital start set that hasn’t run in a while either, it needed some TLC after excess oil got on the brushes and stopped it running. Blech! Thankfully a hobby colleague came to the rescue and all was well until after I posted this when it decided to misbehave again. Which is a pity because it's a nice model, and I don't run it very often. I guess I know what my next maintenance task will be...

 

A close up of a M48 and wagon:

 

At the moment I have no plans to fit the additional detail parts: machine gun, wing mirrors and so on. They are a bit on the fiddly side of modelling for me, and some part of me is also quietly suggesting, why mount your wing mirrors when you could leave ‘em off and use them to scout where the enemy is? Ok, I’ll let myself out now...

 

As I write this, the military train is doing its rounds of my railway along with a BR218 and three ocean blue-beige express coaches. First time they’ve run in a while too! Most of my ops lately have involved steam locomotives so that might explain why.

 

Alastair

Edited January 21, 2022 by ED75-775
Fix more lousy iPod editing and update

[Cat]

Ooh, nice thread and photos.  I have a fondness for the old German freight wagons!

[gavino200]

19 hours ago, ED75-775 said:

So there’s no thread that I’ve seen for running worldwide models. So why don’t I make one? After all, I think most of us have more than just Japanese models in our collections...

 

Great. Idea. I'm looking forward to posting some of my German and French trains!

[ED75-775]

Feeling thirsty? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered:

 

My latest Märklin Insider Club car - the 48171 Paulanerbräu refrigerated wagon - arrived late last week. What better excuse to run some trains, and get my four other Era 4 beer wagons out too? The locomotive at the head of the train is the one that started it all for me: the 3374 BR216 diesel-hydraulic locomotive that came with my 2983 starter set. It needs new traction tyres and some lubing up, but otherwise runs well.

 

Meanwhile, in the sidings over the other side of the layout:

 

Two Prussian steamers waiting for their next call to duty: a T3 tank loco (37141) and a G8.1 heavy goods loco (34551). Both were snagged from Yahoo! Auctions Japan via Zenmarket; the T3 lost its funnel in transit but was expertly restored by a local hobby colleague. It’s the only time I have had a model damaged in transit like that...

 

Alastair

[ED75-775]

Oooh, there’s a steam locomotive running tonight:

 

 

The G8.1 has been dispatched to haul a train of (mostly) Württemberg goods stock. I decided to place the T3 alongside for some fun.

 

 

And a close up of the T3. I love the valve gear on this model, so intricate... and very well secured so it doesn’t fall apart. Can’t say the same about tall funnels though...😔

 

 

And this was my excuse for running tonight, the 46364 Württemberg stake car, loaded with a small schnapps distillery. It’s I believe third time lucky for this car after trying to bag one through Zenmarket. Unfortunately this one was handled by careless postal workers and some bits broke in transit - if you saw the “What did you fix today?” thread you’ll know what I had to do to fix it.

 

Back to the train room, and maybe tomorrow or Thursday might bring some Japanese N-gauge action...

 

Alastair

[cteno4]

Need to have a shot of schnapps while running that!

 

jeff

[Sheffie]

This Dapol class 9F looks promising. It runs smoothly and is very nicely detailed. And it matches my five-car passenger train from the 1950’s/60’s of course. 
 

 

[gavino200]

Wow! That's a real beauty, Sheffie! Those old British steamers can't be beat!  The detail is amazing.

Edited March 3, 2022 by gavino200

[serotta1972]

Running some new acquisitions - such smooth runners and of course beautifully detailed for an N scale steam loco. 

[ED75-775]

Back into the train room we go for some Era III action! I had set up some stuff yesterday since a new wagon had arrived, but today was the first time it got to run (albeit after some track cleaning).

 

Soooo, what was running today? I might split this across two posts, otherwise I won’t be able to share everything.

 

 

First up, we have a BR75.4 tank loco with a short coal train. The new wagon is the one just ahead of the brake van, ordered from the US via fleaBay in February and only arriving earlier this week. I suppose with circumstances being what they are globally, it’s to be expected that things will take a while, or maybe I’m too used to DHL pulling finger and getting my Zenmarket packages to me within a week or so.

 

 

And on the other side of the layout, an E44.5 electric loco with three ‘Umbau’ coaches. Like the tank loco, this one’s a Märklin Insider Club loco - very smooth, very quiet, and packed with features.

 

 

After the BR75 retired to the yard (it sounds rather raspy running forward, I need to find out why...) the E44.5 took over an expanded goods train. And it looked good. I don’t know why it took so long to put some goods stock behind this loco, up until now it has been passenger only!

 

Alastair

[ED75-775]

On 2/23/2022 at 8:17 AM, cteno4 said:

Need to have a shot of schnapps while running that!

 

jeff

Sorry Jeff, I should probably mention at this point that I’m a real featherweight when it comes to alcohol. I simply can’t stand the taste of the stuff! I suppose that’s a good thing though, it does give me more money to buy trains with.

 

So, part 2 of 2 from my H0 layout:

 

 

This BR80 was a bargain from a fellow tramway museum motorman at just $100. It’s currently waiting for a decoder, so if I want photos of it like this I have to stop the current to the track. Otherwise it takes off, and then there’s trouble!

 

I like to think of this as my own Really Useful Engine, since I suspect it was a Märklin Gauge 1 BR80 that provided parts of the chassis and running gear for the original model of Thomas the Tank Engine in the 1980s. At least I know the original engines for the show were built using Märklin chassis and parts, for instance Henry was built using a BR78 chassis.

 

 

Although I can’t control it, I do exercise the BR80 infrequently to keep it in good order. It got to take a short van train for a run, here stopped besides E44 507.

 

 

Back in the main sidings and waiting for the next running session, we have 24 014 and three “Donnerbüschen” or “Thunderbox” cars, so called as one member of the Märklin-Users Forum notes, they rumble like a boiler factory on wheels!

 

I happen to love the “Donnerbüschen”, having ten of them across two sets and three individual cars (the latter trio being the ones in this photo) and I absolutely adore the BR24 locos. I brought my first one in 2017 to celebrate completion of my Masters thesis; now I have five 24’s including this one, plus an older one from the early 1960s which may or may not get a decoder, I am in two minds about doing so.

 

So, another good day in the garage! I may even have the N-scale stuff out at some point this weekend too!

 

Alastair

Edited April 8, 2022 by ED75-775
Minor spelling update.

[Martijn Meerts]

Donnerbüchsen are great.. I'm still quite tempted to get a bunch for my 0-scale V100 🙂

 

[ED75-775]

On 3/25/2022 at 10:09 PM, Martijn Meerts said:

Donnerbüchsen are great.. I'm still quite tempted to get a bunch for my 0-scale V100 🙂

 

Do it, Martijn! You won’t regret it, trust me.

 

From the garage to the formal living room which now doubles as Canton Graubünden:

 

 

Yes, I’ve got my Rhaetian models out! The UNESCO World Heritage Ge4/4 III loco circles on the Bernina Express, as a red-liveried sister on a regional train watches on. Apologies for the backlighting, our lounge windows face northeast into the setting sun.

 

 

Close up of 644 Savognin, the second of my Ge4/4 fleet (soon to be three with the pending arrival of one from the 10-006 set) and its regional express.

 

 

Just for heck, ten coaches and two locos. Whether the RhB would need such incredible horsepower, or it’s just a deadheading move, no one can say.

 

This setup started acting a little weird and would occasionally drop or pick up speed for no reason - not sure why, suggestions welcome. Besides that, all ran well! Better go, my Japanese stuff is starting to look jealous, not that it should complain when that’s normally what I post, and besides which, some of it has (read - DD51 and mixed freight stock) had a run. Okay, okay, I’m coooooming...

 

Alastair

[marknewton]

Running night at the club tonight: Harry's 19 class on a mixed train.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[ED75-775]

2 minutes ago, marknewton said:

Running night at the club tonight: Harry's 19 class on a mixed train.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

Nice, Mark! Love the layout, and the sound of that three-chime whistle - would I be correct in saying that it's a three-chime? And would I be right in guessing an Eureka Models locomotive?

 

I have a sneaking interest in Australian trains - but won't go down that (model) track in a hurry, European H0/N and Japanese N takes up enough space as is.

 

Alastair

[marknewton]

Yes Alistair, it's a Nathan 3-chime whistle. The model itself is from Casula Hobbies out at Liverpool.

https://casulahobbies.com.au/collections/z19-class-0-6-0-steam-locomotive

 

I think it's fair to say it's the best RTR Australian prototype steam loco I've ever seen. It ticks all the boxes for accuracy, finish and performance. I'm tempted t get another one so we can double-head! 😉

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[ED75-775]

OK, so I got back into the train room-slash-garage again earlier in the week and decided to have a play with some more stuff.

 

 

One of two trains I had running: a BR24 with a short coal train. The lead wagon is a bit of an imposter - a previous owner fitted a homemade coal load but you wouldn't know that unless you took it out, it's that convincing. The second wagon, on the other hand, had recently arrived and was being run in. It looks good like this, but I went and purchased a five (coal)-wagon set from France on eBay recently...

 

 

 

And this one was taken over a week earlier but was also running on the night: the Märklin 37455 BR45 2-10-2 heavy freight locomotive. This was an Insider Club model from 2013 and previously belonged to my uncle. He recently decided to sell his trains as he preferred building to running, and I was lucky enough to be able to negotiate to buy this model before he sold the rest of the collection to a Märklin club in the Wellington area. It's big, powerful and runs well, only thing of note is that the Telex coupling on the rear of the tender is less than reliable.

 

 

And before the 24 set out with the coal train, it got a short run with my Dönnerbuschen coaches. I love 24's, I have five of them in total, and would have had a sixth in DRG photo grey if an eBay seller hadn't taken a dislike to my address and decided to refund me instead of shipping the loco. I'm still a bit annoyed by that, but as one of my ex-colleagues would say, "It is what it is". At least I got the refund!

 

Alastair

[ED75-775]

After posting last night in the What did you order or the post deliver? (Worldwide models) thread, I finally decided to stop procrastinating and test my new trains out.

 

 

Suddenly my coal train just doubled in size! At ten wagons it kind of dwarfs my little layout which is only 4' wide by 8' long - but this would be quite happy on our Club modular layout. It will probably grow a little further but not too much, otherwise I shall have to put it on a diet!

 

 

Jumping back a wee bit from the 1950s to the 1910s, we find this little Prussian beauty en route to Wannsee with four compartment coaches. It runs really well, if a little noisily but that noise should disappear shortly once I have a look at and fiddle with the pickup shoe. It's not the first time I've had such a sound from a misadjusted pickup shoe, all it takes is a little careful bending in the right place and it quietens down.

 

 

And a close-up of the locomotive. I just love that deep green colour, so mesmerizing... The platform, by the way, was built by my grandfather in years past, he being (and still is) very good with his hands. I salvaged it from a previous iteration of his layout and although it's not to scale or anything like that, it has graced my layout for as long as I have photos of a permanent set-up. I think that may have been as early as 2015, but I can't tell as the iPod I used to take those early photos somehow got confused and set the date they were taken as 1970! Back then I only had five locomotives and a handful of cars, nowadays I have considerably more, which is kind of scary...😲

 

Alastair

[ED75-775]

Not so much a "What did you run today?" as a "What did you run (at an exhibition) a few weekends ago..."

 

The first train show I've attended for about a year was held at the start of this month in Ashburton, just one and a half hours south of Christchurch. It was a good day to be inside, cold and raining but hey, the atmosphere in the hall was pretty warm even if the hall itself wasn't. Plenty to see and do, and our national Märklin supplier was present to sell me more goodies and give me my free 2021/22 catalog (perks of being a Märklin Insider).

 

Anyway, this way to the trains:

 

 

This is one of two station modules for our Club layout. From left: a BR45 improbably hauling shorty Union Pacific excursion cars, my BR24 and three Dönnerbuschen, my KPEV G8.1 hauling a short goods train, and a BR212 on S-bahn duties. The last mentioned being from the collection of ex-Märklin dealer Dion who happens to be our Club tech guru. He does a lot of stuff himself like building his own signals or lighting boards, I must admit to being envious of his skills.

 

Our layout also happened to be right in the middle of the hall's stage... one might say we were the center of attention! 😁

 

 

The G8.1 again with the T13 from my Berlin suburban set. This was its second stint on the layout after it suddenly stopped working the first time around for seemingly no reason. I put it back on with the goods train a little while later and it behaved just fine. I 'only' brought five cars for the G8.1 to pull but couldn't resist adding a complementary Trix set at a reasonable price... and technically it is Märklin anyway, Trix having been a subsidiary of Gebrüder Märklin & Cie. since 1996. I have to admit, it looks good like this!

 

 

One of our Club members Aaron couldn't resist buying this little Roco 'Rattlesnake' S160 from Toottoot, and I can see why. It's a cute wee machine which even comes with its own display case, and looks ludicrously small next to standard European rolling stock which just goes to show how small even large British locomotives really would be in H0. It even has a gag sound function, if you press F20 it plays a rattlesnake sound! I had to pester Aaron slightly to pull it out, and he then snagged my KPEV wagons to run behind it. 

 

I've never heard of these locomotives being called 'Rattlesnakes' before, and have to admit that I was almost very tempted by one myself... but it failed to convince me on two accounts, 1.) It's not Märklin or Trix which I religiously stick to in H0, and 2.) It has a tender drive and I passionately dislike tender drives. I like my locomotives to be able to pull, not be a freewheeling dummy pushed by the bit that shouldn't be able to pull, thank you very much! A Märklin version of the S160 now resides on my wish list of 'I hope they make one' alongside renewed versions of the DB BR81 and BR86 tank locos, and a NS 3700 class 4-6-0.

 

Alastair

[Giugiaro]

As a welcome to the RhB stock that arrived last Friday, part of the V11 set was set for some photos.

 

 

I really need to take the dust off my forgotten DSLR.

Edited August 14, 2022 by Giugiaro

[ED75-775]

Nice @Giugiaro! Those Ge4/4 II's are hard to beat.

 

I had mine out this afternoon, together with the Lb-v and Sb-t container cars. I am glad I got the second one too. Although the RhB large logo seemed a little polarizing when I first saw it, I have to admit it's starting to grow on me.

 

 

And the two locos together after the container cars got put away. Spot the interlopers in the background!

 

 

These are veeery fast little suckers, they'll take off if you give them heaps of throttle. About quarter throttle seemed to do the trick, and I had no power supply issues like I did when I tried double-heading my Re4/4 III's. I wonder if layout size might have something to do with that, if so I'll need another feeder track and a splitter. Eh, no rush yet though!

Alastair

 

[chadbag]

9 hours ago, ED75-775 said:

 

 

 

These are veeery fast little suckers, they'll take off if you give them heaps of throttle. About quarter throttle seemed to do the trick, and I had no power supply issues like I did when I tried double-heading my Re4/4 III's. I wonder if layout size might have something to do with that, if so I'll need another feeder track and a splitter. Eh, no rush yet though!

Alastair

 

 

 

I ran my two of the same Ge4/4 II (though not together) and they do run well.  I also got the Unesco Ge 4/4 III and its top speed at the same setting as these two is less.  Kind of interesting as they are all new, KATO fresh.

 

They do look nice.  I pulled some of the new container cars as part of their break in.  My DC test track is small and I am slowly packing away the train stuff for our eventual move so I did not get any passenger cars out or any real running done.  Just wanted to confirm for RGR that everything was ok and working fine upon receipt.

 

[ED75-775]

Back into the garage we go, for the first time in a while - for a bit I had next to no access to my H0 layout, so it hasn’t seen much use in recent months (notwithstanding that spring is only just starting to set in).

 

First out of the ranks, I could swear this was *only* four coaches long last time I ran it... (ahem)... I must speak with the Mechanical Engineer about what he’s feeding these locomotives, I’m certain it’s definitely not coal!

 

 

And from the depths of my grandfather’s steamer trunk (which doubles as rolling stock storage) came my SBB Pendelzug set. Normally it too is only four cars long, but whack a 4215 coach in the middle and you have a much more reasonably sized train:

 

 

And finally, one of my favourite pieces: the 30295 freelance tank locomotive. Long story short, I wanted one as a 10-year old, but didn’t get this one until my middle 20s. With a trio of two-axle coaches and a matching (style, not colour) baggage car, it makes the cutest train ever!

 

 

Alastair

[ED75-775]

A weekend late, but better late than never, we had our annual Big Model Train Show over the first weekend of October, the first one we've had in three years. Our normal venue was double-booked, so we ended up in a smaller venue further east. In fact, I think the smaller size worked in our favor, and we had a great train show! G, O, S, H0 and N scales all represented, though any Japanese stock was limited to a Kato EH200 and rake of (mostly) TaKi 1000's briefly circling on one of the N scale layouts.

 

 

With only a standard 4' by 8' tail-chaser layout at home, I went a little crazy and brought five trains to the show across two days. Here's the first of my Day 1 trains, the BR45 with its twelve coal wagons and a brake van. I had brought a spare locomotive along in case the cantankerous remote-controller tender coupling decided to play up, but it behaved perfectly that day.

 

 

With Club switching enthusiast Andrew watching on and engaging with the public, my BR96 was one of two locomotives cut loose with an Epoch II general freight train. My fellow Christchurch Märklin Model Railway Club members seem to be unable to resist the charm of the crane car behind the locomotive, which came from my uncle's collection, and which I spent many happy days playing with when allowed to as an overly enthusiastic child.

 

For those so interested, it's a 'Nurnberg' turnout crane with four-wheel match truck (Märklin item 48674) used IRL for rebuilding switches/points rather than loading or rerailing things, hence the short crane cab with integrated counterweight so as to keep fouling of adjacent tracks to a minimum.

 

 

And inadvertently loaded on the fiddle yard departure track - oops! - was my newest locomotive, the 37586 Württemberg G12 freight locomotive. Thanks to Willie's itchy fingers, these locomotives became a standard not only for the KPEV, who were the original customer for this type, but the other four provincial German railways in the closing years of World War I. This one had spent two years on the shelf at Toottoot waiting patiently for a new owner, which just that morning turned out to be me!

 

It comes with a factory-included smoke unit (now installed), and the full sound suite one expects from a top-level Märklin locomotive plus one new sound - the rush of escaping steam from the safety valves! Not easy to hear in a busy hall, but at home in the garage, I nearly jumped the first time I played it. I'd swear they get more realistic every year.

 

Maybe one day we'll see @Grant_T's Hanamachi Station here too; a friend was at the Model Railway Convention this weekend and sent me some photos knowing of my interest in the layout. Such a nice little layout, well done Grant!

[serotta1972]

Joined the Golden Gate Lionel Railroad Club and attended my first event and finally got to run my O Scale trains that I bought before the pandemic.