Modelling Foreign Railways

This thread has come about after a discussion on why folk from various countries model the US prototypes. A link to the thread is here.

The thread started discussing folk that don't model their domestic railways in general, and so this thread is for links to, or pictures of efforts of modelling foreign railways. For example if you live in the US and model Venezuela, that counts. If you model your countries own domestic rail system that does not count.....with one exception!

If you live (and model the railways of) somewhere exotic (not Europe, the US, Canada or Australia) then please let us know!

Okay folks, take it away....

[ 08 July 2002, 10:37: Message edited by: Martyn Read ]

 

OK here's a couple to start you off. These three were all at the Barrow-in-Furness show that we attended with Rock Springs back in March.
As well as the usual British modellers and our own layout (US in HO) there was an Italian layout in HO...

A nice Chinese roundhouse layout, also in HO...

And a Japanese N scale layout, representing a preservation steam roundhouse...

(sorry about the photo with the last one, it was difficult to photograph as there was a clear perspex sheet across the fron, part of which you can see in the pics, oh, and there is a roundhouse but it was off-shot to the left!)

[ 08 July 2002, 17:11: Message edited by: Martyn Read ]

 

I think you can get some Irish prototype stock, but I don't know of any in N, it's all in OO.

Unless someone knows different?

BTW nice pics Alan, like the viaduct!

 

WOW! THANKS GUYS! NICE STUFF!

As Russ said, we need our American model railroad magazines to once in a while give us a thrill with some distant railroad in scale!

Publishers: THINK OF MODELING AS GOING OUT TO DINNER.
I'M IN THE MOOD FOR CHINESE TONIGHT.
NEXT MONTH, ITALIAN.
HOW ABOUT FRENCH?

I must say my one and only trip to Italy really opened my eyes as to what the folks elsewhere are doing! Well, with real trains I mean. I'd love to see model railroads too!

But one thing I thought of too, is to see European designs here, check out our own older Amtrak engines! Let us not forget some of our light rail systems too.

Great stuff you guys have posted already.

 

Does the Guayaquil & Quito Railroad in Ecuador S.A. count? A bit exotic!
Rode many a mile on this one and had to try my hand at modeling it. It was a model of the switchback (Nariz del Diablo) "Devil's Nose" in Ecuador which must be climbed to reach Quito, high in the Andes. 10,000 ft.
Only have one poor picture of the layout! It has since been torn down. It required a series of switchbacks, with reverse runs to reach the top and then descend via a hidden track in the rear. Then back around the front to try the climb again.
Became quite a switching effort and 7 years ago I didn't have the technical skill to automate them.

** Diablo layout on a 4' x 4' - approx 2' climb.



** Attempt to model their Alco and a Baldwin steam.
<a href="http://www.deloziers.com/trains/ecualco.jpg[/IMG" target="_blank">
[img]http://www.deloziers.com/trains/ecualco.jpg</a>


*** They had a converted bus on rail. Tried that also.


*** some of their rolling stock with local ridership.


Here is a site which has good pictures of the real thing.
Guayaquil & Quito

*** Saving my French 'TGV' and Spanish 'AVE' electrics till I can get another level built on my basement layout.

...Eddie

[ 09 July 2002, 00:31: Message edited by: eddelozier ]

 

I'll say!

Very nice, like the rooftop passengers, nice touch.

 

Here is "Lenz" & "Malix" by the North Road (Plymouth) MRC, this is a
Swiss metre guage layout based on Rhaetian Bahn practise, including a
spiral on the Malix end of the layout. It's modelled in HOm3? (think
that's what they call it!)

The layout has an interesting design concept in that it has two staging
yards in the centre, vertically above each other, and the two scenic
end sections.

This layout and the next couple i'll post appeared at my local
(Exe MRS) club show last month.

Here's Malix, with a train climbing the spiral whilst another waits at
the station above...
The spiral is based on a real location in Switzerland! Kind of more
compact than Tehachapi!


And here's Lenz, which features a horseshoe curve, a couple of freights
are passing at the station.
You can also see the staging yard area between the two scenic
halves, the red "mountain outline" section is the rear of the mountains
on the Malix section.


[ 09 July 2002, 21:31: Message edited by: Martyn Read ]

 

Eddie, I needed some oxygen after checking out your switchback layout!
That's some climb!
Nice stuff!
I love the riders on top of the cars too!

Martyn, what a beautiful layout!
Thanks for the photos!

 

Bumping this thread up!

C'mon and let us know what interesting prototypes you're modelling, especially since I know there's folk around modelling Brazilian and Cuban prototypes!!!

 

Hi Guys,
I was into Japanese railways for years.I modelled in N gauge. The japanese scene is fascinating and the models available are 2nd to none. "Nobody does it better" than the Japanese when it comes to model trains methinks. The japanese "standard" gauge was 3ft 6", although there were many private lines in Japan built to a fairly wide variety of gauges. (Mostly electric railways)
Steam survived in active service in Japan up to 1975.The last regular workings taking place on the Northern Island of Hokkaido. JNR (Japanese National Railways) took a representative cross- section of steam locomotives and placed them in "UMEKOJI" roundhouse Kyoto which became the national railway museum.It is a working museum and at least one engine is steamed every day ,turned on the turntable and run up and down a demonstration track for visiting public.The Roundhouse is still mainline connected and engines from the shed are used frequently for mainline steam excursions.
There are plenty websites with good photos of Umekoji depot and Japanese steam in general. Kato ,Tomix, Micro-Ace and Kawai all do steam models today in N gauge,but by far the biggest and best detailed range of japanese steam is produced by Micro Ace,These guys just about make every japanese steam type that ran. And not just one version of each loco type but several.The detail on these little gems has to be seen to be appreciated. All nominally "N" @ 1/150 there IS a scale difference between Kato and the other manufacturers who seem to build to a slightly smaller scale all round.
After abandoning my Japanese interest i have re-kindled it recently and will soon embark on a new layout.
Davy

 

Me again guys,
This time on the subject of Brazilian Railways. I like variety in my modelling
menu.A few months back I started to look at the models by Frateschi of Brazil. They are very reasonably priced here in the UK so I decided to order a couple and see what they they were like.I was very pleasantly surprised indeed. Maybe not in the same league as Kato for example but good runners and a good standard of detail for the money.Unfortunately there is only one "authentic" steam loco in the Frateschi range a tender drive Baldwin 2-8-0.
It is a sharp litlle model and is an extremely accurate representation of a Baldwin type built for the EFCB (Brazil Central Railway) in the early 1900s and some of which survived into the 1960s.They were broad gauge engines.The "Central" had both 5ft 6" gauge and metre gauge lines.
Frateschi also do this model with a 4-6-0 undercarriage and sell it as a "ten-wheeler" but this is non authentic, although quite a few Brazilian narrow gauge lines had very similar looking types of 10 wheeler. The rest of frateschi's locos are all US export model diesels. FA-1 , U5b, etc ., etc.,
They are produced in a variety of Brazilian private railway colorschemes and some in Argentinian, New Zealand and South African liveries where appropriate.
One thing to watch out for is that Frateschi produce all their models to run on HO track whether broad gauge or metre gauge.So you have to learn what rolling stock to run with what locos etc., etc. if you want to be "authentic", I am still trying to learn myself. Frateschi also do a decent range of freight and passenger stock . they also do some really nice stations ,platforms and other rail-related buildings. easy to assemble and good looking models to boot.
Some of their models such as the FA1 and budd-style passenger cars are also produced in US roadnames as are the steam locos and old time passenger cars. Frateschi is the only mass producer of Brazilian model trains.But there are some excellent modellers in Brazil,such as a buddy of mine Cesar Sacco who will produce just about anything to order whether it be a re-paint ,kitbash or scratch build. Frateschi at the moment do steam , diesel and some electric suburban cars however in the next 2 years they are due to release a GE twin-cab electric. ( I believe similar to those which ran on the Newhaven)
Anyway guys Brazil certainly makes for something different on the menu. Worth a look-see. DAVY

 

Davy, do you want me to post a couple of the pics you sent me? Are you okay with that?

Do you have any pics of the budd coaches that Frateschi do? I'm interested in nice passenger equipment models..

 

Hi Martyn,
Post away pics to your hearts content. I'll E mail you some of the Frateschi passnger stuff and some Japanese stuff too.
DAVY

 

Here's some pics from Davy, I'll let him tell you more about them, but they are (in order) Brazilian loco's from Frateschi, Brazilian Budd coach and baggage from the same supplier, and kitbashed Aristocraft B&O steam...


I put two pics of the streamlined passenger cars in because I wondered wether they would be useful for US prototypes, the baggage looks similar at first glance to some Santa Fe ones....

 

Hi guys,
the first picture Martyn has posted is of 4 broad gauge Brazilian types.The Blue and yellow FA1 is in the early EFCB (Brazil Central) blue and yellow colours. The other FA1 is of the same class but in the later RFFSA colours.The RFFSA (federal)was born in 1957 and the EFCB became part of it. The other diesel is a U5b also a Broad gauge type.This diesel is also available in the earlier Blue and Yellow colours.
An interesting story surrounds this class. The U5bs were introduced in 1962 by which time the new RFFSA orange and Yellow colourscheme was the norm for diesels.
However one of the class was involved in a bad accident in which a number of school children were killed. The railway authorities then decided to repaint some of the U5bs to the older EFCB blue and yellow colours so as not to upset the public....an unusual but true story.
The steam locomotive is a very authentic representation of a Baldwin type 2-8-0 which was exported to Brazil ib the early 1900s and some of which survived into the 1960s. This particular engine N0 557 was retired and scrapped in 1960.
The next 2 photos show Frateschi "Budd" type cars. Frateschi do a selection of these.these coaches were exported to Brazil with the FA-1s from the states in the 1940s after the war I believe. frateschi also produce these carriages in US roadnames and likewise the FA1s.
The American stockist is www.railroadmodels.com , the UK stockist is "Great Little Trains" 19 Amherst road,Kenilworth,Warwickshire ,England CV8 1AG telephone (01926 511405)
The last picture shows 2 of my G scale locos.Both kitbashed from the standard Aristocraft Pacific.One is representative of B&O 5308 in her final years and the other is a 4-8-2 B&O T4 , which were ex-B&M machines.
All the best DAVY

 

Hi guys,
Frateschi have their all-new website up and running in Portuguese and English versions.It's brand new and easy to have a look at all their products.
(The previous US web adress I gave seems to be out of comission for some reason ,possibly out of date.)
Anyway everything on display with prototype histories etc. www.Frateschi.com.br/

Enjoy! Davy