Wow thanks alan for sharing all these pics. Martyn thanks for the info. Looks like I may have to buy some lima UK proto trains soon to add to my stash of pretty euro stuff. I'm looking at the pictures and it has me thinking more... With 30 car trains it's actually possible to model scale size trains cheaply, as compared to us Yanks who have to make do with a quarter of actual length trains most of the time. That pennine express is really pretty, does anyone make a model of it? Is the gauge the same as American standard gauge? Judging by the small amount of track here. I bet there are alot of Barnetby East models in peoples sheds and basements. [ August 06, 2005, 10:05 AM: Message edited by: traingeekboy ]
Not that i'm trying to sell anything or anything but this is an example of the models I see available. http://cgi.ebay.com/Lima-FREIGHT-TRAIN-SET-Like-New-in-Box_W0QQitemZ5990102018QQcategoryZ38275QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Alan- Somehow, I missed this thread! Looking at the first photo, showing that short train- As you've been to the States, how do the freight operations compare? Are they similar in having "local" type trains? Is the signal cabin shown still active? Are many still in use? Or mostly automated? Boxcab E50
Check out Bachmann UK and Hornby, Bachmann UK does a nice model of the class 66 loco's and Hornby is coming out with one of the class 60's later this year, both will be nice models with all-wheel-drive and a US-style center motor and flywheels, most of the UK Lima range had horrible cheap pancake motors....they did have some useful wagons though. Hornby now own the Lima range, so it would be nice to see some of those re-appear. Bachmann UK Hornby I'm looking at the pictures and it has me thinking more... It can be, getting the types of wagons can be a problem. Bachmann do the red EWS coal hoppers and have the Freightliner ones catalogued, Lima did the boxy ore wagons in their range, and bachmann have the small coal boxes in theirs. Hornby and Lima have large tankers, but both are horrible models. Bit of back history, the scheme on the units as Alan photographed them is something of a kludge. The units were painted maroon with a gold N (for Northern) as in this shot I took at Barnetby back in 2003. But the franchise changed hands, and the blue section is something of a quick and dirty rebranding excersise! Bachmann have done the one as in my photo, and they have the version as in Alan's photo's catalogued. Look for class 158. The UK uses standard gauge as in the US. The models i'm describing are to OO gauge not HO though, 1:76 instead of 1:87, however OO incorrectly uses HO scale track, so it will be compatible with US and European stock in operating terms, although slightly different in scale! There may be a few Modelling European railways presents different challenges though, you may have shorter trains to deal with, but you will likely have far more of them, running faster, and so need more staging and getting less operation if you see what I mean...
A loaded iron ore train from Immingham approaching behind 60061 still in Transrail paint. [ September 28, 2005, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: Alan ]
Knuckle couplers on the iron ore cars. It appears that the left one will rotate allowing rotary tipping. [ September 28, 2005, 11:46 AM: Message edited by: Alan ]
Alan, in your coupler photograph, does the 90 degree bend on the upper side of the left-hand coupler serve the same purpose as the "shelves" on US tank car couplers? BTW, although I never noticed before, I see that the driver of 60036 sits on the left...well, of course, it's in the UK!!!
Most likely to stop it disengaging when they rotate the cars. Something i'd never noticed before is that the brake line is one side of the set apparently, rather than always right of the coupler when you look at it (these wagons run in fixed sets, so presumably due to that, and not wrapping the pipe round the coupler when you dump the car?!) Yep, we usually drive on the wrong side, well, not the right side... Left hand running is the usual, with drivers positions being left of centre. Great head-on shot Alan. Very striking.
Check out Bachmann UK and Hornby, Bachmann UK does a nice model of the class 66 loco's and Hornby is coming out with one of the class 60's later this year, both will be nice models with all-wheel-drive and a US-style center motor and flywheels, most of the UK Lima range had horrible cheap pancake motors....they did have some useful wagons though. Hornby now own the Lima range, so it would be nice to see some of those re-appear. Bachmann UK Hornby I'm looking at the pictures and it has me thinking more... It can be, getting the types of wagons can be a problem. Bachmann do the red EWS coal hoppers and have the Freightliner ones catalogued, Lima did the boxy ore wagons in their range, and bachmann have the small coal boxes in theirs. Hornby and Lima have large tankers, but both are horrible models. Bit of back history, the scheme on the units as Alan photographed them is something of a kludge. The units were painted maroon with a gold N (for Northern) as in this shot I took at Barnetby back in 2003. But the franchise changed hands, and the blue section is something of a quick and dirty rebranding excersise! Bachmann have done the one as in my photo, and they have the version as in Alan's photo's catalogued. Look for class 158. The UK uses standard gauge as in the US. The models i'm describing are to OO gauge not HO though, 1:76 instead of 1:87, however OO incorrectly uses HO scale track, so it will be compatible with US and European stock in operating terms, although slightly different in scale! There may be a few Modelling European railways presents different challenges though, you may have shorter trains to deal with, but you will likely have far more of them, running faster, and so need more staging and getting less operation if you see what I mean... [/QB]</font>[/QUOTE]NOOOOOO!!!! Bachmann english prototypes are too pretty... Remember geeky, the first step is admitting you have a problem. lol I know what you mean about those pancake motors. They have lots of torque and seem to run really jittery. I have three lima units like that. I do think the directional lighting device is clever. But I have about 15 LIMA and Jouef Coaches and they are really pretty. I think i'm turning into a Passenger car collector because I have one of each but not enough for a whole train. The actual prototypes have amazing colors. Kind of like that railcar unit in Alans pictures.
We have a huge amount of different paint schemes on passenger trains in th UK these days. I find it difficult to keep up with them Makes things more intersting, though
Geeky, now you will have to collect more cars to go with each of your 'one-offs' so you can make up lots of new complete trains
