Would You Model Overseas Railroads?

[boomer5344]

I own lots of Canadian and Mexican locomotives and rolling stock in N scale.
That's foreign.[:D]

Ok... I would model The German, Swiss and Austrian Railways. There are lots of great models in N from Fleischmann,Roco,Minitrix and Arnold/Lima/Rivarossi.

[Anonymous]

Having lived in Germany (1968-1971), I traveled extensively by rail in Europe and have the highest respect for their rail system. I'm going back next spring and will enjoy the experience again. I'm seriously thinking about doing a European Z scale layout, maybe one of those briefcase types.[:D]

Doug

[Anonymous]

I love the red running gear on German steam locomotives, I am in the process of building a Marklin Digital display layout to take to shows, the main running engine is a DB class 01.10 Super Pacific, with sound, running gear lights, and smoke. I love the triple headlights, smoke deflectors, and the beautifull running qualities of Marklin equipment. Espicaly the new C-sine motor in that locomotive. I set the layout in the Christmas time period with snow and the approiate celebrations going on. Cheers Mike in PA

[ATSFCLIFF]

I am living in Singapore and built two layouts based on US railroads. The previous as with the present are free lanced and my collection of engines and rolling stock are all US or Canadian. I just love the big diesels. You can view my small layout at:

http://cliffordconceicao3310.fotopic.net/c318742.html

[darth9x9]

I would say that I wouldn't have an interest in modeling anything overseas. Now don get me wrong, I am quite impressed with the layouts that are modeled after overseas prototypes but it just isn't my cup of tea. It's no different than narrow gauge in the US. I have seen some incredible model work in narrow gauge but as I said, it isn't my cup of tea.

What really brought this fact to my attention was when I was in Europe for the Bosnia mission in 1997. I spent some time in Germany and my commute to work took me over a very long bridge which spanned a Germany railway hump yard. But never once did I have an interest in railfanning the yard or the hump operations; yet, I love to go to Cumberland, MD and watch the activities there.

For me, I guess it all goes back to you model what you grew up with.

[Anonymous]

Actually, I would be interested in modeling a RR from Vietnam, ca., late 50's to early 60's. Never seen anything about RR operations there, but I know they exist. My guess is the equipment would have been Chinese. The interest comes from the fact that I plan on someday working there, teaching English. I'm curious if there are any VN vets in this forum that could pass along some info about Vietnamese RR's. Did anyone see any locos/stations/equipment while over there? It would definitely be different, but I'd love to try it if I can get some prototype info to start with.

[DSchmitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by yankeejwb

Actually, I would be interested in modeling a RR from Vietnam, ca., late 50's to early 60's. Never seen anything about RR operations there, but I know they exist. My guess is the equipment would have been Chinese. The interest comes from the fact that I plan on someday working there, teaching English. I'm curious if there are any VN vets in this forum that could pass along some info about Vietnamese RR's. Did anyone see any locos/stations/equipment while over there? It would definitely be different, but I'd love to try it if I can get some prototype info to start with.

I never saw any trains or even tracks, but saw 7.5 min quad maps (like USGS maps) that showed the rail lines. An army mag that was distributed to the troops (in 1968) had a short article with a few pictures on South Vietnams RR.

I searched the index of magazines and found two articles listed for Vietnam One in an 1966 RMC which I should have in my collection. I thought Trains had an article a few years ago, but the search didn't find one so I probably saw it somewhere else.

I pretty sure none of the equipment, that I've seen pictures of was Chinese.

[Junctionfan]

Japanese bullet trains would be interesting to model but I would want to have room for large radius' so I could run them prototypically fast.

[M636C]

yankeewjb,

The steam motive power in Vietnam was of French design, and consisted mainly of pacifics (4-6-2s) and mikados (2-8-2s) to the same general design, very French, like scaled down Chapelon pacifics on the French Nord railway, with big shaped smoke deflectors, ACFI feed water heaters and so on. Scaled down because the Vietnam railways are one metre gauge (about 39" compared to 56.5" standard gauge in France and the USA).

A number of the metre gauge mikados were built in China during the period of the war but to the exact French design..

There was a short standard gauge section built in the North connecting Hanoi to the Chinese standard gauge, and a number of light standard gauge mikados were provided by China. These were Chinese class JF6, known as GP6 in Vietnam. The new Bachmann HO Chinese SY 2-8-2 is very similar to these locomotives, and would give you a good start, along with Chinese box cars and the old green Chinese YZ22 coaches now available.

On the narrow (metre) gauge, the diesels were GE U6B, an export unit basically like a 70 ton switcher with a closer clearance cab. The passenger cars were a bit like the Chinese YZ22, but much smaller. A European TT scale model of a Russian car (they were made in Germany) would be as close as you would get.

Post war, they got Indian YDM4 metre gauge Alco locomotives. The closest you could get to this would be the Australian "48 class" model by "Powerline", an Australian manufacturer.

Basically, it wouldn't be easy - if you visit, the look of the trains will allow you to select existing models that would suit!

There was a Trains article, but is was back in the early 1960s.

Best of Luck,

Peter

[railman]

Prolly not.

[Anonymous]

Of course, why should we so so parochial as to restrict ourselves to our current location?

I built a model of a railway based on Southern Germany of the 20s during the nascent years of the Deutsche Reichsbahn, it has been exhibited around Europe and is very popular on the expo circuit in Germany. It is not Maerklin neither does it follow the stereotypical image of a 'German model railway' so perhaps that is why there are crowds around the layout at every exhibition?

Please take a look:

http://www.altezeitgruppe.com

[steveblackledge]

You can't beat modelling a foreign railroad, i love it, our club the Cavendish Association of Like Minded Modellers (C.A.L.M.) have members who model Japanese, Europeen and American in all scales, it's good to have a bit of variety. I model the BN in the eighties and my children (2 and 5 yrs) have a British Hornby layout underneath,,,,i live "over the pond" a foreigner you could say

[aluesch]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tajsbb

Yes. I'm currently building a Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) layout with a very scaled down Zurich HB (main station) at one end. My wife and I lived in Zurich for two years some time ago, and loved the rail system there. Modeling it keeps us close to one of our favorite parts of the world.

Tim Johnson, Tucson, AZ

Hey Tim.

SBB all the way, well along with some BLS, BT etc. There are some that claim European railroads are boring. I think the challenges of managing heavy mixed passenger and goods traffic alone makes for a more interesting railroad.
Boring electric locos, some said? To me, looking at a model of a heavy Swiss electric loco that in the early seventies was already capable of generating more than 10'000 horsepower gives me goose bumps. To be able to pull some heavy trains up the famous Gotthard line you could see 2 or 3 enignes on one train, talk about raw horsepower!

I'm also interested in a scaled down (very, very scaled down) version of the Zurich HB. Do you have a track plan you could send me?


Regards,
Art
http://www.mrsonline.net/

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by aluesch

QUOTE: Originally posted by tajsbb

Yes. I'm currently building a Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) layout with a very scaled down Zurich HB (main station) at one end. My wife and I lived in Zurich for two years some time ago, and loved the rail system there. Modeling it keeps us close to one of our favorite parts of the world.

Tim Johnson, Tucson, AZ

Hey Tim.

SBB all the way, well along with some BLS, BT etc. There are some that claim European railroads are boring. I think the challenges of managing heavy mixed passenger and goods traffic alone makes for a more interesting railroad.
Boring electric locos, some said? To me, looking at a model of a heavy Swiss electric loco that in the early seventies was already capable of generating more than 10'000 horsepower gives me goose bumps. To be able to pull some heavy trains up the famous Gotthard line you could see 2 or 3 enignes on one train, talk about raw horsepower!

I'm also interested in a scaled down (very, very scaled down) version of the Zurich HB. Do you have a track plan you could send me?


Regards,
Art
http://www.mrsonline.net/

Why not go for Luzern instead? The station is smaller, yet still busy, plus you'd have the meter gauge LSE (Luzern Stans Engelberg) traffic as well. I'm sure BEMO stands ready to sell you all the narrow gauge equipment you want.

It's been nearly 20 years since I last visited Luzern, but I do have fond memories of standing at the end of one the station platforms watching trains come and go, usually hauled by Re4/4's with an occasional Ae4/7 (all gone now) on a local and the Re6/6's on the trains headed for the Gotthard Pass. But best of all was watching those E3/3's switching the station. Side rod electrics are the next best thing to steam.

Now see what you've done? I want to go back.

Andre

[Anonymous]

Like some posters have responded, "isn't my cup of tea" but I've always been interested in railroading across the world.

Many countries in Europe and Asia continued to use steam engines on the mainlines until the '70s. And in some cases, the '80s and beyond. I.E China.

Alvie.

[Paul3]

Never in a million years would I model anything outside of North America, or even the USA or the northeast, for that matter (other than cars for interchange).

I model the New Haven Railroad, which is my hometown railroad. Yep, I'm proud to be a Yankee (but a Red Sox fan), and I can drop my "R's" with the best of them. We've had 5 generations of family in this town (and 360 or so years in New England), and I don't have much interest in any RR outside of New England, let alone the world. It's possible that I could model a modern day RR, but I can't ever see me trying to model Cajon Pass, Altoona, or some grainger road. If I ever switched off of the NH, I'd be doing CR, MBTA and Amtrak before I'd do anything else.

Foreign roads? To me, ugly (with rare exceptions). Buffer plates, chains, bobbers, red underframes, dinky smoke deflectors, shapeless diesels, etc. Makes my skin crawl. [:)] Japanese Bullet Trains, the TGV and the X2000? Good looking machines. But on the whole, no thanks.

What's far worse, IMHO, is the ardent European railfans I've come into contact with, especially on misc.transport.rail.americas (the newsgroup). They (and others like them) have permanently turned me off to European modeling with their attitude that everything in American railroading is second class compared to outside North America. Of course, you start talking about freight tonnage and they ignore you, but on every other subject, Europeans (according to them) have done it faster, cheaper, more efficient, more on time, and on a wider scale, than anything ever accomplished in North America (or so it seems). Maybe they're right, maybe not. But their smug attitude about it all drives me nuts... [:D]

Paul A. Cutler III
*****************
Weather Or No Go New Haven
*****************

[PennsyHoosier]

I would only model the US. Having said that, I have traveled extensively by train in Great Britain and Australia. I loved the experience in both places. But the US is what I know.

[ddechamp71]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Paul3

What's far worse, IMHO, is the ardent European railfans I've come into contact with, especially on misc.transport.rail.americas (the newsgroup). They (and others like them) have permanently turned me off to European modeling with their attitude that everything in American railroading is second class compared to outside North America. Of course, you start talking about freight tonnage and they ignore you, but on every other subject, Europeans (according to them) have done it faster, cheaper, more efficient, more on time, and on a wider scale, than anything ever accomplished in North America (or so it seems). Maybe they're right, maybe not. But their smug attitude about it all drives me nuts... [:D]

Whatever you do you'll always have to face this type of behaviour...Myself as a "stinckin' cheese eater" (sorry, as a French!) I'm modelling UP and BNSF, and I feel isolated, twice as I'm modelling in Z scale. I love the feeling of heavy freight hauling that we miss so much in Europe...

Myself I came back to modelrailroading after seeing a SP 97-car coal train on the Tehachapi Loop at the beginning of 1997. I chose Z scale because I wanted to have close to prototype curves radii in my available room allocated to modelrailroading.

But not at all I want to emphasize this type of railroading vs european one among my fellow french prototype modellers...Everyone's his taste and center of interrest.

But I'll feel very happy if, when my layout is completed (if ever), french prototype modellers will exclaim over the sight of a 80-car modeltrain with heavy roadswitchers at the point and at the helper position.

Dominique