Introduction - CSD and DR
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
Just Czech-ing HO ho ho...
Sorry, couldn't resist it; time for a silly pun. Or two. Also time for me to have a look at a couple of HO-scale projects. This time CSD (Czechoslovakia) rather than DR (East Germany), so it's an opportunity for me to gauge interest as to whether to post this stuff here, or just do the much-needed update to the www.euram-online.co.uk website...
So here's the thing. A small self-congratulatory moment of warmth is the prize for anybody who works out what I'm going to do with this lot. @Yorkshire Dave may not apply; when I told him what I was doing his reaction was along the lines of 'what *** is that?', bless him.
For those not familiar with my HO modelling, and recognising it's been a while since I posted anything on the topic, we're normally aiming for the area around Zittau; yes, that's the far right hand bottom corner of East Germany (Saxony), in the 1970s. Normal behaviours include CSD corridor trains, the odd PKP (Poland) train, lots of Rekoloks and the excuse for international trains as a diversionary route for trains between (Berlin) Dresden and Prague. In practise I can't find any evidence that the Zittau (DR) to Liberec (CSD) line was actually used as such. Standards are towards the finer end of the HO spectrum, RP25/110 as a minimum (where I have to modify stock wheels), RP25/88 being preferred where replacement wheels are available, which is rarely. DCC is de-rigour, but in my HO models that doesn't include sound as the rebuilding of some of the models would be too risky/painful.
This post was triggered by recent and timely awareness that the Czech Republic actually has an in-country supplier of r-t-r in the form of MTB-model.com; I bought one of their 'Vindobona' M296.1 DMU sets as I realised I was never likely to make a good job of the resin shells I had. They've already gone for recycling and the Sachsenmodell coaches earmarked for conversion to the trailer cars have been returned to stock. It's a lovely model, being on a par with Roco of about 10 years ago; a little detailing (and probably re-wheeling) will be required for me to be get from 99% to 100% happy with it. As a manufacturer they're worth supporting; the fact their CSD diesels look better than the equivalent Roco models and that they're slightly cheaper is wonderful.
Anyway, here's a quick shot of that DMU. There may be more later:
I'll be posting some of the East German stuff in its own thread soon, I hope. It might be a surprise to realise that means kits and even scratchbuilding; not all German models just drop out of boxes.
Steph
Sorry, couldn't resist it; time for a silly pun. Or two. Also time for me to have a look at a couple of HO-scale projects. This time CSD (Czechoslovakia) rather than DR (East Germany), so it's an opportunity for me to gauge interest as to whether to post this stuff here, or just do the much-needed update to the www.euram-online.co.uk website...
So here's the thing. A small self-congratulatory moment of warmth is the prize for anybody who works out what I'm going to do with this lot. @Yorkshire Dave may not apply; when I told him what I was doing his reaction was along the lines of 'what *** is that?', bless him.
For those not familiar with my HO modelling, and recognising it's been a while since I posted anything on the topic, we're normally aiming for the area around Zittau; yes, that's the far right hand bottom corner of East Germany (Saxony), in the 1970s. Normal behaviours include CSD corridor trains, the odd PKP (Poland) train, lots of Rekoloks and the excuse for international trains as a diversionary route for trains between (Berlin) Dresden and Prague. In practise I can't find any evidence that the Zittau (DR) to Liberec (CSD) line was actually used as such. Standards are towards the finer end of the HO spectrum, RP25/110 as a minimum (where I have to modify stock wheels), RP25/88 being preferred where replacement wheels are available, which is rarely. DCC is de-rigour, but in my HO models that doesn't include sound as the rebuilding of some of the models would be too risky/painful.
This post was triggered by recent and timely awareness that the Czech Republic actually has an in-country supplier of r-t-r in the form of MTB-model.com; I bought one of their 'Vindobona' M296.1 DMU sets as I realised I was never likely to make a good job of the resin shells I had. They've already gone for recycling and the Sachsenmodell coaches earmarked for conversion to the trailer cars have been returned to stock. It's a lovely model, being on a par with Roco of about 10 years ago; a little detailing (and probably re-wheeling) will be required for me to be get from 99% to 100% happy with it. As a manufacturer they're worth supporting; the fact their CSD diesels look better than the equivalent Roco models and that they're slightly cheaper is wonderful.
Anyway, here's a quick shot of that DMU. There may be more later:
I'll be posting some of the East German stuff in its own thread soon, I hope. It might be a surprise to realise that means kits and even scratchbuilding; not all German models just drop out of boxes.
Steph
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