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Sunday, December 21, 2025

Traxx HLE 29 - part 3

Picking up this project again ...

 

The designer of my custom decals suggested this technique to remove marking:


I followed those instructions: once for 12 minutes and once more for another 12 minutes but no luck.


 

So I went back to the sanding technique with 5000 sand paper and water:


 

Sadly, it did remove some of the metallic paint ....


 

So, I'm left with repainting the sides and I believe I will also paint the red nose over the markings. This is stock pictures to show the colors:



 

I was able to remove the roof, so masking should be fairly easy. Now I need to find the right colors either in spray cans or for the airbrush ...


 

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Stendhal and Fourgon MC76 - part 2

 

I was lucky to find a book dedicated to EuroCity train formations in Italy between 1987 and 2024: 

 

https://shop.ferrovie.it/ultimi-arrivi-ferrovieit/1328-le-composizioni-dei-treni-eurocity-in-italia-1987-2024

 

And there's a full page about the EuroCity 216/217 "Stendhal" Paris - Milan:


 

 I won't replicate the formations here since I just did it in Airtable, but it would require:

  • 3 baggage cars Dd2s logo nouille
  • 1 baggage cars Dd2s logo casquette

However, it seems that LS Models has planned about the logo nouille in Dd2s and the logo casquette is only available in Dd2 ...

 

Friday, December 12, 2025

Stendhal and Fourgon MC76 - part 1

 

Not long ago I purchased two sets from ACME and I've been told that they were used for the EuroCity 216/217 "Stendhal" Paris - Milan. I was also told that this formation requires the famous baggage car MC76.

 

ACME 55324

ACME 55323

 

Roco released the MC76 a long time ago, but LS Models just announced that they will release them soon:

https://www.news.lsmodels.eu/mailing/pdf/Folder%20LS%20Models%202025%20V10.pdf

 

The questions are now: which baggage car to choose - Dd2s or Dd2, and which version of the SNCF logo. Here's some information regarding the difference between Dd2s and Dd2:

Les fourgons MC76 ont été construits dans le cadre du programme de renouvellement du parc « grande ligne » mené par la SNCF au cours de la seconde moitié des années 70. Celui-ci avait permis de disposer d’un nombre significatif de voitures voyageurs munies d’un local fourgon (B6Dd2, B6Du et B6Dux) qui pouvaient couvrir les besoins de nombreuses relations. Il était toutefois apparu utile de renouveler et d’enrichir également le parc de fourgons aptes à 160km/h, jusqu’ici essentiellement limité aux Dd4s du programme DEV. Les MC76 devaient répondre à un double besoin :

  • L’acheminement des bagages et de la presse au sein des rapides et express nationaux ou internationaux (et notamment ceux composés des nouvelles voitures « corail »).
  • Les trains postaux et de messagerie.

Les nouveaux fourgons furent donc construits sous deux formes différentes :

  • 80 fourgons Dd2s, disposant d’un couloir latéral autorisant l’intercirculation des voyageurs, et destinés plus particulièrement à l’intégration dans les rames rapides et express. Ils sortirent d’usine en 1977 et 1978.
  • 160 fourgons Dd2, ne disposant pas de couloir latéral, et donc ne permettant qu’une intercirculation de service. Ils étaient plus particulièrement destinés aux trains postaux et de messagerie. Ils sortirent d’usine entre 1978 et 1980.

Les deux types étaient très similaires dans leur aspect extérieur, et comportaient de nombreux équipements communs. C’était notamment le cas du local de service et du WC présents à l’une des extrémités du wagon, de même que des équipements électriques et de sécurité par exemple. Tous les fourgons étaient aptes au régime international « RIC ». Compte-tenu de leur usage moins noble, les premiers Dd2 reçurent cependant la livrée « 160 » verte et gris ciment, alors que les Dd2s avaient tous reçu d’origine la toute nouvelle livrée « corail ». 

 

 

https://www.trains-europe.fr/sncf/voitures/fourgons.htm

  

Now we need to find some train formations!

 

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Closed for winter

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/160355985@N03/30627638287/

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Traxx HLE 29 - part 2

I received the custom decals from Precision Design Co. several weeks ago and they look great. The designer suggested two designs: one from measurements made on the Piko model and one from the measurements made from pictures of the prototypical engine. It seems Piko used a thinner font:

 


 

Monday, November 10, 2025

Traxx HLE 29 - part 1

I managed to find a cheaper Piko 59950-2. I need to repair a few things, but will also need to change the number to 2902, 2903, 2904, or 2905 with some decals.

In this post, I'm marking a few interesting links.

https://ferrovia.be/Trains_Materiel_Traction_Electrique_Europe_E_186.php

https://railcolornews.com/data-bombardier-traxx-ms2e-alpha-trains/

https://www.elektrolokarchiv.de/index.php?nav=1405128&lang=1


The last site provides a list of all Traxx for Alpha Trains and specifically here all 5 HLE 29:

  • Bombardier    34478    2009    TRAXX F140 MS    HLE 2901    E 186 346-3       
  • Bombardier    34483    2009    TRAXX F140 MS    HLE 2902    E 186 347-1     
  • Bombardier    34487    2009    TRAXX F140 MS    HLE 2903    E 186 348-9
  • Bombardier    34484    2009    TRAXX F140 MS    HLE 2904    E 186 349-7
  • Bombardier    34481    2009    TRAXX F140 MS    HLE 2905    E 186 350-5

 

Thursday, September 18, 2025

New engines

With the better weather, I was able to go to the layout and to start with, I set up the latest additions to the ECoS:









 

Friday, August 15, 2025

BB 20011

I actually never setup this engine I purchased a while back:

http://uxtobirza.free.fr/trains/voir_loco.php?Classe=BB%2020011/12

 
LS Models 11199S - BB 20011


Sadly, I tried to use my test bench and the ESU LokProgrammer, but something must be wrong in the wiring - somehow - because it didn't work on either track!

 

 

Sunday, August 10, 2025

Ferieekspressen "København - Hamburg - Venezia SL" - part 2

 

ACME released multiple versions of the FS E.652 and so did Rivarossi. It took me a while to pull the trigger, but I got this one at a reasonable price:

ACME 60608 - FS E.625.039 - Ep V.

 

I bought the DC version and added a ESU LokPilot decoder:





 

 

Monday, August 4, 2025

Ferieekspressen "København - Hamburg - Venezia SL" - part 1

 

A while back, ACME released 2 carriage sets for the Ferieekspressen "København - Hamburg - Venezia SL". I wasn't able to find any pictures besides what is in the 2024 ACME catalog:

 


 

Here are the 2 sets:

ACME 55295 - 1x WRD (service car) and 3x Bc-t of the DSB

ACME 55296 - one WLABm 174 (Munich-Kassel bogies) and three Bcmh 246 (2x block brakemen, 1x disc brakemen) of the DB


And here's the train formation on Airtable:


 

I had everything except the engine, at least until recently! 

 

 

Sunday, August 3, 2025

EuroCity 344/345 "Avala" (Vienna-Belgrade 1991)

A while back, ACME released two car sets to recreate the EuroCity 344/345 "Avala" from Vienna to Belgrade around 1991. There were:

  • ACME 55074: 4-piece car set “Avala” consisting of 1x Alm and 3x Bl, Ep. IVb-V


  • ACME 55310: 3-piece car set “Avala” consisting of 2x Bl and 1x WRm (Spiesewagen), Ep. IVb-V


 

It's a beautiful formation but it was lacking the locomotive V43 from MÁV, as shown on the box and catalog:




 

Piko released one at the time, but it was too recent as it displayed MÁV START which is a very recent name for the passenger service. The correct version just got released:

Piko 51447

 

I gave it the DCC address of 4365: