Venice Simplon-Orient-Express - part 2

In this post, I'll focus on the models for the VSOE.

Locomotives

There are many locomotives pulling the VSOE during its journey throughout Europe. I focus on northern France and some of Belgium:

Icon	Description	Image	Reference	In stock
	BB 26000 Fantôme		Jouef HJ2166 Base Roco	✔
	BB 26000 Carmillon		Jouef HJ2214 Roco 73865	✔
	BB 26000 Béton		Jouef HJ2259	✔
	BB 26000 En Voyage		Jouef HJ2014 Jouef HJ2053	✔
	BB 26000 Multiservice		Jouef HJ2083	✔
	BB 26000 Fluo Grand Est		Piko 96149	✖
	BB 67400 En Voyage		Jouef HJ2020 REE MB-169	✔
	BB 67400 Bleue		REE MB-100	✔
	BB 67400 Fret		Jouef HJ2004 REE MB-069 Rivarossi R1682	✔
	BB 67400 Multiservice		Jouef HJ2049	✔
	Traxx BR 186 Lineas noire		Piko 97771 Piko 97775 Roco 73214	✔
	Traxx BR 186 Lineas Railpool		Base Piko	✔
	Traxx BR 186 Lineas blanche		Base Roco	✔
	BB 15000 TEE		LS Models 10489	✔
	BB 15000 En Voyage		LS Models 10485	✖
	BB 15000 Multiservice		LS Models 10490	✔
	BB 22200 Béton		LS Models 10053 Roco 73877	✔
	HLE 18²	\	LS Models	✔
	HLE 12		LS Models	✔
	HLE 27		LS Models	✔
	CC 72100 En Voyage		Roco 62978	✖

Passenger cars

Icon	Description	Image	Reference	In stock
	n°3425 Lits type S1			✖
	n°3482 Lits type Lx		HR4144 HR4321 - n°3525 n°3473	✔
	n°3525 Lits type Lx		HR4144 HR4321 - n°3525 n°3473	✔
	n°3552 Lits type Lx		HR4144 HR4321 - n°3525 n°3473	✔
	n°3539 Lits type Lx		HR4144 HR4321 - n°3525 n°3473	✔
	n°3543 Lits type Lx		HR4144 HR4321 - n°3525 n°3473	✔
	n°3912 Service type Yt			✖
	n°3674 Bar		HR4135 HR4319 - n°3674	✔
	n°4095 Restaurant		HR4322 - n°4110	✔
	n°4141 Salon		HR4322 - n°4141	✔
	n°4110 Restaurant		HR4322 - n°4110	✔
	n°3915 Service type Yt			✖
	n°3544 Lits type Lx		HR4144 HR4321 - n°3525 n°3473	✔
	n°3483 Lits type Lx		HR4144 HR4321 - n°3525 n°3473	✔
	n°3553 Lits type Lx		HR4144 HR4321 - n°3525 n°3473	✔
	n°3473 Lits type Lx		HR4144 HR4321 - n°3525 n°3473	✔
	n°3309 Lits type S1			✖
	FS UIC-X Bc I-IT		ACME 55224	✖

Still some research to do regarding the type S1 and type Yt cars!

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express - part 1

 

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a private luxury train service from London to Venice and other European cities. It is operated by Belmond and can be often seen in the north of France.

Prototypical train pictures & videos

There are many pictures and videos about the VSOE, like:

• https://lapassiondutrain.blogspot.com/search/label/VSOE
• https://www.flickr.com/groups/754257@N21/
• https://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/vsoe
• https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=vsoe

I'll show here just a few:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7pODfWtnh1/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobiwannn/53012303040/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mister_h77290/53143706392/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/189754457@N05/51268995939/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/148205838@N03/47798573762/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/148205838@N03/49310152093/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobiwannn/50617826761/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobiwannn/26359104459/

Prototypical train formation

I found a site with some comprehensive data: http://s895094517.onlinehome.fr/www/texte2/vsoe.htm

Composition for the train on 31 mars 2011 :

Numéro	Type	ex CIWL Type	UIC	Notes
n°3425	Lits	type S1	61 87 06-70 425-0	3 Grande suites "Venise", "Istanbul" and "Paris"
n°3482	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 482-1
n°3525	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 525-7
n°3552	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 552-1	4 suites Art Déco
n°3539	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 539-8
n°3543	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 543-0
n°3912	Service	type Yt	61 87 06-70 912-7
n°3674	Bar	ex restaurant	61 87 09-70 674-0
n°4095	Restaurant	Pullman Etoile du Nord	61 87 08-70 095-9
n°4141	Salon	Pullman Côte d'Azur	61 87 09-70 141-0
n°4110	Restaurant	Pullman Etoile du Nord	61 87 08-70 110-6
n°3915	Service	type Yt	61 87 06-70 915-0
n°3544	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 544-8
n°3483	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 483-9
n°3553	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 553-9
n°3473	Lits	type Lx	61 87 06-70 473-0
n°3309	Lits	type S1	61 87 06-70 309-6	3 Grande suites "Budapest", "Prague" and "Vienne"

From what I could find, it seems that the exact composition might change. More recently, it seems that the VSOE is more around 14 cars. But the concept that couchette cars are at both ends with the restaurant, bar, and salon cars in the middle. For example:

	Total	Fantôme	Carmillon	Béton	En Voyage	Multiservice	Fluo Grand Est
BB 26000	117	51	35	23	5	2	1

	Total	En Voyage	Bleue	Fret	Multiservice
BB 67400	26	12	10	3	1

	Total	Lineas Noire	Lineas Railpool Nez Blanc	Lineas Blanche
Traxx BR 186	17	8	7	2

	Total	TEE	En Voyage	Multiservice
BB 15000	17	9	5	3

	Total
BB 22200 Béton	13
HLE 18²	11
HLE 12	2
HLE 27	1
CC 72100 En Voyage	1

In addition, I analyzed the various locomotives throughout the dates I have and I have some stats for that, but it would not show well here on this blog!

Additional car

From March 2022 to June 2023, a new passenger car was seen being added to the VSOE, but not always; either as the first car behind the engine or as the very last one.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/90090252@N05/52005168395

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobiwannn/53044154033/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jobiwannn/52018505630/

Here are the UIC numbers mentioned for these cars:

• Bc 61 83 50-70 397-0 (TI)
• Bc 61 83 50-70 520-7 (TI)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/135235560@N07/52001536592/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnybrauns/52006341060/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tsaarmartijn/52202825167/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/135235560@N07/52989533616/

This turns to be a long post. The next one will be about the miniature models!

Adding details of BB 16671 from Vitrains - part 1 and last?

 

I wrote two posts about the digitization of BB 16671 from Vitrains and I started to add the details:

As mentioned at the time, it is really not easy. I struggled quite a bit for just those 2 under the windows, Today, I tried to place the window wipers, but the piece is so tiny and the placement is very odd. I gave up and packed everything back into the box until next time ...

D 2196/2197 "Nordsee-Express" Stuttgart– Westerland (Sylt)

 

I had the opportunity to purchase the 2 ACME sets of passenger cars that constitutes the D 2196 "Nordsee-Express" train. Here's what I found!

Prototypical train formation

I didn't find that many details about that train, but here are several photos and a video:

• A trip with the “Nordsee Express” - link, that is also saved here

• Video D 2196 “Nordsee-Express” - link

• Pictures, especially one, from a great German website specialized in German train sets, including TEE - link, and from a German blog - link:

D 2196 Nordsee-Express rauscht am 28.6.89 durch das Neckartal - © Christoph Garstka

And a document with the timetable and composition: PDF doc.

• And finally the time table or formation data from this very comprehensive database - link:

Miniature models

After much research, it seems that the popular website reisezugwagen.eu commissioned ACME and Roco to make what is needed for this train:

• Engines:
• BR 218.1 - Roco 7300045 / 7310045 / 7320045: link
• BR 110.1 “North Sea Express” - Roco 73844 / 73845 / 79845: link
• BR 218.4 “Nordsee Express” - Roco 73713 / 73714 / 79714: link
• Passenger cars:
• ACME 90144 Set 1 D 2196 “Nordsee Express” Ep IV: 2-part sleeping and couchette car set of the D 2196 “Nordsee Express” (Stuttgart-Westerland). 1x WLABmh 174 (Minden-Deutz bogies), 1x Bcm 246, Ep IV. One-off special series for reisezugwagen.eu - link
• ACME 90145 Set 2 D 2196 “Nordsee Express” Ep IV: 3-part sleeping and couchette car set of the D 2196 “Nordsee Express” (Stuttgart-Westerland). 1x WLABmh 174 (DG Munich-Kassel), 2x Bcm 243, Ep IV. One-off special series for reisezugwagen.eu - link
• ACME 52372 Sleeping car WLABmh 174 “TEN” (Nordsee Express) Ep IV: Sleeping car type WLABmh 174. Red livery with “TEN” lettering, Ep IV. Ideal addition to the sets 90144 and 90145 “Nordsee Express” - link
• Car transporters:
• Roco 64198 Set1 DDm 915 D 2196 “Nordsee Express” Ep IV: 3-piece car transporter set consisting of 3x DDm 915 in green livery in Ep IV condition (1989). Operating numbers in versions of the original (1x with MG brake and 2x without). One-off special series for reisezugwagen.eu - link

Icon	Description	Image	Reference	In Stock
	BR 218.1 DB		Roco 7300045 7310045	✖
	BR 110.1 DB		Roco 73844 73845	✖
	BR 218.4 DB		Roco 73713 73714	✖
	WLABmh 174 TEN DB		ACME 90144.1	✔
	Bcm 246 DB		ACME 90144.2	✔
	WLABmh 174 TEN DB		ACME 90145.1	✔
	Bcm 243 DB		ACME 90145.2	✔
	Bcm 243 DB		ACME 90145.3	✔
	WLABmh 174 TEN DB		ACME 52372	✖
	DDm 915 DB		Roco 64198.1	✖
	DDm 915 DB		Roco 64198.2	✖
	DDm 915 DB		Roco 64198.3	✖

So, we need:

• 1 of Roco 7310045, 73845, or 73714
• 1x ACME 90144
• 1x ACME 90145
• xx ACME 52372
• 1x Roco 64198

As of now, I have:

• 1x ACME 90144
• 1x ACME 90145

So, what I have left is:

• 1 of Roco 7310045, 73845, or 73714 - link
• xx ACME 52372
• 1x Roco 64198 - link