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Tuesday, November 05, 2024

Nobody likes electrics????

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15 years 11 months ago #824 by Havoc
Nobody likes electrics???? was created by Havoc
I do! I understand that there is hardly any electric traction in the US, but in europe there is hardly anything else (except UK, but they don't belong anywhere :P ). I really love the old german electrics but they don't have them in Z. So I make do with the erea IV ones. Prefer the ocean/beige ones.

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15 years 11 months ago #825 by Cleantex
Replied by Cleantex on topic Re:Nobody likes electrics????
They have.
Lajos has perhaps some staying.

He made the ET194 (erea II) and the LAG (erea I).
www.zthek.com/id98.htm

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15 years 11 months ago #886 by ausman2001
Replied by ausman2001 on topic Re:Nobody likes electrics????
I like them too. Marklin make, or used to make (that's another story), at least a few Era 2/3 machines - eg E18, E44 and E94 (I've got one of each).

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15 years 10 months ago #887 by Kelley
Replied by Kelley on topic Re:Nobody likes electrics????
I find electrics more than anything else over here.. took me forever to find the diesels I wanted. I would just dread putting up all the wires!!
There are still a few places in Germany that is still not electrified, and they are kind of backwater areas. Its also where the clubs run their steamtrains once in a while.

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15 years 10 months ago #888 by goobnav
Replied by goobnav on topic Re:Nobody likes electrics????
If someone made the US Acela set I would buy it because, despite being here one year the ICE sets don't look right on a US set and there are older US electrics that have been used, granted there is the venerable GG1 but, there was also the E-44, EP-5 for the New Haven.

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15 years 10 months ago #890 by ausman2001
Replied by ausman2001 on topic Re:Nobody likes electrics????
It's my understanding that a lot of Z scale modellers who have electric locos just put up the masts and not the wires, which is probably what I'll do myself.

On another note, I read (url available if interested) that the DB has only electrified about 20,000 km of their network (about 37,000 km if my memory serves me well). The last project was supposed to have been the line from Hamburg to Lubeck.

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15 years 10 months ago #902 by mdvholland
Replied by mdvholland on topic Electrics, catenary, a simple solution
There's a good and practical compromise for those who want to run electric locos but fear the problems with installing (and maintenance!) of catenary: install the poles but leave out the wire.

For an example of what that might look like in Z, take a look at this great layout by Jens Wimmel: www.zettzeit.ch/Julierbahn.html

cheers,
Matt

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15 years 10 months ago #906 by ausman2001
Replied by ausman2001 on topic Re:Electrics, catenary, a simple solution
Thanks Matt. About two years ago Model Railroader featured a large Washington DC Z scale layout based on the St Gotthard Pass line. The builder had done just that. It looked OK in the photos, although of course seeing "in the flesh" (so to speak) might well be different. As with most other things in life, we all have to compromise at least a bit....

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15 years 10 months ago #908 by andyjbj
Replied by andyjbj on topic Re:Z electrics
I just added a new electric to the photo gallery, a kitbash of a Marklin model into an NS 1300. My wife's Christmas present. She loved it.

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15 years 10 months ago #909 by ausman2001
Replied by ausman2001 on topic Re:Z electrics
And very nice it is too. Which Marklin model did you use?

Your photo reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask. In the interests of my own sanity I plan to just add the catenary masts but not the actual wire on my layout, but this means that the pantographs will go to their full extent. This looks a bit unrealistic. Does anyone know if is there some way of keeping them at about two-thirds extension?

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15 years 10 months ago #910 by Havoc
Replied by Havoc on topic Re:Z electrics
If you would use wire that would look fine enough it won't be strong enough to support a pantograph. And the Märklin catenary is a bit too much out of proportion. That's why most only put up the masts. You are right that the pantographs then extend the full height and that doesn't look good. I don't see an easy way to block them but I didn't try either.

My guess would be to remove the spring and put a small loop of 0.1mm magnet wire in place (this voids warranty: do at own risk, don't hold me responsible :blush: ). But it will be fiddly and the panto will not go down anymore. Forcing the spring might be a solution then.

As long as I don't have a layout I'm not going to experiment that far yet.

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15 years 10 months ago #912 by andyjbj
Replied by andyjbj on topic Re:Z electrics
You could just use a drop of glue on the hinges.

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15 years 10 months ago #914 by andyjbj
Replied by andyjbj on topic Re:Z electrics
Thanks Gary, it was 8858, an Era 3-4 DB co-co, not sure which class.

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15 years 10 months ago #921 by Havoc
Replied by Havoc on topic Re:Z electrics
8858 is a class 151 goods engine.

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15 years 10 months ago - 15 years 10 months ago #985 by dominique
Replied by dominique on topic Re:Nobody likes electrics????
Myself I find electrics rather boring...There seems to bo no life exhausting from them. The only electrics that have an aesthetic interrest for me were the GE "Little Joe" which had an agressive look. Or all engines "boxcab" like. But that's all.

A steamer or a diesel are breathing, growling, roaring, barking, smoking and smelling, nothing of this with the electrics... And that's true, here in continental Europe, trains are mostly electric powered, and furthermore passenger trains....:angry: No thrill for me, railfanning is an activity I practice abroad: USA, Canada, Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia, Cuba, Africa, but not here.:(

Dom

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15 years 4 months ago #5312 by loadmaster
Replied by loadmaster on topic Re:Nobody likes electrics????
Hey,

Last month I purchased two GG-1s and ran them at National Train Day with the Zo Cal group. I also have about 10 SBB & BLS engines. You guys were talking about the Marklin catenary, but has anyone looked at the Summerfeldt, it is N scale, but night work in Z scale.

Robert

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15 years 4 months ago #5313 by ausman2001
Replied by ausman2001 on topic Re:Nobody likes electrics????
Robert

An interesting point to raise! I was about to order some Marklin catenary, and what I was going to do was not have the actual conducting wires and modify it so that I could run my e-loks with their pantos up. As it so happens I have the Sommerfeldt catalogue, so I'll have a close look at their N scale offerings and compare measurements. It does, after all, look much nicer if e-loks are running under wire, even if they're not actually being powered from it (makes it electrically simpler).

Have you seen Z scale with the Sommerfeldt N scale catenary?

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15 years 4 months ago #5315 by andyjbj
Replied by andyjbj on topic Re:Nobody likes electrics????
I was thinking of using my jewelry skills to use jigs to quickly produce soldered wire catenary at a realistic thickness...

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15 years 4 months ago #5318 by loadmaster
Replied by loadmaster on topic Re:Nobody likes electrics????
Gary,

I sent an email to Sommerfeldt inquiring if they considered offering their product in Z scale. They responded that they only offer it in HO and N scale. I also read somewhere that NOCH also offers catenary, but in HO and N scales, have you read anything about this?

Robert

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15 years 4 months ago #5328 by kmalkowski
Replied by kmalkowski on topic Re:Nobody likes electrics????
I disagree that electrics do not have life. I think that they have as much life as diesels. When you listen to a train about to leave the station, at first you hear the circuits being connected, then the hum gets louder, as the radiators kick in as well as proper rectifiers, etc. Then, the sound gets louder as the locomotive starts rolling. Yes it is no-where as much fun as a steamer, but prolly as much life as a diesel IMHO.

cheers

Konrad

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