Hello and greetings from Tripoli, Libya, where I am dreaming about a 009 layout that will model the Eritrean Railway.
In 1998 I walked the Eritrean line from Asmara to Nefasit while it was still abandoned. A good portion of the rail and (metal) sleepers were missing but the bridges and tunnels (the main investment) looked ready for action. Friends have since ridden the resurrected railway and you can see some gorgeous pictures here: http://www.markusworldwide.ch/Railways/Steam/Eritrea/Eritrea_01.htm (http://www.markusworldwide.ch/Railways/Steam/Eritrea/Eritrea_01.htm).
I am basically inexperienced but I did help my father build an N gauge layout when I was about 10. Now I am old and gray, and next year I will have access to an attic in Leicestershire
Some fantastic pictures from Eritrea although I suspect an awful lot of it would need to be scratchbuilt - don't let that put you off. Building yourself gives greater satisfaction. But what about modelling the Italian ng lines in Libya? There were a couple of 95cm gauge lines at Benghazi. There were also lines, to the same gauge, from Tripoli to Azizia, to Tagiura and to Zuara. When I was working in Libya in 1975 I think the site of the station in Triploi was still there but I never saw anything else, either in Tripoli or when working around the desert (which probably would have been too far out of Tripoli). But, being in Tripoli, you may be ideally placed to see if there are any photos. There is a short piece on Libyan Railways in "Steam in Africa" by Durrant, Lewis and Jorgensen, which includes four pictures, one of which is a 95cm gauge armoured loco!!
Good luck with this unusual project and keep us up-to date here and through 009 News, please.
Peter
Thanks, Peter. My heart is set on Eritrea (lovelier place, with more awesome terrain, and if I manage to return I'll be able to document the line as is instead of as was) but it's very interesting to learn about the old Libyan railways. I'll see what else I can track down. Thanks very much for the information and encouragement.
Can you recommend a good modelling encyclopedia?
What do members suppose might be the closest available 009 kits (and appropriate chassis) to this 1930s Eritrean 0-4-0 built by Breda, of Italy?
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trainweb.org%2Feritrean%2Fscrapbook%2Fwho%2Fnewspaper%26amp%3Bmagazine%2Flocomotives-international-the-eritrean-railway-pheonix%2FLI-43-p12fig.jpg&hash=7698dde3350e143b7259f1f4717821b60e8a146c)
Or this 0-4-4-0 built by Ansaldo of Italy?
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trainweb.org%2Feritrean%2Fscrapbook%2Fwho%2Fnewspaper%26amp%3Bmagazine%2Flocomotives-international-the-eritrean-railway-pheonix%2FLI-43-p14fig.jpg&hash=7d09eb6b741da8e46ff8aa4d4899d64eae1f455e)
(Photos from the interesting prototype information by M.C. Cuningham at http://www.trainweb.org/eritrean/scrapbook/who/newspaper&magazine/locomotives-international-the-eritrean-railway-pheonix/loco-int-eritrean.html (http://www.trainweb.org/eritrean/scrapbook/who/newspaper&magazine/locomotives-international-the-eritrean-railway-pheonix/loco-int-eritrean.html).)
If this were my project (which I know it isn't, so feel free to ignore this post) I would probably do this in HOm - 12 mm gauge in 1:87 scale.
There are already a small number of Italian kits and ready to run items of other 950mm gauge stock from places like Sicily (950 mm gauge was quite popular in Italy and its 'empire'), including a 4 wheel Fiat railcar from Oskar. I'm not sure what else is available but I'm sure that a google search will provide some answers. Equally it may be possible to adapt some of the European meter gauge stock. However I doubt if such things will be cheap, but then to do 009 well will require a significant budget!
Whilst the stock may take some finding (esoteric kits, kit bashing or scratch building) 12 mm gauge itself is fairly easy, as Peco sell HOm flexitrack and points and this is quite readily available. If you do end up scratch building then there is some support for 12 mm gauge. The 3 mm Society sell wheels for 12 mm gauge and there are a number of specialist traders for the scale, and 5.5 mm scale also use 12 mm gauge (for 2' gauge models) and a chap called Mike Chinnory makes a range of ready to run chassis that might be useful.
You have requested a "modelling handbook"... that's a difficult one to be honest. There are many books on the subject, but I can't immediately think of a single book that covers everything! The Peco handbooks are probably a fairly good start, each one covering specific areas (baseboards, electrics, etc.), and Barry Norman's book on Landscape Modelling is a favourite (and covers baseboard construction too). It might also be worth looking at Iain Rice's books from various publishers. I'm also certain that there will have been recommendations by others on the forum if you have a poke about.
Hi Julien,
Thanks for your very helpful reply. I already had an inkling that I should be considering HOm but I've really been enjoying the 009 society website and especially the forum!
A ready-to-run HOm Mallet option from Bemo that's popped up looks gorgeous but it is 2-4-4-0 instead of 0-4-4-0 and it costs more than I paid for my first car. I'm not an experienced modeler but I do think I'd be able to work kits onto chassis with a bit of swearing if I could find them.
Thanks for the advice about the books too.
Tom
As far as I was aware the 009 Society caters for modellers in HO and OO scales modelling railways with a gauge less than standard, so don't feel that you have to be using 9 mm track gauge and 1:76.2 scale to be a member - I have some 00n3 myself (long with 6 mm and 10.5 mm gauges in 4 mm scale) and they still let me in! :D
There is a bit of info on the Oskar railcars here (http://www.winco.uk.com/OsKarmain.html) and a company worth looking at might be http://www.gegrail.com/ who produce models of Sicilian NG stock.
Another thought on chassis is that if they are of the right construction it might be possible to re-gauge them from 9 mm out to 12 mm by fitting longer axles, the same could also be done with power units designed for HOn3 (10.5 mm gauge popular in the USA) and I have successfully narrowed a 14 mm gauge motor bogie kit (from Wrightlines) for use under a 12 mm gauge railcar.
Glad the book advice was useful.
Julien.
Hi Tom,
Another site showing some Italian ng is http://freccia-azzurra.npage.it/index.html.
Granted this is all in Italian but the pictures don't need any translation.
Another one is http://web.tiscali.it/seven_prog_mecc/. This has an English version.
Our sales Officer (Brian Guilmant) will take a wants list so could look out for the things you are after, though I wouldn't hold my breath for Italian NG items!!
I would agree with Julien that H0m might be better and there are various TT mechs you could use.
Best Wishes
Peter
Unfortunately the rains back at the end of last year have done significant damage to the Eritrea Railway with several sections washed away or badly damaged. Here is a report from January:
http://www.farrail-blog.com/englishposts/eritrea-railway/
It is hoped that this section will be repaired over the next few months as there is a tour booked for mid November 2013.
It also now looks unlikely that regular freight services will return to the line in the near future. But this is more down to political inaction than the actual condition of the railway.
Brian Meldon
hi Tom,
The Society is a broad church and unlike some specialist groups is not rigidly adherent to the name! There was an official definition published in the News some years ago regarding the scale/gauge scope of what the Society caters for which I can't remember in detail, but I am pretty confident in believing that the Society supports anything from TTn3 through to Sn2 ie more or less 1:100 to 1:64 scale provided it does not clash with the modelling covered by other specialist societies/associations/groups.
For example we welcome HOn30 and HOn3 modellers without wishing to compete with the Slim Gauge Circle - many of whose members are also members here. 00n3 and HOm modelling is very much within the Society's "comfort zone" and there are a number of historical 00n3 models owned by the Society in the Heritage Collection.
Obviously, 4mm 009 and 3.5mm HOe modellers are in the majority in the Society, so most members articles submitted for publication in 009 News are concerned with those scales, but if you want to build your line in 12mm gauge or 11.7 or whatever, as long as the actual scale you use is compatible with the Society bracket of around 3 to 4.5mm, then you are on safe territory here and are welcomed in to the "family" as a "fellow afflicted".
Mick
Tom
If you wish to model a specific prototype then really you need to purchase specific books ,preferably containing plans ,of this-but it may well not be in english!
I think I can safely say that if you want a mallet ,then whatever guage you select it will be expensive.One way to proceed may be to purchase 2x 0-4-0 chassis from brian who may well have one with a duff motor,and have the rear chassis fixed and the front swivel.This could work out a lot cheaper than a mallet.Minitrix did produce a mallet at one time but it was not cheap,and it may well be too small for your uses.Sorry if this appears negative but it is sometimes difficult to construct an actual prototype with what is available.
Alan
Eritrean Narrow gauge by Don Mitchel. Book on EBay,
I would like very much to thank those who have given the helpful and encouraging messages above.
I will indeed jump to HOm and I will certainly carry on as one of your newest 'afflicted'.
And as long as there seems to be interest I will keep you up to date but the progress will be very s...l...o...w....
T
Thanks, Brian!
I have just snapped up the book. I really appreciate you spotting it.
(Somebody once pointed out to me that quoting an e-Bay reference number can be enough to positively identify an auction.)
t