Evening all. I've just reintroduced me to 009 (or more specifically, HOe) modelling, with a layout on an Austrian theme. The reason being, that I have a box of Liliput, Eggerbahn and Jouef models which are, er, 50plus years old....The locos are life expired, and they didn't work at all in the first instance, but the stock, particularly the Liliput coaches, are exactly the same as the modern ones. I've a couple of Triang 4mm locos from then, and they are all, well, awful.
I've new Roco and Liliput locos, and they are R/C, through Micron. Or will be.....I've got an outdoor 16mm line, and the radio works there!
Welcome Tim to the 009 society. Here you will find a very friendly and knowledgable group of modelers that could help, or suggest in ways to bring back to life some of those old locos you have in your collection. There is a good second hand store where you may find parts for a particular model that is life expired.
Two additional sites come to mind Micromotors.EU based in the Netherlands and Tramfabriek based out of the UK. Both have good information (up grade parts) to assist with older models.
Once again welcome on board!
Robin.
Hi Tim, and welcome.
Do not just write off your old locos.
I have a great many that are 40+ years old and still work well.
Often a simple wheel clean using a couple of wires on the wheels from an old school controller on about 3/4 power running the loco is enough to bring them back to life.
But if you do want only new locos, then you will find that there is a market for your old ones, obvioiulsy more so if they work!
The older Liliput vans and coaches do look a lot like the ones that are on sale today, however most now have more detail, including in many cases interior detail (ie seats). On the down side the newer ones have an NEM coupling socket that sadly tends to make the couplings droop! So in this regard the older ones are better, unless you intend to change the couplings.
Welcome Tim.
Hi Tim,
Welcome to the society.
If you are in the UK, you maybe close to one of the society groups, which could be very helpful to you, worth finding out.
Stan.
Hi, and thanks for the good wishes!
I'm in Felixstowe, which seems a long way from anything- I'm going to Bungay in a couple of weeks, but there is nothing closer. I also model 16mm coal fired live steam, and I seem to be the only person in Suffolk who does this.....and also, thanks to those who thought that fifty year old locos were capable of reinstatement; they are, and I didn't know that!
Tim
We used to have Essex Group meetings in Brightlinsea, if you drive, that is closer than Bungay.
However, we have not had any there since pre-covid.
We also have meetings in Little Badow from time too time, that is about 1h drive for you.
The nearest real narrow gauge railway to you is at Braxted Bakery, (2 foot gauge) again just under a 1h driveThe tea room/cafe is very good as well!
The Southwould is also juts over a 1h drive.
If it is surviving narrrow gauge industrial track, long out of use then Colchester is probably the nearest, but you have to know where to look!!
https://www.google.com/maps/@51.8754289,0.9349831,3a,15y,63.09h,87.02t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sH8YTIIkMkzjQGk6JfqTTyQ!2e0!5s20221001T000000!7i16384!8i8192
Tim,
It maybe worth putting feelers out in the newsletter to see if there are more members or NG modellers closer to your home.
We had a case in the Merseyside Group when we discovered there where 3 society members living in West Houghton near Bolton.
They did not know the others existed, in fact two of them only lived around the corner from each other, now they are all good pals.
Worth a try.
Stan.