Scottish railway modeller - Spanish and other models.


ellocoloco

New Member
I've been lurking in the background for a while, admiring the models and dipping in for information when required. I think its only fair that I introduce myself and add a couple of contributions that may be of interest to other forum members.

I am in Scotland and have been a train collector, and later modeller as long as I can remember. Like so many this side of the pond, I began with Triang and Hornby, but after being introduced to German models when quite young I was aware that there was a much larger world of trains out there than could be found in my local toy shop. I also came to understand the difference between OO and HO early on and knowing that some things weren't quite right has certainly influenced my model railway interests.

Once I left school and started to work - and no longer needed to rely on Birthdays and Christmas for new trains - I moved onto German HO and built a small collection of (mostly) Roco Era1 KPEV stock with the intention that my master layout would be set in the Alps. A few years later my interests changed. I had a part time job delivering the post and one old guy on my round got delivered from the US, both Trains and Model Railroader. I told him of my railway interest and he gave me a huge pile of old magazines. Once I had waded my way through those some Athearn blue box started to appear in my collection and pretty soon I had a lash up of EMDs and enough wagons to circle the room!

Once I had decided on US models I met my future wife. She is Spanish, so another change of direction was on the cards. I had already some knowledge of the RENFE before I met her and the mix of US diesels and European electrics operated made it an interesting system, so the change to Spanish HO Era 5 was easy. It was also fortunate that around 2000 the standard of RTR Spanish models greatly increased with the release of Electrotren's 269 which was followed a couple of years later by Roco's 319. Spanish models now form the largest part of my collection and once I actually lay some track will form the basis of my layout. Until then I have been operating on the floor with a Multimaus! All my RENFE models and a couple of others are DCC, the rest are still DC and I don't have any plans for converting them.

Like any good railway modeller, I can't keep focused on one thing and have a sideline in British HO. The vast majority of British outline modellers accept that the wheels are too close together and live with it, or don't even know. A small number change the axles and lay their own track in either EM or the more accurate P4 gauge. A very, very small number model British outline in HO. Over the years there have been a very small number of HO scale RTR models but mostly you're on your own. Fortunately, once WC bought the freight arm of BR and ordered the EMD Class 66, many of these were also acquired by European operators. A number of HO scale models are available and I have repainted a couple to represent UK locos. Along with some ferry wagons, these comprise my British HO collection. I also know that all my Spanish models are running on the wrong gauge track but haven't decided what to do about that yet!

My present activity is mostly painting models. In order to have HO Class 66s I had to paint my own, and after that I decided to paint some Spanish locos for units I could not find. My very first repaints were Athearn blue box models and its now something I really enjoy. It will be retirement time before I get any track down, so painting will keep me busy until then!

P8100020 (2).JPG


My very first repaints were two MRL EMDs. I know the blue is too dark, but then my Athearn SD40 was pretty close to that colour and I didn't have the internet then to check things easily. 401 is unpowered. Both were brush painted......All except one of my US locos are MRL.

IMG_2860 (2).JPG


The Roco 319s are excellent models of one of RENFEs license built EMDs. 408 is my repaint and 402 a standard Roco release.

P8100023 (2).JPG


My two HO scale Class 66s. DRS 66301 is one of the later 5 door low emissions variants. GBRf 66789 is in a special scheme to mark the formation of British Railways. A fallen flag type thing! These are both repainted Mehano models using Railtec decals and Railmatch paint.

All the models are photographed on my only piece of scenic track. 1m of Peco flexi and some insulation board! It was meant to look Spanish and will do in the meantime.

I hope some of you find this of interest. I will continue to dip into the forum to enjoy the models and use the information. I may even get to the US one day!

Happy modelling,

Andy
 



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