The Turntable - August 2022

Newsletter of the

PORT ELIZABETH MODEL RAILROAD CLUB Every gauge welcome!

August 2022

50 Years Mini-Club Z Gauge When the world's smallest series-produced model railway was introduced in 1972, no one could have guessed what a huge fan base the 1:220 scale track would one day have.

IN THIS ISSUE: Calendar

Committee

Bob Phelps tributes x2

Thank You

Atlas Ukraine Relief result

RhB World Record Attempt Bachmann moving water

From the Chairman

50 Years Z Gauge

Copper theft in UK

Waldheim in the Garden

Layout visit – Mike Smout

Gallery

Walthers turnout

PEMRC Layout Visit

PEMRC Meetings/Workshops

PEMLS Event

Father's Day

PEMRC CALENDAR Date

Time

Sun

July

3

2022

Sat

July

23

2022

Sat

July

30

2022

Sun

Aug

7

2022

Sat

Aug

13

2022

Sat

Aug

20

2022

Sat

Aug

27

2022

Sun

Sep

4

2022

Sat

Sep

10

2022

Sat

Sep

17

2022

Sat

Sep

24

2022

Detail PEMLS Public running day

9 - 13

P E Model Locomotive Society Londt Park, Sunridge Park PEMRC layout visit at:

14:30

Mike Smout, 5 Cheshire Village, Gomery Ave. Summerstrand 9:00

Workshop at Mike van Zyl 13 Lionel Rd, Walmer Downs

9 - 13

PEMLS Public running day P E Model Locomotive Society Londt Park, Sunridge Park

9:00

PEMRC visit at: Mike Parsons, 18 Mowbray St Newton Park

14:30

PEMRC layout visit at: Henk Grootendorst, 24 Melsetter Ave, Lovemore Heights

9:00

Workshop at Mike van Zyl 13 Lionel Rd, Walmer Downs

9 - 13

PEMLS Public running day P E Model Locomotive Society Londt Park, Sunridge Park

9:00

PEMRC visit at: Mike Parsons, 18 Mowbray St Newton Park

15:00

PEMRC layout visit at: JP Kruger, 6 Corrice Road, Charlo

9:00

Workshop at Mike van Zyl 13 Lionel Rd, Walmer Downs

COMMITTEE 2022: Chairman: Mike Smout

ma.smout@mweb.co.za

082 801 1347

Treasurer: Attie Terblanche

terblalc@telkomsa.net

082 532 3670

Clubhouse: JP Kruger

juanpierrekruger@gmail.com

082 321 2233

Editor:

pemrailroadclub@gmail.com

082 739 7679

Workshop’ & Shop: Mike van Zyl

carpencab@gmail.com

073 374 3280

Layout visits: Graham Chapman

chapman22@telkomsa.net

072 103 4625

Library:

Roel van Oudheusden

Pierre van Loggerenberg pierrevanloggerenberg3@gmail.com

084 802 3831

Subscriptions for 2022 are R500 p.a. for full membership and R100 p.a. for Country members.

EFT is preferred, but the Treasurer may accept cash.

Bank account: FNB Walmer Park, branch code 211417, Account no. 62386122057

THANK YOU: DAVID CAIRNS and the Highway Model Railway Club, Durban for the generous donation of 40 years’ bound volumes magazines

of

Model (1975-2016)

Railroader and

our

Johan van der Mescht in Joubertina for volunteering to store them all pending our permanent solution – our new Club House.

David has relocated to the Garden Route.

FROM THE CHAIRMAN:

The Chairman has spent most of the past month in Perth, Western Australia visiting family and has little to report. However, I am informed that our revised plans for the new Clubhouse have met all the necessary requirements and there is only one remaining bit of paperwork to be done.

The Loco Society has still to sign its new contract with the Metro regarding their use of Londt Park. Once this is done we hope to make a start.

50 YEARS Z GAUGE 1:220 The year 1972 was a year of new beginnings. Everything seemed possible. Model railways, and above all Märklin, of course, wanted to show what was technically feasible. The challenge here was not to go "higher and further", but to reduce. The new gauge was to be smaller and, at its time, top the already widespread N gauge in terms of compactness. At the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 1972, visitors were able to see the ground-breaking invention from Göppingen for the first time: A model railway in the unbelievably small scale of 1:220.

From

then

on,

the

triumphant advance of Z gauge was paved and has

continued to this day.

The track gauge (distance between the rails) is 6.5mm:

Why Z-gauge?

Half a century of Z-gauge - in view of the 2022 anniversary, product manager Jürgen Faulhaber makes it transparent how the proud tradition of the Mini-Club is reflected in the 2021 Z-range.

"Detailing, fine printing and play value - these are typical qualities of our Z-gauge range. What came onto the market in 1972 with plastic wheels and a lifestyle image has grown into a fully-fledged model railway the smallest production model railway in the world. Detailing, cast metal quality and functional reliability are in harmony with the permanently increasing Märklin product quality through innovations. In the orientation of

the

Dream trains No shipping costs for combined orders of R2000 or more.

Shop online and fill your cart, even if less than R2000, then contact PEMRC Mike van Zyl, to combine your order with fellow club members and all will save.

assortment, we maintain a balance of eras, tractions and long-term development of the mould stock through new designs."

"In operation, there are uncompromisingly prototypical long Z trains and where once box sets or roundabouts on the hat brim caused a sensation, today we are amazed at the wonderful layouts, dioramas and modules that are designed by the Z community. Unchanged is the tradition that Märklin Z stands for the special - that is, not only the precision mechanics striving for perfection, but also the collector's item."

New in the 2022 international z fleet:

Heavy electric goods locomotive 162.007 of the Swedish Hectorail Co.; Swiss Krokodil Cw6/8 III bronze fine cast edition and the 6–axle diesel electric locomotive 600 (ALCO Pa-1) of the American Union Pacific RR A suggested layout from the Märklin layout planning book (Art 0296) for z https://www.maerklin.de/fileadmin/media/produkte/SpurZ/0296_Gleisanlagen-Buch_Spur_Z_komplett.pdf

Complete track part list for the layout 6.1.1:

WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT: The longest passenger train in the world It has long been known that the

Albula

line

of

the

Rhaetian Railway is one of the most fascinating and at the same time one of the most spectacular lines of the Swiss railroad company. It is also known that the RhB always surprises its fans with something out of the ordinary and wants to captivate locals and tourists all over the world. This is now soon to happen again with a spectacular project!

As part of the 175th anniversary celebrations of Swiss railways, Rhaetian Railway (RhB) is making an official attempt to operate the longest passenger train in the world on Saturday, 29 October 2022.

The 1,910-metre-long train with 100 coaches will travel along the Albula/Bernina UNESCO World Heritage route from Preda to Bergün and on over the Landwasser Viaduct. The corresponding tests for technical feasibility and safety assurance have taken place over the past few months.

The longest passenger train in the world is to be composed of 25 separable multiple-unit trains of the latest type: “Capricorn” manufactured by Stadler. These will be acquired by RhB by 2024 as part of the largest procurement of rolling stock in its history and will give the Graubünden railway a major push towards modernisation. The record attempt – when successful – is to be entered in the Guinness Book of Records.

Making the legacy of the railway pioneers visible RhB Director Renato Fasciati: “Switzerland is a railway country like no other. This year, we are celebrating 175 years of Swiss railways. With this world record attempt, RhB and its partners want to play their part in achieving a pioneering feat that has never been seen before.” On board are leading expert partners from the fields of technology, industry, services, tourism and media.

The RhB climbs up the Albula Valley from Thusis through spiral tunnels and across viaducts in the direction of St. Moritz. The line is harmoniously embedded in the landscape and is a showpiece from the period of the railroad pioneers, and it belongs to the UNESCO RhB World Heritage. The 62 kilometre long Albula Line is still considered a master achievement in railroad technology and rail line management. In 1903, the RhB opened the spectacular line between Thusis and St. Moritz after only five years of construction time. The red railway climbs here over 1,000 meters, thanks to the Solis Viaduct, the Landwasser Viaduct and the loop tunnels between Bergün and Preda, without rack rail operation.

Facts and figures about the world record attempt The world-record route from Preda to Alvaneu is 24.93 km long, covering a difference in altitude of 789.4 metres. The world-record train will travel at 30 to 35 km/h. The journey will take around 46 minutes. The weight of the record-breaking train is around 2,990 tonnes. The world-record train has a total of 4,550 seats, 150 of which will be occupied by invited guests. Communication within the train is ensured by means of a field telephone almost two kilometres long from the Civil Defence.

In addition, 7 train drivers and 21 technicians will be at work on the train to ensure its operability.

The Albula Tunnel will be closed to rail traffic for around 12 hours. Trains will run only to Bergün during these 12 hours. During the world record attempt, the track between Tiefencastel and Bergün will be closed to rail traffic for around four hours Technical challenges Never before has such a long passenger

train

travelled

anywhere in the world, let alone in the high mountains on a narrow-gauge railway with tight curve radii, lots of tunnels and viaducts. This gives rise to various challenges that must be overcome before and during the journey.

Synchronous control of train structure and handling braking forces The 25 trains must all accelerate or decelerate at the same time, although only four trains can be controlled from the same driver’s cab. An electric circuit ensures that all trains brake at the same time if the trains need to slow down suddenly. Due to the large weight of the train (2,850 tonnes without passengers), very high forces will be exerted on the infrastructure and the carriages if parts of the train do not react in sync.

A separate intercom system on the train, trained train drivers and clear commands ensure the corresponding result. In addition, special software is loaded for driving the record-breaking train and the mechanical braking power is reduced.

Recuperation and effects on grid load On the descent, the train is fully braked by electric recuperation. This produces electricity that is fed to the overhead line and can be used by other trains on the RhB network (as well as other railways in Switzerland and abroad). In addition, the excess electricity can also be fed into the public grid via power converters.

The major challenge is that the overhead contact line voltage could increase too much (usually 11,000 volts), as 25 trains in the same section will be generating electricity synchronously. The overvoltage might not be able to be absorbed by individual systems connected to the traction current. Various tests were carried out to this end and measures are being taken to ensure the record-breaking journey can take place (e.g. limiting speed and acceleration, reducing recuperation with special train software, preventative transfer of systems to local grid power supply).

Connection of trains The individual four-part Capricorns are connected to a fully automatic coupling. Four trains are driven by each train driver. There is mechanical and pneumatic coupling between four Capricorn trains, but not electric coupling. For this purpose, additional safety control lines are laid between the trains.

Ensuring safety and availability of track and systems The track is closed to other trains for the record run. The record train is sometimes longer than various block sections. The journey is controlled from the operations centre in Landquart. It must be ensured that the signals, as well as the level crossings and customer information, are triggered at the right moment.

Live media production The record run will be recorded (by Blick) via a live production and broadcast on various channels. For this purpose, a wide range of cameras from drones, in the driver’s cab and on the track will be used and will have to be processed in real time. This alone is a major (and exciting) challenge on a track with limited mobile coverage.

Sponsors and media partners A total of 15 well-known partners are on board for the world record attempt. They underpin the pioneering and innovative spirit that has always distinguished Switzerland as a railway and travel destination. Without the financial and technological support of the partners, the world record attempt would not be feasible.

Stadler, which is also the manufacturer of the Capricorn railcars, will act as presenting partner.

The other engineering services are provided by ABB and Sersa as companies of the Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group. ABB stands for energy efficiency and Sersa for the construction and maintenance of the railway infrastructure. The main partners are complemented

by Märklin, a specialist for model railways.

For Märklin and LGB as Main partners, reason enough to attend the extraordinary undertaking and support this project of the Rhaetian Railway. In Presenting the LGB model to RhB:

cooperation between the Märklin company (to which

L to R: Wolfrad Bächle (Märklin),

the LGB brand belongs) and the Rhaetian Railway,

Renato Fasciati (RhB), Andreas Schumann (LGB)

a corresponding model locomotive of the

Ge 4/4 III with the road number 644 was designed. This locomotive is intended to draw attention not only to the project but at the same time to the unique route. This locomotive is running in a special paint scheme promoting the world record attempt with 25 Capricorn powered rail car trains in October. The paint scheme and lettering are prototypical for Era VI. All 4 wheelsets driven by two powerful Bühler motors. The locomotive has an mfx/DCC decoder with many light and sound functions. The pantographs are powered by servomotors and can be controlled digitally. Length over the buffers 65 cm.

The class Ge 4/4 III electric locomotives are the latest locomotives on the RhB and they can be seen pulling all types of trains. With a performance of 2,400 kilowatts / 3,217 horsepower and a maximum speed of 100 km/h, they meet all the requirements present for use on a mountain railroad. In recent years, the RhB began to modernize these locomotives delivered starting in the mid-Nineties. The electronics were updated and thereby brought up to the current standard and the locomotives were equipped with modern LED headlights.

The horns originally installed have been replaced by a compressed air whistle. Updated in this way, these locomotives are good for service for another 20 to 25 years.

Capricorn multiple units Traveling alone and together The principle of "wings" Splitting a train into several train parts is called “winging”.

The RhB concept envisages two to four Capricorn multiple units running together as one train,

for

example

from

Landquart to Klosters Platz.

In Klosters Platz the train is divided into two trains. Part of the train then travels from Klosters Platz to St. Moritz.

The second part of the train from Klosters Platz to Davos. In the opposite direction, the two multiple units in Klosters Platz are automatically combined again and run as one train to Landquart.

Mini World Models Shop online and use this special coupon to claim your unique

PEMRC

member

In May 2022, Atlas announced that new Limited Edition

Ukraine Peace Cars were available

for pre-order, with all profits from the sales being donated to relief organizations. This announcement was met with enthusiasm by model railroaders and pre-orders of the N & HO Trainman 50’6” Box Cars and O 40’ PS-1 Box Cars—which are decorated in a striking blue and yellow colour scheme seen above— exceeded expectations. Atlas extends a heartfelt thanks to all of you who supported this effort. Due to the support of consumers, dealers and distributors, orders placed to date have generated a total of $30,000 to be donated. These proceeds will be divided amongst the following organizations: UNICEF in partnership with the Global Empowerment Mission; Direct Relief organization; Doctors without Borders; Save the Children; The Wolsztyn Experience and others.

Crucial steam locomotive parts stolen from The Great Central Railway In between the hours of 11.30pm and 3.30am last Friday, July 1st, a storage container at the locomotive repair facility of the Great Central Railway, Loughborough, was broken into.

A representative of the railway has made an initial estimation that the theft of the copper piping, steam boiler valves and fittings, and an expansion link to name a few, has a replacement value of up to £50,000.00.

Most of the parts are for the locomotive, Boscastle, owned by Boscastle Locomotive Ltd, which is currently undergoing a major restoration in the workshops of the Great Central Railway and has little value as scrap metal. The restoration of steam locomotives requires most of the parts to be manufactured for that restoration, requiring highly skilled engineers to carry out the works. The team carrying out the restoration is devastated by the theft after all the long hours they have put into manufacturing the parts. The police have attended the site and the team is currently awaiting any information from them. If anyone has any information, The Great Central Railway is hoping to be able to offer a reward for any information that will help us to catch the thieves and retrieve the parts.

Put more operation in less space with two new HO Scale Code 83

WalthersTrack™

Curved

Turnouts! Ideal for use with longer and larger engines and cars, the new 24" and 36" radius curved turnouts (#948-83067 Left and #948-83068 Right-hand) are perfect

for

easements

on

mainlines, or expanding freight or coach yards, passing sidings and similar

locations

where

conventional turnouts may be too large. Each comes fully assembled with the same fine details and custom-formulated nickel silver rail found on all WalthersTrack products. Ideal for DCC- or DC-powered layouts, each includes snap-action points, solid rail points for better conductivity, isolated frogs with built-in jumper for powering if desired, current jumpers entering and leaving the frog, and an insulated tie bar.

The New Old-Fashioned Way

of

Transporting

Water...

As the popularity of rail transportation grew in the mid-1800s, cars were developed

for

just

about

every

purpose. Boxcars carried dry goods, flatcars carried oversized loads, and gondolas carried bulk goods that didn't need to be covered. When it came to liquids, however, there was no good option for this purpose. You couldn't fill a boxcar with water or oil, so these important commodities were mostly transported within boxcars in barrels - a slow and inefficient way to move them. It wasn't until 1866 that the first tank cars were patented. These cars were primitive by today's standards. They were essentially just massive wooden vats built onto flatcars, but the amount of liquid they could hold remained unrivalled until the more conventional horizontal tank car was invented.

Bachmann’s Old-Time Water Tank Car pays tribute to these curious early cars in several vibrant and authentic paint schemes. Each car is fully assembled and features a separately-applied brake wheel, blackened machined metal wheels with RP25 contours, magnetically-operated E-Z Mate® couplers, and more. The Bachmann Old-Time Water Tank Car is the perfect addition to any layout set in the fascinating period of westward expansion.

GALLERY

Class 648.2 commuter diesel railcar Heavy freight locomotive Gt 2x4/4 of the Royal Bavarian State Railways

Märklin HO # 39491 celebrating 175 years Danish railways. Danish State Railways (DSB) steam locomotive with a tender, road number E 991. The locomotive looks as it did around 2007. https://www.maerklin.de/de/service/multimedia/hintergrundbilder/hintergrundbilder

Rod Vance HO Doodlebug at Summit Springs

LAYOUT VISIT – Mike Smout