No. 109

Voie Libre international

The magazine for the narrow gauge railways enthusiast.

Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Editorial #109
This old slogan still has plenty of life in it. And is even particularly well suited to railway modelling! How to haul yourself out of the current routine? How to avoid obeying dictates? How better to escape than by letting your imagination roam free
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Voie Libre International
PUBLISHER: Christian Fournereau - christianf@lrpresse.com/ EDITOR: François Fontana - francoisf@lrpresse.com /Consultants to THE EDITORIAL TEAM: Éric Fresné (ericf@lrpresse.com), Jean-Paul Quatresous / With assistance from: Yann Baude (yannb@lrpresse
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Bemo : Mob Motor Units, Here Comes The Sound!
Four versions of the MOB motor units 7 to 20 are now available in Digital Sound, in addition to the simple analogue versions. Here are two versions: ref. 1383 304, CFZe 4/4 nº1004, in light grey and white, prior to 1956, and ref. 1383 392, the X 22 u
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Bemo : Rhb Self-propelled Van, Here Comes The Sound!
Bemo has produced a new version of the RhB self-propelled van De 2/2 151 built by SIG and Alioth in 1909. It is supplied in its 1962 to 1980 livery (its body was completely metallized that year), with a wooden body, painted in oxyde red. An overhaul
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Tillig : The Meg T7 Railcar With A Gasifier!
Under ref. 02947, Tillig has just released a new version of this charming little 4-wheeler railcar. But this time, fitted with a gasifier, very much in evidence at one end. This railcar was built by Orenstein & Koppel and Gotha in 1939, and was fitte
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Halling Modelle : The Wienerwald Railway Diesel Tractor
This tractor was built to modernize one of the narrow gauge lines that surrounded Vienna. Sadly, it arrived too late and was unable to slow down the closure processs. Now preserved, it hauls the BBÖ tourist trains. The Halling model, while it feature
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Halling Modelle : Carriages For The Wienerwald
With the tractor available, carriages were needed. These models are in fact similar Stängl references. The train consists of three carriages with different numbers: 703, 712 & 714. François Fontana (based on Halling documentation) Halling Modelle Re
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Tillig : A Harz Bogie Carriage
This is a new version of a KB4ip 900-513 bogie carriage from the Harz metre gauge railway. Built in Bautzen in 1932, it is supplied here in the red and cream livery it carried from 1972 to 1986, the year when itw as completely rebuilt. It should be n
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Ree : New Couplings For The Wagonsde Nouveaux Attelages Pour Les Wagons
The second run of the first series of CFD wagons in H0-12/H0-9 provided an opportunity for REE to correct a « youthful mistake» on these very attractive models, the very first items of metre gauge stock ever produced by an industrial manufacturer. Th
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Chivers Finelines : Australian Wagons
After a few years of slumber, the artisan firm Chivers Finelines is back with a few new references in 00-9. Bogie wagons from the Innisfail Tramway caught our eye. These injected plastic kits are assembled with model cement . Theye are supplied witho
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Software
Property of Dassault Systèmes, Solidworks is one of the leading softwares, if not the leader, on the market of parametric CAD for industry. Over the past 15 years, a policy of widely distributing this product to the educational community means that m
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Book
Industrial metre gauge lines, directly connected to standard gauge, were not common in France. The Baburet mining railway, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, is one of those rare exceptions. It linked the mining concession of Baburet from Ferrières to the
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Press Review
In Issue 129 of the Narrow Gauge and Industrial Railway Modeling Review, Sidney Leleux takes a closer look at the cleanliness of industrial steam locomotives. The article is lavishly illsutrated in colour and it appears that these engines were much c
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Gatherings
A delightful exhibition with always plentiful and sometimes whimsical displays. The many US-inspired layouts, often in narrow gauge, are well worth discovering. A change of air and plenty of fun. In the wide spaces of the Kaeserberg layout in Switze
Voie Libre international2 min de lecture
Tourist Gatherings Spring Events
It should have taken place in 2021, it will be 2022 instead. The APPEVA association celebrates the half-century of the start of tourist operations on the Dompierre sugar mill line during the Ascension weekend ( 26th-29th May). Visitors will enjoy a c
Voie Libre international2 min de lecture
Kato The Deepening With Steam Range
STEAM is an acronym conjured up by the Kato team using the words: Science - Technology – Engineering – Arts - Mathematics. The full name of the range is «Deepening with STEAM». With the concept in place, railway modelling calls on many abilities and
Voie Libre international3 min de lecture
Truly Outstanding The George England 0-4-0 Tender Saddle Tank
The model is beautiful! This has become customar y nowadays: contemporary technologiesleadtoperfectly accurate reproductions, very fine detailing and breath-taking liveries. My two locomotives, Princess and Prince, were delivered a tad roughly in the
Voie Libre international4 min de lecture
The County Of Tanargue: Imagination Takes Power
Philippe Floquet enjoys welcoming modellers and showing them round his world. I write «showing» on purpose as it is necessary, when descending into the basement, to forget everything else, to act as if entering a theatre, to shrink yourself down to 1
Voie Libre international3 min de lecture
Assembling A 3D MODEL
Like laser-cutting a decade ago, 3D printing has become a must-have for railway modellers, and such prints are now common on many layouts. Whether they are personal creations or specific parts bought from artisans, these parts require some preparatio
Voie Libre international3 min de lecture
Operating UNCOUPLING MAGNETS
The Kadee coupler comprises a jaw-type hook, fitted in the middle with a curved shank that flattens out just above the track. This shank, when it is located above a magnet, or an electro-magnetic decoupler, concealed under the track, swivels and open
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
The Motors
I have been using the Switchmaster motors for a long time, both for operating turnouts and magnets. When compared to solenoid motors, the former are relatively silent, and have a good gearing ratio. They can be used with DC. For operating turnouts, t
Voie Libre international3 min de lecture
Weathering A CFD BOX VAN
Weathering, an exercize that is often repelling and likely to discourage modellers, is not actually all that difficult. People fear failure or a lack of inspiration; but let us take heart, very pleasing weathering jobs can be accomplished in a few st
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Supplies
Scalpel Fine scissors Paintbrushes: flat and fine, new and worn Airbrush Rag Latex or nitrile gloves White tissues Wood glue AK Interactive: AK7003, AK025 (Fuel Stains), AK049 AMF87: P202 (grubby white), P502 thinner Polak pastels: 5769 (black), 5763
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Optional Bleaching
An optional stage: bleaching the bodies of some wagons to represent the effect of sun, rain, frost, snow… In the airbrush cup, prepare a blend of AMF87 P202 grubby white and its P502 thinner. Several applications will provide the desired result. Proc
Voie Libre international4 min de lecture
The Corsican Railways A-80-D N° 513
The Billard, Chatenay et Cie company was created in 1920. Specializing at first in making parts for the car industry, it evolved gradually towards building motor trolleys for railway companies such as the P.O, Etat, P.L.M., the Société des Chemins de
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Excerpts From The Maintenance Booklet Of N 513
1966: clutch repaired in July; clutch housing cracked and self-starter replaced in September. In October, replacement of a coil spring on an axlebox and of the exhaust. 1967: in January, the front driving axle breaks, it is replaced by an axle from r
Voie Libre international4 min de lecture
The Second Life Of The Old Glory Mine
Better known on modelling shows for his Swiss stations in H012, Jean-Pierre Muratore built this American layout to display the rolling stock he had collected over the years. The theme selected, inspired by one of Dominique Aumenier’s layouts, was a s
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
The Layout At A Glance
Theme: an American short line Scale: H09 Period: 1920/1930 Track: Peco 9mm Control: analogue (Gaugemaster) Dimensions: 2 x 0.45m for the decorated part Lighting: 2 LED 4000 K tubes (daylight) fitted under a mobile pelmet ■
Voie Libre international3 min de lecture
Ponts - Sagne - La Chaux-de-Fonds (PSC) RAILWAY
Since 26th July 1889, a metre gauge railway connects the two main villages, Les Ponts-de-Martel and La Sagne, as well as a handful of small hamlets, to the watch-making centre of La Chauxde-Fonds. Unlike the vicinal railways in the neighbouring Frenc
Voie Libre international4 min de lecture
Simple Automation
When I decided to delve into the narrow gauge adventure, I opted for the Roco set (blame it on François Fontana, see Voie Libre N° 90). For just under 130€, it features: a steam locomotive, or a diesel tractor. Four to six wagons, depending on whethe
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Why Isn’t Everything Managed By The Arduino?
To be honest, this was my initial idea and the first solution I tested. Unfortunately, the infrared sensors are notorious for their false positives and their very erratic operation (the programme sometimes let the train parked in the tunnel go whilst
Voie Libre international1 min de lecture
Arduino Basics
This article does not deal with how code is typed, compiled and dowloaded to the Arduino platform. Many tutorials on such basic notions are available. I recommend for example the tutorial found on the Locoduino.org site called «Arduino: toute premièr
Voie Libre international4 min de lecture
The Rich Beaches Of Olonne
During a summer meeting at Les Sables-d’Olonne, Bernard helped me discover the railway heritage of this fine part of Vendée. We saw what was left of the metre gauge railways, the former COFERNA works, we inspected the route of the tramway that ran al
Voie Libre international2 min de lecture
A Second Life For The Billard
During one of my visits to Jacques Denis, in the course of which he told me anecdotes about the narrow gauge railways that ran through the Olonne dune forest, which he had been familiar with during his youth, I saw on the kitchen table a copy of an i
Voie Libre international4 min de lecture
Salgo Mining
Internet is magical! We met Takeshi on an international platfrom, we exchanged with him and he sent us a series of photographs of his layout, together with a lengthy modelling confession. We summarize his own words here; the account of 5 months in th
Voie Libre international5 min de lecture
Fitting out YOUR DEPOT
Still inspired by the MRL depot at Vienne-le-Château, near Suippes, I deal in this second instalment with fuel supplies for my locomotives. The photograph shows a coal stage as large as the water tower. It consists of a border made of briquettes that

Voie Libre international

Plus de numéros de Voie Libre international