Pete's layout No.2, A little Something French in HO

[Pete]

Hi

Hopefully by the end of the week one of these arrives (though it will be in 100,000,000 pieces):



It's an HO scale 140G Pershing locomotive of the SNCF. They were brought over to France after the end of the First World War by the Americans, and ran into the 60's.
I hope it will be the start of a new French based layout, (however at the moment, I have no obvious space to put a new layout, I already have a shed for my N-Gauge, I am in negotiation with my wife very early stages...another shed maybe... ).
As it's a kit, and I've never built a brass kit before, it may take some time before a layout is necessary!

I've started to collect French postcards of railway scenes for reference; it's my intention to model an early 1950's scene in Normandy. I so far only have one picture of a real 140G.



Would be interested if anyone has any pictures or info on the SNCF during this period. I'm intending to put what information I have on my website in the near future.
I've made a start, but have some more pictures to put on, I'm also practicing my French!

http://www.petesproject.co.uk/layout/french/index.html

***This link no longer works, see main website referred to in my footer below for further info.***

Will keep the site posted.

Pete

[saslord]

I will look out for some pictures in some old books of my partners father and grand father. If I see anything I will let you know.

Keep us updated on the build. I bet it will be a long one.

[Raider]

Hi Pete,

A quick google search found 2 pictures of a 140G Pershing.

Here is the link to the google search http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en ... a=N&tab=wi

Hope it helps and good luck with the kit

Chris

[Pete]

Chris

Thanks, I thought I'd found all that google could provide! Honeywell found another pic I'd missed too.

Saslord

Would very much appreciate any pictures etc you may be able to find.

I'm interested in SNCF early 1950's infra-structure as well as the 140G. Because of my lack of space at the moment, I'm tempted to do almost a static model of a loco yard (I have some pics somewhere), I could possibly work this into a layout at a later date, but conversly I have my heart set on a bit of Normandy, possibly Granville.

Pete

[Ironduke]

This will be your first brass kit?? Talk about jumping in the deep end!
regards
Rob

[Pete]

This will be your first brass kit?? Talk about jumping in the deep end!

DGH also only produce the instructions in French for this kit as far as I'm aware. However I'm in no rush, and I'm sure they won't be using the subjunctive

It will be a steap learning curve, but not insurmountable, and after all the final result will be well worth the stress and anguish, it is a great looking locomotive.

Pete

[Pete]

It's arrived!

So here it is:



It came in a big box, always a sign of something good

However big box contains 100,000,000,000,000,000 tiny small bits



It's now all safely back in its box, and put away. I'm about to start translating the instructions 'Degrapper et former par pliage....'

Bon nuit tout le monde

Pierre

[Ironduke]

Sacre Bleu!!
I dont think pictures of your progress will be good enough for this... how about a video?
regards
Rob

[Raider]

Time lapse photos would be good, or just post a pic when you have added another assembled piece.

Have fun

Chris

[Puff the magic dragon]

Just back from a night at the quiz......Good luck Pete, I thought my layout was taxing!!!!My head is cabbaged with it.

[Pete]

Things have stagnated a bit on progress, mainly due to the wet and cold deterring me from going out to the shed. I won't be statrting my loco for a few weeks yet, maybe over the Christmas period. I have some rolling stock arriving over the next few days, I'll post some pics when it arrives.

My current plan is to go for an urban setting in the early 1950's, maybe Paris, the enterance to a large station/depot perhaps, lots of catenery, grime and clutter.



Pete (wishing the rain would stop )

[Pete]

Just an update:

No further along with a plan yet, but I have now arranged to pick up the rolling stock.
I was very fortunate in that a contact on another forum was about to start modelling a French layout, set pretty much in the exact same period as I was interested in, however after buying rolling stock and locos he decided against the idea, he sold the locos on ebay, but offered me all the rolling stock. He's exhibiting at the NEC next weekend, and as I was going anyway... two birds with one stone as they say.

Pete

[grippets]

lots of catenery, grime and clutter.

Thats France all over isn't it

[Pete]

It's still my spiritual home, I'd move there tomorrow given the oppertunity.

Pete

[Pete]

Well I am now the proud owner of this selection of wagons and cars:



I am reconsidering my proposed layout now, it will probably be very late 50's very early 1960's, and I'm not sure of the setting, possibly a bit more rural than I was previously thinking. If you look caerfully at the photo previously posted of the 140G loco, you can see a hopper wagon like the one above, in the background being filled.

The two 'brown' opens are actually old Hornby made in France AhHO wagons.
From left to right the box vans are LSModels, Fleischmann and another LS Models (a Belgian company, but made unsuprisiingly in China). The hopper is a Rivarossi, and the grey open is a ROCO.

I need to fit new couplings, probably Kadee.

I'll be scanning ebay France for more of the hoppers, I'd like about 5 or 6. I'm also on the hunt for some Fleischmann 'TP' Wagon models (double bogie wagons of US design, used all over europe after WWI, until the late 60's), French or German.

The cars are a selection of Busch, Herpa and Brekina. Well it couldn't be French without a 2CV.

In the New year, one of these should be available from Electroten in HO


(c) to original site owner

I'm finding this HO so BIG compared with my N gauge, it's quite intimidating.