The italian job

[Antonio Rampini]

Hi everyone,
I do not know the interest of the Forum in italian railways, or in RhB.
That is basicly my latest interest for my modelling in Nm.
I'll starting uploading some of the models I am working at at the moment, in no particulary order (forgive me).

So, this is a little flat car or the Sicilian narrow gauge FS railways, the Pozv.
This was my first try for a car totally in brass (not considering the wheels part - I am using for many of my little works the frame and bushes of Z scale Märklin donor cars, milled and glued in position). Only the little terrace has been taken (and modified) from another N freight car.

This below is a picture of the naked flat, just to see the brass bars and components.


Another view of the flat, in the back you see a water tank of the FCL (Ferrovie Calabro Lucane).




And below the freight car as it is now, in the italian FS red, to be completed eh...

 

[AJC]

We do like niche and Nm Sicilian narrow gauge (despite Kato's recent interest in RhB) certainly qualifies. That's very nice indeed, especially given the tiny size.

One tip - instead of inserting images as thumbnails there's an option to insert a full size image which is much better for viewing in topic.

Adam

 

[Antonio Rampini]

If you model Nm then you are in need of a proper track.
I do not like Z tracks, the sleepers dimension is not corrected, as well as the sleepers distance.
So I do prefer to do it by myself. And I have to say I have discovered this forum googling on the web, as I was looking for alternative method to model the tiebar (due to the lockdown, I have finished the plastic stripes I use for the tiebars, I do not like to solder a sleepers to the blades).

Below, some of the stuff just put together (you see also some N turnouts on the left - I am actually thinking at the Gioia Tauro station, a double gauge one, for me really interesting).

 

[Antonio Rampini]

(...) One tip - instead of inserting images as thumbnails there's an option to insert a full size image which is much better for viewing in topic.

Adam

Thanks Adam, I edited the post.

 

[AJC]

Those points are excellent - the flangeways look very fine; are these to something like FS160 or something of your own devising? I can see the appeal of two gauges on the same model and the station as it is now (or when Google took their images) seems to be quite a contrast: Google Maps

Adam

 

[Antonio Rampini]

Thanks Adam.
I have used drawings in different scales made by Templot (not by me, just found some sketches on the web) but regauged to 9 and 6,5 mm.
Then I built the point over that drawings.
Rails code 40 and 60.

 

[Antonio Rampini]

Gioia Tauro (one of the depots of the FCL in narrow gauge).
Isn't it this view already a layout view? (and I count eight points, in this "narrow" space)...

 

[Antonio Rampini]

Sometimes the spirit of the challenge wins.
Also for the fact that it would be nice to have lots of different freight cars on the tracks (and there are not son many on the market) I have worked a bit on a (if I remember right) "Kinder gift", you know those gifts you find in chocolate eggs.
I thought I could win the challenge.
On the right the original piece (I got two from my son), on the left the actual freight car.
Plasticard stripes, bushes from a donor Z car glued with cyanacrilate, corrugated paper from a leaflet (the car door), the roof from another car.
Strange (but not so much) and "likely". It looks to me a French freight car.

 

[Antonio Rampini]

And another turnout, a "Y" one (like the one you see in the pict from Gioia Tauro). It is from two days ago.
The railcar is really nice (to me at least), a Japanese N tram that will be regauged with the Rokuhan Shorty engine.

 

[Antonio Rampini]

Excuse me if I post random material and stuff, hope it could be ok. I do work random on different projects...

 

[Oz7mm]

Keep posting Antonio. It's great to see something different.

John

 

[Antonio Rampini]

I have mentioned a tank for fresh water, of the FCL (Ferrovie Calabro Lucane).
I worked on a car of this type, a MCMa freight car.
The frame of the car is made of plasticard, I have glued then to these stripes the Maerklin bushes from a donor Z car.
The tank has been taken from an italian N car.



Below you see the car at midwork, handrails & platform are soldered from brass wire and from some photoetched parts.



Here the frame has been added of the diagonal bar (plasticard)...



The car, finally finished. I have added a platform and other particulars & handrails soldered.

 

[Lancastrian]

Buonosera Antonio! Welcome to Western Thunder. Great to see what you are working on. Keep up the good work.

Ian

 

[allegheny1600]

Buongiorno Antonio! As above, welcome to WT, it is wonderful to see what you are working on. I know nothing at all about narrow gauge railways (and precious little about standard gauge) in Italy but it is great to see something so very different.
I am reminded of long hot, sweltery summers, fashionable dusky girls, mopeds and exotic cars, how delightful!
Ciao,
John.

 

[Antonio Rampini]

And here one of the little convoys that one can plausibly build up (ehm, consider the water tank is from the FCL but hey, Calabria is not so far, just a "Stretto" away)...
The loco is a R. 302, the chassis has been made by a friend in 3D print, and powered with a Br 89 Märklin engine (0-3-0 loco) with the anterior axle added.

 

[Antonio Rampini]

I am working also on a FCL coach, this type:



Started form a Roco N scale coach, I have milled and reassembled the components of the roof and the sidewalls.
Windows have been half closed with plasticard.

 

[Antonio Rampini]

I have adapted the chassis of a Plus-Up Z coach (cut and glued to get the correct size), it works.



Then I applied some handrails here and there...

 

[Antonio Rampini]

Sizes look correct if compared to a two axles baggage car . The main problem is that for many of these models there are no dimensioned drawings, the baggage car has been realized by a friend in 3D print...



And this is the Roco model I started to work from:

 

[Antonio Rampini]

Today I worked a bit also on the ALn 56 of the "Circumetnea", below the real model:

The model has been created by a friend and printed in 3D via Shapeways.
Last september another friend has finished a brass motorized chassis, that fits well. I have also arranged the Micro-trains couplers.
A bit higher on trucks but hey, at a glance it works (this is the spirit of N scale, ehm).

 

[Antonio Rampini]

The ALn 56 was in lack of the typical metal window bars.
Here they are (first side of the job)...