Started construction on modern dutch railway

takev

New Member
Hi all,

I have started construction of a small layout modern dutch railway in N-scale.

These are my visual observations of the railway line.

The passenger service is run by the NS (dutch railways), their colors are yellow and blue, the colors have been choosen carfully so when they become dirty the dirt won't show. Which seems to work :)

The dutch railway is clean and pretty high tech. Most of the passenger lines are electrified as are most trains.
Also I have never seen a re-railer on the dutch track, nor a normal de-railer (a half finished point, which I have seen on the belgium railway).
I have seen a sort of de-railer that is a steal red box with a raised yellow stripe on one rail, which can be removed using a standard point motor.

The signals are the simple green,orange,red kind, which is positioned on the right side of the track. There are 3 seperate reflectors possitioned before a signal, possibly for giving visual cues to the driver during breaking.

There are also small green,orange,red signals (in a triangle form) on the right side of the track, near the ground. These are used at stations and near stations.

There is also a speed signal, which is a number in white lights, this number times 10 is the speed in kilometers per hour the train is supposed to go.

A raised white light with the letter "V" above it on the stations platform signals that the train may leave the platform.

All crossings in the netherlands are guarded with a white slowly flashing light for "save" and two fast alternating red lights below that for "train is comming", including with this a bell and possibly a moterised boom on the right side of the road.

On crossings that are for use with railway personel, near stations they use a white flashing light for "unsave", when the light is turned on continuesly is is "save".

Block detection (as I have been told) is by having a low voltage across both railes, a train shortcuircuits this. You can see that rails near points have insulators between them, and wires from both side of the insulator run to somewhere. The block is guarded with a red signal, and the blocks surounding this are guarded with an orange signal.

The trains themself have protection that it will break before it crosses a red signal, if the driver doesn't do it, likewise if the driver is going faster then the speed limit the train will break to. A driver can force the train to cross a red signal by going slower then 30 kmph.

most points are also heated during winter, the rails are heated on the outside of the point where the point-knives touch the rail. These are natural gas heaters. The lines to the heaters are orange. I do not know if the heaters at the point are themself burning or that heaters are warmed by the box on the side of the railroad.

The sub-roadbed in the netherlands are high, such that bridges over road and water are flat.
most stations therfore are also raised above street level.
Although in some cities the tracks are at road level, this is what I'm building, because it is easier to make and because of the vertical room I have.

Because I have little space in my house I made a bookcase above the bed. The bottom shelf is used for the train. It is 2 x 0.6 meters on the long side of the L shape, and the short side is 0.6 x 0.30 meters.

It will hold 4 passenger stations, 2 of them will be long anough for intercity trains. and 2 industry stations.

I am using Peco code 55 track.
Here are three images where you see the bookcase and the cork glued to the surface.
The points are not glued down, there are just to show where they will be.

im000258.sized.jpg


im000259.sized.jpg


im000260.sized.jpg
 

takev

New Member
Hi,

As I live in the Netherlands you would think this would be a normal subject.

However most rail products in europe have the german theme, as most companies are based in germany.

What is even worse is that almost no-one in the netherlands is using N-scale (most if not all use H0). So there is almost no dutch material in N-scale.

Which probably means I have to kit-bash/scratch-build most things.

I don't know how it is in the US, but if you cross a border here in europe, everything is different. The houses are build different, the trains are different, the tracks are different, even the landscape is different.
 

Urban

New Member
Originally posted by takev
What is even worse is that almost no-one in the netherlands is using N-scale (most if not all use H0). So there is almost no dutch material in N-scale.

Which probably means I have to kit-bash/scratch-build most things.

It may be a good thing that there's a limited of stuff ready to buy, since that also means you can model exactly what you want, instead of being tempted to model what's available. And maybe mix rolling stock which doesn't QUITE belong together.

I have what I think may be a good idea for an N or Z scale layout and one thing I've decided is that it's NOT going to be German prototype, for the above reason. Swiss, Japanese, Alaskan or Canadian are possibilities. Swedish Nn3 is tempting, but only if I decide the space can't handle the larger prototypes.
 

takev

New Member
Hello Urban,

You're right ofcource.

I'm also probably adding a tiny Nn3 track, for the industry.

I just hope I will be able to make the trains look good.
 

Xaniel

Member
Hello,

Nice, another european layout in construction here. Very nice. Takev, do you know that your class 1600, is pretty like our (portuguese) 2600? Differences on the headlights, and the side grids. and some other details, that the user Ricardo Correia can say better. These "little locos" are spread all over europe. :)

Here:
2600_ent_5.jpg


You have the same problems that I have... Short on Ducth rolling stock, but still.. you have some made from Fleischmann, Minitrix, and Roco perhaps...

Keep those pictures coming! It's a really nice project, that I'm anxious to see how it develops.

Cheers1
 

takev

New Member
Hello Xaniel,

Yes I believe they are made in france, we have lots of models based on this design. And I have seen in the fleischmann catalogue several in other countries.

I actually think it is kinda pretty looking, much better then the standard modern german loc with the rounded head and tail.

I will post some more pictures soon, I have all the track, but haven't glued them done yet, which will take some time.

Also I want to angle the curves inward, which I don't know how to do yet. I was thinking of sanding some cork down in an angle.
Or maybe use styrofoom, but I don't know how good the rails will stick to styrfoom, as the curves are tight the rails are under quite some tention.

Take
 
Differences on the headlights, and the side grids. and some other details, that the user Ricardo Correia can say better.

About the question sent by Xaniel, I must watch first the technical data on both locomotives, but I guess, that the portuguese one, apart from the aesthetic differences, must have several differences at the motorization and the bogies, and so on...
As soon as I found all those things, I'll post a correct answer...
 

takev

New Member
Hi,

So I have glued down now the first station including a turn-out to the left and a complete scissor after it.
I also did the first tight corner to the side-line.

Fotos will follow when the glue has dried.
 

pjb

New Member
It strikes me since the passenger trains are largely composed of self-propelled electric cars , or drawn by electric locomotives , that you should look at MICRO-ACE's extensive line of such equipment.
I assume that you can kit bash and alter appliances, trim , paint , etc.

MICRO-ACE are sold by EuroMoney dealers in Germany, U.K. and probably Holland , because they are excellent value. If you can't GoogleUp one , let ne know, and I will do so and post URL.
Good-Luck, PJB
 

TR-Flyer

Member
Hi Takev:
Watching your progress with interest. The Netherlands is the only place in Europe i've visited. Flew into Amsterdam on business in '91 and took the train to Antwerp. Great train, smooth, clean, on-time! Was really impressed with the station in Antwerp. Just a great structure and the barrel vaulted platform area had really interesting ironwork. Saw an article in a magazine a year or two ago that it had been cleaned and renovated. Looked really nice.

Three strong impressions i have from the train trip. The amount and creativity of the graffiti along the right of way, the way towns and such were built right up to the ROW and the amount of of home gardens backed up to the ROW. The fields of flowers in cultivation were neat as well.

Have fun,
Ted
 

takev

New Member
Hello TR-Flyer,

Ofcource you have been in two countries in europe then :) Amsterdam is in the Netherlands, Antwerp is in Belgium.

I've been to Antwerp station myself a few days last month, also for business. Most of the station floors are pretty nice, except the entrance, which is just a bear uneven concrete floor, I guess they will finish that with marble tiles, at some point.

As the station is build as a head station and if the trains would crash into, I guess the train would land in the center square.

This is probably why they have these incredible impressive buffers. It looks like if a train would slam into them with 50 miles an hour that it would stop it.

I've never seen these buffers anywhere else, last week I went to Den Haag, which is a head station in the netherlands. They have pretty solid buffers, but it will not stop a high speed train, but then this station is at street level and the concrete will stop it.
 

takev

New Member
This is a weird follow up.

I was just talking about the buffer will not stop a train in den haag.

Now, it seems today a train crashed through the buffers in den haag into a chocolade shop.

It happend earlier this day, but I didn't see the news yet.

Luckely noone got hurt.
 

TR-Flyer

Member
Hi Takev:
Thanks for the correction. Obviously i'm a provincial when it comes to the world. No offense meant. Just geography deficient. Didn't get a stamp in my passport from either.

Hope it turns out that all are well in the train incident. That's a rude way to stop a train, at any scale.

Regards,
Ted

"Mr. Frodo, if i take one more step, it'll be the farthest i've ever been from the Shire...."
 

takev

New Member
Hi TR,

I can understand that, it is so easy in EEG (european comunity) to travel between the countries that you won't notice it.

And as people in both the netherlands and belgium speak the same language you won't notice it really from the people either.

belgium is really interesting because their country is devided with a language boundary. In the north they speak dutch and in the south they speak french.

They are investigating why the train crashed. The chocolate shop probably needs to be rebuild.
 

takev

New Member
Here are some new pictures,

im000263.sized.jpg

I tried to sand down a piece of cork to make a "fast" curve. However it looks like it doesn't want to stay down, I guess I will have to do better.

im000264.sized.jpg

The sideline however is going very good, I tested it a bit and it is rather smooth.
 

Xaniel

Member
Great work, takev... but you've tested it? what about some pictures of it??? hehehe

Trains... I need trains... TRAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIINS!!!

sorry, got carried away...
 
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