French Rail Platforms Help Please!

[sveamore]

Hi Guys,
I know nothing about trains and am unfortunatly a steelhead (armour) 1/35 scale model builder who in his wisdom decided to build a withdrawl from Normandy diorama ( late August 1944) The problem is I have just scratch built part of a platform but wondered if I should have anything written on the sides of the platform. I have seen numbers there in the past on modern platforms and have no idea what they all mean? Would French platforms also have numbers, words, symbols? What would they be like? Does anybody have any period photos of them? Hoping some of you train buffs can help a guy out Thanks for any help you can throw my way.
Regards
Sven

 

[Bill Nelson]

help

Sven,

I personally can't help you here, I'm an American 1928 southern backwoods guy.


I haven't seen many European modelers here on Zealot. there are several model train lists @ Yahoo groups, I belong to three that are associated with american logging railroads, If nothing shows up here it may be worth your while to go to Yahoo groups, and do a search and see if there are any groups that are set up for European, or French modeling.

a French group may be the best resource, although there may be a translation issue, Sven, are you Scandinavian, or American of Scandinavian decent?


I'm a long time train modeler, I have learned some important lessons from military diomamists (is that a word?); especially, with modifying stuff, and weathering, as well as the historical research needed to get the details right ,

weather you find the info or not, please show us pictures.

Bill Nelson ( once Neilson Swedish-Norwegian), Clarksville TN. USA

 

[sveamore]

Hi Bill,
What a very nice reply, to answer some of your questions I can say that no I am not Scandinavian decent although my girlfriend is Danish. I am however half Dutch (Netherlands) and half New Zealander. This means half of me would like a beer but the other half doesn't want to pay for it OK, small joke there. Not sure if "dioramists" is a word or not but gee it does sound good;-)
Now about the Yahoo group thing, that is indeed helpful as I have had no idea there was such an option so will deffinitely check that out. As for the photo's, I am not very computer literate. I keep getting a pop up that says "please enter the URL of your image" which has me scratching my head. Can happily email you some if you would like or maybe some advice on what I need to do to upload them? Thank you for replying and your help Bill, it is very much appreciated.
Regards
Sven.
ps: The 'son' part of 'Neilson' gave you away as Swedish or Norwegian decent as Danish is 'sen' (Neilsen) That's a genrally a good way to tell Danish v Swedish/Norge if your reading it, (son v sen)

 

[Bill Nelson]

Hi Bill,
I am however half Dutch (Netherlands) and half New Zealander. This means half of me would like a beer but the other half doesn't want to pay for it .. . .. .. ... ... . As for the photo's, I am not very computer literate. I keep getting a pop up that says "please enter the URL of your image" which has me scratching my head. Can happily email you some if you would like or maybe some advice on what I need to do to upload them? Thank you for replying and your help Bill, it is very much appreciated.
Regards
Sven.



Sven,


My Mother's maiden name is Vandyke, and I resemble that remark.


To upload pictures, scroll down from the reply to thread window , and there is a manage attachments button. you click on that and it brings a little window up. the top line in that window says upload an image from your computer. if you click on the browse bitton, it brings up a list of stuff on your desk top. The different formats accepted are listed along with file size limits. I use a graphics program (graphic converter, to shrink the files down to and acceptable size). Most of my stuff is in the logging minning and industrial subdivision under model railroading.

Good luck with your search.


Bill Nelson

 

[sveamore]

Hi Bill,
Hopefully here are a couple of photo's of the diorama as it progresses. My battery is on charge at the moment but I will snap & post a couple of my Kriegslocomotive with tender shots hopefully tomorrow...providing I have done this all correctly? Called 'Exodus' it is on 3 levels with the 1st level having the majority of the work done on it thus far. The 2nd level which train buffs will enjoy will ultimately hold that BR52, tender (both finished) and an enclosed boxcar with wounded pouring out. Their will be an additional train line (part of) in front of this which will hold 2 flatbeds with a couple of tanks on them. Currently the rail road tracks are somewhere in the post, so early days, although I have logged in excess of 5 months work to date. Hope you enjoy, sorry the photo's couldn't be more train orientated until tomorrow.
All the best.
Regards
Sven.
ps: Have found a shot of the train! It's the one entitled overview...at least it something
pps: I have just come back from looking at your photo's and am sutiably impressed. That wooden bridge knocked my socks off for sure! I admit I am having trouble getting my head around the size as us 1/35 scale guys tend to do things bigger but on a much, much smaller frame. My dio comes in at 100cm x 60cm which is proberbly only one of your corners Great work Bill, we have a great hobby in model making. Thank you for sharing.

 

[Bill Nelson]

nice work.

That is some nice work Sven. the detail; on those 1/35 military figures is awesome, and when they are painted well, as yours are they are very impressive, as are the other details.

as you have mentioned the size of the projects are very different from what I'm doing. my model trains inhabit a 15 foot by 21 foot room, which is filled up with five levels. some of the models are over 30 years old, having been built when I was a kid. With model trains, you tend to abandon and replace your worst work, and recycle your best, so when you have been doing this for over forty years as I have you can have a big pile of good stuff to use, unless you change your time period ot theme.


Bill Nelson

 

[Doctor G]

Period pictures of French RR station and platform

Hi Sven,

That is a great military diorama you are doing!! I like the painted figures and the camouflaged steam locomotive.

I am always looking for French Rail Road signs for my Haitian (former French colony) sugar railroad set in 1920 Haiti. You can see my models at /www.zealot.com/forum//showthread.php?t=166728

I use google images a lot and here are some period pictures of French Rail Road stations and platforms from the 1930's and 1942.

I hope this helps you.

Dr Tom

 

[sveamore]

Hi Tom,
Thanks a bunch for the photo's, everything helps flor sure, much appreciated. Have just got back online and am out the door right now but will check out the website of your models today when I get home. By for now

 

[Badyin Macfadyi]

Sven, try searching images using "Perron Chemins de fer guerre gares" as the search words.
In the UK there is a group modelling French Railways IIRC. They probably ave an ad in Continental Modeller if you can get hold of a copy.

De groeten van Limburg

(If you think you're mean; I'm a Scot who has lived near Maastricht for more than 30 years. I'm too cheap to go home)

 

[sveamore]

(If you think you're mean; I'm a Scot who has lived near Maastricht for more than 30 years. I'm too cheap to go home)[/quote]

Thanks for the great tip, will check that out immediately. As for being Scottish and too cheap to go home...that is a riot! I honestly laughed out loud, very funny there, very funny indeed. I work with a guy from Glasgow, can't actually understand him half the time but I will have to pass on your humour to him for sure. Thanks for the help.
Regards
Sven
ps: I hailed from Rotterdam, we love that harsh 'w' sound a little too much I think.
Tot Zo

 

[SHUSSBAR]

French

Hi ,
I am not a railroad or display modelist or anywhere close to have the talent you exhibited in your pictures, but ..i speak French I can help you if you need to with translation.

I found some good french web site with pictures of train station in Normanday but since i am new here, I have to post 15 messages before being allowed to post links??? Knd of ridiculous.

Lets see if we can go around that interdication : In the link below replace the * by a .
www*photorail*fr/search/lvdr_phototek

There is a photobank and i did a quick search with FALAISE and it returned some pics. You can try with other city names in Normandy may be it will give you some ideas.

www*photorail*fr/search/lvdr_phototek/FALAISE

Check also Historail:
www*vdr-multimedia*com/prepresse/flash_HR_last.php

and www*laviedurail.com

My turn to ask a question. I have some Lionel postwar trains that I d like to sell, what is the best way to proceed? Do you know of any pricing guide?

Thanks

 

[sveamore]

Hi,
Thanks for your help and your offer too of course. I liked those links immensely and some of those photo's...wow. As for helping you with your own question all I can say I'm afraid is that I am not actually a train buff and really have little to any knowledge of trains at all. I am building my diorama with the Kriegslocomotive because I liked the look of the kit but had no knowledge of any train types prior to this outside of the words 'steam' and 'locomotive' in the same sentence. I really wish I could help you, unfortunatly I simply do not have that knowledge to do so. I can suggest that maybe you start a thread on this site asking other people who would be able to point you in the right direction or maybe ring a local hobby (train) store and ask if they might know? Failing all that Google it but try another countries Google as they always have better local imput as an alternative. Hope some of that helps.
Regards
Sven.