Voie Libre international No.112

January, february, march 2023 Editorial #112 LOTS OF... GOOD RESOLUTIONS As a new year starts, it is customary to take a host of good resolutions. This year will be no exception. We promise to describe lots of attractive creations, to build lots of fine trains, to discover lots of fine layouts. We also promise to build kits, to learn lots of tricks of the trade, to take advantage of all the new releases. In summary, we promise to continue doing what we are good at. So in actual fact, when it comes to good resolutions, what we shall stick by is to do even better than last year. To that end, the entire Voie Libre team has a full head of steam. And we all wish you a happy and prosperous 2023. François Fontana…

IIF The Modellbahnmanufaktur Crottendorf company has released a new vehicle in Ilf scale. This is a truck developed for the Heeresfeldeisenbahn during WWI, of which several thousand units were built. Some are still in existence today and even used on museum lines, The "Förderbahnwagen" kit consists of brass and metal castings and is designed for gauges ranging from 26.7mm to 32mm, The small number of parts is quickly assembled using glue. It is pleasing to see this company enter the market of field railways. Uwe Haab BEMO: NEW DRIVING MECHANISMS Following on from the new «modernized» versions of the driving chassis of the Ge 4/4 I and II units, Bemo is now marketing under ref.1354018 driving chassis for the Rhaetian Railways Ge 6/6 II 701 to 707 units, meaning the BBB locomotives of 1958…

H0-9 /009 SCENERY MODELU3D: DRIVING CREWS FOR YOUR ENGINES What with Prince and Princess from PECO and the four types of engines produced by Bachmann Europe, the industrial production of narrow gauge locomotives is expanding nicely in the U.K. Continuing what he had already done for standard gauge, Allan Butler of Modelu3D has launched a new range of figures specially designed for narrow gauge. Driving crews are already available for the Bachmann 4-6-0 and Fairlie engines, as well as for the PECO Small England locomotives. Each reference consists of a driver and fireman, scanned and 3D printed in attitudes that make them easy to fit into the engine cabs. Supplied with their printing sprues, these figures require a small amount of preparatory work before being painted with water-based acrylics. Painting figures was…

FRENCH NARROW GAUGE - WITH A BRITISH FLAVOUR! After having brought up to date his father Patrick's books dedicated to British narrow gauge (see VL 97 and VL102), Michael Whitehouse, in partnership with Peter Lemmey, has added a third volume dealing with French narrow gauge railways. From the 1950s, France and its numerous métré gauge networks was considered by many British enthusiasts as a kind of eldorado. With caméras at the ready, alone or in groups, they toured France seeking trains, but also, it seems, station buffets! A number of these trips were the subject of illustrated articles published in magazines. Michael Whitehouse has compiled several of them, adding some more recent points of view from contemporary authors such as our contributor Geoffrey Nickson. A final chapter provides portraits of the…

THE MODEL AT A GLANCE Manufacturer: Bachmann Scale: 009.1/76, 9mm gauge Socket for Next 18 décoder Price: purchase + VAT + postage + customs €219 We had been awaiting with some impatience the small Dinorwic Quarry Hunslet 0-4-0 saddle tanks announced last year, but actually, it is the larger, Penrhyn Quarry models, which had not been announced, that have been released... a delightful surprise! AT FIRST SIGHT Delightful indeed if you are a fan of saddle tank locomotives, of industrial engines, of machines that are a bit out of the ordinary. With their angled cylinders, their incredible overhang, their coupling rods located outside the driving rods, these engines have avery peculiar appearance. The 009 model is per fectly accurate, the lining is incredibly fine, the livery spot-on - in particular the steam dome -…

L'ATELIER DU TACOT Atelierdutacot2@free.fr 20, 36 and 48 ton combinations (four trucks): €59.00 plus postage 10,18 and 24 ton combinations (two trucks): €30.00 plus postage 1896 type 10,000 litre tank: €35.00 plus postage Loads: €5.00 Planned at the outset as a construction service for rolling stock kits, the Atelier du Tacot has beconre Pascal Boivin’s main professional activity. He has decided to launch a range of kits of 60cm gauge rolling stock. To ensure compatibility with existing artisan or industrial productions, in particular British, he has opted for 1/76 scale. For his first models, Pascal has gone back to the sources of Prosper Péchot’s military System. Originally the Péchot stock was mainly destined to easily move around very heavy loads, such as artillery pieces. He imagined a whole range of 4,6 or 8-wheeler wagons that could be…