BR64

BR64

 This morning, a message from eBay led me to a seller of this model,  I bought it because it’s another “hopeless case.” Hopefully the process will be a learning curve of  how I can improve my BR64 – or maybe not. I share the pictures because they may be interesting for others, as they are for me. 

The thick shiny paint had to be removed, it defied all the usual thinners and a dunk in Dettol was needed. The result was not a total success, the plastic body suffered but the brass details survived.

 The mechanism had been updated with a very nice coreless motor-drive and decoder whilst the carrying wheels are Weinert RP25. Rather than continue with the original body, a bare body was obtained and most of the brass details swapped, the remaining bits were passed to a friend.

Certainly not as good as the Roco version but I am loyal to Fleischmann and it works.

 

This is a solution to the lack of coupling mounts from the late Wolfgang Popp, it should work with the BR64

Inspiration

Sachsen VT

Not so much a rescue more of a clean and upgrade of a bargain purchase of a Piko BR89.2, one of the few pre-‘90 Piko models that were significantly improved and then withdrawn from sale after just one release.

  

 

 

 

 

The Sächsische VT was originally built by the Sächsische Staatsbahn (Royal Saxon State Railways). When the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) formed, these engines were reclassified as the DR Class 89 (specifically DR-Baureihe 89.2). A total of 154 locomotives of the Class V T were built, extensive modifications to the design were made during this period. 

 

 

 

   

 

89 262 (built by Hartmann in 1901) in its final home base of Zwickau (Saxony). In 1923, the Deutsche Reichsbahn incorporated the Saxon Class V T into its numbering system as Class 89.2. Twenty-five locomotives of this class survived World War II and remained in shunting service with the East German DR until the 1960s. The last unit, 89 262, was withdrawn from service on June 23, 1966. None of the locomotives were preserved. 

 

Only an illustrated parts list is available from Sonneberg although there is a few spares, but the list does show a NEM 652 8-pin socket interface albeit with very limited space, a Zimo MX615R should be OK. 

 

I do not know the purpose of this item

The mystery is solved

 

 

The cover is back to front

 The model

Currently the 'weathering' is being gently swabbed with a cotton bud and Humbrol thinners, patience and persistence are priorities, whilst the body needs to be eased apart either side of the cab and lifted gently upwards to access the interior. Once cleaned and tested it will be put to work on Grafenwalde as a highly inappropriate loco but as the theme of layout is an ex-privatbahn within the DR and use of locos that had been sold out of service in the '30s only to be subsumed into the DR from '49 is entirely plausible.

 

 

The body has been replaced, the tags at the front have engaged with the footplate and it sits level. Most of the muck has been removed, the lettering is legible and the chassis is cleaner, the red paint has been repaired

Tim