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I *believe* lots of people around the world model US railroads/railroading. I was just looking at a real nice model railroad by a guy in Sweden ... a UP western US layout with AC44's and such.

 

But, do many Americans run trains from another land? MTH sells them, right?

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Originally Posted by EBT Jim:

I *believe* lots of people around the world model US railroads/railroading. I was just looking at a real nice model railroad by a guy in Sweden ... a UP western US layout with AC44's and such.

 

But, do many Americans run trains from another land? MTH sells them, right?

As do Roco, Fleishmann, Marklin, Trix, Bemo, LGB, etc.

 

There's a US based organization devoted to them, the European Train Enthusiasts.

 

Here's some images from the All American Railroad Show 2014 where the Chicagoland Chapter exhibited:

rHW 030114 01

rHW 030114 02

rHW 030114 04

 

And they can run Marklin stud AC, conventional 2 rail DC, DCC, and off overhead all on the same track.

 

They keep trying to rope me in...

 

Rusty

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Last edited by Rusty Traque

To clarify my previous post, I much as I would love to have one of the new MTH German "BR-44" (when ever it comes out), 2-10-0 3-cylinder locomotive models, having witnessed the real ones, the "European" models are NOT 1/48. The "European" models are something like 1/43 and thus look noticeably larger when placed next to a U.S. model steam locomotive at 1/48.

NO only because of a limited budget. I am staying focused on American Trains. I would love to have a model of the Orient express though.

 

I wonder if MTH will expand into current HST trainsets for the European market.

Just to update , in Jan 2016, Aaron city trains had a blowout of the MTH br princess coronation Pacific steam engine. The price was too good to be true but I got it. Later that year, I picked up the MTH L.M.S. maroon coach set and the two pack add on cars. While I still don't model European, I now have at least one passenger set. Reminds me of my cousin's in London. Cheers!

Last edited by prrhorseshoecurve

Well, MTH sells models (usually 1:43 scale) of European locos.  I have a lovely French 241.A (a 4-8-2) Chapelon, which is one the best models I have and has the best whistle of any loco I have ever heard, a wonderful reproduction of the very shrill, penetrating Eurpoean steam loco whistle.

 

But that is still an American product, if of a Europoean loco.

 

I have only one European O-gauge model train.  A Darsted 2-6-2, tinplate tank engine. Even though it is tinplate, it is really much more model than toy - it looks quite real.   It is 1:43 scale and quite nice to look at.  It was delivered as a 3-rail DC loco - a weird thing indeed, although I converted it to AC with a rectifier installed, and has no electronics or sound and is by far the noisiest (gear and rolling noise) toy loco I have ever heard.  I don't run it, but just display it here in my study.

 

 

DSCN0895

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My original concept for a layout when i was into G scale was to create a fictional US Army RR operating unit, stateside. The other half of the layout would take place at the end of WW2 In Germany and would get the use of all the LGB german stuff.

For a short while, when I went to On30, I considered the same concept, which meant I could have used a lot of 1/48 scale stuff for military modelers, but never did so.

I've chased trains in Germany and the Netherlands years back, so I will always have an affinity for trains from those countries.

But no, I don't model European, though I see the appeal.

the only thing i've got is my lionel hogwarts express.  the engine was nicer than i thought, considering the horror story reviews i read online.  but i think this'll be the only european item in my collection.  didn't plan on buying it, but found the whole set for $60 on ebay, so i couldn't pass it up

I do in both O and HO.  In fact, my last minute Christmas display features most of my HO European stuff.  From Hornby, I have two OO scale LNER locos (A1 Flying Scotsman and J83 0-6-0T) and three LNER coaches.  From Roco I have a DB Era III BR57 0-10-0 (not running on the display because it needs a DCC decoder) and a DB Era III set of eight goods wagons.  I'll post pics and videos later.

In O gauge, I have the Lionel Shakespeare Express, and have already expressed my desire for the MTH Orient Express equipment more than once.
Originally Posted by Miketg:

I run European and have a ten by twenty foot modular two rail layout. I have Lenz, MTH, Rivarossi, Lima, Brawa, and lots of other European brands running on it.(I posted some pics and videos of it quite a while back.) I also collect tinplate French Hornby in addition to my Lionel Postwar trains. All the best, Miketg, ps I have fixed the leaning lamppost since this photo was taken.

image

 

I like European trains. I have MTH, ETS, and Merkur Euro trains, and I have bought a number of steam-era 1/43 die-cast cars and trucks so I can make my layout look more European when I'm running them. 

 

I have three MTH Euro locomotives and matching trains - the French 241A steamer with the Orient Express, a Swiss Crocodile with 4-wheel boxcars and beer reefers, and a modern Swiss Cargo electric with a string of tank cars. 

 

I also have a fairly extensive collection of ETS 3-rail trains, which come from the Czech Republic. These are tinplate and include some prototypes that you cannot find anywhere else, such as the Beyer-Garratt steam engines and the Seetal "baby" Swiss Crocodile. ETS makes a large assortment of nicely decorated beer cars and wine barrel cars, which are among my favorites. 

 

 ETS Beer Train

beertrain

 

 

ETS Seetal Crocodile

ETS Seetal 2

 

 

ETS with Wine Barrel Cars

Wine_1

 

 

Top: ETS Czech diesel switcher with beer cars. Middle: ETS Garratt with wine barrel cars.

Beer & Wine Trains

 

 

MTH electric with Euro tank cars

Swiss Cargo in Arizona 2

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Presently, I am modeling a modern freight/passenger type layout. Nothing remotely European about my railroad. However, I did a modern European railroad in "G" gauge and had 5 modern Taurus locomotives. Two of which ran counter opposing. I had one 8 foot track and one 6 foot track. The Piko Taurus can run minimum 6 foot and is quite impressive when pulling a modern consist of German freight cars. I had some of the best of the best as far as that goes. Piko, LGB.

 

I wanted to model in O, but found little in the way of really modern. I even had one ICE (Inner City Express) high speed train in G on that layout. It was really quite impressive. With snow covered fur trees it looked like a typical Austrian/ German ski village scene.

 

I love all trains period regardless of where they originate from.

 

Pete

I've got some Riverossi and Pola-Maxi O scale trains that I picked up in Germany back in the 70's, also some Marklin HO.  I'd like to have a MTH Krokodil or the 2-10-0, but the budget is taken up by layout construction right now.  Maybe someday.  

BTW, the scale size difference is minimized by the smaller loading gauges of Europe and the UK.

Last edited by John23

The layout I work on with my daughter is British prototype "OO" scale (1:76) equipment. I've always been kind of an Anglophile, and it just appeals to me. I even have one of Hornby's live steam Mallards in OO. That's a pretty cool piece of engineering. (My unboxing video here if you're interested, and a rather wobbly one of it running here.)

 

I also have several pieces of British N, though no layout to go with it. Someday I will build a small shelf layout with it.

 

I've seen some really beautiful British O (including these amazing Mallards) but they are too rich for my blood. I've been tempted to build a couple of the wagon kits from Parkside Dundas, as they are reasonably priced, but then I'd have nothing to pull them. Maybe sometime.

 

Fred

Thanks to everyone for this topic.  I thought I was the only one.  Although I haven't yet set anything up, I have British OO, Ace & Darstaed O, and some ETS, and I subscribe to Railway Modeller.  I'm thinking of building a small British-style OO layout - not just British prototype, but designed in a manner similar to what is popular in England.

 

For me, it started with visits to the National Railway Museum and several heritage railways in England and Wales.  The amount of passion that the English have for trains is amazing. 

I always thought they were interesting to look & I like them, but my layouts are heavily based on local railroads, industry, & whatnot, so that stuff would not fit in at all. I like all the videos on Youtube from guys overseas that model their own trains & I also like their interpretation of modeling US subjects. All very interesting. I wouldn't mind displaying a beautiful British steam engine or something, but they're too nice & too expensive to let it just sit there.  

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