From Russia with Love

John Cardwell wrote some excellent articles on the Russian toy trains published in the TCA Quarterly. Look up the index to find them.

Lew Schneider

THAT'S COOL

Carey Williams posted:

... no clue if it is suppose run on 60 cycle AC 

Russia is 50 Hz.... 

and these folks beat us to the moon? ...…

I must have slept through that one in 1969 !!!

Thank you all ..I'll check out TCAQ....... and yes space not moon ....  moon in is space ..but then we are also ....it was all staged anyhow ....filmed in AZ  cheers Carey 

Hello Carey:

I can't answer the questions you ask, but the Midwest Division TCA recently had one of our members do a presentation on the Russian trains you are asking about. Dr. Larry Poland, has a very large collection... and is all in operating condition.

If you send me you contact information I will pass it along to him and the two of you can get your answers.

Here is one picture of the recent presentation.

Charlie

Carey- I like the Russian locos, but I really like the locomotive behind it in your first picture (engine No. 41), what's the story on that one?

Back when I had my Russian set, I conversed with this gentleman a bit. Very helpful. http://www.davestrains.com/#Soviet

Steve

David Argent made a video about the Moskabel  ones he have (and made):

Regards

Fred

David Argent made a video about the Moskabel  ones he has (and made):

Regards

Fred

Hello all ..thank you for pointing me in the right direction (s) ....  I'll talk with Dr Poland at the next DuPage meet ... the western TCA divison site has quite a history about the Moskobel trains ...

http://www.tcawestern.org/moskobel.htm

...mine seems to be at the tail of the Stalin era and the beginning of the Khrushchev-era...  based on the paper label inside ...so early 60's . ...I try and cut off my collecting at 1955 ..so perhaps one day I can trade this one in one of the very early ones..1951-55. 

Ok engine  #41 ..... Warning: these next words contain the mention of two rail and scale.     #41 is a B Electric  first introduced to the O scale world in 1938  by  Thomas Bedell  of VT .....  later carried by Baldwin of CT , additionally marketed by Walthers post war 1946-50 +- ..then continued in the Baldwin catalog till 1960 -+ ...  The B Electric is a brick ...big and heavy, you put two motors in this monster and you are pulling everything you own .... scale yes but it dwarfs anything 1/4" ...and it's bigger than 17/64ths ( true scale for O gauge).   The box cabs ( diesel electrics) were a cheap way for folks to get into O scale in the mid 1930's, also they could turn tightly for those with less than a 4000 sq ft basement   ..... most commonly running with outside 3rd rail till 1940+ - ( 1940 was about the tipping point for the transition from outside 3rd rail to 2 rail in the scale world, for that point is the the tipping point for that little HO gauge rival to expand beyond the O gauge world , in the Model Railroad annual poles ).    

please see link for a B electric in action  running at the Milwaukee Model Railway Club , where it has run for 70 + years . 

https://ogrforum.com/...ad-club-of-milwaukee

Cheers Carey 

Carey Williams posted:

 ...6 pick ups !!!!!!!!! ( ok mine is missing a set on one of the pilot trucks  so only 4!)

 

 

 

I believe 4 is the correct # ---at least during some of the production.  I've seen several with just the 4 p/u's.  The extra ones on the pony truck are basically just to get it through the switches without Stalin... ha ha ha!

Does the screw hole on yours look disturbed, like the pickup used to be there?

Hello Ives1122  ( good looking engine) ... there is the remains of the clipped wire going to the "pick-less" truck .....so someone must have Stalin  the pickups ...  someone had been inside this engine ....  I needed to re-solder the wires on the reverse ..tighten the nuts holding the reverse together... etc ..it's a fun conversation piece..   

My set is on loan to the Virginia Museum Of Transportation. It’s in one of the upstairs model train displays.

Scott Smith

Those are so cool, neat to see stuff from Soviet era Russia.  I have a couple diecast tractors that are boxed and says right on the box "Made in the USSR"

Hi all,

I just got a Stalin era Moskabel locomotive (see attached). Unfortunately, the front end has become mis-aligned (how?). Is it possible to bend the metal to realign the two halves? What are these locomotives made from? Zamak? Bronze? Mine is very heavy and the material is very thick, about 2-3 mm!

@ati3414 posted:

Hi all,

I just got a Stalin era Moskabel locomotive (see attached). Unfortunately, the front end has become mis-aligned (how?). Is it possible to bend the metal to realign the two halves? What are these locomotives made from? Zamak? Bronze? Mine is very heavy and the material is very thick, about 2-3 mm!

Looks like yours was dropped and broke the cow catcher/skirting on the bent side.

Yes, the skirt is thinner, so it broke but the body is thicker so it bent. The question was if someone knows how to bend this material without breaking it.

Cool thread.  Thank you for sharing.

sncf231e thanks for sharing that video.  Very cool.  

Forgive me for asking, being new here, is your handle a nod to La Societe National des Chemins de Fer?  Just curious as I rode the TGV in ‘93.

yes

A very informative and interesting thread.  Thanks to all who contributed.

Former Русский Переводчик.

@Carey Williams posted:

...snip... Ok engine  #41 ..... Warning: these next words contain the mention of two rail and scale. ...snip...

Sorry, I just can not resist: !

Anyway, I have two (or three, I am not sure about one of them, an oil-electric) of the B-Lectrics. They are beasts; quite heavy and all wheels are powered.

Thanks Carey for showing your Soviet era trains on the OGR forum.

The Russian Railways of today put on a really neat show.  I always enjoy watching the videos of the trrains in motion on YouTube.  The red and grey color scheme is quite attractive too.

Re: Man in the Moon.  I assumed "the show" took place, not in space, but Area 51 in Nevada with help of Wernher von Braun and Walt Disney...?

Joe

@PRRMP54 posted:

Sorry, I just can not resist: !

Anyway, I have two (or three, I am not sure about one of them, an oil-electric) of the B-Lectrics. They are beasts; quite heavy and all wheels are powered.

Dave I just picked one up myself. Gonna be a bear to find a set of those oddball power trucks though!!

@Dennis Holler posted:

Dave I just picked one up myself. Gonna be a bear to find a set of those oddball power trucks though!!

Put an All Nation (or similar) drive in it, at least until you find the proper drive. Although you just might have to get another complete B-Lectric to get one!! A member of the long-gone WB&A Tractioneers did that to several of those International Models Japanese prototype electrics (ES444 maybe?) and they performed quite well.