Lėtzebuerger N-Bunn 69 ||
 

Alterations

 
Alterations

Couplings

   
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In the terminus station the locomotives have to be separated from the trains. In the goods station waggons must be fetched and parked. To make this possible Herkat uncouplers have been installed. They can be adjusted exactly into the right height.The Arnold standard coupling is in use.The uncoupling can only work if the vehicles stop exactly on top of the uncoupler. The locomotives have to drive with an extreme slowness.
 
       
 
If the waggon couplings have not the same height, I bend them carefully. Sometimes one has to work on the springs, so that the couplings rise easily. With elder waggons the coupling boxes may be too large and the whole waggon is raised. With newer waggons it may occur, that the couplings don't hardly move upwards. I then work with my miniature files. In order to do shunting, my last solution was to replace the whole chassis. Lately I simply put in a longer coupling.
 
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Covered Waggon Kw (G 10)

   
From the Brawa model I removed a small part of the chassis above the couplings with my Roco saw and my miniature files. With a 10/0 paint brush I put Humbrol 27 colour upon the white plastic. Within the coupling boxes I bent the small peg in the middle by 45 degrees upwards. Now my waggon is perfectly able to couple and with my Herkat uncouplers to uncouple on a straight track. The nervous stress to reput the springs of the coupling kinematics during the assemby however is quite important.
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Beerwaggons Kwf and Kw (G 10)

 
2 Arnold 4262 models received the chassis of the HN6353 and the Fleischmann 8591. To make the bodies suitable, I filed plastic from the crossbeams inside. The screw tubes were also shortened. On the new chassis I covered the original inscripions with black paint. Above the running boards I wrote CFL with Microscale 70101 letters. Finally the lateral part of the chassis received a thin Humbrol satin cote. I removed the brakerman's house from one body. The roof was filled with 0,75 mm plastic and a silver Microscale decal was placed upon.
 
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Open Waggon Es

   
I removed the shunting stepping boards on the chassis of the Roco 25084 model. A 0,3 mm hole was drilled next to the left buffer and the Weinert 6801 item was fixed with instant glue in gel. I painted the chassis and the Weinert parts with Humbrol 33 and sealed them with satin transparent colour. As I do a lot of shunting and as the coupling boxes are too close above the uncoupler, I installed the longer Minitrix E40062300 coupling. On the plastic support I glued crashed genuine coal.
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Tankwaggon Ukk

 
2 black plastic sheets of 0,5 X 10 X 3 mm were fixed to the chassis of the Minitrix 18084 model by instant glue in gel. After this I flatened the right buffer plate and painted the whole thing with Humbrol 33. All inscriptions of the original tank were removed with 1200 sandpaper. I developed new inscriptions and the Gulf logo with Adobe Illustrator and printed them by laser on 13 μm decals. Beneath the chassis inscriptions I fixed slightly smaller white 13 μm decals. I made the railings on the tank out of 0,4 mm wire and Evergreen stripes and painted them in black. The waggon was sealed with transparent satin colour.
 
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Passenger and luggage coach BD

   
In 1991 the Fleischmann model 8142 was equipped with two doors of 0,25 mm plastic sheets. It was painted in green and recieved Letraset lettering by Paul Gemmer. In 2022 I installed new bogies from 3Dprint4Moba. Thus the coach lies 1 mm deeper. A long Modellbahn Union standard coupling was plied upwards and its peg was shortened. From the waggon ground I removed the metal plate and by sawing and filing made place for 3 battery holders and a switch.These were glued onto a reinforced 0,5 mm sheet. The whole thing is fixed by 1 mm screws and nuts to the waggon.
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Thus the train has constant light current without the rolling resistance of sliding contacts. I drilled holes into a 0,5 mm plastic sheet and glued brass tubes on both sides. I soldered 5 Schönwitz 603 LED with cables onto 2 flex cables. These have been soldered to the cables of the 3Dprint4Moba magnetic couplings.This self-made light strip is fixed by screws onto the original Fleischmann angle irons. Thus the whole thing can easily be removed and replaced.
 
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There is no LED in the luggage compartment. Here I fixed 0,4 mm brass wire behind the 3 windows concerned. The window frames of the door are bended 0,4 mm wire. The steps beneath the door have been glued on to the bogie. The shunting steps are Weinert items. I painted the replaced parts with Humbrol colours. The shunting handles are Microscale decals. The passengers are "amputated" figures from many manufacturers. I designed train destination plates with Adobe Illustrator and printed them on white stickers.
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Passenger coach B

 
In 1991 the Fleischmann model received green painting and CFL letterings. In 2022 I installed 3Dprint4Moba bogies and magnetic couplings.  4 Schönwitz warm white LED have been switched in paralell and fixed on a self-made plate. The 3 switched in series 1,5 v batteries in the BD coach allow the operation of 20 LED. This is sufficient for a set of 4 coaches. In order to join the waggons correctly together, there are signs in red colour on the floors and on the couplings. I also glued 4 brass shunting steps to the B coach.
 
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Passenger coach AB

   
In 1991 the Fleischmann model received green painting. CFL lettering and yellow Microscale decal stripes had been applied. In 2022 I installed 3Dprint4Moba bogies. A long Modellbahn Union standard coupling was plied upwards and its peg was shortened. Inside I installed LEDs. An additional hole was drilled into the angle irons of all the coaches in order to fix LEDs into the compartments of the coach ends. A magnetic coupling is providing current. I painted the seats in blue and in red and glued figures upon.
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  Minitrix Turnouts

   
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The point motor is turned the other way round by putting a right motor on a left point. As the small red lever is not deep enough, the motor slides underneath. The point does not change its position.The turned point shows the small red lever. A thin and tiny plastic sheet is made with a cutter. It is glued with a drop of instant glue on a pin.
 
       
   
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The point is weathered and installed. You can see the tiny yellow sheet under the red lever. In order to stabilize the point motor, a support is installed and adjusted with the help of grey and yellow sheets. The installed motor lies in a perfect horizontal position. It works reliably. I made point levers out of wire and plastic parts. After this, the camouflage sheet is screwed on top of the hole.
 
       
   
       

Locomotives of the Series 450

   
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At the Diesel Festival in Fond-de-Gras I had taken photographs of the original from all sides. I took them into a Word document. I mesured the lenght and the width of the Minitrix V36 model. I added lines with these mesures as autoshapes into the document. I adapted the size of the photographs to the lines. Thus I could print the photographs in N-shape. From the Minitrix locomotive I removed parts of the roof, the sides and the back of the cabin with my cutting disc. With the help of the back photograph I cut and limed a gauge of plastic to manufacture the new cabin.
 
       
   
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The body was altered using Evergeen items. I filed the chassis at the places where te body has to be placed and painted it in black. From the connecting rod I removed the central bolt, cut the head off and fixed it with instant glue upon the rod. Thus the whole system wedges less and the engine runs smoother. I decorated with Plastikote spray, Microscale and Druckeronkel decals. I bended the railings out of 0,3 mm wire and fixed them with instant glue. The buffers come from my altered Roco/Fleischmann Brissonneau engines.
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Locomotives of the Series 800

   
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From the Arnold 5114 model I only used the body, the wheels and the couplings. The body received a cabin out of 0,25 mm plastic sheets. It was decorated with Plastikote 22105 and Microscale 87-1061 as well as 70106 decals. The logos were developed by Decalo de and printed by Druckeronkel de in high-end digital quality.The couplings were cut, filed and put together with instant glue. With the help of Fohrmann tools, I put the wheels upon the axles of the HN2259.
       
   
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I covered the chassis of the HN2259 at the sides and at the ends with 0,25 mm sheets. For the stairs I filed and glued Evergreen 153. The lamps are Evergreen 222. The tank was created  with  Evergreen 248 and 153. The chassis was decorated with Platikote 22100 and Microscale decals. The buffers are Kato K2880-25B.
I could use the Lifelike models 7867 and 7868 integrally. From the zinc chassis I removed a part at the rear. The door in the middle of the cabin has to reach the chassis.
 
       
   
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The hole in the chassis floor was filled with small plastic sheets at this place. The sides and the ends of the chassis were covered with 0,25 mm sheets. The stairs, the tanks and the lamps were made out of Evergreen elements. The body received a new cabin of 0,25 mm sheets. The models were decorated as formerly described. I removed 1 mm from the top of the Rapido couplings, so that they couple more easily with other vehicles. At my new 804 I put more weight into the tanks and the cabin using sheets of lead.
       
   
       

Locomotives of the Series 850 and 900

 
The Formula Sports Roco locomotive 210116 received a new, self-made, plastic chimney. The decoration stripes were removed with nail varnish remover. On the cabin I shut the inferior holes for the railings with Humbrol Modelfiller. The body, as well as the cabin, were painted wine red with Plastikote 22105 spray. The new stripes are Microscale New Haven 87-1061 decals of 5 inches. The numbers are Microscale 70106 Gothic Railroad Letters and Numbers Yellow. They were placed with Micro Set and Micro Sol. A transparent satin coat of Plastikote  was applied upon.
 
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From the railings I removed the inferior crossbeams with my miniature pliers. At the front and at the back their inferior part was painted in yellow. On the chassis I put small yellow stripes with decals near the stairs. Drim 3D buffers have been installed. The motor coals have been replaced. The collector, the gearwheels and the sliding contacts of the wheels and the bogies have been cleaned. The worms and the gearwheels have been oiled. The five pole motor turns rather slowly now and the slow driving performances are quite good. For optical reasons, I put Fleischmann 53717400 wheels. 
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Using the same method I also altered the 851 and 903. For the chimney I used an Evergreen 188 Strip, into which I drilled holes with my Proxxon. After this I used the file on it, so that it became slightly inclined to the top. The driving performances of the 851 were bad in spite of the 5pole motor. The gears of one of the bogies were jaming. One wheelset was not large enough and therefore had no lateral play. With Fohrmann special tools I tore the wheels slightly apart. My second MBM 854 received a black  chassis from the Fleischmann 931604, which was available in 2017. Adapting the cabin, I used the file on the roof and on the ancient chimneys.The holes for the lower crossbeams of the railings were closed with Humbrol Modelfiller.
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Certain engines of both series had boilers, which were removed in later years. Afterwards the rear cabin windows were seperated in the middle. The gasoline tanks were different too. For my latest alterations I tried to take these details into account. As always I used Evergreen profiles and sheet. The buffers come from TJ-Modeles. The decals are Microscale and Druckeronkel. Only a few CFL engines had doors at the front side of the motor hood. This led me to work with the file.
 
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Motorcoaches of the Series Z100

   

 

     
 
The Guarniero model N-D003 of the 105 motorcoach was at that time unable to run on the radius of my track spiral. Therefore I had removed the bogie flancs. In 2016 Guarniero offered  an edition with altered bogies. I inspired me on this. The upper parts of the bogies were cut with my Proxxon cutting disc and filed. In the bend neither the bogies nor the wheels are to touch the body. Afterwards the bogies received a black colour coat with the paint brush.
 
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Railcars of the Series Z150 and trailers of the Series RZ1050
 
At Shapeways I ordered 3D bodies. These are models of the trailer. For the use as a railcar I glued a funnel out of a sawn toothpick, 2 brass tubes as 3. frontlight, 2 plastic sheets beneath the filed out coupling holes and a grate under the window next to the toilet. As a chassis, the one of the Kato14-071-1 steetcar, was built in. I shortened it an glued sheets and spring imitations at the sides. On top, a part of the coat was sawn out in order to solder cables.
 
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With glued on sheets I made the toilet cabin. A switch for the N car System was inserted diagonally into the chassis, which was lenghtened with plastic sheets and adapted to the body. As lighting I use the Sabene-Modellbau SMIB45 item. It is fixed to the body roof by Evergreen profiles. To the chassis, rail clearers out of 0,3 mm plied wire have been fixed with instant glue in gel.
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For another railcar, I sawed and filed on the chassis of a Fleischmann trailer. The SB-Modellbau motor 42014 was fixed by screws and nuts beneath a thin sheet. I made the interior out of styrene parts. Lead plates bring more weight. I also glued rail clearers made of wire. A light board will be soldered. Behind the doors of the body, I glued small Evergreen stripes to establish the correct height.
   
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I built a railcar unit with permanently fixed trailer combining Fleischmann and SB-Modellbau elements. Between the vehicles I maintained the Fleischmann kinematics. At the end of the unit I originally installed a Peho shaft. The Fleischmann coupling bars have been thinned by filing. I soldered cables with microplugs to the light boards.These are lodged in the toilets. Thus the bodys may be easily removed.
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I made another railcar unit without a motor using Fleischmann parts. The chassis and interior fittings have been painted with Humbrol colours. I shortened miniature figures of many manufactorers and glued them inside. The bodies will be painted in black, white, brown and grey inside.
 
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I painted with Plastikote 22105 wine and Humbrol 64. Yellow lettering, silver stripes and window aerators are self designed decals, which were printed by Druckeronkel. After I had applied them to the body, I sprayed transparent satin Plastikote. Yellow Busch plastic sheets have been glued as curtains. I put flexible transparent stripes behind the front windows. For the other windows, rigid sheets have been placed upon the curtains.
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Railcar Z161 and Trailer RZ1061
   
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I only painted the top of the Fleischmann 74025 model in grey. At the bottom the DB inscriptions where removed with very fine sandpaper. By Adobe Illustrator I created the CFL letterings as vector graphics and had them printed as decals by Druckeronkel. The lateral windows are Piko ET40251-16 from the online shop. The weight of the chassis was increased by additional lead sheets as the Z161 has to pull 3 trailers up the helix.
       
   
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I bent the contact sheets of the trailers so that they press more firmly against the wheels. Thus the electrical contact has been improved.  In order to make exchanging the trailers easier, I bent a hook out of wire and fixed it so that it can vertically rotate. Thus the railcars may simply be linked to the trailers from the top.
 
       
   
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I painted the Shapeways body with Plastikote spray and Humbrol Enanmel colours. The silver parts are self-developped decals. The buffers were painted with Humbrol white colour. A transparent coat was applied as a finish.
       
   
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Motorcoaches of the Series Z200

   
       
 
I use the chassis of the Minitrix 12793 motorcoach. Wheels with tires have been replaced and all axles have brass cogwheels. When I could not find original Minitrix axles, I mounted Karin Hegermann U031/8802 items. The chassis have been extended by 3 mm at the rear. At the front I shortened them by 1 mm and filed them slightly on the sides. At one Minitrix circuit board I had to bridge the polyswitch by soldering a small cable.
 
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To make the bodies I used a Silhouette Plotter. Evergreen sheets 9010 and 9511 of 0,25 mm have been cut. 3 boards are glued one upon the other using Tamiya 87038 cement. The noses consist of three sheets with an additional length of 0,5 mm for each. They have been plied on a gauge and glued one upon the other. 
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In order to fix the noses and the sidewalls, I cut a 1 mm roofboard with the cutter and rounded it at the front by filing. A hole for the Minitrix circuit board has been installed. The roofboard was fixed 1 mm backward. Thus the front windows of the noses have a slight inclination. To fix the front buffers, I filed Evergreen boards and glued them outside the noses.
 
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The roof is a 1mm plastic sheet that was rounded by filing the front. Around I glued an Evergreen quarter round strip of 1,5 mm. The roof aerators are 1mm half round and 0,5 mm Evergreen strips. The chimney is a wooden toothpick. The 3 parts will later be painted in black, wine-red and grey. In the end they will be fixed together.
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The Minitrix train consists of 3 vehicles. The middle part has a motor and is slighty modified. Out of the other 2 vehicles I made a chassis with 2 couplings using a saw and instant glue. To cut thicker plastic boards I use the Micro-Mark "Duplicate it".
 
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To link both "Westwaggon" parts, I use the Modellbahn-Union N-A50055 bars. As bellows Roco parts 98443-NK, purchased at Spur N Teile DE are used. I am about to design the letterings with  Adobe Illustrator.
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Locomotives of the Series 1800

   
       
 
My MTE 1814 model has a grey chassis from the Brawa 61123. The wheels with pneus were replaced by 0008765.00. I removed the bogie flancs. In the Märklin online shop I ordered the  item 305216 for the Minitrix Nohab. I cut, filed and glued it on to the Brawa bogies. On the down sides of the Brawa chassis I glued 1 mm Busch plastic sheets. I adaptet their size with the file to the MTE resin body. I imitated the fuel tank beneath the loco with 0,3 mm Evergreen sheets. Sparerooms underneath the chassis were filled with lead sheets. Everything was painted with the brush and Humbrol enamel colours.
 
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With the 1803 I proceeded to almost the same alterations on the shorter Minitrix 2020 chassis. I sligtly lenghtened the bogies to the front. Longer couplins 0291-10 for the Arnold Uerdinger  were installed. Small Evergreen 0,3 mm sheets were fixed at the front and at the sides with instant glue. Afterwards the hollow spaces were filled with Stabilit Express and filed. On the sides of the bogies I fixed stairs made of 0,3 mm wire underneath the doors of the body. Inside the resine body I glued thin plastic sheets until it fitted perfectly with the chassis. With thin stripes of adhesive tape for photographs and cardboard the body was fixed upon the chassis.
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The Quarry Railway on Z Track

   
       
 
I built the locomotive using the B60 Busch model. The cabin was made of Busch sheets into witch I filed windows and doors.The ventilation grilles were made with the help of Evergreen stripes and wire mesh. The chimney is a brass pipe. The model was painted with Plastikote spray. The letterings are self-made decals. Because of the Busch magnet system metal sheets have to be placed underneath the tracks.
 
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The lorries were completey built out of Evergreen stripes and sheets. They were painted by the brush with Humbrol colours.The peaks of the Märklin 700810 wheels were abraded by the Proxxon. They were burnished and because of their weight, the vehicles run very well. With hooks plied out of 0,3 mm wire the locomotive and the lorries are tied together.
 
       

The Faller Car System

   
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The 162004 lorry was altered in order to deliver wine from the Moselle to the people. I filed  a Lemke Krupp Titan cabin  until it fitted  the Faller chassis. I painted my first alteration with the paint brush. The inscriptions were made in the Word programme of the PC. I printed them by ink-jet on white self-adhesive Micro Application film and on transparent Microscale decals. I placed them on to the lorry using Microscale products. In the end I sprayed a coat of Plasikote Clear Sealer.
 
       
   
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The Faller 162046 lorry received a few paintig improvements with the paint brush. The inscription is a self-adhesive Micro Application film. All the cars received license plates. They were made with Adobe Photoshop. I sprayed the Simon bus with Plastkote and lettered it with decals.The beer lorry is the Faller 162051 item. Again I filed on the cabin of a Lemke Büssing. The lorry was sprayed in two colours with Plastikote. The lower inscriptions are single letters of the Microscale programme.
       
   
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