Art in Scale: Railcar Breda Metre gauge (ΣΘ./ΣΒΔΕ) 1/87

[kostas_bakelas]

THE ORIGINAL BREDA Aln 699T:
(Some more information for our English and German speaking friends).

A few words about the prototype:
This Railcar was placed in order by the then Thessalian railways. It was similar in design to those rail vehicles that were already in service in the neighbour country (Italy). They were used in the Volos- Kalambaka and Volos Larissa metre gauge lines. They had no 1st class compartment, so sometimes it was essential at the time to couple a small first class passenger waggon behind the railcar. This way all passengers travelling first class, could travel separately. In 1955 the thessalian railways were acquired by the greek state railways. At the same time the Volos Larissa metre gauge line was converted to international standard gauge (1,435mm). These railcars continued their travelling on the metre gauge network since then and until 1995. Till the end of their service life, most of those railcars have been in perfect working condition - thanks to the efforts of the dedicated railway personnel. In 1977 the A-10 was totally destroyed, - following a disastrous fire that broke out - and eventually scrapped. Another unusual story covers the the Railcar number A15, which seemingly transported and delivered by the italians, doesn't appear anywhere – even on the official documents; at least not after the year 1976. Three almost identical vehicles had meanwhile been ordered for the Kryoneri-Agrinion line, where they were in service until the line has been finally closed down. Soon after they were transported to Thessaly where they remained in service.Ttwo of them were used as waggons after their engines have been removed. Today most of them have been scrapped Text source: Sidirotrochia Volume 4 - Article by Mr. Koutelidis – English and German translation by: Kostas Bakelas).

Ein paar Wörter zum Vorbild: Dieser Triebwagen wurden von den ehemaligen Thessalischen Eisenbahnen - nach Vorbild in dem Nachbarland ähnlichen verkehrten Typen - bestellt. Sie wurden in der Strecke Volos-Kalambaka und Volos – Larissa (dann noch Meterspurig) eingesetzt. Da sie über keine 1. Klasse verfügten, war es in diesem Fall erforderlich ein kleines Erstklassiges Waggon hinter dem Triebwagen anzukoppeln, damit die Fahrgäste der 1. Klasse separat fahren konnten. Im Jahre 1955 wurden die Thessalischen Eisenbahnen von den SEK übernommen und gleich eingebunden. Die Strecke Volos-Larissa wurde gleichzeitig von 1,000mm. auf 1,453mm umgespurt (Normalspur). Seitdem und bis einschließlich 1995, verkehrten diese Triebwagen regelmäßig auf der noch meterspurigen Strecke von Volos bis Kalambaka und der Mühe des Eisenbahnpersonals wegen, befanden sich die TW bis ans Ende ihrer Dienstleistung in perfektem Betriebszustand. Im Jahre 1977 wurde Der Tw A-10 mit Totalschaden wegen eines Feuerausbruchs endgültig ausrangiert und entsorgt. Eine seltsame Ereignis ist jedoch, dass obwohl der TW A-15 als erhalten und zugelassen von der Griechischen Eisenbahnen schien, war auf den offiziellen Papieren nicht zu sehen – zumindest nicht seit 1976. Drei fast identische Triebwagen verkehrten auf der Strecke Kryoneri-Agrinio (ehemlg. SBDE Strecke) und nach ihrer Stilllegung wurden sie nach Volos transportiert, wo zwei von ihnen auf Transportwagen ohne Antrieb umgebaut wurden und der Eine war - und bleibt immer noch heute - ausgemustert. Die meisten dieser historischen Triebwagen wurden mit der Laufe der Zeit skrappiert und ggf. verkauft. (Quelle: Sidirotrochia Heft 4 - Artikel von Herrn Koutelidis - Übersetzung ins Englische und Deutsche: Kostas Bakelas).

[kostas_bakelas]

THE MODEL BREDA Aln 669T

Model Description:
Type: Breda Aln 669 T model 1/87 HO meter gauge (12mm.)
Variants: Three variants (Thessaly, SVDE, Italian in their respective liveries and minor changes in design)
Manufacturer: Art in Scale – Kostas Bakelas Models
Year of manufacture: 2015
Category: Lummerland series – Rail models

Contruction materials:
Main body frame, chassis, bogies, internal floor with seats, engine block, doors and most accessories and small parts made of resin plastic. Some parts made of styrene plastic and metal (brass). Contacts made of reenforced copper plate.

Colours / Paint:
Mostly Acrylic, laquers, and enamel colours are used.

Wheels:
4 Axles (2 Axles per bogie) – Metal.

Current pickup:
All 8 wheels are active.

Drive:
Halling Motor and cardan transmission mechanism to one bogie (Standard version).

Lighting:
3 Headlights (2 side / 1 Head) – two side rear / tail lights in each direction. Series of internal passenger cabin lighting with 12 Leds. (Standard version)

Voltage:
0 – 16 Volts D.C. (Standard version)

Price:
Analogue/standad motorized version 480,- Euro.
Dummy version (for display, purposes, double traction, etc.) 320,- Euro.
Model Kit version (scheduled / to be announced and only in dummy version).

Delivering time:
Generally speaking, I can deliver the Bredas Aln669T within two weeks time (10 working days) provided that a. there is a normal flow of work and b.I have all materials necessary available (e.g. financial problems in our bank system in the past, prevented me from importing mechanisms, resins and have caused delays in deliveries.).

Shipping:
Transport/Shipping costs vary, but according to previous experience of transport within the EU it shouldn't exceed 6-8 Euros. 

Add-ons and optionals:
Digital Drive: A digital decoder (Viessmann or one of your choice) can be installed (plus 25 Euros)
Extra motor: A second motor can be installed - customer's request (plus 37 Euros)
Sound: Has not been tested yet. As soon as I have results, it will be announced.
Extras: There are some other options - such as installation of seated passenger figures, extra lighting in digital mode, some windows open, or even doors - that can be discussed - upon customers' request.

Support: Service pack I & II (future announcements): Potential corrections / additions / upgrades. To be announced.

Should you require more information, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.  

Best regards to all
Kostas

[Andreas]

Dear Kostas,

I find the information that you provide and your transparency will be appreciated, and firstly from me because you heard my pleas! Thank you so much.

The information is more than good. I would still would like one picture for each variant you make beacuse I, still do not know which is which. I always thought f.e. that the SVDE variants were initially "shit" brown . Please do that for reference purposes. I want to see how I can sqeeze one in my finances of 2016 but I think I will manage it. For me a Thessaly one would be interesting but in 1950s livery (original) and I dont understand if you produce it. That why it will be helpful if you visualise all the versions with a short text.

Now, before somebody talks about the prices, I have to say that I find your price fair for a RTR model.

Kind Regards
Andreas

P.S. Kostas, we have met in the past when you were living in Worfelden. I am the guy from Kalamata that was then in Germany and you visited me in Geisenheim in 2002. Do you remember?

[kostas_bakelas]

Hi Andreas,

of course I remember the time we met, but I think it was 2001 not 2002. Anyway I doesn't make any difference... Andreas Kapaklis if I'm not mistaken

So, I think you're right I will have to make some things clear concerning the railcar.

At first the automotrices have been transported to us (in the war compensation programme), in brown/dark brown livery like most of italian origin railcars and locomotives. While there are a couple of black & white pictures that depict this variant (e.g. at Kryoneri Anleger, or in Messolonghi), still there is only one picture that shows it in colour. This was taken in Messolongi central station by george Nathenas (if Im not mistaken). These automotrices were in service at the Athens Lavrion line for about 6 months, before they were finally transported to SVDE line. There they had their colour changed from Brown/dark brown to blue/vermont/silver.

These photos show clearly the new colour scheme...

[kostas_bakelas]

... the blue/vermont ones were then transported to Thessaly where they remained for the rest of their service lives...

The Thessalian ones were slightly differenr in colour and design. They hat a small canteen inside, double sliding "bus type" doors and air ventilation exhausts on the roof. Their colours were Blue/White wth red stripes in front and aft sections and yellow stripes.

[Georgegala]

THE ORIGINAL BREDA Aln 699T:
(Some more information for our English and German speaking friends).

A few words about the prototype:
This Railcar was placed in order by the then Thessalian railways. It was similar in design to those rail vehicles that were already in service in the neighbour country (Italy). They were used in the Volos- Kalambaka and Volos Larissa metre gauge lines. They had no 1st class compartment, so sometimes it was essential at the time to couple a small first class passenger waggon behind the railcar. This way all passengers travelling first class, could travel separately. In 1955 the thessalian railways were acquired by the greek state railways. At the same time the Volos Larissa metre gauge line was converted to international standard gauge (1,435mm). These railcars continued their travelling on the metre gauge network since then and until 1995. Till the end of their service life, most of those railcars have been in perfect working condition - thanks to the efforts of the dedicated railway personnel. In 1977 the A-10 was totally destroyed, - following a disastrous fire that broke out - and eventually scrapped. Another unusual story covers the the Railcar number A15, which seemingly transported and delivered by the italians, doesn't appear anywhere – even on the official documents; at least not after the year 1976. Three almost identical vehicles had meanwhile been ordered for the Kryoneri-Agrinion line, where they were in service until the line has been finally closed down. Soon after they were transported to Thessaly where they remained in service.Ttwo of them were used as waggons after their engines have been removed. Today most of them have been scrapped Text source: Sidirotrochia Volume 4 - Article by Mr. Koutelidis – English and German translation by: Kostas Bakelas).

Ein paar Wörter zum Vorbild: Dieser Triebwagen wurden von den ehemaligen Thessalischen Eisenbahnen - nach Vorbild in dem Nachbarland ähnlichen verkehrten Typen - bestellt. Sie wurden in der Strecke Volos-Kalambaka und Volos – Larissa (dann noch Meterspurig) eingesetzt. Da sie über keine 1. Klasse verfügten, war es in diesem Fall erforderlich ein kleines Erstklassiges Waggon hinter dem Triebwagen anzukoppeln, damit die Fahrgäste der 1. Klasse separat fahren konnten. Im Jahre 1955 wurden die Thessalischen Eisenbahnen von den SEK übernommen und gleich eingebunden. Die Strecke Volos-Larissa wurde gleichzeitig von 1,000mm. auf 1,453mm umgespurt (Normalspur). Seitdem und bis einschließlich 1995, verkehrten diese Triebwagen regelmäßig auf der noch meterspurigen Strecke von Volos bis Kalambaka und der Mühe des Eisenbahnpersonals wegen, befanden sich die TW bis ans Ende ihrer Dienstleistung in perfektem Betriebszustand. Im Jahre 1977 wurde Der Tw A-10 mit Totalschaden wegen eines Feuerausbruchs endgültig ausrangiert und entsorgt. Eine seltsame Ereignis ist jedoch, dass obwohl der TW A-15 als erhalten und zugelassen von der Griechischen Eisenbahnen schien, war auf den offiziellen Papieren nicht zu sehen – zumindest nicht seit 1976. Drei fast identische Triebwagen verkehrten auf der Strecke Kryoneri-Agrinio (ehemlg. SBDE Strecke) und nach ihrer Stilllegung wurden sie nach Volos transportiert, wo zwei von ihnen auf Transportwagen ohne Antrieb umgebaut wurden und der Eine war - und bleibt immer noch heute - ausgemustert. Die meisten dieser historischen Triebwagen wurden mit der Laufe der Zeit skrappiert und ggf. verkauft. (Quelle: Sidirotrochia Heft 4 - Artikel von Herrn Koutelidis - Übersetzung ins Englische und Deutsche: Kostas Bakelas).

Very informative, Kostas, but note some corrections;

-A15 was not built at all (I thought the same thing that you have written but I was wrong).
-They were not in perfect condition during their last service years.After 1975 when a railcar stopped working, its parts were taken εκ σκυλεύσεως for the other railcars to be repaired.A 3 and A14 remained after 1990.A3 was scrapped in Volos, year unknown.
-The last one working was A14, now in Velestino in acceptable condition.
-Only one SVDE Breda remains in Enotiki now.
-As for the first class, during their first years in Thessaly the wagon was between two railcars, as there were three car compositions back then.
-SVDE Bredas had serviced in Lavrio and Peloponnese line before going to Thessaly, where their engines were officially removed during the conversion, together with the front conversion, the buffers change , etc.