Raising the Bar
I paid a visit to my local model emporium, Waltons of Altrincham, this afternoon, and something was loitering in the display cabinet with intent to ambush my credit card. It's Minitrix's newly released Swiss Am840.
This is the only main line diesel in my fleet (the other is a tiny shunting tractor from Arnold). With the Swiss railway network 100% electrified, SBB has few diesels, and they're not used for passenger or heavy freight work. It's what Americans would call a 'road switcher', used for heavy shunting, local freights, and works trains.
The model has to be the best N gauge loco I've yet seen. Not only is the detail and paint finish superb, but the mechanism puts Kato to shame. It's almost totally silent, and slows to a crawl even using my ancient Hammatt and Morgan "Duette" controller.
I wonder how long it will be before we see mass-market British outline N gauge models to this sort of standard?
Nice looking engine; I'm starting to chomp at building something...
Posted by: Scott on May 17, 2004 01:50 PMAncient is the word. I bought my last H&M Duette secondhand in 1984 for �5. Still working, of course, and your AM840 could pass for 00 in your excellent photo.
Posted by: James Hamilton on May 22, 2004 10:54 PMI realise my H&M Duette has seen a whole generation of full sized motive power come and go now!
Posted by: Tim Hall on May 23, 2004 10:55 PMCan anyone out there help me. I have recently acquired a Hammatt & Morgan Duette controller. Being a total beginner, I am not sure how to wire it up to my new trainset. Does anybody have a set of instructions that I could have a copy off, or alternativley some advice. My trainset is the new Hornby Virgin 125 and I have added the additional trackpacks A,B & C. The train currently stops on the inner loop. I understand that this can be resolved by buying another controller, but wondered if the H & M would do the same job.
Posted by: Andrew Parker on January 10, 2005 01:20 PM