Original page created on 13/10/2019.
VT11 5006 motor coach.
Reception
Composition
The Roco train consists of two sets, the first of four vehicles: a motor coach, two trailers and a dummy motor coach. The second is composed of three trailers, which gives the minimum service composition of seven vehicles. Era IIIc.
Coupling
The coupling is done without elongation; there is a system including coupling bars that snap onto the bogie pivots, and pivoting bellows mounted on springs, which compensates for distance variations between coaches. Too bad that these bellows are visible through the windows, very close to the ends, of type 5200 and 5400 coaches.
Mechanics
The motor coach has a metal chassis. It has, contrary to reality, two driving bogies, which explains that all its wheels are of the same diameter. The extreme rear axle is equipped with tyres.
The dummy motor coach has the same metal chassis and the same bogies as the actual motor coach, but without mechanical transmission parts.
Electricity
In direct current and without decoder, the motor starts at about 3 V. The lights are reversible, including on the dummy motor coach, but the light is very weak, even under 16 V. The lamps are incandescent.
There is no lighting in the trailers. However, all bogies can pick the current, with isolated half-axles rotating in conductive bearings. It is thus possible to feed each coach separately without electrical connection and without friction.
Miscellaneous
Some parts are to be mounted: rather thick TEE plastic signs to fit on the faces, “Parsifal” photoetched plates to stick on the restaurant coach, hand rails on all coaches.
Dismantling
Driving coaches
The cabin roof can be dismantled as indicated in the instructions. Watch out for windows that escape! This is sufficient to install a decoder. A Lenz Standard+ is enough for a DMU I don’t intend to operate in multiple working: there is no need to separate the white and red lights. Decoder’s C output will be used for the compartment lighting.
To separate the body from the metal chassis, two screws are to remove: at the front coupling and at the rear under the cab roof. There is an ambiguity of the instruction sheet that suggests that the chassis is snapped on the body while these two parts are screwed.
Trailers
The roof has three tenons on both sides. It is dismantled by passing a fingernail along the body’s top. This presents no particular difficulty.
It is the same to separate the chassis from the body. Here is a picture of the dismantled central corridor coach:
Hover over the picture to zoom.
Notice:
- spring-mounted bellows on a support snapped onto the chassis;
- the central crossing beams of the body hiding part of the interior, which will be inconvenient for lighting.