Original page created on 19/10/2015; updated on 08/04/2023.
Roco 63079
Trans Europ Express RGP (Relation à grand parcours) single-engine X 2778 with trailer XR 7775
Coach | Number | Revision - Depot |
Motor unit | X 2778 | ? - Lyon Vaise |
Trailer | XR 7775 | ? - Noisy le Sec |
Coach | Mass | NEM |
Motor unit | 360 g | — |
Trailer | 158 g | 118 to 153 g |
0.75 A max. at slipping under 12 V
The painting, gloss, is unfortunately in “orange peel skin” (I see that at this point for the first time). On the VT11.5, the shade is almost the same, but the paint is more satin and much thinner.
Another thing: the notch in the skirt of the trailer to let the coupling moving. For other models (unified trailer for example), Roco provides a part to complete this skirt when the coupling is not in use. Other brands (LS Models for EAD, Electrotren for ABJ) do it too. So, why not here?
Concerning the interior fittings, this model is well in its age, i.e. that it is simplified to the extreme. The interior lighting is, as for unified trailers, by incandescent lamps and light guide.
There is only one driving axle per bogie — that of the front bogie has rubber tyres. It is a curious solution, which requires to pass a drive shaft all along the chassis, while it would have been easier to motorize the two axles of the front bogie, as in reality indeed!
Both vehicles are equipped on their four axles with current pickups and a bogie on the trailer is equipped with a mechanical two-pole reversing device. The pickup strips are sandwiched between the bogie frame and simply nested plastic parts, many of which can not be clamped properly, because of the large and misplaced solders of the connecting wires. Therefore, some of these holding parts are raised, and, as they furthermore serve as bearing points on the chassis, it is also raised (motor unit); on the trailer, strips have escaped and are wandering into the bogie.
There is a plug for an 8-pin decoder, and there is all the necessary space in the motor unit for its installation. But it does not control the interior lighting, constantly on, and there is nothing to control the trailer lights.
First tests, in DC: start at 4.5 V, maximum speed (at scale) under 12 V: about 170 km/h without trailer, 130 with trailer, which illustrates the strong running resistance of the trailer. The train passes over the smaller Fleischmann radius (356 mm), with a much longer elongation than strictly necessary.
Disturbing squeaks can be heard. The responsible are the bearings of the drive shaft. A few drops of oil overcome them.
Compared to that of the VT11.5 DB, the realization is much less serious, for a proportionally higher price. Without being paranoid, we must note that Roco is more concerned with their productions of German material than those of French material. It can also be seen on coaches (just compare UIC-X DB and UIC-Y SNCF!)
See:
Single-engined long-haul trains (RGP 1) are Diesel trains with at least one power unit and one trailer, numbered X 2771 to 2781, built by De Dietrich and SACM in 1955/56.
Characteristics:
Sources : Wikipedia and trains-europe.fr.
As appropriate for a TEE service, the fittings were entirely 1st class, with restoration at the place from a kitchen fitted in the trailer. But unlike foreign TEE trains, the RGP TEE did not have air conditioning. At the end of the trailer, there was a driving cab for reverse running, very narrow because it was also necessary to provide the gangway when a trailer or an additional motor unit was coupled to it.
Since 1957, these trains have carried out relations to the North, Belgium (Etoile du Nord), the Netherlands (Ile de France), Northern Germany (Parsifal, Paris - Ruhr); to the East towards Switzerland (Arbalète); to the South (Mont-Cenis between Lyon and Turin). To the North, because of their low capacity, they were replaced with PBA stainless steel trains as soon as possible. As a result, they were quickly removed from the TEE service (1965).
At the beginning of the 1960s, some motor units were equipped with a third headlamp, which does not appear in all the pictures, including the one shown here, though taken in Germany. Curiously, the trailer, although likely to run forward, was never equipped with this third light. Or perhaps the trains bound to Germany always included two motor units framing one or two trailers?
Anonymous photo on eisenbahnstiftung.de.
Motor car dimensions | Actual | 1:87 | Model |
---|---|---|---|
Overall length | 26 630 | 306.1 | 306.0 |
Body length (w/out couplings) | 25 720 1 | 295.6 | 294.0 |
Width | 2 840 | 32.6 | 33.0 |
Motor compartment height | 3 686 | 42.4 | 42.3 |
Roof height | 3 535 | 40.6 | 39.2 2 |
Pivot distance | 19 000 | 218.4 | 218.2 |
Motor bogie wheelbase | 2 850 | 32.8 | 32.5 |
Carrier bogie wheelbase | 2 500 | 28.7 | 28.8 |
Motor wheel diameter | 900 | 10.3 | 10.0 |
Carrier wheel diameter | 860 | 9.9 | 10.0 |
|
Trailer dimensions | Actual | 1:87 | Model |
---|---|---|---|
Overall length | 25 530 | 293.4 | 294.2 |
Body length (w/out couplings) | 287.0 | ||
Width | 2 840 | 32.6 | 32.6 |
Height | 3 535 | 40.6 | 40.2 1 |
Pivot distance | 19 000 | 218.4 | 218.0 |
Bogie wheelbase | 2 500 | 28.7 | 28.8 |
Wheel diameter | 860 | 9.9 | 10.0 |
|
The problem of the distorted body that does not fit on the chassis (both for the motor unit and for the trailer) was known to me and reported by the seller. But the damage is worse than expected because the deformation is irregular along the walls. The good thing is that it is very easy to lift the bodies: just lift them for the chassis to fall down!