What´s up!

OK, so what is happening down in the small world? Nothing much I´m afraid, but now we are getting started. The SJ has been sleeping it´s Cinderella sleep during a couple of winter months but now we are picking up some steam again.

A very rare occasion indeed, is an earthquake in this southern part of Sweden, but it really happened on january 10:th. The ground shook and some trees lost some leaves, but not very mouch else. Anyway, when the snow was melting away in early february the recidents of this small town found themselves shaken but not stirred, and in this very small and isolated part of the country everthing seemed disturbingly untouched after all. Perhaps my memory failes me, but I´m quite sure this is the very place and time i´ts always been in Sörlinge - and I think it´s for the best. See you soon with further updates!

On the other side of the world

What if the world was flat and the downside was peopled by inverted humans seeking pleasure in such strange things as model railroads going backwards, on wide tracks surrounded by big modern houses nicely buffed and shining in an artificial sun - what if?

In such a world there could surely be a big cold storage capable of handling frozen fish, vegetables and meats, but no one would ever use it. There would also be a small door and window in the little office (with windows in great need of a hosing) where the boss, A. Larsson would reside in a cloud of Cortez-cigarettes behind his dark heavy oak table. Green is the colour of the doors and the leather furnishing on the office chair, green the faces of the visitors not accostumed to the thick smoke inside!

Possibly there will come a time and a place for this nice little railway building, perhaps close to the sea and with a siding or two enabling the little people in knickers and hat loading and unloading goods on the railway - who knows?

Lift me up!

What comes up, must come down. In a world of ever changing needs and deeds, even the not so very well equipped local metal work shop must listen to the demands of costumers and try to shine in front of business prospects. The Hilding and Co was facing a very embarrasing situation indeed, when it became clear that the railway´s new future aquisition, a Z4p, was not going to be completed within the workshop, but outside it. The framework, engine block and chassis could all be housed inside, but the final assembly was going to take place outside since there was no rails in the shop, and the final loco was going to be too heavy for any available crane to lift anyway.

Fast (or as fast as Hilding Brakén understood the deal was about to collapse) a simple but strong crane was ordered and put outside the shop. The crane was able to lift as much as 2 500 kilograms, which seemed to be sufficient, and was delivered in spring just before the construction of the loco was beginning.

The photo below shows the crane (of the PECO-brand) as delivered. Since then, a lifting cable has been installed, and the crane has come to good use in a variety of situations. The most widely spread event was when Mr. Brakén remarried the widow Bröster, and his (not so very clean and modern) underwear was hoisted to the air in some sort of practical joke performed by some of the workers.

The PECO crane as delivered - a fine example of robust mechanics!

The workshop

I found these three snapshots on The Hilding & Co mechanic workshop just when I was supposed to go on a business trip. I will not try to over explain them, they will have to talk for themselves. However, some of the staff has complained on the windy conditions inside, so hopefully this shop will have new glassing in due time for winter. Sorry to say, but the owner Hilding Braken is as stubborn as he is greedy so there will sure be some discussions beforehand.

 Please enjoy!

Diesel power in new colours

It´s time to introduce you all to the the only engine of Sörlinge Jernväg so far, the small diesel shunter, which started out as a small Roco engine.
This little fellow was painted in a two colour scheme, inspired by the Z43 "Moroten" (The carrot) and handrails, lollipops and different small details were added or rebuilt to be in line with my swedish memories of this engine.

Nickname for this little diesel is "Stampe", which comes from it´s little jumpy behaviour and "cute" outline. It´s primarily constructed for shunting but since it´s the only engine available it has been seen doing regular line duty with up to 5 wagons in its little hook. Some say it is T.R. Isings brother Sven, who has been adding some bits and pieces (perhaps not always with safety in mind) to this construction to add some additional bite. Behold Stampe in this recently taken photo series from the camera of Enar Basson.

This situation is of course quite desperate, so a new engine has been ordered at Hilding & Son - Mekanisk verkstad. This Addition is eagerly expected but it will sure take some time to construct this advanced machine, since the three employées at the workshop mostly has been involved in repairing farmers heavy machinery - mostly tractors! Anyway - hope is the last thing to leave us, and there is some chance this new engine (Z4p) will be ready by springtime. Good times are coming...

From above

One sunny sunday afternoon, the aeronautical club of Blankniva (a small village adjacent to Sörlinge)  took on the task to take photographs of the village of Sörlinge from above. A couple of the farmers in the vicinity and above all, T.R Ising, the strong man of Sörlinge, had approached them asking them to do so, because they all wanted nice aerial photos taken of their homes. Of course, money was involved as usual, the poor aeronatical club was in great need of cash to build a new hangar building housing ther newly purchased Cessna airplane, and the old man Ising needed some fresh photos of his estate to perhaps convince the locals the railway should be extended towards his farm (what a nice way to impress women by, isn´t it? "Just take the train to me, and I´ll pick you up at Ising station"). The amount of sugar beets and farming supplies this rail extension was said to transport was of course never specified, at least not during sober conditions. Anyway, the old yellow Piper super cup took to the air and a couple of nice photos were taken during the trip, one of them is shown right below.

Strangely enough, the photos seems to show no landscape features, just the tracks and some buildings, but who is interested in grass and gravel anyway? Another observation (made by the young man Enar Basson) was that the trackwork consists of quite some "adventurous curves", but it can of course be this man is too much affected by his juvenile testosterone?

Anyway, the Sörlinge station can be seen top middle with it´s one and only siding made for loading and unloading goods, primarily food and groceries for the village shop. Down to the left is the metal workshop, Hilding & Son - mekanisk verkstad, with it´s own siding track. Further to the right there is one switch leading to a small trackyard, and the main track goes south and then around back to the main station again. Not visible in this strange and uncanny photo is the small stop at the very bottom to the right just before the track turns back north to Sörlinge. The name of this stop I don´t remember, but sure enough it will be christened in due time.

The track will soon be secured by small pins and my train consisting of a small diesel switcher (on which there is some working progress visible!) and one G-finka, will travel around, for some time, until the hitches are straightened out.

At the end of the day, everyone was pleased by the photos, even old man Ising thought they would serve his purpose in an adequate way. Even though the layout plans pictured in an earlier post in this blog wasn´t possible to achieve in this small size, the "hand of Good" was quite happy with the results. Not a very easy task to perform...

On it´s way

Ok, now I´m started and of for this little adventure. On It´s way is also the trackwork and switches for my little railroad, I ordered them a couple of days ago. As I´m a real MRR-rookie I have never worked with flexitrack but I have ordered the ROCO-H0e flextrack (Feldbahn) and a nice railcutter so this will be really interesting! 

I´m of to Malmö next week for some foamboard to lay as ground inside my IKEA-frame. I´m also looking for some flexible ground filler so it will not crack when moving my little "painting", I think some latex filler will do the job, but first I will lay out the tracks and let my little train (the ROCO-shunter or "Carrot" to be and my Rimbo Grande litt G) play around for a while. Pictures of this will come up soon, but for now I will show you my little newspaperstand from Swedens "Pressbyrån". This is a nice little brass- and white metal-kit from Tekno bygg and it will also soon be filled with colourful magazines and candy from the fifties for all the little people to amuse themselves with during their wait for the next train or bus taking them to the seaside or in to town. Perhaps a small kid will look at the "En rolig halvtimme" magazine for his first look at a voluptuous womens body in caricature?