Historical reminders
Passionate about electric trains ? Welcome to the fascinating world of model railways. First appearing at the beginning of the 19th century, locomotives have revolutionised the world of transport.The first locomotive appeared in Great Britain in 1804, built by engineer George Stephenson, one of the founders of the railways, to pull coal wagons. The technology quickly developed to the point where it became indispensable. In France, the first railway line went into service in 1827 between Saint-Etienne and Andrézieux. Steam locomotives ruled the roost for more than a century, before being replaced by diesel and electric locomotives, which were more economical and required less maintenance. Although many other modes of transport have since merged, the train is still very popular today. It is even the subject of a veritable cult following among many rail travellers.
What is a miniature locomotive ?
The first miniature locomotives appeared in the mid-19th century, shortly after the steam locomotive. At the time, toy manufacturers were marketing small, functional trains for children. They quickly became a huge success. Usually made of metal or tin, they were propelled by spring or friction mechanisms. Over time, model trains became increasingly popular. Manufacturers began to create increasingly detailed and realistic models. The first miniature electric trains were presented at the 1900 Paris Universal Exhibition, rapidly replacing the old models. The 1920s and 1930s saw a real boom in miniature locomotives, and the emergence of new materials such as brass and plastic led to improvements in manufacturing techniques. Today, miniature locomotives are much sought-after by model railway enthusiasts. These enthusiasts create complexmodel train networks with locomotives, freight and passenger carriages, model cars, model dép;railroads, dioramas and figurines. These models are available in a range of different reduction scales, from the Z scale (1/220) to the Z scale (1/220);Z scale (1/220), G scale (1/22.5), N scale (1/160), HO scale (1/87) and O scale (1/43).
The different types of miniature locomotives
Miniature locomotives, with rare exceptions, are all powered by electricity. In the real world, however, locomotives use a variety of energy sources. Our filter system on the left-hand side of the screen allows you to sort locomotives by energy source. Here are the three main families of locomotives you'll find on the shelves of our model shop:
The locomotive à steam
The diesel model works by burning coal or wood. The fire heats the water in a boiler and ultimately produces steam, which is used to turn a series of cylinders. These in turn turn the drive wheels. Very old, steam locomotives are particularly interesting to collect. In France, the last examples disappeared in the 70's! Fumigators and decoders make it possible to reproduce the jets of steam and the characteristic noises of the railways.
The locomotive diesel
In the real world, diesel locomotives use diesel fuel to power an engine that drives the wheels. More autonomous than steam locomotives, they can more easily pull long-distance trains. They also require less maintenance. Nowadays, they are used on rail networks that have not yet been electrified. However, their development was slowed by the two oil crises of the 1970s.
The electric locomotive
Electric locomotives, as their name suggests, are supplied with electricity by an air contact line, also known as a catenary. Recognisable by their pantographs, these models quickly demonstrated their superiority by breaking numerous speed records. At the beginning of the 20th century, for example, a Siemens locomotive exceeded 200 km/h in Germany. Today, all high-speed trains, such as the SNCF's TGV, belong to this category.
Miniature locomotive: which operating system to choose?
All miniature locomotives are powered by electrified rails, but not all use the same power supply or current. Here are the different possible connections:
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Two rail power supply
This is the most common power supply system. The tracks are connected by two cables to a transformer, which is connected to the mains and supplies the circuit with direct current. This regulator makes it possible to vary the voltage from 0 to 12 V across the rails, and therefore the speed of the locomotive. Locomotives are equipped with a wheel pick-up system, or a pantograph for electric locomotives. Nowadays, the traditional analogue transformer is tending to be replaced by a digital control system which, as well as supplying power to the rail network, controls the locomotives via an encoder.
Three-rail power supply
This system is only used by Märklin. The power supply is provided by a third central rail. This is connected to a transformer, which supplies power to the locomotive via a friction pad. The advantage of this system is that the electric current is distributed evenly, guaranteeing a more regular power supply. Today, Märklin only sells digital AC controls using MM, DDC, Mfx and Motorola protocols.
Some locomotives to collect
The CC 40100 locomotive
Surnamed the "Nez cassées", à because of their windshield inversé designedé by Paul Arzens, these locomotives électriques de la Société nationale des chemins de fer français (SNCF) opéraient dans les années 1960. Designed for passenger transport, these locomotives, built in 10 examples, were more than 22 metres long and could reach speeds of up to 200 km/h. The CC 40100s were withdrawn from service in the early 1990s after more than 30 years' service.Today, several examples of the CC 40100 are on loan to railway museums in France, testifying to the importance of this locomotive in the history of the French railways. This magnificent loco CC40100 is produced by LS Models
The BB 60000 locomotive
Put into service in 2007, this series of diesel locomotives was ordered by Alstom from SNCF to transport freight. To date, 175 have left the factory. They operate on a number of lines, including Rennes - Redon - Nantes and Dijon - Nevers. Equipped with a 1,000 kW three-phase asynchronous electric motor, they can carry heavy loads while travelling at speeds of around 100 km/h.Here's an example of a BB 60000 locomotive offered by Piko.
The CC 72000 locomotive
Commissioned in 1967, the CC 72000 series of diesel-electric locomotives was built for the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF) à 92 examples. Sometimes known as the "Grosses Bleues", they were powered by 2,650 kW SACM AGO V16 ESHR engines. They can reach speeds of 160 km/h in service. Their withdrawal began in 2003, with three remaining in service by 2022. Many consider them to be France's finest diesel locomotives. Take a look at this Jouef CC 72200 locomotive.
In résumé
Running trains is an exciting hobby. Yet the locomotive is the maèce maîtresse of your réseau ferr&eac; miniature, as it is the one that provides traction for the carriages and passenger cars. So choosing the right locomotive is an important step. If it's your first train, it's essential to research the brand of railway you're interested in, and the operating system that seems most appropriate to you. Digital or analogue? Two-rail or three-rail? High-speed train or steam engine? Whether you're working on the HO scale or operating a live steam garden train, it's important to make sure that the locomotive is right for your environment.
