[MOC] FS ALn668 Ceva-Ormea in 1:38 scale

[Paperinik77pk]

Hi all,

I'd like to show you my Christmas Present (since it is not so economic to build) !

It is a 1:38 scale reproduction of one of the most representative classes of Italian diesel railcars, the ALn668 (Automotrice Leggera Nafta - 668).

Since I like a lot all unlucky railroads of the world, I wanted to represent one of the railcars I've seen still working on one of the most underrated railroads in Italy, the CEVA-ORMEA (situated in Piedmont county - near Cuneo).

This railroad is 35 kilometers long and ends abruptly in the little Ormea village. It should have continued reaching the sea, near the town of Imperia, but the project was never approved (it was really complicated). It is a pity, since it could have been one of the most spectacular railroads in Italy (from sea to mountains) and it surely could have been a great touristic railroad from the beginning.

The railroad has a great curved bridge and several point of interests. It is the perfect kind of railroad for railcars. Grass, rocks, mountains, an apparently calm river (which already destroyed the a part of the track a few years ago), snow...there's everything one passenger  coul possibly like to see from the window.

The ALn668 and 663 ran on this railroad until 2012 - when the line was closed. But, after a lot of complaints from people, tourists and passengers - the railroad was revived by Fondazione FS (the Historical Foundation of Ferrovie Dello Stato) and it has become a touristic railroad.

This MOC is dedicated to that little railroad, which I visited a lot of times, since it is near to my holiday home. When I was a kid, I saw an ALn668 starting from CEVA, on a dedicated dead track inside the station. I still remember the yellow plate, and the sound of the diesel motors.

I designed it in 1:38 scale, so it can run on Lego Track. I'm working on it since LDRAW came out, but I've never built it. Since It's been awhile I'm looking at big scales, I gave it a try - and I finished it.

Two medium motors, 1A-A1 wheel arrangement as the original one (but I can power all axles if needed).

Chassis (in the photo, the current version)  was needed to support all the weight of the body.  I tried to keep its original function, and the motors position. It won't have any interior - and the windows are made to hide the internal mechanism.

 

This is the second version of the chassis, featuring a two-speed gearbox (duplicated on both sides) . I'm currently understanding how to remotely control it (using  a linear actuator - I think ).

 

I hope you like it!

Ciao,

Davide

 

Edited November 21, 2019 by Paperinik77pk

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Amazing, I think I saw this train standing on the dead end of the S.Giovanni station on the Como-Lecco line 

Very close to the real thing!

[Sven J]

Magnificent!

This will be great to see as a real-life build, especially when you have completed the remote-control gearbox!

[Paperinik77pk]

10 hours ago, Tenderlok said:

Magnificent!

This will be great to see as a real-life build, especially when you have completed the remote-control gearbox! 

Thanks!!! Here it is - a long way to complete it...

[Paperinik77pk]

14 hours ago, LEGO Train 12 Volts said:

Amazing, I think I saw this train standing on the dead end of the S.Giovanni station on the Como-Lecco line 

Very close to the real thing!

Thanks as always , Emanuele! It's another railway I'd like to know better!!!

Currently, the series 3000 of the ALn668 was used on the Ceva-Ormea Line (so Multiple Command and "mountain" gear ratio with maximum speed of 110km/h instead of 130km/h)

ALn668-3148
ALn668-3181
ALn668-3256
ALn668-3215
ALn668-3249

for what I can see from the internet - it seems that the Como-Lecco used the 1000/1100/1200 series - which are pretty the same machine (the 1000/1100 series have two exits per side instead of only one).

[Arrow]

Bello! I m from Cuneo, so I know that line very well ;)

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

10 hours ago, Paperinik77pk said:

For what I can see from the internet - it seems that the Como-Lecco used the 1000/1100/1200 series - which are pretty the same machine (the 1000/1100 series have two exits per side instead of only one).

Thanks for the info and amazing H U G E  locomotive!

[zephyr1934]

Wow, very nice... and complicated too.

[lego3057]

Hello. Nice work. 10 wide trains are a new world to explore. In your model I would try to use the 4x3x1 windows and the 2X3X1. The top tecnhic bars I wouldnt´ use. It adds a lot of weight. I would use 2 train motors (power, speed and easier buildind.

 

[Paperinik77pk]

On 11/22/2019 at 6:07 PM, Arrow said:

Bello! I m from Cuneo, so I know that line very well ;)

Ooooh nice town! I Love it!

On 11/22/2019 at 11:02 PM, LEGO Train 12 Volts said:

Thanks for the info and amazing H U G E  locomotive!

You're always welcome

9 hours ago, zephyr1934 said:

Wow, very nice... and complicated too.

Thanks Zephyr! The problematic part is the double gearbox, since I've to change gear in the same moment - like in the double-engined Citroen 2CV Sahara!

6 hours ago, lego3057 said:

Hello. Nice work. 10 wide trains are a new world to explore. In your model I would try to use the 4x3x1 windows and the 2X3X1. The top tecnhic bars I wouldnt´ use. It adds a lot of weight. I would use 2 train motors (power, speed and easier buildind.

 

Thanks!

10 wide is a great size to work with - it shows all the limit of the Lego track geometry, but with large curves and adjustable track also these big models can work fine. Regarding the windows - the first version had all blue train windows - but they are pretty expensive, so I came back to SNOT , even if I could not manage it perfectly. The top structure is needed to keep the whole chassis straight, since the battery is in the central part (where doors are) and without the top structure the chassis gets a poor "banana shape" 

Standard motors are great (maybe too fast for this one) but I wanted to replicate the original machine also from a mechanical point of view - I love mixing Technic and trains

[Roadmonkeytj]

Congrats your train made front page news!

[coinoperator]

Ow wow, it's beautyfull, I can almost smell it :-)
I've never been there but I was once in Firenze and the train that I got to a town nearby was also some museum thing... feels the same, looks the same
 

[SteamSewnEmpire]

My lone bit of criticism is that there are so many clear blocks utilized for windows. However, with the shaping you've gone with, I guess it was the only option.

[Paperinik77pk]

17 hours ago, Roadmonkeytj said:

Congrats your train made front page news!

Thank you - it is really really appreciated!!!

[Paperinik77pk]

10 hours ago, SteamSewnEmpire said:

My lone bit of criticism is that there are so many clear blocks utilized for windows. However, with the shaping you've gone with, I guess it was the only option.

To be sincere, it is also my concern  - I used train windows in the first design, but in blue they were available only in the old 7710 wagons - and this makes them reeeally expensive. One solution could be using 4x3x1 panels with a "train window" custom sticker on it. Plus, all these parts are making the body quite heavy - since I have to use SNOT and this is complicating the whole structure.

[LEGO Train 12 Volts]

Congratulations on being put on the front page ...but above all for having created such a beautiful train! 

[Toa_of_Shadow]

Is that a European style train?

[Paperinik77pk]

18 hours ago, LEGO Train 12 Volts said:

Congratulations on being put on the front page ...but above all for having created such a beautiful train! 

Thank you Emanuele!!!

[Paperinik77pk]

1 hour ago, Toa_of_Shadow said:

Is that a European style train?

Hi! Yes it is an Italian Diesel Railcar, widely used for not-electrified lines or mountain lines.

It was produced in different series, each one with some technical or stylistic solutions. There were two main companies building these railcars, Fiat (the original one) and Breda.

The Breda ALn668 was quite peculiar, since it had specific engine (Isotta Fraschini), gearbox and wheel arrangement (2B instead of 1A-A1 of the Fiat model).

The one I represented is one of the last series of the ALn668, produced by Fiat and with a final gear ratio for mountain railroads, which reduced speed from 130km/h (80mph) to 110 km/h(68mph).

[Toa_of_Shadow]

O

46 minutes ago, Paperinik77pk said:

Hi! Yes it is an Italian Diesel Railcar, widely used for not-electrified lines or mountain lines.

It was produced in different series, each one with some technical or stylistic solutions. There were two main companies building these railcars, Fiat (the original one) and Breda.

The Breda ALn668 was quite peculiar, since it had specific engine (Isotta Fraschini), gearbox and wheel arrangement (2B instead of 1A-A1 of the Fiat model).

The one I represented is one of the last series of the ALn668, produced by Fiat and with a final gear ratio for mountain railroads, which reduced speed from 130km/h (80mph) to 110 km/h(68mph).

Oh you know your trains nice job 

[Paperinik77pk]

7 minutes ago, Toa_of_Shadow said:

O

Oh you know your trains nice job 

  

[Toa_of_Shadow]

I wonder if anyone has made a moc of the polar express from the 2004 movie the polar express 

hmmm

[Roadmonkeytj]

25 minutes ago, Toa_of_Shadow said:

I wonder if anyone has made a moc of the polar express from the 2004 movie the polar express 

hmmm

I fail to see how this relates to this amazing Italian railcar ... Perhaps making a new thread instead of trying to hy-jack this would be better!  

PS.  Google is your friend there are several MOCs of that popular train.

[Shiva]

Nice train :) I guess it will cost quite a lot.

Englis wikipedia page about the route: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceva–Ormea_railway Italian page has more info, sadly my italian language skill is close to zero.

[Rygar]

Un vero capolavoro!