14:47 its upside down because its a sign that was able to be removed and turned around , it says Duisburg Hbf (Duisburg Mainstation) whixh is the destination so if the train would head back it would be Tagen of turnen around and u could read Duisburg -> Wedan
Think those flippable destination boards are still very occasionally in use on the few remaining n-Wagen. Not at all specific to this class, very common back in the day on all kinds of local trains.
@@Taschenschieber Here in Austria, we have some that have one destination on one side and the other on the other side, though these are justs sheets of paper attached to the doors of the train.
Yes, thanks. I had the same to say. I am old enough to remember the Dutch Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) using the same system of signs that were rotated when needed, in the late 50's early 60s. Those signs were kept in racks on the platforms, and the conductor (the one with the whistle) would hang the destination on the appropriate train
I'm originally from Wildwood New Jersey here in the States and they have a tram that uses a battery-operated locomotive from the early 1900s along with about 8 open passenger cars all on pneumatic wheels. They still run to this day on the boardwalk on Wildwood's 3-mile stretch of the boardwalk although the batteries have been replaced numerous times. They have a fleet of about 4 with a schedule. Anyway, I find the Accumulator Railcar as fascinating as you do and love oddities like this. Great review and video, Jersey Bill
Hi Sam The "wing mirrors" are in fact holders for a tail board/end of train indicator. Most older German coaching stock, before being fitted with in built tail lamps used them. They were a rectangular boards with a red & white checker pattern on them. On certain Narrow gauge lines in Saxony they are still used daily. The model was created by the Lilliput Company (before being bought out by Bachmann) as a 2 car set. The one to get was in the Epoch 1 livery. Great review. Boa
The upside-down writing is for the removable signboard. It is turned over to show the reverse route at the end of the journey. For a different route, the board is replaced.
@@careerprofessional in some places, mostly heritage railways they still use these kind of destination boards, for example when I worked at the Children's railway at Budapest we still had these big metal boards to rotate at each terminus and some of them are still in use daily on the trains there
Confirmed. This was common all around the continental Europe. Signboard had standardized zize and hole, so that could be fitted on coaches of different administrations. Nowdays these signboards are used by heritage railways or are a collector item.
Traction tires is not only about pulling wagons, it is also about pulling itself up potential steep inclines on home layouts. Lots of people have layouts with 4 deg inclines into shadow stations etc.
Yeah I get that - but they're no substitute for decently heavy models... at this price, I'd rather it just have been a bit heavier! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@SamsTrains when does it stop with decently heavy locos though? 1100 grammes and still needs traction tyres. 6 kg of loco and the loco still slips madly with a train of 4 coaches (ask the owner of a 381E) I'm not saying tyres are the be and end all, but loco weight isn't the be and end all either. Great review anyway, your reviews are very in-depth, and the videography is superlative. In fact, based upon your review, I'm very enthusiastic about acquiring the AC version, so thank you :)
A few points. This model was originally manufactured by Liliput of Vienna, which is now Bachmann-Liliput. This original model has been upgraded, although it was always good. The drive is on one of the 2-axle bogies because most of this type of battery railcar did not have a centre vehicle, and the original Liliput model was of the 2-car version. On the prototype, the powered axles were the single axle of both vehicles on the 2-car units, but on both axles of the centre vehicle on those sets so built. Additional vehicles were frequently added, but not usually freight vehicles (passenger, parcels or mail vehicles). Also, they often ran with more than one unit, not necessarily of the same type. So having the ability to fit end couplings is a plus. As a modeller of European HO scale, I confirm that traction tyres are normal, also that prices are higher than UK modellers would expect to pay. However, as Bachmann inherited the model from Liliput-Vienna, I think the Bachmann list price is too high. At various times, the model has been offered in its 2-car variant, as well as in both Prussian and pre-war Reichsbahn liveries.
What an amazing beast! Cunningly resprayed into GWR livery or something else obscurely pre-grouping, I can see its potential! Colonel Stevens would have been fascinated!
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA, or as we locals call it, The T) is planning to buy a fleet of battery-electric commuter EMUs which can recharge from overhead lines. It's interesting to see a distant ancestor in model form. This accumulator EMU is a neat-looking set!
I don't know if it's just me, but it looks slightly like the German crocodile locomotive due to its nose shape! Extortionate price, but the detail and mechanism seems pretty good! Awesome video as always sam, an unusual "loco"!
New York City had both Manhattan traction companies using battery streetcars! Also the Long Island used Edison cars,for branch services! Lots of mixed history in a small compass! Interesting piece of equipment,and by definition,rare! Thank you,Sam,many kudos,for getting a rather obscure operating railcar,recognized! Thank you 😇 😊!
When I saw the thumbnail, I was like: Hey! I know that one! But I didn't even know my country has the only surviving example! Amazing video as always and an amazingly odd train too!
Some of the white plagues are upside down because they are destination boards and would be removed, turned the other way around, and then fitted again. And the top little plastic brackets are for end of train signs, when the train is dragged because of dead batteries or is transfered between depots.
In general for continental H0 models, do not expect sprung buffers. They are a feature basically exclusive to UK manufacturers except maybe for the Belgian manufacturer L.S. Models.
There were quite a number of Era 3 British examples of battery-powered traction such as North Staffordshire Railway battery shunter of 1917 which is now in the NRM collection (would make a good prototype for a Sam's Trains loco build) and as early as 1905 there were battery loco's on London underground created from old rolling stock. One of the LT purpose-built of battery loco's from the 1930's is now in preservation. The Irish Drumm battery railcars built in the 1930's were similar in concept to the Wittfeld units but were not as long-lived.
Great, you do this review, Sam. The prussian Akkutriebwagen had a very long and successful life. Batteries were serviced by the AFA company, a predecessor of Varta. After decommisioned in the 60's they had the successor ETA150, i used this back in the 80's for going to school. Still remember the typical slightly whining sound and the smooth ride.
You really got a bargain there, Sam. For a three-unit Continental train, that's a good price. Glad you like it so much. I like to see your reviews of overseas (to you!) models. Notably, traction tyres, whether needed or not, are seen as a 'plus' on Continental stock. They are always listed in the specs for new models. I have some pretty hefty-weighted locos but they still come fitted with them. You learn to live with it!
Hi Sam, Great review and a great model. I actually have an N gauge version of this unit, in green, made by Kato. It is identical, but a 2 car unit, no centre car. It only has a one axle drive, so it cannot haul much !. It cost a lot less than yours as I purchased it second hand for around £40. Keep up the good work and I look forward to more N gauge reviews.
Yes, its my favorite Akkumulatorwagen of all time. The design is so wonderful. And in the big croco-snouts is plenty of space for Accumulators. Imagine how much more range this design would get with modern Tesla-style a accumulators.
14:47 before displays were invented trains had plates with the routes. So for economy either there were multiple routes painted on one side but flipped upside down or the destinations on the top and bottom were the same and the one in the middle different. Very interesting train. I have a X4500 DMU (frech) and it has same coupling style. I love it and I wish more DMU's and EMU's had the same coupling style to improve their reliability over points or bad tracks.
The wing mirror parts are brackets where "Zugschlussleuchten" go, red petroleum lanterns that mark the end of a train. This is typical Prussian railways practice. The sign with the upside down lettering is turned around at each terminus, so the text pointing the right way will always show the right journey. Again, that is very typical for German Railways and in fact was done like this until the advent of LCD signs a few years back in some places.
When I saw the thumbnail I immediately remembered the Polish Wittfeld, and I'm happy you chose a vehicle that at some point ran in Poland. How about checking out some true Polish locos? Newest Piko Expert releases really are beautiful, with lighted cab controls etc.!
The sign on the side is the direction sign. At the terminus they rotate it and then the new direction will be upright and the old upside down. The parts you said mirrors are holders for the taillights or in this case for the tailsigns in german Zugschlussscheibe and in hungarian zárjelző tárcsa.
I like them, the Prussian AT are so strange only one set is preserved somewhere in Poland. It was not Germany last endeavor in Battery Electric branch line trains. The much newer ETA 150 also had some prominence and was used till I think some time in the mid 1990's
@@SamsTrains The ETA 150 (or later BR 515) looks much more ordinary - like a diesel railcar. There is either a very recent and excellent model from Roco (72080, 72082). Or a budget friendly option from the 1970ies by LIMA (208037, 201211, 201213 etc.) However, there are 2 versions, as those models also got heavily reworked in the 1990ies and these look much better with more detail. Finally there is the ubiquitous Märklin/Hamo (shortened) and rare but fine Kato (30801, 30802 etc.) Last but not least the stylish ETA 176 (BR 517) exists as well (Kato 73327, 73328 etc.)
@@SamsTrains In addition to the ones already mentioned, there's an old Kato model in N-gauge that is fairly common on the used market, and imo looks really neat.
those old style destination boards can be used for two routes if you use upside down text on each side. In a 3 car version you don´t need couplers but on the 2 car version in this scheme these were often permanently assigned one passenger car to get the same capacity as a 3 car one. They look even more attractive in the original prussian two tone scheme, which has a slightly different nose with even more separate details The small hatches on the side are doors to access the coal stoves that were placed under the seats in winter (as there is not enough power to run a heater) 15:38 those are hooks for the end of train indicators (when it is towed instead of driving under its own power)
Hi Sam. Calling it an EMU is accurate. Not every car has to be powered to qualify and one in three is not too uncommon. Also, a model EMU doesn't need to crawl like a loco. All my Märklin locos have traction tyres and I've never found them to be a problem. Adding weight to a stand-alone set doesn't necessarily help and might actually increase wheelslip on inclines.
I'm from Skierniewice, the place where last one is saved. I'm also volunteer in PSMK, i see this vehicle every week. Polish version is different from original German. Color is green, big polish lamps and only 2 units. Maybe in future liliput will make model of only existing one.
Hey Sam, I'm finally back from holiday, so I can catch your videos at the time that I'm used to again and comment, so I just wanted to leave some things that I was thinking about recently! The first is that spoked wheels on models look SO much better when some effort is put into the back face of the wheel, which I realised when I noticed that the driving wheels on the Lionel Berkshire that I got on special are the best looking wheels I've seen (apart from Exactoscale), as it adds so much depth (a great example is GWR Lode Star at NRM). The second is that manufacturers should put more effort into designing bogies so that bogie vehicles actually look like they're supported by the bogies, instead of being perched on stilts connected to the bogies. Thanks as always Sam, and I look forward to finishing the rest of the video!
@@SamsTrains its really just embarrassing for other manufacturers (especially dedicated wheel wrights) that they were beaten by Lionel, with their not very well loved berkshire to boot!
There is a UK battery loco which has just been announced for model manufacture. The featured model has driver mirrors which are retracted in motion but can be positioned internally by the driver, like most enclosed European locos. The route board on the side will be reversed at a terminus station. May have second route info on the back. I have the Liliput range of Swiss suburban passenger train sets RABe 524 FLIRT, RABe 511 Dosto KISS, RBDe560, and BLS RABe 515 Dosto MUTZ and a pair of DR class 42 in camo paint. All very good quality. See the net for Swiss train type designations, Dosto are double deck.
15:38 You should know that yourself. These are signal holders like those found on freight wagons from the 1920s and 1930s. The taillight lanterns were plugged in there. But in most cases they were just red and white metal panels. However, these holders were all dismantled very early on due to the risk of accidents caused by electric shocks from the overhead line. They were then reinstalled above the buffers on the vehicles. In the 1950s, these railcars were probably already equipped with modern lamps, where a red lens could be installed in front of the white light. (I hope Google translated this correctly now)
Never seen this before but it’s really neat! Don’t really think I’ll be picking one up due to the high price, but it does seem like something I’d enjoy having on my layout!!
The later battery powered units were a bit more conventional looking and were dearly loved in DB (yes, the later ones were built under Deutsche Bundesbahn!), especially for 30-40 mile sprint service across valley floors.
Thanks for looking at something European. I was very lucky, I picked up a 2 car version in perfect condition from the dreaded ebay for 56 quid! There are 2 more accumulator cars available, the ETA 515 and ETA 176, both by Kato. I don't have either yet but am keeping an eye open.
I have to say, that loco looks really good. I will admit it is pretty expensive like you said. So the best thing is probably to follow your advice on expensive locos. I'm not in a hurry to own it, so I'll just wait, and the price might come down after awhile.
Sam was tossing and turning wildly in bed one night. His sister managed to shake him awake. "Had a bad dream?" suggested Sis curiously. Sam didn't answer for a few minutes. "I'm not sure what was going on," the young man replied, "but somehow I was stuck in a minecraft pc game. That's why I was tossing and turning so much." His sister gave him a cuddle and he fell asleep. He slept more soundly, hoping he wouldn't be stuck in a horrible nightmare. A new day dawned. Sam woke up to find himself kissing Chloe on the lips. "Ugh!" He pulled tongues, yet Chloe was laughing her head off. "Serves you right for oversleeping," she teased. Sam sighed, not exactly one for romance. After the usual routine had gone by.... "Uh, Chloe," asked the young man shyly, "will you marry me?" "I will," giggled the blonde beauty. "I thought you'd never ask." Sam and Chloe were happily married onboard a special GCR Wedding Belle train, hauled by Witherslack Hall and Dinmore Manor. Nothing could be more romantic than that.
If I were Bachmann, I would've used an axle-hung coreless motor like many people on the CLAG website have. With how small you can get coreless motors, its surprisingly easy to use small o-rings, pulleys, and gears to fit a high reduction drive into the detailing that the model already has in the centre coach.
Traction tires might be the answer for pulling up grades, but what happens when the various track cleaning fluids that are in use come in contact with the rubber? That question alone is enough to put me off traction tires.
Hey Sam are you ever going to do another LNER O2/3 Tango Unboxing & Review last one you did was 5 years ago? I just wanna see if it would be better then last time.
Do you still have your Derby Lightweight DMU model? Because one of those was fitted with batteries as an experiment by the Rail Technical Centre (RTC) at Derby works. It ran on the Aberdeen to Ballater line in Scotland.
By the beginning of the 20th century, battery-electric traction was tried in many countries. The problem then (as is now) was the limited capacity and useful life of the batteries. So eventually, railways opted for diesel or electricity supplied by catenary or third rail. Maybe the car industry can learn from the railways ???
I'm amazed they even had batteries of a half-decent capacity even back then - though I'm sure they must have been massive looking at the size of the bonnets! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Up until nuclear submarines the vast majority of submarines used batteries for underwater running. The Holland Boats were from the 1900's.
You should check out the ÖBB (Austrian National Railways) class 2045 from roco, it's a farely well made model with a metal body and it's fare share of detail.
A very nice review. I enjoyed it all. Please keep up all your hard work. Nice to see something different. What IMR , or is it IRM ? Well worth looking at, but a bit expensive 😢
Regarding price, admittedly German prices are going to be a bit higher because prices are set to what the market will stand (cars are a classic example). but you also have to factor in conversion rates of € to £. I converted to German model railways nearly 40 years ago when I realised that German manufacturers offered more bang for my buck. Menzels Lokshuppen in Dusseldorf is currently selling the two-car version (ETA180) for €230 (£197) but add to that import duty of up to 25% calculated according to the value of the shipment and you start to see where the price increases and why they suddenly become very expensive compared to English models. If you find one, I'd recommend looking at Kato's HO scale model of the ETA176/Br517Akku Triebwagen (pronounced Akoo Treepvargen) also known as the Limburger Cigar - I have the N scale version made Kato for Hobbytrain and it is amazing.
About the pricing - just in the interest of fairness, I guess. At 407 EUR RRP this thing is actually somewhat less expensive than most comparable sets by German companies, as far as I can tell most in HO scale cost here about 470-500 EUR, not to mention that 400 EUR get you typically a steam loco without any ACC bells and whistles. It is an awful lot of money, sure, but hey - hobby stuff tends to be overpriced, am I right? Great content as usual, Sir, keep up the good work. :-)
A battery electric train in 1906 was certainly ahead of its time. Such technology is experimental in the UK 118 years later! Curious looking beast - like two American school bases coupled back-to-back either side of a caravan.
Looks like coreless motor and maybe performance reflects this. Have you tried plectrums instead of glue spreaders, they're thinner and maybe put less stress on body. Great interesting video, when I had my collection I had quite a few liliput stuff and they were oddities, but didn't have this though😪
I actually have one of these under the Lillilput brand and I've had mine for over four years and it runs very well and very quiet. I certainly got it here in Australia less than what Sam has paid for his.
@@SamsTrains Hi Sam, Yes, they have, it was the first time I have purchased a Lilliput model train, and only because it was unusual. Also, it's the first time you've reviewed a model that I've already got, so I was pleased to see what you thought about it. I've been watching your channel now got a few years and I think you do the best review of anybody who reviews a model train, so, keep up the good work, your doing well. Lee, Perth, Western Australia,.
.Sam, this is my point of view. I fell that if you take a model out of a box and it does not run well (B12 and King Class), then you should score them as they are. However, in this case, you knocked down the value because of the recommended price, not the price you paid for it. You also reduced the score because it did not have sprung buffers. When using NEM couplings, there is no chance for the buffers to touch. This train does not have that type of coupling and had no trouble running around your layout. It is a nice and unusual train with a lovely finish. The destination boards on the sides are removable on the real one.and can be turned the other way up. Martin. (Thailand)
There is nothing strange about this train! It was an early battery electric train built before WW I by the Royal Prussian Railway Administration (KPEV) for the use on less frequented, shorter secondary lines.
This is a model designed for the German market and as such the German level of pricing will be applied. Sam loves to moan about UK prices - but if you look at the average prices of HO models in Germany over many decades you will find that on average they have been significantly higher than UK prices for decades. The cost of this model is thus in line with German expectations.
The model ist based on the old Liliput Austria molds from 1989. The center carriage and the drive is a new design from Bachmann Liliput in Germany. Considering the age of the bodies, the detailing is still good. And the paintwork and printing of the Bachmann/ Kader crew in China has always been of good quality. The only drawback in my opinion is the complicated electronics.
Those Wittfeld Akkutriebwagen were in wide use on Prussian branch lines, and they remained in service until the 1950ies, so about 50 years of service life. They were replaced by DB Class 517 (former ETA 176), which remained in service until 1995. If necessary, they were pulling additional coaches, hence the NEM couplings make sense on the model. The signs are telling the terminal destination, and when turning at the terminal, the personnel was turning the signs upside down, so the other terminal destination was showing. This train thus goes from Duisburg Hauptbahnhof (central station) to Duisburg-Wedau (a suburb of Duisburg) and back.
Sprung Buffers aren't really common in H0. When I first started watching your channel I was surprised your 00 locos had them. Also i believe this might have pulled small amounts of goods wagons from time to time, as many Railcars did.
I had the 2 car DR version of this back in the 1990s. It cost around £250 then! No surprise about no sprung buffers, with the KK system they are utterly pointless and a waste of money. Upside down boards? Nope, you flip them over for the route back :P Lilliput were an OK manufacturer, but our main brands were Roco and Fleischman. We also had a few Fulgurex locos, they were EXPENSIVE (brass). Now our HO is Marklin AC and uses various motors, the smoothest of which are the Sine (brushless) ones - 12 magnets on the rotor and 9 coils round the outside with electronics pulling the magnets round. Kinda of an inside-out motor. As electronics rotate an electric field there is a lot of feedback and the loco will quite happily maintain the same speed up/down/round a layout without having to adjust the controller. It's also almost silent as there are no brushes!
I have three locos with the C-Sine motor and can agree with what you say about them. If using them with a DCC decoder then AUX 4 must be left on permanently for the motor to work. Thanks for the description of how the motor works.
Try typing the non-English bits on the box (e.g. Akku-Triebwagen 3-teilig) into Google Translate and select "Detect Language". Obviously, translate to English (I inadvertently translated to Japanese! :P ). If you hit the speaker symbol under the German, it'll say it for you, then you can try and practice :P
Last time I wanted to buy one of these it was on sale for around 100€, but the time i could go to pick one up in the livery i was after, it sold out. That was 5 years ago. It is on sale now at the moment too, but for 220€ (the 2 car unit is only 189€)! Still like its looks but I'll have to pass. BTW its a relatively old tooling!
14:47 its upside down because its a sign that was able to be removed and turned around , it says Duisburg Hbf (Duisburg Mainstation) whixh is the destination so if the train would head back it would be Tagen of turnen around and u could read Duisburg -> Wedan
Beat me to it!
Very cool stuff, thanks a lot for sharing!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Think those flippable destination boards are still very occasionally in use on the few remaining n-Wagen. Not at all specific to this class, very common back in the day on all kinds of local trains.
@@Taschenschieber Here in Austria, we have some that have one destination on one side and the other on the other side, though these are justs sheets of paper attached to the doors of the train.
Yes, thanks. I had the same to say.
I am old enough to remember the Dutch Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) using the same system of signs that were rotated when needed, in the late 50's early 60s. Those signs were kept in racks on the platforms, and the conductor (the one with the whistle) would hang the destination on the appropriate train
I'm originally from Wildwood New Jersey here in the States and they have a tram that uses a battery-operated locomotive from the early 1900s along with about 8 open passenger cars all on pneumatic wheels. They still run to this day on the boardwalk on Wildwood's 3-mile stretch of the boardwalk although the batteries have been replaced numerous times. They have a fleet of about 4 with a schedule. Anyway, I find the Accumulator Railcar as fascinating as you do and love oddities like this. Great review and video, Jersey Bill
Watch the tram car please!
@@russellsussan9849Watch ,Watch, Watch the tram car please! You have been there!
The tram car is actually derived from the former New York World's Fair tram dating from 1939.
Hi Sam
The "wing mirrors" are in fact holders for a tail board/end of train indicator. Most older German coaching stock, before being fitted with in built tail lamps used them. They were a rectangular boards with a red & white checker pattern on them. On certain Narrow gauge lines in Saxony they are still used daily.
The model was created by the Lilliput Company (before being bought out by Bachmann) as a 2 car set. The one to get was in the Epoch 1 livery.
Great review.
Boa
I have never clicked so fast on a Sams Trains video. I love when you look at german stuff, especially when its really weird german stuff
haha I love it too - will have to look at more!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Have you seen Steel Bridge Models channel?
The upside-down writing is for the removable signboard. It is turned over to show the reverse route at the end of the journey. For a different route, the board is replaced.
That is true. I used to travel quite often on German railways and the upside-down destination boards are a common sight.
That's very interesting - cool detail to see on the model too!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@careerprofessional in some places, mostly heritage railways they still use these kind of destination boards, for example when I worked at the Children's railway at Budapest we still had these big metal boards to rotate at each terminus and some of them are still in use daily on the trains there
Confirmed. This was common all around the continental Europe. Signboard had standardized zize and hole, so that could be fitted on coaches of different administrations. Nowdays these signboards are used by heritage railways or are a collector item.
Traction tires is not only about pulling wagons, it is also about pulling itself up potential steep inclines on home layouts. Lots of people have layouts with 4 deg inclines into shadow stations etc.
Yeah I get that - but they're no substitute for decently heavy models... at this price, I'd rather it just have been a bit heavier!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrainsmore weights = more expensive.
TBF, traction tires are overhated. They have flaws, yeah. However, a lot of the downsides are overblown.
@SamsTrains when does it stop with decently heavy locos though? 1100 grammes and still needs traction tyres. 6 kg of loco and the loco still slips madly with a train of 4 coaches (ask the owner of a 381E)
I'm not saying tyres are the be and end all, but loco weight isn't the be and end all either.
Great review anyway, your reviews are very in-depth, and the videography is superlative.
In fact, based upon your review, I'm very enthusiastic about acquiring the AC version, so thank you :)
@muir8009 exactly, considering I have a Broadway PRR J1, and that thing is a brick, yet have traction tires. It not mentioned the rivarossi.
A few points. This model was originally manufactured by Liliput of Vienna, which is now Bachmann-Liliput. This original model has been upgraded, although it was always good. The drive is on one of the 2-axle bogies because most of this type of battery railcar did not have a centre vehicle, and the original Liliput model was of the 2-car version. On the prototype, the powered axles were the single axle of both vehicles on the 2-car units, but on both axles of the centre vehicle on those sets so built. Additional vehicles were frequently added, but not usually freight vehicles (passenger, parcels or mail vehicles). Also, they often ran with more than one unit, not necessarily of the same type. So having the ability to fit end couplings is a plus.
As a modeller of European HO scale, I confirm that traction tyres are normal, also that prices are higher than UK modellers would expect to pay. However, as Bachmann inherited the model from Liliput-Vienna, I think the Bachmann list price is too high. At various times, the model has been offered in its 2-car variant, as well as in both Prussian and pre-war Reichsbahn liveries.
What an amazing beast! Cunningly resprayed into GWR livery or something else obscurely pre-grouping, I can see its potential! Colonel Stevens would have been fascinated!
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA, or as we locals call it, The T) is planning to buy a fleet of battery-electric commuter EMUs which can recharge from overhead lines. It's interesting to see a distant ancestor in model form. This accumulator EMU is a neat-looking set!
You should review more models from other European manufacturers like Roco, Trix, Piko i think you would like a lot of them
Yeah I would like to - I'll see what I can find!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I appreciate that you got this to show us. I really enjoy the unusual. Thanks, Sam!
its such a unique looking train. german engineering really is amazing!
I don't know if it's just me, but it looks slightly like the German crocodile locomotive due to its nose shape! Extortionate price, but the detail and mechanism seems pretty good! Awesome video as always sam, an unusual "loco"!
Yes!! It does have crocodile vibes doesn't it? Must be the two bonnets!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
New York City had both Manhattan traction companies using battery streetcars! Also the Long Island used Edison cars,for branch services! Lots of mixed history in a small compass! Interesting piece of equipment,and by definition,rare! Thank you,Sam,many kudos,for getting a rather obscure operating railcar,recognized! Thank you 😇 😊!
When I saw the thumbnail, I was like: Hey! I know that one!
But I didn't even know my country has the only surviving example!
Amazing video as always and an amazingly odd train too!
Some of the white plagues are upside down because they are destination boards and would be removed, turned the other way around, and then fitted again. And the top little plastic brackets are for end of train signs, when the train is dragged because of dead batteries or is transfered between depots.
That's very interesting thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
A plague on your houses
In general for continental H0 models, do not expect sprung buffers. They are a feature basically exclusive to UK manufacturers except maybe for the Belgian manufacturer L.S. Models.
There were quite a number of Era 3 British examples of battery-powered traction such as North Staffordshire Railway battery shunter of 1917 which is now in the NRM collection (would make a good prototype for a Sam's Trains loco build) and as early as 1905 there were battery loco's on London underground created from old rolling stock. One of the LT purpose-built of battery loco's from the 1930's is now in preservation. The Irish Drumm battery railcars built in the 1930's were similar in concept to the Wittfeld units but were not as long-lived.
Great, you do this review, Sam. The prussian Akkutriebwagen had a very long and successful life. Batteries were serviced by the AFA company, a predecessor of Varta.
After decommisioned in the 60's they had the successor ETA150, i used this back in the 80's for going to school. Still remember the typical slightly whining sound and the smooth ride.
Thanks very much for sharing - appreciate the extra info!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
You really got a bargain there, Sam. For a three-unit Continental train, that's a good price. Glad you like it so much. I like to see your reviews of overseas (to you!) models.
Notably, traction tyres, whether needed or not, are seen as a 'plus' on Continental stock. They are always listed in the specs for new models. I have some pretty hefty-weighted locos but they still come fitted with them. You learn to live with it!
The accumlator reminds me of a galloping goose but electrified and with multiple cars, would be cool to see you review one of those in on3
Ahh interesting I'll have to look that one up, thanks for the tip!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Really great video, very nice blending on bachmann's Electric Train👍Sam you really got some great interest!😄
Hi Sam, Great review and a great model. I actually have an N gauge version of this unit, in green, made by Kato. It is identical, but a 2 car unit, no centre car. It only has a one axle drive, so it cannot haul much !. It cost a lot less than yours as I purchased it second hand for around £40. Keep up the good work and I look forward to more N gauge reviews.
Very interesting little unit this! You should try some of Bachmanns UK units (150, 158 etc), they're pretty good too!
The EFE Pacer is really good too.
@@Eric_Hunt194 You mean the Realtrack one. The tooling (as far as I know) was (unknowingly) illegally sold to Bachmann. It is all documented on RMWeb.
Yes, its my favorite Akkumulatorwagen of all time. The design is so wonderful. And in the big croco-snouts is plenty of space for Accumulators. Imagine how much more range this design would get with modern Tesla-style a accumulators.
what a find! I love german and other european trains, and this is definitely a great model for the price you got it
14:47 before displays were invented trains had plates with the routes. So for economy either there were multiple routes painted on one side but flipped upside down or the destinations on the top and bottom were the same and the one in the middle different.
Very interesting train.
I have a X4500 DMU (frech) and it has same coupling style. I love it and I wish more DMU's and EMU's had the same coupling style to improve their reliability over points or bad tracks.
Fantastic ratings Sam and great review video ❤❤ 35:18
Thanks a lot Dennis glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains You're welcome Sam
The wing mirror parts are brackets where "Zugschlussleuchten" go, red petroleum lanterns that mark the end of a train. This is typical Prussian railways practice. The sign with the upside down lettering is turned around at each terminus, so the text pointing the right way will always show the right journey. Again, that is very typical for German Railways and in fact was done like this until the advent of LCD signs a few years back in some places.
When I saw the thumbnail I immediately remembered the Polish Wittfeld, and I'm happy you chose a vehicle that at some point ran in Poland. How about checking out some true Polish locos? Newest Piko Expert releases really are beautiful, with lighted cab controls etc.!
Pretty
I love the coil sprung secondary suspension, or were they dampers.
Very strange but very cool looking! Haven’t watched the review yet, so I look forward to seeing how it does!!
Awesome - hope you enjoy the video! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
15:46 I think those are for holding lights or markers, Older trains here in Denmark also got something similar.
The sign on the side is the direction sign. At the terminus they rotate it and then the new direction will be upright and the old upside down.
The parts you said mirrors are holders for the taillights or in this case for the tailsigns in german Zugschlussscheibe and in hungarian zárjelző tárcsa.
That's super interesting thanks for sharing! Ahh duly noted on the tailsigns!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I like them, the Prussian AT are so strange only one set is preserved somewhere in Poland. It was not Germany last endeavor in Battery Electric branch line trains. The much newer ETA 150 also had some prominence and was used till I think some time in the mid 1990's
Thanks a lot for the info - is there any model of the ETA 150??
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains KATO and Roco made some in H0 scale Fleischmann got them covered in N scale.
@@SamsTrains If you don't mind it a bit rough in the details Lima also made it.
@@SamsTrains The ETA 150 (or later BR 515) looks much more ordinary - like a diesel railcar.
There is either a very recent and excellent model from Roco (72080, 72082).
Or a budget friendly option from the 1970ies by LIMA (208037, 201211, 201213 etc.) However, there are 2 versions, as those models also got heavily reworked in the 1990ies and these look much better with more detail.
Finally there is the ubiquitous Märklin/Hamo (shortened) and rare but fine Kato (30801, 30802 etc.)
Last but not least the stylish ETA 176 (BR 517) exists as well (Kato 73327, 73328 etc.)
@@SamsTrains In addition to the ones already mentioned, there's an old Kato model in N-gauge that is fairly common on the used market, and imo looks really neat.
those old style destination boards can be used for two routes if you use upside down text on each side.
In a 3 car version you don´t need couplers but on the 2 car version in this scheme these were often permanently assigned one passenger car to get the same capacity as a 3 car one.
They look even more attractive in the original prussian two tone scheme, which has a slightly different nose with even more separate details
The small hatches on the side are doors to access the coal stoves that were placed under the seats in winter (as there is not enough power to run a heater)
15:38 those are hooks for the end of train indicators (when it is towed instead of driving under its own power)
Hi Sam. Calling it an EMU is accurate. Not every car has to be powered to qualify and one in three is not too uncommon.
Also, a model EMU doesn't need to crawl like a loco.
All my Märklin locos have traction tyres and I've never found them to be a problem. Adding weight to a stand-alone set doesn't necessarily help and might actually increase wheelslip on inclines.
IT was the solution for the prussian railways with batteries for secondary lines..Later used by the Bundesbahn..
Thanks a lot for sharing!
I'm from Skierniewice, the place where last one is saved. I'm also volunteer in PSMK, i see this vehicle every week. Polish version is different from original German. Color is green, big polish lamps and only 2 units. Maybe in future liliput will make model of only existing one.
Hey Sam, I'm finally back from holiday, so I can catch your videos at the time that I'm used to again and comment, so I just wanted to leave some things that I was thinking about recently! The first is that spoked wheels on models look SO much better when some effort is put into the back face of the wheel, which I realised when I noticed that the driving wheels on the Lionel Berkshire that I got on special are the best looking wheels I've seen (apart from Exactoscale), as it adds so much depth (a great example is GWR Lode Star at NRM).
The second is that manufacturers should put more effort into designing bogies so that bogie vehicles actually look like they're supported by the bogies, instead of being perched on stilts connected to the bogies. Thanks as always Sam, and I look forward to finishing the rest of the video!
Ahh welcome back - hope you had a lovely time! Yes wheels made like that do look a lot better don't they?
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains its really just embarrassing for other manufacturers (especially dedicated wheel wrights) that they were beaten by Lionel, with their not very well loved berkshire to boot!
There is a UK battery loco which has just been announced for model manufacture. The featured model has driver mirrors which are retracted in motion but can be positioned internally by the driver, like most enclosed European locos. The route board on the side will be reversed at a terminus station. May have second route info on the back. I have the Liliput range of Swiss suburban passenger train sets RABe 524 FLIRT, RABe 511 Dosto KISS, RBDe560, and BLS RABe 515 Dosto MUTZ and a pair of DR class 42 in camo paint. All very good quality.
See the net for Swiss train type designations, Dosto are double deck.
Very interesting review, I hate to say, reading the captions I got to EMU and pictured the bird, Emu.
15:38 You should know that yourself. These are signal holders like those found on freight wagons from the 1920s and 1930s. The taillight lanterns were plugged in there. But in most cases they were just red and white metal panels. However, these holders were all dismantled very early on due to the risk of accidents caused by electric shocks from the overhead line. They were then reinstalled above the buffers on the vehicles. In the 1950s, these railcars were probably already equipped with modern lamps, where a red lens could be installed in front of the white light. (I hope Google translated this correctly now)
Never seen this before but it’s really neat! Don’t really think I’ll be picking one up due to the high price, but it does seem like something I’d enjoy having on my layout!!
I never had either! Cant deny it's very enjoyable in spite of the crazy prices!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Wow - that’s different ! Looking forward to the review 😎👍
Hope you enjoy it! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
That's a train worthy of this year's top 5 best model trains.
The later battery powered units were a bit more conventional looking and were dearly loved in DB (yes, the later ones were built under Deutsche Bundesbahn!), especially for 30-40 mile sprint service across valley floors.
Thanks for looking at something European. I was very lucky, I picked up a 2 car version in perfect condition from the dreaded ebay for 56 quid! There are 2 more accumulator cars available, the ETA 515 and ETA 176, both by Kato. I don't have either yet but am keeping an eye open.
I have to say, that loco looks really good. I will admit it is pretty expensive like you said. So the best thing is probably to follow your advice on expensive locos. I'm not in a hurry to own it, so I'll just wait, and the price might come down after awhile.
Sam was tossing and turning wildly in bed one night. His sister managed to shake him awake.
"Had a bad dream?" suggested Sis curiously. Sam didn't answer for a few minutes.
"I'm not sure what was going on," the young man replied, "but somehow I was stuck in a minecraft pc game. That's why I was tossing and turning so much." His sister gave him a cuddle and he fell asleep. He slept more soundly, hoping he wouldn't be stuck in a horrible nightmare.
A new day dawned. Sam woke up to find himself kissing Chloe on the lips.
"Ugh!" He pulled tongues, yet Chloe was laughing her head off.
"Serves you right for oversleeping," she teased. Sam sighed, not exactly one for romance. After the usual routine had gone by....
"Uh, Chloe," asked the young man shyly, "will you marry me?"
"I will," giggled the blonde beauty. "I thought you'd never ask."
Sam and Chloe were happily married onboard a special GCR Wedding Belle train, hauled by Witherslack Hall and Dinmore Manor. Nothing could be more romantic than that.
If I were Bachmann, I would've used an axle-hung coreless motor like many people on the CLAG website have. With how small you can get coreless motors, its surprisingly easy to use small o-rings, pulleys, and gears to fit a high reduction drive into the detailing that the model already has in the centre coach.
Yeah I like that idea - reckon that could have worked!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Traction tires might be the answer for pulling up grades, but what happens when the various track cleaning fluids that are in use come in contact with the rubber? That question alone is enough to put me off traction tires.
Hey Sam are you ever going to do another LNER O2/3 Tango Unboxing & Review last one you did was 5 years ago? I just wanna see if it would be better then last time.
Do you still have your Derby Lightweight DMU model? Because one of those was fitted with batteries as an experiment by the Rail Technical Centre (RTC) at Derby works. It ran on the Aberdeen to Ballater line in Scotland.
Yeah I do!! But I didn't know that about them - thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Nice looking thing. In German, when a word has an E and an I paired in it the 'sound depends on the last one, ie- Fleischman = Fly shman.
The panel is a reversable destination board. Duisburg to Wedau. Back to Duisburg
Ahh duly noted - thanks for the info!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Heljan NER Electric Autocar comes close. The real thing used a petrol engine to drive a dynamo which supplied power to the electric motor.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about this BMU is the close coupling system!
By the beginning of the 20th century, battery-electric traction was tried in many countries. The problem then (as is now) was the limited capacity and useful life of the batteries. So eventually, railways opted for diesel or electricity supplied by catenary or third rail. Maybe the car industry can learn from the railways ???
I'm amazed they even had batteries of a half-decent capacity even back then - though I'm sure they must have been massive looking at the size of the bonnets!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Up until nuclear submarines the vast majority of submarines used batteries for underwater running. The Holland Boats were from the 1900's.
You should check out the ÖBB (Austrian National Railways) class 2045 from roco, it's a farely well made model with a metal body and it's fare share of detail.
It looks fab. I like the unusual models.
A very nice review. I enjoyed it all. Please keep up all your hard work. Nice to see something different. What IMR , or is it IRM ? Well worth looking at, but a bit expensive 😢
I shouldn't have watched this. Now I want the AC version!
hahaha sorry about that!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I believe the Southern EMU is a 2-Hal, don't take my word for it.
Ahh that's the one thank you! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Regarding price, admittedly German prices are going to be a bit higher because prices are set to what the market will stand (cars are a classic example). but you also have to factor in conversion rates of € to £. I converted to German model railways nearly 40 years ago when I realised that German manufacturers offered more bang for my buck. Menzels Lokshuppen in Dusseldorf is currently selling the two-car version (ETA180) for €230 (£197) but add to that import duty of up to 25% calculated according to the value of the shipment and you start to see where the price increases and why they suddenly become very expensive compared to English models. If you find one, I'd recommend looking at Kato's HO scale model of the ETA176/Br517Akku Triebwagen (pronounced Akoo Treepvargen) also known as the Limburger Cigar - I have the N scale version made Kato for Hobbytrain and it is amazing.
About the pricing - just in the interest of fairness, I guess. At 407 EUR RRP this thing is actually somewhat less expensive than most comparable sets by German companies, as far as I can tell most in HO scale cost here about 470-500 EUR, not to mention that 400 EUR get you typically a steam loco without any ACC bells and whistles. It is an awful lot of money, sure, but hey - hobby stuff tends to be overpriced, am I right?
Great content as usual, Sir, keep up the good work. :-)
I am frightened and concerned and its now on my wanted list
Never really knew that battery trains were a thing, well big units like this one,. .. Something to research later on!
A battery electric train in 1906 was certainly ahead of its time. Such technology is experimental in the UK 118 years later! Curious looking beast - like two American school bases coupled back-to-back either side of a caravan.
London Underground had battery locos in 1905
@@1maico1 Thanks for pointing that out. Shame the technology wasn't developed at the time for widespread use on the mainline
Looks like coreless motor and maybe performance reflects this. Have you tried plectrums instead of glue spreaders, they're thinner and maybe put less stress on body. Great interesting video, when I had my collection I had quite a few liliput stuff and they were oddities, but didn't have this though😪
I actually have one of these under the Lillilput brand and I've had mine for over four years and it runs very well and very quiet. I certainly got it here in Australia less than what Sam has paid for his.
Ahh fantastic - they've been around a little while then?
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Hi Sam,
Yes, they have, it was the first time I have purchased a Lilliput model train, and only because it was unusual. Also, it's the first time you've reviewed a model that I've already got, so I was pleased to see what you thought about it. I've been watching your channel now got a few years and I think you do the best review of anybody who reviews a model train, so, keep up the good work, your doing well.
Lee, Perth, Western Australia,.
14:49 those are destination boards. the upside down words are where they departed and the destination is right side up
I have the two-car version in old KPEV Prussian colours, very nice too! Joachim
Ahh lovely - yeah they're great fun aren't they??
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Nice to see some European locomotive reviews. Cool.
.Sam, this is my point of view. I fell that if you take a model out of a box and it does not run well (B12 and King Class), then you should score them as they are. However, in this case, you knocked down the value because of the recommended price, not the price you paid for it. You also reduced the score because it did not have sprung buffers. When using NEM couplings, there is no chance for the buffers to touch. This train does not have that type of coupling and had no trouble running around your layout. It is a nice and unusual train with a lovely finish. The destination boards on the sides are removable on the real one.and can be turned the other way up. Martin. (Thailand)
Great review! A bit pricey at SRP but nicely done.
There is nothing strange about this train! It was an early battery electric train built before WW I by the Royal Prussian Railway Administration (KPEV) for the use on less frequented, shorter secondary lines.
Sam, I'm guessing you will review the Dapol Black Label A4?
I really hope he does, I love the black label a4s and they even have smoke, they're in incredible
I'm not sure about that one - it's very expensive!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Yes Sam - it is a unusual Electric Train - I've never seen it as well!!! 😉🚂🚂🚂
I would genuinely like to know why sprung buffers are important. In most running situations with standard couplings would they ever be activated?
Hi Sam, Nice review, a bit different 😮, but likeable , All the best Brian 😅
Liliput stuff is high quality, on par with Roco, Marklin, Brawa.
Yeah absolutely - can't fault the build quality!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Holy Gott im Himmel and Chattanooga Choo Choo! I’ve never seem a rail car like this before.
Awesome video Sam's trains 😊
Thanks Brian! :D
@@SamsTrains you're welcome Sam's trains 🚆 😊
This is a model designed for the German market and as such the German level of pricing will be applied.
Sam loves to moan about UK prices - but if you look at the average prices of HO models in Germany over many decades you will find that on average they have been significantly higher than UK prices for decades. The cost of this model is thus in line with German expectations.
You got prety good deal, in my country(Czech Republic) this set cost around 310 pounds.
The model ist based on the old Liliput Austria molds from 1989. The center carriage and the drive is a new design from Bachmann Liliput in Germany. Considering the age of the bodies, the detailing is still good. And the paintwork and printing of the Bachmann/ Kader crew in China has always been of good quality. The only drawback in my opinion is the complicated electronics.
Those Wittfeld Akkutriebwagen were in wide use on Prussian branch lines, and they remained in service until the 1950ies, so about 50 years of service life. They were replaced by DB Class 517 (former ETA 176), which remained in service until 1995. If necessary, they were pulling additional coaches, hence the NEM couplings make sense on the model.
The signs are telling the terminal destination, and when turning at the terminal, the personnel was turning the signs upside down, so the other terminal destination was showing. This train thus goes from Duisburg Hauptbahnhof (central station) to Duisburg-Wedau (a suburb of Duisburg) and back.
Sam you missed the hornbys steam generator flaying scotsman its 293£ my dream is a model rainway vila
Yeah - haven't been able to justify that unfortunately as I've already reviewed the model without the generator!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Great to see what we would regard as odd-ball stuff :-)
Yeah absolutely!!
22:02 Why am I getting heljan vibes from this Sam lol.
hahaha!
Will you be reviewing the Heljan Class 28 when gets its third release? I cannot find any decent reviews on TH-cam that ho as in depth as you do
Awesome video today Sam what a really nice modle would you ever get the hornby azuma
This kinda reminds me of a Rio Grand & Southern Galoping Goose.
Shoutouts from Duisburg!
Awesome!! Greetings :D
Sprung Buffers aren't really common in H0. When I first started watching your channel I was surprised your 00 locos had them. Also i believe this might have pulled small amounts of goods wagons from time to time, as many Railcars did.
Yeah that's true - haven't seen many HO locos with them! And that's cool - I didn't know that!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I had the 2 car DR version of this back in the 1990s. It cost around £250 then! No surprise about no sprung buffers, with the KK system they are utterly pointless and a waste of money. Upside down boards? Nope, you flip them over for the route back :P Lilliput were an OK manufacturer, but our main brands were Roco and Fleischman. We also had a few Fulgurex locos, they were EXPENSIVE (brass).
Now our HO is Marklin AC and uses various motors, the smoothest of which are the Sine (brushless) ones - 12 magnets on the rotor and 9 coils round the outside with electronics pulling the magnets round. Kinda of an inside-out motor. As electronics rotate an electric field there is a lot of feedback and the loco will quite happily maintain the same speed up/down/round a layout without having to adjust the controller. It's also almost silent as there are no brushes!
I have three locos with the C-Sine motor and can agree with what you say about them. If using them with a DCC decoder then AUX 4 must be left on permanently for the motor to work. Thanks for the description of how the motor works.
So cool video dude
Thanks Justin! :D
Try typing the non-English bits on the box (e.g. Akku-Triebwagen 3-teilig) into Google Translate and select "Detect Language". Obviously, translate to English (I inadvertently translated to Japanese! :P ). If you hit the speaker symbol under the German, it'll say it for you, then you can try and practice :P
Last time I wanted to buy one of these it was on sale for around 100€, but the time i could go to pick one up in the livery i was after, it sold out. That was 5 years ago. It is on sale now at the moment too, but for 220€ (the 2 car unit is only 189€)! Still like its looks but I'll have to pass. BTW its a relatively old tooling!
Sadly when Bachmann took over Liliput they forced their pricing system on them, and now it became one of the less popular brands, because of it.
Crikey 100 euro is fantastic - wish I'd seen them at that price!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)