Buying an HO scale model train from Europe

Ah I've seen the TE series locomotives in Ukraine a good many times I spend my summers there almost every year. I try to get track side there but the Kiev Police seem to have other ideas. So I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to getting photos and videos. Ill have to try and get out side in the country side.

Unfortunately i never had the chance to see russian diesels live in action. If you will have the chance to do some TEM2 - videos in the future please post it at youtube cause there (and at trainsim.ru too) are only a few uploaded and the most of them unfortunately showing locos without moving heavy loads.

Petz wrote:Unfortunately i never had the chance to see russian diesels live in action. If you will have the chance to do some TEM2 - videos in the future please post it at youtube cause there (and at trainsim.ru too) are only a few uploaded and the most of them unfortunately showing locos without moving heavy loads.

I found a few posted by a guy in Poland below He subscribed to my video link on youtube I'll have to ask if he has any of the TEM2 /ALCO RSC1 Look a likes on film. Seems like all the 65+ year old units pop up between Poland, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine it just takes time to find them all. Its crazy that they don't change much in car body design on there Locomotives the Factory in Kiev still makes Locomotives and automobiles much to my surprise but getting near any factory with a camera in general is not a bright idea the guards will take your film or camera away from you any arguing and they have no problems ganging up on to kick your butt. So I stay away Industrial sections in town.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_4bqxGASpo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOW_xiruFc0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkdp3HpBVak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxVmoGbI7UI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aWDacIBa3I

TEM2 in Estonia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzqCMOiwNms

Thanks for the links; this are the videos i former wrote that i miss heavier trainloads...
In my opinion the russian diesels show that Alco and FM had been very good constructions if the owner does a proper maintenance which unfortunately had not be the case at the traditional big american EMD - tending railroads.

Petz wrote:Thanks for the links; this are the videos i former wrote that i miss heavier trainloads...
In my opinion the russian diesels show that Alco and FM had been very good constructions if the owner does a proper maintenance which unfortunately had not be the case at the traditional big american EMD - tending railroads.

its crazy how ALCO/MLW had been squeezed out of the market by EMD and GE only to have a much better success story in Eastern Europe long after they closed up and here FM just barley made a dent in the U.S. but was able to make a big name for its self in Eastern Europe too with Opposed Piston engines in the Locomotive market.

That´s my opinion too and i think the american navy had good reasons why they had fitted many of their smaller ships with FM - diesels. I´m sure this had not happened if the diesels had shown a bad quality or construction troubles during their life.

Petz wrote:That´s my opinion too and i think the american navy had good reasons why they had fitted many of their smaller ships with FM - diesels. I´m sure this had not happened if the diesels had shown a bad quality or construction troubles during their life.

For what I know of both FM and ALCO were and always had been into the merchant Marine and Industrial Power equipment. ALCO got into when they bought out MacIntosh and Seymour in Auburn, NY which was a big time Builder for ship engines and small switcher type locomotives. My Grand Father worked there for many years before he passed away in the early 1980's. FM was good at making stationary Power for marine and power company's and sent's there opposed piston Engines were the most powerful on earth at that time the Navy found them vary useful in there Submarines during the War. I worked in a pump factory up till a few years ago and I used to see FM engines show up to be hooked up to the pumps and the turbine assembly's.

As far as i know the engine of the TEM2 based at the same MacIntosh & Seymour model 539T design that had been used in the Alco RS(D)1 and S2. That´s one reason why the TEM2 sounds and smokes like an old Alco in its best days...

Petz wrote:As far as i know the engine of the TEM2 based at the same MacIntosh & Seymour model 539T design that had been used in the Alco RS(D)1 and S2. That´s one reason why the TEM2 sounds and smokes like an old Alco in its best days...

MacIntosh & Seymour later ALCO/ White /Worthington/ Bombardier was located in Auburn, New York they only made Engines there my Grandfather was a Nuclear Welder there for many years in the Navy Shop I do have many of the old photos of the inside of the building taken in the late 1940's on into the early 70's. Along with a book that reports the last of the products made in 1980 and where they were sent.

@scharnhorst, maybe you wish could now get true; Chris white starts a 20 pcs production of the TEM2 (or PKP48) and is collecting the preorders. See the primer painted shells on his website

http://www.redstarrailways.com/

and a short description can be found here:

http://www.redstarrailways.com/comment.asp

I just have preordered 2 pcs of the TEM2 cause the 2TE10U loco set i´ve bought from Chris feels very lonely in the meantime when being paired only with american, european and chinese locos...

Petz wrote:@scharnhorst, maybe you wish could now get true; Chris white starts a 20 pcs production of the TEM2 (or PKP48) and is collecting the preorders. See the primer painted shells on his website

http://www.redstarrailways.com/

and a short description can be found here:

http://www.redstarrailways.com/comment.asp

I just have preordered 2 pcs of the TEM2 cause the 2TE10U loco set i´ve bought from Chris feels very lonely in the meantime when being paired only with american, european and chinese locos...

Vary cool I just sent in an E-Mail to to see if I can get 1 TEM-2 done up in the Ukrainian State Railways Thanks for the links!

Pleased to help and if i understand Chris´s notes correctly, he will build a custom made drive with a Mashima motor and Athearn boogies for the TEM2 so i think he will reach a better mechanical function too.

Nice. I just got an E-Mail from Chris this morning and I just sent the pics to him of what I would like to have done the links show the unit, color and cab number that I'm interested in.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... 006_G1.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... 006_G2.jpg

Heard back on my order and found that its a tough one was told that there looks to be at leased 9 diffrent shades of blue in the paint job.

Just get an email from Chris actually showing my two ordered locos he just got ready.
I´m impressed about his work cause i don´t know anybody who is able to produce
such great locomotives for the rather cheap price. I´m not a friend of Chris so this
is my real opinion as a very satisfied customer !!! Being in model building business
by myself i´m able to estimate how much work and affort the realisation of the TEM2 model needs.
Also Chris built special "custom planned" locos for me cause the russian Tem2 originally don´t have the big silver exhaust silencer at the long hood that i wanted to get too...