Spring 2018; driving the T3

The spring season is the time in the Netherlands were a lot of model engineering societies have an 'open day' or steam meeting.

With the Württembergische T3 now almost completed, we went to some of these events and had the locomotive in steam.

Here are some photos and video clips of these meetings.

Breda, Stoomgroep Zuid  (22th April)

At our club track in Breda.  

After the day putting the loco back in the car. That is different than with a 5" loco.


Den Haag, Stoomgroep West Zuiderpark  (27 until 29 April)

At the end of April we went to Den Haag. The Stoomgroep West  has a splendid track in the Zuiderpark.

Approaching the station.

Side by side with the Württembergische narrow gauge Tssd 0-4-4-0 Mallet of Ralph Peter.
Same track width  (7¼" or 184mm), but a much bigger scale.

Picking up a goods train. In the front a beautiful Baureihe 44 from a Swiss model engineer.

Even on the same scale (1:8) the T3 dwarfs against the big Br 44. 

 Pulling along a set of Dutch Railway passenger coaches.

Playing trains into the evening

With the lights on, it just looks like an electric train set of Märklin, that I had in my youth. 

Leaving the station. Although the weather was not so good, we had a great time. 

An approval of the master builder Ralph Peter Stolle. 

Barendrecht,  Maasoever Spoorweg (6th May)

Together with an excellent Dutch State Railways NS 3900 heavy express engine

Leek,  Nienoord (10 until 13 May)

Unloading at Nienoord Spoorwegen in Leek (Groningen). Every club has their own type of lift to get the loco in and out of the car. 

Nienoord has a relatively simple track through the woods. But the night time driving there is very nice. 

Blowing down the boiler after a day of driving.

Their 3½" / 5" raised track is very nice and has lovely steaming bays. So I took my 30 years old 3½"  LBSC "Mona" along as well. 

Turnhout, Stoomgroep Turnhout Belgium (19th May)

Getting the loco ready for a day at the track of Stoomgroep Turnhout, in the city park.

A lovely track with great facilities and a very nice steaming bay. 

The station is even more impressive. With 6 tracks it is very big.  

It is a scale model of the station that was used by the Belgian State Railways in Turnhout. 

Driving with passengers is done here on a weekly bases during the summer months. 

The track goes to the city park and has some lovely features like this suspension bridge.

Some very nice Belgian State Railways express engines next to the T3

With a load of 10 adults the loco preformed without any problems.

Passing the signal box.

Under the beautiful station roof.

At the end of the day there were some shunting duties to complete.

A BR standard class 2MT 2-6-0 is shunted into the main depot.  

Fire dropped and the loco cleaned, ready for the next meeting.