Jan Coeckelbergh

The brave men starting Building Project 2 (by Etienne Josse).

The O-Forum is an association grouping Belgian O gauge enthusiasts. The main goal of this association is to resuscitate and to promote O gauge in our country.

One of our interesting initiatives is the organization of ‘Building Projects’ meetings where each member of the group is building his own model of a particular item of rolling stock. This group building system has the advantage that less experienced modellers can learn from the experts and that tools and accessories can be used jointly. The O-Forum does not have its own premises, so building sessions are organized on a more or less monthly basis throughout the country, taking place at the premises of various model railway clubs.

Picture1 (by Luc Borreij): the open goods wagon from Building Project 1 under construction

Picture 2 (by Eric Borreij): the open goods wagon from Building Project 1, but now finished

Building Project No1 started in 2011, it involved the assembly of a kit for a standard open goods wagon type E of the Belgian National Railway (NMBS/ SNCB). This was a fairly simple project to start with. The basis of the project was a kit developed within the 0-Forum by Eric and Luc Borreij. All parts for the wagon were CNC milled in Plastikard sheets, even the (dumb) buffers and the axle boxes. Only the screw couplings and the wheels were bought-in items.

In total, 12 members joined this first initiative. The model was completed under supervision of the designers within 3 afternoon working sessions, where the most skilful builders even managed to airbrush their model within this limited period. See pictures 1 and 2.

Picture 4 (by Luc Borreij): Building Project 2: the finished product

Encouraged by the success and the fun in completing the first building project, a more ambitious Building Project No 2 was set up at the beginning of 2012. The participants are pictured opposite. This time a real locomotive in the shape of a 0-6-0 diesel shunting locomotive, again from a NMBS/ SNCB prototype (series 253), was selected. Picture 4 shows a finished model.

The prototype was a batch of 25 locos, built under a General Motors license, ordered in 1955 and constructed at Cockerill in Liège. The last engine was withdrawn in 1994, but one survived in running order. During their lifetime many modifications were applied to these engines, resulting in differences in livery, headlight type, number and location etc. Many of these different modifications were considered during the design phase, so that each builder specify and create a personalised model.

Once again the kit was designed using CAD/CAM technology by two O-Forum members Kris Heyde and Hans Mestdagh, both of them having a long experience in designing and building O gauge rolling stock. The design in itself took about 100 hours. The kit consists of a brass chassis and a superstructure in milled Plastikard sheet. In total 10 kits were built, each locomotive having an individual number.

First the chassis was built from the CNC milled brass parts, completed with parts available from trade. The motor/gearbox is a Slaters GB-03 unit. Wheels are Slaters too. The drive sits on the fixed middle axle. The outer axles are sprung and take the electrical pick-up. The basic kit builds a DC version but room is provided for installation of a DCC decoder and speaker. The chassis took four building sessions to finish. These were whole days, and not just afternoons as in the previous Building Project, due to the complexity of the kit. Catering was provided on each occasion by the hosting model railway clubs.

In 2013 the superstructure construction was started. This consists of CNC milled parts in polystyrene. Smaller detail parts are etched brass. The cab has full interior detail. Building the superstructure took 6 working days.

Picture 5 (by Eric Borreij): Building Project 3: the pre-production test build

Whilst the workers were busy building the type 253, Kris and Hans already started torturing their little grey cells on Building Project No3, a Belgian type HLD55 mainline diesel locomotive. See picture 5 for the preproduction test build.

Some information on the prototype: 42 units of this heavy diesel-electric (1435 kW/ 1950 HP) goods locomotive, once again under a GM license, were built 1961-1962 by Brugeoise & Nivelles for the Belgian National Railways. They lasted until 2009.

The same building concept as for the type 253 is applied, again using a brass chassis and polystyrene superstructure. This time ABC bogie drives will be used. As the engine cab was likely to be difficult to produce from flat Plastikard sheet, a 3D model was printed and used as a master to create a mould.

Subscriptions were opened beginning of 2014 and in total 15 engines will be built. The 0-Forum has two members from the Grand Duché du Luxembourg, and since the CFL (Chemins de Fer du Luxembourg) ordered 20 units of the same locomotives in 1963, 4 units will be built in CFL colours so the O-Forum goes international. This building project started on October 24th 2014.

And as if this were not enough, Building Project No 4 is also under way, once again developed by Eric and Luc Borreij. A 0-6-0 steam engine type 41/44 of the National Belgian Railways, is the prototype for this project.