So far there are just a few cars offered by FR for the OBB, but Austrian trains can correctly haul any number of the German cars FR includes in the line-up as well as the two car set for SNCB.
FR #43.343.02 – OBB, type Gs + Gss-vx box cars. Full metal construction. 2 car set includes 1 standard freight car and 1 ‘Express’ freight car with the distinctive yellow mark across door.
Shipping is an important business enterprise in Denmark thus container shipping is included in the rolling stock of the DSB. FR has created a car body that accepts removable 40′ high or standard containers compatible with Marklin’s container wagen. A variety of containers can be ordered each lettered by differing shipping companies.
FR #45.814.01 – DSB, type Lgs container wagon lettered for DSB and 40′ hi-cube container lettered for HYUNDAI.
Norges Statsbaner AS – NSB (Norwegian State Railways) is a neighbor to Sweden and thus any cross border deliveries of timber and other goods will likewise share rolling stock from country to country. FR’s inventory in this category includes lumber cars as well as climate sensitive box cars.
FR #47.334.02 – NSB, type Godsvognsett Gklms box cars. Set of 2 injection molded plastic cars with separately applied hand rails.
FR #47.805.01 – NSB, type Tommervogn Lps lumber car
FR #47.812.00 – NSB, type Kjole- og Varmevogn IbbIps insulated box car. Full metal construction. Unique box car design built with heavy insulation to protect goods from perma-frost and contrasting high temps from sun.
FR rolling stock like the locos is precision made and precisely designed based on the prototypes. Build characteristics: separately applied details, metal chassis, body of injection molded plastic or metal, pad printing and sometimes decals. And sometimes weathering is applied in special editions. These are little charmers that are even better in person.
SJ – Statens Jarnvagar freight cars:
FR #46.807.01 – SJ type Lgs container wagon lettered for TOLLPOST GLOBE.
FR #46.810.01 – SJ type Elos hopper lettered for Jarnmalmer. Full metal construction.
FR #46.811.01 – SJ type Gbs box car. Full metal construction.
FR #46.811.31 – SJ/Roda Korset, type Gbs box car with weathering. Edition size: 25. Used by Roda Korset (Swedish Red Cross) for transporting used clothing. Full metal construction.
FR #46.811.61 – Green Cargo, type Dalm box car. Full metal construction.
FR #46.816.01 – SJ, type Huvvagn Kis950 sliding roof car for transporting steel products. Limited edition: 40. Full metal construction.
Colorful locomotives designed for heavy duty operation in a difficult and unforgiving climate describes train operation in the Sweden. Sweden along with its Scandinavian neighbors have much to contend with as the winter months embrace these countries so of course snow plows are standard equipment and most propulsion is electric generated by hydro-electric plants. I would claim Sweden to be one of the best at climate change sensitivity, not only is the electric generated by turbines in the form of hydroelectric, but their Rc locos don’t last and last and last thereby reducing the impact on the environment from scraping and making more.
The Scandinavian train is found in Marklin’s HO scale, and only covered by them in Z for the MY locos for the DSB. All four versions by Marklin of the NOHAB locos are GREAT! FR has come along and provided an extensive line-up of rolling stock and locos for Scandinavian train enthusiasts including the next three examples:
FR #46.130.31 – SJ (Statens Jarnvagar – Swedish State Railways), class Rc-2 1103
FR #46.130.10 – SJ (Statens Jarnvagar – Swedish State Railways), class Rc-2 1037
FR #46.131.03 – BANVERKET, class ELL0003R
The current production of locomotives by Harald Freudenreich centers around the many variations of the highly successful SJ Rc series locomotives, versions can be seen in the United States driving passenger trains up the Northeast corridor by Metro-North and Amtrak. FR’s production includes numerous SJ examples as well as Austria with the release of 43.130.01 class 1043.03 from the early 70’s.
FR #43.130.01, OBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen-Austrian Federal Railways), class 1043.03
FR Rc locomotives feature snowplows of two types as appropriate to class, two variations of pantographs depending on class, coreless motors, pad printing, and accurate detailing which yield true variations between the FR Rc’s. I forgot to mention LED’s that change over with direction of travel that also provide realistic lighting in the cab: BRILLIANT! And last but not least, the mirrors are chrome, they are not painted over adding much realism: BRILLIANT!!!
FR just announced a forthcoming release of another Austrian locomotive in ‘Valousek’ paint scheme, I haven’t met anyone who does not like Valousek paint schemes.
But one more FR Austrian loco is class 1043.008 with ‘Jaffa” paint scheme. This one was produced in a very small batch of 12 only, it was only economically feasible for Harald to use decals for this one. Now another choice to haul the Marklin ‘Export’ passenger coach set 87354.
FR #43.131.11, OBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen-Austrian Federal Railways), class 1043.008
Over the years there have been a number of small manufacturers making Z gauge items to further complicate many marriages, collectors of Z know what I mean. Items as small as metal cast parts to detail a building to rolling stock and locos have been produced by small companies sometimes comprising only one individual just a few have survived including Freudenreich Feinwerktechnik. After more than 20 years Harald Thom-Freudenreich of FR is still designing new and exciting locos, rolling stock, and accessories, his initial offerings were based on Scandinavian Railroads, but in recent years he has expanded the FR range to include European locos and rolling stock represented by German, Austrian and Swiss cars and locos as well as American prototypes. I am relative new comer to FR, I have been collecting them for the last 5 years instead specializing in Marklin. For the collector FR represents something unique, they are simply the only option for Swedish and Norway trains in Z. And their small production number makes them uncommon, dare I say rare for a future collectible; a minimum production run for locos seems to be 30 based on pre-order commitments. Each loco or freight car is hand built on a metal chassis with two options for the shell: cast metal or injection molded plastic. Details details details! There are lots of detail parts that are hand applied and even designed parts that are specific to the prototype including pantographs in some cases. Graphics tend to be pad printed with a very few exceptions on some box cars which have applied advertising signage that is not printed on the cars. FR is masterful with the application of prototypical detail parts that are in line with the scale of Z, we should not except FR to do easy; they go above and beyond what anyone who has collected Z has expected in the past. Marklin is the standard bearer and life is better with Marklin trains, but incorporating some FR items into your railroad can add another layer of detail and interest, fortunately each company complements the other: Marklin does not produce FR prototypes and FR does not produce Marklin prototypes in Z. Maybe one day FR will return to producing a few more box cab locos for American prototypes including Lehigh Valley (fingers crossed).
Buying an FR loco or freight car is easy in the United States, you can buy direct. Here is the link for FR in English: http://fr-model.eshop.t-online.de/epages/Shop46559.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Shop46559/Categories
FR items are typically boxed in a plastic case with foam and includes a description of the prototype printed on the insert. Unfortunately the description is in German! Each item is assigned a number: first two digits are the country’s telephone prefix, followed by item number with third being one of the following:
0 train sets or car sets (01 – one car / 02 – two car set)
1 locomotives
2 passenger cars
3 and 8 freight cars
4 railroad specific accessories
5 not railroad specific accessories
Any helpful advice from FR collectors is most welcome.