The 141R: American locomotives in France (second part)
(Written by P.G.)
One of the preserved and functioning locomotivesย of this group is the 141R 420, here photographed in Gray immediately after its general overhaul of 1982, still lacks the para-smoking ..
… And here in Savoy in 2007
The same model has been reproduced in HO scale by Gรฉrard TAB ….
… With the adding, compared to previous versions, of various details and the linkage burnished ….
.similar … but not the same as the 141 R Chaumeil.
To conclude this overview on the 141R TAB,
here are two other “family photo” of these beautiful machines
These popular locomotives (SNCF still had more than 400 all effective in 1970) ..
…. were reproduced in later times in HO scale by many manufacturers, such Jouef, Lima, Rivarossi, Lemaco, but we do not take into consideration in this article.
Let’s talk about instead of the models built by Tenshodo for Fulgurex.
As we said in the article on the “Plantation”, in 1961 the Count Giansanti Coluzzi, who loved this car, daily presence in the border stations between France and Switzerland, chosed the 141R as before in HO scale locomotive for the brand Fulgurex .
He commissioned a first version of only 20 pieces to the Japanese Tenshodo and he introduced the first unit during a party at his palace in Lausanne in February of ’62 together with two small “Plantation”.
This time, instead of being, as the true locomotive, built in North America for France, it was built in Japan
for a Swiss Company !!
Completely handmade, these first twenty copies, then as the following ones, are made of steel and nickel plated brass.
I know four versions of Fulgurex / Tenshodo model.
The first, the 141R 5, precisely produced in only 20 copies, comes in green livery with red threads ….
… It is equipped with wheels Boxpok …
… And a beautiful linkage in nickel silver worked on the cutter and fully assembled with screws 0.6 and 1.0 mm ….
His plates “141R-5”, written by hand, have a write error where the “SNCF” becomes “SNFC” …
… Maybe even in the eyes of a Japanese acute craftsman
not accustomed to our alphabet, that does not make much difference .. !! ….
ย … But we forgive him, since the locomotive is wonderful !!
The second version, the 141R 112, ……
…. is presented in a semi-matt black livery and without red threads, here tags in photo-etched brass and differs in accordance , for many details from the 141R-5
It has the load requirements of real coal ….
… .that, according to an anecdote, it would have been accomplished by mincing a few lumps of coal collected by the same Count Giansanti-Coluzzi
on the tender of a true 141R to Annemasse station …
…. and he sent to the manufacturer in Japan ….
Its semi-opaque coating …
…ย makes it very well the image of the real locomotive in the course of its normal service on the tracks of the SNCF
This model is equipped with axes actually suspended with spring suspension, the first example, to my knowledge, this refinement
for a European locomotive in HO scale.
This suspension gives the exceptional qualities locomotive adhesion to the track and good electricity power.
The holder of Fulgurex then decided to produce just such a specific machine, the 141R 112, built by Lima Locomotives Work …
… In all the stages it crossed from its landing in France in ’47 …
…. until ’62 -’63.
So the third version of Tenshodo model
is therefore our 141R 112 early livery,
green and black with red threads
In this third version, apart from a few details reported and the livery, the basic pattern remains the same.
And here is the fourth and final version, with glossy black livery and red threads, as we always had the same locomotive to the early ’60s …
… Definitely very elegant and sober at the same time
We present here two
“family photo” ….
… Four 141R Fulgurex / Tenshodo …
… That carry all the front license plate “Mistral”, train hauled by them as to the real, as I already said, from Marseille to Nice.
Our locomotives , in fact replaced the CC 7100 at the head of this quick prestigious convoy….
… In this stretch not yet electrified.
Here, then, side by side, even in HO scale, a 141 R Fulgurex / Tenshodo and CC 7107 Pocher both with the license plate “Mistral”.
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(@ August, 3 2016)