Perhaps a perfect pikesized piggyback yard for modelling. Though being high tech, it still shows its past as an another station on a former mainline.

Equipment used on the line.



Green Gargo T44 400 in Borlänge



Green Gargo T44 405 in Borlänge

The trains are short, and consists of a single Green Cargo T44 unit with a up to ten container or Kangaroo cars, cruising at 40 km/h though the roadbed would allow much higher speed. The train is loaded only with trailers and containers. You will not find any other equipment on daily bases. There might be some other cars hauled on the line for some heavy duty machinery or parts to the plant, but none of this is is confirmed but would be added by a modeller with a Kbs or a Rs type of car sitting at the track next to the former station building.



Jecos model of T44

The engine is available as model in H0-scale, A swedish firm Jeco, produces a pewter body to Rocos model of T44 using DB Br 290 drive.





Rocos models of Kangaroo cars, these versions with swedish markings and containers are only available in Sweden.
All three photos provided by Jeco.se, used with permission


The freight cars are pretty easy as there are a number of these available in various countries national systems or private operators scheme. So is the case with Kangaroo cars, which are made by Roco. Today, most of the models are equipped with containers instead of containers but Roco also makes highway models aswell including a trailer. Today, as most of the transporting companies are merged in to larger international companies operationg over Europe. About 10 - 15 years ago, ASG and Bilspedition were major players in Sweden but to day they are merged in to central European operators. ASG merged in to Danzas, which was merged in to DHL, Bilspediton is now part of Schenker. Now DHL and Schenker are major players in Scandinavia. So in ordr to model Grycksbo as the way presented in here, you really don't need to repaint or redecal the trailers.

The Kangaroo cars combined with a 40 foot container from Walthers that closely represents shipping containers used on the line.

The tractor used for the very last leg is painted white and red trimmed fenders with black frame. Unfortunally I had a narrow miss of that so I did not be able to shoot it, but if you can not locate a such by Williams, you can allways use a old truck not longer use on highways.

You can altert the whole situation to other countires aswell, in German theme, the T44 would be a Br 290 or perhaps a Br 211/212 running its last legs. In French theme, a SNCF BB 63 0000 will fill the slot, aswell as the number of privately run MaK diesels or Vossloes fit right in. Personally I would go a bit further, as I allways have liked the idea of oldtime diesel with a modern consist. A ex. dane TMY or TMX would like just great. Model of NOHaB.s are made by Heljan, Roco and Märklin in H0.

In USA based roster based on Grycksbo, perhaps an EMD SW 1500, MP 1500 or Geeps up to 35, or 38/40 woulb enough poer for the train. I would not use any of the articulated double stacks bit a husky stack car with only one 40 foot container would look nice, perhaps with a 85 foot container flat car or two.

Some notes...



A 40 foot shipping container sitting on a container skid.

In buildings, there are not much available or useful in the market as the most of the depot buildings on the market are based on prototypes from the golden age of steam, the rather plain modern buildings are few if any.

But fortunally the depot and the freight shed are pretty straight forward jobs, no fancy trim no complicated roof construction here. But the nix of old buildings not in use and therefor boarded up, along the high tech yard and new loading building that towers anything around it does add more interest to the scene.

Not to forget the "chost track" from the days before the line wass reopened for service adds a bit of extra interest. The modest size of the yard, and its trains are perfect for those of us who are not owners of huge basements or unwilling to devote a large are to the hobby or wants to keep the economics down.

I would like to include few key elements of the yard to a layout, the "ghost tracks" and perhaps by the means of Fallers Car System, animate the tractors right way to the plant. At least some of it, the crossing between its right of way and a street is definetly a coversation maker and adds more interest. The paper plant is some 200 meters away but some modelling licence could be used to move it a bit closer. I would go using background flats and photographs clued to background to represent the plant. Perhaps you could "reopen" the line for a passenger car using Bemos Regioswinger to complicate the freight switching.