SNCF 2D2 electric locomotive.

Yesterday I was drooling over this Jouef /Hornby model of a 2D2 electric locomotive and expressed an interest in finding out more about it.

Found this info on a model retailer site.

"The models 2D2 E 501 to E 523 (5401 to 5423 at the SNCF) were ordered by the French national railway network in 1935 for the electrification of the Paris-Le Mans line. Delivered between 1936 and 1938, the engines owed their modernist shape to the architect Henri Pacon, who also designed several train stations as well as the interior design of the ferryboat Normandie. Initially baptised “Cyclops” due to their two headlights placed vertically one above the other, they were modernised in the early 1960s and equipped with two traditional headlights, as well as a decorative aluminum “moustache”. They were put out of service in 1979."

The cyclops formation of lights in evidence.

Is this the modernised 2D2?

I'll have to do some more research. This is a 2D2 but is clearly from a much earlier epoch than the 1960s, yet it does have horizontally arranged headlights - but no decorative moustache!!!

Seem to have been a lot of locomotives designated  2D2 eg

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Currently listening to:

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Last night's dinner:

Forgot to take photograph but it was an excellent meal with my sister and brother-in-law at:

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Currently reading:

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Drumming practice update:

Struggled to find time to do 15 minutes worth.

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Miscellany:

Off to Glasgow City Halls tonight for a concert of Scriabin and Shostakovich.

Window shopping.

No time for railway today so browsed internet to see what French HO scale locos had recently appeared on the market. Found this beauty from Jouef who I think are now owned by Hornby. Although, I am sure that I read somewhere that all these model makers are in financial difficulties.

SNCF, electric locomotive 2D2 5409

The real thing.

Must find out where and when this machine plied its trade.


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Currently listening to:

Brilliant.

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Last night's dinner:

Courgettes and rice.

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Currently reading:

This month's "Africa" magazine

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Drumming practice update:

Last night's Tuesday Samba drumming class was great.

Unfortunately Roddy, my samba specialist tutor did not turn up for my 1-to-1 session this afternoon. Abject apology received shortly thereafter.

However, the cycle out to the place was hugely enjoyable.

A very purposeful (and rare) vessel on the Clyde.

Squinty bridge.

Under the M74 flyover.

The practice venue.

Ma bicyclette

Directly across the road.

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Miscellany:

Enrolled in a free online University course on logic today.

HO scale card models continued

Stuck together the other two attic/garret windows.

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Currently listening to:

Arthur Russell

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Last night's dinner:

Smoked salmon coronets

Aubergine, pasta cheese bake

Boiled the aubergine beforehand.

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Drumming practice update:

An hour's worth which was done without enthusiasm.


This evening: Tuesday night Samba drumming class. Still not convinced that my contribution in these classes has noticeably improved over the last few months ie noticeable to others!

HO scale card models.

Was pretty tired today and not much time available, but I think that it's better to do a little bit each day and thus make some progress.

This is an approach that suits my character.

Other people can't stand that piece-meal approach and would feel unsatisfied unless they'd finished making this card building, if necessary working until midnight to do it.

So, approached one of the attic/garret windows.

Extremely fiddly.

It doesn't  fit the aperture in the roof particularly neatly.

In fact, the whole model is pretty difficult to fit together without gaps and overlaps. But, I'm hoping that the finished model, labouring as it will be under all these detailed appurtenances will look the part. In other words that the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts.

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Just in the mood for this laid back daftness.

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Last night's dinner:


Bit of a triumph: fou farci ie mince in a cabbage leaf.

The trick is to wrap the entity in cling film and then steam it.

Served with tomato sauce.

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Currently reading:

Still Palin.

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Drumming practice update:

Really went to town in front of the mirror today:

Plus a good dose of flip a rhythm:

Plus 30 minutes of  stepping around  the room while counting and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.

HO scale card buildings.

Cut out glued and folded another chimney stack for the HO scale Parisian corner building.

The three roof sections

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Currently listening to:

The Rapture

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Last night's dinner:

Lamb chops, cabbage and potatoes

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Currently reading:

When M Palin used to visit his ailing mother in Suffolk, he would take his running gear with him and run across the marshes near Southwold.

He conveys the sense of liberation - almost spiritual - that these runs gave him. I can no longer run, but I get something similar from going out for a cycle of an afternoon; even just going along the banks of the Clyde and into the centre of Glasgow.

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Drumming practice update:

Same combination of exercises as usual.

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Miscellany:

The more I explore Predicate and, more recently, Modal logic, the more I realise how little I really understand of basic propositional logic.

I think I'll have to do a course of some kind; but they're so bloody expensive.

Maybe there is something free on the internet.

SNCF Society

Through the post today arrived the latest edition of:

Although not a dedicated investigator into the history of the SNCF, I have gathered over the past couple of years that a lot of French locomotives and rolling stock were either converted directly from German machines or built under licence from other countries eg the USA.

This is quite a handy historical fact because it allows one to purchase models of German stock and convert them fairly easily. (Not that I myself have ever tried!) And in this quarter's edition of the SNCF Society magazine, there is an article showing how to convert a German (DB) carriage to an SNCF version.

German original is above. 

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Also tackled another section of the HO scale card model of a Parisian building, namely, the roof.

One of the chimneys

Still to glue it into position - that's why it's listing.

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Currently listening to:

Off to Glasgow's City Halls on Thursday for a performance of Shostakovich's 10th Symphony, so thought I'd better familiarise myself with it.

So downloaded the 9th, 10th and 15th, all for £2.49. The famous Soviet conductor Kyrill Kondrashin is in charge.

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Last night's dinner:


Forgot to take a photograph but it was 2 chicken rolls!



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Currently reading:

Loads still left to read.

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Drumming practice update:

Reasonably successful Saturday morning Samba class: 50% on Surdo (which I hate) and 50% on Caixa.

Every note counts - one mistake and the whole ensemble can be put off its rhythm.

Even if you do make a mistake with a Caixa, nobody knows who it was (or indeed who you are).

Then home to practise on:

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Miscellany:

"Still Game" at the Glasgow Hydro last night was OK.