Trying to identify old European switcher..No,no pics!!!

[LV LOU]

 Years ago,I had a really nice,tiny European 2 axle switcher.It looked something like a Plymouth,but more modern and much smaller,all metal,with brass gears.I've been looking on Ebay,all over the web,never seem to see one like it,wonder if anybody has any idea what it might be? It was one of the bigger makers,Arnold,Marklin,Fleishmann,ETC..

[VonRyan]

Probably a Kof. You can even get one with DCC.

-Cody F

[C855B]

Is this it? http://www.amazon.com/Minitrix-Scale-Diesel-Switcher-Locomotive/dp/B0013FCGUS

[LV LOU]

Is this it? http://www.amazon.com/Minitrix-Scale-Diesel-Switcher-Locomotive/dp/B0013FCGUS

Actually,no,not it.This has a regular walkway around it,walkway behind the cab,the cab was the same height as the sill.It would be pretty old,probably from the early 80's.It was VERY well made.

[peteski]

Actually,no,not it.This has a regular walkway around it,walkway behind the cab,the cab was the same height as the sill.It would be pretty old,probably from the early 80's.It was VERY well made.

This?





This might be too recent.

[LV LOU]

Very similar to the last one,but no side cranks,and I'm pretty sure it had a walkway behind the cab..It was tiny,like 3/4 the size of an Atlas Davenport,it was green....

[peteski]

Very similar to the last one,but no side cranks,and I'm pretty sure it had a walkway behind the cab..It was tiny,like 3/4 the size of an Atlas Davenport,it was green....

The only other one like the one you think is similar was one made by Minitrix. But I think it had siderods and it was similar size.
Only ones I know of that are as small as you say are the Kof shunters.
I have the Arnold version like this one.


Maybe some of our European friends on TRW will be able to solve this mystery.

[LV LOU]

 I found it..Could only find one pic,can't post it.It's an Arnold..I'll see if I can find another pic of it..I was wrong,it doesn't have a back porch,but it does have full side railings..It's only maybe 10% bigger than the KOF..I was looking at TRIX,Fleishman,and Marklin,forgot about Rapido..

[peteski]

I found it..Could only find one pic,can't post it.It's an Arnold..I'll see if I can find another pic of it..I was wrong,it doesn't have a back porch,but it does have full side railings..It's only maybe 10% bigger than the KOF..I was looking at TRIX,Fleishman,and Marklin,forgot about Rapido..

Nice!  I would love to see a picture (or a model number, or a locomotive type designation to look it up).  I have an older Arnold Rapido catalog - I have to dig it up to see if it is listed there.

[keeper]

Is it this one?

[keeper]

Or maybe that one?

[LV LOU]

Is it this one?

BINGO!!! The one I had was nicer looking,it had a dark green paint job with a yellow stripe around it,a few other different paint details.I made it into a GE 70 tonner years ago,that was why I bought it,sold it off to a friend a long time ago.

[LV LOU]

 Actually,the reason I'm trying to find one is,I'm going to build a small switching railroad,maybe 1X5,just so I can have a home for tiny switchers.I'm gonna start hunting all the tiny industrial motors I can find,even the Kof,and a few of the other I've seen here.This one,I just couldn't seen to get a handle on,and I really liked it..

[loco-n]

At the moment you can find various Arnold models on the German auction site (go "Arnold" - "diesellok"), the green 2056 SNCF Y9200 and three different V45 (2055, 2057 and 2060).
The smalles Arnold is the Swiss diesel tractor (shunter) Tm II (2073). I used one to power a Bachmann old time bobber caboose.
 Franz

[peteski]

Ah, I forgot about the one keeper found.

The early locos of this size and type had fairly crude motors in them, and the worm drove the worm gears directly on the axles.  That, along with the fact that these are relatively light models with only 4 tiny wheels on the rails made them rather poor runners. Combine that with plastic turnout frogs and they become frustrating to operate.

My recommendation would be to pick up one of the current releases by either Minitrix or Arnold.  They have better mechanisms (but there is nothing that can be done about the light 4-wheel design).