[LindaH]

For the third time since December 2007 eBay (ITEM No. 120259359271 ) is auctioning an 'Aster / Fulgurex' Gauge 1, Steam fired, gray liveried BR 005 at -

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=120259359271&Category=81013&_trksid=p3907.m29.

The excellent and indispensable 'Southern Steam Trains' list that Aster had manufactured 620 by 1987. HOWEVER this locomotive seems to fly the dual Fulgurex made by Aster banner; rather like those Fulgurex made by http://www.bockholt-lokomotiven.de//

So how I know that this is the third BR 86 005, unfired, original box, same makers (? batch number displaying -
Fulgurex- Aster
019B 1987 ??????
I purchased one of them at XMAS 2007. Good deal I thought;
when a second one appeared early this year from the same eBay source with the identical images I became nervous;
But a THIRD one with Identical images Mr Bond is more than coincidence. Different German I think though

So do we have a faking industry in Germany ?
Finally what do we know of the Fulgurex Aster models/kits?
I happen to have bought a beautiful SNCF 141R Fulgurex- Aster Pacific - I wonder who made it ?

There - I'm less pressured now .... Kind Regards
LindaH

 

[tacfoley]

1. Hello, LindaH, and Welcome to the mylargescale.com forum.

2. Nobody is 'faking' Aster models.

3. Aster Hobbies products were originally distributed in Europe in the early days by the Italian aristocrat and total train nut, Count Giancarlo Coluzzi, a real gentleman of the old school.

4. His company, Fulgurex, based in Switzerland, imports products from a number of manufacturers of the very highest quality.

5. As for who else made your loco, the answer is simple if you read my comment above - nobody made it except Aster. Check out the serial number, and write to Aster Hobbies in Yokohama - I'm sure that Fujii-san will advise you of the facts.

6. FYI - the 141R is not a Pacific, it is a Mikado. The '141' refers to the number of axles on the locomotive. This class of locomotive was built in the USA for the badly war-damaged SNCF and other French railways, to help get them running again after we had destroyed most of their locomotives and infrastructure by bombing.

Graders

tac
www.ovgrs.org
G1MRA #3641

 

[wetrail]

Linda

This a sweet running locomotive but it will get greatly discolored since it is a pot boiler with an atomizing burner. I have a gray one that I built many years ago and it looks awful but runs great. I suggest that this model be held for display and that you bid on a black version when and if it shows up. The gray locomotive was a builders example designed for photography at the builder's works and then it was painted black before being delivered to the user railroad.

Jerry Reshew