Hi folks,
my first model review. I was at my local hobby store today, just browsing, when I was shown Railtop´s Swiss Re 482 engine. Due to my family´s Swiss heritage, I was all eyes and ears.
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The 482 is Bombardier´s Traxx 2 offering. The Traxx series was initially built as a light to medium electrical freight engine for the Deutsche Bahn, and is in service as classes 145 (single system version) and 185 ("international" multisystem version), plus as the class 146 passenger engine, with differing bogies that allow for a top speed of 160 kp/h rather than the freight versions´ 140 kp/h. Traxx 2 ist the new! improved! version of the very reliable Traxx 1 (which is being utilized by several privately owned railways in Germany as well as BLS and SBB of Switzerland and CFL of Luxembourg) Traxx 2 features enhanced crash survivability, front hatches for easier access to the air conditioning system, and IBGT transistors. For more info, click here.
After I was shown the model, and allowed to test drive it, I was encompassed in a reddish-blue fog, which lifted after I had left the store. Oddly enough, my wallet was missing € 199,--, but I held the Re 482 model in my hand... can´t explain it... (am I convincing? Can I present this story to my girlfriend?)
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The engine itself is the smoothest running modern-style "boxy" model I have ever encountered. Smooth, silent running, smooth, linear accelleration, and motor and gears were even silent at near top speed (I didn´t dare go faster, after all, it was a test oval and not a real layout). Downsides are the blueish LEDs - come on, are golden whites really that much more? - and the packaging, which is utter and complete rubbish.
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Upsides are everything else. Apart from the running characteristics, the details are outstanding.
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Here is the front view, complete with etched wipers, metal grabirons, etched metal steps, tiny metal stripes left and right of the front windows
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Admittedly, I have seen finer electrical pickups before, but that was on a Lemaco loco. All wiring, insulating, vent covers, are outstanding and correctly sized.
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The detailled bogies consist of "I don´t know how" many seperate parts; note the printed disk brakes.
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Frontal view from above again. Note the windshield wipers and the step treads.
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Salü! The bulky appearance of the Traxx 2 has been captured spot on. Real great detail, real great running characteristics, but they don´t come really cheap. Anyways, I can recommend this engine to anybody interested in modern European rail freight. The loco is not limited to Switzerland; I live near the Seelze freight yard, and they are regular visitors there. The colors, btw, are the exact right tone; on my way back, a Swiss Traxx 1 was parked on the adjacent track to the train I was riding, so I decided to interrupt my trip home and compare colors and details.
The engineer on the SBB engine liked the model, too.
![]()
my first model review. I was at my local hobby store today, just browsing, when I was shown Railtop´s Swiss Re 482 engine. Due to my family´s Swiss heritage, I was all eyes and ears.
The 482 is Bombardier´s Traxx 2 offering. The Traxx series was initially built as a light to medium electrical freight engine for the Deutsche Bahn, and is in service as classes 145 (single system version) and 185 ("international" multisystem version), plus as the class 146 passenger engine, with differing bogies that allow for a top speed of 160 kp/h rather than the freight versions´ 140 kp/h. Traxx 2 ist the new! improved! version of the very reliable Traxx 1 (which is being utilized by several privately owned railways in Germany as well as BLS and SBB of Switzerland and CFL of Luxembourg) Traxx 2 features enhanced crash survivability, front hatches for easier access to the air conditioning system, and IBGT transistors. For more info, click here.
After I was shown the model, and allowed to test drive it, I was encompassed in a reddish-blue fog, which lifted after I had left the store. Oddly enough, my wallet was missing € 199,--, but I held the Re 482 model in my hand... can´t explain it... (am I convincing? Can I present this story to my girlfriend?)
The engine itself is the smoothest running modern-style "boxy" model I have ever encountered. Smooth, silent running, smooth, linear accelleration, and motor and gears were even silent at near top speed (I didn´t dare go faster, after all, it was a test oval and not a real layout). Downsides are the blueish LEDs - come on, are golden whites really that much more? - and the packaging, which is utter and complete rubbish.
Upsides are everything else. Apart from the running characteristics, the details are outstanding.
Here is the front view, complete with etched wipers, metal grabirons, etched metal steps, tiny metal stripes left and right of the front windows
Admittedly, I have seen finer electrical pickups before, but that was on a Lemaco loco. All wiring, insulating, vent covers, are outstanding and correctly sized.
The detailled bogies consist of "I don´t know how" many seperate parts; note the printed disk brakes.
Frontal view from above again. Note the windshield wipers and the step treads.
Salü! The bulky appearance of the Traxx 2 has been captured spot on. Real great detail, real great running characteristics, but they don´t come really cheap. Anyways, I can recommend this engine to anybody interested in modern European rail freight. The loco is not limited to Switzerland; I live near the Seelze freight yard, and they are regular visitors there. The colors, btw, are the exact right tone; on my way back, a Swiss Traxx 1 was parked on the adjacent track to the train I was riding, so I decided to interrupt my trip home and compare colors and details.
The engineer on the SBB engine liked the model, too.
