Roco 6600092 H0 - Set of 3 eight-axle low-floor wagons, HUPAC, Era V-VI

Model of a set of three eight-axle „Rolling Road” low-floor wagons of the HUPAC operator

A set of three eight-axle low-floor wagons of the Swiss operator HUPAC, used to carry complete lorries and road combinations in the so-called Rolling Road system (German: Rollende Landstraße, RoLa). The models reproduce the Era V–VI condition. The set is suitable for forming a complete train, and the matching extension wagon for reproducing a prototypically long train is the model cat. no. 6600093.

One of the wagons in the set comes with buffer beams, which form the end of the wagon group. A continuous, flat driving lane running through the whole train and small-diameter wheels – thanks to which the floor sits low above the track – are characteristic of this type of stock.

Model specifications:

• Scale: H0 (1:87)
• Catalogue number: 6600092
• Manufacturer: Roco
• Set composition: three eight-axle low-floor wagons (RoLa)
• Set length: 664 mm
• Era: V–VI
• Operator: HUPAC (Switzerland)
• Power system: direct current DC (two-rail)
• Coupler: manufacturer’s own coupler (Roco proprietary coupler)
• One wagon supplied with buffer beams
• Suitable for forming a complete train; extension wagon: cat. no. 6600093
• Models ready to run
• Recommended age: 14 years and over

Note: this model consists of hauled wagons – a locomotive and a powered track are needed to run it.

The set is not a starter set and does not include track or a controller. The wagons are joined by the manufacturer’s proprietary coupler and hauled by a locomotive; in prototype service, Rolling Road trains are worked by, among others, class 482 locomotives or Swiss Re 4/4s, often in double heading. The model is produced in the DC version. Because of the length of the train, a layout with gentle curves is recommended.

Model railways – digital or analogue control?

A digital DCC system lets you control several locomotives independently on the same track at a constant rail voltage, whereas in an analogue system all vehicles on a given circuit respond simultaneously to changes in the supply voltage. The model described here is a hauled vehicle – it has no drive or decoder of its own, so it runs equally well on digitally (DCC) controlled and analogue layouts, since the control method applies only to the locomotive. The model is produced in the DC (two-rail) version.

About the HUPAC „Rolling Road” wagons:

The Rolling Road (RoLa) is a system of accompanied combined transport in which complete lorries and road combinations are carried by rail on special low-floor wagons. The vehicles drive onto the train via end ramps and travel as a whole train along a continuous driving lane, while the drivers ride in an attached accompanying coach. The solution is intended above all to shift heavy road traffic from the roads onto the railway, particularly on Alpine routes.

To keep the floor as low as possible above the rails, the wagons were given small-diameter wheels and as many as eight axles per vehicle. The buffer beams are usually fitted only to the first and last wagon of the group, while the intermediate wagons do not require them. The operator of the reproduced stock is the Swiss company HUPAC – one of Europe’s leading organisers of combined transport.

Original technical data (RoLa low-floor wagon):

• Type: eight-axle low-floor wagon of the Rolling Road (RoLa) system
• Purpose: accompanied combined transport – carriage of complete lorries and road combinations
• Design features: small-diameter wheels, a continuous driving lane through the whole train, foldable buffer beams on the end wagons
• Operator: HUPAC (Switzerland)
• Era of service: V–VI

About the manufacturer – Roco:

Roco is an Austrian model railway manufacturer that has been operating since 1960, founded in Salzburg and today based in Bergheim near Salzburg as part of the Modelleisenbahn GmbH group (alongside the Fleischmann brand). It released its first locomotives in 1976 and earned its reputation early on through precision and fidelity to the prototype. The brand introduced a number of innovations to the industry, among them unshortened, true-to-length coaches, track with a lower rail profile, and snag-free close couplers. Roco's contemporary H0 models stand out for their rich detail, while the digital range is rounded out by the Z21 control system. Roco models are valued by modellers and collectors throughout Europe.