Roco 6600218 H0 - Set of 3 self-discharging Fals wagons, Pol-Miedź Trans, era VI

Set of three self-discharging Fals wagons in Pol-Miedź Trans livery

A set of three four-axle self-discharging wagons, type Fals, representing the freight rolling stock of Pol-Miedź Trans, a private operator within the KGHM Polska Miedź group. The H0 scale model is made by Roco and depicts the wagons in a livery typical of Era VI — the period from 2006 onwards.

Each of the three wagons carries its own running number, so the consist looks authentic and lends itself to assembling a uniform block train, typical of bulk-material traffic. The wagons feature an NEM 362 coupler pocket with close-coupling kinematics (KK-Kinematik), which lets the wagons sit close together on straight track and move apart on curves.

Specifications (model):

• Scale: H0 (1:87)
• Catalogue number: 6600218
• Manufacturer: Roco
• Contents: 3 self-discharging Fals wagons, each with a different running number
• Length over buffers (set): 495 mm
• Era: VI (from 2006)
• Power system: DC — two-rail layout version
• Coupling: NEM 362 pocket with close-coupling kinematics (KK-Kinematik)
• The wagons are painted and ready to run
• A separate AC (three-rail) version is available (cat. no. 40196)
• Recommended age: 14 and over

Note: the wagons are unpowered and require a locomotive and a powered track.

This is a set of passive freight rolling stock — the wagons have no motor or electronics and do not form a starter set (no track, locomotive or controller is included). A locomotive and a powered H0 track are needed to run them. The version shown here is intended for two-rail layouts supplied with direct current (DC).

Model railways – DC (two-rail) or AC (three-rail) track?

Two track-power systems are used in H0 model railways: two-rail direct current (DC), where the voltage is fed through both rails, and three-rail alternating current (AC), drawn additionally from centre studs in the track. Wagons differ between these systems only in the construction of their wheelsets. This set is the DC version; the AC equivalent is available under catalogue number 40196. Because the wagons themselves have no decoder, whether the train is controlled in analogue or digital DCC mode depends solely on the locomotive hauling it.

About the Fals self-discharging wagons:

Fals wagons are four-axle self-discharging wagons — special-construction gondolas of the saddle (talbot) type. They carry bulk materials such as coal, aggregates, ores and sand. Loading is from the top, using conveyor belts or crane equipment, while unloading is automatic and gravity-driven, through side flaps that open (often pneumatically). This design speeds up handling of consists at sidings and transhipment points.

Pol-Miedź Trans is a Polish rail operator based in Lubin, active since 1996 and part of the KGHM Polska Miedź group. The company serves the sidings of KGHM's plants and also runs licensed services on the open market, hauling mainly heavy bulk cargo: aggregates, sulfuric acid, coal dust, cathode copper, cement and sand. Its wagon fleet includes self-discharging wagons of the Fal series for bulk materials, which the model set reproduces.

Specifications (prototype – Fals self-discharging wagon):

• Type: four-axle self-discharging wagon, special-construction gondola of the talbot type
• Number of axles: 4
• Purpose: carriage of bulk materials (coal, aggregates, ores, sand)
• Loading: top loading hatch (conveyor belts or crane equipment)
• Unloading: automatic, gravity-driven, through side flaps (often pneumatically operated)
• Usable capacity: in the order of 70–75 m³ (depending on the construction type)
• Operator of the prototype: Pol-Miedź Trans (KGHM group)

About the manufacturer – Roco:

Roco is an Austrian model railway manufacturer founded in 1960 in Salzburg, one of the recognised brands on the European model railway market. It offers models in H0, TT and N scales, valued for their finely rendered detail and well-finished execution. Since 2007 Roco has been part of the Modelleisenbahn group alongside the Fleischmann brand. Its range includes an extensive selection of Polish railway rolling stock, including locomotives and wagons in the liveries of PKP and private operators such as Pol-Miedź Trans.