Kuehn-modell 91185: N-Scale double-deck PKP rail car set

The only really popular train modelling scale in Poland is H0. No wonder the manufacturers are not tempted to release any Polish State Railways rolling stock for other systems. One notable exception in 2016 was a set of two double-deck passenger cars in N-scale. It was released by a little-known Kuehn-modell company which for me was just another reason to see what it's worth. In the end I got it as a gift, but the product can be bought for around 70€ on Ebay.

Its catalogue number is 91185. It comes as two separately packaged (but taped together) transparent boxes giving a very good view of the models inside.

Separating the elements shows how similar looking they are...

...but the descriptions on the side prove we actually get two different coaches in this set.

Unboxing time. The model is well protected inside the plastic mould and additionally wrapped in a transparent foil. The paper insert unwraps into a promising looking manual. No other parts (alternative couplers, anyone?) are included.

The manual is available in German only which is disappointing. At first I had an ambitious plan of getting familiar with it. But then I noticed it contained information about digital control and concluded it could not be very much related to the product I got. This tricked me into ignoring the chapter about interior lighting which I regretted later.

And here's the model itself. First impression - it looks beautiful.

I like the coaches a lot. They offer a very good level of moulded details and a very, very nice paint job. Not only are they colourful but the quality and crispness of the small painted parts is really good. The Polish labels ("Bydgoszcz", "Ogrzew. naw.") are free of any mistakes and clearly readable. I think I'm going to start collecting Polish trains after all!


So I'm very happy with the look but how does it ride? Unfortunately this is where some issues came up...

The cars would barely move when pushed on the track. There was clearly some resistance in the riding mechanisms. That was extremely surprising for a brand new product. So I investigated...

...and found a problem. The wheels were falling out from the bogies. They "seemed" like a good fit for most of the time but clearly moved up and down and did not really stick in their sockets. At one point the wheels literally fell out on the floor.

I've contacted the manufacturer about the issue and got the following response:

Remove the bogies from the car and then the wheels from the bogie. Now you can press the bogie bearings for one axle with your fingers together and hold this for some seconds. Please adjust your force carefully and don't damage the bogie... Based on this procedure the bearings can come 0,2 ... 0,3mm more closer together and this is enough for a more stable wheel bearing. You can insert the wheels now and clip the bogie to the chassis.

I somehow hoped for an immediate replacement but if the problem can really be fixed, why not try it? And so I removed the bogies. Surprise!

The models are prepared for interior lighting installation. This is probably described in the German-only manual but I decided to ignore this document due to my laziness. And here is what I've missed!

Hoping for more surprises I kept opening the coach. Here's a photo of the car's interior details.

Alright, so that power pick-up mechanism on the bogies does justify some of the drag the coaches are experiencing BUT it does not explain why the wheels tend to fall out. So did the advice from Kuehn-modell help at all?

At first it did not. Squeezing the bogies with fingers is not enough to make the plastic "remember" its new desired shape. After a few minutes the problem is back. So instead I've used some clothes-pegs and kept the parts pressed for several hours. This procedure seems to have helped and the wheels do stay in their sockets now.

Summary

So what's my take on the Kuehn-modell double-deck coach set? I absolutely love its look and the painted details in particular. I appreciate the fact that the manufacturer prepared the models for lighting installation. And I'm very, very excited to finally own a significant Polish State Railway model.

I'm however also very disappointed by the operational issues. I've never ever had to fix a newly purchased rolling stock piece to this extent. And I honestly don't think I should be forced to do so. The Kuehn-modell company should really think about:

• improving its quality control
• providing immediate replacement for any faulty product

But to be fair - the coaches work fine after I fixed the falling-out-wheels issue. They still show some resistance on the track but this is not a surprise for a model with power pick-ups. In the final test I've used my weakest locomotive with these coaches and it was able to pull them just fine. So maybe I should be satisfied after all?