AS existed from 1980 to 1990 and, as noted earlier, went through a series of business changes. The original business, under changed ownership, traded as “La Rotonde” (the Roundhouse) from 1991 to 1997, (Ref. 1, page 58) and produced modern electric outline models and near scale steam locomotives. Separately, one of the original partners, Pierre Adenot, founded Europe Train Retro, “ETR”, with two new associates, and they produced a variety of freight wagons as well as a couple diesel switch engines and Autorails.
A La Rotonde Box
(Photo courtesy of Archaic Photos)
La Rotonde produced three new models of tank locomotives; a 141 TA, a 220 TA, and a 130 TB. All three are good looking, coarse scale locomotives. The Paris à Orléans (PO) 141 TA locomotives were built between 1911 and 1922 and were normally assigned to mountainous areas with steep gradients. They were nicknamed “'cul de bateau” or “back of a boat”. As shown in the photo below, the back end tapers in (speculatively, so as to avoid excessive overhang on curves and to stay within the loading gauge) therefore looking like the back of a boat!
PO 141TA 5452 preserved at the Cité du Train in Mulhouse, France
(Photos courtesy of M. Koblischka)
The La Rotondo - AS PO 141TA 5452
(Photo courtesy of Archaic Photos)
The model captures the massiveness of its prototype very well.
Three liveries were produced, the grey PO illustrated, a green SNCF and a black
SNCF both with red striping (Ref 1, Page 60). The two SNCF models are both very
rare.
The second tank locomotive made by La Rotondo was the NORD 220TA. This locomotive
was made between 1892 and 1896 and originally intended for commuter service
around Paris and Lilly. They had the name “Ravachol” and 70 of the
engines were eventually constructed. La Rotonde produced the locomotive in the
liveries of the two NORD and one SNCF depots they were assigned to (Ref 1. Page
61).
The La Rotondo - AS NORD 220TA in a SNCF green/black livery of the depot “Valenciennes”
(Photo courtesy of Archaic Photos)
The final locomotive is listed in the book “AS une legende en images“ (Pages 61-62) as a 130 TB with German T9 origins. (The 130 TB was initially a DR 91.3 2-6-0 tank locomotive probably acquired in the Armistice ending WWI.) Three versions of this locomotive were also produced with two in SNCF green/black and one in black with the German locomotive number 91 1001 on the cab. The model was evidently provided with Marklin couplers.
A German DR 91.3 class locomotive that was the prototype for the La Rotonde
NORD 130 TB.
(Photos source Wikipedia)
La Rotonde also produced three versions (Ref 1, Page 58) of the SNCF BB 9200 class electric locomotives, 92 of which were built between 1958-1964. They were in green, red, and the grey livery shown here. Of note, these electrics were had die cast bodies, not tinplate. A set of "Corail" coaches including 1st and 2nd class coaches and a mixed 2nd/baggage coach and a mixed 2nd/bar car was produced.
The La Rotonde - AS BB 9281 Electric Locomotive
(Photo courtesy of Archaic Photos)
During its 10 year existence, AS surprisingly made only one freight wagon, a covered goods wagon in a dark brown/maroon livery. However ETR more than made up for that in its seven year tenure producing about 70 different freight wagons: covered goods (wagon couvert), open goods (wagon tombereau), tank (wagon citerne), wine-barrell (wagon b-foudre), flat (wagon plat) etc. (Ref 1, Pages 166 – 183).
A sample of ETR’s freight wagons
(Photo courtesy of Archaic Photos)
ETR also made several versions of the diesel
locomotive BB 71000. Thirty copies of the original industrial switcher were
built between 1965 and 1966.
An ETR BB 71000 locomotive
(Photo courtesy of Michel Fort)
Autorails are self powered, single unit, rail passenger vehicles and French designed vehicles are some of the most interesting looking made. Autorails were a major part of the AS HO production. In 0 gauge several Autorails were produced by ETR. They were die cast vehicles. ETR also produced several good looking ABV, ABJ rail cars in ‘0’ gauge.
An ETR/AS ‘0’ gauge Autorail – 2nd class – of the SNCF
(Photo courtesy of Bryan Pentland)
ETR ended production in 1997 but relationships to the AS trademark continued. Even as late as 2005 the name R. Sennedot was associated with a small firm called RVZero which produced a few 0 gauge items including the BB 66000 shown below. RVZero is still in business.
An “RVZero” BB 66000 diesel (incorrectly marked for La Rotonde)
(Photo courtesy of Archaic Photos)
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