Visiting the "Stoomtrein Katwijk Leiden" narrow gauge museum in Valkenburg

Following my increasing interest in narrow gauge industrial railways I recently visited the "Stoomtrein Katwijk Leiden" museum in Valkenburg (Zuid Holland). The collection of steam and, mainly, diesel engines (locomotors) was a great inspiration, most of them are in excellent and running condition. It's a vibrant museum and I admired the dedication of the many volunteers that keep the museum going in these Covid-19 influenced times. The steam engine on the train that travels up and down the short line was replaced by a diesel, as the footplate on the steamers is too small for two people needing to keep distance.

Here a few impressions, more pictures can be found on flickr. The museum has a website with detailed descriptions of all engines of the collection.

Narrow gauge update

I received Roco's 2095.014-3 with sound. What a fantastic model! I cannot wait to test her fully..

The prototype of my new model (here without the computer number yet) in Weitra with a short - wonderful - freight train. Source: wikimedia

I also made progress on the 30+ year old H0e Diesel. It is far from finished, but the first paint elements are done. I highlighted the front grill, door handles, painted the nice tools on the back side, horn, exhaust, etc. The puffer beams received a thin first layer of Humbrol 60 red. More coats will be done, all will be cleaned up and finally weathered. Especially the front grill and exhaust will get some good weathering as it's of course way too shiny in just aluminium colour.

I found a picture of an Austrian narrow gauge industrial engine of the "Steyrermühl Werkbahn". I drew inspiration from it for the buffer beams and other parts, especially the weathering, but I will not lighten up de green on the H0e model as I like it as it is.

I highlighted the parts that were just dark green on the original model, like the door handles and the neat tools on the back (I really only discovered those now, after some 30+ years). 

I painted the door handles and exhaust. The green is yet untouched but will of course receive weathering, as well as the roof.

The red buffer beams will receive more layers of paint, however, I must say I like the dark colour shining through. The grill will of course get a good weathering as well.

Inspiration for the colour scheme and weathering of my little Diesel comes from the "Steyrermühl Werkbahn". Source: sagen

Another shot from the Schoema Diesel. In this view the red is more like the one I envisage for my Roco model. Source: sagen

A great description with many images of the Steyrermühl Werkbahn can be found on Drehscheibe Online.

Inspiration: a local goods train serves the Sheffield railway system

Great inspirational video in which we can follow a local goods train in Sheffield in the 1960s, shunting various sidings and using diesel as well as steam power. Unfortunately this video is also documenting the beginning of the end of small goods depots and the complicated shunting work we love so much on our model railways.

And while we are already in the Sheffield area, why not watch again (and again) Michael Palin's Confessions of a Train Spotter:

"Rangieren - aber richtig" (correct switching operations)

New in my railroad library is Otto O. Kurbjuweit's latest book "Rangieren, aber richtig" (switching, the correct way). It offers many prototype examples from mostly Germany and Austria, all explained in detail and documented with many pictures. Amongst others it shows interesting operations on the Austrian 1000mm narrow-gauge line from Vöcklamarkt to Attersee which I have also visited a couple of times when living in Salzburg. But also a number model railroads are featured, with track plans and examples of switching operations. I am particularly drawn to the 0 gauge layout "Volpe Süd" by Michael Stern, a freight only line with many industries and operation possibilities. The book is definitely a recommendation for any model railroader interested in realistic switching operations.

Stellprobe

I positioned the station buildings on the layout to see how everything works together. Ignore the bad, way-to-yellow lighting etc. I am keen to get started with ballasting and the scenery, but I am afraid that first the backdrop and lighting of the layout has priority. I have LED panels that I want to install above the layout and also want to frame it properly so that everything is integrated within the furniture.

The white styrene strip marks the platform position.

Bathed in morning sunlight the VT98 is ready for departure.

My inspiration for the station surroundings and the simple platform comes from Wakendorf-Götzberg on the former EBOE (Elmshorn-Barmstedt-Bad Oldeslohe Eisenbahn) in Schleswig-Hostein. Stately trees shall surround the brickstone buildings, thereby neatly covering the corners.

You might have noticed that the track plan of Elmslohe features a very special situation: the locomotive shed is located at the end of the main track. This was the case on a number of German short lines. The picture shows Neuenkirchen (Niedersachsen) at the Soltau-Neuenkirchen line. Another example is Arneburg in Sachsen-Anhalt. Franz Rittig has described some in his Eisenbahn Journal publication "Lokstationen".

Bleichert Raupenkran RK3 "Mitschurin" for Elmslohe

I did a small project whilst I am mostly busy with the new "Elmslohe" layout, a terminus of a short line in Northern Germany: an RK3 "Mitschurin" crane by the company "Bleichert" (kit from Auhagen, No. 41647). The crane will be used mostly on the Elmslohe layout but might occasionally appear on the Valkenveld layout as well.

I weathered the model with a.o. Vallejo Model Color "Burnt Umber" and Tamyia XF-1 Flat Black. After I have taken the below images I also applied some rust with Vallejo Brown Iron Oxide and coated the whole model in Vallejo Matt Varnish.

I still want to add some features that were not part of the Auhagen kit, like the lights and electric cable that provided the power for the crane.

Source: pinterest

Presentation of the RK3 "Mitschurin" crane at the autumn exhibition (Herbstmesse) in Leipzig, 1952. Sources: wikipedia and wikiwand

Der Raupenkran 3 „Mitschurin“ bestand aus dem Oberwagen des ADK 3. Bei der Firma Bleichert entstanden im Zeitraum von 1953 bis 1960 507 Stück. Weitere 170 Stück wurden dann bis 1965 im VEB Förderanlagen „7. Oktober“ in Magdeburg produziert. Dort wurde dann auch das Modell RK 3/1 in einer Stückzahl von 255 von 1963 bis 1965 gebaut. Der Raupenkran 3 wurde durch ein Kabel mit Energie versorgt.

"Modern Railtransport": Freight traffic in The Netherlands

A highly interesting film by Herman Wassenaar documenting the "modern railtransport" by NS in The Netherlands.

Baubeginn der neuen H0 Anlage: Bahnhof ELMSLOHE in Norddeutschland

Ich hatte mit vielen Ideen für meine neue H0 Anlage gespielt. Eine war PUCHSTEIN, ein kleiner Endbahnhof im südlichen Niederösterreich. Eine andere ein VALKENVELD II. Letztendlich habe ich mich für ein Thema viel weiter nördlich entschieden. Auf einem L von 250 x 230 cm mit einer Tiefe von 45 cm soll ein Kopfbahnhof an einer Nebenbahn der DB entstehen. Mittlerweile ist nicht nur die Planung (weitgehend) abgeschlossen, auch der Unterbau auf vier Modulsegmenten ist fertiggestellt.

(Zum Thema passt der "Switch" zur deutschen Sprache).

Inspiriert ist ELMSLOHE von der ehemaligen EBOE, einer Privatbahn zwischen Elmshorn und Bad Oldesloe, und von Urlauben in der niedersächsischen Region Emsland und Oldenburger-Münsterland. Dieser Landstrich wird durchzogen von der Emsländischen Eisenbahn (vormals Meppen-Haselünner Eisenbahn). Die private EEB wickelt regen Güterverkehr ab und die Strecke wird von einer Museumsbahn befahren. Diese interessante Bahnlinie dient allerdings nur als Inspiration für Landschaft, Architektur usw. Denn mein ELMSLOHE ist ein fiktiver Bahnhof und Name. 

Güterverkehr dominiert. Der Personenverkehr wird von VT98 Schienenbussen abgewickelt (das neue Piko Modell kommt sehr gelegen!). 

Schienenbus von Piko. Ein Testbericht findet sich in Miba 01/2018

Die Schienenbusse halten am kurzen Hausbahnsteig am Ende der Strecke. Längere Personenzüge müssen zum Umsetzen erst zurückdrücken, was zusätzlichen Rangierspaß bringt. Wie bei vorigen Planideen ist für mich die Ladestraße mit Rampe ein zentraler Bereich jeder Bahnhofsanlage; abwechslungsreicher Betrieb garantiert! Als weitere Betriebsstationen gibt es den obligatorischen Güterschuppen, einen Gleisanschluβ und einen Lokschuppen, der auch eine Museumslok beherbergen könnte.

Luenningen wurde spaeter in ELMSLOHE umgetauft. Auch der Gleisplan wurde noch abgewandelt.

Der Gleisplan ist im Vergleich zu PUCHSTEIN schlichter. PUCHSTEIN kam mir letztendlich doch zu überladen vor. So habe ich die Zahl der Weichen von 8 auf 6 reduziert und die Bögen in der Bahnhofseinfahrt einfacher gestaltet, was auch besseres Kuppeln ermöglichen sollte.

Der Unterbau ist mittlerweile fertiggestellt und besteht aus 69 x 18 mm Holzleisten mit einer 9 mm starken Topplatte. Die Code 83 Tillig Elite Gleise werden auf einer 4 mm Korklage angebracht.

Stellprobe am Esszimmertisch. Der Güterschuppen ist ein Platzhalter. Dort sollen einmal zwei gedeckte Waggons Platz zum Be- und Entladen haben. Als Waggons müssen voerst noch in den Niederlanden ausgeborgte Epoche III Wagen herhalten.

Hier noch ein paar Inspirationen aus dem Hasetal an der EEB:

Weite, Felder und Baumgruppen.

In Haselünne.

In Haselünne. Schienenbus der Hümmlinger Kreisbahn.

Im Schienenbus zwischen Haselünne und Meppen - mit Wischen.

Planning update: PUCHSTEIN is born

UPDATE 2 March 2018: Puchstein will not be built. I still like the concept (a lot), but I have ultimately switched to a new layout, a small terminus in the North-West of Germany.

The original entry:

It has been very quiet around here. But lately not on my planning desk. Months of exploration of ideas have finally led to a concrete theme and plan for the new layout. I refer to it as “Plan 56a” which shows a bit the struggle (read: fun) in coming up with a final theme and plan.

I considered three options:

1. An industrial layout as Valkenveld inspired by the former Distelweg line in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, set in the mid 1960s;
2. An Austrian-based, ÖBB serviced layout set in the suburbs of Vienna, inspired by stations like Simmering Ostbahn or Donaukaibahnhof;
3. A terminus at a single track ÖBB line in Lower Austria/Styria, inspired by lines like the Neubergerbahn, Gutensteinerbahn or Schneebergbahn, set in the late 1980s, early 1990s.

The first theme was tempting but felt like “more of the same”, especially when I keep my Valkenveld Inglenook layout in operation. The second would have provided great freight switching opportunities in an urban setting. But all plans felt very “squeezed” and unnatural on my available 250 cm layout length. The third, however, would provide the potential for passenger and freight operations following a real timetable in a scenery very familiar to me from my childhood.

So option three it is. But which prototype to follow? Ultimately I have chosen for "proto-freelancing", a concept where one does not replicate an exact prototype, but instead tries to capture the atmosphere and essence of a station or line that could actually exist in reality. This offers the opportunity to add elements one particular likes rather than strictly sticking to one, particular prototype station.

The name for the new layout is similarly "proto-freelanced": PUCHSTEIN is a mix of the stations Gutenstein and Puchberg am Schneeberg.

One of the images that resembles the spirit of my to be built Puchstein is this shot of Neuberg an der Mürz, taken in 1981:

Busy times in Neuberg an der Mürz, Austria on 21 May 1981. GmP Z 72055 (freight train with passenger service) has just arrived from Mürzzuschlag. The unusually high weight of 250t and a train length of 190m made it necessary for locomotive 2062.48 to support the regular 2060.77. In the background sits DMU 5044.21 of trains 2985/2984. The track in extension of the freight train engines leads to the saw mill of the “Österreichische Bundesforste”, on the other end the line reaches after about 12k Mürzzuschlag on the Südbahn. Source: Schienenverkehr Aktuell, image by Mr. Leirer

Here all comes together:

•        A single track line terminus
•        Quite extensive freight traffic
•        Passenger service with DMU’s
•        A mix of many different locomotive types
•        Set in a mountainous, typical Austrian scenery

I still have original timetables from Neuberg in the 1980s, so could operate according to a real-life time-table. My line to Puchstein would, however, see more freight traffic than the Neubergerbahn with also heavier locomotives, like the 2143 series. In my imagination the line has a couple of industrial clients to serve, very similar to the real situation along the Gutensteinerbahn and Schneebergbahn.

Timetable from the same year as the above image: ÖBB line 53 from Mürzzuschlag to Neuberg, winter 1981/1982, including the GmP, a “Güterzug mit Personenbeförderung”.

Puchstein track plan (No. 56a)

Three stations in Lower Austria and Styria formed the inspiration for the track plan: Türnitz, Neuberg and Kernhof.

Rough scenery plan of Puchstein.

When some freight cars arrived too late in Mürzzuschlag they were added to the passenger service. Something that would be great to feature on the layout. DMU 5044.22 and 2060.67 in Neuberg on 23 April 1981. Source: Schienenverkehr Aktuell

The same train as it arrives in Neuberg, 23 April 1981.

It’s all over for the line from Mürzzuschlag to Neuberg. On 30 December 2009, my brother and I were looking at the beautiful Neuberg station building and the sad state of the overgrown tracks. More on flickr.

A grand building for a small station, due to the fact that Emperor Franz Joseph traveled in style to his hunting grounds in the area.

Apart from the line from Mürzzuschlag to Neuberg I draw inspiration for atmosphere, scenery and operations from the two lines not far to the North, the Schneebergbahn ending in Puchberg am Schneeberg and the Gutensteinerbahn ending in, yes, Gutenstein. Both lines are still going strong with freight trains serving industries along the line and hourly passenger trains.

Still going strong. 2143.051-7 ready for departure in Gutenstein on 16 August 2016. More of the Gutensteinerbahn on flickr. 

Overview of the lines to Gutenstein and Schneeberg in 1897. The Neubergerbahn is situated a bit to the South of these lines.

An idea of the atmosphere of the layout to be built.