Down in Papphausen's harbor Kiez

Papphausen has its main freight yard and locomotive depot (BW) down near the harbor. There are also a few residences, and the most recent addition of a bookbindery. It's not a bad place to live with a Bude (kiosk) selling the essentials of beer, currywurst, sweets, and gossip. These Buden/Kiosks/Trinkhallen are everywhere and essential local fixtures. That said, unseemly things do happen from time to time...

All structures are scratchbuilt from card using scans from card models, Scalescenes sheets, and photographs. All images shot on Ilford HP5 400 speed black and white film using a tripod and cable release for these 2 second average exposures. And no, I did not forget the Farbfilm. Lighting for most of these was the bare 75 watt cool-white bulb on the basement ceiling. The layout lights were not on.

A view from the harbor towards the rail yard under the bridge. The faded signage advertises for Moden Doof (Dumb fashions) poking fun at the his n' hers jump suits that were once fashionable. The Bude is at the end of the block. The barge is a card kit from Schreiber-Bogen.

The Bude comes into focus. This is a child-friendly working-class Kiez

Looking down the street to the bookbindery.

The S-Bahn passing above the bookbindery.

What's this passing above the bookbindery in this looong exposure?

It's that coal train from the previous post carrying the coal mined from below Papphausen to the coke or steelworks. Looks like the window washer has finally arrived. Lots of grime on those windows.

It's gotten dark, and he's still at it. The binders are also working late, trying to finish a job the printers decided to let the deadline slip on... A mother with a small child is also walking by and looking in.

The bindery is detailed within, and lifting the roof up allows it to be lit with an LED flashlight. Still working on a better solution.

But, as mentioned, there is an unseemly side to this area. The Bretzelkäfer was found in the harbor, a body was removed, and it looked suspicious. Schimanski and Tanner are at the Tatort and on the case...

Visiting Pappeck

Pappeck is a small Zechenkolonie (Coal miners' company town) with Haltestelle ([Train] stop), something less than a station. It connects to the Hbf in Papphausen via the rail line, the road connecting from elsewhere... The miners commute by rail...

All structures are lasercut card kits ordered from Germany. All images shot on Ilford HP5 400 speed black and white film using a tripod and cable release for these 2 second average exposures. And no, I did not forget the Farbfilm. Lighting for most of these was the bare 75 watt cool-white bulb on the basement ceiling. The layout lights were not on.

Entering Pappeck, crossing the [unsecured] railroad tracks by the Stellwerk. An oversized statue honors some medieval Holy Roman Emperor who passed through, lost apparently... The Trinkhalle (Kiosk) sees to the locals needs for beer, sweets, a currywurst, and gossip...

Stellwerk and looking down the road...

The Haltestelle comes into view. Looks like trouble (or salvation) in the distance...

Some shadows on the house in the background...

Two locals having a Schwätzchen (chat) across the fence. The one on the right was working in the vegetable garden. The Haltestelle at right.

Pappeck's Haltestelle. It's basic with a covering and ticket counter. The local (Märklin 3029 with coaches) was my first train. There are two tracks with switches at both ends so the engines can switch to the front, or park for the night. Not sure what those aliens are doing in the background. The heavy coal train heading towards Papphausen is being pulled by an E50/BR 150.

We'll come back for another visit in the not too distant future.

Bindery Done

There was once a bindery in Berlin that was situated under railroad tracks... Incorporating that into my train layout seemed like a wonderful way to combine interests...

This is the concluding post of my "bindery" thread, wrapping up my big push in the last week or so to outfit the interior of the bindery. Shelves and cabinet fronts downloaded from Scalescenes, a few shelves ordered (3-d printed and laser cut) that still require work, but the heavy lifting of workbench, counter tops, board shear, Prägnant stamping press, and standing press were all scratch built to 1:87 or thereabouts. As a frame of reference most figures are just under 2cm tall, and "standard" bench height is about 1cm high.

Counters and shelves assembled. That dropped section is
that way for a reason. 😉

Bench assembled. It has storage shelves
underneath for board and paper.
The black things are parts for the board shear.

No, that's not a Star Wars TIE fighter... Just board shear parts.

The assembled board shear, really just a massively over-sized
paper/sheet metal cutter. Note the blade...

Bindery staff debating the position of the blade when not in use...
Down like above, ...

..., or up like here. Most colleagues seem to say down.
I have mine up, so it's ready to use...
Yes, the blade moves.

Next piece of equipment, the Prägnant stamping press.
I loved using this as an apprentice because it was very easy to
adjust and you could see exactly where the type was going...
More here on Instagram.

See where the Prägnant stamping press goes.
Lower than the counters is the ideal working height.

Last big piece of equipment, a standing press. Still want to make
some hand-/finishing-presses, but yikes...
Note the posters on walls.

Pulling together a lot of threads from my bookbinding related life,
from Ernst Collin and W. Collin, to Babette, to Werner Kiessig, to apprentice
journal cartoons and bindery advertising. Several also reference women binders,
and this is a woman run bindery.

The bindery has a copper clad roof, too. And, yes, it is removable to get the best view of the details,
and light it up, sort of. Still some details to add like awnings over the side door and windows.

Replaced the windows. I liked the griminess,
but when sealing it with mat spray, it got too cloudy.
It's good to have cleanish windows, and this is Germany, after all.

Looking in through the new windows.

And more windows you can see through. Also added some window boxes an awning above.

We're closed now, but it looks like someone left their bike outside.
Hopefully, it'll still be there in the morning.

Still to do beyond the things already mentioned, making some Potemkinish stacks of work in progress, and hanging a shingle from the facade. Loving how this looks, and glad to have this model on my train layout, especially as it ties together so many personal experiences and research interests.

Getting the windows washed for the public opening of Buchbinderei..
The bike seems to have made it through the night unscathed

Buchbinderei at night. Everyone is working late...

Buchbinderei is also no more, the space having become Tipico, a betting salon. As can be expected, the facade was repainted as well. I will imagine that the original Buchbinderi is just hidden beneath the sign... 

Tipico, formerly Buchbinderei, in Berlin.
Photo by https://buchrestaurierung-berlin.de/.
Danke für die Aufnahme.

Capturing Papphausen on Film

Decided to take my Pentax with 50mm lens and loaded with HP5 to the layout and try to take some photographs. Need to work on the harsh lighting and depth of field, but it's a good start. The Diebels "Bude" was a few doors down from my grandparents in Duisburg and the place we picked up Opa's case of König Pilsner and sweets as kids. The Bude in the background (behind the S-Bahn) is the Bergbau-Grill in Bochum. The tank engine is on loan from the Gelsenkirchener Bergbau A.G. (GBAG), a nod to the city I lived in for my apprenticeship.

Fresh roll of film in camera and going to go back to capture more scenes soon.

BR23 with DB prototype bi-levels.

Just a street corner by the harbor... Where's the body? Schimanski probably in line at the Bude chatting up the owner and enjoying a beer.

S-Bahn BR 111 above, Bude below.

GBAG Br 94 by the Bude. Lokführer and Heizer need a Bier...

The Joswood Taubenschlag (Pigeon shed) and a Hinterhof of BMW 2002s.
Love that car, and they remind me of the one I [had] restored. It was sold.

The Bude in the background (behind the S-Bahn) is the Bergbau-Grill in Bochum.

Ready for the Bindery's Interior

Framed out the interior, walls up, floors sanded and sealed but wanted to retain the essence of the original  bindery.

Interior walls up. Used Scalescenes' clapboard for floors and walls, but in n-scale to make it finer,
less like the exterior of a structure.

Doors are from Gleimo, a Germany card modeling vendor/site. Sadly no longer around and I lost
all my original downloads when my drive crashed...

Looking in from the street. This is one of the very few structures I have with interiors.
As the sun never sets, and it's always summery, no real point fiddling with interiors.

Looking in to get a sense of the space.

Overhead view of the space. There is a toilet and wet room on the other side of that diagonal wall,
Also stairs to the 2nd level where the binder Gertrud Jannowitz will live.

Now comes the hard work of detailing the interior with shelves, benches, storage, a desk, stools, a board shear, presses... We'll see how I make it work.