Düwag GT6 of the Bogestra

After what seems like years, finally cleaned the streetcar track and put the tram (at Düwag GT6 - bidirectional) back on. The model is by Rivarossi and represents line 305 of the Bogestra in Bochum/Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Here it is with an occasional intercity pulled by a 103, a 150 pulling limestone towards the steel mills and an 221 hauling a mixed freight.

And another in HD 

More Lasercuts

Was working on some more Moebo and Joswood kits again today and made an interesting discovery that impressed me more than I already was by what was possible with lasers and cardstock...

Today's output of kits, an industrial chimney, a shed-like structure, and two transformer stations/pump houses...

Moebo's transformer station/pump house - detail of "windows."

Transformer stations/pump house detail of "windows"lit from within.

That "screen" is lasercut out of ca.1mm/40pt cardstock in H0 - Wow!

Posten 210 - My first lasercut kit 2

After a far too long break, finally finished Joswood's Posten 210and provisionally placed it in its final position on the corner of the layout above the freight yard. Adjacent to it will be a small schrebergarten with several garden sheds.Will be good to get this corner done.

Bundesbahn Allerlei

With my brother and his kids here this past week I knew that they would want to see and play with the trains. That gave me the extra push I needed to clean the track and dust the cobwebs off of the layout... Even on the switching puzzle. Also swapped out the standard Roco decoders on several engines for LokPilot 4s and what a difference that made in AC analog mode...

With some of my book projects winding down it will be fun to spend more time modeling, weathering, and running the trains. Also will need to take the modules out of storage and prep them modules for Central NY Railfair in November. Maybe I'll even finish my puzzle makeover project.

Christmas in June!

Received my package of laser cut kits from Joswood and Moebo that I mentioned in Posten 210 - My first lasercut kit. First up the stellwerk "Baruth" and a Kiosk. You can never have enough of those for a proper German Ruhrpott layout.

Danke Dirk und Jörg für die Schmuckstücke. Freue mich aufs zusammen bauen und weiteren Modellen.

Posten 210 - My first lasercut kit

Received my first lasercut kit as a gift from a friend of mine in Germany recently... It's a small utilitarian streckenposten that stood alongside a grade level crossing at kilometer post 210 on Westmünsterlandbahn between Rheine and Emden, Germany. The structure stood in Rheine.

From Drehscheibe Online - Image from 1972 by Harald Pfeiler

From Drehscheibe Online - Image from 2000 by Wilhelm aus dem Münsterland

The kit is manufactured by Joswood and was a great introduction to building these kinds of kits. I've done a lot of scratchbuilding in card using photographic images, but this was quite different. The detail is amazing, especially the railings. Assembly was also quite straightforward. Definitely ready for more of these and look forward to a larger order of kits from Joswood and Moebo.

More pictures when I have it weathered, done, and placed on the layout.

New (Re)Construction 3

Well, almost a year to the day and I've finally gotten back to working on this corner of the layout. Didn't touch it since last January in terms of building, scenery, ... Below several shots from today with more. As always, still more detailing to do and then off to other areas... Also swapped out my DR stock for DB stock late last summer... Not much else happening here as I seem to have been focusing on my binding/book arts work for the past year and a half or so. Still, use lots of cardboard/paper in both.

Street front view

Detail with view of the Bude (kiosk) where we used to get the beer for my Opa and Haribo for ourselves...

Here the real thing on the Kölnerstr. in Duisburg...

Heading 'round the corner...

Hinterhof. Still some vegetable beds and other details to put in.

And pulling back a bit more to show the speeding BR94 borrrowed back from the G.B.A.G. by the DB...

New (Re)Construction 2

Spent more time this weekend working and got the roofs and numerous other details done. Next steps are weathering, then re-doing the sidewalks as well as the hinterhöfe (back yards). The space is tighter than I want it to be so the trick will be not overloading the scene.

That said, I'm really liking the way these are looking and how everything is falling in place.

More when everything is done.

New (Re)Construction

Making good use of time at home over Christmas, I decided to start my own reko program by beginning to reconstruct and update parts of the main layout and the switching puzzle. First area of focus was the harbor area where the Schreiber card models I built almost 10 years ago were slated for demolition to be replaced with more milieu appropriate and to scale scale structures. Below a view of the area as it existed until 1 hour ago...


And here the test placement of the new structures, also build of card. The one on the right is a heavily modified Stipp/Auhagen background model, the one on the left is entirely scratchbuilt using various sources for the facade, windows, kiosk... The kiosk (Bude) exists on the Kölner Strasse in Duisburg and is where we used to go for sweets and my Opa's Bier - König Pilsner of course, never-mind the Diebels sign above.

Here a view of the backside... The structure on the right will receive basic balconies, the one on the left still needs the windows... After that detailing the back yard (Hinterhof) with vegetable garden, rabbit stalls, and detritus... All will be walled/fenced in. After that, everything gets a good coat of grime...



Also built an air raid shelter that has been de-militarized with windows blasted through the walls. This will become a disco or some such thing, one of the current uses for the structures - VERY soundproof. Lots of grime still to be added, as well as roof details...


Concurrently, I am replacing the background models on the switching puzzle. These were damaged over the years as a result of taking to shows and loading in and out of the car. The background will also be replaced. Below a before and in progress shot...

Back to work...

New Reichsbahn Motive Power

Added to my "collection" of DR motive power in the form of a 58.3 (the reconstructed versions of the old G12/BR58) and the VT172 Ferkeltaxe, a railbus. The 58.3 is Gützold's newest steamer, the 58130 for AC. Says it can go through radii of 380mm, got it through some of my 360mm with a little complaining. Turnouts are mostly ok, interestingly enough more trouble tender first then forward. Although it comes with LOPI 3, I run it analog and driving properties are quite smooth with good pulling power. So that the distance between axles could be kept prototypical, RP25 wheel profiles are used. Rather than being held in place with a screw, the pilot at the front has a mechanism not unlike that for couplers. Front coupler pocket is the standard NEM, rear has a swallow-tail into which one can slide a Roco Universal or Fleischmann coupler if the standard provide hook and loop is not provided. I believe that this solution was selected due to the lack of space inside the tender.



The other item is Brawa's BR172 Ferkeltaxe, the DR's version of the Railbus. Other nickname was Blutblase (blood blister) for the deep red color and the curved front end. It can be seen in the group shot at top. There is more info in German at <http://www.ferkeltaxe.de/>. The model is by Brawa and "replaces" the Era 5 version with the mint green striping... Mint is something I wouldn't even impose on mutton...



Still waiting for Brawa's DR BR65.10... That one should be out in the next month or so...


Back to the layout for some more running.

Reichsbahn Allerlei

Took all my DB stock off the layout 2 weekends ago and am running my
DR stock for a while...

Click here for larger and more pictures.

Reichsbahn (DR of the DDR) allerlei. Locals pulled by a BR114 diesel and a BR78 tank engine changing directions in Pappendorf, freights on the mainline pulled by a BR120 Taigatrommel and BR132 Ludmilla (both built in the USSR), expresses pulled by the BR01.5 steam engine, BR143 electric (one of the last engines designed by the DR for mixed use and still running strong in a reunified Germany), and the BR175 diesel railcar the connected the DDR with Scandinavia, Czechoslovakia, and Austria. Even catch a derailment...

See more videos on the Papphausen2 YouTube Channel

Reichsbahn Action

Posted some new videos on YouTube today featuring my Reichsbahn (DR of the DDR) stock. Been a while since I ran some of the consists so they were grateful for being able to roll.

18 201 with an express, SVT137, 01.5 with an express, BR114 with a short local and BR132 Ludmilla with a freight.

More @ Papphausen2 on YouTube

Updated Layout Photos

Getting ready to do a big swap of stock on the layout, all DR (Deutsche Reichsbahn of the DDR) for a while so took a bunch of new pictures. That, and the old pics were 3+ years old. Here some samples.

Click here for larger and more pictures.

Gliederzug (articulated train) of the DR

I recently acquired this Sachsenmodelle gliederzug set of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) that was built starting in 1952 by the VEB Waggonbau Görlitz based on pre-war designs of the LBE. More info can also be found in the Wiki. The basic unit was a 4-car bi-level, designated DB13. The axle configuration was 2 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 2, total length 73 400 mm, whereby 2 cars shared a 3-axle bogie.

A two-car configuration, DB7, was also used particularly on branch lines.

While not "normal" 3-car units were occasional run if one of the cars was out of service.

In the 70s some were reconfigured to run in push-pull operation with the addition of control cabs. The model represents early era 3 before the 2nd and 3rd classes were combined (klassenreform). The car sets could also be found coupled into other consists with "normal" coaches as well.

While the BR 114 diesel in the pictures above post-dates the markings on the coaches, it needs to be understood that this is a "museum" consist owned by the VEB Waggonbau Görlitz and occasionally gets used in regular service. ;-)

To make the model work I replaced the original couplers with a 6574 Fleischmann close-coupling mechanism that is height adjustable and a 40396 Roco Universal coupler head. Installing these required cutting away some bits on the bottom of the end cars as well as an opening between the buffers so the mechanism could pivot. The bellows between the cars are made of paper and are in great shape. Wheels were swapped to 10.4 mm diameter Sachsenmodelle replacement AC wheelsets that brought the unit down to the proper height and really improved running and reliability through turnouts on my Märklin AC layout. The wheels were made by Bernd Thomschke (benno002-2) who sells all types of brass wheels and buffers via his eBay store at<http://stores.ebay.de/benno002-2> or direct at <http://www.modellbahn-radsatz.de>. From the US, the eBay store is easier. Very responsive vendor.

6574 Fleischmann

40396 Roco

In testing I tried just about every combination I had including some s-curves and tight turnout combinations in the main yard at increasing speeds and went through absolutely smoothly. Night and day difference in running - now completely reliable. It's a nice set, one I look forward to detailing, gently weathering, and most of all running.

Thanks to all the helpful people on the Drehscheibe Online, Railways of Germany, and WorldRailFans, and the Stummi fora.

In the video below a BR78 steam engine is pulling the consist.
For better quality video view it on YouTube.

Running trains

Decided to take a break from the modeling activities of the past few days to actually run trains... Below are some videos, with more (and higher playback quality possible) on the Papphausen2 site at YouTube. Actually getting better at filming and editing, but it is very hard to hold a camera with one hand, and control the trains with the other, especially when there are turnouts and signals to be operated... Still good fun.

BR 151 electric pulling an express in hilly terrain.

While the BR 151 of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) was designed to replace the BR 150 electric in heavy freight service such as unit trains carrying ore, coal, or tank cars, it occasionally saw service pulling passenger trains, especially in hilly country where its lower speed would not be a factor.

BR 10 of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) with bi-level passenger coaches.

A BR 10 of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB), the last heavy steam passenger engine built and one of only two, pulls a rake that includes early bi-level coaches. In 1950, the (DB) had a small batch of bi-level coaches built. The first were 22.5 meters long. A second batch that was made in 1951 were 26.4 meters long, the new UIC (International Union of Railways) standard coach length. Bi-level coaches were not something that was new in Germany with the first having been developed by the Lübeck-Büchener Eisenbahn (LBE) in the 1920s. These were used with tank engines outfitted for push-pull operation.

These new coaches were used to test the new high-speed Minden-Deutz bogies and rubber car end seals, with the second also being used to test new openable window constructions.

While bi-level coaches never took off with the DB, the DR in East Germany embraced them at about the same time, something which may have contributed to the non-adoption of the design in the West. Before and with reunification of the German railways in 1989, the DB began to purchase large numbers of modern bi-level coaches from the East, using them in local and regional service.

Below an advertising film of the DB introducing the new bi-level cars with lots of construction footage

Branchline action on my layout.

BR 132 Ludmilla of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) pulling a freight.