Building the SVT137 Fliegender Hamburger

Nice video about the building of the SVT 137 Fliegender Hamburger of the Deutsche Reichsbahn. Construction started in 1935, and 33 units were produced.

And on my layout, model by Kato

Switching Puzzle Reboot 2

Frei nach Reinhard Mey, "genug getan für heute, blinder Eifer schadet nur..."

Reconstructed the back of the puzzle, still need to get the new background printed and mounted, as well as re-adhering people, station platform stuff,  cleaning the yard and deciding what to do with the power line towers...

On to other things for a brief while, things like packing prezies...

Switching Puzzle Reboot

This switching puzzle was the first "layout" I created specifically to take to train shows... You can read more about building and showing it here. I was an ETE member back then and the trackplan is the same as created by Peter Barnes. We even wrote an article about taking these kinds of things to shows.

At EuroEast back in 2005

After ages of neglect and procrastination work is underway to replace the background flats, backdrop panels, and in general clean out the cobwebs, refresh scenery, ... Here's what the street scene with flats looked like when first built.

Note street curving to right.

After this switching puzzle, I dove headfirst into building n-scale modules with the ETE Chapter, continuing to show them independently as well. After a lot of reflection, the whole lot of our foray into N found a new hope with friend Tom Lynch and his Bundesbahndirektion Kaiserslautern. Two summers ago we had a flood above that leaked onto our main H0 layout and the puzzle. Damage to the puzzle was compounded by a leaky front step with flakes of rust from the steel I-beam above dropping down... All those have been fixed, but the puzzle is looking the worse for wear.

Still want to go and show, loved interacting with the kiddies, so time for a reboot.

Puzzle backside showing damage from water/rust. I removed the buildings, but those were discolored/distorted by water. The background flates, water tower, and chapel are all paper.

Old panel with proposed new flats taped over...

New backdrop with the flats at right. The yellow line is to the intersection, the green to the end of the street... The gap between the flats on the backdrop will be filled in...

So, off to work to start building flats. I will be layering the facade to recess windows and bring trim forward to increase depth.

BR 65.1 of the DR

Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) Brawa BR 65.1 tank engine pulling a Sachsenmodelle gliederzug. The 65.1 was a new construction built for pulling commuter trains and bringing workers to the factories. A total of 95 units were built between 1954-57. The consist 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. Go here for more on the consist.