Flying Hamburgers (Fliegender Hamburger) in the 1930s

Documentary from the early 1930s about the construction and running of the first high-speed diesel railcar of the Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft. The train connected Berlin with Hamburg at then unheard of speeds.

Below, a later variant running on my layout.

Catenary ABCeDarium

Abécédaire photographié sur le réseau du tramway parisien

ABCeDarium provided by the Paris tramway network

More vintage Märklin

Running more of my vintage Märklin. Louder, "rougher," and with that distinctive ozone smell.

Pigeon Shed by Joswood

First kit in a while. A racing pigeon shed like those that dotted the Ruhr. The working man's race horses and far from rats with wings. There's a nice video (in German) from the WDR about raising pigeons here. See also some photos here.

The laser-cut card kit is by Joswood. Instructions are clear and materials are first rate. If you want to model northern, industrial, gritty, honest Germany, this is where you want to get your structures. Not an alpine hut in sight.

Will weather a bit before permanently placing on the layout, but I like where it is now.

Let's get started...

Roughly framed in and ready to start adding the exterior trim

Exterior mostly on, now lots of details and more layers

Done except for some weather. Joswood made that easy because the laser cutting left artifacts, and the materials look very natural. Instructions also say to avoid perfect and right angles – make it look ramshackle...

Provisionally placed on the layout

Now to assemble the 1:87 pigeons - separate wings, legs, and beaks! Better have a Pils und n' Korn first to steady the hands.

You didn't seriously think I'd assemble pigeons from kits/scratch, did you?!?!

Weathered and populated. One of the pigeons is not like the others - inspiration from a colleague whose uncle would use a slingshot to get rid of birds not his...

Now, play the video below while looking at images for the full effect... ;-)