Schraddel, I think you may have mentioned that you were a roundhouse foreman (or roughly equivalent job title) for the German rail system. I'm curious about the piles of "stuff" I'm seeing in the photos I took of German roundhouses, etc (Bws) in 1971. What are they? Coal? Ashes? How did they get there? Thanks!

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I'm taking more interest in work on the German section of my layout and am wondering if I can add something like this.

JBW,
I think that I should give you an answer because I have written a longer time ago that I worked as a roundhouse foreman and engine shop master - 50 years ago.
These piles of "stuff" can be everything, ballast after a repair of the track, ashes because an ash hoist was damaged, and ash could not load on an open car (in Germany for gondola, most equipped with high boards); coal also, however, rather seldom; sand, why also always - simply everything. Often also piles of old and used ties.
Such piles were not regular things, however, one could find them everywhere. And in most cases they lay a longer time.
If you would like to model such a German roundhouse scene, then you can add a coal pile also without each border. However I would prefer a pile of old and used ties, very unregularely stacked from very, very old, weathered and split wood. This should give a very realistic scene.
I hope that this will help.
However, Lutz (Schraddel) you can give each additional answer, please.

1 year later (1972) the pile has grown:
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(second photo)

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And still 2009 there was a little pile ...

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2012 a pile ... (second photo)

Seemed there was all times a pile of anything, may it be coal for office heating (bureaucrats like it warm!), cobble stones, mud or soil.

Lutz K

some excursion( rail fan ) traffic through my home town during 2014 ,

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weed killer train


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Saltburn Rail Tours heading for a weekend away .


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above and below - "The Wansbeck" stean hauled top and tailed with K1 class and K4 class "The Great Marquee" .
showing both locos from different vantage points .
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the preserved Class 40 through Central station .



the quality may not be the best - stills from the video camera ... Alan