06-13-2014, 02:32 PM
I've made a couple of posts here and elsewhere of photos I took when I went to Germany in 1971 looking for steam. (This was on a summer vacation from graduate school, when you could get a charter flight for a few hundred bucks and stay in youth hostels for a few bucks a night -- in retrospect, a real bargain to go see steam when nothing like this was possible any closer to home. I could also justify it by saying I was polishing my German for schoolwork.)
I finally got around to scanning the photos I took on that trip, over 40 years later. I came back from Germany with a strong interest in European railroads, and I built a small German prototype layout at the time. I've kept the Sommerfeldt components I used at the time, along with rolling stock, and I've desultorily picked up pieces here and there ever since. When I designed the "lifetime layout" I started in the 1990s, I included a certain amount of what would be German prototype trackage, complete with catenary. However, so far, while I've made a lot of progress on the North American parts of the layout, the German part still has only about 90% of its track laid, wiring incomplete, and no scenery. Scanning my 1971 photos has rekindled my interest.
I should mention that one thing I always wanted to avoid in designing my layout was the idea of saying "I was a big HO PRR fan, but I'm ripping that all out and going Sn3 D&RGW" or whatever. I've lived in a number of places and traveled to more, and I knew I was never going to settle on one prototype or approach to the hobby. Instead, I decided I wanted to suit myself, and I didn't want to go ripping stuff out every few years (or another approach that has me scratching my head, the UK guys who build a layout and sell it a year or so later).
So my intent was to find a way to include ways to satisfy all my interests, even recognizing that individual foci could well wax and wane over time. This has been the case for me with German prototype. Here is a track plan, not to scale, and without a whole lot of detail:
So you can see that I designed an inner double track loop intended for German prototype on the left side of the layout. However, one idea I've worked with on this layout has been "dual use" trackage. Connectors have been built in from the North American main line to the European loop that will theoretically allow trains to leave the North American line and loop around the European section, especially if I choose to switch locos from diesel to electric to do this. Also, there is an industrial spur that can be served from either North American or German prototype. So far, the spur and trackage that leads to it is in use, exclusively for now by North American models. However, as I complete wiring on the German section, this will likely change. No German trains have so far made the full loop around -- again, interests wax and wane, and I'm providing for this in a "lifetime" layout.
Because I'm still laying German track, I'm going to start there. I've been back to Germany several times since 1971, and I began to become acutely aware of the differences between North American and German track. (Swiss, Austrian, and Italian track is also similar to German track). Here is a photo that shows what I'm talking about:
The ties have different shapes -- rounded at the top -- and the rails are fastened with bolts, not spikes (I don't know what the current status is of Pandrol clips in Germany). I discovered that German model track can be found that shows this detail. Here is a shot of German trackage on my layout. I used some Pilz and some Roco track components:
Here is a farther-back view of the area:
The track in the foreground is North American (Atlas code 83). The dual-use pulpwood spur is to the right. (My observation in Europe is that pulpwood is a common industry there as well as in the US.) You can sort of see the dimensional difference. My next step is going to be working on ballast and details immediately near the track, as well as completing some tracklaying.
Since there are several German modelers here doing US prototype, I thought it might be interesting for a US modeler to discuss work on German prototype. Naturally, I'll be very interested in suggestions.
I finally got around to scanning the photos I took on that trip, over 40 years later. I came back from Germany with a strong interest in European railroads, and I built a small German prototype layout at the time. I've kept the Sommerfeldt components I used at the time, along with rolling stock, and I've desultorily picked up pieces here and there ever since. When I designed the "lifetime layout" I started in the 1990s, I included a certain amount of what would be German prototype trackage, complete with catenary. However, so far, while I've made a lot of progress on the North American parts of the layout, the German part still has only about 90% of its track laid, wiring incomplete, and no scenery. Scanning my 1971 photos has rekindled my interest.
I should mention that one thing I always wanted to avoid in designing my layout was the idea of saying "I was a big HO PRR fan, but I'm ripping that all out and going Sn3 D&RGW" or whatever. I've lived in a number of places and traveled to more, and I knew I was never going to settle on one prototype or approach to the hobby. Instead, I decided I wanted to suit myself, and I didn't want to go ripping stuff out every few years (or another approach that has me scratching my head, the UK guys who build a layout and sell it a year or so later).
So my intent was to find a way to include ways to satisfy all my interests, even recognizing that individual foci could well wax and wane over time. This has been the case for me with German prototype. Here is a track plan, not to scale, and without a whole lot of detail:
So you can see that I designed an inner double track loop intended for German prototype on the left side of the layout. However, one idea I've worked with on this layout has been "dual use" trackage. Connectors have been built in from the North American main line to the European loop that will theoretically allow trains to leave the North American line and loop around the European section, especially if I choose to switch locos from diesel to electric to do this. Also, there is an industrial spur that can be served from either North American or German prototype. So far, the spur and trackage that leads to it is in use, exclusively for now by North American models. However, as I complete wiring on the German section, this will likely change. No German trains have so far made the full loop around -- again, interests wax and wane, and I'm providing for this in a "lifetime" layout.
Because I'm still laying German track, I'm going to start there. I've been back to Germany several times since 1971, and I began to become acutely aware of the differences between North American and German track. (Swiss, Austrian, and Italian track is also similar to German track). Here is a photo that shows what I'm talking about:
The ties have different shapes -- rounded at the top -- and the rails are fastened with bolts, not spikes (I don't know what the current status is of Pandrol clips in Germany). I discovered that German model track can be found that shows this detail. Here is a shot of German trackage on my layout. I used some Pilz and some Roco track components:
Here is a farther-back view of the area:
The track in the foreground is North American (Atlas code 83). The dual-use pulpwood spur is to the right. (My observation in Europe is that pulpwood is a common industry there as well as in the US.) You can sort of see the dimensional difference. My next step is going to be working on ballast and details immediately near the track, as well as completing some tracklaying.
Since there are several German modelers here doing US prototype, I thought it might be interesting for a US modeler to discuss work on German prototype. Naturally, I'll be very interested in suggestions.