Press release from 27.01.2023: The model railroad layouts for Faszination Modellbahn Mannheim 2023 introduce themselves!
2m Gauge (G): West Side Lumber Co. Model Railway Group
It is a US forest track with “redwood” trees up to three meters high. It shows, among other things, a U.S. Western town with a fully furnished saloon (with Hilli Billi sound), hotel rooms, a sheriff’s office with cells, a church with altar and pews, and two hucksters’ stores. All locomotives like SHAYs, Climax and Heisler are aged, have pulsed evaporators and provide coherent atmosphere. The facility presents logging in the years 1880 – 1920. The transport, their unloading and entry into the sawmill. The sawing of the logs and the removal of the boards via a light railway line. All sounds and motion effects can be triggered by visitors using buttons on the wheel of the system.
Operator: West Side Luber Co. Model Railway Group, Mr. Klaus P. Kerwer, D-53881 Euskirchen
Plant size: 16 x 4 m
Gauge 2m (G): “Meckenheim” a replica of a narrow gauge railroad
The characteristic of the complex is primarily determined by the large number of half-timbered houses as well as the three-track railroad station. With a self-built overhead line is provided the entire plant, operation is via digital control. The small town consists of numerous half-timbered houses, the large station building, some stores, the town hall, a restaurant with a beer garden, two churches and a large farm. All buildings are self-built. The village itself is connected to the small town by a road running parallel to the railroad.
Rail operations are mainly handled by replicas of the Swiss Rhaetian Railway. Passenger trains with modern three-phase locomotives operate as well as classic nostalgic locomotives with rod drive such as the Rhaetian Crocodile. Freight trains also use the line, and special trains with steam locomotives run on special occasions.
Operator: Club of LGB friends Rhine/Sieg e.V., Mr. Günter Schippers, D-41236 Mönchengladbach
Plant size: 20 x 4 meters
Track 1: Ingolstadt Central Station
The plant is set in a period of epoch III/IV. The former Ingolstadt Central Station was faithfully recreated as the main station. Furthermore, a functional railroad depot with turntable, coaling system, locomotive shed, water crane (all functional) was reconstructed. The city is dominated by a church. The station and storage yard are illuminated. The complete plant is digitally controlled.
Operator: Eisenbahn- und Modellbahnfreunde Ingolstadt e.V., Mr. Klaus Meyer, Germany-85055 Ingolstadt
Plant size: 18 m x 7.5 m
Track 1: Idstone Industries 1/30
The US industrial shunting facility is a small American town in the late 50s. The chosen transition phase between steam and diesel allows to present steam locomotives with steam and sound as well as diesel shunting locomotives with Rus and smoke. The driving operation is manual and requires at least two operators to deliver goods and pick up goods from point to point to the various industries. Due to its concept, the layout is hand-operated intensive, but also interesting because shunting has to be done over the main line and the so-called “street running” has been integrated. The segments are made with background on relief basis to achieve depth effect. The control was handled via DCC or DCS, each of which requires the appropriate control center (Lenz-MTH).
Operator: MEC Idstein, Mr. Jürgen Hesels, 65510 Idstein, Germany
Plant size: 11x 1 m
Gauge 0: A lot of driving on this layout
On an area of 36 m² Claudius Schüle from Karlsruhe shows his gauge 0 layout. Nostalgia fans will get their money’s worth with this Tinplate layout. Märklin, Bing, Lionel and various other manufacturers from 1935 to 1953 can be found on this layout, which has numerous sidings. Unlike two-lane plants, the plant fills the entire area. A lot of driving is guaranteed on this layout!
Here, visitors can also have a go at running their own 0-gauge models on the nostalgic tracks. So the models of the visitors are also in the spotlight! Locomotives can run in 3 wire AC or DC Märklin style, so no steam vehicles. Clockwork locomotives are also welcome.
Operator: Nostalgie Spur 0 Karlsruhe, Mr. Volker & Claudius Schüle, D-76199 Karlsruhe, Germany
Plant size: 10 x 3 m
H0e gauge: Sidi Fontana, Morocco 1918
The city of Sidi Fontana in Morocco is fictional, but inspired by one of the longest narrow track in the world, with more than 2000 km. The railroad system allows the French army and civilians to move goods. The rolling stock consists of Pechot, Decauville and generic narrow gauge cars. All locomotives as well as the rolling stock come from commercial manufacturers or laser-cut 3D printers. The sound runs via DCC and media sounds of Camel, Donkey are played in parallel
Operator: Franck Combe, F-92600 Asnierses-sur-Seine
Plant size: 1.5 x 1 m
H0 gauge: Altbach 1963
The subject of this model railroad layout is a small town in central Germany on a small single-track local railroad. The whole thing is set in 1963, when many trains were still pulled by steam locomotives, but the first diesel locomotives also appeared.
At Altbach station, trains can cross each other and there are also various shunting facilities for loading and unloading freight cars. There is an additional road track where the rail-road bus can travel off the tracks to reach the smaller villages in the area.
A staging yard with 5 tracks allows for varied train traffic. The model railroad layout is extremely detailed and shows many facets that were typical of the 1960s. The track has a combination of a photographic and painted background and its own LED lighting.
The buildings, sidewalks, roads, cars and even rolling stock are realistically outdated and dirty.
Operator: Ronald Heijne, NL-6951 LS Dieren
Plant size: 3.5 x 1.5 m
H0 gauge: single track with authentic environment
This H0 modular line with about 70 modules is a single track Franconian branch line of epochs III and IV with several small to medium sized stations as well as other operating stations. Interesting scenes alternate with expansive landscape sections. In many cases, the scenery is enriched with elaborate technology. The audience can actively participate with triggerable actions.
Operator: Club of model railroaders Würzburg, Mr. Martin Klein, D-97082 Würzburg
Plant size: 20 m x 5 m
H0 gauge: Saarland impressions
With the plant, a perfect image of their Saarland home was created. A double-track main line runs through rolling green hills, past half-timbered houses and vineyards. It was created over many years of painstaking work one of 2173 handmade vines. A country road also winds through the area. The focus is on vehicles that have been familiar for decades, from the ocean-blue and beige 216 to the old sheet-metal Rheingold cars. Up to 9 trains can run on the layout. The operational center is the five-track through station at St. Wendel (Saar). It is the starting point of a double-track main line. The romantic landscape is interrupted by industrial plants and shopping malls, just like the original. In the industrial area, sidings ensure busy shunting operations.
Operator: Model railroad friends Bliesen e.V., Mr. Peter Obracaj, D-66606 St. Wendel
Plant size: 6 x 3 m
H0 gauge: Snowy winter landscape
A historic winter sports special train passes the riding signal box at the station entrance of Bad Eisbach. At the end of the main station of Bad Eisbach there is a lot of through traffic as well as bus traffic on the station forecourt. The panoramic view of the winter landscape gives a foretaste of the vastness of the H0 layout. Hurried operation for the relief train: The unit hauled by the Köf is on its way to a VT 98 that has broken down on the single-track line. The inspection train of the Westfälische Landes-Eisenbahn (WLE) cannot be missing during the inspection of the new line from Bad Eisbach.
Operator: Lippstädter Eisenbahnfreunde, Mr. Thomas Vieth, 59555 Lippstadt, Germany
Plant size: 13 x 1.65 m
H0 gauge: Winter in the Odenwald
(unfortunately had to cancel participation in the fair at short notice for personal reasons)
It is shown how it was in the 50s and 60s (epoch III B – IV). The plant is driven digitally and switched manually. Two stations with passing sidings and one stop at each of the two reversing loops allow up to four trains to run simultaneously. The background conveys the impression of a complete scenery. The larger themes are represented, such as that of a ski resort, a winter forest with a castle, or the completely illuminated streets with their crossings of the railroad tracks. You can also see snowball fights, ice skaters, a Christmas market and the SWR television team. The rolling stock consists of a realistic snowed-in rail bus, as well as diesel and steam locomotives with passenger cars and lighted passenger cars.
Operator: Winter-Modellbahn-Freunde, Mr. Francisco Rodriguez, 69469 Weinheim, Germany
Plant size: 11 x 2 m (in L-shape)
H0 gauge: KIRMES modular plant
On module layout are numerous fairground rides with function, which were elaborately equipped with SMD lighting technology. On the bumper cars alone, more than 900 SMDs were installed and wired via chaser controls. Many of our road vehicles are equipped with lights. Several hundred little prizes enliven the plant. In the rows of houses stores and apartments were decorated with interiors and figures. The smooth transport of the fair visitors is provided by the streetcar, which runs through the entire city. The line runs from the streetcar depot through the new housing estate, the town hall, the festival area, the fire in the tax office to the town church with the cemetery and the old town. Special emphasis was placed on a detailed design with many small scenes. To round out the overall picture, of course, is the aging of buildings and vehicles.
Operator: IG Modellbahn Görlitz, Mr. Ingolf Feldt, 02826 Görlitz
Plant size: 5 m x 4.5 m
TT gauge: Hoppenstedt in the time from the year 2000
Construction of the “Hoppenstedt” plant began in 2008. A nuclear power plant was built based on the model of the Lorio TV family Hoppenstedt. The alignment of the main line was a continuous double-track through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, following the route between Dresden and Prague. High-speed (ICE) trains can be run on the 12-meter parade route. In the center of the layout is a large main station with 8 tracks for passenger and freight traffic. A 1.40 m long bridge impressively conveys how realistic impressions can be recreated in the model on a TT scale (1:120).
Operator: MEC – Oranienburg 1964 e.V., Mr. Rene Hampel, 14656 Brieselang
Plant size: 8 x 4 m
TT gauge: A layout with a double-track main line and branching branch lines
The motif is built without a prototype and is a double track fully electrified main line with branching branch lines. The vehicles are from epochs III to VI. Steam and ICE operation is thus possible. The main emphasis was placed on III and IV. Tillig model track was used as the track material. The system is primarily controlled by a block section control system in which the next train is always pulled into the next block according to the occupancy. Starting the trains from the staging yard is done by radio remote control or on the control panel. The main lines are equipped with signals. Each signal is connected to an automatic braking and starting system, so that the trains can start and slow down in the same way as the prototype. One of the special features is a self-designed and built video train. The spectators have the impression of a driver’s cab ride. Around the system, ten function buttons are installed where the interested spectator can activate certain functions himself.
Operator: Modellbahn-Club Guben e.V., Mr. Christoph Garcia Almendaris, 03172 Guben
Plant size: 5 x 4 m
N Gauge: Diverse railroad operation
The N-Club International (NCI) organizes the construction of plants from modules of its members. The standardized module transition means that new layouts can always be displayed. The focus is on train traffic and the small details along the track.
An analog and a digital layout will be on display at Faszination MODELLBAHN. Once again, a member of the model railroad club “spur-N-schweiz” (sNs) with Swiss modules and another club member from England with his modules on the German THW (Technisches Hilfwerks) provide international flair in the analog layout.
The focus of the large analog layout is the double-track main line and the terminus station “St. Dominic”, which is connected via a more than 7 m long T-junction main line. On one side of the branch, the replica of the “Bridge of Remagen” follows after a curve, followed by some modules with German motifs and the already mentioned Swiss section. After a branch to the operational station, three modules follow, two of which will be on public display for the first time. The third module is the replica of the “Ladenburg Bridge”.
The digital layout takes up the classic theme of “double track main line with (single track) branch line”. The plant is controlled by hand controllers in a kind of “block station operation”. The line offers four different stations on an area of about 10 x 9 m – a terminus station, a separation station, a single-track through station and a double-track through station. The terminus station “Buchhorn Hbf” as well as the adjoining line have also never been shown by the N-Club. Varied operation is provided by the branches and the single-track section, even without a service station. Many details on the modules (e.g. also a button-pushing action) also invite you to take a closer look.
Operator: N-Club International e.V., Mr. Frank Mikenas, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
Plant size: 22 x 9 m
N Gauge: Energy & Railroad
The new 2-track main line with more than 100 m of track, 40 switches and 40 blocks extends over several levels with branches and about 20 trains up to 2 m in length in block system! The model railroad layout has a background as a mirror. This makes the plant appear twice as deep!
The model railroad layout has a 50 m staging yard, several tunnels, large bridges, commuter rail stations, a drivable 4-track rail ferry, a port facility with parking garage, canal with barges, a dam, a steam engine museum, an oil refinery, a power plant, a substation, several grain silos, a substation, a railroad museum, a transformer plant, and an old gas coking plant!
In addition, all buildings are changed and equipped with LED lighting systems. The very varied model railroad layout will captivate them!
Operator: MAK Modellbahn AG Kaarst, Mr. Franz Lange, D-41564 Kaarst
Plant size: 9 x 6 m
Z gauge: Small railroad big time
During the Faszination Modellbahn Mannheim 2020, the Z-Freunde International will present several module layouts worth seeing. Here is a small excerpt:
The deep sea port
The Z diorama “High Seas Harbor” was born with the idea of combining various paper models with a Z gauge model railroad. Even if the scales do not exactly match. The motif is freely designed, due to the elevated urban railroad line it reminds of the port of Hamburg. The diorama impresses with the very realistic model construction and great detail.
Dream loop module plant
The new modular layout project shows a part of the local line between Heimbach/Nahe and Kornweiler. This section of the Saarbrücken – Mainz railroad line runs through the Nahe valley, which is particularly idyllic and worth seeing at this point. The plant is designed as an autumn landscape with its beautiful colors. The Heimbach railroad station and the buildings belonging to it stand around the center of the layout. The five bridges designed according to the model are a special eye-catcher on the modules. The Kornweiler train station and the Bruchwiesen mill with the turning water wheel were reconstructed according to original plans. A special highlight is the station, which extends over the three modules. Train traffic is digital and computer.
Wild West in Z Gauge
A module layout by Michael Bernhard is presented with a motif from the far wild west. A build and view which visualizes the advantages of the small Z train and demonstrates the high play and build value.
Operator: Z-Freunde International, Mr. Sylvester Schmidt, D-56856 Zell
Plant size: 12 x 6 m
You can find images for use free of charge for your reporting under:
www.faszination-modellbahn.com/presse/
Contact: Messe Sinsheim GmbH, phone +49 7025 9206-100, e-mail: presse@messe-sinsheim.de