The H0 scale model railroad layouts for Faszination Modellbau 2023 present themselves
H0 gauge: WÜP – Weschnitztal-Überwaldbahn project
The WÜP, Weschnitztal-Überwaldbahn-Projekt is an association of various model railroaders from the Frankfurt-Mannheim-Heidelberg area, who have reproduced the corresponding railroad line from Weinheim to the Odenwald in essential points.
The most characteristic operating points, such as stations, engineering structures and other distinctive points, have been reconstructed essentially authentically according to original documents and are being made accessible to the public for the first time in their geographical order. At Mörlenbach station, the line splits into the two named branches, true to the prototype.
The construction and the idea for it were presented in twelve episodes in 2023 in the leading trade magazine MIBA on the occasion of its 75th anniversary. At Faszination Modellbau in Friedrichshafen, all these replicas can now be admired live in a truly large layout arrangement. The group around Horst Meier and Bernhard Brieger let the most significant train sets run in the model as well.
Experience, among other things, rattling rail buses, the Sarrassani circus train, wooden trains for the Coronet lumber mill or the ballast trains from Fürth and marvel at the realistically implemented environment.
Operator: WÜP – Weschnitztal-Überwaldbahn-Project, Mr. Horst Meier, D-63110 Rodgau
Plant size: 37 x 7 m
H0e gauge: Narrow gauge trains in the landscape
The layout is digitally controlled and up to 6 trains can be moved simultaneously with radio mice system Roco. Each engineer accompanies his train across the layout.
In the stations, the meeting of the trains is to be organized by the “locomotive drivers”, the operation of the switches is done with control panels at the respective station module.
There is a concealed reversing loop at each end of the layout. This eliminates the need to shunt/transfer the locomotive at the end of the layout, making operation much smoother.
Mainly models after Austrian model are on the way, but there are also from time to time other European narrow-gauge vehicles, light railroads and various home-built vehicles on the track.
Operator: Modellbahn Freunde Oberland, Mr. Richard Willi, Austria-6800 Feldkirch
Plant size: 9.5 x 3 m
H0f gauge: light railroad around a quarry & ballast works
The newly built model railroad layout shows a light railroad around a quarry with an abandoned factory owner’s villa and a ballast works.
The buildings are aged and the trees are partly self-made! The small layout has a detailed design of the landscape and a suitable background scenery.
Operator: Modellbahnteam Bodensee, Mr. Thomas Hestner, D-88248 Friedrichshafen
Plant size: 1.45 x 0.9 m
H0m gauge: mountain railroad Switzerland with incline and decline
The GARM group comes with a H0m layout with brand new modules. GARM stands for “Groupe Amis Réseau Modulaire” and is based in Echandens, Switzerland.
The focus is the mountain railroad with incline and decline. The base track has a length of 85 meters and is operated via two analog control panels. the line passes through four tunnels, over a gallery, three bridges and two viaducts. Signals and lighting complete the layout, which shows an autumn landscape.
The new modules are connected to the base unit. Thus, a cogwheel track leads from the upper station “Filigur” down to a small station. The new track includes 10 modules, all built in the last few months.
Operator: GARM Groupe Amis Reseau, Mr. Andre Jaquerod, Switzerland-1026 Echandens
Plant size: 16 x 9 m
H0 gauge: double track modular layout with 8 special themed areas
The double-track modular layout with 2 turnaround modules and a variety of possibilities shows 8 special themed areas. It shows the Meckenbeuren train station with a scale replica of the train station, sheds and houses, the beautiful river landscape of the Danube valley with the Upper Danube Nature Park, the Durlesbach train station, the Kuernbach Museum Village, the Einhalden Festival and a timber industry with sawmill.
The houses and buildings were mostly built to scale by club members in days of manual labor.
Operator: EBF Ravensburg-Weingarten, Mr. Wolfgang Loidol, D-88284 Mochenwangen
Plant size: 15 x 7 m
H0/H0m gauge: Winter in Kufenau
The layout shows the fantasy place Kufenau, an idyllic, deep snow-covered landscape. Up to 10 trains from different eras can run on the layout. A computer, in conjunction with the Train Controller control software, provides varied train operation with an integrated Car System. In addition, the system is equipped with numerous push-button actions. Here visitors can set in motion, for example, an ice rink (skaters), wedding or snowball fight. The system has a day/night simulation. A day lasts exactly 24 minutes. As night falls, the lights are switched on under PC control. And if you look very closely, you can even spot Santa Claus approaching with his reindeer sleigh.
Operator: Björn Borkenhagen, 68519 Viernheim, Germany
Plant size: 4.7 x 1.9 m
H0 gauge: Port facility “Süderhafen
Süderhafen is a fictitious port facility from the period 1910 -1920. With the railroad, about 20 radio-controlled ship models, functioning cranes, shunting horses, steam towing winch, floating dock and much more, a port operation from long ago is shown. In addition to the pure port facility, the surroundings of the port can also be seen. Whether bourgeois neighborhood, workers’ settlement or contemporary villas, the social conditions are also shown. The port facility is built in 1:87 scale, all ship models are in the usual ship modelling scale of 1:100. The railroad operation is carried out by the corresponding models of the Prussian railroad, from the locomotives and wagons to the homemade Prussian signals. Ship models range from 15 cm inland tugs to 2m naval vessels.
Operator: IG Imperial Navy, Mr. Thorsten Pfeiffer, 25524 Itzehoe
Plant size: 11 x 7 m
H0 gauge: West ramp Arlbergbahn – Hintergasse station
The model railroad layout is part of the large modular layout of the MEC Bregenz and shows some distinctive sections of the west ramp of the Arlbergbahn in the style of the 50s with the Hintergasse station.
The layout shown here consists of 14 track modules incl. Operating station with a total length of 20 meters. Hintergasse station serves as a crossing station.
The trains running on the layout are as close to the prototype as possible, which were typical for the Arlberg west ramp. The landscaping and the buildings are self-made.
Operator: Model Railway Club Bregenz, Mr. Kurt Dapre, Austria-6900 Bregenz
Plant size: 9 x 2.6 m
H0 gauge: KIRMES modular plant
On the module layout are numerous fairground rides with function, which are elaborately equipped with SMD lighting technology. On the bumper cars alone, over 1000 SMDs were installed and wired via chaser controls. Many of the 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, town hall, fairgrounds, through 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.
At times, radio-controlled model cars in 1:87 scale run on the layout. This expands the range of 1:87 scale micromodelling.
A Faller Car System was installed on the new modules in the smallest possible space, where a small tourist train with its passengers also travels over and through the fair.
Operator: IG Modellbahn Görlitz, Mr. Ingolf Feldt, 02826 Görlitz
Plant size: 5 m x 4.5 m
HO scale: North module system with Federal Garden Show
The standardized modules can be combined with each other in almost any way. The model railway layout in 1:87 scale (H0), which is individually assembled for each exhibition, is built from up to 168 individual modules. The trains run in two- or three-line operation as required, and analog or digital control can also be used. The length and depth between the headers and the design of a module is determined by each builder. Overall, this design saves space and offers endless design options.
The layout shows, among other things, towns, villages, industrial plants, a module part with Faller Car System, and a brickyard with light railroad.
The highlight this year is the Federal Horticultural Show module, which shows a section of the Federal Horticultural Show in Mannheim with a cable car, gondoletta (boats that drive themselves) and plant show house. You could hardly buy anything ready-made for it, so much of it was made in the 3D printer. In addition, 1,200 flowers were planted by hand with tweezers.
Operator: Modulbaufreunde Ladenburg, Mr. Wolfgang Jäger, D-68229 Mannheim, Germany
Plant size: 11 m x 6 m
H0 gauge: Model railroad and traffic history by Hagen von Ortloff
The theme that the Stuttgart team ‘Lokomotive Oxaplatz’ with Hagen von Ortloff, Lutz Mäder and Rolf Brändle will exhibit at the trade fair in Friedrichshafen is simply called “H0”.
Vehicles in H0 alternating current and H0 direct current, with the focus on Märklin vehicles from the fifties. In addition, there are narrow gauge railroads in the sizes, H0m, H0e and H0f. Accessories include trolley buses, streetcars, cable cars, the Wuppertal suspension railroad and a monorail. Complemented by legendary buildings such as the villa in Ticino, the Berlin radio tower and the gas station with the round coffee and the rotating advertising board on the roof.
As a special exhibition we present models from the early days of the railroad. The legendary Rocket from England will be on display, the diminutive engine from George and Robert Stevenson’s Newcastle manufactory that won the Rainhill locomotive race in 1825.
John Bull from America arrives with his huge cowcatcher and his already then four-axle passenger cars and the Limmat from Switzerland is the legendary locomotive of the so-called Spanish Brötli train, which brought the fabulous baked goods from Baden to the noble people of Zurich in the early morning.
Not to forget the Adler, the first steam locomotive in Germany, which ran between Nuremberg and Fürth, and the Saxonia, the first steam locomotive built in Germany. With a total of seven locomotives and their carriages, we look back at railroad legends of the first half of the 19th century.
Operators: Hagen von Ortloff, Lutz Mäder and Rolf Brändle
Plant size: 11 x 6 m
