HSB in the Süd Harz HOm

[Oldddudders]

I can report that the Harz woz luvly! No pictures yet, as I’m still in Torquay. Sadly the day our tour did the Brocken the weather was ghastly, with near-zero visibility at the summit, and it was very cold. But the previous day weather conditions meant Northern Germany had virtually come to a stand, with our ICE terminating in suburban Hanover, having hit a fallen tree a few km earlier, so climbing the Brocken at all was good! I had high hopes for the Selketalbahn the next day, but we only got 45’ run, from Alexisbad to Gernrode, before being wafted off by coach to spend a few hours in Quedlinburg. Sigh. The following day was a free day, so Sherry and I escaped by taking the Harzquerbahn from Wernigerode to Eisfelder Talmühle and back, and that was lovely.

 

This, and Paul’s layout, are giving me naughty thoughts about models. I really, really need yet another prototype......

[PhilH]

We are going over for 5 days over New Year....doing a daily snow dance, for me it's at its best in the snow.

[PaulRhB]

Glad you enjoyed it You can always come and play on the Süd Harz if you're over when it's at a show

[PaulRhB]

Ok I've committed to getting the full plan to NGsouth in April so it's time to lock down the plan and get on with collecting the bits I still need.

To that end I've modified the tracknplan slightly.

I didn't like the loco shed going straight onto the 'main line' so I've moved it over to the front which should make a nice view block and gives more room outside the shed too.

The siding is now accessed off the bay so although it makes shunting a little more convoluted from the loop it leaves more room to add woodland to transition to the quarry board.

Previous plan

Edited November 1, 2017 by PaulRhB

[dunnyrail]

I can report that the Harz woz luvly! No pictures yet, as I’m still in Torquay. Sadly the day our tour did the Brocken the weather was ghastly, with near-zero visibility at the summit, and it was very cold. But the previous day weather conditions meant Northern Germany had virtually come to a stand, with our ICE terminating in suburban Hanover, having hit a fallen tree a few km earlier, so climbing the Brocken at all was good! I had high hopes for the Selketalbahn the next day, but we only got 45’ run, from Alexisbad to Gernrode, before being wafted off by coach to spend a few hours in Quedlinburg. Sigh. The following day was a free day, so Sherry and I escaped by taking the Harzquerbahn from Wernigerode to Eisfelder Talmühle and back, and that was lovely.

This, and Paul’s layout, are giving me naughty thoughts about models. I really, really need yet another prototype......

By the sound of things you were on an organised trip. Best bet is to leave them to it and do your own thing. Not sure where you were staying but if in Wenigerode it is a pretty easy Bus Ride to Quedlinburg and you can do the Selkt easily from there including a little time in the Town before a bus ride back to Werni. Better luck if you go again.

JonD

[Oldddudders]

By the sound of things you were on an organised trip. Best bet is to leave them to it and do your own thing. Not sure where you were staying but if in Wenigerode it is a pretty easy Bus Ride to Quedlinburg and you can do the Selkt easily from there including a little time in the Town before a bus ride back to Werni. Better luck if you go again.

JonD

 

I actually think I might. And hopefully Sherry will be prepared to accompany. Our recent trip was technically our honeymoon, two years after the wedding, and the first package tour I've ever done. It is likely to be the last, too, even if I stay fit enough to take holidays! My car has the steering wheel on the left, so driving is an option.

 

I also regret to report that an HO model of 99 222 is currently on its way from Germany...... . 

[PaulRhB]

.

 

I also regret to report that an HO model of 99 222 is currently on its way from Germany...... .

the slippery slope

 

My 222 runs lovely, exactly how the others should have done

[PaulRhB]

And let's hope Tillig might do 5902

[PhilH]

After reading these posts I'm looking forward to Dec 27th and hopefully more of this..Alexisbad Feb 2015

 

 

 

 

[Hobby]

My car has the steering wheel on the left, so driving is an option.

 

All my cars have had steering wheels on the right but seem to work perfectly well over the Channel, I do about 3000 miles a year on the "wrong side" of the road!

[PaulRhB]

Ok as long as the steering wheel is on the same side as the driver and they're happy about it

 

Last minor tweaks to the plan are finished so I've angled it so it's not parallel with the boards like the other two. It just flows better with the straighter boards I'm now using for this bit.

 

 

And checking the 'HSB rest of the world' hidden station so it can hold up to 7 coaches and a loco in each plus run rounds are hidden from the front.

 

Edited November 5, 2017 by PaulRhB

[Oldddudders]

All my cars have had steering wheels on the right but seem to work perfectly well over the Channel, I do about 3000 miles a year on the "wrong side" of the road!

And when I moved to France in 2004, my car was RHD. It went to Belgium a couple of times, and was fine on local roads, but long distances on autoroutes and autobahns are simply more relaxed when you are driving from the left seat.

[Ian Morgan]

My problems were getting in and out of car parks when on my own in the car. The buttons and ticket slots are only reachable by getting out and walking round, then a mad dash back before the barrier drops again.

[Hobby]

I can't say I've noticed any difference when driving except for overtaking on side roads... I've hired LHD cars when over there and driven on motorways and found them no different to RHD on the m'ways... On motorways its even easier because you are planning moves much farther ahead anyhow! Everyone to their own I suppose...

Edited November 6, 2017 by Hobby

[PaulRhB]

Child's 'grabber arm' or a litter picker and you can do it from the driving seat

 

Anyway you've all got me at it now, back to the HSB trains

[Hobby]

Thanks, Paul, I never thought of that! Jennie has one already but it's normally in the boot with the wheelchair, from now on it'll be with her in the front!!

 

As you say, back to the trains!

[PhilH]

I'm currently typing this in an apartment next to the station in Wernigerode listening to both the wind blowing a hooley, the rain coming down and the HSB loco hooters in the distance. We're over here for five days, big do on NYE, and it is as good as ever. I'm doing things slightly differently this year in as much as I'm not making it Brocken-centric, in fact not going up at all this time. This is the fourth time I've been here so have been up a few times now.

 

Instead of buying a three day HSB rover ticket for €89, 5 days €129, I've bought a couple of Hartz tour cards from the tourist office here in Wernigerode. They are the bargain of the century...unlimited travel on buses, standard gauge trains in the Hartz region and all of the HSB system except from Schierke to the Brocken (the last few miles of the climb to the Brocken),three days for €18! So €36 gives me all the travel I want for six days. It also kind of frees you up a bit as instead of thinking that you have to extract every last mile out of your HSB ticket to justify the price tag you can relax a bit knowing that the tour card pays for itself time and time again.

 

Yesterday we caught the standard gauge to Quedlinburg to do the Selketal bit of the line, never done it in daylight before. There's a couple of fearsome banks on this bit of line which made the 2-10-2 cough a bit even though the trains aren't as heavy as the Brocken route ones. Last time we did this bit of line it was with the 2-6-2 tank but, as I say yesterday was one of the big 'uns.

 

Today it was up the Brocken Route as far as Schierke, some steep climbing on this bit. The train, first one of the day, was absolutely heaving so the loco was making some nice noises climbing through the pine forest. Just before Drei Annen Hohne the weather treated us to a full scale blizzard which turns this line into a real winter wonderland. The heavy snow continued all the time we were above DAH which made the warmth of the schnapps we sampled very welcome.

 

I can't post any pics at the mo, indeed another decision I made this year was not to add too many more to the many hundred pictures I have of the line. Not being a slave to a camera does add to the enjoyment I think...

Edited December 30, 2017 by PhilH

[PaulRhB]

Thanks for the info Phil, that will be most useful. I know what you mean with the camera I've stopped taking pics of everthing and just enjoy the atmosphere. Loads of great photos out here so why not enjoy the sensation

 

On another note I've just taken delivery of the buildings for Walkenried and done the cutting plan for the boards so hoping to cut the wood this week and start construction of part three after a rash promise to Tim organising NGSouth.

 

http://www.narrowgaugesouth.org.uk/wp/?page_id=40

 

Edited December 30, 2017 by PaulRhB

[PaulRhB]

Just because I have thought about this long term as to how the layout could fit in a room. The existing forest boards wouldn't fit as they are but would provide the trees for the joining the three stations.

 

[roundhouse]

So are you thinking of no more shows for this layout?

[PaulRhB]

So are you thinking of no more shows for this layout?

No this is very much the long term plan as it will restrict the length of run a bit. This was just part of the thinking from the start that it can be adapted to a semi permanent home layout in a few years time fairly easily even with the current space I have. My ideal would be a big shed where I could add some extra boards for the corners and use all the existing, and under construction, boards

I'd just been doodling the possible set ups and thought it might be of interest. The idea at the moment is to offer either one of the terminus stations or the whole layout to a few shows. So far two confirmed and one highly probable for the whole layout.

First outing with be NGSouth as above then 2019 it will be Wimborne and Warley, that's all the invites so far but I haven't offered it to the ones I've done before yet as I've been a bit busy with Freemo and Freem009!

[leopardml2341]

I'm currently typing this in an apartment next to the station in Wernigerode listening to both the wind blowing a hooley, the rain coming down and the HSB loco hooters in the distance. We're over here for five days, big do on NYE, and it is as good as ever. I'm doing things slightly differently this year in as much as I'm not making it Brocken-centric, in fact not going up at all this time. This is the fourth time I've been here so have been up a few times now.

Instead of buying a three day HSB rover ticket for €89, 5 days €129, I've bought a couple of Hartz tour cards from the tourist office here in Wernigerode. They are the bargain of the century...unlimited travel on buses, standard gauge trains in the Hartz region and all of the HSB system except from Schierke to the Brocken (the last few miles of the climb to the Brocken),three days for €18! So €36 gives me all the travel I want for six days. It also kind of frees you up a bit as instead of thinking that you have to extract every last mile out of your HSB ticket to justify the price tag you can relax a bit knowing that the tour card pays for itself time and time again.

Yesterday we caught the standard gauge to Quedlinburg to do the Selketal bit of the line, never done it in daylight before. There's a couple of fearsome banks on this bit of line which made the 2-10-2 cough a bit even though the trains aren't as heavy as the Brocken route ones. Last time we did this bit of line it was with the 2-6-2 tank but, as I say yesterday was one of the big 'uns.

Today it was up the Brocken Route as far as Schierke, some steep climbing on this bit. The train, first one of the day, was absolutely heaving so the loco was making some nice noises climbing through the pine forest. Just before Drei Annen Hohne the weather treated us to a full scale blizzard which turns this line into a real winter wonderland. The heavy snow continued all the time we were above DAH which made the warmth of the schnapps we sampled very welcome.

I can't post any pics at the mo, indeed another decision I made this year was not to add too many more to the many hundred pictures I have of the line. Not being a slave to a camera does add to the enjoyment I think...

SWMBO and I visited for the first time earlier in the month, a couple of pics below:

 

Sorry Paul to hijack your thread, but I've always been fascinated by the HSB and up until recently had not been. Trouble is, I still can't afford the models.

[PaulRhB]

I'm not complaining about nice prototype pics Andy All adds to the atmosphere

[leopardml2341]

I'm not complaining about nice prototype pics Andy All adds to the atmosphere

One more then, SWMBO took this at Wernigerode later the same day:

 

[roundhouse]

No this is very much the long term plan as it will restrict the length of run a bit. This was just part of the thinking from the start that it can be adapted to a semi permanent home layout in a few years time fairly easily even with the current space I have. My ideal would be a big shed where I could add some extra boards for the corners and use all the existing, and under construction, boards

I'd just been doodling the possible set ups and thought it might be of interest. The idea at the moment is to offer either one of the terminus stations or the whole layout to a few shows. So far two confirmed and one highly probable for the whole layout.

First outing with be NGSouth as above then 2019 it will be Wimborne and Warley, that's all the invites so far but I haven't offered it to the ones I've done before yet as I've been a bit busy with Freemo and Freem009!

Ah good as I was hoping. I have plans for a shed layout too but just can't make up my mind yet as to what. Still need to build such a shed. However I do see shows coming to an end for me at some point but hopefully not yet.