Die Ercallbahn - Fulfilling a childhood dream.

[ian]

 

More bus passengers are being prepared along with another victim.

 

 

The big-wigs have gone but something has changed. Something big.

The Neustadt train indicators have been reinstalled - but it isn't that.

 

 

The goods yard hard-standing has been extended and the container crane has gaine some rails along with barriers to stop chance encounters with wayward vehicles - but it isn't that either.

 

 

One of the wiggles on the upward gradient has been straightened. The catenary and a signal need to be reinstated but it makes it a bit easier for trains to get up the hill - especially if they have been stopped by the signal at the top.

[St Enodoc]

11 hours ago, ian said:

 

More bus passengers are being prepared along with another victim.

 

 

The big-wigs have gone but something has changed. Something big.

The Neustadt train indicators have been reinstalled - but it isn't that.

 

 

The goods yard hard-standing has been extended and the container crane has gaine some rails along with barriers to stop chance encounters with wayward vehicles - but it isn't that either.

 

 

One of the wiggles on the upward gradient has been straightened. The catenary and a signal need to be reinstated but it makes it a bit easier for trains to get up the hill - especially if they have been stopped by the signal at the top.

The signage at Neustadt is super, Ian. Just as I remember it from the late 60s/early 70s. Extremely atmospheric!

[ian]

Something strange appeared in the Ercallverse; it would appear that there are eddies in the space-time continuum.

 

 

 

The truth is out there somewhere.

 

Oh look, it's over there:

 

 

[ian]

On 14/06/2021 at 01:29, St Enodoc said:

The signage at Neustadt is super, Ian. Just as I remember it from the late 60s/early 70s. Extremely atmospheric!

 

Thanks, I shall pass that on to the Station Mastet at Neustadt. He isn't a local, he's from Hamburg, and likes things to be just so. He has hopes of being promoted to a bigger station back in his home city - providing he can stop the locals being too obstructive to things being done the right way.

 

I was overjoyed to find the Solaris train indicators in the Faller range - I think that they really set the scene.

Edited June 23, 2021 by ian

[Oldddudders]

Only this layout could have a SM who is a Hamburger. 

[ian]

2 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Only this layout could have a SM who is a Hamburger. 

 

Bit of a wimpy chap by all accounts.

[Woody C]

44 minutes ago, ian said:

 

Bit of a wimpy chap by all accounts.

As Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons would say 'Worse joke ever!' Surprised you didn't serve that up with fries! 

[Ian Morgan]

15 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Only this layout could have a SM who is a Hamburger. 

 

Not a Berliner, like JFK then?

 

 

( a Berliner is a jam doughnut )

[ian]

Just for @Woody C

 

 

(Yes, I know it shouldn't have a hole - or icing.)

Edited June 24, 2021 by ian

[ian]

Having finished the track remodelling at Neustadt I spent some time drawing up an operating schedule for the layout as it now stands. Working on the basis that I can add complications later I decided to go with a smiple sequence system without real or simulated timings and it ended up with about 80 moves. The first run through was a bit of a struggle due to some mechanical problems, some faults in the schedule itself and an awful lot of operator errors. Still, the next time would be better...

 

Second run of the schedule:

 

The first move of the day sees the railcar move a few inches from its stabling point to the refuelling spot. Except it didn't. I had managed to knock a power feed connection out when fixing something else. Also, on reflection, it should refuel at the end of the day rather than the start as that seems to be the common practice.

 

Move 2: Owards tn to the branch platform at Neustadt to pick up workers travelling along the branch.

 

3: At Schonblick a handful of brewery workers alight.

 

4: As the railbus enters Schwarzfelsen a couple of toots on the horn make sure that the holidaymakers in the cottages are up bright and early!

 

The temporary loop has been provided with a second track and two isolating sections so that it can act as a fiddle yard.
The suburban passenger and trip freight are stored ready for their turn to perform.

The trip freight is limited to seven wagons (experience from the first run where it had eight) generated by dice throws.

 

5: The trip freight takes the crossover at the west end of Neustadt.
It has a Transfesa van for Schwarzfelsen, a van for Neustadt brewery, a van and an open for the goods shed at Neustadt, one container flat for the crane and two tankers for the Shell depot.

 

It comes to rest in Gleis 3 to make the shunting easier.

In 'real time' this train would arrive at Neustadt shortly after the railbus departed - having had time to ponder this I think that it is far too early as the wagons would have had to arrive at the Rbf, be sorted and the trip working make its way to Neustadt. That's a second change needed to the schedule.

[Jon Gwinnett]

3 minutes ago, ian said:

 

4: As the railbus enters Schwarzfelsen a couple of toots on the horn make sure that the holidaymakers in the cottages are up bright and early!

 

I love it all, as always, but this particular gem made me splutter beer on iPad in mirth. What I most appreciate is that the storytelling gives the timetable, stock and moves real purpose and character. Bravo! 

[ian]

6: Time to shunt.

 

Leaving the incoming wagons in Gleis 3 it is a simple matter to collect the outgoing wagons up into a string and place them in Gleis 4.

 

 

Then it is the reverse procedure to deposit the incoming wagons.

 

 

After that the loco propels the outgoing wagons from Gleis 4 onto the branch and pulls them into Gleis 5 to await departure time.

 

This is all quite a quick job in model form but, applying the AFK's three model minutes per move rule and allowing for a full inbound and outbound train with some extra time for problems it would need 90 minutes - and the station can't be tied up for that long so, again, the schedule needs revising. I think that the freight needs to park up about half-way through to allow a branch passenger service.

7: Branch goods loco from engine shed to shunt outward wagons at Schonblick.

In reality this would be shortly after the railbus passes through.

 

 

There's an empty van from the brewery that had delivered bottles and an empty Transfesa at the goods shed which will be returned to the junction.

 

8: Branch passenger loco to carriage siding.

 

9: Railbus Schwarzfelsen to Schonblick Gleis 1.

Peak Schonblick with three trains in the station.

 

This is as a result of moving things about on the first sequence to try and stop me painting myself into a corner later. Drastic changes are needed, along with the ones to the trip freight, to try and restore some semblance of reality.

 

10: Mainline local passenger to Neustadt Gleis 3.

 

As the push-pull driving coach doesn't work with the automatic signalling the train can't reverse at Neustadt so it arrives using the new access at the East end of the platform. In the long term a cunning modification to the loco and driving trailer might make reversal possible - or there again maybe a multiple unit could be coerced into climbing the hill.

[ian]

First a confession - I omitted to photograph the railbus's arrival at Neustadt ahead of the local passenger. We don't want the main line trains held up waiting for the branch line do we?

 

The empty railbus now runs onto its spur whilst up the line at Schonblick the next train has been shunted into Gleis 1.

 

The branch passenger runs down to Neustadt and some of its passengers watch their connection arrive.

 

The trip freight slips out onto the main line whilst the main line train waits for the passengers to alight and board.

Once it got back to its storage siding operations paused whilst I adjusted one of its couplings - it was too low and reluctant to couple up. All sorted and on with the schedule.

 

With the trip freight out of the way the branch passenger loco can run round its train and once the main line service has left it starts to make its leisurely way along the branch. This is a new view from the side of Schonblick's goods shed - the trees act as a windbreak and the fence stops any wildlife wandering into the compound.

 

Once the passenger service has cleared the Neustadt - Schonblick section the branch goods can make its way to the junction. Meanwhile the passenger service continues its bummel to the coast.

 

Once the loco has run round it is ready for a tender first run back to the junction.

 

At Neustadt the branch goods has an easy job to swap the outgoing wagons with the incoming ones on the interchange track.

 

The new train is formed on Gleis 5, the run round.

 

Meanwhile the passenger train is arriving back at Schonblick.

 

Then on to Neustadt to await the arrival of the main line connection.

Edited July 2, 2021 by ian

[ian]

Whilst we wait for the connection let's have a little look at what else has been going on. Some industrial units have appeared on the other side of the goods yard. These are Pikestuff kit parts and fit in nicely with the new town vibe. Currently they are just placed to judge the effect.

 

The connection arrives and the branch goods heads along to Schonblick.

 

There's a bit of building work at Schonblick too. The brewery is gaining an extension so that it looks a little larger than the wagons that serve it.

 

The low relief frontage is from a kit, acquired cheaply ready made, that was amenable to being dismantled. Again, positioned to judge the effect.

 

The branch passenger runs round whilst the main line passenger waits for its passengers.

 

 

Once the main line train has left the branch passenger runs up to Schonblick and catches up with the goods.

 

 

Once the passenger train pulls in the goods can shunt the station. The Transfesa van to the goods shed and some bottles for the brewery.

 

 

Then it is on to Schwarzfelsen.

 

 

The passenger train can then run round and lay over in the carriage siding.

 

 

At Schwarzfelsen the loco can pick up the empties. Then the crew can have a lunch break whilst they wait for the railbus to make its way up the branch again.

 

 

The railbus has now made it to Schwarzfelsen.

 

 

The main line trip freight returns to Neustadt - somewhat light on wagons this time.

 

 

The railbus returns down the branch and once it has cleared the line to Schonblick the goods can shuffle along the line a bit.

[ian]

By now you will be bored of photos of the passenger trains making their way back and forth so here is the trip freight heading back to the yard with the wagons from the branch.

A bit later the branch goods brings the Schwarzfelsen empties down to Neustadt. They will go onto the interchange track and be picked up by the trip freight in the morning.

Progress at the brewery - the foundation has been cut from a piece of 5mm PVC foam sheet (Foamex).

At the station a second overall roof kit has yielded up a second section of island platform and a potential glass screen windbreak. eBay is a wonderful source of cheap vintage plastic kits.

 

Whilst examining the possibility of adding the windbreak I noticed that the main wall section on the platform had ended up the wrong way around so I think I shall fix that at the same time that I put the windbreak up.

Getting towards the end of the day and the BR24 gets coaled and watered before going to the shed. Tomorrow it will be given a once over whilst the P8 behind it caters for the passengers.

Now the BR86 gets the same treatment. It faces the other way to the two other locos so that its bunker and tank fillers are in a similar relationship to those on the tenders.

With all the steam locos tucked up for the night the railbus is on the last run back to the junction.

THe penultimate move of the sequence is the departing main-line connection from the last branch run.

It was delayed because the main line had lost traction power. After much head-scratching and poking about with a multimeter the cause was traced to...

... a stepladder leaning against one of the big red buttons. I had inadvertantly knocked it!

With the railbus refuleled and put to bed the sequence was complete so I changed the trip freight wagons for the next day. All those coming out to play for the first time had their couplings checked to give me a fighting chance.

 

Overall it was a good run - some more tweaks needed to the schedule and more care needed by the operator but it is coming together.

[ian]

The builders have been gainfully employed at Schonblick. The old ironwork on Gleis 2 has been replaced with a new set which is ready to be glazed and the platform has been extended both lengthways and in width.

 

Gleis 1 has also had some extra platform fixed in place and the empty space in front of the admin building has been gravelled.

The two new platform lights need to be set to the correct height and wired in then the extra length of glazed wall can be installed on Gleis 2.

 

The brewery buildings are taking shape and make it look far more of a complex. The full building is the boiler room and brewhouse whilst the low-relief section is the bottling plant and warehouse. The low relief building was made from most of the second kit - along with a roller-shutter door from the Pikestuff warehouse that was acquired for Neustadt.

 

The gates and fencing are a Kibri product and, now that I have checked that German does use 'gn' at the start of a word, the sign can be changed.

 

The newer of the two brewery kits included this rather snazzy brewing apparatus which is virtually invisible once installed. Still, I know that it is there.

 

Meanwhile major civil engineering is under way at Neustadt as a concrete bridge is installed over the station throat.

 

In other news: a few blown light bulbs in point lanterns and one of the shunting signals have been replaced - somewhat of a text of dexterity.

Edited July 14, 2021 by ian

[ian]

The bridge at Neustadt is nearly finished, but I don't like the colour. There are quite a few concrete bridges around here - and none are that colour. I think that I am going to have to break the rules and paint it!

[Jon Gwinnett]

The colour is perhaps a bit dark, but offers a nice “ frame” to that end of the view, so I’d be tempted to leave it as is.

[Oldddudders]

Natspee Brauerei - as recognised by a zillion disconsolate boozers!

[St Enodoc]

58 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Natspee Brauerei - as recognised by a zillion disconsolate boozers!

Anyone who has lived or worked in the East Midlands will recall that Shipstone's is an anagram of Honest Pi$$.

[ian]

Another run through the schedule, today was 'Wednesday', and a hitherto unrecorded move - the arrival of the vittles for the railbus.

[ian]

Concrete Bob's German cousin has finished the bridge. It got a coat of the same emulsion that I have used for the concrete hardstanding in the goods yard.

 

The dedicated contortionist can, for now, get a view into the yard from under the bridge.

 

Mindful of the rules regarding bridges the obligatory bus has already made an appearance.

[ian]

On Wednesday I purchased some wood.

 

In other news Herr B. is not happy. He is convinced that he can hear sounds coming from underground. The trouble is they only happen when the trains aren't running and so nobody believes him. Even Florian finds it hard to believe that there is anything going on in the large slab of rock that lies beneath the Ercallverse.

 

None of the passengers are interested either. Herr B.'s reputation isn't helping him.

 

He even tried the holidaymakers at the cottages - they are from Hamburg and noises don't bother them - it's silence that they find unusual.

 

[Woody C]

Fantastic work Ian. It doesn't seem that long ago you had a couple of boards set up in your garden with a small branch line on it. As the saying goes once it's been grotesquely manipulated by me, 'From small baseboards large layouts grow!' Moving quickly on, a moving target is more difficult to hit, I do like the brewery interior and as you say pity it will be largely unseen once installed. It does remind me of something that you would see on an early James Bond set especially with the white lab coated people and the suited chap who does from a distance resemble Odd Job. In the strange ways that my mind works I have postulated (and that can be painful) that it may therefore be connected with the mysterious underground noise that is being heard by Here B. Is there some sinister international plot going on in the area with an underground network of tunnels spreading from the brewery??? Or  is the actual and more plausible explanation related to the timber purchased on Wednesday??? I await in anticipation!

[ian]

Herr B. is still telling anyone who will listen about the strange noises.
"Honestly, last might it sounded like there was a bus in the cellar!"