New Layout - 'Hufeisental'

[Alan Kettlewell]

Brilliant price. For a building this size I would have guessed 150€. And yes, you have to paint it. Only painted Faller buildings look like models. Otherwise they are too "plasticy".

I would also go over the roof. Minimum with a light wash of grey and/or some weathering powders.

Yes I agree, too plasticy. I've given the roofing sections a coat of dark grey and I'll be improving on the look with some weathering, rain streaks, bird s**t round the chimney pots etc when it's built. Got to admit I quite enjoy the detailing and weathering process.

 

Cheers... Alan

[Satan's Goldfish]

Is this building for the 'dual gauge' station?

[Alan Kettlewell]

Just two weeks? Lucky wotsit well it’s good news if it only needed that short raised bit.

Station looking good, I painted all mine simply because it instantly changes the look from the rest with so many built just in plastic.

Yes two weeks with leg raised was instructed to get the swelling down. I'm feeling fairly comfortable on the crutches with the big boot on and I'm allowed to put partial weight on, but only if without pain. I'm quite useless on crutches without the boot on and on one leg.

 

The big boot:

 

Having this boot instead of a cast has made this ordeal much better than it could have been.

 

Cheers ... Alan

[Alan Kettlewell]

Is this building for the 'dual gauge' station?

Hi,

 

Yes it is, the station building will be at one end of the platform, one side of the platform will be facing standard gauge tracks and the other facing the metre gauge lines.

 

The station will become my Austrian through station up on level 3 of the layout and on my new fictitious line through Sankt Gallenkirch. From Sankt Gallenkirch also the metre gauge line to Switzerland will begin.

 

Cheers ... Alan

Edited January 21, 2019 by Alan Kettlewell

[Alan Kettlewell]

This is the platform side of the station building, it's quite detailed and I reckon it'll be a good asset to the layout when all finished and detailed. You can see I've put the paper masking shapes in - I haven't used these previously, mainly because I haven't always bothered with interior lighting, but I like the way that curtains are included, saves me making load of window coverings in PowerPoint to cut out and stick in.

 

 

That's all the progress for today.

 

Cheers ... Alan

[PaulRhB]

Well it’s good to hear you can manage with the boot, I didn’t have pain really either felt just like I’d sprained it. I got into trouble for driving with it but I told them I didn’t know it was broken then. The family pestered me for not taking the pain killers too but I pointed out the other option to keep them quiet was to hide them and waste pills, money, time and effort getting more

I got told not to moan about being in pain later then, which I didn’t because I wasn’t you can’t win

 

I’m sat weathering HSB wagons as a minor ailment on my back is making life interesting for any physical tasks. Glad I have a list of little jobs I can crack on with.

[Alan Kettlewell]

Well it’s good to hear you can manage with the boot, I didn’t have pain really either felt just like I’d sprained it. I got into trouble for driving with it but I told them I didn’t know it was broken then. The family pestered me for not taking the pain killers too but I pointed out the other option to keep them quiet was to hide them and waste pills, money, time and effort getting more

I got told not to moan about being in pain later then, which I didn’t because I wasn’t you can’t win

I’m sat weathering HSB wagons as a minor ailment on my back is making life interesting for any physical tasks. Glad I have a list of little jobs I can crack on with.

Yeah, I got back from the dog walk after breaking it, and then walked on mine for the first three days, don't know how I was able to do that thinking back over it now - ouch!

 

I hope your back improves soon but good you have some jobs you can do. It's another aspect of our great hobby that when out of action there's the option to work away at something on the work bench. I too have a few things on a list to crack on with until I can get about again. I have two locos to chip, a loco shed and some bridge arches to paint and weather, some reworking of my layout plan in the Z21 App and a sound project to work on if I buy the Tm or Dm 2/2 tractor loco I'm after.

 

Cheers ... Alan

Edited January 21, 2019 by Alan Kettlewell

[Joseph_Pestell]

This is the platform side of the station building, it's quite detailed and I reckon it'll be a good asset to the layout when all finished and detailed. You can see I've put the paper masking shapes in - I haven't used these previously, mainly because I haven't always bothered with interior lighting, but I like the way that curtains are included, saves me making load of window coverings in PowerPoint to cut out and stick in.

 

20190121_140515.jpg

 

That's all the progress for today.

 

Cheers ... Alan

 Amazing building, especially at that price. Where is the prototype situated?

[Alan Kettlewell]

Amazing building, especially at that price. Where is the prototype situated?

Hi Joseph,

 

It's described as an Aktions set but I don't know the meaning or interpretation of that. I reckon it's a fictitious generic model. It's named 'Radebusch' but I don't think there is such a place.

 

https://www.faller.de/App/WebObjects/XSeMIPS.woa/cms/page/pid.14.17.89/agid.1127.1288/atid.15328/lg.en/ecm.at/Aktions-Set-Bahnhof-Radebusch.html

 

Anyway it certainly is great value.

 

Cheers ... Alan

[Joseph_Pestell]

Hi Joseph,

 

It's described as an Aktions set but I don't know the meaning or interpretation of that. I reckon it's a fictitious generic model. It's named 'Radebusch' but I don't think there is such a place.

 

https://www.faller.de/App/WebObjects/XSeMIPS.woa/cms/page/pid.14.17.89/agid.1127.1288/atid.15328/lg.en/ecm.at/Aktions-Set-Bahnhof-Radebusch.html

 

Anyway it certainly is great value.

 

Cheers ... Alan

I think you must be right. A bit of research shows that Faller has used this name before for an entirely different kit.

[Alan Kettlewell]

The bahnhof model is progressing. 

 

Meanwhile just for interest I've made a diagramme of the general layout of the station showing the planned position for the various station buildings and approach road (I have to admit I haven't left much room for roads at all on this layout, but I'll squeeze some in somehow) plus there's a zoomed out view of the general track layout for both the standard gauge OBB and metre gauge RhB lines.  It's difficult to show the inclines of the metre gauge track but I've marked these with arrows, hopefully it's easy to follow.

 

 

The black squiggly lines on the lower diagramme represent rock or walled faces as the scenery rises behind the station. 

 

You can see how the metre gauge line on leaving the station zigs to the left then to the right and then left to gain height.  The hidden sidings could represent a line going off elsewhere and I'll plan the automatic schedules so a different train emerges than goes in each time.

 

Cheers … Alan

Edited January 23, 2019 by Alan Kettlewell

[Vecchio]

There was actually a narrow gauge train line up the Montafon valley, so there could have been also a railway station in St Gallenkirch. I remember very well ruining one of the old railway bridges during the installation of an OPGW (optical ground wire - a overhead cable which serves both as earthing of the high voltage line as well as a communication cable) on the high voltage line which brings the energy from the power stations in this valley down to the industrial area of the Rhein valley and into Germany. The old narrow gauge line is now a bicycle path and they used the original bridges. We used the bicycle path to transport heavy equipment and killed one of the bridges (and repaired it within a week) this was in the year 1985....

 

The train line went from there to Schruns - which is correct - but not to Landeck as there is the Silvretta pass in the way.. 2032m above sea level...

 

But anyway - on a model railway everything is possible.

Happy modelling!

[Alan Kettlewell]

There was actually a narrow gauge train line up the Montafon valley, so there could have been also a railway station in St Gallenkirch. I remember very well ruining one of the old railway bridges during the installation of an OPGW (optical ground wire - a overhead cable which serves both as earthing of the high voltage line as well as a communication cable) on the high voltage line which brings the energy from the power stations in this valley down to the industrial area of the Rhein valley and into Germany. The old narrow gauge line is now a bicycle path and they used the original bridges. We used the bicycle path to transport heavy equipment and killed one of the bridges (and repaired it within a week) this was in the year 1985....

 

The train line went from there to Schruns - which is correct - but not to Landeck as there is the Silvretta pass in the way.. 2032m above sea level...

 

But anyway - on a model railway everything is possible.

Happy modelling!

Hi, that is interesting indeed and I didn't come across that while researching, there again my 'research' consisted mainly of looking at maps.

 

As per my back story, my fictitious new line is standard gauge and is an extension of the Montofonerbahhn (MBS) which runs from Bludenz to Shrubs, my line runs all the way through the valleys and up to Landeck - thus creating an alternate route to the Arlberg pass. My metre gauge line from St Gallenkirch heads south west up the Gallen Valley (spoiling all that lovely skiing area) and then dives under mountain that spans the border and emerging in Switzerland. (Must find out the name of that mountain).

 

Being my model railway, I don't let a little thing like a 2032 metre high pass prevent building my line ..lol.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Cheers ... Alan

Edited January 23, 2019 by Alan Kettlewell

[Vecchio]

Actually it was the German 3rd Reich who built that narrow gauge railway. They were building hydroelectric power stations in the montafon. To get the machinery and material (think about the concrete needed for a large dam somewhere in the alps) to the construction site. They also built the 110.000 Volts overhead line out of the valley to get energy into Germany. Later Austria added a 220.000 Volts line parallel to it. Most of the power stations in the area are of the pump storage type. You use the power at peak time and pump the water back up during the night when the consumption is low. At the Silvretta pass is a lake having the highest commercial boat service in Europe. The boat is small enough to go on a low loader lorry and is transported down every autumn for revision and winter storage as the ice on the lake in 2000m above sea level would kill it. I spent several weeks in the area when I was working on that project. At this time I was a young Austrian engineer with a British girlfriend. And I wasn't thinking that I would ever move house to live and work in the UK....

Greetings from Brussels where I spend most of this week. Being an old Austrian Engineer now...

[Vecchio]

.... and then dives under mountain that spans the border and emerging in Switzerland. (Must find out the name of that mountain)."

 

Probably the Piz Buin? A mountain that gave its name to a sun screen brand...

Happy modelling

[Alan Kettlewell]

 

Ha ha, I checked out Piz Buin on a map but that would be too far south for my fictitious metre gauge line. I found the right map eventually showing that my line runs along the Gargellan valley and then through a tunnel burrowing under 'Schlappiner Joch'.

 

And on the Swiss side it follows the valley down to join the rest of the RhB at Klosters.

 

Cheers ... Alan

[Vecchio]

Perfect. I like the way you make your model railway almost real and checking the real locations in the maps. I have to say I should have purchased a larger summer house - to be restricted by the length of my garage is also restricting what I can model. Saying that my wife would be happy to put a sauna into a larger summer house - so I have to stay on modules in the garage.... :-(

[Alan Kettlewell]

I enjoyed the small amount of research I did to put together the back story for my fictitious line on the Austrian side of my layout. The Montafon and Silvretta looks like spectacular region to visit - you must miss those lovely areas of your home country.

 

My only experience of Austria was last April when my mate and I did our great Interrail tour. We travelled on from visiting the Hans Peter Porshe Traumwerk near Salzburg for an overnight in Innsbruck, then onwards the next day to Lucerne, travelling in our own personal Railjet train over the fabulous Arlberg route. We practically had the early morning train all to ourselves until we got to reverse at Buchs where a bunch of rowdy young folk got on.

 

We were particularly impressed with the scenery along the Arlberg route and I was inspired with a few modelling ideas, one of those ideas is the impressive ice stalagmites that form where the melting snow drips off the edge of the rock fall shelters, some of the stalagmites must have been about 2 metres high - I just have to model one or more of those on my layout.

 

Cheers ... Alan

[Vecchio]

Well I am born in Vienna and this is where I lived and worked until my 40th birthday. So the mountains there are rather hills even the Vienna woods go up to 1500ft a ove sea level. First mountains you can call mountains are Rax and Snow mountain, approximately 50miles from Vienna. In this area is also the famous Semmering pass. I can say I miss this area a bit. And this is also an area I would use for a model railway if I wouldn't have a space restriction. There are also narrow gauge branches, one still existing as a museum railway, so all I would need...ok back down to the earth. First I need to finish Donnersbachkogel... and when I want to see Alpine forest I just need to walk my dog at Woburn Sands (what I do almost every weekend...)

Edited January 24, 2019 by Vecchio

[Alan Kettlewell]

Continuing with the station model, I'm at the stage of adding the small detailed parts. These window decorative details are particularly fine:

 

 

 

These are attached now, here's the front and rear view:

Street side

Rail side

 

Just a few more details to add then I'll do a bit of weathering, but not too much as I want this to look like a fairly new station on my fictitious line.

 

The kit so far has been a pleasure to make, all parts fitting perfectly. After this there's the little kiosk and the platform canopy to do so I reckon another couple of days work.

 

Cheers ... Alan

[Alan Kettlewell]

I'm very happy to report that my 6 week sentence is over and the follow up x-ray yesterday went well.  So I'm now back on two feet and there's just some physio sessions to do to for a stiff ankle.  

 

Next week I'll be heading off down to the big shed for the first time since before Christmas - first job will be a big clean up session then, before resuming work on the Swiss mountain line where I left off, I'll be running some trains around - just because I want to and I can! Lol.. 

 

Since I've designated level 3 of the layout as the OBB line, I have some rearranging and reforming of trains to do plus a couple of new OBB locos to add to the roster.  This will inevitably require designing some new schedules in Train Controller and doing some test runs on that top line and through the new St Gallenkirch station.  

 

I may do a couple of short videos so watch this space.

 

Cheers ... Alan

 

[Allegheny1600]

Congrats on getting a clean bill of health.

Now, tempting as it may be - don't go overdoing it just yet!

Sounds like a plan, just having a while running trains around the layout, enjoy.

Cheers,

John.

[Daveloco1]

Hi Al

 

Good to hear you passed the test. Does this mean the taxi is no longer required for the week trip to the pub  sorry clubhouse?

If you still need a lift let me know mate and NO I didn't get to Doncaster show!

 

Dave

[Alan Kettlewell]

On 11/02/2019 at 12:33, Daveloco1 said:

Hi Al

 

Good to hear you passed the test. Does this mean the taxi is no longer required for the week trip to the pub  sorry clubhouse?

If you still need a lift let me know mate and NO I didn't get to Doncaster show!

 

Dave

 

Hi Dave,

 

Thanks mate.  I should be able to hobble round to the clubhouse under my own steam this week for our weekly Ferroequinilogists' meeting.  Your taxi services over the past few weeks have been greatly appreciated.  

 

Sorry you didn't get to the Doncaster show, as it happens I couldn't  have done all that shuffling/walking just yet.  I have booked a train trip to see the Glasgow show later this month.  

 

See you tomorrow.

 

Cheers ... Alan

 

Edited February 15, 2019 by Alan Kettlewell

[Alan Kettlewell]

Well it's turned out that I haven't got down to work on the layout at all this week due to no particular reason.  The only visit to the shed was to take down some models and tools that I'd used up in the house during my time laid up.  I can report that the mess I previously made down there is all just as I left it and waiting for me to do something about it.

 

Meanwhile though this arrived in the post today:

 

This nice EMU set is a RBDe 4/4 NPZ in Montafon Railway livery.  Those who read my back story might recall that I fictitiously extended the Montafon line so this is a nice addition to my Montafon rolling stock and will look good running on my Austrian line through St Gallenkirch station.  

 

 

Right, must get on with some modelling.

 

Cheers ... Alan