Wolfstatt OBB

[duff man]

After lurking in the background for 10 years I thought it was about time I put Wolfstatt in the public domain. This is the first photo others to follow however PaulRhb has posted a excellent layout video on youTube which can be found by a simply searching wolfstatt.

More details to follow.

Craig.

[duff man]

Wolfstatt is a father and son project which has taken 10 years to get it to a reasonable exhibition standard. The layout measures 30ft x10ft and represents a Austrian alpine main line set to present day.

 My son Lewis and I decided we wanted to do something together back in 2011 and spent a couple of years visiting exhibitions to help formulate what we were going to build. Over a period of time we came to the conclusion we wanted to model full length trains in a main line environment which meant we needed to go large and it needed to be a tail chaser style layout.

 We settled on Austria because we wanted to create something different  on the exhibition circuit and as it was a country we knew a bit about felt confident we could pull off a convincing Austrian scene. We were also drawn by the quality of the models produced. Membership of the Austrian railway group followed which created a pool of individuals who proved most helpful on so many points raised over the years. Many new friends were made and these individuals now make up the core of the 8 man team needed to take Wolfstatt on the road.

 Wolfstatt is DCC operated by Wi-Fi, we originally used the Prodigy system however after experiencing problems at our second exhibition with smart phone control we are in the process of moving over to a Z21 system.

I will now try and upload a few photo's.

[duff man]

Thanks for the like's etc.

Thought I would post some more photo's this time with trains all taken in the last year.

[Mike at C&M]

Craig,

Great to see you on here. Austria is my favourite country to model, albeit of an earlier era to Wolfstatt.

 

The layout captures the alpine scenery perfectly. Looking forward to seeing much, much more!

 

Mike

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Nice to see the layout on here in more detail. I do like Austrian railways, and am currently at the top of that slippery slope having got hold of some OBB stock last year. 

 

I did not visit Ally Pally last year, but some club colleagues did and were of the view that this was the stand-out layout of the show. Would definitely like to see this 'in the flesh' one day.

[duff man]

Gentlemen many thanks, Mike we are in Glasgow next February and Stockton later in the year, I know the shop makes it difficult though.

Our only commitment this year at present is Gaydon October 26/27 unless something comes in before hand or indeed after.

[duff man]

This photo was taken in 2021 in our village hall, its imposable to set the layout up at home unless the weather is good outside. This was a red letter day for Wolfstatt as it was the very first time the whole layout was set up and fully operational. We invited friends family and Austrian railway group members along for the day. Whilst scenically incomplete wolfstatt performed far better than we had dare hoped for. To see trains complete a full circuit  for the fist time after 8 years work was a most satisfying moment.  

I'm the guy at the back in the checked shirt (looking like my daughter in law is telling me off) 

[duff man]

1 hour ago, Claude_Dreyfus said:

Nice to see the layout on here in more detail. I do like Austrian railways, and am currently at the top of that slippery slope having got hold of some OBB stock last year. 

 

I did not visit Ally Pally last year, but some club colleagues did and were of the view that this was the stand-out layout of the show. Would definitely like to see this 'in the flesh' one day.

Claude I look forward to seeing you down the slope somewhere.

[stivesnick]

Like Claude, I also saw the layout at Ally Pally and agree it was one of the best layouts at the show.

 

A question for you: The third track in the middle of the layout, does that operate as a bi-directional loop and is that a common feature of Austrian railways?

 

Nick 

[Vecchio]

I do like the viaduct, it is a bit like those on the Semmering Bahn. Also the background behind your viaduct looks like the mountains in this area. I spent a lot of time there, my parents had a small house there, just 50m from the track in the village called Klamm am Semmering. Especially in the summer, with the windows open, you could hear the trains quite a bit. But after a few days you get used to them, and you sleep undisturbed. Also I saw the layout at Alexandra palace and we had some conversation on this forum. 

 

Second biggest viaduct of the Semmering, Wagnergraben. It is a two storey viaduct. Renovation has just started, therefore temporary cables can be seen. 150m from my parents house. Taken in October 2017. Renovation finished 2021.

 

 

Railjet coming up, castle of Klamm in the background. 

20171023_113117

Edited January 22 by Vecchio
wrong photo... grrrr

[duff man]

Hi Nick

The Whole layout operates bi- directional which is prototypical on most main lines in Austria. Ally Pally was our first exhibition and it took a while to get bi-directional running smoothly. By Sunday our confidence had grown enough to run bi-directional passenger traffic. A corner stone of Wolfstatts grand plan always was to operate bi-directional. Whilst not yet operational signalling for full bi-directional running is in place.

In general triple lines is a normal feature in Austiran stations.

Thanks for your interest.

 

Craig

[Mike at C&M]

2 hours ago, duff man said:

Mike we are in Glasgow next February

Craig,

   I always go to Glasgow on the Friday, so looking forward to Model Rail Scotland 2025 already!

[duff man]

14 minutes ago, Vecchio said:

I do like the viaduct, it is a bit like those on the Semmering Bahn. Also the background behind your viaduct looks like the mountains in this area. I spent a lot of time there, my parents had a small house there, just 50m from the track in the village called Klamm am Semmering. Especially in the summer, with the windows open, you could hear the trains quite a bit. But after a few days you get used to them, and you sleep undisturbed. Also I saw the layout at Alexandra palace and we had some conversation on this forum. 

 

Second biggest viaduct of the Semmering, Wagnergraben. It is a two storey viaduct. Renovation has just started, therefore temporary cables can be seen. 150m from my parents house. Taken in October 2017. Renovation finished 2021.

 

 

Railjet coming up, castle of Klamm in the background. 

20171023_113117

Hi Gerhard, many thanks for your notes. The viaduct on Wolfstatt is based on Semmering viaducts however it wasn't easy to get the right feel of the solid structures. The viadut on the layout was the third attempt the whole process taking almost a year to complete.

Craig.

[duff man]

2 minutes ago, Mike at C&M said:

Craig,

   I always go to Glasgow on the Friday, so looking forward to Model Rail Scotland 2025 already!

Mike we have spoken many times on the phone I will look forward to finally meeting you in person.

Craig

[Vecchio]

Hi Craig, 

also size is a problem. Even your layout is quite large, an exact scale model of a Semmering viaduct may be problematic. I have to say your viaduct is very close to the real thing. Hope you will be at an exhibition more south, Glasgow is a bit distant for me, Gaydon may be possible...

[Stefan88]

Re. 3-track loops - historically the line directly next to the station buildings would be for goods traffic at the station, with a goods shed either built on to the end of the station building or a little adjacent to it. The other loops would then be directional, it would be very rare for a passenger train to stop on the line next to the station building or for a non-stopping train to use it as a through-line. In modern times with the decline of local goods traffic such loops have largely been removed, but on mountainous routes like the Semmering they are retained to allow slower trains to be overtaken, i.e. an intercity/express train or even a goods train overtaking a local stopping service. On the Arlberg line they have even been retained at stations that have been closed to allow the overtaking given that that route is still largely single-track.

 

Glad you've got all your signals Craig, now that Alpha Modell no longer exists it could become more expensive to get hold of Austrian signals, there are still other providers but Alpha were relatively cheap and easy to get hold of from many shops.

Not sure if you have any, but 4 tiny details you could consider for your station - a sideways lollipop style bus stop sign for the Postbus (either DIY with a printer or VK Modelle do them as an accessory), an Austrian Postbox mounted on the side of the station building (Noch, Busch and others do these but easy enough to make DIY out of some card), a couple of typical Austrian public dustbins and an Austrian style phone box (ready made from Krois or Ferro Train or there are 3D prints).

[Vecchio]

Krois is a source for scenic Austrian small stuff. His lit up telephone box is very authentic. Also his signals are good, similar quality to alpha signal and a similar cost. At Krois you can decide which extra lights you want on the signal, a feature I like. Also Johann is good for a chat, every time I rented a car in Vienna I paid him a visit. (Shop in Schwechat, 10min from the airport). By the way - all signals on Donnersbachkogel are from Krois.

 

Edited January 23 by Vecchio

[duff man]

11 hours ago, Stefan88 said:

Re. 3-track loops - historically the line directly next to the station buildings would be for goods traffic at the station, with a goods shed either built on to the end of the station building or a little adjacent to it. The other loops would then be directional, it would be very rare for a passenger train to stop on the line next to the station building or for a non-stopping train to use it as a through-line. In modern times with the decline of local goods traffic such loops have largely been removed, but on mountainous routes like the Semmering they are retained to allow slower trains to be overtaken, i.e. an intercity/express train or even a goods train overtaking a local stopping service. On the Arlberg line they have even been retained at stations that have been closed to allow the overtaking given that that route is still largely single-track.

 

Glad you've got all your signals Craig, now that Alpha Modell no longer exists it could become more expensive to get hold of Austrian signals, there are still other providers but Alpha were relatively cheap and easy to get hold of from many shops.

Not sure if you have any, but 4 tiny details you could consider for your station - a sideways lollipop style bus stop sign for the Postbus (either DIY with a printer or VK Modelle do them as an accessory), an Austrian Postbox mounted on the side of the station building (Noch, Busch and others do these but easy enough to make DIY out of some card), a couple of typical Austrian public dustbins and an Austrian style phone box (ready made from Krois or Ferro Train or there are 3D prints).

 

3 hours ago, Vecchio said:

Krois is a source for scenic Austrian small stuff. His lit up telephone box is very authentic. Also his signals are good, similar quality to alpha signal and a similar cost. At Krois you can decide which extra lights you want on the signal, a feature I like. Also Johann is good for a chat, every time I rented a car in Vienna I paid him a visit. (Shop in Schwechat, 10min from the airport). By the way - all signals on Donnersbachkogel are from Krois.

 

Thanks for your comments about the viaduct, coming from you who Knowe's the area well is indeed  much appreciated. All signals are from Krois.

[duff man]

Stephan. Thanks for the input re track layout etc. I am working on the station details over the winter and have covered most points you raise except the bus stop which has the signs which came with the kit. I just need a altitude marker for the station building. Telephone box is on the radar but with postage costs I'm waiting until I can include it with a friends order.

[Stefan88]

Something else that just occurred to me, tunnels and viaducts used to have names and length on blue signs like the older station signs at each end next to the track.

 

Here is an example on the Mariazellerbahn ~ http://worldofrailways.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=101&pid=3942

 

Perhaps 'Wolfsgraben Viaduct'? You'd need to name your tunnels too then  😉

[SimonBoulton]

On 22/01/2024 at 17:27, Claude_Dreyfus said:

Nice to see the layout on here in more detail. I do like Austrian railways, and am currently at the top of that slippery slope having got hold of some OBB stock last year. 

 

I did not visit Ally Pally last year, but some club colleagues did and were of the view that this was the stand-out layout of the show. Would definitely like to see this 'in the flesh' one day.

An advantage with Austrian stock is that you can run it on a layout set in a neighbouring country too, even East Germany and Czechoslovakia saw Austrian stock 

[MarshLane]

Great to see Wolfstatt on here Craig, look forward to seeing it in person and further photos/videos being added!  

 

Edit: Craig, as recommended I have just watched the video on YouTube from @PaulRhB of the layout at Alexandra Palace in March last year.  Great camera work from Paul shows off just what a wonderful layout you have achieved here.  Really well done.  For anyone else that wants to take a look I have put the link below! I'll go watch some of the others on YT of Wolfstaff now .. thats my evening gone :)

 

 

Rich

Edited February 12 by MarshLane

[PaulRhB]

Great to see the layout get a thread 😀 Great train watching and cracking setting, I just needed a nice grassy bank to sit on and packed lunch and tea. The crew were doing a top job of running it and chatting to us as we drunk it all in all topped off with classy presentation. I’m a Swiss enthusiast but was delighted by it. 
 

 

 

You wouldn’t think Ally Pally was the first show as it was a constant procession, they must have been knackered by Sunday evening!

 

 

 

 

The yard was a sea of colour. 
 

 

 

 

 

Even without trains I was quite happy looking at the details 

 

 

I will try to get to MRS as I missed out this year due to a show clash. 
Superb layout and look forward to seeing it again. 

[duff man]

Sud-Express at Cand M, I was very pleased a couple of weeks back when Mike posted he had been appointed Uk stockist for this lovely range. A quick email was sent of simply saying Log carriers please. Mike replied almost by return advising they would be in the first delivery due any day. I ordered 10 pairs in total with the first 5 arriving a few days later the remainder will follow once Mike has them.

They are lovely models and will make a very nice addition to the Wolfstatt roster. It's a massive amount of logs to cut so I intend exploring the possibility of having the loads laser cut.

I also rather fancy a Eurodual they look superb I just need to wait for a more appropriate livery to be released. There's also some interesting items on Sud-Expresses' new release programme which have taken my eye.

Mike is to be congratulated for taking this range on, from my point of view it's great to buy these items without the faff of buying from Europe. ( no connection just a happy customer)

[duff man]

Not thinking straight.  I ment 3D printed logs not laser cut.