Tim-Hale

Hi, Sorry but there will be no further updates, I need to take a break from modelling whilst I undergo treatment. Tim

Hi, Sorry but there will be no further updates, I need to take a break from modelling whilst I undergo treatment. Tim

Hi, Sorry but there will be no further updates, I need to take a break from modelling whilst I undergo treatment. Tim

Dave, Many thanks, as I said, I simply could not find it. Tim

Elsewhere there is a thread describing the why and wherefore of building a small shunting plank (albeit 4,8m long) of an Ep3 DB BLT called Pottendorf however it has a split personality. When the mood occurs, all the decadent western items are removed and are replaced by glorious examples of east Germany. This is Grafenwalde, Thur, only 80kms from Pottendorf, across the border, both share the same topography, both respresent stations closed in the late '60s. Other shared attributes are similar types of stock, all small, all careworn as are the small station buildings. Grafenwalde's station is similar to Herges-Vogtei that was the terminus of the Trusetal Bahn in Thuringia, another DDR structure is the bus shelter (Suhl) otherwise the non-railway buildings are shared. Other slight differences is the emphasis on traffic from forestry and porcelain/glass, the latter is a local speciality and traffic is by vans with raw material from Bohemia. Postings will be a tad sparse at the moment, very busy elsewhere. Tim

Apologies for my ignorance but try as I may, I cannot find out how to create a signature link that will load with each of my posts. Please, some guidance, it would be very much appreciated. Thank you Tim

It needs Kadees and some Liquid Lead, otherwise it is ready for service on Pottendorf Thank you for your patience Tim

Here it is, It is not an ‘easy’ kit but it is impressive and unobtainable as RTR, it will just look pretty parked on Pottendorf. Tim

Thanks to everyone. The Clarks box looks very impressive. Tim

Hi, I doubt if I am the only modeller who has bought a loco, only to discover that the original box was not supplied, my best guess is that the loco was part of a set. However, a good quality box is needed just for this rather old, obsolete loco. Trawling ebay isn't particularly helpful unless seeking a container for jewellery as none mention internal dimensions ( LWD 7"x2"x2") Any suggestions, gratefully received. Thank you Tim

The model of the garage at West Wellow on the A36 Salisbury-Soton road is Hatches Garage (Jim Hatch), due to deteriorating health, it sadly needs a new home. The garage is featured in Wikipedia and several Petrol Head sites. Just to recap, it was scratch built garage built by the late Bill Jones, it is almost complete except for the distinctive signage that is unique to the garage. It has a fully detailed interior and more appropriate petrol pumps. There is little possibility of another 1:76 layout and it needs someone who will appreciate Bill’s work. No idea of value, please make a reasonable offer. It will be sent in a rigid box for its protection or you can collect from West Dorset. Please send a message either PM or hale-tim@sky.com Hopefully, this unique model will find a home.

Thanks Paul, unfortunately it is normally almost white and just a bit too dusty. It is odd that I have been using the same colour and make of ballast for the past 30 years until today, I ordered something different, WS Fine buff and some grey. Why? Because I looked at images of the prototype, the photos were captured just 20kms from the supposed location of P’dorf in Oberfranken. The prototype is always right. Tim

The track on the layout has reached the stage of needing to be ballasted. In the past WS Fine Grey was the go-to but I also want to add the fine aggregate that is the cess. My queries are simple, I need to find a source of material for the cess AND has ‘ballast’ moved on from Woodland Scenics, is there a source of better ballast? Until recently I was able to import ASOA but that is no longer possible. Thank you Tim

Another piece of the puzzle, this time the coaches used on Bavarian branchlines were a varied bunch of oddities. Just uploaded some pictures of the few that managed to stay the course until the '60s Lokalbahn coaches Tim

Just updated the blog, nothing too pretentious with a limited number of subjects:- research (bibliography) locosheds stations steam locos other branchline vehicles backstory (history and basic standard trackplans) Simple catch-all headings for Bavarian branchlines, though the lists of passenger and goods stock are not finished. Any suggestions, please let me know Tim

Some may be aware that for the past sixty-five years, there has been an on/off involvement with the Railways of Germany, originally thanks to the British Army but the real interest began with Dad, his legacy and then continued with modelling in the ‘70s. A fair amount of material has been accumulated, some discarded and other bits carefully curated. The Gang of Four’s * initiative to begin a Facebook group has been ongoing and is about to celebrate its first anniversary but the platform is not best suited to the dissemination of information and a blog seems a better idea. If the Sekundärbahn blog is an indicator, its 550,000 visitors for a rather eclectic subject, then a broader spectrum of information might be worthwhile. Unlike the Facebook group site with its indifferent search engine, posts on the blog do not disappear. It is early days, a fair few years of archive material to be collated, edited and uploaded whilst ensuring access to everyone, no need to join etc. Please be patient, most of the hard work takes place whilst hooked up the NHS plumbing where I get some time to myself. Here is the link:- Bayerische Nebenbahnen *Just one left standing

Hi, A bit of a dilemma where this should belong, it is certainly a layout albeit a micro but would be overwhelmed by the plethora of worthy British outline therefore overseas modelling seems most appropriate. Thanks to the complications of ageing, the main layout Pottendorf although modular is destined to remain unseen by the public except on the internet however a micro seems doable, especially when based on SMS boards and carried around in two christmas tree boxes. It is intended to be shown whilst seated comfortably, no more standing, at smaller events that seem popular with the more interesting modelling demographic. It fits in the trunk without issue and requires the use of the venue's table and chair, no need for care hire and a single elderly operator. The concept is ridiculously simple, a siding into a scrapyard, the subject has been cribbed from Frank Forsten's magnificent Stahlbahn except Frank's example lacks rail-access. It also marks a sea-change in subject matter, no rural idyll nor steam driven, instead a location on the edge of a harbour at Bamberg and definitely 1980s. The yard is an example of both minimalism and small details, rather than an open canvas. The viewer is invited to study the scene, to find the hidden 'gems' amongst the chaos of a pre-revisionist yard which has no environmental nor safety policy, instead just piles of scrap. A small personal touch is the name of the business, it is my maternal grandfather's Walter Bensohn of whom I know nothing except his name, here it is Industriebahn - Schrottbetrieb. A rather odd title that translates at "Scrap business" taken from a painted sign in the the nearby Bayreuth, the image graces the title page of the blog. Anyway, as a starter, some photos of the boards. That's more than enough for an opening, more to come if you are interested. Tim

Hello, By happenstance, last night I found TecnoModel on the internet and placed an order for TTM #7, their shipping cost were less than €20 and the promise delivery before the Chrimbo rush. The surge of interest was spurred by a thread on HiFo which featured images of both the last remaining standard gauge Mallet at work in Regensberg and one of these iconic vehicle languishing in a siding, couldn’t resist the temptation to find an excuse for my own example on Pottendorf. FS vans were once regular visitors to all sorts of odd places in Southern Germany, possibly, due to the regular traffic in perishables. Click on the link for more images Thanks to everyone Tim

Hi, I am becoming frustrated by the cost of personal imports from the EU, this simple kit is just €13 but an additional €55 for uninsured shipping from an Italian publishing house. Is anyone aware of a more reasonable source? Thank you, Tim

Hi, Were all Kitmaster HO products made to 1:87? Tim

Hi, Were all Kitmaster HO products made to 1:87? Their range included a DB coach, Transfera refrigerated van, FS and DB steam locos* and SBB crocodile, I apologise if I have missed anything. *Was there an SNCF example? Tim

Sometime ago, the decision was made to return to modelling German outline, a redundant layout was dismantled and stripped so that four of the boards could be recycled. At the same time it was decided to reprise the name Pottendorf and to recycle some of the better ideas from older layouts such as the leafy lane behind the station on Grafenwalde which seemed to be popular and was much photographed. The plan below is the result of a slow and boring development since 2007, it is called Pottendorf, a concocted name that I have recycled more than once, it is simply a station with the addition of small farm* that includes buildings unique to Oberfranken. Unlike previous layouts, this utilises a double ended FY using turnouts necessitated by my inability to move and decision to use P’dorf as a home only layout with just one operator. *The farm is simply a collection of very small buildings scattered either side of the track. This is not a particularly unusual scenario as the farm often predated the building of the railway, please visit the link. The Farm The progress to date, please note, there is a long way to go. 'Resurgam' the only word written on St Pauls , it is Latin and means 'I will rise again'. October 2022 March 2023 October 2023 In between October 2022 and October 2023 there were eight heart attacks and two long stays in hospital. Thanks to the NHS and thank you for your patience.