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Forum > Railway Wargaming
Andy's railway misadventures.
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Andy in Germany:
At some point in my introductions thread I mentioned that I'm coming from a background in 1:55 scale model railways, and it was suggested I could put up some photographs of what I've built. I am easily flattered so here we are:
1:55 is an oddball scale in model railways with a handful of people making models, usually based on 12mm gauge track representing 2' (600mm) gauge prototypes. There's almost no trade support and you have to make most things yourself. This was an attraction for me as at heart I'm a storyteller, and as far as I'm concerned the more I can make, the better I can tell the story. I realised that if I use relatively inexpensive HO scale track and mechanisms in 1:55 scale, I could passably make Narrow Gauge models based on metre gauge (3'35/8") railways which were/are fairly common in Europe.
Cost is an important factor as I'm coming to the end of a long period of retraining due to ill health and we are (until May the first when I finally finish training and start work) on the German version of income support.
My 'main' project is called the 'Körschtalbahn' which will hopefully be a model of a German Metre gauge line as it could have been if development of narrow gauge railways had continued into the present day, with big diesel locomotives and fast railcars.
This project ic currently moving at the speed of a toroise on Prozac.
So far the main evidence is a railcar that I'm currently putting off painting until I work out exactly which shade of green it should be, seen here getting a coat of primer (I really must take another picture of this unit):
Because I keep getting stalled on that project, mostly because it's my 'baby' and I'm afraid of making a mistake, I started on another model in the same scale but using 9mm gauge (N gauge) track. This would have come out as about 500mm or somewhere in the region of 18" gauge in real life, a gauge used for small industrial railways and park pleasure railways, not a common carrier/freight and passenger line, but I ignored that inconvenient reality.
This model is set in a world where The economic crash of 2008 was the abrupt end of oil as a readily available resource. since then globalisation has one into reverse and transport has become increasingly difficult. The village in the model has joined with others locally to rebuild an industrial railway into a local transport line so produce can get to market and children can get to school.
I moved a bit faster on this one with a Krokodil locomotive emerging from the workbench about eighteen months ago:
This was followed by a railcar last year:
And I made some progress on a railway to run them on:
Unfortunately the model managed to to be too small to be practical (trains kept hitting each other an random bits of scenery) while being big and bulky to store in our tiny apartment, so I packed away the trains and buildings until time and circumstances allow me to make something that works.
In the meantime I'm working on a heave diesel for the Körschtalban again, which is my main interest. I'm working on a model 'Based on' Brohltalbahn locomotive number D5. 'Based on' being a very optimistic description. The model is seen here receiving drastic surgery after I realised it was 15mm too long due to me getting my sums wrong. Again:
Of course I'm now being distracted by making a steam powered tank and some leagues for Pulp Alley, but I'm sure I'll get back to the railway soon. I usually do.
I manage to write about the railway modelling most weeks on my blog at www.korschtal.wordpress.com
OSHIROmodels:
Great stuff 8)
Michi:
--- Quote from: Andy in Germany on April 02, 2018, 08:54:36 PM ---
In the meantime I'm working on a heave diesel for the Körschtalban again, which is my main interest. I'm working on a model 'Based on' Brohltalbahn locomotive number D5. 'Based on' being a very optimistic description. The model is seen here receiving drastic surgery after I realised it was 15mm too long due to me getting my sums wrong. Again:
--- End quote ---
Excellent, I perfectly recognize the iconic Henschel D5 that resembles the V160 family design. Your idea of a fictional railway is very loveable. We have a 500mm narrow gauge museum nearby. Regretfully they are open for public on rare occasions only, but I managed to ride their trains two years ago. Great project, I am looking forward to see more of your work! :-*
dampfpanzerwagon:
I've just spent time browsing the Blog. The layout looks great.
Tony
Andy in Germany:
--- Quote from: dampfpanzerwagon on April 03, 2018, 08:47:49 AM ---I've just spent time browsing the Blog. The layout looks great.
Tony
--- End quote ---
Thanks. I don't know when it will be possible to rebuild it. I've got my eye on some Ikea shelves at the moment but I'm torn between that and the metre gauge model that is my first interest. If the boys get into Pulp gaming I may have to make kits with them for a bit.
It's a hard life
--- Quote from: Michi on April 02, 2018, 09:30:46 PM ---Excellent, I perfectly recognize the iconic Henschel D5 that resembles the V160 family design. Your idea of a fictional railway is very loveable. We have a 500mm narrow gauge museum nearby. Regretfully they are open for public on rare occasions only, but I managed to ride their trains two years ago. Great project, I am looking forward to see more of your work! :-*
--- End quote ---
I'm glad it's at least visibly similar. I always wanted by own V160 (which I know as Br218 as I came to Germany in the early 2000's) and when I discovered Henschel made some NG versions I decided that was a prime candidate for my heavy diesel. Henschel made locomotives for Spain, Thailand, Ghana (I think) and Bulgaria and they were all slightly different, which is my excuse every time I make a mistake: "It's not wrong,just built slightly differently for this customer..."
There are already some variations: the railings on my version are recessed, and the ends will be raked but flat instead of being rounded like D5. The first because the Bulgarian locos have flush railings and I like the look, and the second because I want to finish the locomotive within the year and if I tried curved ends I'd be fretting about it for months...
If I don't get to distracted with the steam powered tank, I'll post progress...
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