Kirchenlaibach is still a railway hub. But the steam locomotive depot has been gone for 50 years. My 22 photos show, among other things, long-forgotten coal-loading facilities—simple inspirations for gauge 1 layouts.

Kirchenlaibach est toujours un nœud ferroviaire. Mais le dépôt de locomotives à vapeur a disparu depuis 50 ans. Mes 22 photos montrent, entre autres, des installations de chargement de charbon tombées dans l'oubli depuis longtemps — de simples sources d'inspiration pour les maquettes à l'échelle 1.

A new special issue featuring nearly 300 photos, train formation charts, and detailed information on the history of the Gäubahn and long-distance service from Stuttgart to Switzerland and Italy is a must-have publication. With the Stuttgart 21 project, the significance of this once-important international long-distance route will continue to decline. Gauge 1 model railroaders will find interesting ideas here for short express trains and prototypical international train formations, as well as D-trains hauled by freight steam locomotives.

Ce nouveau numéro spécial, qui comprend près de 300 photos, des schémas de composition des trains et des informations détaillées sur l’histoire de la Gäubahn et du service longue distance reliant Stuttgart à la Suisse et à l’Italie, est une publication incontournable. Avec le projet Stuttgart 21, l’importance de cette ligne internationale longue distance, autrefois majeure, ne cessera de décliner. Les modélistes ferroviaires de l'échelle 1 y trouveront des idées intéressantes pour des trains express courts et des compositions de trains internationaux fidèles à l'original, ainsi que des trains D tractés par des locomotives à vapeur de fret.

Spur1-igArtig uses original plans as well as current photos of the prototype to build unique gauge 1 buildings. Here are some of the St. Maurice signal box.

Spur1-igArtig utilise les plans originaux ainsi que des photos actuelles du prototype pour construire des bâtiments uniques à l'échelle 1. Voici quelques-uns du poste d'aiguillage de Saint-Maurice.

In the popular epoch IV, after 1968, many buffers had already been decommissioned. With the simplest of means, you can create a model railway monument to them.

Dans la célèbre époque IV, après 1968, de nombreux butoirs avaient déjà été mis hors service. Avec les moyens les plus simples, vous pouvez créer un monument ferroviaire miniature à leur effigie.

A few meters of overhead lines and battery-powered trains, and regular service is already running on the non-electrified routes in northern Germany. And then there are the noisy diesel locomotives. A snapshot in Schleswig-Holstein.

Quelques mètres de caténaires et de trains alimentés par batterie, et le service régulier fonctionne déjà sur les lignes non électrifiées du nord de l'Allemagne. Et puis il y a les locomotives diesel bruyantes. Un aperçu dans le Schleswig-Holstein.

50 years ago, back in the days of the Deutsche Bundesbahn, events were possible that are no longer feasible today due to a lack of switches, tracks, and staff. Here are a few snapshots from August 28, 1975, which include a long-decommissioned Bavarian S 3/6.

Il y a 50 ans, à l'époque de la Deutsche Bundesbahn, des événements qui ne sont plus possibles aujourd'hui en raison du manque d'aiguillages, de voies et de personnel pouvaient encore avoir lieu. Voici quelques clichés pris le 28 août 1975, sur lesquels on peut voir une S 3/6 bavaroise mise hors service depuis longtemps.

Deutsche Bundesbahn's class 181² is one of the most elegant German electric locomotives. Wunder is expected to deliver it for gauge 1 this year. Here are some 50-year-old photos showing express trains to Strasbourg being transferred to the dual-system locomotive in Kehl or Appenweier. Today, the remaining locomotives belong to SEL.

La classe 181² de la Deutsche Bundesbahn est l'une des locomotives électriques allemandes les plus élégantes. Wunder devrait la livrer cette année pour l'échelle 1. Voici quelques photos datant d'il y a 50 ans montrant des trains express à destination de Strasbourg transférés vers la locomotive à double système à Kehl ou Appenweier. Aujourd'hui, les locomotives restantes appartiennent à SEL.

The special trip with 01 173 had Constance as its destination in April 1975. The express train locomotive was turned around and supplied with coal and water at the former depot. 24 pictures.

Le voyage spécial avec DB 01 173 avait pour destination Constance en avril 1975. La locomotive du train express a été retournée et approvisionnée en charbon et en eau à l'ancien dépôt. 24 photos.

Last Thursday, a snow front swept across Hanover. Deutsche Bahn suspended train services and was in no hurry to resume operations on Saturday when the weather was at its best. Images of the “snow disaster” that would have been laughed off by Deutsche Bundesbahn.

Jeudi dernier, un front neigeux a balayé Hanovre. La Deutsche Bahn a suspendu ses services ferroviaires et n'était pas pressée de reprendre ses activités samedi, alors que les conditions météorologiques étaient optimales. Des images de la « catastrophe neigeuse » qui auraient fait sourire la Deutsche Bundesbahn.

There are still many treasures slumbering in my photo archive that need to be discovered and digitized. I had long forgotten this class 119 locomotive, photographed in 1976. There was another one as a gauge 1 model.

Il y a encore beaucoup de trésors qui sommeillent dans mes archives photographiques et qui méritent d'être découverts et numérisés. J'avais complètement oublié cette locomotive de classe 119, photographiée en 1976. Il y en avait une autre en modèle réduit à l'échelle 1.

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During the 1970s, 01 173 was probably the only class 01 locomotive to have operated on the Gäubahn line for decades. In sleet, it pulled a special train together with a class 64 locomotive. A beautiful motif at the turn of the year. But on what date did I photograph the train? The internet helped me find the answer.

Au cours des années 1970, la 01 173 était probablement la seule locomotive de la classe 01 à avoir circulé sur la ligne Gäubahn pendant des décennies. Sous la neige fondue, elle tractait un train spécial avec une locomotive de la classe 64. Un beau motif au tournant de l'année. Mais à quelle date ai-je photographié ce train ? Internet m'a aidé à trouver la réponse.

The last Prussian P 8 of the Deutsche Bundesbahn, number 038 772-0, made its farewell journey on December 31, 1974, from Rottweil to Basel Bad Bf and back. I was there with my cameras. Now a rare document of its transfer to Hamburg has surfaced, which also contains historical data.

La dernière P 8 prussienne de la Deutsche Bundesbahn, numéro 038 772-0, a effectué son dernier voyage le 31 décembre 1974, de Rottweil à Bâle Bad Bf et retour. J'étais là avec mes appareils photo. Un document rare sur son transfert à Hambourg, qui contient également des données historiques, a maintenant fait surface.

In 1974, the era of steam locomotives slowly came to an end in Rottweil, with diesel locomotives soon taking over traction until electrification. Part 3 of a photo series.

En 1974, l'ère des locomotives à vapeur touche lentement à sa fin à Rottweil, les locomotives diesel prenant rapidement le relais jusqu'à l'électrification. Partie 3 d'une série de photos.

In 1974, the era of steam locomotives slowly came to an end in Rottweil, and the history of the railway depot was largely erased due to stupidity. Part 2 of a photo series.

En 1974, l'ère des locomotives à vapeur prit lentement fin à Rottweil, et l'histoire du dépôt ferroviaire fut en grande partie effacée par stupidité. Partie 2 d'une série de photos.

In 1974, the era of steam locomotives in Rottweil was slowly coming to an end. However, anyone who visited with a camera for an afternoon had the opportunity to capture the operation with 50s, a 038, a 078, and a few diesel locomotives on polyester film. Part 1 of a photo series.

En 1974, l'ère des locomotives à vapeur touchait lentement à sa fin à Rottweil. Mais ceux qui ont passé un après-midi à visiter les lieux avec leur appareil photo ont pu immortaliser sur pellicule polyester les locomotives des années 50, une 038, une 078 et quelques locomotives diesel. Partie 1 d'une série de photos.

In times when there is little news, chance sometimes comes to the rescue when it comes to topics. Pictures from epoch III, which I took with a simple camera.

You don't have to be a soccer fan to know “Schalke.” But how many railroad enthusiasts are familiar with the locomotive manufacturer Schalke? Over many years, Stefan Lauscher and Wolfgang-Dieter Richter have compiled all the information and images they could find on what is probably Germany's least-known locomotive factory. The result is a weighty, beautifully laid-out book that skillfully illuminates a little-known topic in railway technology: the world of mining and coking plant locomotives, special locomotives for underground railways and local transport, and electric locomotives for industry and mining around the world. An elegant diesel locomotive is also included.

The freight bypass line near Hannover-Misburg is undoubtedly a neglected section of DB network operator InfraGO and has been slowly overgrowing between the two tracks for years. The huge bushes will touch the overhead line in 2026 if nothing else is done.

In this jungle-like section, you can capture the colors of autumn and encounter a wide variety of train series and trains. Some run regularly, others are a surprise.

47 color photos and one black-and-white photo.

I received an interesting comment on a recent post on spur1info, which prompted me to do some further research.

Großburgwedel is an unspectacular stop on the Hanover–Celle line with a high frequency of trains. Here, you can watch ICE trains pass by at speeds of up to 200 km/h and take photos.

The cover photo looks like a template for a gauge 1 diorama, especially since the railway line from Koblenz to Trier runs along the Moselle from time to time.

The grape harvest was earlier than ever this year, with grapes being picked as early as August. However, the vines still bear some of their foliage, which is colorful with autumn hues. And once again, a rack railway runs between them.

Gauge 1 diesel locomotives from epochs V and VI with smoke generators? Most don't need one. For one simple reason.

When push-pull trains and multiple units were largely used for local transport, Stuttgart Central Station was a hive of activity as passenger trains and mail cars were coupled and uncoupled to change locomotives. 34 historical photos document the new signal box, the last TEE trains, and the locomotives of the 1960s and 1970s.

In 1967, we were still in the era of steam locomotives and the V 200¹. Fourteen images from a bygone era at the end of epoch III that can serve as inspiration.

Es war die Trossinger Eisenbahn, mit der in jungen Jahren meine Laufbahn als Eisenbahn- und Modellbahnautor begann. Den Anstoß gab ein Fahrdienstleiter und Eisenbahn-Fotograf, der in meinem Heimatbahnhof Dienst tat.

While waiting for the first ICE 3 neo on the way from Berlin to Amsterdam, I took a series of photos that also captured unusual locomotives and carriages in the best light. A gallery with 35 photos.

Finally, a few comments on the 40th International Model Railway Exhibition (IMA), the 14th Märklin Days, and the product strategy for gauge 1.

Some pictures of standard gauge locomotives at Göppingen station. And the short version of a long speech.

Railway Day will take place from Friday to Sunday (September 19 to 21, 2025). There will be events and demonstrations of railways and railway technology throughout Germany. Trade unions and the Association of German Engineers are also inviting people to find out about careers in the railway sector and mobility, which is more attractive and future-proof in the long term than the German automotive industry.

The operating licence for the Bavarian S 3/6 recently expired. A few farewell pictures from Nördlingen, Germany.

Back in 2018, I reported on a 750 mm museum railway that I discovered by chance while taking a detour. A lot has happened since then. In two weeks, there will be interesting events featuring a steam train.

For the price of a gauge 1 locomotive—per day—you can travel through picturesque southern Europe on a new uxury train.

Let's take another look at France: at details on the tracks and the freight cars with more than a hundred years of history.

At the French heritage railway, I found the counterpart to the hand-operated 5-ton crane from Bavaria, which Fine Models produced for gauge 1. It is over 110 years old.

Preserving old railway cars is laborious, but urgently necessary given the lack of historical awareness of many railway companies. But what are we to make of the concept I am presenting here in this collection of photographs?

On the return journey from Martigny to Chamonix, the Mont Blanc Express offers more spectacular views. And a small station building is particularly charming. 36 photos.

We have to change trains in Vallorcine, as the Mont Blanc Express can only cover a short section with the aid of a rack railway. The gradient down into the Rhône Valley is 200 per mille.

Traveling on a meter-gauge railway through the French Alps in Haute Savoie is a delightful experience.

Come along and enjoy the photographic impressions.

Colorful collections of cars and exotic locomotives are not uncommon on museum and tourist railways. But finding a large class 52 of the Deutsche Reichsbahn at a small French operator is a real surprise.

There are countless spectacular mountain railways in France and Switzerland. The Chemin de Fer de Montenvers is short but good.

The headline may be interpreted in either way. Occasionally, good things from America have lasted for decades: freight cars.

Stadler's KISS multiple units are changing hands for the second time. 20 pictures and some more recent history.

Like so many new announcements from Göppingen, the Edelweiss Express in gauge 1 has already stirred up its share of dust even before it rushes over the model tracks. Well-founded comments on the historical train model by Ern Hettinger and more information from Belgium.

Not everyone will want to buy the 1:1 gauge model of the 403 from Wunder or doesn't have the space for a four- to five-part multiple unit.

The not-so-old book about this beautiful DB train, which also ran for Lufthansa for a long time, is now available at a clearance price.

During the last photo trips, heavy freight trains with two locomotives were repeatedly seen. Double-heading is rather rare in Germany and therefore interesting. 23 pictures.

Fair-weather photos of trains in the countryside are ubiquitous. Photographing in snow is more challenging and can yield amazing results. A few recent examples.

In the second part of the stay at the freight bypass near Hanover with 59 photos, there are unusual vehicles, very long container cars, double traction, privatized 145s and a colorful DB Vectron. There are upcoming gauge 1 models – but also some that would be long overdue in 1:32, such as the classes 145, 152, 185 and 189.

After cold, foggy days, the sun was shining. A good reason to spend some time at the freight railroad line again to watch the passing trains with the camera. For the first time, I encountered a Siemens Velaro D of the class 407 on its way to Paris, in addition to old and new locomotives, during an unusual track swap.

The class 44 with its three-cylinder engine was one of the most impressive standard design locomotives. 27 pictures that I took in the 1960s and 1970s.

In January 2010, it snowed in Düsseldorf. The inexperienced street cleaning service struggled with the small amount of snow with little success. But the Rheinbahn had an old snow plow. Pictures of the operation.

Which locomotives bring the prestressed concrete sleepers to the track construction site? Variety is guaranteed.

After the concrete has hardened in the mold, the prestressed concrete sleeper is not yet finished. Part 2 of an exploration.

Without concrete ties, not much can be done on the railroad. But how are they made and what do they really look like? Part 1 of an exploration.

Unusual track layouts and sophisticated shunting options in a confined space are particularly appealing to model railroaders, especially in gauge 1. This article, with 38 photos and a plan, describes and shows in detail how switches, crossings and a narrow track curve are combined in a prototype.

In these gloomy November days, it is good to relive the last days of October in sunshine. I took the 40 pictures along the overgrown freight bypass near Hannover.

Unfortunately, the model railroad industry largely ignores automobiles on tracks, even though they have been used everywhere for track inspection and maintenance for well over 100 years. 99 years ago, a film shows how, for lack of roads, a PR tour kept switching to tracks.

Station signs are a little-discussed topic. The following article, with original documents, describes how they were supposed to be since era III of the Deutsche Bundesbahn.

Im Teil 2 des Reiseberichts treffen wir Altes und Neues. An einem Haltepunkt sind die Epochen I und VI vereint.

Visiting old photo locations makes you creative.

Color pictures of railways were rather rare in the post-war and subsequent economic "miracle period" of Germany. Heinrich Petersen searched for such pictures at the Railway Foundation and provided vivid commentaries on them.

In Wieren, the lines from Uelzen to Stendal and Braunschweig divide. Diversion traffic flows and sometimes comes to a standstill here because Berlin - Hamburg is partially closed.

Due to a closure of the (Berlin -) Wittenberge - Hamburg line for essential construction work, ICE and EC trains will take a detour via Stendal, Salzwedel, Uelzen and Lüneburg until December 14, 2024. A visit to Uelzen and along the America line. 48 photos.

Die Elektrifizierung der Höllentalbahn von Freiburg im Breisgau bis Neustadt und Seebrugg erfolgte zunächst mit einer Oberleitungsspannung von 20 Kilovolt. Ein Dokumentarfilm.

A couple of photos of freight trains loaded with tubes. 1971 and 2007.

There are three somewhat hidden collections and museums in the Hanover area that technology enthusiasts and engineers should not miss out on. Children and grandchildren can be there and will be amazed, because many things can be touched.

Since absolute attention to detail is generally preached in gauge 1, but there is often a lack of implementation when it comes to loads, Hans Ziegler has calculated what load a car can carry - and on which lines.

Locomotives normally run for 30 to 40 years, sometimes even longer. However, the class 145 has already served its time at DB Cargo after around 25 years.

43 images, among many others, that exposed the camera sensor within an hour.

ICE 4 trains now dominate the picture on the Hanover - Berlin line. But when the S-Bahn runs with Reichsbahn carriages, a visit with the camera is definitely worthwhile. 48 pictures from 100 minutes on the line.

Reliability of trains is a goal that Siemens Mobility has achieved in its service depot in Dortmund, among other places. A visit report.

Flashy locomotives and freight cars with a very run-down exterior - only the very brave would want something like this on their gauge 1 layout. A few photos of the freight railroad.

Every now and then there is an opportunity to get to know rail vehicles produced in Germany for export. Siemens Mobility presented the DesiroEgypt for Egypt at a press event yesterday and invited railway journalists to take a ride. The four-car multiple-unit train is based on the DesiroHC, which is used on the RRX, for example.

There are no lakes on the Heiligenberg - Asendorf heritage railway line. But the heavy rainfall in April created an unusual foreground. 39 photos.

Yesterday was the start of the season at Deutscher Eisenbahn-Verein, Germany's oldest museum railway. Two steam locomotives hauled a variety of passenger trains on the meter gauge line from Bruchhausen-Vilsen to Asendorf. 45 photos with some unusual motives.

The DB Museum is venturing into one of the last hardly explored topics in railroad history. Next Friday, April 26, 2024, the Nuremberg museum will launch the special exhibition “Under Pressure. The history of the train toilet”. In eight themed areas with around 150 exhibits, documents and photos, the development of the train toilet from its beginnings in the 19th century to the present day is recounted. Exhibits include the chamber pot from Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's drawing room carriage, a model of a faeces transport carriage, toilets in original and miniature size, a pioneering bioreactor and many stories to make you smile.

The more powerful version of Deutsche Bundesbahn's V 100, the class 212 since 1968, in pictures from a bygone era. And one that looks like new.

Once again I was drawn to the freight bypass line in the sunshine. 71 photos with ICE, freight trains and engines running empty.

The freight bypass near Hanover is usually very busy and always productive for photographers. A picture gallery with rare, new and old vehicles.

In 1970, I had the opportunity to experience and photograph the Württemberg T 1005, built in 1899, shunting in a southern German ironworks. The locomotive has been preserved in the Museum of Technology in Berlin.

Along with track details, freight cars are among the least photographed objects on the railroad. I found a few that matched Wunder's hand samples in the archive. Hoppes in use during track renewal.

Chance brought an old manuscript to light that contained a proposal for an H0 diorama. However, with a little more space you could also develop a varied diorama for gauge 1 that is suitable for all eras. Klusenstein is ideally suited as a layout area for short trains from 1912 to the present day.

Our country station offers plenty of inspiration for all Gauge 1 enthusiasts who want to build their tracks as close to the prototype as possible. 71 photos with incredible details.

The following description is composed of individual incidents that happened in reality, garnished with a little fantasy. The almost true story inspires us today as a play scenario on our gauge 1 diorama "Bw Fützen", which is the operating center of the Wutachtalbahn, also known as Sauschwaenzlebahn.

The Gravita 10 BB is used by DB Cargo and other railroads for freight service. Some picture documents.

Thursday and Friday are the days with the most freight traffic. On the Hanover freight railroad bypass, varied train compositions with old and new electric and diesel locomotives rolled by every few minutes. Some over 60 years old. 56 atmospheric photos.

In the popular epoch IV, short express trains were observed as well, for example between Zurich and Stuttgart. Pictures from my archive with interesting train consists from 1970 to today.

In two weeks, the Days of Rail will be held all over Germany, where the rail industry will present itself in all its diversity. Märklin is also taking part.

In the current newsletter, Spur 1 Austria announces the 44 460 from Bw Rottweil, which was taken out of service in Crailsheim in 1973.

MRCE sells its locomotives, the brand will disappear from the tracks.

I photographed a hard-working class 50, a 044, an 038, and more at Aldingen in October 1970. The first of the two freight trains contained a surprise.

Because of the almost sensational demand for gauge 1 models of the class 44 or 043 and 044, I looked into my archive. The tremendous steam development of this heavy three-cylinder freight locomotive made for spectacular pictures.

At the open-air museum in Neuhausen ob Eck, model builders who value detail and village interiors will find inspiration to recreate.

Swing bridges, culverts for a dirt road or a country road, massive bridges made of steel, concrete and natural stones: Bridges lend themselves to layouts and dioramas in many shapes and sizes.

Scanning old negatives is time-consuming and puzzling. But a special train in Singen in 1975 could be dated. A few days later, an unusual work train passed by that could almost be recreated on 1 gauge.

Diverse traction current systems in Europe were an obstacle to cross-border trains in the 1960s. A publication just released by EK-Verlag memorializes DB's multi-system locomotives, some of which are still in service.

The Müngsten Bridge, opened in 1897, is 107 meters high and crosses the Wupper near Solingen with two tracks in a spectacular way. A remarkably good film about Germany's highest railroad bridge is available at public service TV WDR.

Stuttgart's main station was a well-functioning terminus with interesting rolling stock in the 1970s. A look back to epoch IV. Later, Märklin also advertised model trains here.

When the Deutsche Bundesbahn was still run by experienced railroaders, every depot had an emergency train ready to provide rapid assistance in the event of a derailment. Of course, locomotives and personnel were also kept on hand for this purpose. So they were quickly on the spot.

Meet the Rottweil emergency train on standby and on the way is shown in ten pictures that I took about 50 years ago.

50 years ago, the steam locomotive era of the Deutsche Bundesbahn was almost over. Special trips with steam trains, circulations of the last steam locomotives and test runs with converted vehicles determined the picture. 18 photos from my archive that bring long-forgotten things back to light.

The Deutsches Technikmuseum (German Museum of Technology) and the Technical University of Darmstadt have digitally recreated the Anhalter Bahnhof. It can now be entered virtually.

Gauge 1 is ideally suited for prototypical patination, which should not stop at buildings. In addition to a keen sense of observation and a willingness to experiment, photos serve as a welcome stimulus.

Watch trains live and with sound and immerse yourself in faraway landscapes: a few tips.

The freight bypass in Hannover is always worth a visit. A rich photo yield from 90 minutes.

Lack of space is one of the biggest challenges in 1 scale. Here is a rural gas station for which there is room everywhere and which can be easily replicated.

Steel wheels on steel rails are subject to wear. But where are the limits?

In part 2 of the current freight rail photos, we encounter a 145 with train destination display and colorfully decorated electric locomotives from Europe.

In 1976, I took photos at the Freiburg im Breisgau railroad depot, among them two small locomotives. One scene fits particularly well on a gauge 1 layout.

When I visit my hometown and the weather cooperates, I like to take a few photos at the old trunk line, where new vehicles can always be seen.

Klütz is known for its compact station with turntable, whose buildings also were available for gauge 1. The light railroad with 600 mm gauge of the Foundation deutsche Kleinbahnen offers interesting perspectives and some nostalgia. 60 photos.

How do you get the railroad and the solar eclipse in the picture at the same time? Tough!

Culemeyer road rollers brought freight cars and heavy loads to places where there were no tracks. RailAdventure has developed auxiliary bogies for transferring rail vehicles that work on rail and now also on road.

Locomotives made up only a small part of the exhibits at InnoTrans 2022. But there were spectacular engines among them that would also be eye-catchers in Gauge 1 scale.

More than ever, the future of passenger rail transport consists of multiple units. InnoTrans 2022 made that clear. But the drives are becoming more environmentally friendly.

InnoTrans, the world's largest rail trade fair, opens today in Berlin. 124 new rail vehicles will be presented on 3.5 km of track. RailAdventure has brought some of them to Berlin.

If you want to pass the time while waiting for the Märklin novelties, I have something for you. Alstom is currently touring Germany with a multiple unit train that draws its energy from hydrogen via fuel cells. As far as the hydrogen goes.

Going on tour with a speeder: For some, it's just another job.

On September 16 and 17, the German Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport is organizing Rail Days with the rail industry. The events are more inventive than the advertising logo.

During the Days of the Railway Friend at the German Railway Association (DEV) between Bruchhausen-Vilsen and Asendorf, freight trains ran on meter gauge. The oldest load on a 125-year-old flat car was a 99-year-old tractor.

As usual, during the Days of the Railroad Friend(s) at the Deutscher Eisenbahn-Verein, there is more operation between Bruchhausen-Vilsen and Asendorf on meter gauge than on the other operating days. But on the standard gauge line the "Kaffkieker" shuttled.

There is no shortage of interesting trains in the east of Hanover even on Sundays, where the freight bypass and the main lines to the east and north meet. The most interesting train from RailAdventure came after sunset. 36 photos, some of them spectacular, with trains and traction units of all kinds.

The class 64, which is being realized by MBW as a gauge 1 model, was a beautiful tender locomotive. 30 photos from my archive, some of them more than 50 years old, recall long-gone Bundesbahn times and the uses of the compact steam locomotive.

The E 03 001 with a TEE train was announced. But it was also worthwhile to be on the road with the camera. A picture sheet with 34 current photos.

The Swabian narrow-gauge railroad Marbach - Beilstein - Heilbronn has been memorialized. A comprehensive book. If only layout and printing would be better...

We have the Vectron as a model for gauge 1, and the Traxx 2 as well. But today's rail traffic has even more to offer. A picture gallery with 48 current photos.

In 1976, I photographed some DB class 485 railcars with class 885 cab cars in southern Baden.

Tohru Nakamura, who runs the top restaurant Tohru in the Schreiberei in Munich, has once again received two stars from the Guide Michelin. Congratulations!

You can also enjoy exclusive catering from him in Luxon, RailAdventure's contemporary modernized TEE observation car.

RailAdventure spent the weekend towing Deutsche Bahn trains that were silted up and trapped by last summer's flood. Some pictures.

Modern and old electric locomotives bear weathering and operating traces of varying intensity. But some traces they have in common. 45 photos with which you can judge the quality of patination on gauge 1 models.

An old photo of an engineer and a certificate from the GDL could help with genealogical research. Do you have any ideas about this?

In the third and last part about the train des pignes in the south of France, another 62 photos document this beautiful steam railroad and its meter gauge line in Provence. In total, there were 168 photos - enough to fill a book.

In the second part we continue our journey with the pinecone train and have plenty of time to explore the station and the village of Annot. And then the locomotive is turned for the return trip.

France has a number of beautiful meter gauge railroads. We took a ride on the Chemins de fer de Provence. A report with 55 photos that will give you wanderlust.

In the third and last part of the report about the Fichtelbergbahn of the Sächsische Dampfeisenbahngesellschaft (SDG), we once again meet steam trains on the way and look at the Hüttenbach Viaduct and the terminus Kurort Oberwiesenthal, which has a nostalgic automat. Two videos complement my photos.

In the second part we look again at the station Cranzahl, other small stations at the narrow gauge railway and accompany trains with the camera.

The Fichtelbergbahn Cranzahl - Kurort Oberwiesenthal in Saxony overcomes a difference in altitude of 240 meters (789 ft) on a route of 17.4 km (10.8 m) in the Ore Mountains. With steam, of course. We went along for the ride.

To partially rebuild a dismantled narrow-gauge railroad and to run a busy operation on it: At the Pressnitztalbahn, volunteers have managed to bring a Saxon narrow-gauge railroad back to life. A visit and a ride are worthwhile. And you quickly realize: The Harz narrow-gauge railroads could certainly learn a lot from the narrow-gauge railroad operators in Saxony. 47 photos showing an adorable 750 mm narrow gauge railroad in the Ore Mountains.

You might look to Fort Madison from time to time. Here's a new perspective.

Passenger transportation in the U.S. still has the charm of the 19th century in many places. An example.

Railroad cranes may be among the least known rail vehicles. This subject, reserved for specialists, has rarely been covered in magazines and books. Udo Kandler has rolled up the history of German rail cranes in his book published by EK-Verlag and compiled spectacular pictures.

Besides the class 182 of Deutsche Bahn, there are other electric locomotives that resemble the Austrian Taurus. An addition.

News agencies, TV stations and newspapers are reporting today what Deutsche Telekom and Deutsche Bahn have published as a press release: "By 2026 at the latest, there should no longer be any gaps in coverage along rail lines in long-distance and regional transport." This refers to mobile communications coverage on trains, which network operators and Deutsche Bahn have been working on since 2008 with little success. 16 years of moderated (not only transport policy) standstill in Germany thanks to the Merkel governments have turned one of the most important industrialized countries into a snail-like dawdler that foreign countries can only laugh at.

In the French zone, French mail cars were also on the road during three decades after World War 2.

Thirty years ago, on June 2, 1991, the ICE train service of the Deutsche Bundesbahn or Deutsche Bahn AG started with high-speed trains of class 401. Information and a large picture gallery with views from outside and inside.

Since Whitsun, the first German museum railroad of the German Railway Association (DEV) is allowed to operate again. Although under the Corona-related conditions, but with success to justify the effort. Not only is the train simply operated, but the background of the meter-gauge narrow-gauge railroad and the railroad operations are explained to the passengers. A living museum with ambition.

50 years ago today, Amtrak, the national passenger transportation company, operated its first trains in the United States. Latest news.

RailAdventure GmbH, the market leader for special transports and test runs with new trains in Central Europe, has acquired the English company Hanson [&] Hall Rail Services. Six Class 43 high-speed railcars will operate as dual locomotives for the company's domestic services in Great Britain.

The rustic original for a bridge diorama or module in 1:32 scale still needs to be supplemented with suitable rolling stock. Here are 49 year old photos and some new ones for inspiration. They show an amazing range of locomotives, railcars and passenger cars.

The Czech transport company RegioJet, together with the new Dutch night train operator European Sleeper, will add new routes and destinations to European night train services next year. 67 photos show what was going in Prague's Central Station in 2012.

There are settings that you can't invent. Eventually you will find a believable accumulation of details that inspire a modeler to a diorama. Here comes a bridge scene for gauge 1 that has it all and could be realized on a compact footprint for epochs I to VI.

50 years ago, I took a steam special train with 038 650 to Switzerland. A picture gallery.

The freight line near Hanover always offers surprises. A picture gallery with 45 photos taken in storm, rain and sunshine.

ÖBB and Siemens Mobility today presented the first new Nightjet car. This provides interesting insights into the production.

Red Hummer, Black Buffalo and BR 01 202: Infantilization and lack of expertise go hand in hand in model railroading.

In 1970, snow was still a regular occurrence in February, and winter was not a reason for the Deutsche Bundesbahn to stop traffic as a precaution. Some photos.

Snow and sunshine are good reasons to spend a few hours outside and photograph trains. 61 photos give an impression of what you can discover there. A current snapshot from two main lines east of Hanover.

The Wunder gauge 1 models are being delivered these days. About 35 years ago, the DB cars were phased out. What did the passenger trains with conversion cars look like back then, what is also important in the models? 35 photos I took about 50 years ago, when the 3yg(e) cars were commonplace.

Hans and Walter Ziegler show how they patinated an 01 from KM1 with simple means. This gives courage to try it yourself. Some prototype photos from the end of the steam era give suggestions how far you should (not) go.

A new book sheds a lot of light on the trains of Touropa, Scharnow, Hummel [&] Co. A must for all buyers of the Touropa cars from Wunder.

Because Covid-19 has significantly affected the whole season, the first German museum railroad is operating for the first time in autumn.

The Vectron from Siemens Mobility has now been approved by authority Trafik-, Bygge og Boligstyrelsen to operate for the Danish State Railways. Three locomotives of DSB's class EB are already on their way to Denmark.

Yesterday, Deutsche Bahn announced an ICE order with Siemens. Because the press material said so, the journalists rushed at the radio-permeable windows and the bicycle compartments. But because an ICE 3 is not an ICE 3, hardly any media report was correct or was decorated with false pictures.

The Italian pointed roof cars, which Dingler has announced for gauge 1 now, were part of many freight trains. A glance into my archives – and at a preserved car in South Tyrol, Italy.

Locomotives in this color scheme are rare. A Polish company stands out with this. Pretty in pink.

Wunder's makeshift baggage cars have provoked more reactions than any previous meeting - consistently positive ones. Since 1967, the models of these cars have been appearing in front of my camera time and again.

Many electric locomotives of the former state railways and the Deutsche Reichsbahn have fallen into oblivion because they were only built in small numbers and did not always prove themselves. The German language book by Dirk Winkler recalls them with brilliant photos once again in the memory of railway enthusiasts and engineers. The text has unfortunately turned out rather joyless due to unnecessary flaws.

What have we done without the Internet? If you're still bored, I have something for you.

Unusual, weird designs of locomotives, cars and multiple units are popular with model railroaders. Soon there will be a new darling of the public.

Gauge 1 usually suffers from too long vehicles and too short tracks. But you can, strictly following the example of the DB Regio, extend the journey time with a trick. German TV satirical program Extra3 showed the method again yesterday.

Until Epoch IV, the collection and transport of scrap metal was a rustic business. My photos show what it really looked like back then.

They are extremely rare on model railways - especially not on 1-gauge. They have also been removed in many places: safety points or trap or catch points.

Catenaries are very complicated to model. However, you should pay attention to details in a gauge 1 layout with overhead contact line that only become apparent at second glance.

Finally 39 photos from the Cité du Train in Mulhouse, France. Here we meet two world record locomotives and many other exciting railway vehicles.

We encounter a salt keg, a Bugatti and two Americans on our further tour in the Cité du Train in Mulhouse, France.

In the summer of 1869, the Rottweil - Tuttlingen section of the Gäubahn went into operation. A nostalgic photographic supplement.

Locomotives from 1844 onwards and very old cars characterise Hall B of the Cité du Train in Mulhouse, the largest railway museum in Europe. 42 photos of models that would appeal to many collectors in scale 1:32.

One visit is by no means enough to see the many exhibits at the Cité du Train in Mulhouse, France. A tour through the first hall with 35 photos.

In the Cité du Trains in Mulhouse, France, several blue Pullman cars are exhibited. These cars of the 1920s offered an impressive luxury to European travellers.

In the Cité du Train in Mulhouse, France, you will find the 241 A1. It is the prototype of a steam locomotive series, of which Märklin chose the 241-A-65 as a reference. 21 photos of the impressive steam locomotive and little known facts.

Dingler's four-axle gravel cars from Switzerland have quite modern prototypes. A series of 47 pictures gives an insight into what the cars look like in operation.

In the 1970s - and again today - you could experience a T 3. Irretrievable photos taken in 1972 of a locomotive with a train in proper style and a station that had long since disappeared.

My first long journey in search of interesting locomotives led in summer 1968 to Ulm and Augsburg. 17 pictures from times long past.

Slowly my photographic range of action is increasing in 1968. But first we take a look at passenger trains with three-axle conversion cars and at freight traffic.

1: Once again my afternoon perspective in Aldingen, about 16 o'clock. A Rottweil P 8 brings the conversion car train to Tuttlingen. The guard wears the blue-black uniform with the high hat usual at that time. The conductor in the luggage compartment gives the departure signal.

2: The turntable in Tuttlingen is defective, so the 38 3637 with closed cab rund backwards.

3: Aldingen celebrates a festivity on the sports ground. Why the 38 2039 reverses is unknown. The locomotive crew watch the hustle and bustle as they drive past.

4: In June, another V 100 comes into play. That's what locomotive drivers looked like on the V 100! The V 100 1218, built by Henschel in 1962, already bears the new "computer number" because the two German railways are introducing electronic data processing on a larger scale.

5: Again and again a Rottweil 44 pulls the conversion cars - due to circulation or because the 38s are slowly running short.

6: At the southern end of Aldingen's station, the 38 2242 takes a bend. In the background the church on the Dreifaltigkeitsberg.

7: In Ebingen (Württ) - today Albstadt-Ebingen and reduced to two tracks - a typical passenger train with auxiliary baggage car and conversion cars is waiting for the oncoming train.

8: 44 1376 reaches the end of the incline from Rottweil to Aldingen with a typical mixed freight train. The fireman has already burned the first tonne of coal on the 11 kilometers.

9: An unfortunately rare perspective from Aldingen. The freight train with sliding wall cars and many different boxcars is waiting for the passenger train. On platform 1, women and children (in knee socks) and the handcart are waiting for the next train, luggage and express goods. In the foreground are the steel wires that control switches and form signals. They come at the kilometer marker from the signal box extension from the 1930s. Since a few years the annex has been removed.

10: A short local freight train with hopper and sliding wall cars.

11: Spaichingen's Köf II no longer has a special coupler. Because the signal box in the direction of Tuttlingen was only occupied at train crossings, the shunting locomotive always arrived on track 3 with its "handover". By order of the dispatcher she then drove past the switch in the direction of Rottweil. Then the turnout was switched by wire and the shunting locomotive driver was ordered by manual signal to move to track 1. From there, further marshalling movements on the loading tracks were organized.

12: A local freight train in Tuttlingen. At that time freight trains looked like this, four-axle freight cars were still rare. Goods were often covered with tarpaulins. - The range of freight cars for gauge 1 is unfortunately quite small.

13: A refrigerator train rolls past Bernau in Bavaria. Today, refrigerated goods travel by truck.

14: Spaichingen's Köf II has now been renumbered 323 740-1. The "Deutsche Bundesbahn" lettering has not yet been replaced by the DB logo. An E 040 with scrap and a boxcar will be brought immediately to Spaichingen.

15: Freight traffic is still strong in Trossingen City, the terminal of a private shortline electrified from the beginning in 1898. The container car must have been quite new, the container still belongs to the DB. Someone painted smilies on the buffer plates. - The 1-gauge industry still strongly neglects the topic of containers, although it can be used over the epochs III to VI. These two-axle carrying wagons are still in operation.

16: 50 2970 from Bw Radolfzell reaches the end of the gradient on 24.12.1968 with her long freight train in Aldingen. For good reason there are no new locomotive numbers on the outside. Inside the cab the number 052 970-1 should have been indicated since 1.1.1968. It is one of her last trips: One week later the steam locomotive is taken out of service, on 3.3.1969 it is decommissioned. The steam locomotive era at Deutsche Bundesbahn is coming to an unstoppable end.

Who remembers the Deutsche Bundesbahn about 50 years ago? I have checked my photo archive. 14 photos from times long past.

Who remembers the Deutsche Bundesbahn about 50 years ago? I have checked my photo archive. 14 photos from times long past.

Gebäude verwittern mit der Zeit, wenn sie nicht gepflegt werden. Und sie zeigen Spuren von Umbauten. Einige Fotos.

Travelling by train trough Europe on the panorama deck and dining with the star chef - this dream can now be fulfilled with the most luxurious parlor car in the world. I had the opportunity to experience the atmosphere in Luxon and to meet the highly decorated chef.