spur1info has a New Look

New Functions, improved Layout

A new generation of the content management system Contao is working in the background. The goal of the necessary reprogramming was not to surprise the readers with a completely different design, but to recreate the proven functionality of the old website. The website has been modernised and new functions and features have been added. This will primarily benefit the subscribers who predominantly finance spur1info. They don't need colorful interfaces and constantly new stimuli for reading.

Bilingual - with its own paths

Gauge 1 still has a lot of potential outside Germany, where new small markets are waiting to be served. For some time now, almost all spur1info articles have been completely available in English. But German and English texts one after the other made the posts very long.

Now the English and German articles are published simultaneously in separate paths. Now you will see English headlines and tags offering foreign gauge 1 friends better orientation and more search options. The German language is preset. If you prefer to read English, simply start at www.spur1info.com/en.

Responsive web design - optimized for your screen

The old software could only handle fixed column widths. This was a little disturbing when reading on smartphones and tablets. The new software adjusts the page to the screen size. You could try the effect if you narrow your browser window: Then the columns become narrower and the right column slips under the current articles giving it a wider width.

At the top right, three thick bars will appear: This is the common menu icon. If you click on it on a small screen, a menu opens on the left. This makes optimal use of small screens.

More variety

The new software is more flexible and offers more options to design the site. spur1info is known for its photos that you won't find anywhere in this quality and quantity. Now the extensive galleries with improved picture reproduction can be placed and divided at will. Of course, videos and other elements can also be integrated.

Tags or keywords

Over the years, several hundred tags have accumulated, i.e. keywords with companies, railway categories, terms and products that readers may want to search for. These are now displayed in the menu above the red line. A free text search is available at the top right.

Unfortunately, the tags of the old page could not be adopted, we had to restart.


Archive in old and new shape


Despite intensive attempts, it was not possible to transfer the 2,100 old articles and over 20,000 photos to the new database, because the new articles feature a completely different structure. Until the deactivation of certain functions, probably after 2022, the old spur1info archive remains accessible via the archive button in the main menu on the provider's servers. The articles from 2012 to October 2019 will then be displayed in the old format. You will have to log in again.

New subscription management features

The expiration date was already displayed after logging in, as was your most important data. In the future, you will receive a reminder by e-mail two weeks before the subscription expires and a warning after logging in indicating that your subscription is about to expire. A button for renewing your subscription has been installed next to it. So you don't have to do without spur1info if you may have missed the end of subscription. If you want to unsubscribe, you simply don't have to do anything.

After logging in, your saved e-mail address will appear. You can change it there, as well as your password. If you don't get along, I will be happy to help you by e-mail or on the phone.

Green light

Now I wish us further enjoyment with spur1info. After a few days you will use the new design just as routinely as the old site. The software was tested extensively, but errors due to a new password encryption could not be completely ruled out. In certain cases, images may not be displayed or may be displayed incorrectly. This will be changed. If you have any questions, please write or call me. The phone number is in the imprint.

Kind regards

Friedhelm Weidelich
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief