Mark One interesting modelling possibility would be to use one of the sidings for an industry served by dedicated trains. An Epoch II example is the basalt crushing plant and concrete works at Nordheim on the Mellrichstadt to Fladungen nebenbahn (see http://www.rhoenline.de/nordheim.html), which was served by a single siding. The website has some good photos of the crushing plant. Christoph Perleth, who was building a model based on Nordheim and had family connections in the area, indicated that in Epoch II dedicated basalt trains served the quarry every second day. Greg

Bavarian branchlines
Once again could I thank all of you who have provided such useful information relating to Bavarian branchlines in epoch II. I am particularly grateful to John, pointing me towards the "lokalbahn - reminszenzen" site and Franco who pointed out an excellent photograph website (http://h1336311.stratoserver.net/bg/?action=showpic&num=334&thema=512). When I first read the accounts about modelling Bavarian Branchlines I had a simple notion about creating a small space layout with short, mixed trains, two of my favourite ingredients, when it comes to railway modelling. As a newcomer to modelling German Railways however, I never realised realised that I had overlooked so much! Perhaps modelling a lokalbahn that is not necessarily in Bavaria might be the way forward for me, although I think my lack of knowledge, and the need to undertake more research into German Branchlines per se is probably the issue here. Ultimately I'm not trying to build an exhibition layout (although judging from the pictures of Graffenwald this should be an inspiration to us all) I do want to build (and actually finish) a small layout which captures the essence of a German branchline station, even if it is not wholly authentic. My current purchases - and again perhaps I should have done my research here before jumping in, has now committed me to Epoch II, as I have a Fleischmann BR70 and some 4 wheel passenger stoch in the Era II livery. Mark

Hi Mark, What makes it hard is that there is really no such thing as a generic German station. Railway building architecture sets the scene as to what trains can be expected. Is it necessary to have a station building? 8 years into building my layout, I sometimes wonder why I elected to build such a huge station environment. Ok so I had the space, but I could have done other things with it. With a small layout, I would be tempted to pass on the station idea and model just a scenic element that has trains pass through it with more storage yard behind. Ultimately, I have the ability to do a reasonable amount of shunting, but realistically the only shunting that goes on is passenger stock to and from the passenger sidings, locomotive getting turned on the turn table and baggage cars getting swapped from one rake to another. The freight storage sidings are really only there to hole excess stock. To put it into context, I can have about 60-70 freight wagons on the layout without it looking crowded. Of which about 10 would be classed as MOW type wagons. John

Mark, As you've already invested in a Class 70 and some (presumably Lokalbahn) coaches, you are well on the way to modelling a line like the "Bechhöfer Bockela" from Leutershausen-Wiedersbach to Bechhofen in Middle Franconia in the 1930s. Provided you have around 6-8 coaches and a similar number of goods wagons, all you need is a second Class 70 to model such a line. Depending on the space you could model anything from a small intermediate station on a loop or a terminus to junction via a halt. Rauenstein looks more like the junction station on the main line. I don't know what the N range is like, but there are several models at H0 of typical Haltestelle 'Agentur' buildings - they are very basic; just a single storey wooden building - and I guess most of them are available in N scale too. Definitive kits for the larger Bavarian branch line stations are less easy to find, but can be produced with some easy kitbashing. Details and photos of the Bechhöfer Bockela here: http://www.woernitz-franken.de/leubech.htm Further research may uncover a few other branches that were already using Class 70s in the 30s.

Hi, first here is a direct link to the mentioned Deutsche Reichsbahn version of the BR 98.8 (former bavarian GtL 4/4) in N, which was also in use on several Lokalbahnen in the 1930ies: http://www.fleischmann.de/?viewproduct=894&pid=17&trackgauge=5&label=1&equipment=0&epoch=3&query=&onlynew= one kind of a small bavarian 'Haltepunkt'(= train stop)-building, which can/ could be found in several areas of Bavaria at some Lokalbahnen/branchlines is this 'Agentur'-building by faller in N: http://www.faller.de/start.php?lang=dt&naviUp=3&naviDown=3&dat_artKat1=SpurN&page=detail&dat_artNr=212105&back=menues_dt/backs/liste_SpurN.jpg&new=0 Not as good detailed like the former version in H0, the Pola's kit of the stop 'Rothhausen', but maybe you like it. Several more new Bavarian station and train-stop kits in N you cand find at MBZ Modellbahnzubehör Thomas Oswald/Microplanet: http://www.mbz-modellbahnzubehoer.de/ Edit: Bavarian stations/stops are the kits of 'Kulmbach', 'Dorfen', 'Fürth am Berg', 'Kraiburg' (the later Waldkraiburg), 'Aubing', 'Massbach' and 'Nordheim vor der Rhön'. Most people havn't noticed it, their more of one hundred H0 building-kits (prototypes of several german areas) can be ordered since last December also in N, Z, TT and 0. It are kits by laser-cutted special carton (only one or two building kits are made by the classic photo-realistic printed paper = "Fotorealistischer Bastelbogen"). The download catalogue ( PDF 17 MB) with all the kits and pictures of them is here: http://www.mbz-modellbahnzubehoer.de/assets/plugindata/poola/05_2007%20MBZ%20Katalog.pdf In the download area of the site you can also find the price list for customers = 'Endverbraucher Preisliste' , but it's password protected. You just have to send an email to Mr. Oswald asking for a password, an he will send you an actual password back. Example for the prices: The little Bavarian station 'Massbach' in N i.e. is 50,64 Euro, the also for H0 brand new kit of a typical Bavarian cube station, in this case 'Kraiburg' in N is 85,92 Euro. By MKB-Modelle is also a Bavarian Lokalbahn-station available , it's 'Wasserburg/Stadt', as a laser cut kit in H0 : http://www.mkb-modelle.de/product_info.php?products_id=3146&modelle_id=d0ac4195dff03da55cb46a13b057fdaa It's also announced for N, a prototype kit of MKB in 1:160 was test-builded by Frank Kaminsky, see his report on his website http://www.wasserburg-finescale.de/03-Modell/body-fortschritt20070116.html His website http://www.wasserburg-finescale.de is about Prototype of this Lokalbahn and building N-modules with that topic. He is also writing, in his history about this lokalbahn, that the BR 70 was operated also there from the 1930ies till 50ies, see -> Geschichte -> Fahrzeuge: http://www.wasserburg-finescale.de/02-vorbild/body-Fahrzeuge.html Because you need only less coaches for your topic, maybe also a brass model kit could be interesting for you. Schlosser http://home.arcor.de/lok-schlosserei/ has announced for N the DRG 3.class CLbay 02 http://www.lbforum.com/images/Messe%202008/CLbay02AN.jpg , which also was operated on Bavarian Lokalbahnen . He has also announced in 1:160 the DRG combined 2.class/Post BPostL bay 02 , see http://www.lbforum.com/messe_2008.html -> Schlosser. I don't konow of this combined coach also was operated on Lokalbahnem in DRG-times. The H0, TT and N brass kits of Mr Schlosser are not only famous because of their excellent details (which is exspected by brass models), the parts are really very precise, here a DRG/DB BDid 21/ BCid 21 model in N http://home.arcor.de/lok-schlosserei/bilder/modell/n/bcid21.jpg (most pics on the Schlosser-websites don't shows the excellent accuracy) and a prussian PwPosti -kit http://www.lbforum.com/images/Messe%202004/N%20Railino%201603A%20preuss.%20Post-Packwagen%20PwPosti%20Pr11%20pic1.jpg build by Railino, , and the criticisms by model railroader about building the kits are usually very good. Dirk

And here, as an addition to my reply above, also some manufactures for loco decals in 1:160: http://www.kuswa.de/schilder.htm , etched letterings for Deutsche Reichsbahn for wished locos http://www.reitz-modellbau.com/ , now almost his complete assortment of his H0, N and 0 items can be found on his websites, partly with pics, partly only as a list. The Bavarian and DRG - letterings, etched and 'Abreibebeschriftungen' , also some for N, can be found here http://www.reitz-modellbau.com/html/spur_n_beschriftung.html . There are also further 3 pages of his N-items for supering, also bavarian locos, on his website http://www.reitz-modellbau.com/html/spur_n_bauteile.html , you have to click on the pages to enlarge theme as an extra PDF.

kh-modellbahnbau have some nice decals for waggons: http://www.kh-modellbahnbau.de/html/templates_2.php4?zid=57 Art.No. 7062 and 7063

Mark, Another English language link you may be interested in looking at is Christoph Perleth's site on railways in northern Lower Franconia - http://www.emils-webspace.homepage.t-online.de/. (Christoph was my source of information regarding Nordheim). Greg

Returning to this topic's original issue... I'm interested in railway, road and street signs for that area (Bavaria) and time (early-mid '30ies). TL-modellbau do have some suitable decals, but a fairly recent issue of Fleischmann's PiccoloExpress claim that there are similar sheets available on the net as free PDF downloads to print yourself. Unfortunately I haven't been able to locate any single one of these. Any ideas where to look? TIA Olle

Try here: http://www.karzauninkat.com/bahn/downloads.html Loco and coach/wagon : http://freenet-homepage.de/Bahnseite/download.htm Drawings etc. http://www.laenderbahn-forum.de/zeichnungen/zeichnungen-download.html HTH

Perfect! Thanks a lot. /Olle

Franz K, did you notice that Mark's question is four months old? If it's still valid I'd suggest Faller's Haltepunkt, #212105. That building was a common standard design used in many places. Cheers Olle

The original kit was made by Pola and was released as a part of a range of finescale KBayStsB structures at the end of Pola's independent existence , the others were: 1. Farmers co-operative (Baywa) warehouse 843 from Stadtlauringen 2. Silo towers 844 to match above 3. Freilassing 670 roundhouse 4. Rosenheim 673 watertower and railway administrative offices (not sure of the location) 5. Rothausen 660 halte 6. Altötting Bhf. I am not sure if this was a Pola production. It is extremely rare. Not all the kits have been released as part of the Faller range however they should be sought as they are near perfect. The Rothausen building was the Pola Social club and I have enjoyed the odd cool beer in the shade on the old loading ramp in memory of one of Germany's finest kit makers. This thread is starting to duplicate at least two other threads, I suggest that you click on: http://germanrail.8.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=512