Schmalspur Orenstein & Koppel Lokomotives und gleis
Orenstein & Koppel Locomotives and Rail I am gathering information to model a 600mm Feldbahn locomotive and logging railroad based on Spiegelau and Zwieselau forestry railroads. The two logging railroads at Spiegelau and Zwieselau, were both in the Bavarian Forest, both ran on 600 mm gauge track. They were abandoned around 1960. Spiegelau started in 1908 with a 32 km stretch of track. This was serviced by 2 O&K Bnt locomotives. I can only determine that these were 14t, 70PS machines. Later a Kraus 9.5t Bnt 95PS locomotive was procured. O&K produced “lightweight” rail/sleeper preassembled. These rail kits were easily portable and could be laid down on lightly prepared soil. The main line of Spiegelau had wooden sleepers, but the early expansion would have used some of the lightweight rail assemblies. Has anyone seen an example of the track and know the dimensions and spacing of the metal sleepers which were bolted to the rails? The rail cars were quite light as well. O&K links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orenstein_and_Koppel_GmbH http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/40/O&K.htm http://www.chemistry.bristol.ac.uk/org/murray/okpres.htm http://www.chemistry.bristol.ac.uk/org/murray/ok10551.htm http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/8442/loco.html Schmalspurbahn Feldbahn http://www.feldbahn.de/vorbild/geschichte/h-loge.html I am waiting anxiously for a copy of the German Language publication “Die Spiegelauer Waldbahn”. I hope it is worth the wait. Are there any other good references for Feldbahn track and locomotives which would describe the track and locomotives? There is more HOe gauge models available than HOz (HOf) gauge. I am searching for information to either purchase or scratch build the lokomotives and trucks required. I can not find any HOe models of a 2 axle locomotive. Is such a model in production or are drawings are available to start a scratch built kit? Due to a lack of HOz components this may possibly be modeled in HOe. HOe is closer to 800mm than the 600mm gauge, a large difference. Any suggestions for Z track HO scale locomotives? Paul Franz USA

O&K
Hi Paul The O&K loks of the South Western Railway Co. in Knysna (South Africa) is a 'pet' project of mine. You can find more info on www.herman.rula.co.za. Unfortunatly i have yet to find any scale drawings of the 3 O&K loks used in Knysna. There are some models available ex Japan and from Parkside Dundas but i have not purchased any as yet. I personally model narrow gauge in HOe / HOn30 / OO9 as n-gauge mechanism and models are freely available. Good luck and please let me know if i can send you some photographs, articles should you be interested.

Deutsche Heeresfeldbahnen
I think, this should be the right book for you: Heeresfeldbahnen Alfred B. Gottwaldt. "Bau und Einsatz der militärischen Schmalspurbahnen in zwei Weltkriegen" ISBN- 3-613-01080-1 Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart 413 pages It has a military background, but inside you find plenty of drawings, pictures explanations for the track, the buildings, the engines and so on. I do not know if this book is in english available, but the information besides the text is very helpful. greetings, Gustav