In
order to be a modeller of railways there needs to be a model railway.
It doesn't matter if it is a loft or an Ikea box, there has to be a
railway, otherwise we are mere collectors of things in boxes.
Occasionally,
a thought begins to become a concern, why build a model railway and why
choose a particular subject? My obsession, for it is an obsession, is
to create something naturalistic that pleases the eye and restores old
memories of quiet rural railways of Southern Germany.
I
greatly admire those individuals who devout a lifetime to build a
perfect representation of a actual location, set at a specific
time/date. Their dedication is admirable but there are constraints, as
they can utilise space and have access to information, neither of which I
enjoy. By contrast, my world is one of limited to just 5m x 1m and
limited information from both the internet and the few books that
feature my chosen subject.
My project is based upon the tiny station at Rothhausen on a modest rural line in Unterfrankenfrom Rottershausen–Stadtlauringen
The
generic trackplan is simple, the style of the station buildings is
typical of the builder.
Various
features (LDEs) from around the location are recycled, all chosen for
their similarity to other local features. Colours are carefully chosen
from a palette used in the location, mostly natural, a mix of greens +
earth, subtle rather than brash.
The
stock was carefully selected with help from local experts, there are no
'special' visitors as everything must have been used on rural lines
within 25kms during the timeframe 1950-68.
The wherefore of operation on Rothhausen
The
layout in the shed is small, a 1,2m scenic board with a 0,6m storage board at each end.
There were just
two trains per day on the branch in the mid ‘50s.The
stocklist reflects the purpose of the layout, just a few wagons and
coaches are the trains that shuffle backwards and
forwards, the wagons are one train, the coaches another.
Each road an uncoupler, the shunting can only take place with
the train running in one direction, the loco can pick off
vehicles from the train and set them into siding.
Running through all the trains should take about 5 minutes of intense concentration, enough to keep me happy.
Klaus Bub Collection -Between 1900 and 1960, the Lauertalbahn steam train ran from Rottershausen to Stadtlauringen, passing through Maßbach
Klaus Bub Collection | Between 1900 and the Second World War, the Lauertalbahn was the preferred means of transport for the people of Maßbach, here a photo from the 50th anniversary celebrations in 1950. But with the growth of bus and private transport, the decline became apparent.
Steffen Standke | The Maßbach station building today. In the past, learner drivers were taught there. Now it stands empty.
Bernhard
Schmidt, Stadtlauringen | Rothhausen 98 835
Most
of the models represent the stock that may have been used on a quiet
rural branchline in Unterfranken although maybe not at the same time.The passenger and goods stock, just a few of each.
The 17-kilometre-long, standard gauge "Lauertalbahn" was built on 6. Opened by the Bavarian State Railways on August 1900. It started at Rottershausen station and followed the main railway station two kilometres in a ]northerly direction, with which it also ran through the 400 m long Rottershäuser Tunnel[1]. It only got its own route at the Rannungen junction, where in the Second World War a railwayway to the ammunition depot
branched off near the Rottershausen forest settlement; it crossed a
ridge until it reached the Lauertal valley at Poppenlauer, which it
followed upwards in the foreland of Haßberge mountains.
At the end of the line in Stadtlauringen, there was a single locomotive shed with a water house as a branch office of the Schweinfurt depot.
Tunnel near Rannungen (year 1874)
Passenger traffic was always weak and limited itself to three pairs
of trains per day for decades. After a railway bus line had already
taken over the service on Sundays from 1958, passenger services on the
railways were taken by car with the end of the summer timetable in 1959,
on the 4th stage of the summer roadmap. October 1959, also closed on
weekdays. Its early end is mainly due to the route that was
controversial for many years before the opening, which did not meet the
need for traffic. The destination of most travellers was the city of
Schweinfurt, which had been reachable by buses by buses a shorter route
since 1948/49.
Freight traffic also ended on the first town. April 1960. The line, on
which only steam locomotives were used, was dismantled the following
winter.
The train station was the key factor in Rothhausen's rise as an economic power. In 1900, Archduke Maximilian of Bavaria ceremoniously opened the Stadtlauringen-Rottershausen railway line and because Rothhausen was in the middle of nowhere, it also got a train station. Solidly built, as we know today, with stone foundations and doors that will last another 100 years.
The building structure essentially included a coal cellar at the bottom and a storage room above. The goods could be loaded into the train carriages at the same level via a loading ramp. The station master sat at ground level in the middle area. He sold the tickets for passenger transport and kept records of entries and exits from the warehouse. The room on the right was the waiting room for passengers. The complex was rounded off by a small toilet, which, after being rebuilt, still serves its purpose today.
After the railway line was opened, farmers came from all over the world in horse-drawn carts to deliver their harvest to Rothhausen. The harvest was then transported to larger processing plants. The catchment area stretched from Ebertshausen to Seubrigshausen. In 1960, the railway line was closed because many people had cars or lorries but the station was not demolished.
And so did the companies that had settled in Rothhausen. At times, there were more jobs in Rothhausen than there were working people. Today, it is not just the station company that is happy that the station exists. As a historical relic, the station is considered worth preserving and it also gained world-famous recognition through a model toy kit from the Pola company.
A short history from Klaus Bub
The old train station A relic from the "good old days" when the railway began its triumphal march in the middle of the 19th century. With its speed and high transport volume, it was far superior to horse-drawn carriages, the only means of transport until then. It became the "driving force" of industrialization. Undeveloped areas of land now threatened to become economically marginalized, so these too were developed through small branch lines. In the case of the "Lauertalbahn", the existing potential of the trade relationship was to be improved and social life was to be enriched by passenger transport. The well-paid jobs in the nearby industrial city of Schweinfurt would also be better accessible to the rural population, thus preventing a possible rural exodus. The route was a contentious issue. The region favored the Schweinfurt - Zell - Maßbach - Stadtlauringen railway line. However, in order to get a connection at all, the communities agreed to almost any route, so the state chose the most cost-effective one, the 17km long and cheaper Rottershausen – Stadtlauringen route. The neighboring communities, however, had to provide the land that was still to be acquired free of charge. The Maßbach community therefore had to take out a loan to cover the land transfer tax of 26,800 marks that it had to pay, which it intended to pay off by 1954. In order to reduce this mountain of debt, it even levied a regional "beer tax" in 1912.
Construction began in 1899, after approval from Prince Regent Luitpold. The stations in Poppenlauer and Maßbach were built on the model of countless small stations, the "Bavarian cube". Built by Italian masons - guest workers. The grand opening ceremony took place on August 2, 1900. The "Bockerle", as the train was affectionately called, now ran three times a day in both directions and in a way determined the daily rhythm in the Lauertal for decades. As early as 1902, 75,181 marks were earned, 136% more than had been calculated. World War I caused major losses. However, in 1936, investments were made again and the tracks were extended by connecting them to the munitions factory (MUNA) near Rottershausen. However, the "Züchle" became the target of many air raids, from which it took refuge in the protective Rotteshäuser tunnel. After the end of the war, all rail traffic was suspended. But soon our railway was able to "pick up steam" again and then celebrate 50 years of existence with a big party. At this point, however, there were already rumours of a possible closure.
The route, with a journey time of over an hour to Schweinfurt, had become a disadvantage compared to the faster car. The average number of passengers had fallen to 2.4, despite the consumption of one tonne of hard coal per journey. A completely outdated timetable was at odds with the mobility needs of the population. For example, a passenger had to leave Stadtlauringen at 4:30 a.m. to reach Schweinfurt at around 6:00 a.m. The Maßbach business community was particularly hard hit by the closure of the railway line, as most goods were delivered by rail. In my opinion, passenger transport was doomed from the start due to the unfavourable route. For example, a train left Maßbach for Rottershausen at 4:45 a.m. There was a relatively long wait here, and then people arrived at work in Schweinfurt shortly before 6 a.m. A journey to Schweinfurt took over an hour, while with the introduction of motorisation, the bus reduced this journey time to just under an hour. It was the same in the evening. The last train arrived in Maßbach at around 7 to 7:15 p.m. It took the workers, who were mainly employed in the Schweinfurt industry, back to their homes. As the travel times and, above all, the waiting times were too long, most of the employees switched to the faster and more comfortable buses.
Consequently, passenger traffic was stopped on November 1, 1959 and freight traffic on March 31, 1960. Sleepers, rails and ballast were dismantled and transported away. Today, only the remaining stations remind us of the former Lauertalbahn. However, the cycle path on the former railway embankment to Rothhausen invites you to dream a little of the romance of the railway. If that is not enough, you can travel to Fladungen with the identical locomotive that probably puffed through the Lauertal itself.
Rather than another branch line terminus, instead, a passing halt on a branchline. This idea takes advantage of the availabilty of Pola's old kit of Rothhausen, an example of the Agenturgebäude prefabricated wooden station.
The simple trackplan needed some thought to shunt, The way it would work, is the loco with the wagon(s) to be deposited, would detach from the train proceed past the turnout, set back into the siding, collect the wagon(s) already there, pull forward and deposit those wagons onto the train and then put the arriving wagon(s) into the siding and then continue on its way.
A few images of Rotthausen
The station above, Rothhausen, is feasible on three boards using these clever laser cut modules that are available in a variety of sizes from Grainge & Hodder which can be combined with laser-cut cassettes from Intentio Models
Another, very similar, concept layout by Mike Walker - Helland Wharf thanks Mike.
