A journey from here to there

 A personal philosophy 

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 Unterfranken from 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.

I hope that this explains the approach.