The H0 scale model railroad plants introduce themselves

H0 gauge: WÜP – Weschnitztal-Überwaldbahn project

The WÜP, Weschnitztal-Überwaldbahn-Projekt is an association of various model railroaders from the Frankfurt-Mannheim-Heidelberg area, who have reproduced the corresponding railroad line from Weinheim to the Odenwald in essential points.

The most characteristic operating points, such as stations, engineering structures and other distinctive points, have been reconstructed essentially authentically according to original documents and are being made accessible to the public for the first time in their geographical order. At Mörlenbach station, the line splits into the two named branches, true to the prototype.

The construction and the idea for it were presented in twelve episodes in 2023 in the leading trade magazine MIBA on the occasion of its 75th anniversary. The replicas can now be admired live for only the second time at Faszination Modellbahn Mannheim. The group around Horst Meier and Bernhard Brieger let the most significant train sets run in the model as well.

Experience, among other things, rattling rail buses, the Sarrassani circus train, wooden trains for the Coronet lumber mill or the ballast trains from Fürth and marvel at the realistically implemented environment.

Operator: WÜP – Weschnitztal-Überwaldbahn-Projekt, D-63110 Rodgau
System size: 25 x 6.2 m

Track H0: Kirchberg / Baden

The segment layout is set in Era III / early IV, without prototype. The focus is on the 7-track through station with the large depot with two turntables, the two round engine sheds and the seven-stall rectangular engine shed. A small local goods facility completes the ensemble of railroad facilities. Steam and diesel locomotives and trains typical of the era are used.

Operator: MEC Werkstatt 87, 76297 Stutensee
System size: 21 x 6 m

H0 gauge: Saarland impressions

With the plant, a perfect image of their Saarland home was created. A double-track main line runs through rolling green hills, past half-timbered houses and vineyards. It was created over many years of painstaking work one of 2173 handmade vines. A country road also winds through the area. The focus is on vehicles that have been familiar for decades, from the ocean-blue and beige 216 to the old sheet-metal Rheingold cars. Up to 9 trains can run on the layout. The operational center is the five-track through station at St. Wendel (Saar). It is the starting point of a double-track main line. The romantic landscape is interrupted by industrial plants and shopping malls, just like the original. In the industrial area, sidings ensure busy shunting operations.

Operator: Modellbahnfreunde Bliesen e.V., D-66606 St. Wendel
Plant size: 6 x 3 m

H0 gauge: Triorama MSCOB

This H0 single-track landscape layout is a museum line. Steam or diesel vehicles are used here. The line crosses a hilly landscape and has a small station. A narrow-gauge railroad runs through the village. A narrow-gauge train can be loaded in the marl pit on the right-hand side of the layout. A station with engine shed can be seen on the left. The village is bordered on the right by an imposing arched bridge. In the middle part you can see a landscape conservation area with a river and bridge.

Operator: Modelspoorclub Oost Brabant, Netherlands-5701 JS Helmond
System size: 4.5 x 3 m

Gauge H0m: Hasselfelde station

The theme of the model railroad layout is the Hasselfelde station of the Selketalbahn in full length around 1990. Around this time there was still freight traffic as in GDR times, but there was also a modernization towards the HSB time.

The tracks are self-made with material from Hobby Ecke Schummacher. The electrical part was kept as simple as possible due to the fact that it is an exhibition system. Changeover motors are from MTB- MP5.

All the buildings are self-built, with the exception of the station building, which is a cardboard kit from Walfried Fehse, MaKaMo. Although reinforced to be even more stable.

Decoration complemented by products and models from Weinert, MBR, Martin Welberg, Kluba, Icar and Mirco Miners. The locomotives are all self-built from the Weinert series and equipped with Zimo sound decoders. The passenger cars and freight cars are also Weinert cars and some are Tillig cars. Also brass freight cars from Lok-Schlosserei and Melzer Modellbau. Control is via GSM and built-in tablets using the Roco Z21 system.

Operator: Modelspoorclub Pacific, Belgium-8890 Moorslede
System size: 6 x 3 m1

H0 gauge: IG Branch line H0

The model railroad project “Nebenbahn H0” is a community of interest whose members from the Rhine-Neckar region build their private layouts in such a way that they can be shown and operated together at exhibitions.

The “Wolfwald” layout shows a village station away from the settlement with sparse passenger traffic. Logs are mainly loaded on the loading line. A functional model with two round silos enables wagons to be loaded with real stone ballast. The scenery is rounded off by a level crossing, a sheet metal girder bridge and two tunnel entrances.

“Rückenweiler” is set in the surroundings of a suburb, which is indicated by a block of flats. In addition to the open loading ramp, the entrance to the freight forwarder’s hall can also be used for shunting operations. The hillside location requires retaining walls and inclines. On one side a tunnel closes off the system, on the other a road underpass. This system is currently still under construction.

Two seven-track stabling yards are available for varied operation, where the locomotives are moved using a transfer table.

Operator: IG Nebenbahn-H0, Rhine-Neckar region, nebenbahn-h0.org
System size: 12.4 x 0.5 m

H0 gauge: Berkeldam model railroad layout

The Berkeldam model railroad layout shows a not really Dutch town around 1960. The town is located at the mouth of the river Berkel with (then still) poor connections to the hinterland.

The local railroad is therefore still there and provides freight transport to the port, which is the link to several islands in Oosterzee in Friesland.
In the meantime, the steam locomotives have been (almost completely) replaced and modernization is on the horizon.

This model railroad is a fantasy, but it really could have been like this. Around 1960, such railroads were still present in various places in the Netherlands, but shortly afterwards they all gradually disappeared.

Operator: Paul Roodbol, NL – 7242 KE Lochem
System size: 3.5 x 0.6 m