Intro

The micro layout is simply a coal merchant's yard tucked behind some tenement buildings in a large German city, during the late '60s.  

One of the pleasures of creating a model railway is the ability to turn back the clock, this is the driving force behind the other blog, Pottendorf- a rather rose tinted view of a rural backwater in Oberfranken. However, given the opportunity, this last and very final layout is about an anonymous big city in Germany in the ‘60s, prompted by my mother’s family and conversations with Grampa (he gave me his Rosita Serrano 78 Roter Mohn). Their apartment overlooked a coal yard, with a stable occupied by ‘Keks’, occasionally the coalman gave mum a lift if he was passing the school. 

Their reminiscences about inner city life were occasionally repeated at family christmas, mostly forgotten as no one in the family remains other than the author, this is the background of the tiny yard that is currently taking shape in the workshop. 

The front of the Mietskasernen (rented barracks) were pleasant enough, if located in a decent suburb, their apartment was home to three children, they left in ‘33 and relocated in West Ham, East London. When Grampa eventually returned, the tenements had survived though ‘knocked about a bit’, the coal merchant business was about to close and no Keks. 

 

The layout will feature the coal merchant and Keks, the single siding and the rear of the tenement building. The photos below give some idea of the intimate nature of the industrial railway. 

Courtesy of Timo

Kohlenhändler in Haidhausen

 

Kohlenhändler in Haidhausen 

Background

The yard was also home to the small coal merchant served by a single siding

Der Chef

  

His coal lorry

These background images from JoWi seems particularly appropriate, the rear of tenement buildings rather than a distant view, the effect being sought is that of the back side of the city, rather cramped certainly not rural. 

The height of the SMS backscene is rather useful in this respect and the frequent use of concrete walling only heightens the claustrophobic ambience. 

 

Leipzig Industriebahn 

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Layout

 The initial idea 

The project began a idea on  RMweb that uses the BB018 baseboard kit from SMS, it changed with the acquisition of a longer BBO17, serious planning was helped by one of James Hilton’s plans that can be squeezed into 110 x 22cm., the only changes are to hide the ‘A’ siding behind a facade and ‘D’ siding runs along the front edge of the  baseboard.   

These images are all David Mitchell’s Kidmore Halt, except it has suffered a horizontal flip as I am right-handed. 

The Hilton idea 

 

 

 

The reality 

 

Buildings

On such a small layout there are just two complete structures plus a facade that hides the ‘A’ siding. A rather careworn store that was once a stable for the coal merchant’s horse.

Ballasting the track 

Operation

  Operating the layout

The unloading area is large concrete hardstanding for local delivery drivers to refuel from a tank wagon rather than having to trundle back to the depot and there is a ground level platform for the workers at the local factory. 

The rules

• Only one locomotive 
• Only four wagons
• Magnetic auto-couplings 
• DCC turnouts

Hands free (mostly - although I find the free running rolling stock has magnetic axles - which I must address) operation should mean this isn't a problem. In addition, a tiny 'off stage' area is sufficient to swap out vehicles and store two wagons 'off the track' when not in use.

 

Operationally there are just two things to do - either swap the loaded van, or swap the other wagon. The locomotive will be stabled at the entrance to ‘A’ between playing, so operation always starts here before heading off stage to collect whichever I choose from the 'hidden siding'. If it's the van it's on the left of the locomotive (viewed from the front, open side) if it's the tank, it will be on the right. Swapping the stock over takes around 5 minutes. This sounds short to many of you I'm sure – but sufficient in between chatting to the punters.

The right side of the plan will become a concrete hardstanding, ‘B’will used to fill heating oil from rail to small city-friendly road tankers and ‘C’ will be home to a ground level platform.

Building the diorama

This is the BBO17, the additional length is not readily apparent but it dispenses with the need for an extra fiddlestick. The height of the rear upstand is useful for a simple backscene.

The gubbins underneath, MultiMaus CPU on the left

First test of the trackwork

 

 

It's moving. It's alive. It's alive. (Mel Brooks has a lot to answer for)

 

 

 

In true Blue Peter style, the local freebie is used with a McDonald's crayon to make templates for the hardstanding. 

 

 

The first piece of card fitted perfectly, thanks to the paper template and only one layer is needed

  

Each piece of card was laboriously cut using old kitchen shears, my right hand will take some time to recover but that part is over.

Building the arches

Under the arches

The backscene includes a long section of brick arches, I use Wills as they are readily available.

AND 

There needs to be a wall at the rear of the yard.  to hide the kick back siding

    

Stocklist

 The locos

Two diesel locos, these are represented by the Köf and V15

Just a few items of stock, only three wagons allowed at any time