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HO Narrow Gauge - German Style

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HO Narrow Gauge - German Style
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 1:24 AM

 Hi, Folks,

 European prototype modelling only seldom find its way into a US magazine, but I thought it to be nice to share some oics of my "old" layout, before it is being broken up in favour of  my new US prototype layout.

 




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Posted by HarryHotspur on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 1:30 AM

 That's a great looking loco in the bottom photo. Marklin HO?

- Harry

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 1:51 AM

If Maerklin could make something like it, they would not be bust....

No, it is a Bemo HOe scale model of a Saxonion IVk Meyer-type articulated loco. Bemo is a small manufacturer specializing in German and Swiss narrow gauge.

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  • From: Martinez, CA
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Posted by markpierce on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 3:09 AM

Excellent modeling.  Love that duplex locomotive.

Danke!

Mark

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    February 2002
  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
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Posted by wjstix on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 8:51 AM

I actually got to ride behind a German-prototype 2' gauge steam engine. It had been built in a captured Polish factory during WW2 for the Reichsbahn. A guy down in Northfield MN has an open house once a year and runs the engine on an oval of track in his backyard.

Stix
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Posted by rxanand on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 9:10 AM

That's a beautiful model and layout. Please post more photos or a link to your web site.

Slowly building a layout since 2007!

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 9:12 AM

That is most likely a "Heeresfeldbahn" loco built by Chranzow works in Poland. Heetesfeldbahn is German for Army Railway Corps...

 How did that make its way to US?

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Posted by JoninKrakow on Friday, March 20, 2009 5:31 AM

Sir Madog

That is most likely a "Heeresfeldbahn" loco built by Chranzow works in Poland. Heetesfeldbahn is German for Army Railway Corps...

 How did that make its way to US?

Your comment prompted me to look up this loco works on the web. You see, several of our trams, here in Krakow, were manufactured in Chrzanow (pronounced, btw, "HSHAWN-oof"--yes, that's an aspirated "h" before the "sh". In older Polish, it was more of a soft "k" sound, from what people tell me).

Indeedie, this plant was taken over by the Germans. Interestingly, from the web page I read, all of its most valuable posessions (equipment, plans, etc.) went east for protection before the Germans got there. Of course, it did no good in the end, because the Soviets probably ended up with it. But in any case, the workers mostly remained, and were forced to work the plant. Of course, this also meant that it was a constant battleground for the Underground, which meant constant sabotage, and also a hidden radio transmitter! Most of the workers were protected from retaliation, however, by an Austrian who had been vice-director before the war--especially after a particular strike. After the war, of course, it ended up being nationalized. I believe, however, that today it's a private firm again, but I'm not 100% sure as the Polish web page where I found its history kind of skips the latest years. However, I believe it is still in production, although sometime in the 70s, it also started producing heavy construction equipment, as well as diesel locos and trams.

Thanks for that shot in the arm to do some further study I've been meaning to do for a long time. Oh, its beginnings are from 1920, and it was originally called "Fablok".

Oh, and I'm also particularly interested how such a loco found its way to American shores! I would love to see it next time I return to the States! I may have some pics of other locos built at this plant. I'll need to do some research, though, so it will take some time...

-Jon
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 20, 2009 7:31 AM

 Hi,

for those of you who are interested to see and read more about my little HOe scale layout, there is a report on the link stated below.  Unfortunately you need to have some basic knowledge of the awful German language, but the pics are worth more than a thousand words in whatsoever language!

www.modellbahnfrokler.net/ulrich/sachsenbahn.html

 

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    January 2009
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Posted by JoninKrakow on Friday, March 20, 2009 8:09 AM

That is a fascinating and inspriring layout! Thanks so much for posting that!

-Jon

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