Why and wherefore

The why and wherefore

Maybe a few words about the why rather than the wherefore, the truth is simple, I prefer small scenes with tiny trains. Grafenwalde is merely another generic BLT trackplan slotted into the 4,8 x .75 m space in the workshop, nothing special. 

The buildings are the ‘identity’ of the layout, chosen to fit the factional scenario, in this case a short line in Southern Thuringia, a little bit of knowledge is handy as some of the lines were owned by South German Railway Company (Süddeutsche Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft AG) or SEG, their territory encompassed a myriad of lines that were absorbed by the SEG, including Hesse, Kibri had based their Reichelsheim station on Gau-Bischofsheim in Hesse, it seemed plausible that the SEG would build a similar structure at Grafenwalde a connecting line to their Ilmenau-Großbreitenbacher Eisenbahn. The few remaining buildings were all chosen for their similarity to those scattered around the local area, the only exception is a small DDR-built family home of the farmhand. 

Grafenwalde is merely a tiny collection of DR locos, rolling stock and three buildings on a 4,8m modular layout. The backstory is based on a subtle mix of minor railways that have become Grafenwalde.

 

The supposed location is a terminus at the end of a short the line from Königsee that had been extended towards Gehren but only reached as far as Grafenwalde.  The trains and services were inspired by Die Laura which ran from Rennsteig to Frauenwalde. 

 

  

The original Grafenwalde, Intermodellbau, Dortmund 2008

The line to Grafenwalde from Königsee was classed as a Kleinbahn with an initial weight limit of just 12t, which was upgraded in 1917 to 16,8t in order to accommodate the T9.3 that supplemented the line's T3 which pulled a BCPwPosti that Lindner built in 1912 for the line's owners. Link Saalfeld

Buildings

The ‘inspiration’ for the station is built in the style of the SEG Süddeutsche Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft AG, common enough in the local area. On such a small layout there are just a few complete structures, the station group and loco shed.

 

 Archive - Grafenwalde Mk1 at Uckfield click here

 

Frauenwald - a short history

The real Frauenwaldbahn - courtesy of World Transport History

 

 

Kleinbahn means little in the sense of short, in this case only 4.9 km (3 miles). It was a normal gauge extension of a Y which served Rennsteig (see map) in the wooded hills of the Thüringer Wald and lasted from 1912 to 1965. The railcar shown was built in 1912, although a Bn2 tank loco with road number 5 plus passenger cars and goods cars was also employed. This loco was supplemented by one obtained from the Kleinbahn Neuhaldensleben–Weferlingen, likewise a Bn2t. After WW2 steam locos worked the line until 1960 when diesels took over.  The former roadbed is accessible today as a Wanderweg (walking track).

 

Local trains

A few local trains of Thuringia - most are short and comprise elderly stock

 

  

 All above from Peter König

Excursion train from Berlin

 

VT135 550 Wettiner

Diesels

Workbench

There is a couple of more modern items of ‘60s motive power 

 

BCPwPosti

In 1913, the Rennsteig-Frauenwald Kleinbahn (KRF) was opened. From 1912 onwards, the Waggonfabrik Gottfried Lindner A.G. in Ammendorf near Halle (which later became the well-known VEB Waggonbau Ammendorf) supplied several light railways with 4-axle combined passenger, mail and luggage cars with 8 upholstered seats in 2nd class and 40 wooden seats in 3rd class. 

Kyffhäuser Kleinbahn - Peter König

 

G7.1 BR55 Sittendorf near Kelbra - Peter König

The first of these cars was given to the Rennsteig - Frauenwald Kleinbahn (KRF, two more cars were delivered to the Kyffhäuser Kleinbahn (Artern - Berga-Kelbra) around 1916. These were equipped with toilets because of the significantly longer length of the route. From the 2nd class compartment you could get to the luggage compartment via a side corridor past the mail compartment and from there to the seat compartment and the load compartment. The mail and baggage compartments had sliding doors on both sides. The cars had a steel undercarriage. On top of this rested a wooden wagon body, which was covered with sheet metal on the outside. Heating was provided by steam from the locomotive, and the mail compartment also had a stove with smoke vent on the roof. 

Originally, the car had a suction air brake and was lit with petroleum. Thus, the car combined everything necessary under one roof.In the 1930s, the KRF had its car converted to electric lighting, and a little later the vacuum brake was replaced by an air brake. Thus, the KRF car survived the 2nd World War and was taken over by the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) in 1949. 

Shortly afterwards, the carriage underwent fundamental modifications: the platforms that had been open until then were replaced by closed ones, and the mail compartment was united with the luggage compartment. It is probably due to the shortage of materials in these years that on the side where the platform in Allzuhah was, only one revolving door was installed, on the other side two of different widths. So the car was used on its home route until the end of the 50s, its current whereabouts are unknown. 

 

 

 

 

19.04.25

 

 

19.05.26 

VTs

The SVT 137

It is intended to recreate the SVT 137’s one-off visit to the Rennsteig in September 1951. Please note that Frauenwalde is not a replica, but simply a fond tribute to the small railways of the Thuringian Forest. The unique journey of a three-carriage SVT 137 from Berlin to the Rennsteig in September 1951. Here it is stopping at Ilmenau-Bad station on the return journey. The second gentleman from the right is the driver, Mr Schmidt, the railway manager of Frauenwalde and current train dispatcher, and the owner of the Berlin travel agency Tramando and current tour guide, Mr Ellersiek.
 

 

The model is by Gützold made in Zwickau from 1963 to the beginning of 1990

 

One day this will return to the layout

It went to the Netherlands to be rebuilt. CLICK HERE

 

Random images of the damage to the model

The SVT as it is now, too many problems that require new wheels, motor, decoder, however it is able to be repaired/upgraded. 

 

The new motor

 

 

Wiring done... 

Keeping the original bulbs as they work just fine, including the interior lights. All connected to a function output, so you can choose whether to turn them on or off.

The original bulbs are rated 16V and only get a half wave as i don't use the blue wire on the decoder but the chassis as a return (connected to the rails).

 

Body work repairs

The original paintwork was beginning to flake

The model is about 40-50 years old, dimensionally accurate but the materials were not as good as contemporary western products nevertheless it is worth saving.

 

 

Perfection

 

This link is interesting:-  Rebuilding the SVT137 

There is a second set VT137/VS145

https://www.triebwagenarchiv.de/index.ph...action=portrait 
https://www.reichsbahntriebwagen.de/vt%20137%20198.htm

Workbench

Upgrading the Piko VT 70, it is an old but accurate model but it needs a modern discrete mechanism, I am using PMT 32401. The hardest job is replacing the windows. This example was in excellent, unbroken condition. 

 

VT 70 942 in Erlangen

The VT 70 was not capable of being used as a multiple unit, it had to run around its trailer at the terminus, as a result the VT 70 was often used as a single unit. These standard railcars were developed in the 1930s by the Deutsche Reichsbahn for passenger transport on branch lines. 

Link to VT70 at Damstadt

Piko Model with PMT mechanism 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The windows almost fell out after a cold soak in the freezer for 48hrs 

Fully glazed, now waiting for the electronics and LEDs

The VT interior for the motorised version is on the left, plus LED circuit board.