Written by Bernd Lotz

Published: March 16 2021

Planning a U.S. layout: Those who, like us, except for three of our "newcomers", have never been there, naturally have design problems. A visit to exhibitions with American model railroad layouts gives clues. Important is also literature or web pages of like-minded people (see under links). The sites mentioned there so far by the crazy Fremoians and by Wolfgang Dudler are really worth seeing. Our first book was the USA-Modellbahn book by Horst Meier published by GeraMond-Verlag (ISBN 3-7654-7332-4) Horst Meier describes in German clearly and understandably in words and pictures the construction of his US layout. Almost all other publications are in English. Especially the monthly ModelRailroader from the USA has to be mentioned. From this publisher, we especially recommend the special issue Mountain to Desert by Pelle K. Soeborg (ISBN 089024-675-0) or Trackwork and Linside Detail (ISBN 0-89024-571-1). Several very well done booklets on American topics (original and model) have also been published by Eisenbahn-Kurier and by VG BAHN in the series Eisenbahn-Journal. By the way, we are grateful for hints on further good books or booklets.

Procurement of "building material": The American market for model trains and accessories seems to "tick" differently. There is a huge supply available - but, they are often one-time series that may be re-produced at long intervals. Thus often only then in the trade (applies unfortunately also to track material), if they are offered. Probably the largest supplier and mail order company is Walthers in Milwaukee/USA. Every year Walthers publishes a catalog (Walthers Anniversary Edition) with more than 1000 pages. Here you can find everything your heart desires (if available!). In addition, if ordered, a flyer or order lists are published every month, which can be obtained by mail. You can order directly from Walthers in the USA via internet. We buy or order through the German dealer all-american-trains in Kaarst near Düsseldorf. However, we had problems right away with the track material, because switches and crossings we wanted, which the dealer did not have in stock, could not be procured (waiting time 6 months!) Here, the Swiss dealer Old-Pullman Modellbahnen AG in Stäfa helped out. On his website, the stock can be called up. In the meantime, we have become accustomed to planning and ordering quite far in advance. The materials for the layout (also ballast etc.) we purchase from German manufacturers.

Homepage: Is edited by me (Bernd) alone. Professionally and also privately I work already very long with PC`s. But only as a pure "user". I had no clue about the possibilities of this Mickey-Mouse-Cinema. After I finally have time from June 2008, I sat down with Frankie Lutz (see under "links") for eight weeks (always 2 afternoons). Frankie introduced me with a lot of calmness and patience to the secrets of this little black box (recently blue-white box - but doesn't change anything!) (better, we scratched it once!). I now find what I have always not missed, or even did not know that there is such a thing. Also the homepage was created with his help.

Photos and videos Andy sends me by mail. We both take photos with digital Canon EOS or Canon Ixus cameras. Lately, Andy also sends me photos of the "thing" with which, strangely enough, you can also make phone calls (egg-phone??-mirror eggs are personally preferable to me).

The navigation is "built in" since 15.2.2009. Was a hard birth. I can now easily change or extend this navigation via the hmtl files of the working program. The program for this page is progammed by me via hmtl files. Ok, savvy PC freeaks might laugh at my "arts", but, if someone would have told me a few years ago that I really write or modify programs extensively, I would have declared that person crazy. The same is true for image editing via a professional program. But that's exactly what makes it fun! Frankie can always, after approval by us, access this site directly from his PC to fix bugs.

Written by Bernd Lotz

Published: December 07 2020

Here we will post topics about technology that do not fit under the topics of the button plant engineering.

 

Centerbeam with load

 

Fig. 1 - Bernd really wanted to have centerbeams. For a long time they were not available (at least not cheap!). Now Walthers has reissued cars in their ready-to-run series. These are 72`Centerbeam Flat Cars of several railroad companies. Price at All American Trains from Kaarst 23,90 EUR. The cars are already equipped with Kadee-Magnetic couplers. My poor Andy had to go out again to get 2 cars. One car of the UP in brown color scheme (for once not canary yellow!) and one car of the NOKL (Northwestern Oklahoma Railroad (BNSF) in green color scheme (gaade-pörzjes-grön! For non-Cologne residents! - Gartentörchengrün!).

Fig. 2 - The whole loaded.

 

Fig. 3 - Since Andy had now once driven from Neuss to Kaarst (falls Him of course incredibly difficult to drive to his favorite store!), He had to get for Bernd of course also the load for the vehicles. These are kits from Jaeger HO Products called 72` Center Beam HO Lumber-Pak Load Kit (#6950). Kits in the warsten sense of the word. On the picture the 48 wooden blocks are still missing. Two rows (24 packs) took me about 5 hours..and half a bottle of red wine. I can already see Andy's grin! Of course, the guy does not say anything before!

Fig. 4 - The first step. The wrapping of the "package". A very nicely printed wrapping paper for the moisture-sensitive goods (panels or parquet?) must be cut to fit and then wrapped around the wooden block. The paper is longer, like the log! So, trim it at one end. A sharp, preferably small scissors is very useful.

 

Fig. 5 - To attach the paper to the wooden block, I got some double-sided adhesive tape from Tesa at the hardware store. It has exactly the width of the wooden block. A strip is glued to one side of the block and then the paper (exactly aligned!) tightly wrapped around the block and attached to the adhesive strip.

Fig. 6 - Now comes the funniest part. Of course, the packages are wrapped with ribbons at both ends. For this purpose, the supplied thread is used in the model. Of course, it won't hold on the tape. So. My favorite glue! Superglue! Apply to the underside of the block. Apply thread (Of course, fingers stick first!) Blow and wrap the thread around the whole package and press back into the (sh..)glue. Cut off. Done!

 

Fig. 7 - Next, wooden strips are glued to the packages. The respective stacks are 4 packages high. The lowest package rests on the steel girders of the vehicle. No ledge is required here. The packages above get a wooden strip on their top at each end. Glued again with superglue.

Fig. 8 - that's how it should look.

 

 

Fig. 9 - Now the stack can be glued as shown in the picture.

Fig. 10 - This is how it looks on the vehicle. I also glued the three stacks together. Now another 5 hours for the remaining stacks. Then the vehicles go first to Andy! Aging my age! Punishment must be. Afterwards still from the wagon roof up to the fastening roles at the soil of the vehicle bracing tapes from the binding threads are attached. I report further! Takes but ...

 

 

 

Fig. 11 - Both cars in comparison. In front, the brown centerbeam of Union Pacific. Behind it, the NOKL car. The centerbeam has a different design. The loading area of the car is 72 ft long - about 22 m.

Fig. 12 - Once again the UP center beam fully loaded.

 

 

 

Fig. 13 - Both loads are finished