Warehouse Wednesday - Coaling cranes

How do you get the coal in a great big Harz Railway steam engine? Not with some sort of Carnforth-style coaling stage, but using one of a pair of electric coaling cranes!

While I was watching, the crane with a taller cab was in use. This is preferred as you can see the bunker on the loco. Sadly, I don't seem to have taken a photo of the operation, but the coal is lifted in a grab and dropped straight into the bunker. This didn't take that long while I watched, although I have no idea how full it was before they started. 

I know these are electrically operated as there is a fat cable running from the back of each. It seems loosely laid on the ground. It looks heavy, but I assume it has to be dragged around by the crew occasionally to stop the crawler tracks running over it as the crane moves around.  

Digging around on the web, I found a 3D printable model! 

Warehouse Wednesday: Elend goods shed

Yes, another picture from Germany. I've had so little modelling time recently, I need to milk my holiday for content. 

That said, this is a lovely little building. I'm not sure we used this metal frame with brick infill method in the UK much, but it's all over Europe. 

Shooting from the train, I couldn't get a look at the back, but fortunately, Google Streetview can.  

HO Schwebebahn

 

 

This is the model I was always going to buy. Not cheap at 59 Euros for a static item, but having spent the money to go and see the real thing, and with more leftover Euros than I expected, it would have been churlish not to have one as a souvenier. 

 

Ordered from Modelbahn Apitz, the box arrived quicker than the postcard I sent from Wuppertal, around three days, as opposed to nearly a week for the card. 

 

Nicely packaged, you can happily display the box.

 

To be fair, the box is where most of these will live, as they aren't the easiest things to show off out of it. 

 

While the model is self-coloured plastic, with the real thing being fibreglass, this is perfectly acceptable. Interior detail is impressive, although the real seats don't lean like this! I'd have a look to see if I can level them up, but how you get inside is a mystery, and I don't want to risk breaking anything by investigating too closely. 

 

I can't be sure about the roof detail, it's not easy to examine from normal viewing angles, but I assume it's pretty accurate. The probe on the front, by the way, is to push any stalled cars. There is a pocket in the back for it to locate into. The model wheels rotate freely. 

 

For display, I'll need some track, and handily, there are laser-cut card kits for both the river and road sections. 

 

 

 

I've opted for the road version as it's a lot narrower, and so should be easier to turn into a small display. I fancy adding some street with a few cars. 

Happy with my buy? Yes I am. The Schwebebahn is a unique system, and visiting it scratched an itch for me. The model just puts a cherry on this cake.  

Modellbahn Apitz, Wuppertal

My mate Dave tells me there are several model shops around Wupperal. Well, there were a few years ago, but now there is only one within strolling distance of the Scwebebahn. Still, it's a good one. 

Modellbahn Apitz Wuppertal has been in its current location for 25 years, but has been open for a lot longer. The current proprietor is the son of the original owner. He's friendly, and speaks excellent English, so we enjoyed a good chat.  

The shop specialises in model railways. No radio control, planes or boats to be found in here!

To be fair, the place is massive, and stacked out with stock. There are a lot of road vehicles from many different manufacturers. 

Loads of building kits in different materials too. On the continent, they enjoy a fabulous array of plastic kit model buildings. I'll admit I'm envious of this, especially as it's pretty much impossible to anglicise them. There is just something undefinably "foreign" about a lot of the architecture. Wonderful for the tourist, less handy for the modeller!

On top of this, plenty of tools and materials. One browser was busy matching pre-coloured building sheets to kit parts he's brought along, and there was plenty of choice. 

As far as my haul goes, the ever-present limits of my rucksack kept me under control.
 

But you have to buy something, so the last pot of Humbrol Track Colour in Europe (possibly) and a car kit for something suitably Germanic. Then a cheap light. No idea, it just looked interesting. Finally, from the very well-stocked Faller rack of mini kits, some of this do look very usable in the UK context, possibly the weirdest thing I've seen injection moulded - HO scale cuddly toys. I've no idea what I'll do with a load of tiny teddy bears, but I just can't miss out on them!

Handily, there is a Modellbahn Apitz website. 

Schwebebahn haul

 

Look, I have wanted to visit the Wuppertal monorail for many, many years. There were going to be some souvenirs purchased. Ahead of the trip, someone told me that they weren't really set up for enthusiasts. Well, considering this, they have a very well-stocked souvenir shop!

I knew I was going to have to have a stern word with myself before I went in. With just a rucksack, carrying space was limited. So there was no chance to buy a knock-off Lego station.  The box was as big as my bag, and it only makes sense if you buy the companion track and train. Also, it's £300(ish) and needs the space of a dining table to display. I'm excited to visit, but not that much!

As it was, I settled for some pens with moving monorails, postcards, a squashed coin, brick Tuffi model, and some jelly sweets in the shape of the monorail. I actually bought two packets of these and gave one away. I've been told "you need to go back for more wuppeetal train jellies. Scrummy". 

And there is a snow globe. 

Well, it is a properly tacky souvenir! I love it.

And I needed a bag to stash it in:

Handy hint: Bags like this make excellent presents as they don't cost that much, and take up very little space in the rucksack. 

Of course, the best souvenirs are the memories I take away. But I know you are wondering if I didn't bring back a model of some sort. More on that another day. 

Schwebebahn (The Dingle-Dangle)

This is the face of a very happy man. Riding the "dingle-dangle" in Wuppertal. I've wanted to visit this unusual line for more years than I can remember - and now I've actually done it. 

As the train neared the station, I spotted one of the Schwebebahn stations, and then odd glimpses of the track between buildings. I had to pretty much be peeled off the window to exit the train. 

My hotel was a very short walk away, and at the desk I asked for a room at the back, overlooking the line. Happily, they delivered. 

So, after all this travel, I'm overlooking the line, as though it was nothing special at all. Which of course, to the good people of Wuppertal, it isn't. This is public transport that they use every single day. 

Bags dumped, I headed to the station clutching the pass that came with my hotel. It might be late afternoon, but I was going to live the dream. And I did, taking the first car to Vohwinkel Schwebahn station at one end of the line. There, a little kiosk supplied an English guidebook, and some stamped coins. 

The next day, my plan was to ride the entire length of the line, a journey taking just over half an hour. I hopped on a train in the opposite direction, ending up at Oberbarmen, where Google maps told me there was a model shop. More on this later. 

When riding the Schwebebahn, the place to be is at the back of the train. A large window offers an excellent view as you "fly" over the river that is the reason for the line's existence. Getting in those seats is as easy as getting the front top deck of a bus, everyone wants to be there. Especially tourists. But, as it was, I got lucky and enjoyed my ride in the company of a young Asian guy, just as interested in taking photos as I was. 

The other interesting spot is behind the driver. A darkened window still allows the passengers to see what is going on. 

The driver has a surprising amount to do, but it still must rank as a dull job. After all, you are safe from the public, except at stations, and while there are speed restrictions, I can't help feeling the whole thing could be automated. 

One part we would all love to experience, but aren't allowed to, is at the end of the line, where the train creeps around a very tight curve, to head back the way it came. 

Riding the monorail is interesting. The car does swing from side to side slightly. There is even a sign in the station to tell passengers not to shove the cars! On curves, they swing out slightly, not particularly noticeable, but enough to confirm we are supported by a single rail.  

And that's it. In the afternoon, I spent half an hour sitting by the river, watching the cars pass overhead. With only three minutes between each train (six on a Sunday), you aren't waiting long to see another one. 

And that is it. Dream realised. I enjoyed about a day and a half in Wuppertal, and that was enough. With the best will in the world, all the cars, except the rarely run earlier "Kaiser car" look the same. The ride is just over eight miles, and even the guide doesn't make jumping off at many of the intermediate stations sound that appealing. 

But, I'm glad I did it.

The elephant? That's Tuffi. 

You can find more photos over on Flickr.  

Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH (HSB)

Time for one of the big events of my trip - a visit to the Harz Mountains railway. 

Home to several honking great big 2-10-2 tank engines, this is one of those lines that railway enthusiasts are required to have on their bucket lists. I won't disagree, but it's worth doing a lot more research than I managed before a visit. 

Arriving in the late afternoon, I enjoyed watching the locos being put to bed. They are the size of a British express engine, but running on metre gauge track. Seeing a couple of vintage (I think) diesels was a bit of a surprise, but that makes sense. This railway has to run day in and day out. I'm told by people who know more than I, that it's very much part of the public transport infrastructure as well as a tourist line. 

Anyway, my trip included 114 Euros worth of three-day pass that covered two of the three lines that make up the system. A supplement is payable for the Brocken branch, which is the exciting bit up the mountain that tourists love. 

Of course, because my train was late, the HSB office had closed for the day, and I couldn't swap the travel company note for the pass. But then I wanted to get to my hotel anyway, so I satisfied myself with a few photos.  

Day two dawned, and I headed back to the office. Now, the timetable is confusing for a stupid person like me. I would assume that as the locos work out of Wernigerode, all trains would start there. But no, the Selketaltbahn line, is treated separately and I couldn't work out how it appeared on the timetable. 

No problem. Modern technology to the rescue. I simply asked ChatGPT. It advised me that I could go to the office and ask, they would be used to helping enthusiasts with just this sort of question. Logically, this makes sense. 

At the office, when it opened, the first problem was that no one behind the counter spoke any English. The second was that the queue of around ten people displeased them. The two ladies were well grumpy, so a monolingual tourist proffering a letter, in English, from a tour company, didn't go down well. After being ordered to sign a couple of times, I got my pass, but it was pretty obvious that timetable equiries were out of the question. 

Fine, I decided to grab the first train out. This was for Brocken, but I could change at Drei Annen Hohne station for a trip to Nordhausen Nord. A long run, and I like travelling by train. What could go wrong? 

The train was advertised as steam-hauled, but as it was we had the diesel. It produced plenty of clag, which makes the idea of "decarbonising" with them seem a bit odd. 

At Drei Annen Hohne, I changed for a railcar. Now, I like railcars, and these are a bit different from UK trains, so I looked forward to enjoying the scenery. 

 

Sadly, the scenery isn't that exciting. Yes, it's hilly, but either covered in pines, or pines that have fallen over. After an hour, I was getting bored. Careful examination of the timetable made me realise that I could hop off the railcar, and catch a steam-hauled train back to Wernigerode. 

Bouncing around on the open platform at the end of the train allowed me to smell the steam, and take a few photos as we rounded the bends. This was good fun, and returned me to the station in early afternoon. A little unexcited, I took a trip to the Miniature Park "Little Harz" for the rest of the day - a visit well worth the 1.2km hike to get there. 

Day three. The plan was to grab a bus to Quedlingburg, and take the train back to Wernigerode. According to ChatGPT, I could taken the 8:57 bus, and meet the train with half an hour to spare. 

Except that on Saturday, there is a 7:57 bus (too early when breakfast starts at 7:30) and a 9:57 bus, which gets you to the station in time to miss the train by 20 minues.

"Good spot" says ChatGPT when I find this out - at the bus station. My response is not suitable for a family blog...

So, another plan. Since the weather was a bit drizzly, I started with a stroll to the workshop. I thought this was a railway museum, it isn't, it's just the chance to spend 7 Euros to go up to a viewing gallery over the cleanest workshop you have ever seen. 

 

Interesting, and along the way, I did take the chance to join the other middle-aged men with cameras and photograph trains from an overbridge just outside of the station. 

And this is the essential truth - steam railways like this are more fun to watch, and photograph than ride on. 

Workshop visited, it was back to the station for a steam-hauled trip to Drei Annen Hohne. On arrival, it turned out there were two locos waiting in the loops, so I jumped off and took photos in the drizzle. 

 

This was all very exciting, except that it meant I'd be trapped on the station for around 90 minutes, with only the gift shop/ticket office and cafe to entertain me. There's pretty much nothing there apart from a outdoor BBQ stand a few minutes walk away. 

No problem, it was lunchtime, and this being Germany, some sausage bap was on offer from the cafe. I ordered a small beer at the same time, and then nearly came unstuck. Cash is king in parts of the country, including this one. I had enough for the sausage, but the beer? There was an uncomfortable moment as I scrabbled around in my pockets for enough coins to cover the bill, as the lady glared at me as she'd uncapped the beer. I had enough, just, but was a little annoyed, as I could see a card reader on the counter behind her. If they took cards, I'd have had some cake too...

Eventually, the wait was over, and this time I decided that it would be more exciting to travel on the open balcony of the coach next to the steam engine. 

This is something I've not really had the chance to do before. Sadly, most of the route is downhill, so the loco wasn't working hard, but it was still a bit special, and worth being out in the wet for. 

My final destination was to be Wernigerode Westerntor station, on the edge of town. There's a sort of railway museum there, although all the rolling stock is behind stern signs telling you not to go near it!

Another souvenir shop too, where I picked up some beer for the evening. 

Finally, as I caught the train to my next stop the following day, I was able to watch the locos being prepared, well worth a look as there is a handy viewing platform to provide a good vantage point, and to corral enthusiasts and stop them wandering all over the place. 

So, what did I learn? 

• The HSB is worth a visit, but perhaps not as essential as I thought. I enjoyed it, and I'm glad I went, but wished for a lot more research before heading off. An organised tour would be a better bet I suspect as you'd have the services of an expert guide. At the very least, get your head around the timetables for both buses and trains. The staff can't help you, unless your German is very good. 
• ChatGPT is rubbish. What's the point of something providing advice when you have to double-check every single fact it spews out? Sorry James, I'm not impressed with the whole AI thing. 
• My Pixel 9 phone takes really good photos, often better than my Canon 100D DSLR. 
• Take plenty of cash. There were many occasions when cards weren't accepted, including when buying stamps!

Still, I have been, and I have done it, and it was time to move on to the next stop, Wuppertal...

You can see more of my HSB photos over on Flickr. 

Veinenburg railway museum

Perceived wisdom is that British trains are always late, while those in Europe run to time. This isn't true, as I found out when travelling from Aachen to Wernigerode. My ICE arrived over 20 minutes late at it's destination, the result being me stranded at Veinenburg for over an hour, waiting for the final train of my day. 

At first, this looked a bit grim. The town wasn't immediately apparent from the station, and the platforms were adorned with little more than the most basic shelters. 

Needless to say, I wandered around a bit. My first discovery was the local library in the main station building. Nice, but not that useful, although there is a lovely loco-shaped storage box. 

A little further down the platform, there was some old rolling stock, including a Jung diesel, which looks a lot like a resin-body loco kit I bought many years ago. It was attached to some wagons, and there were a few bits of railway ephemera around, including a hut and water crane. Google Streeview makes it look particularly appealing. 

It turned out that this is a railway museum. A bit more digging tells me that on the right day, there is much more to see, including a model railway.  Of course, it was closed. 

Fortunately, despite the door also being closed, the station cafe was open, and I was able to grab a drink and some cake. 

A couple of postcards too - because I love sending postcards. Admittedly, when I wrote them, I wasn't quite sure how I'd get to my new stop, but I crossed my fingers and placed my faith in the DB railways app. 

There are a few more photos on Flickr. 

Warehouse Wednesday: Das Lagerhaus

I left Aachen for Wernigerode, so experience the HSB. Of course, when wandering around the town, I couldn't help but snap a few of the many interesting buildings to be found, especially in the back streets.

While the town is a bit chocolate-boxy for my taste, it is well-preserved and real people actually live there, so we get to see some real workplaces, even just off the centre. 

This one fascinated me. Surely there isn't enough space to properly back a cart up under the doors to load? The railway would get in the way, but it's not close enough to load onto a railway wagon. I'm sure neither building or track have moved for a very long time. 

The final shot is of a boarded-up shop I passed as I walked from the hotel to station and back again. All I could think is, "That would make a lovely model shop..."

Modell Center Hünerbein

 

Arriving in Aachen mid-afternoon, I idly typed "Model shops Aachen" into Google, and it pointed me at Modell Center Hünerbein. According to the map, a 20-minute walk would get me there before they closed, with the benefit of a chance to see the old city, and the main shopping area. 

Off I strode, not really knowing what I'd find, but when I arrived, the frontage was huge!

Looking in the windows, it was pretty obvious that the range was pretty comprehensive, and with only half an hour to look around, I dived in. 

This place is vast! With the possible exception of HobbyCo in Sydney, this is the largest model shop I have ever visited. Well over half the shop is given over to railways of all scales from Z to G. Racks and racks of second-hand, all nicely displayed. 

There was even a solitary OO item!

One surprise was the large selection of road vehicles on offer. We do see these in the UK, but not in the quantity here, plus the huge range of plastic and laser-cut buildings. 

Of course, there is also a big selection of plastic kits, radio control and modelling materials. 

Chatting online with friends, some know of this place, and had left money for models in the past. Now, one feature of this trip was that I carried everything in a rucksack, so I simply couldn't buy very much, as I couldn't carry it. But, the law is that when in a model shop, you must buy something.

Which is why I grabbed their last pot of Humbrol 144 - a very useful colour all but extinct in the UK as a start. Then a little metal VW van, well I was in Germany. And finally, one of those buys you make because you'll regret it if you don't, a festive VW. Don't ask me how much this cost, I just knew I loved it a lot, and would certainly remember my trip to the shop!

Check out the Modell Center Hünerbein website. And if you are in Aachen, pay it a visit! 

Germany 2025

While you've been enjoying my posts, and possibly wondering why they were a little more random than usual, I've been on my travels. 

A few months ago, I read that there is a plan to "decarbonise" the Harz Mountain Railway in Germany. This, I assume, means fewer steam engines and more diesels. Now, I'd always had it in mind that this was a line I'd like to visit one day, so perhaps this day was arriving? 

Over the last year, a few events have made me realise that life is short. Perhaps I need to seize the day a bit. Blow a chunk of savings on ticking off a few places I want to visit, and just get stuff done. My trip to Switzerland last year worked well, and I had been pondering taking another with the same company. 

Sadly, the Harz trips didn't work for me with the show calendar, so I dropped Ffestiniog Travel a line and asked what they could do. After a little discussion, a rough itinerary was supplied, along with an invoice. My plan included both the Harz, and, more importantly, the Wuppertal. Riding the Schwebebahn has been on my "bucket list" for decades. All the travel was to be by train, because this is the best way to move around, if not the cheapest. 

Anyway, in a week the plan was Eurostar to Brussels and then on to Aachen for my first night. After that, some more ICE action to Wernigerode for three nights, so allow me to experience the HSB. After that, back on the train to Wuppertal for a couple of nights, followed by a reasonably epic dash back home. 

I'll be honest, I was worried about doing all this. I speak no German, and while the itinerary was very comprehensive, I was on my own, albeit with limited support from the travel office. However, the fact that I'm writing this tells you I made it. And will now bring you some edited highlights over the next few (OK, many) days. 

And in case anyone is wondering why I didn't save cash by booking this all myself, preferring to use an old-fashioned travel agent, it's simple. For a start, I'm not confident about ticking all the boxes. More to the point, left to my own devices, I simply wouldn't get around to it. There's always something more important to do. Let's face it, I felt guilty enough about taking the time off as it was. No, I needed to be able to say, "Get me here, here and here" and have someone who knows what they are doing sort out the details. Which is pretty much how it worked out.