Railfanning Oberwessel

Oberwessel has been a long time dream destination for me. THis is one of the most beautiful railfan spots in all of Germany because the old city wall parallels the tracks along the left bank of the Rhine (the "linke Rheinstrecke". After the bridges over the Rhine were repaired after the second world war this stretch of track became the route for many of Europe's fastest passenger trains because it was slightly faster than the right bank of the rhine. That continued until the new high speed line was completed this century. The line still hosts an abundance of regional, long ditance, and freight traffic.

If you visit nearby Bacharach you can sit in cafes that seem dangerously close to the tracks, relax, and enjoy the local wines with some tapas. WHile I had fun watching trains, I spent most of my time taking photos of the line itself, the walls, and the surroundings as this will be the theme for a layout.

Railfaning the Harz Narrow Gauge Railway

We included the Harz Schmalspurbahn (narrow gauge railroad) in our summer holiday. We spent several days hiking in the area around Wernigerode, Sorge, and then finally took the line all the way to Nordhausen.

The "Bahnbetriebswerk", engine servicing facility, at Wernigerode is impressive. You can really get a feel for the day to day operations of running steam as the primary motive power. The Harzbahn has graciously provided a viewing platform, and you can follow the ritual from steaming up, to coaling, lubricating, and watering the locomotive as it progresses over more than an hour.

These blue coaling cranes became common in the later days of steam in Germany. The Harzbahn never really abandoned steam. Although the former GDR (East Germany prior to reunification) had planned to dieselize the lines, this plan was stopped when the touristic value of maintaining steam operations was recognized. The Harzbahn now has a new beautiful facility for the construction and rebuilding of steam locomotives--

Bahnhof Tiefencastel Layout in Waiting

I made a point of visiting Bahnhof Tiefencastel while travelling in 2024. I've long thought of this location along the Rhaetian Railways (RhB) as an ideal location to model, especially in the 1980s, because it had an active cement silo and freight house. I've already downloaded the LiDAR of the topography, and amazingly this station complex can fit in a reasonable size in HO at almost true scale providing one shortens the passing siding past the road overpass (this has been extended in more recent times, and the station tracks simplified).