I am new to this forum and magazine and model railroading as a full on hobby. I am an American living in Germany. I have had some O Gage pre-war Lionel as a kid. Dad’s. Then I got some of my own. It’s nice to display. I saw Markiln Digital about a year ago and Just love it. I am building a large modular layout (so it can be moved back to America at some point) I really like how all the turnouts are controlled by the Marklin controler digitally. Plus I it connected to a PC with Train Controller. I have never done scenery so that will be new. Once I figure out how to post a layout photo, I will.
Gidday Brian, [#welcome] to the forum. Marklin has a good following down in this part of the world. I do like those smart looking red and black colour scheme Deutsche Bann steam locomotives and the Swiss “Korodils”.
I’m a former AF brat who lived in Germany in the early 70s. The only Marklin I ever picked up was a kit for a prewar 4-wheel passenger coach. Bought it in Garmisch at a small hobby shop while we were staying at the US Forcves rec center there. Still have it though.
I did a small modular layout, but too heavy to bring back. It was US prototype and brass track, so best that way.
I loved riding German trains. Took the old US “duty train” to Berlin on another family adventure. Took the U-bahn all over Berlin, while carefully avoiding passing into the Eastern zone to ease my parents fears of a teenager roaming the city at will.[;)] Got to ride around in the Taunus Mountains in a train made up of those old 4-wheel railcars that look like busses (Can’t remember their names/class, though) on one particualrly cool trip on a winter’s day. Train got me home whne my VW’s engine blew on the way back from Munich (although dad wasn’t happy about the resulting customs paperwork [:(!]) A friend and I found side tunnels to the RR tunnel under the Lorelei Rock on the Rhein and explored them. Only much later did I learn those were there so they could be filled with high explosives – or even a SADM (Special Atomic Demolition Munition or nuclear land mine) – to deny passage to the Russians – although if they got that far things wouldn’t be looking good.[:O]
Anyway, those were a few of my German rail adventures. Hope you have many safe ones.
Mike - that must have been a consist of class 798/998 (that´s the trailing car) “Schienenbus” or, translated “rail bus”. Their nickname was “red buzzer” for their didtinct engine sound. I used to take them into town during my university days. Most of them disappeared in the late 1970´s.
I remember riding on the Schienenbus from Waldsassen to Mitterteich in the late 60’s (the line was torn up in the late 90’s during the Deutsche Bundesbahn privatization). The engineer sat on the left (a friend of the family) and he let me sit on a jump seat on the right which was a big treat for a 5 year old. I will never forget those Schienenbus rides as well as the steam power that still ran on that line.
