As the title suggests Faller’s new 3 part farmstead is inspired by German timber frame construction, it is recognizable to all who have built model houses and buildings for German themed layouts thus there are many such kits in plastic and cardboard. This cardboard kit for Z scale by Faller contains the typical characteristics of Fallers laser-cut cardstock buildings including interior masking (introduced in their plastic kits years ago) and lightweight paper parts. Building the kits is fun but challenging particularly with the filigree paper ‘timber’ parts. So far I have built 16 Faller Laser-Cut Kits with no regrets or problems; they take good magnifying goggles, tweezers, small drops of good glue and PATIENCE. The finished builds are excellent, and I highly recommend them.
I divided this article into 3 sections mostly to show what the kit looks like built without alteration followed by 2 sections covering my attempts to add realistic color and texture. I am not a professional scenery modeler, and my steps taken should be considered as one way to do things not the only way to do things.
Section 1: How the Buildings Look Built with no Alterations
Note: end walls of barn were installed improperly, stucco wall should be installed other end so stucco wraps around building. Mistake is less noticeable further in build.Note: roofing materials used by Faller are heavily detailed which is a nice feature, but they fray easily when bent from their flat original state. I score along the seem with 3 light scores with razor blade which significantly helps make a good bend.Note: brick walls and fencing come with the kit to frame out the barnyard, there are numerous layout designs to consider along with Faller’s own suggestions.
Section 2: Attaching Buildings to a Light Birch Plywood for Later Layout Installation. Plus First Steps with Color and Scenery Construction.
Buildings glued to very thin birch plywood available from hobby stores which was first painted black.Note: application of pigment with an airbrush to establish a layer of aging.Note: dry-brush was used on roofing material to bring out texture, it was applied with inconsistent amounts of paint to mimic how roofs age with time.
Section 3: Fine-Tuning Paint and Textures. And Adding Cows and Shrubs
Note: fine brown ballast by Woodland Scenics was applied to ground surface.Note: very thin birch plywood is prone to warping even at time of purchase, but it will be flat when glued to layout board. Note: numerous dry-brush applications were used to enhance color and texture, I have gotten better results with my projects by not rushing things thus I came back to this model many times and tweeked this or that.Note: Dark brown paint was applied to ground to suggest the varying shades of earth, grass will later be applied in patches to further layer the visual detailing surrounding the farmstead buildings. Dairy cows by Preiser were added to the pen. When this small diorama is ready to install on layout more animals will be added, flower boxes installed on house, tractor or other equipment placed somewhere in scene, and a tree or 2 will be added for shade. I will also open a door and add a figure too!
Thank you for having a look and happy railroading!
Kandelhof Cinema (No. 282795) was released last year, it serves as another interesting architectural offering by Faller for Z gauge. Faller is unique in that they offer both laser-cut cardstock kits and plastic kits. Faller’s build kits in cardstock or plastic share one thing in common: interior detailing in the form of masking. First designed for plastic kits Faller’s ingenious masking material provides window details (curtains and drapes) while also providing opacity after insertion of light inside buildings thus plastic parts don’t unrealistically glow. The mask material for laser-cut kits is unchanged from earlier versions for plastic kits even though the mask’s opacity is not an issue with cardstock kits, window details are thus provided for realism as an unchanged characteristic of Fallers kits.
This example based on prototype (Freiburg, Germany) comprising 4 story multi-use building which includes a cinema. Other parts of the building suggest apartments. Faller’s kit is a very good translation of the prototype with one difference: kit building is freestanding whereas prototype is abutted with another building. Faller thus added a garage and receiving area along with a wall of windows which make for a very interesting building irrespective of the prototype.
Characteristics of Faller’s laser-cut cardstock buildings are fairly lightweight paper parts and some fragile parts as well, but overall the buildings have a realistic scale and color. Packaging is top notch with shrink-wrapped sturdy box, but packaging doesn’t always ensure perfect delivery of the kits if factory errors occur. In this example my kit was delivered with heavy curled and folded parts, it took a bit of finesse to put things right as well as a bit of patience. The fragile parts of Faller kits are the roof pieces, they fray just by looking at them. I have found a little extra scoring on fold line of roof panel helps otherwise paper breaks and separates unrealistically. Movie poster signage was a bit disappointing, it looks nothing like those on the box’s packaging. Also color of parts varies with those found illustrated on the packaging, but this I found minor.
Modification: I made changes to the kit including framing out cinema signage and repainting shutters. The kit instructs cinema signage to be glued to cardboard parts before gluing to building, I didn’t think this would translate well thus I opted to frame out the 2 signs. In the second modification I decided to paint the shutters in a color complementary to those found on prototype: dark red/mahogany. Kit provided light gray shutters, I felt more contrast would work better thus I airbrushed the shutters before installation. Airbrushing has become an essential tool for me to add a little weathering or change color of cardstock parts without damaging the kits with other painting methods.
Overall I would highly recommend Faller kit 282795: good fun and good architecture.
Thanks for taking a look at this post and happy railroading!
Released to USA Dealers at the tail end of 2023 is the train set 81372: depicting a modern Era VI freight train painted and lettered for the firm EfW. Heading the train is the recognizable Class 212 known to mini-club collectors due to numerous versions released over the years. There have been fewer examples modeled after private firms, this one for the traction construction company operating out of Frechen, Germany.
Marklin describes the set as EfW (Westerwald Railroad Enthusiasts Transportation Company). I haven’t found information on the Westerwald Railroad Enthusiasts Transportation Company.
The train set includes a class 212 diesel locomotive and 4 DB AG type Fas 126 dump cars. Hydraulic dump cars include loads of gravel.
The locomotive on close examination reveals the logo for ‘EfW’. Crimson paint scheme is similar to that used by ‘DB’.
The set maybe based on the prototype used in Westerwald, Germany (concerning Marklin’s description). A Google search for Westerwald translates to “Western forest.” Westerwald comprises a mountain range and various mining activities: slate, iron ore, basalt, and clay.
Siding: cooling towers depicted in photos are laser-cut build kits by Archistories. And available from ZScaleHobo.com and ZMonster.com.
The motive power of this train set has origins to World War II. Designed to be less visible to Allied bombing than steam locomotives the Class V36 diesel locomotive was produced in small numbers with just over 250. Many V36’s survived well beyond the 2nd World War due to its reliability and easy maintenance, its removable side panels allowed easy access to the engine. Not sure how many perished before War’s end or their numbers Post War, but those that did survive seem to have served branch-line railroads for both passenger and freight plus shunting operations.
Marklin has thus far released V36’s alone and in train sets for various eras, this train set based on the 1960’s prototype for the German Federal Postal Service (Era III).
A couple of box cars along with one stake car are included in the set. Plus a Tempo 3- wheeler delivery vehicle painted yellow and lettered for the German Federal Postal Service.
The locomotive is small but fully capable of hauling the 3 freight cars in the set. Marklin describes locomotive’s construction mostly of metal. It might stall out in a turnout at slow speeds due to its short length, otherwise a good reliable locomotive in ‘Z’.
Z-Modellbau.de was the first to produce powered ‘Z’ gauge locomotives of this scale, but Marklin has caught up with their V36 models. Marklin has further surpassed what was possible in ‘Z’ with the release of Volkswagen Klv 20’s: 88025 + 88026. Of course all these developments are only possible due to the new generation motor Marklin is now using.
Set is delivered in Marklin’s current white box and includes: 1- Class V 36 Diesel Locomotive, 2- type Gmhs 53 boxcars, 1- type Rmms 33 stake car with a brakeman’s platform, and 1 Tempo 3-wheel delivery vehicle with movable rubber tires.
This is an MHI Release thus it is only available through MHI Dealers.
Siding: buildings featured in this post are Faller laser-cut kits recently released.
I plan to spend a little more time with this model in a future post, but for now I am sending a shout out to anyone interested that now is the time to track one down even if you have a preorder for it.
Marklin 88146 (released 2021)
In October (2021) Marklin sent a letter to dealers announcing a limited release of this model, they further explained the release would be smaller than anticipated and not all customers with preorders would receive one. I am one such customer thus when one became available on Ebay I ordered it. Some models might still be available through Marklin’s USA Dealer network or German dealers on Ebay.
Note about the model: small steam powered locomotive with passenger compartment based on the Era II prototype with paint and lettering for the German State Railroad. Manufactured in China, Marklin 88146 is a companion to the earlier release 88145, both are similar in appearance with the exception of paint and lettering, add-on parts and mechanism are identical. Collectors sometimes comment on Chinese manufacturing as a problem, but every add-on part which there are many was individually applied. And this level of production with a Marklin Z release is usually well done in China. “Usually” is the word of the day: my first 88146 was missing the left hand side rod, my second one was missing the add-on part installed behind left cab window. Both defects are covered by Marklin’s 2 Year Warranty, but I will be without this locomotive for quite some time.
Paint, lettering, and details are finely produced on this model, it is a perfect locomotive to feature in a small railroad perhaps in a country setting too! It could be conceived to be a railcar propelled with steam propulsion, this all-in-one locomotive with passenger compartment can be hitched to a coach or freight wagon as the prototype required. Two Nuremberg Toy Fair cars from 2008 and 2017 complete the train each commemorates German Railroad history. The 2008 Toy Fair car painted and lettered for the RHEINGOLD train, and 2017 Toy Fair Car commemorates the 60th anniversary of Trans Europ Express.
Rural scenes for Z gauge are just one category of MBZ offerings. Another is railway buildings. For this post I am including examples of both. Plus the Marklin tank locomotive and beer car from starter set 81567 (2003- 2008).
Dealer inventories of MBZ Z scale kits are sporadic, Reynauld’s of Illinois seem to be MBZ’s exclusive dealer in the United States, but their inventories of the kits always run few in number even before the pandemic affected shipping from Europe. I have never had a problem ordering an MBZ item, they each have arrived eventually even the back-ordered ones. And patience pays off as nothing compares to MBZ.
The pros and cons of MBZ kits has been covered here before, and I would be remiss to recommend them again without those comments in case someone new has come across this post. Cons: MBZ kits are a bit primitive, cardboard warps easily, kits can smell burnt when they are removed from packaging, parts sometimes need extra cutting to remove from sheet, and sometimes parts are missing. Note: kits can be a struggle to assemble, and they require problem solving along the way. And some parts easily deform. Pros: after the kits are put together and painted they look great: “from another time”. And that is to say the buildings look authentically old.
A few general instructions: always prime every part before assembly with MBZ’s primer, this step will control the later saturation of paints plus strengthens the cardboard material. MBZ pigment paints soak into the cardboard, but the color can be built up with additional layers. Note: highly recommended to follow MBZ’s painting instructions. Don’t expect precision, it is best to give yourself over to messy and inconsistent paint application. Detail work can be done as the last step with traditional acrylic model paint for moldings and architectural details.
Here are the buildings I picked-up from a recent trip to Reynauld’s, barring duplicates this is all they had to offer me on this trip.
Train Attendant’s Hut (MBZ #16 016): 3/4 inch (height) x 9 1/16 inches x 3/4 inches. Paint: MBZ pigment paint 46 200 with charcoal dust: dry and wet application.
MBZ 16 016MBZ 16 016
Machinery Shed (MBZ #16 063): 3/4 inch (overall height) x 1/2 inch x 3/4 inches. Paint: MBZ pigment paints 48 600 and 40 723
MBZ 16 063MBZ 16 063
Framework Barn (MBZ #16 165): 1 5/8 inches (height) x 1 1/2 inches x 1 3/4 inches. Paint: MBZ pigment paints 46 280, 40 723, 40 612, 48 600, and 40 020
Barn (MBZ #16 087): 1 9/16 inches (overall height) x 1 3/8 inches x 2 3/4 inches. Paint: MBZ pigment paints 46 280, 48 600, 40 723, and 48 060
MBZ 16 087MBZ 16 087MBZ 16 087
Massbach Train Station (MBZ #16 140): 1 1/2 inches (height excluding chimney) x 2 inches x 3 9/16 inches. Paints: MBZ pigment paints 47 150, 48 600, 40 612, 48 060, 40 723, 40 020, and green acrylic modelers’ paint (Testors)
MBZ 16 140
Putting the buildings together with Marklin starter set 81567 (2003 – 2008) are its locomotive and beer car. Originally this set was sold with an oval of track (1 X 8590, 1 X 8500, 4 X 8520, 6 X 8521), mini-club white transformer, red plastic re-railer, class 74 tank loco, refrigerator car painted and lettered for GANTER Bier (1865 – present), and gondola with present load.
Marklin BR 74 (74 701) loco and Ganter Bier Car, MBZ 16 087, 16 165, and 16 016Marklin BR 74 (74 701) loco and Ganter Bier Car, MBZ 16 165Marklin BR 74 (74 701) loco and Ganter Bier Car, MBZ 16 063 and 16 016Marklin BR 74 (74 701) loco and Ganter Bier Car, MBZ 16 087 and 16 140Marklin BR 74 (74 701) loco and Ganter Bier Car, MBZ 16 087 and 16 140
Few Notes on Construction: -Massbach Station (16 140) was missing parts to complete foundation on freight depot, but easy to come up with a solution: left over parts in the kit painted to look like stucco masonry
-barns feature beautiful interior details that are best finished before kit is built
-instructions sheet shows opposing wall part flipped, this will make sense when you look at the instructions for the first time: a bit misleading! CAREFUL!
Marklin 89709 (build-kit) and Marklin 88856 (class 03.10 Express Locomotive)
As many of us are familiar with laser cut card-stock building kits I won’t go into the details of handling/building with paper except to say they are superior to plastic in my opinion. True to scale and even more detail than the plastic kits we have been presented with for many years. Plus the material is opaque when lit from within for added realism. Biggest challenge with paper is gluing small parts and straight alignment!
Marklin 89709 (Bahnhof Himmelreich)
Onto the recent Himmelreich build-kit with Marklin item #89709 which is modeled after the “Bahnhof Himmelreich” located in the Black Forest having served the Hollental Railroad. As is stated in the item description the building is as it was before renovation. Numerous photos are available with a simple google search which all in all confirms a very good translation of the building into Z gauge.
Marklin 89709 (Bahnhof Himmelreich)
The build-kit is another collaboration with Marklin and the firm Modellbau Laffont who have designed and constructed kits for Marklin including the big Hamburg Dammtor station a few years back. Overall an enjoyable kit to build, but maybe too much for one session, I spread it out over 4 days working on it here and there. Many small parts require tweezers and finesse. Perhaps the kit lacks the solid material construction of an Archistories building, but it is non-the-less an interesting architectural model. The finished build looks good to me, but the station signs are those that need to be carefully cut out of the instructions with a matt knife: ugh! These signs are something to consider toning down in the future; they identify the building but cheapen the look of it too. No partition walls, if you plan on realistic lighting you will have the added step of masking. And finally chimneys need better design than are offered by this manufacturer.
Marklin 89709 (Bahnhof Himmelreich)
The odd pairing of Himmelreich station and the German Express Class 03.10 (Marklin 88856) locomotive is pure fiction; they are used here to illustrate scale. Stay tuned for more on the 88856 loco which is brilliant and beautiful.
Marklin 89709 (build-kit) and Marklin 88856 (class 03.10 Express Locomotive)
Introduced in 1984 Revell’s “Bucket Wheel Excavator was reissued in 2020 with upgraded parts. And suitable for Z gauge modelers with a build ratio of 1:200.
Schaufelradbagger 289 – Model 8813 (Version 1: 1984)
A plastic build-kit with an undisclosed number of parts was based a very large land-driven machine for excavating lignite. Based on the prototype built by Krupp for the mining firm Rheinbraun (Essen, Germany) the original Revell kit was released close to the prototypes first day of work in the late 70’s.
Schaufelradbagger 289 – Model 08813 (Version 2: 2013)
Twenty nine years later (2013) the buckle wheel excavator was re-released as a “Limited Edition”, it was very popular and quickly sold-out. It was offered to me for $600 in 2015 or as equal trade for my mini-club “Bumble Bee” steam loco, of course I held onto the Bumble Bee and $600 thus also lacking the confidence to build such a kit. Version 2 is reportedly the same as Version 1 with only a change to the box design, but the overall dimensions printed on the box offers a variation: whereas Version 1 is stated to be 102cm x 42.5cm overall, Version 2 is reported to be 101.1cm x 43.3cm. Not much dimensional difference between Version 1 and 2, but it is interesting none the less and likely due slight variance in finished model.
Schaufelradbagger 289 – Model 05685 (Version 3: 2020)
In 2020 Version 3 of the bucket wheel excavator was released as another “Limited Edition” this time with updated parts. I can’t report on the nature of the improved parts, but this kit includes glue and paints with brush, perhaps a “Level 5” modeler will find no need for the paints opting instead to use airbrush applied paints? This time the kit’s box lists the parts total as 687 and kit difficulty as Level 5! A big kit which will take time to build but far less time than the 5 year assembly of the prototype!
I was recently visiting Miami, FL, and I visited MicroMacroMundo where I found the kit which was not on my radar thus I accepted the challenge to eventually build it with no experience whatsoever building Level 5 plastic kits. Measuring more than 3 feet in length the finished project is impressive in size and suitable for Z gauge!
Numerous dealers have this kit currently in stock priced at $150 more or less. Good luck if you decide to take up the challenge.
BR 85 003 tank locomotive without smoke deflectors traveling across Ravennabrücke Viaduct (circa 1933)
Sometimes photographs are key evidence for prototypical modeling this one capturing the moment a BR 85 tank locomotive crosses the Ravennabrücke Viaduct in the Black Forest. Trailing behind are 5 coaches and baggage car of the type included in the new release “Höllentalbahn” Passenger Car Set: Marklin 87507.
Built in 1926-27, the Ravennabrücke Viaduct replaced a much earlier bridge (circa 1885) whose foundation sidings can be seen on the right. A rack railway was originally used until the BR 85 tank locomotive was designed and built in the early 1930’s .
This photograph and others in our collection are mostly stamped as belonging to Lokomotivbild-Archiv, Reichsbahn-Filmstelle, Berlin or Deutsche Reichsbahn and each includes numerous classifications and hand-written historical details. The photograph in this post however appears to have the correct operating number crossed out in the upper right (85 003) with the incorrect number more boldly represented on the photograph: only 10 class 85’s were produced. Our collection of vintage photographs from the Deutsche Reichsbahn archives will be included in upcoming posts including narrow gauge class 99’s so stay tuned.
Onto the model 87507, included in the 5 car set are coaches and baggage car: 3- type Bie 2nd class coaches, 1- type ABiwe 1st and 2nd class coach, and 1- type Pwie baggage car. And based on prototype from Era IIIb thus circa 1960. A great set featuring matte paint and very fine extensive lettering, it is also the announced mate for the upcoming release of 88889: BR 85 007. The new loco will be delivered with a build kit for a locomotive inspection station. And of course the new loco will have improved running gear detailing and new brushless motor, plus added treats include warning stripes painted on buffers and painted boiler bands. Please look for a future post featuring my favorite steam locomotive and its coach set! Plus more BR 85 historic photos too!
Without further ado:
Marklin 87507.1 (1st and 2nd class standard mainline coach)Marklin 87507.2 (2nd class standard mailine coach)Marklin 87507.3 (standard design baggage car)
Marklin 87507.4 (2nd class standard mailine coach)Marklin 87507.5 (2nd class standard mailine coach)
Siding: Archistories Viaduct kit is a worthy candidate if you plan to model something similar to the above scene. Check it out at Z Scale Monster Trains or Z Scale Hobo. Note: your partner will enjoy the peace and quiet as you build this fun kit!
Marklin 98062 (special imprint for Post Museums Shop)
A very important freight car type for railroads of all nations trading globally are those transporting containers. Depictions of this freight started appearing about 20 years ago in the Marklin Z line-up with several sets for DB (82360: 1997-1999), DB AG (82367: 1999-2001) and SBB (82368: 2000-2001); individual cars and train sets with this freight appeared later, but all conformed to a rather standard container based on 20 and 40 foot containers placed on Lgis 598 or Sgs 693 car types.
Variations in length and lettering have been offered thus far by Marklin, but another company worth a look at is FR (Freudenreich) whose line includes numerous interesting container freight cars lettered for international shipping companies interchangeable with the two Marklin car types. Marklin compatible couplers are also standard on FR freight cars.
FR #45.814.01 for DSBFR #46.807.01 for SJ
More solidly constructed than Marklin, FR in partnership with MCZ Models produce containers which are finished along all seams and use the same pin specs as Marklin (NEM380 specification) thus fully compatible with designated container cars offered by both companies.
Mixed containers by FR and MCZ ModelsMarklin 82662 with FR/MCZ Models container lettered for HYUNDAI (prototype: 40′ high cube) *all other containers MarklinMarklin 82662 loaded with FR/MCZ Models container lettered for ScanDutch (prototype: 40′ standard 42R1 reefer container)
With two exceptions all FR containers are interchangeable with Marklin: FR #46.818.40 (4 car set sold out) and #46.818.14 (4 car set currently available) feature permanently cemented containers.
Not all containers are shipped by sea some are transported only by truck and rail owing to unique possibilities for model railroaders.
Note: FR and MCZ Models containers available at ZScale Monster Trains: http://www.zscalemonster.com/mcz/ and FR trains available directly from FR Freudenreich: https://fr-model.eshop.t-online.de/
