Category Archives: Railroad History

Prussian Railway Troops

The history of rail brigades in Germany starts in 1866 with the Prussians, and their mobilization during the Austro-Prussian War. The brigade comprised railway engineers who were first soldiers with responsibilities extending to maintaining, repairing, building and destroying rail lines. During the 1870 Franco-Prussian War there were 5 Prussian units and 1 Bavarian field unit comprising more than two hundred soldiers and civilians. On October 1st, 1871 a railway battalion was formed and nearly 20 years later a brigade. By 1890 the brigade was assigned a depot and operating responsibilities for the Royal Prussian Military Railway (Berlin). In 1899 the training of railway troops was transferred to the army and the Royal Prussian Military Railway fell under the jurisdiction of the Corp of Transport. The Royal Prussian Military Railway comprised the line between Zossen (30 miles south of Berlin) to Juterbog, it was used for the training of the railway troops. Their responsibilities were further extended to field railways and during war would be reinforced with Landwehr troops.

Photo: Telegraphists for the Eisenbahn-Regiment II in May, 1907. The Eisenbahn-Regiment II was formed in 1866 and connected to the Royal Prussian Military Railway in Berlin.

DR Class 01 Steam Locomotive

The Class 01 Express Steam Locomotive awaits passengers one morning in the summer of 1968. The older design baggage car and “Thunderbox” coaches were still used at this time by the DR at reduced speeds, the 01 was capable of 80mph, this photograph carries an inscription that the locomotive operated at 60 km/hr (37mph) in the Hornbach region. This Ostdeutschland BR 01 is operating accordingly in East Germany, the photograph’s inscription records the location as Hornbach. Operating number plaque indicates this locomotive to be 01 527, it varies in appearance to the DB class 01’s with the appearance of a continuous cover for the dome which gives evidence that this was one of 35 locomotives rebuilt in 1962 by the Reichsbahn Repair shop in Meiningen, the rebuild included Witte smoke deflectors, new cab and boiler positioned higher on the frame of the locomotive. My research does not verify the disposition of this locomotive so presumably it was scrapped, but the class 01’s operated for the DR until 1982, their service displaced with the advent of the diesel ‘Ludmilla’ introduced in the 1970’s. Marklin has not produced the DR version of the class 01 in Z, but maybe it will be a further development of those so far offered for DB: 88010 (Insider) and 88011, we will wait to see if it is included in the ambitious plans at Marklin.

Siding: The Soviet built ‘Ludmilla’ diesel locomotive was introduced to the DR in the 1970’s thus eventually ending the long career of the class 01 locomotives. Marklin’s last version of the Ludmilla in Z was 88134 based on the class 132 prototype from 1982.

Marklin 88134

German BR 01 Express Locomotive: DB’s BR 01 154

The inscription on the verso side of this photograph gives the place and date as “In Nuremberg 1966.” Seven years later this class of locomotive would be retired from service for the DB, this one in 1968. As a side note: Class 01’s continued service until 1982 for the DR. Built starting in 1926 the BR 01 express steam locomotive was in service for many years, this one being BR 01 154 built during the time-frame 1930-31. In 1950-51 this locomotive along with 4 others were rebuilt with Witte smoke deflectors as can be seen in the photograph along with several improvements including Heinl mixer preheater, turbo pump and combustion chambers in the boilers. The rather clear representation of the tender was one of three types T 30, T 32 or T 34 varying by length to fit a particular turntable being used. The class 01 steam locomotive was the first to be considered “standardized” meaning parts with exact specifications could be used to repair this locomotive throughout Germany.

Inside the cab:

Specs for this rebuilt locomotive:

Service Weight: 109.3 long tons/ 122.5 short tons

Adhesive Weight: 59.1 long tons/ 66.1 short tons

Axle Load: 19.7 long tons/ 22 short tons

Power: 2417 hp

Grate Area: 46.4 square feet

Superheater Area: 1022.6 square feet

Resource: DRG Class 01 Wikipedia Page

The uniformed train driver poses next to his locomotive as his fireman peers through a cab window, his briefcase presumably contains his log and maintenance checklist. Standing along the rails of a gantry crane the train driver waits to board the locomotive which is in line to receive coal and water. A few chunks of coal outside the coal bunker suggests it was just loaded along with water as evidenced in the run off near the fill hatch. The train driver was more than the operator of the locomotive, he was responsible for the well being of the passengers and locomotive, following safety and maintenance protocols he was operating a locomotive of such power it could reach speeds upwards of 80 miles an hour. Interpreting signals on the right of way was assured by this well trained individual who could operate a steam train and deliver its passengers in accordance with printed schedules: safe and timely. Physical demands of the job cannot be overstated, this was not an easy way to make a living. When this photograph was made the locomotive and train driver were of similar age, two years later the locomotive would be retired, and the trainman with his specialized skills may have continued operating steam locos in this class for the DB until 1973.

Marklin has produced two BR 01’s in ‘Z’ since 2012: 88010 and 88011. Released in 2012, Marklin 88010 was the Insider Model for that year as BR 001 of the DB with operating number 001 161-9 based on the Era IV prototype. Two years later the 88011 was released based on an Era III prototype with operating number 01 147. Both locomotives represent the new generation of steam locos by Marklin with superb detailing of the operating equipment and side rods.

88010

88011

Both locomotives look virtually alike, the distinguishing feature is the operating numbers.

Siding: a short ton is 2000 pounds and commonly called a ‘ton’ in the United States whereas a long ton is 12% larger, it is referred to also as ‘Imperial Ton.”

Siding: In 1968 Germany reclassified their locomotives, steam locomotives at this time were given an extra ‘0’ thus the Marklin 88010 is a BR 001.

 

Faller Z 282704: Bahnhof Huinghausen

A new building kit for 2016 was Faller’s 282704. The prototype for this station kit was built in 1915, it features a Mansard roof and timber goods shed with covered loading dock. Today the station serves as Sauerland Local Railway Museum.

The building kit is a combination of materials including laser cut real wood and cardstock. It is a very good kit of an interesting historic railway architecture. The challenges for this kit are the complexity of assembling the main building with its various roof surfaces. Faller kits feature window masks to add realism when lit, the window details in this kit are limited diffusion materials. All in all a very good kit for those with experience assembling laser cut buildings in Z.

All sorts of interesting detailing can be applied including shipping products that can be stacked on the dock and ready for the next train.

Lighting buildings these days has progressed to a great extent with the advent of LED, and Woodlands Scenics offers the solution with their Just Plug Lighting System. Before LED’s only a very bright and hot light bulb would illuminate the masking material of Faller buildings. Now with LED’s it is solved with bright LED’s that can be dimmed according to your preference. Add the long life (10,000 hours) and reasonable pricing lighting buildings in Z is now possible.

 

Photographic Grey prototypes in Marklin Z

Marklin 88091: KPEV Class P10 (Insider Model 2003)

Marklin has released a number of locos in “photographic grey” paint scheme not limited to steam locos, but for this post only a few of the steam examples will be depicted. Historically “photographic grey” also known as “works grey” was an application of paint to a newly built and designed locomotive which would be photographed for the purpose of archiving as well as publicity. Why grey? Depicting a new loco in sharpest detail before the advent of color photography, 19th century locomotive builders relied on photographers who produced black and white photographs from large format negatives. The range of tones produced in black and white photography range from black with no detail on one end and white with no detail on the other with grey in the middle. This mid range gray is referred to as 18% gray which means its reflectance for photographic purposes is 18%. Photographs that are predominantly in this tonal range do not have strong shadows or highlights. Photographers realized many more details could be recorded if the subject in this case steam locomotives of the 19th and 20th century were painted in this mid range gray. Locomotive builders painted the early example of a new design in this gray tone, and they also attached all locomotive plaques before the photograph was made. After the photograph was made the builder removed the plaques and treated the gray paint scheme as a primer coat thus applying engine black and other paint colors as the final coat. Lighting was also an important consideration, an overcast sky with low contrast supported a better outcome by reducing distracting shadows. And then there were the retouchers who could masterfully remove distracting backgrounds including engine house, people and anything else that detracted from the locomotive in all its glory. Eastman Kodak probably provided the film which would have been perfectly flat silver nitrate coated glass as well as the retoucher’s pigments which would have included Kodak’s “Opaque Black” one of many specialist items devised by Kodak. Marklin gave me the opportunity to experiment with these observations with their historically accurate modelling so I have come up with several examples depicting a locomotive with “engine black” paint scheme, a locomotive depicted with rail yard buildings, and simulated overcast lighting.

Two locomotives with “photo-grey” paint scheme depicted with buildings in a rail yard: 88832 + 88040.                                                                                                                                                               

One locomotive with “engine black” paint scheme. Note loss of detail in 88092:

Locomotives depicted isolated from distracting background, bright overcast lighting, and “photo-grey” paint scheme.

 

Photographic Gray Paint Scheme and Mini-Club

Marklin 88091

We are probably all familiar with builders’ photographs of steam engines depicted in black and white photographs and some of us may have had the rare opportunity to buy one. Usually large and well produced photographs depicting a recently built locomotive captioned with all the technical specs and dates of production accompanying such photographs. The commissioned photographers were charged with producing a record in crisp detail for the builders’ record as well as publicize locomotives built in their shops. Although the age of steam has passed these photographs help us understand and research the locomotives that were built a 100 years ago, and the incredible achievements and innovations that were made. The photographic record is just part of the research tools available to manufacturers of model trains, but Marklin has treated this part of railroading history as an integral part of Mini-Club’s offerings including locomotive prototypes modeled in “Photo Gray” as they would have been seen for the first time.

Marklin 88981

Photo gray or works gray is a particularly interesting paint scheme, it seems to coincide with the middle gray zone between highlight and shadow referred in photographic literature as 18% reflectance of the visible world. This being a speculation of mine, my research does not point to an exact paint formula that measures its reflectance, but I would place the reflectance of locomotive photo gray roughly as middle gray if one starts with black on one side and white on the other. Why is this important? It was important from the standpoint of recording as much detail as possible through reduced tones within the range of “low contrast” without dark and light tones. Lighting is also a factor with this discussion, and the photographer’s choice between overcast skies or sunny days would have been overcast skies thereby keeping the tonality of these photographs on the flat contrast range. Isolating the locomotive in the composition was also a consideration with few seen near train sheds and yards, manipulating the photographic negative could have achieved this effect as well. For a follow-up post I will be recreating builders’ photographs of two mini-club class 52 locomotives, one with photo gray paint scheme and the other painted black. Photo ready locomtives were not dressed in photo gray paint scheme for long, after the photographs were made they were painted in most cases in engine black which was chosen to minimize the appearance and dirt and grime thereby making the photo gray paint scheme a primer coat for the eventual top coat.

Marklin Z steam locomotives in photo gray: 88040 (“Franco Crosti”) – BR 42.90 DB Insider 2003, 88091 – BR P 10 KPEV Insider 2003, 88832 – BR 52 DRG Insider 1997, 88836 – BR 52 DRG, 88841 – BR 50 DRG, 88981 – class G 8.1 KPEV MHI Insider 1998.

Created for photographs, the photo gray paint scheme adorned the first examples of prototypes with some offered in mini-club.

Book Review: Railway Magazine and Commercial Journals – 1839 +1840

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Okay so this is cool! Forget about a book review, this is a post about something very special I was lucky enough to find. One day when I was visiting a town near Cooperstown, NY I stumbled onto a used bookstore, I love books, but I never expect to find anything of interest. The shop had a whole section on train books that surpassed any of my best expectations. The train books were concentrated on 19th century rail, and I came to understand that all came from the collection of a former superintendent of trains in that part of New York State; he obviously loved trains and was well suited to his job. The books that interested me the most were two copies of Railway Magazine and Commercial Journal from December 7, 1839 and January 11, 1840: “Published Weekly at Half-past Six on Saturday Morning, and Goes Post Free”. These magazines chart interesting details at the start of the railway boom in the 1840’s. Already in 1839 facts and details concerning rail traffic and construction of railroads are coming in. The Greenwich Railway was recording passenger traffic at roughly 3200 per day at the end of November in 1839 with the yearly average per month for 1839 being 3777 1/2, I hate to have been the 1/2 a person! Lists of patents including improvements to steam locomotives by John Bourne of Dublin. The Croydon Railway by 1839 had constructed 10 1/2 miles of track with daily passenger averages of 924. December 7, 1839 a Mr. Labouchere received a payment of 35,000 pounds to cover the inconvenience and annoyance of the Eastern Counties Railway crossing his estate. Further objections to the new rail sytem were those regarding fees. In one such article titled “Sad Effects of High Fares” the author is quoted as saying: “We have ever been advocates for moderate fares. The only advantage of railways is reasonable charges and rapidity of transit, and the only base upon which they can hope for success.” He goes onto complain about rail versus omnibuses: “The railway gives the public trouble of going to and from the stations at London-bridge and at Greenwich, while the omnibuses take them up and set them down at their own doors and almost wherever they please in London at the same price (as the railway).” Timetables are always fun to review thus those provided in the Railway Magazine provide interesting insights as to how long a rail trip took from a London departure to Birmingham arrival, in 1839 passengers departed London at 6 AM and arrived in Birmingham at 11:30 AM. I calculated a rough estimate of 126 miles between the two stations. Calculating stops in Watford, Tring, Leighton, Wolverton, Blisworth, Weedon, Rugby, Coventry, and Hampton with few minutes passed at each station (passenger coaches of this era featured doors directly to cabin sections thus trains stopped only briefly averaging less than a minute, this was not a time of indecision, you were expected to board promptly) I calculate the average rate of speed to be roughly 20-24 miles per hour double the speed of horse and carriage. An improvement yes and probably unnerving to travel at that speed considering most people had not traveled that fast before in carriages that bumped and tossed! How exciting to have experienced this for the first time.

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