Picture 2 is a later photo, which was taken when the tunnel in the background allready existed. In the background you can also see my flosing bed.

Picture 3 shows the tunnel

Picture 4 demonstrates why the tunnel has enop: the midlle part with the castle ruin coild be removed, like a cap. Without it, the tunnel was low enough to find place under the folding bed. Sice the complete layout was set up on the floor, the tunnel had its own baseboard - cutouts for the tracks had been sawed out from it. The tunnel was reinforced by the tunnel entrances and by sheet metal below the tracks.

Picture 5 shows a late stage of construction of the layout. Also regard the course of the single lane automobile raod, which branched right just before the car loading, turning into the right tunnel entrance after a loop behind the container terminal, and reaching the main road near the castle ruin.

In 1979 I developed a new plan, following the patterns of a track plan from the book "Die schönsten Modellbahn-Anlagen", Alba-Verlag 1978/4, a new dsign for a stationary layout in a room of our house, which wasn't allready at my disposal at that time. This layout should offer a varied operation, looking attractive and offering enough room for many trains. The landscpe should ressemble the low mountain ranges of Germany, extrem stiuations like a sea shores and high rocks should be avoided. Moreover I pursued a track plan concept which should confuse spectators. It shouldn't allow any assumption what train would arrive and especially from where it would come.

After the presentation of the Märklin digital system in 1984 and the perspective to control a layout by a computer, I realized that this would assert the potentialities of my track plan in a way that seemed to be unthinkable before. The layout would allow an operation of two trains, without any crossings, but I estimated that up to six trains could be operated on the layout, by using an efficient control system.

I started with the works on the layout, in 1988. I decided for an open frame construction; on which the track boards were installed elevated. The mountains are consisting only of a backwall (a press board) and some few girders. The terrain was built with wire mesh, toilet paper and plaster. The rocks are consisting of plaster parts which were formed with a chisel and glazed in several colours. For meadows I used grass fibres (no sawdust!) which were injected into a green embedding paste. The other vegaetation is imitating the kind of a German low mountain landscape, I tried to avoid - anyhow on the newer layout parts - to avoid the infamous "Allgäu impression" - only a few fir trees and green meadows. Some of the houses are orginal kt models, but there are also own constructions using parts of one or more kits and other parts, finally all houses were patinated. Most of the tunnel entrances and walls were built with Hekidur sheets. I used background pictures from Merz, or they were painted and complemented by myself.Generally I set great store by many details.

The layout's depth, the necessary access to the window and the way to the floor requested to concipate several movable layout parts. A peculiarity is the variable inset on the right side. The lower level was constructed as a trap door, whioch can be flaped down. The upper level (which isn't built yet) is becoming like a cover which can be lifted upwards. The large inset in the midlle of the layout can be pulled out like a chest of drawers. The layout part in front of the door which is designed as a hanging gorge, and is resting on its both sides on the layout. When this part is set in, you can only come inside the layout via "duck under" (method: military ;-) ). For all the movable parts I have set much storage by precise and angular track transitions. For electric contacts I used multiple plugs like they are also used Telekom.

The sequences in which was built are certainly unusual. Most model railroaders first lay the tracks, wire up, built the terrain - each on the whole layout. In opposaite to this, I built my layout in several construction sections - every section was completely finished before I started with the next section. The advantages are a better access to the allready finished layout parts, copmplete parts can be created outside of the layout. The disadvantages are often problems with the transitions and connections between the single consturcion sections. Moreover, the construction is more diversified and it's more fun! Currently only the last both contruction sections No. 10 and 11, and the shadow station below the layout are still missing.