Ulrich Röcher's Layout
 
Site 3 - Click on the pictures to enlarge them!  
         
  Faller Car-System          
                 
  Everybody who has seen the amazing liveliness which a layout gets because driving cars, is understanding why I have installed the Faller Car on my layout. I have known this effect allready from my childhood layout, but of course the optics of the Faller Car System ist far better! The track plan is consisting of an intertwined oval and some branches. Allthough railway crossings are secured correctly (the cars really stop when the gates are closed on only drive on when they are opened again), an automatical operation with more than one vehicle is not possible - this would require a "distance holder" in every vehicle. Right of way regulations could also be realized by using stop control selenoids. An extraordinary gag is the underground car park (ok., it's unusual that trucks use underground car parks), which is conceptioned as a "shadow station" for the car system. Currently it isn't completed yet, with all its Ausweichen and stop control selenoids, it's only provisional, consiting of a a simple loop between entrance and exit. Moreover, there's a stop control selenoid below the crane, so that trucks can be loaded or unloaded there.  
                 
  The Upper Station Of Lindenstadt          
                 
         
  Picture 22 Picture 23 Picture 24 Picture 25  
         
  Picture 26 Picture 27 Picture 28 Picture 29  
         
  Picture 30   Picture 31   Picture 32   Picture 33  
               
  Picture 34  
 

This station - which isn't equiped with catenary wire and which is free of crossings and reversing track loops - offers interesting possibilieties for operation and switching. Picture 12 offers a good overview over the station. The turnouts in the front can be seen on Picture 8 (the photo taken out from the hatch). Pictures 22, 23 and 24 show arriving, leaving or passing the station from the engineer's perspective. The platforms and station tracks can be seen on Picture 25. Picture 26 shows the station more behind. The signal in the middle is not showing a new information - it's out of order and waiting for repair. The turnouts of the rear station exit is shown on Picture 27. Picture 28 shows the rear spur track with signal tower just right. What can be seen easily: modificated Loreley tunnel entrances!

The station building can be seen on Picture 27 from behind and on Picture 29 from the front. Picture 30 shows the siding of the goods sheed. On Picture 31 it should be clear, what kits have been used: the main building is the Vollmer post office and nedt door a Faller goods sheed. All extensions like platform coverings and the typical extensions on the platform are self constuctions.

Another interesting detal of this station is the crane which can be seen on Pictures 32 and 33. But this isn't the well-known Kibri crane - it would be clearly smaller. the older phoro, Picture 11 is telling about its origins: using the propulsions of the old Faller container terminal (siehe Jugendsünde) I have built a new crane, which can be operated over three axles - other parts I used were brass profiles, etched parts and a plastic covering. It can be operated either with the magnet of the Märklin rotary crane or with the dredger bucket. Also a Car System road is leading through it so that trucks can be loaded or unloaded. The railroad crossing on Picture 34 is used by the Car System in both directions and completely controled via the gates.

The station is nearly completed. At the moment, only a small depot with three tracks is still missing, which is planned to be realized within the construction section No. 10. It will placed where the camera was standing on Picture 27. The area in front of the station is planned for the stage of construction No.11.

 
                 
  Rolling Stock          
                 
  First, a denomination: the idea of running only trains of a certain era - certainly a right idea - personally couldn't decide to practice this on my layout - this would mean to to withoud many beautyful locomotives and cars of other eras. Nonetheless I have tried to carry out all ensembles of the layout - tracks, buildings and accessoires in a way that there are no hard contradictions. At tge moment I posess about 55 locomotives and about 140 cars. The half of them com from Märklin. The other models come from the ohter important European HO gauge manufacturers. Moreover, I have converted some locomotives myself. I have locos of all kind of tractions and also some railcars. Als here, I tried to avoid extremes at least partly: there's neither an ICE nor a class 103. However, there were some tmepetations...Roco's 18 201- a great model, one of my favourite locos - I have one as well as a RaM-Tee or a VT 11/5 (601). Well, both can alco be declarated as special trains on one-track branch lines ;-) .Otherwise, the main emphasis was laid on branch line- and regional trains and standart locomotives. A class BR 55 or 93 simply looks better on my layout than a 01. Regarding the electric locos, the situation isn't so tragical - on a double track main line heavy freight train locos like classe 151 and 194 can be run crediblely. I also like the amazing possibilities which the digitasl systems offers also for the trains themselves. So I have the Märklin test car, the Roco railway digital crane, at the moment I'm working on a camera car like it is described by Dr. König (http://home.nexgo.de/dr.koenig/digital/video.htm).  
                 
  The Small Branch Line Station Of Niederaudorf          
                 
         
  Picture 35   Picture 36   Picture 37   Picture 38  
               
  Picture 39  
  This terminus is only consisiting of a spur track and a siding for waiting locomotives. It is serving as a legitimation for railcars and shuttle trains. Picture 14 gives a good overview, the left part of the station with the double-slip turnout is shown on Picture 35, the centre of the station with the station building can be seen on Picture 36. On Picture 37 the enesemble is shown from above of the tunnel entrance. Pictures 38 gives a direct view on the station tracks. Picture 39 is also of interest: this is also Niederaudorf, but the part right of the large bridge. The station exit is on the left side.  
     
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