(Poster courtesy of MOBA)

Author: John Oxlade
(EMail: )

FRIDAY 10th NOVEMBER

In the evening, visitors to WorldRailFans started to congregate on Baal (in northwestern Germany, between Aachen and Monchengladbach). Martin Silz had booked a table at a local restaurant for 12 people to kick-off the first large meeting of visitors to the site.

John Oxlade, Doris Larman (John's girlfriend at the time), Martin Silz, Tibor Weidner, Roy Kishore, Frank Forsten, Georg Feddern, Tim Hale, Dave Pryor and Kenny Ericson attended. Tim was using napkins to draw out track plans, and Tibor's salad was so large we thought he would need mountaineering equipment to get to the top.

Everyone had a good time and the meal was a good opportunity to wind-down after a long day's travelling. John Oxlade and his girlfriend had travelled in via Eurostar from London to Brussells, but as it was 45 mins. late, they missed the connection to Aachen and eventually arrived in Baal about 10 minutes before the meal. Kenny had come down from Stockholm and Dave and Roy had flown in from the US.

Frank handed out the complimentary tickets for the exhibition (provided by the MOBA and including train travel in the Köln area), and we agreed to meet in the lobby of the Köln Messe at 10:00 the following day.

SATURDAY 11th NOVEMBER

10:00, Köln Messe hall 14. Ruud van den Breevaart had travelled down from Rotterdam that morning and was already waiting at the hall. We met up with Andy Hayter and his wife, and Kenny was already in the show with his wife and son. Martin's mother and father also came along, and Walid Khier was reportedly at the show but we failed to make contact.

Although we arrived as a group, it was not practical to go around together, so we split up with the agreement to meet at the MOBA stand at 13:00 to have our picture taken and thank the MOBA for being our hosts. The photograph was put on the MOBA's website almost straightaway and used in their "events of the day" diary. Their group photograph is reproduced here (with permission) along with their accompanying words (originally in German):

"Today there was another highlight on the MOBA stand. The Internet group WorldRailFans came to visit us. This group of Internet and railway enthusiasts, who until now, had only communicated via Email and Chat, travelled from the USA, Great Britain, Sweden, Holland and Germany and met here in Germany for the first time. Tomorrow they will travel as a group to [the railway museum at] Bochum-Dahlhausen and afterwards will return to their home countries."

After the show, some of us decided to get some food and be finished in time for Ruud to catch the 19:00 train to Rotterdam. Unfortunately 11th November is carnival day in northern Köln and the city was teeming with people in all sorts of fancy dress costumes. Unlike the previous evening's fine food, we ended up going to a certain American hamburger restaurant as being the only place we could get anything to eat before Ruud's train left. Oh well, you can't win them all.

SUNDAY 12th NOVEMBER

Martin (and his parents), Georg, Frank, Tibor (and his wife and daughter), John, Doris and Tim met up at the railway museum at Bochum-Dahlhausen. The museum has a good collection of locomotives, including 01, 38 ,50, 78, 95, E32, E94, a Schienen-Straßen-Bus and a Wismarer Schienenbus.

After looking round the museum grounds, Martin gave us a guided tour of the roundhouse with a commentary describing the exhibits, and their backgrounds. We then went to the carriage where the MEC Essen (Essen Model Railway Club) has their model railway. This was not normally open in November, however Martin had made special arrangements for the layout to be operated for us.

Later in the day, John, Doris, Georg, Frank and Martin went for a trip on the preserved line operated by the museum. An ELNA loco along with 5 carriages made a pleasant 2 hour round trip accompanied by lots of steam effects (it was rather damp outside) and German sausage.

As a finale, Martin, John, Doris and Georg went for a splendid meal and said their goodbyes.

EPILOGUE

John Oxlade (and I suspect all those who attended) would like to thank Martin Silz and Frank Forsten for making many of the arrangements for us all on our visit to Köln. The only problem was that it all worked out so smoothly that they might be invited to arrange the next one too.

Many thanks are also extended to the MOBA and the MEC Essen for their hospitality.

 

Click on any of these images to display a larger version (All photos by John Oxlade unless otherwise stated)
Images from the meal in Baal on Friday 10th November
Click on image for description.		Frank, Georg and Tim discussing Tim's "napkin" track plan.
Images from the Internationale Modellbahn Ausstellung on Saturday 11th November
First view of the exhibition, although only about 25% of it.	On the Busch stand, their new UFO model.	A nice LGB layout.	Modellbahnfreunde "Glocke" Kempten's "Ospizio Bernina" layout.
The Fleischmann stand and layout.	Model Railway Club Helsinki's layout.	G. Hendrik's layout "de Passerel", based on a Mosel vineyard.	We are entertained by the MOBA. (Photo courtesy of the MOBA)
Images from the railway museum at Bochum-Dahlhausen on Sunday 12th November
DR 95 0028-1 (an ex-Prussian T20), in front of the roundhouse	Especially for John Bruce, an ex-Russian truck	Martin Silz, his mother and father, Georg and Doris in front of a converted diesel railcar used for measuring the inside profile of tunnels	The museum's Köf II and a Donnerbuchsen (Thunderbox) giving short rides
A British loading gauge ferry wagon, DRG type "Gfh Trier" (later Saarbrücken), DB class Gbh 21, built in 1927.	An overall view of the turntable and roundhouse showing the museum's BR50 and BR95	The recently restored and re-streamlined 01 1102.	Cab of the Schienen-Strasse-Bus (Road-Rail-Bus). A special bus, which could run on roads as well as on tracks
Martin Silz giving us a tour (with commentary) standing in front of 78 468.	01 008 inside the roundhouse	The restoration of this ex-Prussian combined post & baggage coach is nearly completed	The ELNA loco being readied for the trip
The "Father of all Thunderboxes": a Ci-21 forming part of the museum's train from Hattingen to Wengern-Ost	Martin, Georg, Frank and John standing in front of a six-wheel Prussian baggage car, which is part of the museum's train	Martin and the Essen Model Railway club's layout (operated by Bernd Kleindienst). The layout is built inside an old passenger carriage.	The main station on the MEC Essen's layout.

PARTICIPATING CLUBS/LAYOUTS

1) Interessengemeinschaft Spur Z (Z Scale Interest Group)

The Z Scale Interest Group is exhibiting a Z scale railroad to the public. Along 30 meters the visitor can experience the smallest serial produced model trains in the world in action.
Scale 1/220, Z

2) Z Club 92

Z Club 92 offers the interested visitor a look into the world of Z scale. The modular layout is an imaginary layout that does not follow a specific. Here the visitor sees what is possible in a small area with Z.
Scale 1/220, Z

3) Authentic Modellbau Club, Wien (Vienna, Austria)

For the first time the AMC Vienna is showing parts of its large modular layout in Germany. Shown are six train stations built according to Austrian prototypes. Additionally, hand made models are shown in a display case.
Scale 1/160, N

4) HEB Modelleisenbahner, Heusenstamm

The HEB group will be present with their well known modular layout for the first time in Cologne this year. The layout is set in hilly terrain, and includes a large station with shunting facilities and a large steam locomotive maintenance facility.
Scale 1/160, N

5) Modelleisenbahnclub Seehausen, Altmark

The model train club, Seehausen, Altmark, has taken up the task of realistically modeling the route Geestgottberg-Salzwedel in 1/120. The stations of Geestgottberg and Krüden, along with the connecting stretch, are modeled in full detail. Also all engineering works on this layout are individually constructed.
Scale 1/120, TT

6) Modellbahngemeinschaft Siegkreis e.V

The modeling group Siegkries presents to the public a modular layout in H0/H0e. The Layout is set in Epoch III/IV. Many interesting components, for example a goods depot, an industrial area, two stations up to 10 meters long, and a suburban station are all connected by numerous mainline modules, which connect the mountains and valleys to each other. Trains on this layout are up to 6.9 meters long.
Scale 1/87, H0/H0e

7) Ostthüringer Modelleisenbahn Club Gera e.V

The OMC Gera has taken upon itself the task of modeling a station from Thuringia. After setting various criteria, the decision was made to model Lauscha. This station is reproduced to the smallest detail. All of the buildings are scratch built. An additional highlight of the layout is the inclusion of the Faller-Car- System. However, mass produced cars are not used, but those which represent the early days of the automobile in the GDR, such as the Trabant, articulated Ikarus bus, Moskwitsch, etc.
Scale 1/87, H0

8) Eisenbahnfreunde Dillingen e.V.

Let yourself be enchanted by the world of industry. Shown is a section of a steelworks in the Saar, which can still be seen today. Blast furnaces and coke facilities define the setting of this layout.
Scale 1/87, H0

8) Model Railway Club Helsinki (Finland)

Let yourself be enchanted by the scenery in the high north of Europe. The layout is set n Epoch III/IV. All of the models are overwhelmingly hand made. Each and every building is scratch built. Numerous details, such as the Finnish sauna in the blockhouse, the fishermen at the lake, and much more, help to give this layout its special flair.
Scale 1/87, H0

9) "de Passerel" , G. Hendrik's (Netherlands)

The layout by the club, < > from the Netherlands, is based on the vineyards of the Mosel. The cities reproduced are the "Saarburg" (Weinstadt) and "Serrig" in the vineyards. The layout is set in the wine growing area along the German/Belgian border. The highlight of the layout is the vineyard with almost 4000 hand made grape vines. From a rail technical side different gauges from H0 to H0f are present, and of course, three rail dual gauge trackage is not allowed to be missing.
Scale 1/87, H0

10) Rail Miniatuere 25, Besancon (France)

The club, Rail Miniature, is presenting to the public a funicular railway that was in operation up until 1988 between Beauregard and Bregille. The model exhibited here was copied exactly in 1/87 according to plans, photos, and postcards. All notable building are faithfully reproduced.
Scale 1/87, H0

11) Modellbahnfreunde "Glocke" Kempten

The Modellbahn friends "Glocke" from Kemtpen have left us breathless in Switzerland . They are presenting to us the highest station on the Rhb, "Ospizio Bernina". This station lies above the tree line and the special attraction of this layout lies in its use of minimal vegetation.
Scale 1/87, H0m

12) Strassenbahnfreunde Hemer

The streetcar friends from Hemer have dedicated themselves to their home in the 'Märkischen Kreis'. The show the Iserlohner Kreisbahn in the area around Altena, as is appeared up to 1960. The 'dicke Berta' shunts goods wagons in the wire factory, which is situated along the route. Furthermore, the streetcar friends from Hemer enthrall us with a special exhibit of streetcar models from the Iserlohner Kreisbahn and Cologne.
Scale 1/45, 0

13) Modellbahnfreunde Niederrhein e.V

The club is exhibiting a 15 meter long modular layout. This layout captivates us with its large vehicle and structures that are set into the scenery very well.
Scale 1/32, 1 Gauge

14) Eisenbahnclub der Stadtwerke Wuppertal

The STW Wuppertal club models in IIm gauge. At this exhibition they are showing RhB models. Trains up to 7 meter long are being operateds.
Scale 1/22.5 IIm Gauge

15) Franz Stellmaszyk

In a special exhibition Franz Stellmaszyk shows us many of his world records such as the smallest vice in the world, the smallest usable iron saw (Bügelsäge), the smallest beer bottle etc. Everything is modeled in 1/22.5. In total Mr. Stellmaszyk has 9 entire in the 200 edition of the Guiness Book of World Records.
Scale 1/22.5 IIm Gauge

NOTES

John had personally met Kenny, Martin and Dave before (come to that, Pierre Birgé and Sith Sastrasinh too, but they did not attend the show), but this was the first time more than 3 people who visit the site had met.