“NEBENSTRAD” by Neville White

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History.

The beauty of the hobby of model trains is that it can start as a child and progress, at a later stage of life, after finally ridding one’s self of the children. In my case this was partially true, and I started a new hobby, model trains. So, after some 35 years I am still playing trains.

I restarted modelling seriously back in the late 1980’s and had an exhibition layout Nebenstrad I which was included in the August 1990, edition of the Continental Modeller. After scrapping the main front module and creating a new one, Nebenstrad II was included in the July 1995 edition of the Continental Modeller. Both configurations were exhibited locally and in Sydney. These were created as I was working away through the week and this helped wild away the hours at night. The Nebenstrad II layout was sold when I changed employment, but most of the rolling stock components of these layouts were retained and can be seen on Nebenstrad. I prefer to call my layout Nebenstrad as it is now a permanent layout as opposed to an exhibition layout.

Again, changes in jobs requiring working away for several years, really hindered my modelling, until a new job was taken ‘in my hometown’, this allowed more time. A later forced early retirement put the icing on the cake.

Over this time many attempted configurations in the home garage ensued, and were pulled down as they proved in practical, as sharing it next, to the car just did not work. So a car port was built and the garage divided in half to provide a dedicated train room, the other half still had the ‘other’ car in it. The train room was fully lined, and the long windows installed up high to allow the layout space to be run around the walls. Nebenstrad was born, in 2000. But it has taken still many changed to get to the present.

Originally it looped over itself and you had to duck under the track to get to the centre area of the layout and as we are getting older this too was scrapped.

Next came a point to point that was in a dog bone, U shape, which had hidden storage tracks under and a hinged station area that lifted to allow access. This again proved well intended but was not practical. Operationally it did not allow continuous running, so…!!! The original reason why it stopped was due to a cupboard at the end of the station area, so the cupboard was cut down to below the track level and the two tracks looped together. This added scope for a newly built extended town area to allow a continuous run. This loop near the lake / bridge limits the train room door slightly but its hindrances are minor and improve the layout by the adding of the upper town area and of course ‘continuous running’. Thus, the basis of the current layout was finalised. Out came the hidden tracks under the station area and a single return track loop left. The hinged station area was now not required so things could be made more permanent in that area. Finally, again after years of on/off activity, I got the bug again and re-joined my local Model railway Club here in Newcastle, N.S.W.

After some minor tweaks to trackwork I embarked on the wiring of a separate controller for the lower LHS shunting / brewery area. This would allow me to run a train continuously on the main line and shunt on both sides of the lower yard / brewery / industrial area. This was done and the track ballasted. This new lower area control panel also included the controls to the tracks around the turntable area.

The Layout.

Like the two exhibition layouts, Nebenstrad is a fictitious German layout, based on what kits and models that were available at the time. Most of what is on the layout was purchased back in the 1980’s and 1990’s. But other things have been sourced more recently. The predominate period that I model in is Era II and Era III, 1920 to 1968. Unfortunately. I cannot install the overhead catenary, which I had installed on Nebenstrad II, as though I have some left-over pieces of Sommerfeldt, time and cost prevent, completing this at least on the main lines at this stage. The lovely German electrics and railcars still get a run though. It is DC only as nearly all my locomotives were purchased before DCC was readily available although some can have plug in chips fitted, I have not done this due to the small size of the layout. The track is all Peco Code 100, as I already had a fair bit of it, and some of the older models do not have the finer scale wheels that the current models have. All points are manually switched by hand due the track simplicity, and easy access, from the centre area of the layout.

Layout Construction.

I thought that I final knew what I wanted when I decided to separate the garage and fully line it. I installed windows high up to allow light and allow the track scenery to go up to the wall. I installed a back scene that I clued to it that repeats by Faller - Oberstdorf. This was partially successful but as the backscene board was curved at the corners of the layout, some imperfections/bubbles are present, but you live with it. There are always better ways that you find out later.

The layout frame is bolted to the wall all round and metal legs place to support the front edges of the layout. I have spaced these to allow chests of drawers and other items on roll out legs, to fit in between. This also allowed the track wiring to be accessed when required. Putting the cupboards under like this allows all the items you need and acquire to be stored conveniently close. My wife made some black curtains that fit and slide on wire to cover the area under the layout, including the wine fridge and wine storage rack.

The track gradient was limited to three percent, and removable lift out sections fitted in the straight hill area that cover the downhill, run to the tunnel on the lower level, behind the brewery to allow access if required, for cleaning or derailments. Similarly cut outs were made to allow access to the return loop under the station and under the twin tracks under the farmhouse area. The return loop after the station/upper town area, can all be lifted off, if required to allow access.

I have ensured that the track area can be reached from the centre operation/viewing area. The corners had been filled with scenic details prior to finishing the track.

I have used blocks of styrene to form the landscape, and then covered it with plaster, coloured with brown oxide, used in cement. All the plaster stone walls were made by myself using a couple of moulds that I made up and I just cut and joined them all up and touched them up with plaster and painted then grey. All the scenic products are from the usual suppliers, and some added twigs from my backyard tree.

Scenery.

The layout is basically Era III, but having said that the houses in Europe have been around for a long time, so you can run even Era I. The only real changes are the people, trucks, and cars. There are over one hundred various kits on this layout, which is a surprising number when you add it up. I have taken the advantage of using some of the kits fronts and back to make two houses. Also, I bought quiet, a few cheap Helgan houses, kits and cut down the building height and altered the roof configurations, these can be seen behind the shunting area of Nebenstrad Station. I have repainted and added detail to all the buildings on the layout.

All the hills are formed out of styrene and covered with brown tinted plaster and all the usual scenic products, which provides a good anchor when placing in the trees. Again, the water is the Faller plastic sheet, which suits the small areas it is used in. Trees there can never be enough trees, this is Germany is it not, over six hundred.

People add that extra dimension and life to a layout, and the trucks and cars as well. So, these are placed as small cameos all over the layout.

The wharf area was an after thought as a model of the wharf crane that I could not resist buying, which just had to be included somewhere. The river barge was a N scale kit, that I cut up and made a new superstructure for. I made new loads for the three holds as the original ones were coal loads. It is moored at the wharf waiting to be unloading under the crane. Together with some local fishing and sailing boats.

Detailing.

I am a great believer that railways are minimalistic. Railway companies only built what is required. Too many layouts have far too much track for no reason. What I have tried, tried being the optimum word is to have a reason for the tracks, and have the landscape to allow the track to look like it should be there. As such ground levels should appear to suit the track alignment. I have added many detailing components to the layout, things such as power poles, street lights, point indicators (dummy ones that I made myself in this case), items left in around the track such as piles of sleepers and stacks of sections of track. Cable drums, with and without wire, tools, oil drums, boxes, and lengths of rail on various frames. Rail yard lights are also important as railways operate around the clock and in all weathers. You need the people and animals, with a bird on the crane and one on the river barge cabin roof. Cars, motor bikes, pedal bikes, forklifts, and trucks have a presence in appropriate places. Many of the wagons have made up insertable loads, from coal to general items, for added realism. Loads of pipes, boiler piping, timber, general goods, tractors and even trucks just make the carriages more realistic. These are tired down and wheels chocked as required.

After finishing the upper town part of Nebenstrad, or so I thought. I thought that if I could not have catenary on the main tracks, then I could have a Tramway in this part of Nebenstrad. I laid a 1150 mm length of Peco Code 75 track and used various thicknesses of balsa sheet to build the track into the roadway, moving the houses back to allow this. I made my own tram masts which are similar to, the Sommerfeldt design. It can be operated just as a novelty or left looking good with a modern tram or an old type N tram just sitting, waiting to leave.

Rolling Stock.

I have been fortunate to have been able to purchase my modelled Era period stock, as the current manufacturers are only producing later Era stock over the last few years. As with German railway carriages these have endured service through many periods and have been renumbered accordingly. We all acquire much more stock that you can ever put on a layout at any one time, and so it is with me, and I could run Era I through to Era IV. The cars and people on the layout are the only really date give away.

Without Catenary, the glass train will have to be towed by a VT 98 or other alternatives, as in real life, but there are many railcars, diesels, and steam locomotives to ensure an authentic session. It is unfortunate that I cannot run the many electrics locomotives and railcars that I have realistically, but maybe later.

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