One of the Finest Narrow Gauge Model Railroad Layouts of East German Steam Locomotives in HO Scale

Published on September 30, 2024

The Harz Narrow Gauge Railways is a railway company that operates meter gauge rail network in the Harz mountains, in central Germany (formerly East Germany). It owns about 140 kilometers or 86 miles of track, connecting the principal towns of Wernigerode, Nordhausen and Quedlinburg and several smaller settlements in the area. The Harz Narrow Gauge Railways run a significant number of its trains with steam haulage, mostly employing 1950s vintage tank locomotives.

In 1887 the first narrow gauge railway line in the Harz mountains was opened. In the years that followed, the railroad line was extended and the rail network enlarged. Because the rail line followed a section of the valley of the Selke, a small river, it was also nicknamed the “Selke Valley Railway”. After the Second World War, the entire rail network fell within the Soviet Zone of Occupation, later known as East Germany. Steam locomotives and steam trains were subordinated to the East German “Deutsche Reichsbahn”.

In 1993 the private railway company Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH (HSB) took over all rolling stock, lines and staff from the “Deutsche Reichsbahn” and since then the HSB runs its trains daily to a timetable and operates more than ten steam locomotives. All the railway lines are worked by steam trains. Today the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (HSB) has the longest single network of narrow gauge railway in Germany.

The members of the Belgian model railroad club “Pacific”, located in Roeselare in the province of West Flanders, are fascinated by steam locomotives and by the picturesque landscape of the Harz mountains that they have constructed a beautiful model train layout measuring around 6 x 3 meters, which represents the Hasselfelde train station of the “Selke Valley Railway” in full length around 1990.

The model railway layout was built in HO scale (narrow gauge) to match the prototype. In keeping with the era depicted, freight transport is also shown as it was common at that time. All of the buildings on the model railroad layout are hand-made. The landscape, vehicles and many details, such as lanterns and telegraph poles, are products of the Polish manufacturer “KLUBA”. The magnificent steam locomotives are either home-built or made by the manufacturer “Weinert-Modellbau”. The steam locomotives are also equipped with sound decoders made by “Zimo”.

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZYms8H8SJg

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