HO Restoring an HO BLT

[Tim Hale]

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Having previously failed, this the last attempt to describe the rebuilding of layout belonging to the Dorset Reichsbahn Gruppe that was sold in 2008 and subsequently ‘lost’. However long story short CLICK HERE, the remnants of the layout were found by Brian W on the Isle of Wight and subsequently returned to Dorset in 2024.

At the start of 2025, the existing ‘new ‘ layout, Pottendorf, had just been captured for posterity by Peco and the workbench was being used to restore old buildings, locos etc. The restored buildings and stock found their way onto the new layout and a decision made to sell the now surplus bits and keep the restored items, this was not difficult as both layouts shared the same space in the workshop and almost identical trackplans.

I hope to provide a narrative of both the backstory and the restoration of the layout in subsequent posts.

Thank you

 

[cmax]

Good to see the new layout in this months Continental Modeller

 

[Roger Pound]

A late friend of mine had a garden on a plot in Greater Dusseldorf - I never did know the name of the district. It, along with most of its neighbours had a brickbuilt building with power and running water and limited living accomodation, allowing many keen gardeners to sleep at their gardens if and when desired. Apparently this was a very popular thing allowing people to virtually have a country holiday within the City. Definitely a far cry from the typical English allotment !

I compliment you on the modelling of your own allotment plot for the layout. Excellent work.

Roger.

 

[JimG]

A short film of the the Rennsteig please watch it, well worth the effort..

That brings back memories. An early train set which my father sourced shortly after WW2 was a Trix German set with one loco, some wagons, and a set of four wheel coaches exactly like the ones in the film. Unfortunately the locomotive didn't have ten wheels - more like four on the traditional Trix twin design.

Jim.

 

[Roger Pound]

I particularly like the Br94 and have one lined up for working on my upcoming Stutzendorf layout in N. The longevity of so many classes surviving from the early German Railways is not always appreciated at first glance, but is indeed a credit to their design and construction.

Roger

 

[timbowales]

The Meditteraenan weather is changing to British, so back to the shed.

View attachment 238126 View attachment 238127
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A bus-stop shelter in rural Thuringia, the DDR has a 'thing' for concrete but I don't share their enthusiasm, consequently this'll do. Ironically, the SED was the main reason why the once dense rural and suburban rail network was slowly dismantled to provide 'reparations' to the soviet regime, in their place was a bus network.

Tim

A bit like the UK post Beeching then

 

[Roger Pound]

My sympathies with the problem, Tim, as I find myself in much the same position. The dismantling of my English layout due to the shed which housed it failing, leaves me with the entire stock which must be diposed of as I do not intend to rebuild. As we grow older and less able, the instinct to buy does need to be firmly suppressed, which in my case (and I guess many others) is far easier said than done! Every success with your endeavours.

Roger

 

[WM183]

Wunderschön!

 

[Simon H]

Hi,

View attachment 251686​

It has been a very long six months and I think that as almost everything that I set out to do has been achieved with the Deutsche Reichsbahn, all the models can be put back in the store cupboard and the Deutsche Bundesbahn stuff can be dusted off. Maybe, this time next year another change over?

Tim

That sounds like a very sensible, practical way forward, Tim.
I hope it works for you!
Cheers,
Simon.

 

[alastairq]

Aaaah, the good old Babushkas....so resilient, so taciturn, never ever known to suffer PTSD, or go 'bomb crazy!' {Ask anyone who lives in Kherson?]