Tag: Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn

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Better VWE Track and Module Planning with GIS Images and Data

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Deutsche Version weiter unten, hier klicken. One of the most useful resources for planning my VWE modules is the public GIS (Geographic Information System) portal provided by the City of Verden (Aller). Instead of relying solely on Google Maps or Google Earth, I can now work with much sharper aerial imagery, which can be viewed at scales down to 1:100, together with a wide range of additional geospatial data. The high-resolution imagery makes it much easier to verify important details of the prototype that I want to capture on each module, resulting in more accurate track planning and scenery. Google Earth … Continue reading Better VWE Track and Module Planning with GIS Images and Data

FREMO, Layout Construction2 Comments

Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): “Kuhweg” Looks Cool (Part 2)

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Deutsche Version weiter unten, hier klicken. Based on feedback from experienced FREMO members, I decided to replace the cork track roadbed with 2 mm and 3 mm plywood. The cork was removed completely, and any remaining adhesive was carefully scraped away and sanded smooth before the new roadbed was installed. Both the main line and the siding were rebuilt using a 22 mm wide, 2 mm thick plywood strip glued on top of a 28 mm wide, 3 mm thick plywood strip, following the method described by N-Modellbahner. Previously, I had used cork of the same thickness but in wider strips. … Continue reading Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): “Kuhweg” Looks Cool (Part 2)

FREMO, Layout Construction2 Comments

Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): Modules Effem (Eitze) and Kuhweg Now Free-Standing (Part 2)

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Deutsche Version weiter unten, hier klicken. Update 26.07.26: See here for part 1. Here are the proper photos of the Effem and Kuhweg modules assembled together in my cellar. I now have enough space to assemble all five segments together, giving me a comfortable workspace for the next stages of construction. The next major milestone is laying the flex track and turnouts. Everything is ready to go—the track, turnouts and wiring are all on hand. I am only waiting for the 2 mm and 3 mm plywood sheets, which will replace the cork as the track roadbed. Now I just need … Continue reading Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): Modules Effem (Eitze) and Kuhweg Now Free-Standing (Part 2)

FREMO, Layout Construction1 Comment

Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): “Kuhweg” Looks Cool (Part 1)

traiNmaster

Deutsche Version weiter unten, hier klicken. Update 26.07.26: Based on feedback from experienced FREMO members, I no longer recommend using cork as a track roadbed. Cork can absorb moisture during the ballasting process and may warp over time. I therefore decided to replace the cork with thin plywood. See Part 2 for the revised method and the complete correction. I started by drawing the track centreline 80 mm from the side of the module to serve as a guide for laying the cork roadbed and track. This centreline is important because it ensures correct alignment with adjacent modules. In accordance with … Continue reading Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): “Kuhweg” Looks Cool (Part 1)

FREMO, Layout Planning1 Comment

Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): Track Plan on “Effem (Eitze)” and “Kuhweg” Adjusted

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Deutsche Version weiter unten, hier klicken. The module frame construction is now officially complete. All legs can be attached to and removed from each segment, making every module free-standing, with the exception of the newly added “Kuhweg” module. Since it only has two legs, it needs to be supported by the adjoining modules. Even so, I prefer this new arrangement. The overall length of the combined Effem/Kuhweg module group has remained more or less the same, but the 400 × 400 mm segment now forms the separate “Kuhweg” module. This makes Effem itself slightly more compact while giving me a much … Continue reading Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): Track Plan on “Effem (Eitze)” and “Kuhweg” Adjusted

FREMO, Layout Construction1 Comment

Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): “Effem (Eitze)” Now Free-Standing – and “Kuhweg” Takes Shape (Part 1)

traiNmaster

Deutsche Version weiter unten, hier klicken. It has been almost four weeks since my last update on the construction of my VWE modules. Quite a lot has happened during that time, both on and off the workbench. First, Bruno Mars was in Berlin. I saw him two years ago in Kuala Lumpur, but with the release of his new album Romantic, I simply had to see him again. DJ Pee Wee (aka Anderson.Paak) was one of the opening acts and also joined Bruno on stage to perform several Silk Sonic songs. Then came the 40°C heatwave that swept across Germany and … Continue reading Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): “Effem (Eitze)” Now Free-Standing – and “Kuhweg” Takes Shape (Part 1)

FREMO, Layout Construction2 Comments

Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): Repositioning “Effem (Eitze)” Segments

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Deutsche Version weiter unten, hier klicken. Over the last two weeks, working mostly in the evenings and at weekends, I completed the frames for all five segments that at this stage made up the “Effem” module: two 80 × 40 cm segments, one 40 × 40 cm segment, and two 80 × 40 cm segments with 10° end profiles. From my previous module-building experience more than ten years ago, I knew that getting everything square would be one of the biggest challenges. Every corner needs to be exactly 90°, and the segments with angled end profiles must be built to precisely … Continue reading Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): Repositioning “Effem (Eitze)” Segments

FREMO, Layout Planning4 Comments

Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): Kiss The Ground

traiNmaster

Note: All photos shown here were taken from public area. Deutsche Version weiter unten, hier klicken. After months of planning my Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn track plan with the aid of Google Maps, Google Earth, Bing Maps, OpenRailwayMap, and every other image source I could get hold of, there was one thing that continued to bother me. Satellite imagery provides an excellent “helicopter view”, but it does not show what is really on the ground. The small details that make a model convincingly realistic simply cannot be seen from above. To resolve that, I decided to contact the VWE local operations manager … Continue reading Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): Kiss The Ground

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Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): Construction of Module “Effem (Eitze)” Begins

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Deutsche Version weiter unten, hier klicken. The visit to Verden (Aller) Süd last weekend was well worth the trip. It confirmed the basic concept behind my track plan and my ideas for the industrial area of the ‘Effem (Eitze)’ module. The industrial district itself is relatively flat, but today the line is heavily overgrown, with vegetation crowding both sides of the right-of-way. This gives the railway the typical character of a lightly maintained branch line—slightly neglected and somewhat overgrown. According to VWE staff, the vegetation along the line is cleared only once a year. With those observations in mind, construction of … Continue reading Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): Construction of Module “Effem (Eitze)” Begins

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Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): Module Drawings Finalised

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Note: This will be a series of posts relating to my first FREMO N-scale module based on N-RE (N-scale Standard Gauge Europe; Spur N Regelspur Europa) standards. I hope you will enjoy reading about the background of a private branch line (Nebenbahn) located near the river Aller in Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), as well as my planning, construction, and eventually the operation of the FREMO module. Deutsche Version weiter unten, hier klicken. Givens and Druthers North American modellers will be familiar with the term “Givens and Druthers”, popularised by the late John Armstrong. “Givens” are the hard parameters that define a model railroad … Continue reading Verden-Walsroder Eisenbahn (VWE): Module Drawings Finalised