The why and wherefore
Grafenwalde - a quiet corner of the northern edge of the Thuringia Forest in the mid-1960s
Courtesy Peter Koenig
The Rennsteig
Tuesday, 3 February 2026
Layout
The layout design
The project began with four old recycled baseboards that had been stripped and cleaned. It is not a copy of any particular location, merely an amalgam of many suitable features.
The ‘inspiration’ for the station was not located in Thuringia but Blankenfelde near Berlin, it is built in the Prussian style, common enough in many areas.
On such a small layout there are just a few complete structures, the station group plus a wooden shelter for the bus passengers.
Farm
The small farm comprises of a low house and a small yard separated by a railway line.
The farm buildings include a Wills SS30 barn kit that has been improved with a layer of Polyfilla fine surface render.
Just a couple of scenes in the farmyard, the farm is a tiny dairy unit, just three working buildings around a courtyard.
The 'futtersilo' a must-have on any farm from Epoch 2 onwards but this is the actual reason why there is a silo
The cottage
A small Faller building carefully rendered and weathered
The cottage garden has a couple of fruit trees, vegetable garden and chicken coop.
I remember that in my childhood, chickens (and other domestic birds) were bustling around in every village. The owners of the poultry seemed to have no concern for their safety at all. A constant image was the birds taking carelessly walks along the road running through the village buildings. And this sometimes ended in a tragic accident under the wheels of a car.
Operation
Operating the layout
The original Grafenwalde 2008
Typical local trains
Courtesy Peter König
Timber traffic
The unloading area is large hardstanding for local timber and general traffic.
The unloading area is large hardstanding for local timber and general traffic. There is a raised level platform for the passengers and a small wooden lockup for luggage, parcels etc.
The rules
- Only one locomotive in use at any time
- Only four trains
- Magnetic auto-couplings
- Electric turnouts
Hands free (mostly - although I find the free running rolling stock has magnetic axles - which I must address) operation should mean this isn't a problem. In addition, a tiny 'off stage' area is sufficient to swap out vehicles and store two wagons 'off the track' when not in use.
Stocklist
Locos
The condition of the track restricted the size of motive power, the Wismar Typ B and BR91 are pure fiction.
Passenger Stock
After the takeover by the DR (German State Railway) on April 1, 1949, passenger cars from the Deutsche Reichsbahn (German State Railway) were used on the line. Until the service was discontinued in July 1967, both the green or red and white Bi-type cars were mostly used.
Goods
The lack of any significant industry served by the line is reflected in the use of general goods wagons.
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