December 2023

A record number of projects and an astonishing number of deliveries of some long-awaited 1-gauge models made up the year 2023. Things will continue at an even faster pace in 2024.

The brilliant Italian model maker and classic car enthusiast Attilio Mari is no longer alive.

spur1info wishes its readers, subscribers, advertisers, suppliers and friends all over the world a Merry Christmas.

There are always perfectly designed dioramas among gauge 1 model railroaders. But designing an entire layout down to the smallest detail takes a lot of time, a keen sense of observation, craftsmanship and the best materials. Accordingly, it is rare to find such detailed gauge 1 layouts.

The fantastic U-shaped layout, which spur1info will present in several parts with around 160 photos, is a perfect symbiosis of tracks, operating possibilities and a landscape that is very rarely found in this design quality on gauge 1 layouts. The theme of the layout is the transition from the Länderbahn era to the early Reichsbahn era.

Marcus Jaegers is working on a couchette wagon from Swiss RAlpin AG and six-axle freight wagons. A look at the first samples.

The railroad world is a unique collection of technologies that never ceases to fascinate. For example, the transfer of coal cargo onto a ship.

The gauge 1 industry is making further progress. The abuse of pre-orders is finally being thoroughly cleaned up.

Many water reservoirs for steam locomotives were hidden in more or less inconspicuous buildings, partly because of the risk of frost. For example, the water station in Vöcklabruck, which has now been created as a 1:32 scale model.

It is easier to create realistic lighting for 1-gauge layouts and dioramas than for smaller model railroad scales. This is because there are hardly any oversized lamps here, especially as LED technology has also advanced miniaturization here.
The Reichsbahn-Bw already shown in the most beautiful light gains new perspectives at night.

A 1:32 scale railroad depot requires a certain amount of space, but offers the opportunity to set up many steam and diesel locomotives, run them on the turntable and simulate equipping and decommissioning. If you go into detail and have studied the prototypes, a steam locomotive depot is created in the model where you can almost smell the coal fire, coal, slag and steam.

I photographed a Reichsbahn depot from the early 1930s - a real highlight. 32 pictures show it in daylight.

Deutsche Bahn and other railroad companies are not the only ones looking for engineers. Ern Hettinger also seeks those with a clear profile: applicants should enjoy the airy, authentic railroad experience. A willingness to work in an open cab at any time of day or night, summer or winter, is a prerequisite. We run in 1:32 scale in ANY weather!

I'm working on a portrait of a very detailed layout playing in epoch I and II. You will appreciate the photos soon.