esngblog

Last year, Derek and Allan visited the Stuttgart tram museum.  They met a young helper there, Alexander, and promised to contact each other in 2025.  We were going to visit the museum on the Monday, but Alexander offered a visit on Friday evening, complete with a tram ride.  We jumped at that!  Originally eight or nine were going to join the visit, but in the end it was just the three of us who drove into Stuttgart – a surprisingly easy run at the end of the evening rush hour.

Entering the tram museum, there’s an impressive array of vehicles ahead of you.  Most are metre gauge.  The Stuttgart SBB tram/LRT system is now standard gauge, but two metre gauge lines have been preserved as dual gauge for running the old preserved vehicles.

A selection of the many trams on show.  Our guide Alexander knew all about all of them!

We then boarded the Christmas tram and were taken twice round the block.  A short trip, but fun to do.  Our drivers were Stuttgart SSB drivers, who had come in specially for our little trip.  I suspect they just like driving the old trams.  Unfortunately the mugs on the table didn’t have gluvine in them.

The ‘live’ section of the museum is on a higher level, and we were able to look around the trams not normally seen by the public.

And finally, a view of the (in)famous Party-Wagen.  Not used for at least 20 years (as the interior colours resemble a 1930’s decor), there would certainly still be a demand for it, partying along the line and bopping on the rather small dance floor.  I can’t say I’ve done anything like that, unless carol singing on the top deck of an open top Hong Kong tram in 1991 counts? 

So to a selection of the other exhibits.  The modules and layouts below were made by professional model makers – Italian I think.  There is some fantastic modelling here, especially the canal lift and the ships.

The Zeppelin is towed out of the hanger, and retreats again.  Rather more spectacular than my airfield!

Another set of modules that I’ve seen before, but always worth a look.

The fun tram/LRT layout behind us….

There’s usually a set of single-track NCI modules on show.  Again, I’ve seen them before, but all lovely modelling.

And finally, a few other modules….

Sunday night, we were packed away and back in the hotel in record time.  We spent a quiet day on Monday, recovering.  An early start Tuesday beat most of the Stuttgart commuter traffic and across Europe and onto a tunnel train an hour ahead of schedule.  A tragic accident on the M20 closed both lanes around Ashford, so we came back through Tenterden and up the A21 – but it was a 3 hour journey rather than and hour and a half.  Still, we’re safely home.  Allan dropped my modules back home on Wednesday, and they are back in the loft awaiting a little maintenance. 

So, till next year.  Tiring, but a fun week!

Having got the ESNG contribution up and running, let’s look at some of the other bits of railway on show, modules and stand-alone layouts.

Behind us, Pauline McKenna was running her new German layout.  A simple double track plan just to watch trains go by.  And without any station, full length ICE units don’t look out of place.

Opposite us, the lads from the N Gauge Society Northumberland area group were running DCC trains linked up to our Danish friends.  Viking-rail?  They won second place for best modules in the vote by participating members.  The Angel of the North was home 3D printed.

The Danes brought their most spectacular (and long) junction.

I may as well continue with some more non-modular layouts.  I have seen the Fleischmann display layout, Rails along the Rhine.  It’s compressed front to back, but looks just right.  Much as Pauline’s layout, a procession of trains pass through the scenery.

Mr Kato once again brought a gaggle of schoolgirls over from Japan, who had won his module making competition for schools throughout Japan.  And a worthy winner…..

A single module continuous run layout with spectacular scenery, and some interesting baseboard work behind.

And an interesting single track continuous run module.

Another stand-alone layout.

How to hide your end loop with snow.

Finally, this is one of the most original modules that I’ve ever seen.  And it didn’t look out of place linked up with everything else.

We’ll look at a few more modules next time.

PS  I forgot to post the picture of a major Tea Shoppe attraction….

It’s late November, and time for the 19th ENSC meet in Stuttgart.  I wasn’t sure whether I’d go for the whole thing, but I needed a break after a busy year.  So at 2:30am (!!!!) Allan’s van drew up outside the house, heading for the 5:15am Eurotunnel train.

It was actually an easy journey out to Stuttgart through France and into Germany.  I took a turn at the wheel and with coffee, baguette and loo stops the time passed quickly enough.  We arrived at the Messe late afternoon – still in daylight – despite the queues of traffic into the town.  Everything was unpacked in our area, and we retreated back to the hotel for a very welcome beer and pizza (definitely in that order.)

We thought that we should be able to set up quicker than last year (when we set up the morning the show opened.) so we had a late breakfast and went over to the hall after 10am.  However, everything was set up except two gaps – an Nm module and the one next to us coming from Paris.  So it was back to the usual Wednesday pose…..

The Nm group arrived about 1:30pm and we soon had modules approaching…..  However, the Paris module kept us waiting even longer.  Eventually we were able to get the modules out of the boxes and put together.

Everything went together well, but as usual just a little fettling was needed between modules.  We left the electrics and curtain and a final tidy up for the morning.  We retreated to the same beer house as we went to last year for a hearty German meal (and a couple of dark wheat beers.)

The following morning, we wired things up – and all ran well enough – and added the curtain around the layout using Allan’s new idea – big crocodile clips.  So much quicker than trying to fix it with drawing pins that refused to go into decent plywood baseboards.

So here are a few shows of our empire including Richard’s modules.  Allan’s Toblerone bridge was well liked.  I was pleased that my new track on Aldersford behaved itself.  And we discovered that unicorns travel by train (even pink ones.)

And of course, the Olde English Tea Shoppe made a welcome return….

Next time, I’ll visit some of the many modules on show.