Hal's Research
The Backstory to Hal's latest venture
Having discovered the 1935 photo (shown below) from the centenary of the Nürnberg to Fürth trials in 1835 I could not resist but to buy a 1:32 (Gauge 1) model which was made by Märklin for the 150th anniversary in a guaranteed run of 5,000 in 1985 for worldwide sales.
Mine is No 0624/5,000 according to the certificate by Märklin that came with the set. With it being 38 years old it had to be offered as 'Pre-Loved' but when it arrived I could tell that someone must have bought it as an investment and left it unopened for all that time.
It is beautifully made and very heavy with the entire rolling stock all cast and machined metal. Only the period figures are plastic. As a member of the WWOGG normally I am keeping to Gauge O rolling stock, but I wanted this model so badly that I converted an old 8ft test track using Märklin Gauge 1 (45mm) track to take the photos and to run it a little. Now I will have to part with a few O Gauge items to pay for it.
What next?
It is a fabulous set and I thought I ought to share it with you. It would be interesting to find someone in the UK to install DCC ESU-5 Sound and Synchronized Smoke for me; I know that a Dutch company has done the ESU-5 Sound bit. There are interesting film strips on UTube under 'Adler Spur 1'.
Do I really want to allow a DCC installer to mess with it??
I don't know as I am a little worried!
Watch this space...
From Newcastle to Nürnberg in 1835
The Adler (German for "Eagle") was the first working steam locomotive used in Germany.
It was imported from England and was in service for 22 years, hauling trains on the Ludwig Railway between Nuremberg and Fürth. The DB Museum has two replicas of this legendary locomotive.
The original Adler was built by the British locomotive works Robert Stephenson & Co. in Newcastle upon Tyne. It took more than two months to transport the engine to Nuremberg: dismantled into individual parts, it was carried by sailing ship, steam tug, river barge and horse-drawn wagon via Rotterdam, Cologne and Offenbach to the workshop of Wilhelm Späth in Nuremberg. There, it was assembled and placed into service on the new tracks between Nuremberg and the neighbouring city of Fürth. It was accompanied from England by the engineer and engine driver William Wilson, who led the reassembly work and was due to return to Newcastle once he had trained the German locomotive drivers. After falling in love with a woman from Nuremberg, however, he remained with the Ludwigsbahn (“Ludwig Railway”) for the rest of his life. A tall, imposing figure on the footplate with his top hat and gentleman's overcoat, he made a huge contribution to the railway's popularity.
The first journey
The Adler's first official journey began at 9 am on 7 December 1835. There was no doubting the historic significance of the moment as the British locomotive and its nine carriages left the station in Nuremberg. Nine minutes later, the 200 guests of honour arrived six kilometres away in Fürth, thrilled by the unaccustomed speed and smoothness of the ride.
The Adler's trails
The Adler was sold in 1858. Sadly, no trace of the original remains. However, there are two full-size replicas: the one built in 1935 is in working condition and is used for some public journeys. The second replica, exhibited in vehicle hall I, was built in 1952 by apprentices of the Deutsche Bundesbahn and served as a stationary exhibit at trade fairs before coming to the museum.
A brand new replica
The working replica from 1935 was severely damaged in a fire at the museum's roundhouse in 2005 and was subsequently restored over a two-year period at the Meiningen steam locomotive maintenance depot. The engineers took the latest research discoveries into account in the colour scheme and shape of the chimney, so that today's Adler looks even more like the original than it did before the fire.
.jpg)
How to upgrade your couplings for realistic operation
There are Gauge 0 RTR Locomotives on the market with DCC operated Remote Uncouplers both ends of the engine which only allow uncoupling of a whole rake of wagons anywhere on a layout.
For a Shunting type layout this is only marginally satisfactory as ideally one ought to be able to uncouple a particular wagon or group of wagons from the rake and to propel and drop it/them at a position anywhere on the layout without the coupling reengaging before the engine involved departs.
I have been able to source a coupling which comes close to this ambition opening up interesting possibilities of recreating a close to prototypical shunting operation.
Modus operandi of novel DCC O Gauge Couplings with Pre-Uncoupling Feature:
Couplings as purchased with Standard NEM coupling sockets shortened and modified for use with UK made rolling stock
Minerva Victory locomotive with NEM socket and coupling installed at the appropriate height
UK made wagons with couplings retrofitted at the correct level
Slowly position vehicles (engine and or wagons) with couplings engaged over the coupling ramp at blue arrow in the photo.
DCC operated Uncoupler Ramp needs no wiring as it is controlled from a handheld D cc: controller
Lift both coupling hooks simultaneously by raising the coupling ramp with a DCC signal on the DCC handheld controller (it’s like operating a point or signal). Ultra tiny magnets integrated in the couplings are now holding the coupling hooks in the 'open' position
The uncoupled wagon or group of wagons can now slowly be propelled and placed in the required location on the layout.
As the engine withdraws, the magnets' fields diminish and the coupling hooks drop down to their normal height .
Shunting for real! More information available from Hal.
