In this video, scenic masters Marcel Ackle from Switzerland and Claude Fandel from Luxembourg present their very beautiful 1/35 scale model diorama depicting field railways. It is a three-dimensional work of art. You don’t know where to look first because the model train diorama is so detailed. The bricks are made of clay, the windows and doors are made of wood and the patina is an unmistakable feature. The model railway layout consists of four modules: Two of them are built by Marcel Ackle and belong to his 1/35 scale layout called “Feldbahn kreuzt”. The other two modules were built by Claude Fandel and belong to his train layout called “Moulin Margot”.
Especially in Europe and particularly in Germany there are so-called “Feldbahnen”, i.e. narrow gauge field railways, which are used for the transportation of agricultural, forestry and industrial goods such as wood, peat, stone, earth and sand. Such goods are often transported in tipper wagons. Sometimes those narrow gauge railways are also called trench railways, light railways or Decauville Railways respectively. In the processing industry, these narrow-gauge railways once held an important role. As a result, they were frequently associated with refractory clay factories, brickyards, sugar factories and iron and steel mills. Simple and robust vehicles characterised everyday operations.
The use of narrow gauge field railways declined dramatically in the late 20th century, as their tasks have been taken on by lorries and electrically driven conveyor belts. They are now used only where the ground conditions or lack of space render the routine use of other means impractical. But those light railways are still used in Germany, for example, in industrial peat extraction. In addition, they are still used occasionally in brickworks and other industrial premises. This is why more and more model railroaders and railway modellers are devoting themselves to building model train dioramas in order to keep the fascination of narrow gauge field railways alive.
On the four model railroad modules, the field railway makes its way between abandoned buildings. These buildings reveal a multitude of details and perfectly emphasise the dilapidated charm of the scenery. A little river flows leisurely between them, which the field railway crosses using a very simple bridge construction. Finally, the buildings look as if they have been exposed to the weather for a century.
Marcel Ackle and Claude Fandel
www.feldbahn-modellbau.ch
Pilentum Television
www.pilentum-television.com