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Offline NZMarklinist  
#1 Posted : 19 September 2015 11:11:27(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Firstly the outline copied from my post in the 2015 thread;

The big problem is the organisation and if somebody really does it properly, they should be entitled to a commission as any Travel Agent gets ! Sneaky
However at this stage I am just throwing these ideas out there, but I would look to do pretty much all I have mentioned myself and I have done Switzerland before as mentioned below, in 2005 and Munich and Nuremberg in 2013.

I would propose pretty much an ad hock sort of a tour that people could join or leave as we went along, because, whilst there would be a need for advance hotel bookings, I would propose once organised, every body buys their own Train Tickets and pay their own Hotel deposits where necessary so again as you will find below, miss a train at your peril but catch up later and we could all be connected by our Smart Phones and a "Whats App" group or maybe Face book, but What's App is private to the members of the Group only ! Wink

So my suggested format is;
Confirmation and deposits, if necessary, paid to Hotels, to be by end February 2017, but early reservations & confirmations, by this time next year, perhaps a whole Hotel Booked out somewhere, near Goppingen, and under orders to have extra beer supplies Drool (oh yes and wine )! & possibly a C Track, test track for purchases Wink
I would suggest everybody have a Eurail pass, or DB pass, also have a User group on their Smart Phones, and the DB Navigater App ! ThumpUp especially non Europeans, as they might wish to extend their travels !

Obviously a special personalized Marklin factory Tour would be a must !

Nigel and Jacques to be invited to be special events Directors and possibly Guides ThumpUp Wink

I could see this shaping up to be a week or two of Maerklin MRR & Prototype Fun for Forum members, FD's probly not allowed unless they're pro Marklineers themselves like Chris, Nigel's wife for instance, because organising alternative things to peak their interest would just be too hard IMHO RollEyes Scared And if not MRR or Railway Travel inclined, they could possibly be frankly, stir crazy before weeks end Laugh Wink

In fact once the trip is hardened up on, and a final decision on the Itinerary made by Juhan or whomever is the over all tour Director, with no alternatives, just all go with the flow and miss a train at your own risk but catch up later !!Scared Wink
I did exactly that on our 2005 Swiss Treff trip, because when leaving Lugano, I couldn't find my passport because I'd forgotten where I'd hidden it in my suitcase. I quickly sorted that out and was on the next train to Lucarno and the then the Centovally to Dommodosala, then a short trip thru the Simplon Tunnel to Brig, all on my Todd, Wink and all no problem except I Cursing missed the excursiuon on the Glacier Express into the Alps to view the Matterhorn RollEyes Sad

Back to Goppingen area !
Whilst in the area, a visit to the Porsche & Mercedes Museums, in Stuttgart, should be on the list, if not their factories as well Drool

A quick RR trip down to Lucerne Switzerland, via a stop in Zurich, whilst in Lucerne maybe see the Swiss museum of Transport where a large green reptile resides, alongside a rather box like AE 8/14 painted machinery green, as well as cars, planes and all sorts, maybe followed that very day by a trip by Paddle Steamer from the wharf opposite the Museum, up the Rigi by its Rack Rigi Bahn, down the other side and back to Lucerne by SBB Rail, or maybe that other mountain on the other side of the Lake whose name escapes me ?
So next day could be over the Gotthard (J Vuye in Command maybe Unsure ) William Tell Express ideally, to take in beautiful Lake Lucerne by Paddle Steamer, then over the Gotthard to Lugano or Lucarno (start point for Centovally RR).
Possibly a visit to Galleria Baumgartner in Mendresio 20 mins train ride from Lugarno and they have a Marklin Store with Swiss models Wink
At least a night in Lugano would be necessary at this point !
Centovally RR to Brig (possible Visit there to a Train Store, Nigel Dave & I have been to b4 that specialises in Swiss Marklin plus other brands, and then Sud ramp of the BLS over the Biestchtal Viadukt, with possibly a hike back down the scenic track and walk over the Viadukt itself, but then you'd need to be staying in Brig an extra night, That could also spring a trip on The Glacier Express to view the Matterhorn if desired out of Brig, and another nights stay, then leaving Brigg via the new (2007 actually) BLS Tunnel under the Alps back into Germany at Frieberg, maybe a night there, for a rail trip over the Hollentalbahn (Hells valley RR and to Rotwiell and then onto PP Traumwerk and then into Munich for you know what Woot (Octoberfest actually Drool ) followed by Nuremberg and the DB Museum !!
Perhaps a train trip out of Munich, over the Colter Renner ?? Viaduct in Austria (featured on the PPTwrk layout) ( Semmering Line ?) and a visit to that fabulous MRR Club in a Signal Box, near Vienna ?, that Nigel & Dave have been to, Dave acclaiming it some years ago. "the Best MRR club he's ever been to" not sure if it was the layout or bar, he was referring to, but both are gorgeous from Videos I've seen !

Actually All of that, out of the Wurttemberg area would take 6-8 days at least, but I am only making a suggestion here and we have 12 - 18 months to think about and discuss it. All the Swiss activities I have done b4 along with Jacques, Nigel & Dave on the 2005 Swiss Treff Trip lead by Carsten Ramke on one of his excellent Great Events Tours that we did over six days prior to Treff 2005 starting from Frankfurt Flughaven on a Saturday and arriving back in Goppingen on the following Friday for the Treff (Marklin days) I have a record of all the Hotels we stayed at each night, somewhere Blushing , not that I am necessarily volunteering to be tour Director Scared

If I was not breeching copywrite, with Carstens permission, I could probably paste the old Itinerary from 2005 in here, just to give you an idea, but I'm proposing a little bit more ThumpUp

I've done all these things b4 except PPTwk, and Austria, so look out for a pictorial teaser after I get my Fibre broadband .

Of course only with your approval, esteemed Webmaster and gatherer of a Great Marklin MRR Army of Men RollEyes Smile

But just a tip don't put any of your own money, Juhan, on the line for this Scared Wink

What that implies, is every body would have to make their own hotel deposits, and buy their own train tickets, but again a Eurail Pass or DB pass or a Swiss Rail pass are alternatives, only one or two to buy and no bookings required except for The William Tell Express (Which is first Class only) with a delightful sit down meal) where a supplement of the fare is also required if we did the Boat trip, Lucerne to Fuelen, b4 the train over the Gotthard, first class in the observation car Wink

Anybody care to join me & Juhan in 2017, ??

As I reread this I may edit it some more, please check back at least monthly !

Also, anybody interested, Please comment Smile
Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
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Offline NZMarklinist  
#2 Posted : 19 September 2015 11:15:57(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Copied also from the 015 thread, here's the first sign of interest today ThumpUp

Originally Posted by: NZMarklinist Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: artvegas Go to Quoted Post

Anybody care to join me & Juhan in 2017, XXup will be Invited with special permission and dispensation Wink


I have made a decision to definitely go to Marklin Days in 2017. I have thought about it for the last two times Marklin Days occurred 2013 and 2015. Now I have decided no more thinking time to start planning. ThumpUp

All the ideas for side trips that you wrote about sound very interesting to me. So add my name to your list of forum members interested in joining the group for 2017.

Art


Hi Art,

Thanks and your on, and please comment as we go, but I think the time has come for a new thread, which I'll work on and do some copy and pasting if one of the mods, Smile

Your now reading the new Thread !

And again, at this stage I am not assuming the role of tour Director, just putting the idea out there. I have been in touch with Nigel and asked him to comment ! Smile but he will be busy and may wait till he returns to the UK, but by which time he will be right into hosting "das Englanders" at his fabulous layout and home for their English Marklinists Meeting Cool

So why not add a stop in Vegas on the way home, or way there if one prefers ( I usually like to travel west about the globe, sail into the wind if you like, Wink ) , with Hong Kong my first stop, because the time zone changes are more kind and you pick up time all way ThumpUp , until you cross the Pacific, homeward bound, then lose a whole day ThumbDown but it too, LA - Auckland, or Sydney, and possibly Brisbane with Virgin in new 777s as well, for any travelling Banabenders, Laugh Wink is usually a night time flight, the best time to do long haul Wink Smile

As I have family in Seattle and the Boeing Factory Wink I would leave the US from there and have the option of Seatlle, Hawaii Drool Auckland with Hawaian Airlines oldish Airbus A330's, or Seattle LA or SF - Akl with Good old Air NZ in new Boeing 777 300ER's ThumpUp
Vegas just btw is a great place for a chill out, Lots of really good shows, the best value and nicest hotels you can find anywhere, and The Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam, nearby and all that great stuff, but that'd likely only concern the Australaisians ( Kiwis and Aussies ;)

Edited by user 21 September 2015 08:17:14(UTC)  | Reason: modify comment

Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
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Offline artvegas  
#3 Posted : 19 September 2015 18:36:17(UTC)
artvegas

United States   
Joined: 05/08/2010(UTC)
Posts: 154
Location: Las Vegas, USA
Thanks Glenn I will follow this thread now.

Art
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Offline xxup  
#4 Posted : 20 September 2015 03:49:22(UTC)
xxup

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Joined: 15/03/2003(UTC)
Posts: 9,452
Location: Australia
FD and I are in.. Miss 16 will be at uni in 2017 so she will be based in Canberra with the Navy.. So let's chip away at the detail over the next 12 months..Smile

Edited by user 20 September 2015 10:34:53(UTC)  | Reason: Grammar... Sigh!

Adrian
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Offline kiwiAlan  
#5 Posted : 20 September 2015 08:47:02(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,067
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: NZMarklinist Go to Quoted Post
Firstly the outline copied from my post in the 2015 thread;

Obviously a special personalized Marklin factory Tour would be a must !



While this may be seen as an item on a wish list, I seriously doubt you will get anything other than the standard factory tour that we did this Saturday.

The logistics are such that a tour like Carsten managed to do in the late 1990s early 2000s is no longer possible. The H&S problems associated mean that the way they have laid out the factory to allow the tour for the number of people wanting to do it just doesn't allow personalised ones.

You may be able to persuade them to provide an English speaking guide, but I suspect it would be better to have a number of German speakers in your party who can translate for you when the staff members cannot speak English - which a reasonable number of them can do. The tour process means that large parties aren't practical and you need to be able to proceed as small groups, as they control the rate of entry to stop things getting too crowded around the machinery.


Offline NZMarklinist  
#6 Posted : 21 September 2015 09:26:13(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: NZMarklinist Go to Quoted Post
Firstly the outline copied from my post in the 2015 thread;

Obviously a special personalized Marklin factory Tour would be a must !



While this may be seen as an item on a wish list, I seriously doubt you will get anything other than the standard factory tour that we did this Saturday.

The logistics are such that a tour like Carsten managed to do in the late 1990s early 2000s is no longer possible. The H&S problems associated mean that the way they have laid out the factory to allow the tour for the number of people wanting to do it just doesn't allow personalised ones.

You may be able to persuade them to provide an English speaking guide, but I suspect it would be better to have a number of German speakers in your party who can translate for you when the staff members cannot speak English - which a reasonable number of them can do. The tour process means that large parties aren't practical and you need to be able to proceed as small groups, as they control the rate of entry to stop things getting too crowded around the machinery.




Hi Alan, thanks for those words that are so correct, and to the point, I wonder how much Scotch ye have in ye Wink and I thought you were a Kiwi Laugh Blink

We did the Friday morning tour exactly as you say, they had us in small groups with multiple guides ThumpUp. It was very informative and enlightening, on the production processes, we got into the casting werks, painting & printing werks, (where the Starlight Express loks were being printed) coupler plant, wheels and tyre mounting plant, final assembly and testing area, and others I can't just recall, and we Met Hagen Von Ortlof at the Start point Smile
A few of us even got interviewed for Marklin TV Wink but only a certain young Blonde American Lady in our group, Stretch Anderson's daughter Eden, and briefly her Father, from Bay Area (SF) ETE', made the final production ! typical Laugh

In fact thru Dave Cowl, from Stretch, was how I learn't of the tour Thursday night, for early Friday.
The truth probably was, that Dave and I were not quite articulate enough, or glowing in our praise for M and or, maybe our Kiwi accents didn't come across too well !? Unsure

We never got a tour with Carsten in 2005 Huh

Wot I meant was,

Only us Users.net members on the tour, which might be later than, or before, the other ones, or whenever, but it would need to be the Friday, or maybe Thursday Unsure Doing it on Saturday could cause you to miss too much action around Goppingen Station and all the other areas, that are in full swing on Sat & Sun Smile
Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
Offline Webmaster  
#7 Posted : 21 September 2015 20:08:01(UTC)
Webmaster


Joined: 25/07/2001(UTC)
Posts: 11,161
I love the idea, let's book the whole Hohenstaufen in 2017... BigGrin
Juhan - "Webmaster", at your service...
He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. [Old Chinese Proverb]
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Offline NZMarklinist  
#8 Posted : 22 September 2015 06:02:09(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: Webmaster Go to Quoted Post
I love the idea, let's book the whole Hohenstaufen in 2017... BigGrin


Hi Yuhan,

Good idea, and would be the ideal one, but will it be big enough !Smile it has an excellent bar tho Wink

Three eminent forum members who always stay there, must be given priority over our troops tho weather or not they're on our tour or whatever it becomes.
Just a clue, they are currently on their way to PPTwerk, and may even be there now, well 12 hours ago maybe, now getting ready/sleeping for another visit or going on to somewhere where there is LOTS of Beer Laugh Wink or maybe just back to their home countries Sleep

Is the Croc Hunting season all over now ?
Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
Offline Webmaster  
#9 Posted : 22 September 2015 20:12:07(UTC)
Webmaster


Joined: 25/07/2001(UTC)
Posts: 11,161
Croc hunting season ended on Saturday around noon local time since it boarded the ferry to Poland then... Sad
Juhan - "Webmaster", at your service...
He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. [Old Chinese Proverb]
Offline NZMarklinist  
#10 Posted : 23 September 2015 17:05:36(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
OK, I'd like to ask Nigel to negotiate the Hohenstaufen for us Smile
Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
Offline kiwiAlan  
#11 Posted : 24 September 2015 18:54:03(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,067
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: NZMarklinist Go to Quoted Post
OK, I'd like to ask Nigel to negotiate the Hohenstaufen for us Smile


I think you will find it difficult to get in there, most guests pre-book for two years in advance, and generally your only hope is to go on the reservelist and hope someone cancels.

Offline NZMarklinist  
#12 Posted : 25 September 2015 00:56:01(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: NZMarklinist Go to Quoted Post
OK, I'd like to ask Nigel to negotiate the Hohenstaufen for us Smile


I think you will find it difficult to get in there, most guests pre-book for two years in advance, and generally your only hope is to go on the reservelist and hope someone cancels.



Yes the idea is to book out the Hotel now ! Wink

As is the wish of our great Croc Hunting leader RollEyes Smile
Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
Offline Webmaster  
#13 Posted : 25 September 2015 20:51:09(UTC)
Webmaster


Joined: 25/07/2001(UTC)
Posts: 11,161
I'd like a room there in 2017, if possible - I'd even be happy with the broom closet if there is a mattress & pillow supplied... Will have to start a special savings account for this event now... BigGrin

Are the dates for the 2017 event known?
Juhan - "Webmaster", at your service...
He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes. He who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. [Old Chinese Proverb]
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Offline xxup  
#14 Posted : 25 September 2015 22:47:37(UTC)
xxup

Australia   
Joined: 15/03/2003(UTC)
Posts: 9,452
Location: Australia
Okay. What is special about the Hohenstaufen? Topless barmaids? Free beer? Spa bath in every room?

Please provide a more accurate name for this accommodation, as FD wants to check out the place on Trip Advisor.
Adrian
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Offline DamonKelly  
#15 Posted : 26 September 2015 14:55:47(UTC)
DamonKelly

Australia   
Joined: 26/03/2006(UTC)
Posts: 1,421
Location: Brisbane, QLD
Originally Posted by: xxup Go to Quoted Post
Okay. What is special about the Hohenstaufen? Topless barmaids? Free beer? Spa bath in every room?

Please provide a more accurate name for this accommodation, as FD wants to check out the place on Trip Advisor.


It is called the Hotel Hohenstaufen.

The bar has some tables with Märklin Z-gauge layouts built under the glass -- very cool.

We stayed there in January 2014 -- I thought you'd seen our slide show?
The room was very large by European standards, and well equiped. Very comfortable, and recommended.

The restaurant looked quite nice, but the service bothered us: surely they must be used to English-only speakers, but the waiter didn't even bother trying to explain the menu -- he sort of "gave up" on us. Also, the English menu lacked many of the "specialities" on the German menu, which was kind of the point of the restaurant...

Edited by moderator 26 September 2015 23:05:14(UTC)  | Reason: Link removed by popular request.

Cheers,
Damon
Offline NZMarklinist  
#16 Posted : 26 September 2015 15:32:59(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: xxup Go to Quoted Post
Okay. What is special about the Hohenstaufen? Topless barmaids? Free beer? Spa bath in every room?

Please provide a more accurate name for this accommodation, as FD wants to check out the place on Trip Advisor.


No such luck, what do you think our great leader has in mind ??? Glare Laugh

It is just the best Hotel in Goppingen.

If I could find the 2013 thread there are some photos of a number of Forum members at Nigel's diner on the Friday night, including myself ! Blushing They were taken by Mehmett, and give an idea of the place !
My 2013 search turned up 2015 in the forum. We'd better see how many want to go and organise something then, altho as it is a small Hotel, and always booked out for the "days" I doubt we'd get a group discount !. Hopefully we'll get a comment from Nigel, but come to think of it he gave me bookin details after 2013, when I was pledging to go this year ! Blushing
I'll see if I can find them, but I think the Hotel has a website, Adrian

Edit ; Edit, link removed, available by PM to me Sneaky
Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
Offline Harryv40  
#17 Posted : 28 September 2015 14:39:40(UTC)
Harryv40

United Kingdom   
Joined: 07/08/2015(UTC)
Posts: 241
Location: Wilshire
Hi All
I am happy to put my name down for 2017!
Could I suggest that if we are trying to book an hotel and arrange it all, we need to give that person a deposit!

I have always found in the past that if you have money in your pocket then the reservation is easier.
I am happy to pay for the topless barmaids etc, but not the mature one, we don't need any TOBs!

HarryV40

P.s, I not sure if our ANZAC friends will know what TOB is!!!
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Offline JohnMishler  
#18 Posted : 28 September 2015 18:39:15(UTC)
JohnMishler

United States   
Joined: 06/02/2014(UTC)
Posts: 53
Location: Sabetha KS and Mount Airy NC
Okay, I'm gong to swallow my pride and ask.....

Not only do I not know what TOB is, I'm not confident that I know what FD means. I think I know from the context....but I'd rather not assume!
John
Check out progress on my layout here.
Offline xxup  
#19 Posted : 28 September 2015 21:25:37(UTC)
xxup

Australia   
Joined: 15/03/2003(UTC)
Posts: 9,452
Location: Australia
FD = Finance Director = Wife = Keeper = Partner

I am not sure about TOB, but I have a suspicion.. Blushing
Adrian
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Offline Bigdaddynz  
#20 Posted : 28 September 2015 23:28:52(UTC)
Bigdaddynz

New Zealand   
Joined: 17/09/2006(UTC)
Posts: 18,659
Location: New Zealand
Originally Posted by: xxup Go to Quoted Post
I am not sure about TOB, but I have a suspicion.. Blushing


Search Google for the Urbandictionary definition - in this context, it's probably the last definition that is being referred to! OhMyGod
Offline NZMarklinist  
#21 Posted : 29 September 2015 08:25:24(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: Webmaster Go to Quoted Post
I'd like a room there in 2017, if possible - I'd even be happy with the broom closet if there is a mattress & pillow supplied... Will have to start a special savings account for this event now... BigGrin

Are the dates for the 2017 event known?


No not yet, but I think they are known before Xmas ??

Could every body who is interested in at least a reserved room at the Hohenstaufen, for the Marklin Days 2017, from the Thursday night to the Sunday night !? please pm me with their details. I will see what we can do with the Hohenstaufen, but they may require a Credit card to confirm !
I have an idea Sneaky , that whilst we don't yet know the dates for 2017, if I have a list of names and room requirements for the Hotel, I might be able to trigger auto reservations for the weekend, Thursday night, if your serious, to the Sunday night ! (Friday is a good day to scope out the whole thing before the crowds arrive on the weekend, and maybe do the Factory Tour !?
Those who pm me will receive a link to the hotel, from which to decide on a room type, which can them be pm'd back to to me, and I'll see if I can set up this auto booking idea Smile

Nigel and Jacques, if your reading, please pm me re 2017. I would assume you guys will make your own arrangements as usual !?
Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
Offline NZMarklinist  
#22 Posted : 04 October 2015 02:27:53(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Hi All,

Mike R from South Africa pm'd me and is keen fo a room at the "Hoh" the "Days" and maybe a bit of a Swiss Journey.

I wrote a bit of an itinerary for him, here it is ;

After departing Stuttgart, Monday after the "Days", on an around midday Swiss IC train to Zurich, with a loco change in Singen (Zingen), the train carries on to Zurich. After about a half hour wait, a Bi Level SBB regional train from Zurich takes us past Lake Zurich, and another one IIRC, and within the hour we arrive in Lucerne early evening ! After a nice meal at a local Restaurant we have a good rest in a nice local 3 star hotel near Lucerne HBF. After an early breakfast next morning we depart by Bus for the Swiss museum of Transport where among other things are ;
A real Green Croc, an AE8/14, a lovely realistically modelled, working layout of the Gotthard line both Nord & Sud Ramps in HO ! Lots of cars, the original Swiss Brotli Bahn Train, and lots of other historic trains and Loks. Also quite a few aircraft.
Very early afternoon we leave the Museum and across the road, catch the Paddle Steamer to the Rigi Mountain, and ride the Rigi Rack RR to the top for spectacular views, just hope the weather is still clear in September and the Chinese are not too intrusive ! We ride the Rigi Bahn down again but going on the other line, to the opposite side and the Art-Goldau HBF and catch an IC train back to Lucerne, and another diner and early rest !
Up early again next day to catch another even more magnificent Paddle Steamer, all thru Lake Lucerne and it's many bays and stops, enjoying, literally, a first class sit down lunch on board, arriving early mid afternoon in Fluelen, and catch the rail part of the "William Tell Express" over the Gotthard to Lugarno. A lovely meal in Lugarno near the Lake shore that evening. Then a day could be spent going to Mendrisio for a visit to galleria Baumgartner where a magnificent private Train collection rsides as well as numerous working MRR layouts. 10 years ago when we were there, a 1 Guage one was just being built in the basement !. Then if your keen for another train ride down to the nearby Italian border for a short stop and lok see, then back to Lake Lugano and "Swiss Miniature" which is an outdoor one Scal Layout featureing Swiss landmarks and lots of Trains and even operating boats. A late Lunch could be had there and then the next stop towards Lugarno there is another Rack Railroad up a mountain giving spectacular views of Lake Lugaro. then back to the Hotel.
Next Day catch the IC Train to Lucarno, nearby and the Centovalli to Dommodosala, then an IC Train back into Switzerland and Brigg for what should be enough time to catch the Glacier Express up to the Alps and view the "Matterhorn" at close range !. As we did in 2005 there was still enough time to visit a local Train Store that is a Marklin dealer, among other brands specialising in Swiss Models. He broke out the Glue vine for us that early evening, as there were about 8 of us and a few Sfranks were spent, and he posted the items to the guys homes. My special Freight Car I took with me !
We took a train about halfway up the Sudramp of the BLS and walked a track back down and across or around the Bietschtal Viaduct (famous Faller modell) and down past some other notable Bridges and structures ! That took most of that day, but left time for an alternative visit to the train Store or Some SBB railfanning at Brigg HBF in case you didn't get your fill on the ramp ! Possibly we could move onto somewhere else, even back to Zurich, but my pick would be Frieberg for the night if possible . The next day by train across the "Holental bahn" or Hells valley RR in a DB regional train, and possibly on to Munich. next day would be Peter Porsche Traumwerk, and then back up to Munich for Octoberfest.
From there maybe Nuremberg and the DB Museum.?

I got into my old favourites from my hard drive a few computers back and found this link which has a few pics from Carsten Remke's, 2005 GET Swiss Treff Tour. Sadly Carsten no longer runs those tours Blink
Current forum members on that Tour apart from myself where, Jacques, Nigel and Mrmarklin see;

http://www.greateventtours.com/Treff2005.htm

If you scroll down to row 16 of the photos, from the Swan, and click on the first pic it will enlarge to reveal five very distinguished and discerning first class passengers on the Paddle Steamer part of the "William Tell Express", down Lake Lucerne (The Vierwealderstattensee) enjoying the wonderful lunch they served, Yours trully is the middle guy on the left who forgot his manners Blushing and wore the cap to lunch, (well wot do you expect of an Australasian Blink ) and seated on the RH side nearest the window is Nigel ! That day mrmarklin was doing a road trip over the Gotthard with Jacques, in a hire car. We waved at them, from the warm 1st class Panorama Car on the train as we passed them, standing in the rain, waving back, at the beautiful church in Wassen Laugh

Row 22 & 23 show the Blue Rigi Train that took us down to Art Goldau and the steel structure of it's terminus station above the platform at Art-Goldau Hbf

There are lots of photos there not exactly in order, but don't take the 'properties" as gospel as most of them state the wrong locations. Huh

I should hasten to add that my "itinerary' above is from memories of that 2005 tour Wink
Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
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Offline DaveCowl  
#23 Posted : 06 October 2015 01:41:16(UTC)
DaveCowl

United States   
Joined: 19/08/2010(UTC)
Posts: 31
Location: Santa Clara
Originally Posted by: NZMarklinist Go to Quoted Post

In fact thru Dave Cowl, from Stretch, was how I learn't of the tour Thursday night, for early Friday.
The truth probably was, that Dave and I were not quite articulate enough, or glowing in our praise for M and or, maybe our Kiwi accents didn't come across too well !? Unsure


Not sure I still have a Kiwi accent Laugh

We were very fortunate to get in on that tour - certainly this year they did things differently - many more attendees, but not as rich an experience. Still worth doing though!

Cheers! Dave.
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Offline NZMarklinist  
#24 Posted : 07 October 2015 15:09:37(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: DaveCowl Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: NZMarklinist Go to Quoted Post

In fact thru Dave Cowl, from Stretch, was how I learn't of the tour Thursday night, for early Friday.
The truth probably was, that Dave and I were not quite articulate enough, or glowing in our praise for M and or, maybe our Kiwi accents didn't come across too well !? Unsure


Not sure I still have a Kiwi accent Laugh

We were very fortunate to get in on that tour - certainly this year they did things differently - many more attendees, but not as rich an experience. Still worth doing though!

Cheers! Dave.


Hi Dave,

No I'm not sure it is still Kiwi, but the yanks know it's not American Wink

Our 2013 Tour was excellent and I somehow knew it was something special. Our guide, Dieter, was it ? was very knowledgeable as well as a Marklinist himself, or at least a total believer, and very loyal employee of many years I thought ThumpUp
Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
Offline NZMarklinist  
#25 Posted : 07 October 2015 15:31:35(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
STOP PRESS, SPOILER ALERT


Attention Those of you who have registered your interest in attending the "Marklin Days" 2017 as aMarklin Users.nett members

I do have it on good authority that the Hotel Hohenstaufen is already fully booked for the weekend of 2017.

So we have to find somewhere else. !!!

I have a couple of suggestions, namely the excellent Hotel in Esslingen where I stayed for the 2005 event.

However the Hotel Eichenhoff in Eislingen, just 5km from Goppingen where Dave Cowl & I stayed for the 2013 event could be a better bet, but it is always heavily booked for each "Treff"
However it has huge dining, and entertainment, and Bar areas, and is only a 5 minute Taxi ride to the Marklin Museum, from where you can get the Marklin Circuit Buses.

Lets talk somemore about this but please also consider that I have not volunteered to be a free tour guide for this event or in fact any trips to Switzerland
At this stage I am only offering suggestions and to a man every body wants something just a little bit different, so as I said in the beginning, it would be up to the individuals to make their own arrangements !! but however I am happy to share what knowledge I have ! Smile
I would like to revisit Switzerland myself, but I am not prepared to pay my way just to suit everybody else, sorry I couldn't think of a more gentler way to put that, Blushing

Edited by user 08 October 2015 06:45:54(UTC)  | Reason: typos

Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
Offline xxup  
#26 Posted : 07 October 2015 22:36:08(UTC)
xxup

Australia   
Joined: 15/03/2003(UTC)
Posts: 9,452
Location: Australia
Sorry Glen, Blushing

FD and I are pulling out of this one. We have some good friends coming over from the UK in September of 2017. Maybe 2019 for us?
Adrian
UserPostedImage
Australia flag by abFlags.com
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Offline cramcke  
#27 Posted : 08 October 2015 23:25:15(UTC)
cramcke

United States   
Joined: 08/10/2015(UTC)
Posts: 22
Location: Michigan
Hey everyone, sorry I'm late to the discussion... BigGrin

I don't recall doing a Treff trip in 2005, which would explain a couple of you not knowing about one. I believe we went to Cologne to the Modellbahnmesse that year instead(?). The last 'official' Marklin Treff trip I put together was in 2007, and I know at least a couple of you in this community attended. I had expected to put together a big trip this year, but I ran into a cancer-surgery-chemotherapy-radiation snag that stole much of the summer from me, not just the time but also my health and energy and the ability to arrange, let alone take the trip. I was invited to jump into this discussion by Glen but I don't want to impose on anyone's plans or insert myself where I may not belong, so feel free to have me butt out of this discussion, though I would have some ideas and suggestions on putting something together for 2017.

One comment on the idea of paying someone to put a tour together and lead it: Having done several trips for paying clients I can confirm that a financial benefit is important. Managing a group of a dozen or more travelers, especially when the subject matter (trains) is as near and dear to the heart of the tour operator as it is for the 'customers' makes for a very stressful tour. The return on investment for the arranger/guide is that they get to at the very least make the entire journey for free and have a little left at the end to bring home some souvenirs or spend a few extra days in Europe to relax and hit some other attractions. But make no mistake, if there is someone who is responsible for 'pulling off' a 2017 trip including hotel, transportation, activities, special excursions, and group meals, know that the preparation is the easy part (and not that easy, frankly). The stress comes when the trip launches and variables come into play. I was never, never relaxed until we were all assembled at the farewell dinner or on the last train ride to Frankfurt Airport.

The alternative is to come up with a group itinerary which includes destinations, train selection / transportation, hotels, and events. Then everyone can take advantage of the schedule, travel with people whom they know or at least whom they know to share this interest, and hopefully enjoy some group savings to boot. But everyone is responsible for managing their own costs and payments, they are on their own to make the timetable, and if there is a snafu or problem, everyone helps come up with a solution. This is another option to a fully-baked guided trip, though not as carefree for the participants.

Anyway, those would be my immediate thoughts. And if anyone is interested in going to the Dresden steam festival or the Voigtland Dampfspektakel in April, let me know. I have an AWESOME itinerary for a few of us planning on making the trip... Love

- Carsten



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Offline kiwiAlan  
#28 Posted : 09 October 2015 00:27:25(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,067
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: cramcke Go to Quoted Post

...
I had expected to put together a big trip this year, but I ran into a cancer-surgery-chemotherapy-radiation snag that stole much of the summer from me, not just the time but also my health and energy and the ability to arrange, let alone take the trip.


Oh wow Scared sorry to hear you have been in the wars Carsten. However good to 'see' you over here.

Originally Posted by: cramcke Go to Quoted Post

Anyway, those would be my immediate thoughts. And if anyone is interested in going to the Dresden steam festival or the Voigtland Dampfspektakel in April, let me know. I have an AWESOME itinerary for a few of us planning on making the trip... Love

- Carsten



Does this include the Dortmund Messe? We do attempt to go to the Dortmund Messe regularly, don't always make it though. Dresden is on my list of places to visit, and the Steam Festival sounds interesting as well.


Offline NZMarklinist  
#29 Posted : 09 October 2015 03:06:19(UTC)
NZMarklinist

New Zealand   
Joined: 15/03/2011(UTC)
Posts: 1,757
Location: Auckland NZ
Originally Posted by: cramcke Go to Quoted Post
Hey everyone, sorry I'm late to the discussion... BigGrin

I don't recall doing a Treff trip in 2005, which would explain a couple of you not knowing about one. I believe we went to Cologne to the Modellbahnmesse that year instead(?). The last 'official' Marklin Treff trip I put together was in 2007, and I know at least a couple of you in this community attended. I had expected to put together a big trip this year, but I ran into a cancer-surgery-chemotherapy-radiation snag that stole much of the summer from me, not just the time but also my health and energy and the ability to arrange, let alone take the trip. I was invited to jump into this discussion by Glen but I don't want to impose on anyone's plans or insert myself where I may not belong, so feel free to have me butt out of this discussion, though I would have some ideas and suggestions on putting something together for 2017.

One comment on the idea of paying someone to put a tour together and lead it: Having done several trips for paying clients I can confirm that a financial benefit is important. Managing a group of a dozen or more travelers, especially when the subject matter (trains) is as near and dear to the heart of the tour operator as it is for the 'customers' makes for a very stressful tour. The return on investment for the arranger/guide is that they get to at the very least make the entire journey for free and have a little left at the end to bring home some souvenirs or spend a few extra days in Europe to relax and hit some other attractions. But make no mistake, if there is someone who is responsible for 'pulling off' a 2017 trip including hotel, transportation, activities, special excursions, and group meals, know that the preparation is the easy part (and not that easy, frankly). The stress comes when the trip launches and variables come into play. I was never, never relaxed until we were all assembled at the farewell dinner or on the last train ride to Frankfurt Airport.

The alternative is to come up with a group itinerary which includes destinations, train selection / transportation, hotels, and events. Then everyone can take advantage of the schedule, travel with people whom they know or at least whom they know to share this interest, and hopefully enjoy some group savings to boot. But everyone is responsible for managing their own costs and payments, they are on their own to make the timetable, and if there is a snafu or problem, everyone helps come up with a solution. This is another option to a fully-baked guided trip, though not as carefree for the participants.

Anyway, those would be my immediate thoughts. And if anyone is interested in going to the Dresden steam festival or the Voigtland Dampfspektakel in April, let me know. I have an AWESOME itinerary for a few of us planning on making the trip... Love

- Carsten





Wow Carsten, ! thanks for all that and sorry to hear about your health issues ! Maybe they dulled your memory Scared

Obviously I wasn't as bad a Tour member in 2005 as I thought, but that's were we first met and also where I made; Nigel, mrmarkln, and Jacques, first acquaintance. see; http://www.greateventtours.com/Treff2005.htm Wink Blushing

However; thanks for all that, and I know I, stressed you when I went back to the Hotel in Lugarno, looking for my passport, which was in my suitcase all along, just not in my travel bag as usual, and then took the next IC train to Lucarno, where I had quite a wait, but superb lunch, then on the Centovalle and on to Brigg from Domodosalla by myself, quite fun actually ! However on arrival in Brigg found you at the Station where you graciously said you stayed to do some rail fanning" but that caused you to miss the trip on The Glacier Express, up to the Matterhorn with the rest of the group, as did I sadly that time. You also missed the trip that early evening to the Train Store down the valley that Nigel, Dave, Norm, and about four others went to, myself included, because you felt you should look after the other tour members !

Not something I'd sign up to, I must admit, unless they paid me heaps Wink

I'd go on another Tour with you in a heartbeat, time and money available Wink

Anyway, thanks for "chimming in" and would welcome any comment as i'm sure the members here would too.

Guys if you are interested in Carsten's Dresden or Voitland Steam tours, they'll be great but be prepared to get a bit dirty. Real steam engines are fun but filthy things Laugh Wink So contact Carsten thru his site, see link above Smile

Meantime we will develop a plan as Carsten suggested for 2017 in this thread ! Stay tuned Smile
Glen
Auckland NZ

" Every Marklin layout needs a V200, a Railbus and a Banana car", not to mention a few Black and red Steamers, oh and the odd Elok !

CS1 Reloaded, Touch Cab, C Track Modules, K track layout all under construction. Currently Insider
Offline cramcke  
#30 Posted : 09 October 2015 14:53:35(UTC)
cramcke

United States   
Joined: 08/10/2015(UTC)
Posts: 22
Location: Michigan
Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan Go to Quoted Post



Does this include the Dortmund Messe? We do attempt to go to the Dortmund Messe regularly, don't always make it though. Dresden is on my list of places to visit, and the Steam Festival sounds interesting as well.




Hey Alan,

The Dresden festival is April 15-17 and the Vogtland event takes place the following weekend: http://www.hof-plauener-dampftage.de/. I hadn't even considered Intermodellbau OhMyGod ... Okay, time for an itinerary rewrite.

Glen, to be clear, I'm not running a trip (see the afore-mentioned comments regarding stress). I'm offering up the itinerary we're planning on following for anyone who wants to follow as well. If anyone would like a copy of the itinerary in excel I'm happy to provide it. It includes itineraries for arriving via Amsterdam or Frankfurt.

PM me if you'd like to get a copy.

- Carsten

Edited by moderator 10 October 2015 09:52:19(UTC)  | Reason: Cleaned up the quotes.

Offline cramcke  
#31 Posted : 04 February 2016 21:54:28(UTC)
cramcke

United States   
Joined: 08/10/2015(UTC)
Posts: 22
Location: Michigan
All,

I apologize if I'm straying from the 2017 thread, but since Intermodellbau was mentioned I thought I would share our AMAZING itinerary for the upcoming trip.

First, I'm happy to report that my PET scan was clear, meaning that the combinations of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy seem to be holding the cancer at bay. Still, I took it as a sign that it was time to schedule the train trip to end all train trips. Five of us will be enjoying the following train-filled adventure in April:

April 15: Arrive in Frankfurt, activate our 7-day Germanrail passes (they are on sale, btw) and take the train to Basel. Pick up our rental car and drive to Wassen. In June the Gotthard Basistunnel opens, and this mecca of railfanning will soon be a shadow of its former self. Sad
April 16: Railfan at Wassen and Erstfeld, then spend some time at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Luzerne. Return to Basel and take the City Nightline to Dresden.
April 17: Enjoy the Dresden Dampflokfest and take the train to Berlin that afternoon.
April 18: Sightsee in Berlin. Visit Micha's Bahnhof, Lokschuppen Berlin, and any other train store we can find (suggestions?).
April 19: Take the train to Hamburg and spend the day at MiWuLa. Take a late afternoon train to Dortmund.
April 20: Visit Intermodellbau on its first day open.
April 21: Take the train to Goeppingen, visit the Marklin Museum. time permitting go to the top of the Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof tower to enjoy the view before that disappears, then take the train to Nuernberg.
April 22: Visit the DB Museum and a couple of train stores in Nuernberg (and eat Nuernberger sausages of course)
April 23: Take the train to the Dampflokfest in Plauen / Vogtland, stop at the DDM (German Steam Locomotive Museum) on the way there or the way back, time permitting. Then take the train to Frankfurt.
April 24: Fly home. Then take a week's vacation just to recover from vacation.

I know many of you are cringing Scared at this itinerary, and since I'm the youngster of the group at 50, we'll see how much actually gets accomplished. But the events line up so nicely, and with the 7-day passes we can modify the schedule as needed. I hope to see some of you along the way!

- Carsten
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Offline PJMärklin  
#32 Posted : 05 February 2016 10:53:27(UTC)
PJMärklin

Australia   
Joined: 04/12/2013(UTC)
Posts: 2,204
Location: Hobart, Australia
Originally Posted by: cramcke Go to Quoted Post

April 18: Sightsee in Berlin. Visit Micha's Bahnhof, Lokschuppen Berlin, and any other train store we can find (suggestions?)...........

Carsten



Hello Carsten, so pleased your PET Scan was clear.

Re Berlin shops, I have the following information on file but some of it may be quite old :


Berlin


Berlin has good second-hand train stores :

"Toto's Eisenbahnladen", Pestalozzistr. 28, phone 313 51 59 "Micha's Bahnhof", Nuernberger Str. 21, phone 218 66 11 "Lokschuppen", Markelstr. 7, phone 792 14 65 "Modellbahn-Wunderland", Weimarer Str. 17, phone 313 46 46 "Vogelbusch", Cranachstr. 9, phone 855 43 43
"Hercygier", Guentzelstr. 39, phone 87 63 56 "Gomoll", Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee 92, phone 344 22 97 "Garbaczok", Lahnstr. 85, phone 685 23 25

These normally sell used material below Koll's prices, depending on the general state of the models. On occasion, you may even find very rare items.

There are lots of first-hand shops:

Modellbahnen Turberg", Rankestr. 24, phone 883 34 67

Modellbahn Pietsch", Pruehss-Str. 34, phone
706 77 77.

"Lokvogel", Holsteinische Str. 16, phone 861 66 44.

Die Lokomotive Rolf Herrmann
Haehnelstrasse 11
Berlin
Tel: +49-30-8521114
(S45/S46/U4) Schoeneberg

G. Gomoll
Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee 92
Berlin
(U7) Mierendorffplatz, east 300m
Used

Garbaczok
Lahnstr. 85
Berlin
49 30 685 23 25
Second hand

Gomoll
Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee 92
Berlin
49 30 344 22 97
second hand

Herbert Hercygier
Guentzelstrasse 39
Berlin
Tel: +49-30-876356
also old toys, dolls, tin-plate
(U1) Hohenzollernplatz, east 300m
Used

Hercygier
Guentzelstr. 39
Berlin
49-30 87 63 56
secondhand

Hobby Schuldt
Klosterstrasse 13a
Berlin
Tel: +49-30-3318164
(U7) Rathaus Spandau, south 400m

Lokschuppen
Markelstr. 7
Berlin

49-30 792 14 65
second hand

Lokvogel
Holsteinische Str. 16
Berlin
49 30 861 66 44.
Moderate prices and good selection

Michas Bahnhof Michael Duemchen
Nuernberger Strasse 21
Berlin
Tel: +49-30-2186611
(U1) Augsburger Strasse, north 100m
second hand

Modellbahn am Mierendorffplatz
Mierendorffplatz 16
Berlin
Tel: +49-30-3449367
(U7) Mierendorffplatz
also with small second-hand-department

Modellbahn Brause
Osloer Strasse 33
D-13359 Berlin
Tel: +49-30-4935864
(U8/U9) Osloer Strasse, east 200m

Peter Brause Drontheimer Str. 1 D 13359 Berlin / Germany peter-brause@online.de
Telefon: 030 - 493 58 64 / Fax: 030 - 494 20 72


Prühßtraße 34
D-1000 Berlin 42
(030) 7 06 77 77
(Not easy to find, but LARGE shop in Berlin and one of the best in germany, MUST SEE!!!)
between (U6) Westphalweg and (U6) Alt-Mariendorf, west 100m

Modellbahn-Wunderland
Weimarer Str. 17
Berlin
49-30 313 46 46
second hand

Modellbahnbox Karlshorst
Treskowallee 104
Berlin
(closed on Monday)
Tel: +49-30-5083041
(S3) Karlshorst, north 100m

Modellbahnen Turberg
Rankestrasse 24
D-10789 Berlin

Modellbahnen Walter Vandamme
Kopenhagener Strasse
Berlin
(U2) Schoenhauser Allee

Modellbahnparadies A. M. Rinne
Sonnenallee 63
Berlin
Tel: +49-30-6243175
between (U7/U8) Hermannplatz and (U7) Rathaus Neukoelln

Modellbau Horst Gohr
Hellebergerweg 31
D-14089 Berlin
030 3657182

Modelleisenbahnen Pankow Volker Ochs Berliner Strasse 48
Berlin
Tel: +49-30-4723351
(U2) Vinetastrasse, north 100m

Modelleisenbahner am Zickenplatz
Boppstrasse 7
Berlin
Tel: +49-30-6917440
(U7/U8) Hermannplatz, north 200m

Thomas Eisenbahn
Maxstrasse 11
Berlin
Tel: +49-30-4562562
between (U6/U9) Leopoldplatz and (U9) Nauener Platz Used

Totos Eisenbahnladen Joerg Duemchen Pestalozzistrasse 28
Berlin
Tel: +49-30-3135159
(U7) Wilmersdorfer Strasse, north 100m then east 50m
or (S3/S5/S7/S9) Charlottenburg, north 250 m then east 200m second hand

Turberg Modellbahnen
Main-Shop: Rankestrasse 24 Tel: +49-30-8833467 (U9/U15) Kurfuerstendamm Second Shop: Kurfuerstendamm 227 (U9/U15) Kurfuerstendamm Third Shop: Lietzenburger Strasse 46 (car-model-department) (nearly Rankestrasse 24)

Vogelbusch Eisenbahnen
Cranachstraße 8
D-1000 Berlin-Friedenau
(Small, but best Second-Hand-Shop in Germany, MUST VISIT !!!) Cranachstrasse 9
Tel: +49-30-8554343
(S1) Friedenau


Some of this data has become very old; I have collected it over the years for when I visit but you can turn up and the place has long gone.
Importantly, I wish to thank here the resource of Frank Meek, USA who originally provided references.

Regards,

PJ
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Offline utkan  
#33 Posted : 05 February 2016 12:29:23(UTC)
utkan

Turkey   
Joined: 14/07/2009(UTC)
Posts: 19,116
Location: Istanbul,
Now I have a wonderful excuse to go to BerlinLOL
Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you...
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Offline sjbartels  
#34 Posted : 01 March 2016 06:43:24(UTC)
sjbartels

United States   
Joined: 11/08/2015(UTC)
Posts: 1,091
Add me to the list on this as well.... was planning to travel on my own, this sounds much more interesting!
American by Geography, Australian by Birth. I am an original Ameristraylian
Offline cramcke  
#35 Posted : 01 March 2016 14:17:08(UTC)
cramcke

United States   
Joined: 08/10/2015(UTC)
Posts: 22
Location: Michigan
Thank you for the feedback and extensive list, PJ. We'll probably split up in Berlin- I'm planning on spending the day railfanning around Berlin while others are more interested in railshopping BigGrin . I understand the 'Vindabona' sits at Berlin Lichtenberg and we're hoping to do some railfanning at Spandau or Tempelhof station (any suggestions for a good mix of passenger and freight?).

Based on feedback from several of you it sounds like waiting to do the shopping at Intermodellbau is a good idea- better selection, and manageable prices.

Anyone is welcomed to duplicate part or all of our itineraryCool . Let me know if you'd like more detail...

- Carsten
Offline kiwiAlan  
#36 Posted : 01 March 2016 15:27:09(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,067
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: cramcke Go to Quoted Post
Thank you for the feedback and extensive list, PJ. We'll probably split up in Berlin- I'm planning on spending the day railfanning around Berlin while others are more interested in railshopping BigGrin . I understand the 'Vindabona' sits at Berlin Lichtenberg and we're hoping to do some railfanning at Spandau or Tempelhof station (any suggestions for a good mix of passenger and freight?).

Based on feedback from several of you it sounds like waiting to do the shopping at Intermodellbau is a good idea- better selection, and manageable prices.

Anyone is welcomed to duplicate part or all of our itineraryCool . Let me know if you'd like more detail...

- Carsten


For anyone going to Berlin and wishing to do a tour and learn the history of the city, I suggest a tour with this company. we were fortunate to do a tour with them in 2012 as part of 'The Berliner' train trip, to Wünsdorf, which is to the south of Berlin, and was the military communications centre of Nazi Germany. We had Nigel as our guide (see their list of guides), and he was extremely knowledgable on all aspects of Berlins history having been in military intelligence there during the Cold War (which also made him a great source of stories). I am told that the other guides are just as well versed in the history of the city as well.

While in the Spandau area don't forget to visit the Allied Museum, an easy walk from an U-bahn or S-Bahn station. It is built on the site of Spandau prison which was knocked down after the death of Hess (its last resident) and became a NAFFI for the armed forces. When no longer required for that it was made into a museum of the post WW2 and Cold War era Berlin military activities.

Another place to go if you are interested in aviation is the Luftwaffen Museum situated on what was Gatow Airport. I don't know how to get there, as we did it as part of a bus trip for 'The Berliner' trip.

There is also the Olympic Stadium to visit. We didn't get to set foot here as it was just bucketing down with rain when the bus tour went by, we were supposed to have a group photo, but that never eventuated.

Offline Roland  
#37 Posted : 01 March 2016 20:44:54(UTC)
Roland

Canada   
Joined: 09/11/2013(UTC)
Posts: 331
Location: Toronto, Canada
If you're going to be in Berlin, why not visit the LOXX Miniatur Welten? I have not been before but have seen some great videos on youtube. Here's one example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Db3mJeUfiE

It may not be quite as incredible as MiWuLa but surely worth a visit. I plan to the next time I'm in Germany.
My Layout Build | Märklin CS3+ | K-track | Merkur | Viessmann | LDT | iTrain | Modeling DB + SBB
Offline Eurobahnfan  
#38 Posted : 02 March 2016 21:29:50(UTC)
Eurobahnfan

United States   
Joined: 09/08/2008(UTC)
Posts: 407
Location: Stockton, CA
Anyone going to Berlin had better plan to spend more than just a few days: I lived there for four years and always find something new whenever I return.
Offline IanC  
#39 Posted : 05 March 2016 23:32:51(UTC)
IanC

United Kingdom   
Joined: 05/03/2016(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: England, Bedford
I did Marklin tage in 2013 and 2015 from UK by car and fortunately had a floor to sleep on with friends in nearby Reutlingen. Group travel would be nice but fraught with organisational problems and responsibilities. However, meeting up in Goppingen, sharing a hotel / meal / beer / chat would be good. I can thoroughly recommend the Albquell Brauhaus in Trochtelfingen, about 45 mins away in the beautiful Swabian Albs.

IanC
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Offline hennabm  
#40 Posted : 06 March 2016 18:11:08(UTC)
hennabm

Scotland   
Joined: 22/09/2009(UTC)
Posts: 2,038
Location: Edinburgh,
Hi Ian

I was at the 2015 event. My first one and thoroughly recommended. Are you going in 2017?

Mike
1957 - 1985 era
What's digital?
Offline IanC  
#41 Posted : 06 March 2016 23:30:21(UTC)
IanC

United Kingdom   
Joined: 05/03/2016(UTC)
Posts: 344
Location: England, Bedford
Hi Mike,

Wouldn't miss it. Generally get there for Friday and do Saturday too. Order of events depends on the weather, indoors / outdoors day plus factory tour last time. Never been on the Sunday but think it's generally exhausted by then and everyone is packing up early. If you're in Edinburgh I'm not sure if there is any merit in sharing transport but would enjoy the company and with anyone else prepared to endure the 14 hour slog overland.

IanC
Offline hennabm  
#42 Posted : 07 March 2016 18:22:01(UTC)
hennabm

Scotland   
Joined: 22/09/2009(UTC)
Posts: 2,038
Location: Edinburgh,
Hi Ian

Drove over last year and planning on doing the same for '17.

There was an international group of us meet up and take in the show. Most of us then moved on to the Peter Porsche collection and layout. If you've never been, it is something to see.ThumpUp

On the Sunday I did the steige trip behind the 01. I didn't notice anyone packing up very early. It was nice to see all the loks leaving the station at the end of the dayBigGrin

Mike
1957 - 1985 era
What's digital?
Offline Alberto Pedrini  
#43 Posted : 05 July 2016 15:21:01(UTC)
Alberto Pedrini

Italy   
Joined: 02/07/2004(UTC)
Posts: 1,448
Location: Italy
Originally Posted by: Webmaster Go to Quoted Post
I'd like a room there in 2017, if possible - I'd even be happy with the broom closet if there is a mattress & pillow supplied... Will have to start a special savings account for this event now... BigGrin

Are the dates for the 2017 event known?



http://tams-online.de/Te...klintage-Goeppingen-2017

Cool
Alberto

Marklinfan Club Italia
www.marklinfan.net
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Offline cramcke  
#44 Posted : 25 August 2016 17:10:04(UTC)
cramcke

United States   
Joined: 08/10/2015(UTC)
Posts: 22
Location: Michigan
All,

I've been meaning to jump back on the thread and say 'Hello'. I'm happy to report that the trip in April did take place and we had an absolute BLAST. It was so much fun, in fact, that we are already planning on doing it again next September to visit the Treff as well as Oktoberfest. The preliminary itinerary is as follows:

Tuesday Sept 12: Evening flight to Frankfurt
Wednesday, Sept. 13: Arrive Frankfurt, train ride along the Rhine to the DB Museum in Koblenz, then onwards to Cologne
Thursday, Sept. 14: Visit train stores, sightseeing in Cologne, trip to the train museum at Bochum-Dahlhausen
Friday, Sept. 15: Take Thalys to Brussels or Aachen, more sightseeing and railfanning, take train to Goeppingen
Saturday, Sept. 16: Visit the Treff, visit ETS, Germany's largest model train store, and its garden railway festival
Sunday, Sept 17: More time at the Treff
Monday, Sept. 18: Train to Munich, sightseeing, Oktoberfest
Tuesday, Sept. 19: Day trip to Peter Porsche layout, visit Salzburg
Wednesday, Sept. 20: Day trip to Innsbruck or Nuremberg
Thursday, Sept. 21: Morning train to Frankfurt, fly home

I'm unlikely to do it as a tour, as I found the April trip to be so incredibly fun and relaxing compared to running a tour! However if needed I'd be willing to step in, especially if the financial return would allow me to take home a 1-scale item or two from ETS!

It occurs to me that, although I wrote it over a month ago, I have never published the trip summary from our April trip. Since I'm here today, and to encourage all of you to consider a trip to the Treff a year from now, why not? So without further ado...

+++++

The initial concept for the trip arose last October. I had just finished chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and although the prognosis for my recovery was/is good, the aggressive form of cancer I’m dealing with takes no prisoners. It was time to take a long look at the bucket list and see what could be checked off. An ‘It’s about the trains, stupid’ railfanning trip to Germany was at the top of that list, and so planning began.

Traveling alone didn’t sound like much fun, so after mentioning the trip to a couple of fellow train enthusiasts a group quickly emerged comprised of myself, Dan Driessche, Werner Klein, and Adrian Wegener. In November the planning began.

As plans usually go the plan I started only slightly resembled the final product. The steam festival in Dresden and a visit to Miniatur-Wunderland were top priorities, as were visits to Marklin in Goeppingen and the DB Museum in Nuernberg. Bookending the end of the trip was another steam festival, this one in the towns of Hof and Plauen. Intermodellbau in Dortmund coincidentally fell during the same timeframe, and before I knew it, we had filled the schedule to the brim. The final itinerary looked like this, and with only two ‘free’ days (one in Berlin and one in Nuremberg) it was going to be a crazy trip:

Day 1: Arrive in Frankfurt, take the train to Basel, rent a car and drive to Wassen
Day 2: Railfan in Wassen and Erstfeld, maybe go to the Swiss Museum of Transport, then return the rental car and jump on a night train to Dresden
Day 3: Attend Dampfloktreff, take train to Berlin
Day 4: Sightseeing and train shopping in Berlin
Day 5: Train to Hamburg, visit MiWuLa, take a train to Dortmund
Day 6: Attend Intermodellbau
Day 7: Train to Goeppingen, visit Marklin Museum, take a train to Nuernberg
Day 8: DB Museum and train shopping in Nuernberg
Day 9: train to Hof, steam festival in Hof/Plauen (along with 500th anniversary of Reinheitsgebot), take train to Frankfurt
Day 10: Fly home


“To the most beautiful moment in life, better than the deed, better than the memory... the moment of anticipation…”

The next several months were filled with romanticized visions of the amazing trip to come. The itinerary now included a trip down to Wassen, Switzerland, possibly the ultimate railfanning spot, which would soon be a shadow of its former self once the new base tunnel is opened in June. A sleeper would take us to Dresden, a new experience for me, but also one on the bucket list. In January I secured our German Rail passes and found an excellent fare on Air Canada. The others followed suit and booked the same flights. It seemed our trip would now start and end in Windsor, Ontario. By the end of March I had become the poster child for over-planning and over-preparing. But on April 14, the date of our departure, I was ready.

Dan drove down that morning and my wife Jennifer drove the two of us to Canada for the start of the trip. Werner and Adrian arrived shortly after we did, and after a toast to the upcoming adventure at the diminutive Windsor airport we boarded our equally diminutive commuter flight for the leg to Toronto. A short layover in Toronto kept us from continuing the celebration before we boarded our flight to Frankfurt. Although my visions of catching some sleep on the flight were dashed with the non-stop crying of the baby in the row behind me (Dan corrected me and referred to the baby as ‘shrieking’, not crying) I was in good spirits when we arrived in Frankfurt…

…an hour late. It seems that the arrival time that was printed on our tickets was incorrect. We arrived in Frankfurt almost exactly an hour later than we anticipated due to North America switching to Daylight Savings Time while Europe was still on standard time. That gave us only about five minutes to grab our luggage, head to the train station, get our German Rail passes validated, and hop aboard the train. However this is the beauty of a railpass, and as Werner pointed out, the purpose of the trip was to ride trains, and if we arrived in Wassen later we would still be riding trains, and possibly on a more interesting train or route. The only disappointment was that our reserved compartment would go to waste.

After grabbing our luggage we headed to the DB office at the airport. The ticket agent was quick to validate our passes, and when we asked him about a revised connection to Basel he mentioned that our originally scheduled ICE was running late and had not arrived in Frankfurt yet. Unfortunately we had just under ten minutes to sprint to the ‘Fernbahnhof’ or long distance train station. Thankfully we had all packed light, though we must have been quite a sight rushing along the walkway over to the station. We all burst out laughing when, as we descended the escalator to the platform, it stopped! Below us our train was already at the platform. With less than 30 seconds to spare we jumped aboard via the closest door. We had made it!

The train was full, and I was grateful that Dan had made seat reservations for us all. We settled into our compartment and were soon visited by one of the ICE’s conductors. Along with checking our passes she took our drink order, and before long a round of beers showed up in the compartment. We toasted to the success of the trip so far and the experiences to come and relaxed to enjoy the trip down to Basel.

That first train ride was, in a word, magical. I was riding an ICE, admiring the scenery and other trains we saw in stations and on sidings, and was sitting with three of my favorite people enjoying a rich, delicious German beer. Basel arrived all too quickly, and since it was lunchtime we grabbed a sandwich at the small café in the station. Our rental car company was located in the station so after a short walk and acceptance of an offer to upgrade to a more spacious vehicle we loaded our gear and ourselves into our well-appointed E-class Mercedes station wagon. The second leg of the journey was underway, a two-hour drive to Wassen on the Gotthard pass. We skirted Lake Lucerne and arrived in Erstfeld at the foot of the Gotthard North Ramp. After scouting out the entrance to the new base tunnel we drove to the station where we spent some time watching the freight and passenger traffic for about an hour. Then we hopped back into our rental car and began the drive into the Alps. Occasional glimpses of trains running up and down the pass going into or coming out of tunnels teased us for the remainder of the drive, but the remainder of the drive was short, and by mid-afternoon we had arrived at the Hotel Alte Post in Wassen. We were greeted warmly at the hotel and given our room keys. The hotel rooms we had reserved were immense, with a large double bed as well as a smaller single bed. I gave Dan the double and took the single, which I quickly realized was a wise choice as my view from the bed out the window fell directly on the railway line, meaning I could enjoy watching trains all night if I wanted to! After dropping off our luggage we grabbed a beer at the diminutive bar downstairs and headed out the door. We made the trip up the hill to the village church, and spent over an hour marveling at the view and watching trains as they passed by on three levels on both sides of us. It’s hard to imagine that this outstanding railfanning spot would soon be largely abandoned. I was thankful to have gotten to experience it one more time and that some of my fellow train lovers from Michigan got to enjoy it, too. After watching nearly two dozen freight and passenger trains, plus pusher and helper locomotives making their way back to Erstfeld, almost as a group we decided it was time for another beer.

We all assembled at the bar downstairs, and after enjoying yet another delicious beer we sat down for dinner as soon as the kitchen opened at 5:00. The Roesti, a local favorite, was delicious and filling, and before long we were headed upstairs, exhausted from the long flight and long day. I had brought along a tally counter to count the number of trains we saw on the trip. When I looked at it upon climbing into bed we were at 92 trains for the day. I was committed to seeing one hundred trains that first day, but the last click I could muster before my eyes fell shut was 98…

Saturday morning brought morning sunshine but cool temperatures. We were up fairly early, and after a breakfast of rolls and croissants topped with meats, cheeses and marmalades we were on our way to Erstfeld. I had contacted SBB historic and had arranged a tour of the sheds at Erstfeld for the group. For the next two hours our guide walked us through the large sheds of trains and we admired the bulk of the historic locomotives the SBB has maintained in operating condition. We saw a couple of the newest passenger cars in the collection, and enjoyed spending time in the cab of the Ce 6/8 1, the legendary Ce 6/8 2 ‘Krokodil’ with one end opened for refurbishing of the hood, the Ce 6/8 that used to sit in front of the Erstfeld depot but is being moved, and the massive Ae 8/14. Imagine our delight when we were allowed to ride in the cab of the Ae 8/14 as it performed a short shunting maneuver in front of the sheds! A follow-up ride in the BDe 4/4 for a few dozen meters sealed it- this was going to be the absolute highlight of the trip! We left the depot, turned in our safety vests (with some resistance) and headed over to the Erstfeld train station. It had started raining lightly, but we found a small pizzeria with outside tables where we enjoyed a ‘Doener Box’ (cardboard box filled with French fries and Doener meat, not unlike the meat served in a gyro) and spend the next hour or so enjoying lunch and railfanning at the Erstfeld train station. The occasional rain showers kept us under the station platform roofs but we were still giddy from the depot tour and were perfectly content watching the parade of passenger and freight traffic going in and out of Erstfeld.

With eight hours between lunch and the departure of our night train to Dresden we contemplated our options. A decision was made to head to the Swiss Museum of Transport in nearby Luzerne. The rain had stopped by the time we arrived, and although most exhibits are located inside we were happy for the break in the weather. Naturally most of our time was spent in the hall dedicated to trains. I tried my hand on one of the train simulators and we all spent a lot of time admiring the large HO scale layout that features the Gotthard north ramp from Erstfeld to Wassen, a stretch of track that we had enjoyed just that morning in person. It was neat to see the miniature version of Wassen and although the hotel wasn’t featured on the model we could easily spot all the landmarks and railfanning spots we had experienced the day before.

The Transport Museum contains different buildings for trains, cars, ships and planes, with some amazing models of all four scattered throughout the respective halls. All halls feature hands-on activities for kids, too. There is a courtyard in the middle with additional land and sea exhibits and activities for kids and adults, including hands-on construction and logistics activities for kids, paddle boats and a ride-on railway, and scooters for kids to race around on (a hazard for those of us walking, but a joy for the kids). The museum is a worthy stop if you find yourself in the Luzerne area.

The same can be said for a small Italian-Swiss restaurant outside the Basel Bad Bahnhof. This is where we ended up in the early evening prior to our night train to Dresden. It was called ‘Bahnhoefli’, or ‘little train station’. We had time before our night train and spent an enjoyable hour enjoying a delicious meal of Schnitzel and other house specialties. Then, after a quick stop at the grocery store in the train station for provisions, we headed up onto the platform to await our night train.

I can now claim that I have spent the night in a sleeper car of a train. I cannot, however, claim that I actually <slept> in one. My visions of gently rocking to sleep with the quiet clickety-clack of the rails were only that- visions. The reality of that night was a noisy, rattling and uncomfortable ride across Germany, in a compartment so small I had to step into the hallway just to be able to inhale deeply. Dan, who had been on a sleeper before, began singing ‘It’s a Long Way To Tipperary’ from the movie ‘Das Boot’ in homage to the cramped conditions, though I think the accommodations in a World War Two U-boat are more spacious than what we experienced. In summary, I can check ‘rode in a sleeper in Germany’ off the bucket list. I will also never, ever do that again.

Dresden was cold and rainy, and our Prague-bound train dropped us off unceremoniously three hours before the Dresden Dampflokfest was scheduled to open. But something was up, as there were scores of people on a neighboring platform with several photographers camped out at one end. Sure enough, less than a half hour after we arrived we got to enjoy watching a class 01 DR steam locomotive with a string of historic coaches pulled in, loaded up, and pulled out again in a beautiful cloud of smoke and steam much to our delight. Not long thereafter another ‘Sonderzug’ pulled through, this one pulled by a class 50 steam locomotive and with a Rheingold-colored class E10 electric pushing from behind. Although I wasn’t feeling my best these two beauties certainly lifted my spirits.

The miscommunication on where to catch the bus to the event outside the station from the information table inside the station (along with the on-and-off drizzle) only dampened our moods slightly, and after stowing our luggage in lockers at the train station we found the bus and arrived at the venue at lunchtime. The museum at Dresden has an amazing collection of historic Reichsbahn rolling stock, especially big, noisy Russian diesel locomotives. A large area of the museum grounds was roped off for visitors and the street running along the railway line was flanked on both sides with booths of model train and train paraphernalia vendors. We took our time walking to the far end of the grounds and stopping in to see what was for sale. However the occasional whistle from a steam locomotive in the distance was like a siren’s song, hurrying us to the roundhouse and the real place for the ‘action’.

The locomotive turnout on Sunday is lighter than on Saturday, which I didn’t know but which became clear when we realized that all three of the locomotives we had seen at Dresden Hauptbahnhof weren’t at the roundhouse. Still, we did get our share, with two foreign locomotives, the massive blue ‘Albatros’ from Bratislava and the Czech express train locomotive 475.111. In addition I had the chance to see a class 95 in operation, one of my favorites, and the first time I’d seen one under steam. A BR50 was giving cab rides, and along with the two ‘foreigners’ a class 50 and class 01 were also stationed in the roundhouse. One after another these locomotives were pulled out of the roundhouse, spun a couple of times on the turntable, and returned to their stall, all the while with a narration from one of the museum personnel talking about the locomotive, its history, etc. At one point the BR95 needed to take on coal, so we got to see that ‘ballet’ as it was moved onto the turntable, backed into the coaling siding, and loaded up via an old ‘Fuchs’ crane. It was steam train operation at its best! The icing on the cake was a ‘fun run’ of the E77 locomotive with a handful of freight cars which we also got to see as it passed the museum grounds. The area across from the roundhouse has some tiered sitting/standing areas, making it a fantastic place for videographers and photographers to take pictures or do some filming. I camped out on one of the levels and filmed to my heart’s content.

Mercifully the rain from earlier in the day had stopped, and after getting our fill of the steam locomotives in the roundhouse we made our way back through the museum grounds towards the bus stop. We had nothing else on the itinerary today except getting to our hotel in Berlin, which, after a rough night in the sleeper was a bit of a blessing. so after grabbing a bratwurst (or was it two?) and a beer (it definitely was two) at one of the food vendors and checking out a few of the smaller exhibits we took the bus back to the Dresden train station. After collecting our belongings we hopped aboard a Eurocity shortly before three and two hours later pulled into Berlin station.

Perhaps it was the clearing skies, or maybe the two hour train ride, but once we arrived in Berlin we caught our second wind. Our hotel rooms at the Motel One overlooked the Berlin station, a grandiose and impressive structure. Not content to eat nearby we took dinner recommendations from the front desk and after a short cab ride found ourselves at a diminutive restaurant filled with thirty-something locals. We got a few stares from the clientele but ended up enjoying a delightful meal of traditional German (Berliner) fare. By the time we arrived back at the hotel we were exhausted. Sleep came quickly…

On Monday we awoke to brilliant blue skies and comfortable temperatures. This was good, since our day would be made up of train shopping and possibly a visit to Loxx, a large HO scale layout in Berlin, and a visit to the German Museum of Technology for more trains. Dan Driessche was feeling under the weather, so Werner, Adrian and I headed to the station to catch the S-Bahn to the first store. Only there was one problem- the S-Bahn (except for one solitary line) doesn’t stop at the new station. So instead we had to take a regional train to another station, switch to the S-Bahn, and then take that to the closest station near the first store- Micha’s Bahnhof.

About ten minutes into our train ride I began to ponder whether we were on the right train, but going in the wrong direction. Yup, sure enough, we were going the wrong way. When the train stopped again we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere, at the last stopping point of the S-bahn outside of Berlin. Luckily it was only a short 30-minute wait before we could grab the S-bahn and make our way back into Berlin. After changing trains we finally arrived at the Micha’s Bahnhof, about an hour later than anticipated.

The store is a huge mish-mash of new and used products from all manufacturers. Although it takes a while to find anything, there are many ‘nooks and crannies’ to explore and sift through the array of trains, cars, figures, and model kits. While I headed off to visit my uncle for the afternoon, Adrian and Werner headed around the corner to Turberg, another hobby shop within walking distance. Better organized and stocked than Micha’s, they spent significant time browsing and perusing. When we finally met up at the hotel later they had amassed a collection of reading material and catalogs. Both the trip to Loxx and the outing to the Technology Museum would need to wait for another trip.

Dinner was more casual. Dan Driessche was in search of the perfect Doener so we visited a small Turkish restaurant in the Hauptbahnhof. It was a tasty meal, though Dan only gave the Doener a ‘B+’. We finished off a couple of beers and headed back to the hotel. One nightcap later it was time for bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day…

There was some confusion that next morning as our ICE was replaced by, well, another ICE. At 9:28 we boarded that train and due to our seat reservations being on the original train (thanks, DB!) we ended up scattered around a ‘Grossraumwagen’. But the trip to Hamburg was short, and after saying goodbye to Dan (he was headed to visit a friend) and enjoying a ‘Streuselschnecke’, one of my all-time favorite pastries, we stowed our luggage in a locker and headed to our U-bahn for the short ride to Baumwall and the walk to Miniatur-Wunderland.

The layout is not to be believed. I hadn’t been there since 2003, and the added attractions of Scandinavia, the massive harbor, the Swiss section, and the airport left me in awe. I was most taken by the little scenes and vignettes that are scattered about the layout. Combining those with the amazing technology one sees at the airport makes the visit to the layout an event I will try to repeat more often. We were at the layout for five hours, which included a behind-the-scenes tour in English, something I absolutely recommend for anyone. Seeing how the technology operates the road and rail traffic, the ships and the airport, plus hearing about some of the creative and unusual solutions they came up with is worth both the time and the minor expense.

In 5 hours not only had we seen the entire layout including the Italy section currently under construction, but I also managed to burn through the high-capacity battery of my camcorder (including a recharge during lunch), and the three of us filled our phones with pictures until there was no more space. Werner had brought an excellent camera, and very nearly filled his memory card. Although we could have spent another hour or two at the layout we were beat, and we still had a long trip to Dortmund ahead of us. So we braved the windy Hamburg afternoon and made our way back to the U-Bahn station for the ride to the Hauptbahnhof.

The train ride to Dortmund was uneventful, and we switched off enjoying dinner and beer in the dining car. I had my first taste of Nuremberger sausages, a treat I would get to enjoy several times before we headed back home. Knowing we might have some time after tomorrow’s main event I scouted for railfanning locations shortly before we arrived in Dortmund. Looking out the window we flashed through Werne- that one I would remember. We arrived in Dortmund tired and content, and with our hotel a short walk from the station we grabbed another couple of beers before heading up to our impressive and spacious two-room suites at the NH Hotel, a big change from the cramped quarters of the Motel One we had left that morning.

Wednesday brought with it another warm and sunny day, though we would be spending the majority of it in the halls of the Dortmund exhibition grounds attending the Intermodellbau model expo. Several halls packed with remote control cars, airplanes, boats, submarines, and model kits of all kinds along with of course, trains were going to keep us busy the majority of the day. Dan Driessche arrived that morning from Muenster and we wasted little time dumping his luggage in our room. We then sat down to an exquisite breakfast at the hotel, one of the best, if not the best, we experienced on the trip. After that it was a short 20-minute S-bahn ride to the Intermodellbau venue. We decided to split up and meet later for lunch. That allowed me to head to the 1-scale manufacturers and distributors in attendance while the rest of the group could go enjoy the HO exhibitors and layouts. I visited several 1-scale providers, made a handful of purchases , and enjoyed several beautiful layouts in HO, O and 1-scale. We met for lunch and agreed to meet again at 2:00 p.m. There was so much to see there was no way to make it through every hall in the remaining time. I focused on the large number of hobby shops with items for sale. I found a few good deals and with my budget depleted and my shopping list checked off I met up with Adrian, Werner and Dan and we hopped the S-bahn for the short ride to the hotel.

It was still fairly early when we arrived at the hotel so I suggested we take a train out to the railfanning location I had discovered. As mentioned before I had taken note of our train the day before blasting through a little station at ‘Werne’. Having made a mental note of that being a great spot to watch ICEs, Intercity trains, and possibly even freight trains blast through the station we agreed to give it a try. So once we got back to the hotel we dropped off our bags of items purchased at Intermodellbau and grabbed the next train to Werne. I got more and more concerned the further we went. Our ‘main line’ has devolved to a catenary-free single track, and I knew something was askew. We did disembark at Werne, but this was not the same station I had seen from our train the previous day. Frustrated we boarded the next train back to Dortmund, which luckily arrived only about ten minutes after we had exited our previous train. I later discovered that the station I had seen the day before had been closed and replaced with this diminutive one on the other side of town. Back in Dortmund we contemplated our dinner choices and what to do with the rest of our evening. Looking at the train schedule in Dortmund station we discovered a train headed to Cologne leaving in a few minutes. Thanks to the flexibility of the Germanrail pass we hopped an Intercity and arrived in Cologne about an hour and a half later. Having grabbed dinner in the dining car of our train we decided that, instead of wandering into the city we would do some railfanning at the very interesting Cologne station. We spent over an hour walking the platforms and watching everything from regional trains to ICEs and the Thalys pass through the majestic hall. We considered taking the Thalys back to Dortmund (it was ending there) but a seemingly endless string of announcements suggested delayed trains and ‘Umleitingen’ (re-routing of trains), so we hopped aboard an Intercity across the platform from the Thalys. We had time, not a care in the world, and no schedule whatsoever.

After grabbing a couple of beers in the Caribbean-themed bar at the NH Dortmund it was off to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day…

Thursday turned out to be the pick day of the trip weather-wise. We awoke to a gorgeous sunny morning. After enjoying yet another spectacular breakfast (fairly early this time) we headed to the station to grab our train to Stuttgart on our way to Goeppingen to visit Marklin.

Our train ride was uneventful, and the ICE made good time into Stuttgart. We had no seat reservations, and had to switch seats a couple of times to make sure we weren’t taking reserved seats. It was a bit sad to see some of the Stuttgart station wings had been removed, and we shared a lively conversation with another passenger on the fiasco that is the ‘Stuttgart 21’ project of moving the station underground.

In the massive construction area that is Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof we made our way to the Regional Express to Goeppingen. The ride is short, only about a half hour, and we arrived in the same warm and sunny weather we had experienced in Dortmund. After hurrying out front we hopped into a taxi for the ride to the Marklin Erlebniswelt, the current temporary version of the Marklin Museum.

I was hoping to find a little bit of one-gauge in the ‘outlet store’ in the museum, and although there was quite a bit of stock I didn’t find the prices to be appealing enough to warrant a purchase. Instead I spent time looking at the several layouts and displays of new and historic rolling stock on display in the main area. This was a little disappointing, as there were only three layouts, two of which were fairly small, and none of which were in my scale of choice. I also caught up with Nigel Packer and his wife Chris, who were just finishing up a driving tour and were stopping in Goeppingen for the night before proceeding on to Intermodellbau themselves the next day.

After completing our purchases we hopped into another cab to make our way to the small ice cream shop in the pedestrian area of Goeppingen where we met up again with Chris and Nigel. On the warm, sunny day the ice cream tasted especially good, and the huge portions were just the thing for a hungry group of railfans!

We arrived back at Goeppingen station earlier than expected, so the four of us spent some time on one of the platform benches enjoying the plentiful freight and passenger traffic on this major railway line. It’s a fantastic railfanning spot with a great variety of train traffic. An hour or so later we grabbed a Regional Express back to Stuttgart to catch another ICE to the next city on our whirlwind tour, Nuernberg.

When we arrived in Nuernberg it was late, but we were hungry, so after checking into the hotel (who managed to screw up my specific request to have rooms facing the train tracks Cursing) we took food recommendations from the front desk and headed into the pedestrian zone. We were bushed, it was late, so we vetoed the restaurant we were headed towards and instead headed into the ‘Barfusser’. This turned out to be a lucky decision. Our dinner was the ‘local specialties for four’ platter, which we lovingly dubbed the ‘Mountain of Meat’. It featured chicken kebobs, Nuernberger sausages, pork shoulder and Schweinshaxe. Along with a pair of Maß of beer this would be another culinary highlight of the trip. We feasted on the meats and plentiful side dishes until we could eat no more. It was well after ten when we returned to our hotel, but with a (thankfully) light schedule the next day we could sleep to our hearts’ content.

There is something magical about the walk to the DB Museum, especially when the weather on that Friday could only be described as gorgeous. Although it was probably my fifth or sixth trip to the museum I was still filled with anticipation as we passed the Hauptbahnhof on our way there. There were several very nice changes in the museum since I last visited, including a small café next door. With the whole day dedicated to the museum (and possibly a train store or two) we took our time crawling through the museum at a snail’s pace, enjoying each exhibit, model and prototype more than I can ever recall. We marveled at the large HO layout that has been the cornerstone of the museum for decades, and read somberly an account of a transport train taking Jews to a concentration camp. In my previous trips the massive 1:10 and 1:12 scale models were scattered about the museum, but one of the modifications made recently has most of the models in a single area, making it much easier to enjoy those beauties together. A small second train layout was also a new addition, which gave me some excellent ideas on how to scenic a module for the ETEGL club layout I’m planning.

Then it was time to head across the street to enjoy the open air display there. Aside from a collection of additional rolling stock we got to climb into a recently decommissioned signal tower overlooking the tracks into Nuernberg Hauptbahnhof and throw some signals the ‘old fashioned way’ in another ‘Stellwerk’. The warm temperatures soon had us heading back into the museum and taking a look at the souvenirs in the gift shop. As usual, a stack of train destination boards drew my attention, and soon I had another dozen or so to add to my collection. By lunchtime the stunning weather and thirst were having an effect, so we stopped at the café next to the museum and enjoyed a beer at one of the tables outside.

Then it was up the street to Modellbahn Doerfler, an easy walk from the museum. We spent over an hour wandering through this well-appointed shop where Werner found a Kibri kit he had been searching for and I made an ‘impulse buy’ of SR24 smoke fluid. We now had the rest of the afternoon and the evening to ourselves. Dan Driessche mentioned a Restaurant nearby called ‘Zum Gulden Stern’, known for its Nuernberger sausages and labeled as the oldest sausage restaurant in Nuernberg. It didn’t take much convincing and after a short walk we found ourselves as the first customers of the evening (or the last for lunch) at this quaint restaurant. The menu was fairly sparse but with sausages on the brain we happily found what we were looking for and had little trouble deciding what to order. The meal was terrific and filling, and after another beer we headed back out into the sunshine.

We had nothing left on the day’s agenda, so I suggested we do some railfanning in the Nuernberg area. I had no idea what would be a good location, but looking on Google Maps I thought I had found one, that could easily be reached by the same streetcar that stops outside our hotel. Alas, the location turned out to be a bust, and we were soon aboard a train headed past Nuernberg and stopping at Fuerth. This turned out to be a much better decision, and although we arrived shortly after 6:00 p.m. when the station had already closed we could still hang out on the platform. We watched regional trains stop at the station or speed through, watched ICEs race through the station at 60 mph (actually that’s barely a trot for these speedt beauties) and even caught a couple of freight trains on their way to the large freight yard south of Nuernberg. It was an enjoyable evening but we had to head back to the hotel. It was our last night in Nuernberg and our second-last night in Germany. Packing would take some time…

The weather turned during the night, and Saturday morning greeted us with showers and very cool temperatures. In fact, it was the worst weather of the trip, and a real shame, since our destination today was a steam festival in Hof and a trip to a nearby brewery to enjoy the 500th anniversary of the German Purity Law for beer brewing. We arrived at the Nuernberg station early to stow our luggage in a locker since our evening train to Frankfurt would be stopping in Nuernberg anyway. The two hour train ride to Hof took us through some beautiful landscape that not even the sour weather could keep us from enjoying. We passed from lush valleys through tunnels and across viaducts, with a tumbling river next to us most of the way. In Hof we were in for a surprise. We saw a BR52 sitting on a siding but other than that locomotive and a pair of era III passenger cars on another track there was nothing to be seen- no other trains or locomotives, no vendors on the platforms, and no throngs of train enthusiasts. We headed through the station lobby out front to find… nothing at all. We finally discovered a small room where a very kind and frustrated pair of women were facing questions and complaints with a line of disappointed railfans. Only two locomotives had shown up, the afore-mentioned BR52 and the East German 18 201, a streamlined steam locomotive that is the fastest steam locomotive ever built. It was a locomotive I was very much interested in seeing, and had managed to miss in Dresden at the steam locomotive festival. The locomotive was out on an excursion run but was slated to be back in a couple of hours. We would make sure to be at the station when this beauty arrived. But with lunchtime approaching it was ‘first things first’…

Since the advertised shuttle bus service never materialized we hailed a cab and rode to the Scherdel brewery on the outskirts of Hof. The rainy weather and some poor planning resulted in a very small turnout, though we did get to enjoy watching a steam-driven pumper fire truck in action, though the spray of water was less impressive in the rain. However the afternoon was far from a bust. The food vendors were in attendance, and the brewery’s large warehouse had been rearranged to provide a space for lots of wooden tables and benches for enjoying both food and beer. Although the advertised model train swap meet was only attended by a small group of sellers one of them had a significant collection of model train books, including every one of the Bernhard Stein books and others that presented layouts and construction tips. I believe each of us left with at least one book! With full bellies and reading material it was time to head back to the Hauptbahnhof. However a quick search on the DB website suggested a station that was closer to the brewery, one where we might get to watch the class 18 streamliner pass by at speed. To a person we all agreed this was the thing to do.

Somehow the distance on a Google map is never quite as short as it seems, and our walk to the station was almost entirely uphill. With the scheduled arrival time (well, the time I surmised it would pass our location near the brewery) of the class 18 fast approaching we had to hustle our way up the road towards the station. The arrival time came and went, and with no station in sight I began to fear the worst- we had missed the train. Surprisingly when our road finally arrived at railroad tracks we found no station. We arrived at a bridge crossing over the double-track main line from Hof to Plauen, and just past the bridge the road passed under a railway bridge where the branch line, with our station, stood. Now came the big question- had we missed the steam train? The answer quickly made itself apparent. Camped out on the railway embankment below us stood a man with a camera, and through shouts and hand gestures I confirmed it was a railfan, and no, we hadn’t missed the locomotive yet. After about twenty minutes in the drizzle another railfan appeared on the bridge and also asked about the steam train. Perhaps ten minutes later we were surprised by the fairly close high-pitched blast of a steam whistle. I scrambled to get to the vantage point I had picked out earlier and pull up my video camera. The BR18, sporting a massive plume of smoke, came roaring up the grade around the curve. What a sight! The half-hour-plus and the difficult walk were immediately forgotten as we marveled at the locomotive bearing down on us! Then as quickly as it had appeared it disappeared below us under the bridge, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke on the other side of the bridge. Even with the rain we felt no urgency to scamper to the train station, and stood and enjoyed the dissipating smoke and associalted steam smell before heading to the station.

As luck would have it we only had a ten-minute wait for the train back to Hof, and within a matter of a few minutes our commuter Triebwagenzug pulled into Hof station. Net to us the BR18 sat at the front of the train it had just pulled in. We stepped onto the platform and snapped a few pictures. The BR52 was moving around the station, so we got to enjoy some historic trains after all. With the long journey on our minds we soon boarded our first train of the afternoon to get back to our luggage in Nuernberg.

Back in Nuernberg we collected our belongings. We had a few minutes to spare and decided to hit the largish Doener stand in the station’s underground. With Doener in hand we made our way out to our platform for the Intercity to Frankfurt. It had stopped raining in Nuernberg and the weather kept improving as the Intercity train whisked us westward towards Frankfurt. By the time we arrived in Frankfurt the setting sun even managed to peek through. We checked into the Intercity Hotel across from the station and, after the obligatory beer, made our way back to the Hauptbahnhof to enjoy our last evening in Germany watching trains at Frankfurt station. As always, traffic was plentiful and diverse, but the toll of the long day was showing itself, and before long we were heading back into the station hall to look for- you guessed it- a beer. At a small restaurant I was able to order (besides the beer) the last item on my food wishlist for the trip- German Frickadellen! It was dark when we returned to the hotel and we were in bed quickly. A large amount of rather talkative foot traffic in the alleyway behind our hotel (it was Saturday night, after all) interfered slightly with our sleep, and the alarm came much too early after the ten of days of comparatively late awakenings.

Sunday morning brought with it chilly temperatures but clear skies. As fate would have it, our last train ride ended up being the one to Frankfurt the evening before. Construction on the railway line to the airport had cancelled all early morning trains on that line, so our last ride of the trip would be in a taxi. Arriving at the airport in plenty of time allowed us to check in, pass through security, and even stop at duty-free for some souvenirs (though no beer for me that morning) and head to our gate. The flight to Toronto was pleasant and seemed to go by relatively quickly. We had a long layover in Toronto which we spent at a small restaurant which featured good beer, excellent poutine, and a bartender who knew an awful lot about hockey. We were, after all, in Canada.

Thankfully our puddle jumper to Windsor was on time, and an hour after leaving Toronto we arrived where we had started- the diminutive Windsor airport.

Jen was stuck in Ambassador Bridge traffic and was running about twenty minutes late. I wasn’t at all bothered by that. It was as though I didn’t want the trip to end. Even on the drive home Dan and I began discussing what the next trip would or could be like, what we would add (maybe a couple of days in Munich) and what we would drop (spending the night in a sleeper, for one!). We arrived in Ypsilanti in mid-afternoon, and I felt for Dan as he began his additional drive home, a drive that would find him stuck in a traffic jam and taking nearly two hours longer to get home.

It was days before I finally unpacked my belongings, and it has taken me a month to get through all the train magazines I bought. I still haven’t done a compilation of the three (!) hours of video I shot, and the four of us keep talking about putting a full digital photo album together. On top of all that, there have been some off-hand remarks about the next trip. With the Marklin Modellbahntreff aligning nicely with Oktoberfest in 2017 I think there’s a strong chance we’ll be looking at another trip in just over a year’s time…

+++++

- Carsten
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Offline bmcrae  
#45 Posted : 20 October 2016 19:57:00(UTC)
bmcrae

Canada   
Joined: 17/12/2004(UTC)
Posts: 970
Location: Okanagan Valley, BC
Thanks for the trip details Carsten! Sounds like it was a great time and I've got a few tips courtesy of you for my next trip! Would love to make it over for Sept 2017, but I'm in the midst of planning another trip with my family for August 2017 already. Can't extend it and I don't quite have the audacity to ask the wife if I can go back to Germany only 3 weeks after getting back home LOL!

Cheers!
Brian
Offline utkan  
#46 Posted : 21 October 2016 15:02:39(UTC)
utkan

Turkey   
Joined: 14/07/2009(UTC)
Posts: 19,116
Location: Istanbul,
Originally Posted by: cramcke Go to Quoted Post
All,

Dinner was more casual. Dan Driessche was in search of the perfect Doener so we visited a small Turkish restaurant in the Hauptbahnhof. It was a tasty meal, though Dan only gave the Doener a ‘B+’.
+++++

- Carsten


Hi Carsten

If it were a real Döner ( Doener), your friend Dan would give A++++++LOL LOL

Ready to proof at any time you wish...Laugh Laugh

Cheers,

mehmet

Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you...
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Offline MKOpSeattle  
#47 Posted : 21 December 2016 09:04:44(UTC)
MKOpSeattle

United States   
Joined: 29/12/2013(UTC)
Posts: 147
Location: Seattle, WA
The FD gave me the green light to go BigGrin BigGrin . Anyone started to plan and checking hotels?

This will be my first trip to the Marklin Days. Is public transportation convenient enough to get around town since I don't plan to have a rental car, for now.
Offline ROBMODEL  
#48 Posted : 21 December 2016 09:38:05(UTC)
ROBMODEL

Netherlands   
Joined: 08/06/2012(UTC)
Posts: 45
Hi MKOpSeattle, the organisation will provide a free of charge shuttle service between the exhibtion hall, railway station [in the center of town] and the Märklin museum. Trainservice between cities and busservice in cities is execelent in Germany. Regards Rob
Offline cramcke  
#49 Posted : 10 January 2017 22:58:47(UTC)
cramcke

United States   
Joined: 08/10/2015(UTC)
Posts: 22
Location: Michigan
Hey everyone,

I thought I would share my Treff experiences and offer some trip suggestions. It turns out I will not likely attend, as my wife and I bought a house last year and will be making some [expensive] upgrades before we move in over the next several months. However I thought I would share a few suggestions.

Hotels: Goeppingen does not have enough hotel space for everyone attending the Treff. Although you may find a room or two still available, I bet most of the hotels are already booked solid. Not to worry- Goeppingen is only a thirty-minute train ride from Stuttgart, and Stuttgart has several hotels very close to the train station. If you are traveling with a spouse or 'non-Marklinist', Stuttgart's main shopping street is very close to the train station, so the Intercity Hotel or other hotel in that area would provide activities for you both.

The Interregio Express trains make two stops between Stuttgart main station and Goeppingen in the towns of Esslingen and Plochingen. Both of these towns have hotels within walking distance of the train station. When I attend the Treff I almost always stay at the Hotel Zum Schelztor in Esslingen. Not only is it fairly close to the railway station, but Esslingen has a very large and very picturesque pedestrian area with lots of shops, outdoor cafes, and restaurants. I cannot recommend it enough as a very nice place to stay when visiting the Treff. In addition, the hotel itself, though not modern or overflowing with amenities, is a good affordable choice for those traveling on a budget. The breakfast is outstanding and the staff has always been very helpful and kind. Those who have joined me at Schelztor can provide their own opinions, of course.

If you have a choice between driving to the Treff or taking the train I would highly recommend taking the train. Parking in town is difficult, and although there are parking lots set up for the event expect to have to walk some. And forget about driving from venue to venue, the complimentary buses are the way to go. Yes, there are several venues scattered around Goeppingen that host the event- it's not all in the same location like the Modellbahnmesse in Cologne or Intermodellbau.

The only reason I would suggest driving is because it makes it much easier to duck out of the event Saturday afternoon and head over to Eisenbahn Treffpunkt Schweickhardt. ETS, located in Waiblingen-Beinstein near Stuttgart is the largest model train store I have ever seen, and every year during the Treff Uli Schweickhardt hosts a garden railway festival on the largest garden railway I have ever seen (well, besides Swiss Miniatur), conveniently located in the lot behind his store. It's a big party with sausages and beer, and lots of LGB trains making their way around a huge scenicked layout. Well worth the trip, especially if you are planning to bring home some 'souvenirs'. But even if you don't have a car at your disposal you can still take the S-Bahn to the Waiblingen train station and either walk (a couple of miles) or take a cab to the store.

Some things to keep in mind: My favorite highlight of the Treff is the collection of historic trains at Goeppingen station. The Friday of Treff weekend is when all the special trains arrive. If you want to enjoy the trains with a fraction of the weekend crowds plan to go there Friday. You can enjoy the steam locomotives up close and chat with their crews. Since the locomotives stay stoked throughout the night there is always some activity at the station.

Most people arrive on Saturday morning by train around the time the Treff opens. That means the commuter trains that morning are FULL if you are coming from Stuttgart. If your jetlag allows it, go early! There will be fewer Treff attendees on the train ride over and at Goeppingen station, allowing for better viewing (or photography) of the trains there. The lines to buy a Treff ticket at Goeppingen station get very long Saturday morning. My suggestion: Get to Goeppingen about an hour before the Treff starts and take the railbus to the 'Leonard Weiss' grounds. You won't have to wait in line for a half hour and you'll already be at one of the venues for the event. Plus, the ride on the railbus is a great way to kick off the event!

Although the buses try to maintain a proper gap and consistent cadence throughout the weekend, invariably they begin to bunch up. I love seeing people push and shove to cram on the bus, only to have another bus show up two minutes later. Do yourself a favor and exhibit more patience than most Germans do. You will be rewarded with a more relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. That being said, I recommend making sure you are absolutely done with a venue before moving on. "I'll come back later to see more" is a bit of a risky proposition at the Treff.

Lunchtime can be chaotic, with long lines at the food vendors. To my surprise, I have found that the dining car at the station (assuming it's there again) has a shorter wait time than some of the stands, and although you'll pay more it's a very nice place to get off your feet and enjoy a meal. It's also not a bad idea to leave Goeppingen to grab a bite- I'm partial to going back to Esslingen, though the little "Wuerstchenstand" ("sausage stand") outside the station appears to have been converted to a Burger King :~(. Still, the train ride is again an opportunity to get off your feet, and not expensive.

On Sunday afternoon they hook a bunch of the steam locomotives and special trains together and leave the event as one of the most colorful trains I have ever seen. If your schedule allows, stay and enjoy this spectacle. When all the locomotives blow their steam whistles together and begin to move (the crews like to goose the throttle, too, to spin the wheels) I get goosebumps.

That's about all the tips my aging brain can come up with. Saturday is more crowded than Sunday, a trip to ETS is worthwhile, bring a sandwich or wait in line, buy your ticket at Leonard Weiss, and come by train, not by car. Oh, and stay in Esslingen, and while you're there, order the Jaegerschnitzel at Gambrinus. You'll thank me for it!

- Carsten

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Offline MKOpSeattle  
#50 Posted : 10 January 2017 23:48:18(UTC)
MKOpSeattle

United States   
Joined: 29/12/2013(UTC)
Posts: 147
Location: Seattle, WA
Thank you, Carsten, for the helpful information.

One of my must do is to see the steam engines. You suggested to do it on the Friday. Do they have a schedule, or you just stand on the platform the whole day and wait for them to drive pass? Since I'm going with my FD, I'd like to give her some early information instead of "Hmm, honey, we are going to stand here today and just watch trains passing by"
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