Intro

The why and wherefore

Grafenwalde does not exist, it is merely a tiny collection of locos, rolling stock and three buildings which occasionally replace those on Pottendorf, a 4,8m modular layout based on the DB Ep3 whilst the DB stock and buildings are removed and stored. 

 

However,

In order to imagine a backstory, there is a subtle mix of minor railways that have become Grafenwalde. The line to Königsee has been extended towards Gehren but only as far as Grafenwalde, the trains and services were inspired by Die Laura which ran from Rennsteig to Fruenwalde, finally a Wismar Tyb B has migrated from Boizenburg.

Peter König

The line to Grafenwalde from Königsee was completed in 1910, it was classed as a Kleinbahn with an initial weight limit of just 12t, which was upgraded in 1917 to 16,8t in order to accommodate the T9.3 and later a BR64 that supplemented the line's T3 which pulled a BCPwPosti that Lindner built in 1912 for the line's owners. From 1962, Wismar TypB railbus locally known as Molly operated until the closure.

Buildings

The ‘inspiration’ for the station was not located in Thuringia but it is built in the Prussian style, common enough in many areas. On such a small layout there are just a few complete structures, the station group and loco shed.

 

Archive 

Grafenwalde Mk1 at Uckfield click here

Grafenwalde Mk1 on Youtube 

 

Unfortunately, Grafenwalde Mk1 was dismantled and broken up by its new owner

Local trains

A few local trains of Thuringia - most are short and comprise elderly stock

 

  

 All above from Peter König

Excursion train from Berlin

 

VT135 335

BCPwPosti

In 1913, the Rennsteig-Frauenwald Kleinbahn (KRF) was opened. From 1912 onwards, the Waggonfabrik Gottfried Lindner A.G. in Ammendorf near Halle (which later became the well-known VEB Waggonbau Ammendorf) supplied several light railways with 4-axle combined passenger, mail and luggage cars with 8 upholstered seats in 2nd class and 40 wooden seats in 3rd class. 

Kyffhäuser Kleinbahn

The first of these cars was given to the Rennsteig - Frauenwald Kleinbahn (KRF, two more cars were delivered to the Kyffhäuser Kleinbahn (Artern - Berga-Kelbra) around 1916. These were equipped with toilets because of the significantly longer length of the route. From the 2nd class compartment you could get to the luggage compartment via a side corridor past the mail compartment and from there to the seat compartment and the load compartment. The mail and baggage compartments had sliding doors on both sides. The cars had a steel undercarriage. On top of this rested a wooden wagon body, which was covered with sheet metal on the outside. Heating was provided by steam from the locomotive, and the mail compartment also had a stove with smoke vent on the roof. 

Originally, the car had a suction air brake and was lit with petroleum. Thus, the car combined everything necessary under one roof.In the 1930s, the KRF had its car converted to electric lighting, and a little later the vacuum brake was replaced by an air brake. Thus, the KRF car survived the 2nd World War and was taken over by the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR) in 1949. 

Shortly afterwards, the carriage underwent fundamental modifications: the platforms that had been open until then were replaced by closed ones, and the mail compartment was united with the luggage compartment. It is probably due to the shortage of materials in these years that on the side where the platform in Allzuhah was, only one revolving door was installed, on the other side two of different widths. So the car was used on its home route until the end of the 50s, its current whereabouts are unknown. 

 

 

 

 

19.04.26 

 

 

19.05.26 

Workbench

The SVT 137

It is intended to recreate the SVT 137’s one-off visit to the Rennsteig in September 1951. Please note that Frauenwalde is not a replica, but simply a fond tribute to the small railways of the Thuringian Forest. The unique journey of a three-carriage SVT 137 from Berlin to the Rennsteig in September 1951. Here it is stopping at Ilmenau-Bad station on the return journey. The second gentleman from the right is the driver, Mr Schmidt, the railway manager of Frauenwalde and current train dispatcher, and the owner of the Berlin travel agency Tramando and current tour guide, Mr Ellersiek.
 

 

The model is by Gützold made in Zwickau from 1963 to the beginning of 1990

 

One day this will return to the layout

It went to the Netherlands to be rebuilt. CLICK HERE

 

Random images of the damage to the model

The SVT as it is now, too many problems that require new wheels, motor, decoder, however it is able to be repaired/upgraded. 

 

The new motor

 

 

Wiring done... 

Keeping the original bulbs as they work just fine, including the interior lights. All connected to a function output, so you can choose whether to turn them on or off.

The original bulbs are rated 16V and only get a half wave as i don't use the blue wire on the decoder but the chassis as a return (connected to the rails).

 

Body work repairs

The original paintwork was beginning to flake

The model is about 40-50 years old, dimensionally accurate but the materials were not as good as contemporary western products nevertheless it is worth saving.

 

 

Perfection

 

This link is interesting:-  Rebuilding the SVT137 

 

 

BR64 1212-6

This is a rather playworn Fleischmann BR64 that had been titivated with Weinert items bit very badly painted. It was stripped and rebuilt with a new decoder.

A spare body of a DR version was used to check clearances after repairing the mechanism, the old mechanism works perfectly.

 

  

 

Totally rebuilt

Frauenwaldbahn - a short history

The real Frauenwaldbahn - courtesy of World Transport History

 

 

 Kleinbahn means little in the sense of short, in this case only 4.9 km (3 miles). It was a normal gauge extension of a Y which served Rennsteig (see map) in the wooded hills of the Thüringer Wald and lasted from 1912 to 1965. The railcar shown was built in 1912, although a Bn2 tank loco with road number 5 plus passenger cars and goods cars was also employed. This loco was supplemented by one obtained from the Kleinbahn Neuhaldensleben–Weferlingen, likewise a Bn2t. After WW2 steam locos worked the line until 1960 when diesels took over.  The former roadbed is accessible today as a Wanderweg (walking track).