Beautiful in blue Brand new interior and exterior: The Arosa Allegra

A REALLY DIFFERENT LAYOUTClever solutions from a real hobbyist

THE VIADUCT BUILDERLearn how Heinz Knodel constructs perfect bridges

€ 7.50 (D), € 7.50 (A), CHF 13.50 (CH), $ 15.00 (US)

DepescheTHE MAGAZINE FOR LGB ENTHUSIASTS ISSUE 3/2015 WWW.LGB.DE

NEW!

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LGB meeting:

EWS Arena

32nd International Model Railway Exhibition and the 10th Märklin Open Days 2015The TOP family event in Göppingen, Germanyfrom 18 to 20 September, 2015www.maerklin.de

Where?MuseumStationStauferparkLeonhard-Weiss premises

When?Friday 9am to 6pmSaturday: 9am to 6pmSunday: 9am to 5pm

A „must-not-miss“ event also for all LGB and garden railroad enthusiasts

Visit us! From 18 to 20 September in Göppingen, Germany, all the focus will

be on your hobby, as well as railroad models and their prototypes. The 32nd

International Model Railway Exhibition and the 10th Märklin Open Days

celebrate the popular fascination with railroads and their histories at five different

venues. Experience gigantic steam locos, such as the 01 180 Station, at Göppingen

station. 20 locomotives and trains will be on show; two locos and two cars will be

available for cab rides and trips. Railroad fans, young and old, will experience brand

new and classic model railroad exhibits over 11,000 square meters of exhibition space.

Needless to say, LGB enthusiasts will also be in their element: This year, for the first

time, there will be an extra ‘G’-gauge venue for LGB fans at the EWS Arena. Model

railroaders will be able to marvel at accessories from leading suppliers and learn

about all the latest products and trends for LGB. This is definitely a not-to-be-missed

event. We look forward to seeing you there!

As you can probably tell, we are definitely finding it hard to contain our excitement:

The second issue of the new LGB Depesche also proved a big hit with readers. Thank

you! Hopefully we will continue to improve! Discover the new, fully refurbished Arosa

Allegra, imagine the legendary V 200 including a three meter long heavy ore train roll-

ing around your layout, and learn how LGB Depesche reader Heinz Knodel constructs

his unique viaducts. Holger Metschan is still in the process of digitally upgrading his

layout; and see why Askan Lutterroth describes a destructive hailstorm as a blessing

in disguise. Garden railroading is for people with that little extra spark. We wish you

lots of fun ... and remember to save the date for the event in September!

DEAR READERS,Your contacts at LGB: Silvia Römpp (LGB Club) and Andreas Schumann (Product Manager LGB).

With alpine flowers and snowflakes: The Arosa Allegra has been lovingly refurbished with lots of new details and is still over two meters in length.

ANDREAS SCHUMANNSILVIA RÖMPP

3 EDITORIAL

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32. InternationaleModellbahnausstellungund 10. Märklintage 2015

Das MEGA-Familienevent in Göppingen 18. bis 20. September 2015www.maerklin.de

Wo?

MuseumBahnhofStauferparkLeonhard-Weiss-Areal

Wann?

Freitag: 9:00 bis 18:00 Uhr Samstag: 9:00 bis 18:00 Uhr Sonntag: 9:00 bis 17:00 Uhr

Auch für alle LGB- und Gartenbahn-Fans ein „Muss“

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4

MODELS AND LAYOUTS

TOP MODEL ..........................................................................................6Lovingly refurbished with numerous new details and

the impressive appearance of the Arosa Express of the

Rhaetian Railway (RhB): The blue Allegra design from

LGB. Find out everything worth knowing in this issue.

TOP LAYOUT (ABOVE) ............................................................ 14Every garden railroad layout is special and reflects

the uniqueness of its owner. Askan Lutteroth is defi-

nitely a hands-on type of person and the man for

very special solutions. So there’s good reason to be

curious about his layout.

PROTOTYPE ..................................................................................... 20The Zittau narrow-gauge railroad is 125 years old!

The sponsoring association ensures the upkeep of

the historic fleet, including the Saxon train.

LEGENDS FROM THE 1950S: THE V 200 ..................... 24The passing of the steam age meant large steam loco-

motives like the 2.000 hp class 01 had to be replaced

on, as yet, unelectrified tracks. The solution was the

V 200. An awesome model!

LGB DIGITAL: ANALOG TO DIGITAL II ...........................36The first part focused on the key points that need to

be considered before digitally upgrading a layout.

Now it’s time for Holger Metschan to put his plans

into action.

TIPS AND KNOW-HOW

IT’S THE ENJOYMENT THAT COUNTS ........................... 30How to ballast track: In his column, Stefan Kühn-

lein deals with various ballasts for garden railroad

tracks.

6 It’s true: The blue LGB Allegra is a prototype vision which - until now - has only been brought to life as a model. And a very beautiful one, too!

4 CONTENTS

36 Digital layout upgrade: Holger Metschan has replaced the transformer with a CS2 and power pack and has set up a tablet controller.

24 The heavy ore train with the model V 200 diesel locomotive and the two hopper car sets is three meters long.

42 It’s worth heading for your favorite retailer: There are lots of wonderful brand new locos and cars waiting for you there.

NEW AT YOUR RETAILERS .....................................................42The RhB jubilee locomotive to mark the 125th anni-

versary, a particularly distinctive RhB track mainte-

nance car for weed-control services, and much more.

ACCESSORIES ................................................................................. 46Wonderful and practical ‘oddments’ from the world

of the garden railroad.

BUILDING TIPS ............................................................................... 50Making walls, molds, casting in concrete: Heinz

Knodel builds viaducts.

TUNING .................................................................................................52Overhead wiring – fully functional or simply dec-

orative: Karsten Speyer from the Südwest Garden

Railroaders shows you how it’s done.

52 Planning, assembling, and testing perfect overhead wiring: What you need to know.

LGB WORLD

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

READERS’ QUESTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

CLUB NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

MASTHEAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

RETAILERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

PORTRAIT/THE NEW GENERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

PREVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

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CONTENTS 5

6 Depesche 3/2015

The Arosa Line was opened in 1914 to connect Chur, the capital of the Canton of Grisons, with the then

up-and-coming health resort of Arosa. It was nothing short of a technical master-piece, as the trains had to overcome an altitude difference of 1,155 m (0.7 miles) and negotiate steep inclines and very tight curves with radii as low as 60 m (197 ft). From the start the Arosa Line was an electric railroad using 2,400 V to power the original blue and white rail cars. However, this relatively high level of voltage eventually proved problemat-ic when trying to purchase new vehicles. Even though the Great War was raging in Europe, the Arosa Line proved an eco-

nomic success. But the onset of world depression at the end of the 1920s and the increasing popularity of motor vehi-cles meant vital changes would become necessary. The independent Chur-Arosa Line was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in 1942. At that time, the class Ge 4/4 I electric locos were under construc-tion and the RhB considered recon-structing and integrating the Arosa Line into the electricity system of the main network (11,000 VAC) in order to make use of the new locomotives. However, this project was thwarted by a number of issues, including the difficulty of ac-quiring materials due to the Second

66 TOP MODEL

A magical train: The alpine flowers

and snowflakes rep-resent the summer and winter months in the mountains of Arosa respectively.

TOP MODEL 7

World War. As a result, new DC rail cars were not purchased until the mid-1950s, but the issue of re-electrification had by no means been forgotten. The route of the railroad through the center of Chur had also always been a problem. In the mid-1980s, it was planned to build a new underground train station for the Aro-sa Line, including a bypass tunnel, and to switch to an alternating current sup-ply. Unfortunately, this quite sensible project had to be put on hold, yet again, because of a lack of funding.

This however did not fix the prob-lem of the aging DC powered rail cars. The line was eventually converted to the same electric system as the remain-

der of the network in 1997. Since then, it has been possible to also use the rail cars of the main network on the Arosa Line. Today, Ge 4/4 II class thyristor con-trolled high-performance locomotives and push-pull trains are responsible for transporting passengers on this line.

In order to add a visible new dimen-sion to the developments in passenger traffic between Chur and Arosa and to provide rail passengers with the best possible level of service, the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) and the Municipality of Arosa launched the brand new Arosa Ex-press: Its unusual blue design, decorated with alpine flowers and snowflakes, and the comfortable interior fittings helped

this train stand out from the tradition-al red RhB vehicles; one coach was also converted into a special saloon coach. The blue livery could be understood as a throwback to the golden age of the first blue and white rail cars. A regional- romantic aspect: The alpine flowers and snowflakes represent the summer and winter months in the mountains of Aro-sa respectively. This wonderfully deco-rated train celebrated its maiden jour-ney in November 1997 immediately after conversion of the electric system to an al-ternating current supply. This train was hauled and pushed by a normal, red class Ge 4/4 II electric loco. The Arosa Express agreement between the RhB and the ∑ P

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The unrivaled beauty on the garden railroad: “Allegra” in the Arosa Express version.

A vision in blue

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8 Depesche 3/2015

– there has never been a blue Allegra with the Arosa Express design …

The Arosa Express as a model

It was not long after the launch of the original train that LGB presented a model version of the coaches, including a con-trol car. The engine was – just like the original – a normal, red Ge 4/4 II loco. In spite of this, LGB fans continued to ask the same question time and time again: Will there ever be a match-ing blue locomotive? This eventually resulted in the unveiling of a blue Ge 4/4 II locomotive (no. 622) in 2004; the flowers and

RHB RAIL CAR TRAIN ABE 8/12 “ALLEGRA”

Municipality of Arosa ran for just ten years and the Arosa Express service officially ended in 2007. However, the blue coaches remained in regular use up and down the line to-gether with the normal red ones until the fleet was gradually repainted. The vehicles of the Arosa Express posed a major problem, as they could only be used on this one route and the RhB was eager to promote mixed deployment in order to make more productive use of its fleet. For the RhB it was particular-ly important that the Allegra rail cars, which combine power with elegance and comfort, and appear to be virtually predes-tined for the Arosa Line, could be used throughout the entire network. This is probably the reason why – at least until now

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TOP MODEL 9

at the fair due to both its design and technical characteristics: The metal wheel sets are still powered by two Bühler motors with a ball bearing design and a robust gearbox. However, a new feature is the ball bearing wheel sets of the intermediate car which many LGB fans had been waiting a long time to see. The electronics have also been optimized: The mfx / DCC sound de-coder means the train can now be used in mfx mode with the new CS II. The train can naturally also be operated in the previ-ous MZS III/DCC mode, as well as in the more traditional analog DC mode, although it is then no longer possible to use the sound function. The seats have also been enhanced. It is hoped the modified seat fixture and improved train packaging will pre-vent the damage seen in the first set of models. In response ∑

snowflakes were included in the kit as stickers and had to be put on by the customer.

Seeing as most RhB trains on the Arosa Line are now hauled by the new Allegra rail cars and the respective LGB model was launched back in 2013, it is hardly surprising that model railroad enthusiasts kept asking whether this train was ever going to be available in the paintwork finish of the Arosa Express. Well, their wishes were finally fulfilled at the Nurem-berg international toy fair “Spielwarenmesse 2015” where LGB showcased a special version of the Allegra rail car with the iconic blue design of the Arosa Express. The color scheme and markings of this new rail car perfectly match those of the other LGB Arosa Express vehicles. It proved a big hit with fans

TOP MODEL 9

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HIGHLIGHTSRHB RAIL CAR TRAIN ABE 8/12 “ALLEGRA” (ITEM 21225)

1 Two Bühler motors, four powered wheel sets

2 Ball bearing wheel sets, now also available for the intermediate car

3 Optimized digital electronics4 Modified seat fixture5 Pantograph nickel plated black

6 Several sets of roof stickers and side mirrors included

7 Stop announcements and destination signs for the Chur-Arosa Line

8 Intricate color printing tech-nique, color-coordinated spring buffers

9 Opening doors

1 0 Motorized pantograph

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10 Depesche 3/2015

to many requests, the pantographs are now nickel plated black instead of uncoated, as was previously the case. The supplied instructions also provide more detailed information on how to apply stickers to the roof – these stickers warn of high tempera-

tures and indicate components with restricted access. Further-more, there are more stickers than in the past, meaning it is not a major catastrophe if one of them gets damaged during appli-cation. The train also includes a number of spare parts for the

An Allegra in the desired paintwork finish: LGB enthusiasts repeatedly asked for an Allegra in the striking blue color of the Chur-Arosa Line. And now it is available with a whole host of new features and the traditional alpine flowers and snowflakes.

November 1997: The unusual blue design of the passenger car was first admired on the maiden journey of the Arosa Express op-erated by the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) and the Municipality of Arosa. And it was not long before LGB presented a model version of this train for all garden railroad enthusiasts to enjoy.

TOP MODEL 11

rear view mirrors in case a piece becomes lost along the way.Needless to say, the included destination signs display the names of the stations along the Chur-Arosa Line. The same is true of the announcement of stops from the decoder when op-erating in digital mode. The paintwork finish is also cutting edge – the blue train looks extremely elegant. In contrast to the Ge 4/4 II, which hit the shelves ten years ago, a new, highly complex process has been used to apply the flowers and snow-flakes to the model – crystal clear and in lush colors. The ad-vances in printing techniques over the past ten years are quite obvious here.

If you think you have seen this design before on an Allegra in a different scale, you would be quite right, as the Arosa Al-legra is also available in the H0m gauge.

Some smaller improvements are not immediately obvious, for example the color-coordinated spring buffers whose col-or scheme now corresponds to the original. As with the ba-sic model, it features opening doors, motorized up and down movement of the external pantographs, and various digitally operated light functions.

To underline the exclusive character of this train, it is only available in 2015 as a limited digital version (item number 21225).

In other words, if you wish to be the proud owner of one of these little gems, you should get in touch with your local deal-er as quickly as possible. This Allegra can, of course, be used as a loco for the previously supplied LGB Arosa-Express pas-senger coach. This results in a beautiful looking train, which makes a pleasant contrast to RhB’s standard red livery. But the more than two meter long rail car train also looks splendid on its own – even if, for the time being, it is only running on your garden railroad and not in the heart of the Grisons mountains. Who knows, maybe this really is the first model to precede its original?

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A real treat for the RhB fraction among garden railroaders: This rail car train will amaze and delight everyone.

“Allegra!” is a customary greeting used during the day in the Rhaeto-Romanic language to greet friends and peo-ple you know well. The greeting can be translated as “re-joice!”. It is actually an abbreviation of the original greet-ing “Cha Dieu ans allegra!” (English: God give you joy!). Rhaeto-Romance is still spoken in the Canton of Grisons and has five idioms: Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran, Puter and Vallader.“Allegra!” is also the preferred greeting on the Rhaetian Railway, contributing to a sense of common regional belonging. The name of the rail car train was obvious-ly, therefore, not chosen by chance and shows just how wrapped we still are in tradition and culture despite uti-lizing leading-edge technology.

ALLEGRA!