Dorset Reichsbahn Group©

There were so many  branch lines in Bavarian that you could easily invent a fictional, but plausible, one of your own - as there were 164 state owned ones and 20 private lines. Most were standard gauge but some were narrow gauge, of which a noted survivor is the Chiemsee branch which still operates in preservation, running as a roadside tramway complete with tram engines. By 1977 closures had reduced these Bavarian branches to 79, and more have closed since then. In 1995 the Nürnberg Nordost-Gräfenberg branch (built 1908) was still running in the 'traditional' way with a locomotive (albeit diesel) and two steam-heated 'silverfish' coaches, though most surviving branches are operated by DMUs of various types. The first specially built Nebenbahn was the Siegelsdorf-Markt Erlbach line in 1872 and the last was the Zwiesel-Bodenmais branch which opened as late as 1928. Most of the branch closures have been in the last forty years, but three branches closed in the 1930-39 period, and three others closed during World War 2.

It is worth mentioning the nomenclature which you might encounter in descriptions of German branch lines. The general name is Nebenbahn which means, roughly, secondary or supplementary railway. There is more subtlety in other names, which can include: Vlzlnalbahn - local line, Vizinal being derived from the latin Vicinus or neighbourhood (this type of branch was sometimes of tramway type, including street running); Sekundärbahn - secondary line which might or might not include some street running; Lokalbahn - local line, but a term mostly used for the bigger sort of branch line that connects several towns or at least two main destinations. There was a technical definition in that a Vizinalbahn had track weighing 27.2kg per metre and was therefore quite lightly laid. The other lines used heavier weight track of 34-37kg per metre, though in practice the distinctions were somewhat blurred when some lines that started off as Vizinalbahnen were later extended and upgraded. Lines were further described as Stichbahnen, a true branch line with terminus, and as Verbindungsbahnen, connecting lines between main line routes.

Track was very lightly laid, In practice limiting axle-loading to 4.25/5 tonnes. On well drained land there was economy even in ballasting, using sand, gravel, or cinders or a mix of the three instead of the regular crushed stone chips. Rail bridges across rivers or ravines were  a utilitarian design and where ever possible tracks followed the lines of roads, paths, or rivers to keep civil engineering to a minimum. Four-wheel coaches of great antiquity were in use right up to the end of steam on surviving branches, into the 1960s, these being the original 'turn of the century' designs for branch work. The nearest thing to 'modern' was the appearance of the steel four-wheel coaches of 'Thunderbox' type on some lines and these dated from the 1920s, but even these were not so common in Bavaria where the old Bavarian short and long four-wheelers were available in some numbers.

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Further standardisation came in station designs and layouts.  Though the Endstatlon or Endbahnhof (the terminus) was usually a substantial structure with some variety, and therefore probably built by local contractors, there was a standard design of wood structure for use at the usual sort of intermediate station, the Haltestelle. A very good model of this has been produced in HO by Pola (item 663), specifically of Rothausen, near the Pola factory, but many more looked like it with only minor detail differences, if any. This standard station had an integral goods shed with loading platform. Where a Haltestelle had a siding, the platform might be switched to the other side of the shed, or the whole structure might be set back from the main line so that the loading bank was alongside the siding. Where there was no siding the loading bank could butt up to the main line, and the schedules were usually gentle enough for the train to just wait alongside the loading platform while a consignment was loaded or unloaded, before the whole train went on its way.

Station layouts were simple and logical. Shown here are three station plans (copied from originals in the Nürnberg Transport Museum) of stations on the very long Breitengüssbach to Maroldsweisach branch, which opened in two stages in 1895-96. According to current maps only the first (1895) section of the branch, to Ebern, now remains. There were 14 stations on this 33.8km branch.

Baumach is a typical Haltestelle with a single siding and, possibly, with the standard wood station structure. The platform area was just cinders or gravel at ground level, and the level crossings were ungated. The records at Nürnberg show that Reckendorf and Pfarrweisach had exactly the same track plan and structure.

Next is the main intermediate station on the branch, Ebern, which was for a year, 1895-96, the Endstation, and therefore is shown with a locomotive shed on the original plan. What happened to the loco shed after the branch was extended to Maroldsweisach is not known to me and is not indicated on the original plans which date from the line's opening. Possibly the shed was demolished and the shed road became a siding. The loading platform was probably stepped at two levels as is quite common in France and Germany. The lower level is at wagon door height for conventional freight handling, while the higher level, probably at the buffer stop end in this case, is above wagon height, allowing carts and lorries to tip their contents straight into open wagons. As no separate goods shed is shown on the plan I suspect that the station building was another standard structure with the goods shed integral. Note the use of a 3-way point, specifically marked as such, and a nice space saver for layout builders.

The ultimate terminus on the branch was at Maroldsweisach where another 3-way point is marked as such and gives access to what were presumably a couple of coach or wagon storage sidings. A long loading platform is shown, plus a station structure. This may have been yet another wooden standard design but was more likely to be a proper two-storey structure featuring living accommodation for the station master, etc. A proposed additional siding is indicated (dotted) and I presume this was intended for the locomotive shed. Given the date of the plans they were undoubtedly prepared while the line was still being built and it seems likely that the idea was to close the (temporary?) loco shed at Ebern and transfer the facilities to Maroldswelsach. No goods shed is shown, but may have been provided on the loading platform, or more probably (as a later addition) where dotted. I have to speculate, based on practice elsewhere, about some of these matters as these plans of the branch are all I've seen of it. I have never come across actual photographs of the branch. The track plans, however, are extremely useful as very typical of branches all over Bavaria, so can be copied with a degree of confidence on the 'prototype for everything' principle. Ebern, in particular, is a nice one, either as a through station or as a small Endstation with loco shed. As a terminus the buffer stops were at the right hand end of the plan. If you made this as a layout project you could copy the original idea - build it as a terminus, and if you wanted to fit it into a bigger layout later on, just take out the buffer stops and extend it further. A small engine shed and the Pola Rothausen station kit would be the only railway structures needed, assuming you build up the loading bank from wood or card.

Obviously track plans varied a little depending on the sites available, area available, and the terrain. Sometimes extra sidings were put in to serve adjacent industries. Royal Bavarian State Railways had preferred plans for a Haltstelle and an Endbahnhof and these are sketched showing immediately how closely Maroldsweisach follows the plan. The points forming the double-ended sidings {and run around loops) were quite often 3-way rather than two separate points. For modellers this is good news for it is a great saver of length. Stadtlaurigen was a good example of an Endbahnhof that used 3-way points, and as a matter of special interest the excellent Pola HO model of a Baywa warehouse is a good accurate replica of the one at Stadtlaurigen, making it another perfect model for authentic Bavarian modelling.

The most basic station found on Bavarian branch lines was the Haltepunkt (stopping point) and this comprised nothing more than a station nameboard and a timetable board which sometimes had the luxury of a light above it on the post. The platform area, itself, all at ground level, of course, was cinders, gravel, or even just dirt and grass. In later years some of these stopping points acquired a shelter of primitive type just like an open-fronted bus shelter of older days, and an example of this type of Haltepunkt can still be seen today on the Cadolzburg branch. There were a few other oddball stopping places to be seen, particularly on street-running stretches where the usual sort of bus or tram stop with shelter might be used.

Rentweinsdorf

 

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Since the disappearance of regular steam working in Bavaria, branches have been worked by well-known modern types of power, notably the Class 211/212 diesel and the railbus, and more recently by the Class 614 and 628 DMUs. Some branches were operated by the early diesel railcars in the 1930s, but in general steam power was used. The V36 diesel seems to have been used, also, in the early days of dieselisation, plus the V80 on some branches.

The earliest branch locomotives used were the DIII (four only, built for the earliest branches) and the DVI, built 1880-94, 53 in all. These were both small 0-4-0WTs, though not available ready-to-run, Model Loco offer two versions as a kit. Next followed the Class DVII 0-6-0T which became Class BR98.7 in Deutsche Reichsbahn days. A lengthened version of this was built as a 0-6-2T as Bavarian Class DVIII, which became Deutsche Reichsbahn Class 98/6. An improvement on this was the DX, and this led to the big production run of the definitive Bavarian Class DXI 0-6-2T, later the Deutsche Reichsbahn/Deutsche Bundesbahn Class BR98.4-5, some 144 being built in the 1895-1914 period. A fine model of this in both Bavarian and DRG forms is produced in HO by Trix.

An attempt at something well suited to the sharp curves of some of the branch lines resulted in the Mallet 0-4-4-0T of Bavarian Class BBII, built 1899-1908. Some 31 were built and the Deutsche Reichsbahn designation was Class BR98.7. However, despite being a popular subject for modellers this proved to be the least successful of the main branch line types, due to its maintenance costs and complexity, so it was the first type withdrawn, in the 1930s. A superb model of this class is made in HO by Roco and in N by Minitrix.

The economic running of rural branch lines was a headache even in the early days of this century, and a very compact 0-4-OT 'tramway' type locomotive was designed, designated MtL2/2. This had a conventional cab, some 24 being built in the 1906-08 period. An improved type, PtL2/2, had a tram style superstructure, and inside cylinders. This design led to the definitive small Bavarian branch line locomotive that everyone knows, also the PtL2/2, much better known by its nickname of 'Glaskasten' (glass cab) arising from the prominent centrally placed windowed cab.

This 0-4-0WT was of novel design, a tram engine complete with built-in steam condenser, but with controls and coal bunker arranged for one-man operation, a new idea back in 1906 when the first was built. Production continued in batches until 1927 and 48 were built. A couple were sold to Royal Prusslan State Railways, too. The bunker took the form of a hopper and the driver controlled the feed of coal by gravity to the firebox. In DRG days, and DB days, they were Class BR98.3. These engines were widely used, examples are preserved, and the last of them was not taken out of service until October 1962, the Spalt branch being its final home. The type was reliable and popular and it seems to have been afforded a certain degree of affection. Very fine HO models are produced by Trix and Roco in HO, covering all three periods of ownership, and there is a Märklin model (based on the Trix one) for those who favour AC electrics. In N there is a Minitrix model. Some 'Glaskasten' locomotives were used in Austria, and in World War 2 one was taken to Norway for harbour shunting duties. The high bunker necessitated a distinctive two storey coaling stage on Bavarian branches. The 'Glaskasten' was mainly used on the short or local branch lines due to its rather limited coal capacity.

In terms of character the 'Glaskasten' might have received all the affection, but the most important Bavarian branch locomotive of all was the GtL4/4 0-8-0T which had all the power and traction that was ever needed. This was Class BR98.8 in DRG and DB days and 117 were built in the 1911-1927 period. They were rugged and reliable and some were still in service in the last years of steam. The last one of all, 98 812, went straight into preservation and is still running today. A superb HO model of this type is in the Fleischmann range, and they do it in N as well. Not produced in model form is an interesting 2-8-0T rebuild (with lengthened front frames) which was designated Class BR98.11 and was done in the late 1930s. 98 812 (belonging to the Umlmer Eisenbahnfreunde) is no longer serviceable. 98 886 (former memorial loco in Schweinfurt) has been overhauled and now runs on the preserved line Mellrichtstadt-Fladungen.

Rentweinsdorf

 

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Operating a typical Bavarian branchline 

Branchlines were operated as simply as possible. The general pattern of traffic is for passengers to travel from the branchline terminus to the "city" in the morning and return in the evening. Freight traffic would be outwards from the "city" to the terminus in the morning, distributing trucks to stations on the branchline, with a late afternoon or evening return to the "city" to reach the overnight trains connecting the marshalling yards.

The simplest branchline operation, which could be operated by one engine based at the terminus, is:

• A very early morning passenger train (about 5:00am) to the "city"
• A lunch time return passenger or mixed train to the terminus,
• An evening passenger or mixed train from the terminus to the "city", and
• An evening passenger train returning to the terminus.

In mixed trains, the freight wagons were always attached at the rear of the train and passenger carriages next to the engine, to enable steam or electric heating. On longer branchlines (say >20km), a goods train with passenger carriages (Güterzug mit Personenebeförderung, or GmP), which would generally only have one or two passenger coaches, was more likely during the day than a pure freight train (Nahguterzug). Whether a Nahguterzug operated would depend on the local industries. A Nahguterzug should leave the "city" in the morning, break over lunchtime at the terminus and return in the late afternoon or evening to the city. There could also be a later morning train from the terminus to the city, serving schoolchildren and housewives. This train would require either an early morning service from the city to the terminus (operated by an engine based at the "city"), or a second engine based at the terminus. In the latter case, the morning goods train returning from the city could be operated as a mixed to return the carriages to the terminus. Alternatively, if the branchline is set in Epoch III or IVa, passenger trains could be operated by a VT98 railbus. For shorter branchlines there may, in addition, have been an afternoon school time train pair. There may also have been a few more trains if the branchline goes to, say, a country junction with main line connections.

A sample sequence of operations for a longer branchline, using a steam engine based at the terminus and a railbus (say VT98) based in the ‘city" is:

Train type Time Engine

Passenger dep 05:00 Steam

Passenger arr 07:15 Railbus

Passenger dep 07:30 Railbus

Freight arr 12:00 Steam

Passenger arr 12:30 Railbus

Freight dep 16:00 Steam

Passenger dep 17:30 Railbus

Passenger arr 20:00 Steam

When mixed or freight trains were too long for the run-around loop(s) at the terminal station, freight wagons had to be left at the last stop before the terminal. The locomotive would do some shunting at the terminal, then return to the last stop to bring the remaining freight wagons. If the terminus had natural springs (indicated by Bad at the start of a town’s name), there could also be additional special passenger trains.

Simmelsdorf exKBayStsB

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