Very interesting, that's a part of East Germany that I like and have become very interested in after taking the train up to Sebnitz from Bad Schandau. I'm curious if you remember anything about the cross border trains to Decin and beyond? I have been finding it hard to find much information except for the named international trains like the Vindobona and PannoniaI know the area between Dresden and Decin quite well. Back in the '70's we used to do day trips from Dresden to Pirna, Bad Schandau, Schöna and Decin. The first part of the trip was by double-deck cars pulled by BR243 from Dresden to Schöna, then across the river to Hrensko and a boat to Decin. Even now when I'm there I spend a lot of time in the Elbe valley except now there is a Siemens Desiro BR641 running between Bad Schandau and Decin. Of course, there is a EuroCity train every 2 hours but I have more fun riding the local double-deckers, DMUs and railcars.
Thank you! My idea is to have a small track outside, almost hidden in places, so that the track seems longer. I will mix urban and a little rural in the space I have.Going back to the original question, it would depend to a degree what kind of setting you are thinking of for the layout, rural or urban? For building kits, the Auhagen range would be a good place to start as they produce many buildings based on actual East German prototypes. The pitched roof, three storey apartment block is particularly good and based on a type that was built from the 1950's onwards and can still be seen today.
Piko make a very good range of Plattenbau style apartment blocks, these can be made to different sizes and heights by adding kits together. The design is called WBS70 and appeared all over the DDR from the mid 70's. Piko also make a number of kits for single storey buildings more suited to a rural setting, the single storey cottage type ones appear to be based on an actual post war design. Faller also do a kit for the earlier P2/5 type of Plattenbau apartment blocks but they are quite expensive and fiddly I think.
For pre war town houses, I have always liked the kits that were originally made by Pola but are now produced by Faller, they had a rundown appearance that was very typical of how these houses appeared in the DDR, with missing plaster and exposed brickwork.
Busch also make a number of kits for DDR specific buildings, vehicles and accessories.
I'll try and find some of the catalogue numbers for you later
Thank you Simon, I sure will.Excellent Fifi, please do keep us updated with your progress and if you have any further questions in the future, ask away and we will try to help
This is an old post but came up on a google search and I can add to the question about the difference between the Roco and Rivarossi Spree Alpen express sets. The Rivarossi one is early epoche IV, the Rev dates are 1969 if I remember correctly whereas the Roco set is late era IV, hence the different colour scheme and with the sleepers having a brown roof, would be 1981 onwards. The green couchette coach is a different type too, a B in the Rivarossi set and a Y/B in the Roco one. I’m pretty sure the sleepers are different types too but I can’t be sure from memoryQUOTE (SimonBoulton @ 6 Oct 2017, 10:04) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>That's the ones John, the Rivarossi Spree Alpen Express set were the ones I saw. I think the Type B was only done in 1:100 length before.
Simon
Simon - I also noted that Roco had previously made the Spree Alpen Express set here http://www.roco.cc/en/product/225212-64148...3/products.html
The set length is ~the same as the Rivarossi set https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/shop/brands/ri...express-dr.html
However the Mitropa coaches have a slightly different livery but are both classed as EpIV - any ideas why would be welcome...