Playmobil steamlocomotive on tour

[Marco_4124]

Playmobil steamlocomotive on tour

My first introduction with Playmobil was not a successful one. That was back in the seventies when Playmobil only made little man, and in 1976 little women. The range was not so complete as we know it today. Now I am older, and maybe wiser, Playmobil got my attention again. That started with my other hobby: railways. Not only in scale 1:1, but also modeltrains. I’ll take great pleasure in restoring old modeltrains and make them running again. Also when I repaired a LGB train that is mentioned for use in a garden. But soon I discovered that LGB trains were quite expensive, so I looked to an alternative. That was Playmobil trains. These trains are fitting perfectly with my LGB trains.

My hobby takes me also to railway lines that are abandoned or hardly in use anymore. Using old roadmaps, reprints of old railway staff maps and modern navigation systems I am searching for old and abandoned railway lines and find out if they are still there, or not. Joining me the last few years is an old Playmobil steamlocomotive. Together with an iPod Touch I am making pictures through the front window of the cab. And that gives a funny view as how my Playmobil engineer would see the old railway line from his point of view. Enough talking, let’s see some pictures.



In Brückenau Stadt (Germany) I’ve made a picture with my Nikon camera from my Playmobil steamlocomotive. The first hand points out the iPod Touch that is visible in the red circle. The second hand points to the camera from the iPod Touch. The iPod Touch is held in place by double sided adhesive tape. Most of the time the pictures will succeed, but sometimes they are over exposed. I presume that the iPod Touch camera doesn’t like to be up-side-down.



Now the same steamlocomotive, but this time you look through the front window of the cab (using the iPod Touch camera). On your right hand is just visible the old signalbox of Brückenau Stadt.



In Rieneck (Germany, on the railway line from Gemünden am Main to Elm) I have placed the steamlocomotive on the station platform. Although only every 2 hours a passenger train serves the station, the line is very busy. Many freight trains are running here from the harbours in the north to the Alps in the south. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR SAFETY IN MIND.



The same locomotive pictured by my Nikon camera.



Another journey took me to Stieltjeskanaal in The Netherlands. There was an old railway line serving the oil wells over here. But since there is a pipeline to Rotterdam, the line is not needed anymore. In fact, if you have the money, the railway line is for sale. You are now looking through the cab to the old railway bridge over the canal (the bridge is open).



This journey took me to the Dutch – Belgium border, just outside Hamont. Once this was the direct railway line from Antwerpen to Germany over Herentals, Mol, Neerpelt, Hamont, (after here The Netherlands) Budel, Weert, Roermond, Vlodrop Station, (after here Germany) Dalheim, Wegberg to the industries around the Rhine in Germany. Only one freight train every 2 or 3 days in the week is using this line from Hamont to Budel. In Budel is a connection to a factory. My locomotive is looking to the sign that announces the Belgium – Dutch border.



Another border, this time between The Netherlands and Germany. It is the old railway line between Nijmegen in The Netherlands and Kleve in Germany. It is now only used by rental rail bikes. The arch is exactly on the border.

I’ll hope you like the pictures. It gives a funny sight from a Playmobil engineer point of view. I am planning to make some more in the future.

If you want to do this also:
— ALWAYS KEEP YOUR SAFETY IN MIND.
— CONFIRM YOURSELF THAT THE RAILWAY LINE IS NOT IN USE.
— NEVER USE AN OLD RAILWAY BRIDGE OR TUNNEL (except if they are converted to a walking or cycling path).
— IN GENERAL: SAFETY FIRST (to quote a safety rule from the Union Pacific).

[Rasputin]

Very nice pictures of the old lines. I too like exploring abandoned rail lines. In our area we have all the old lumber routes. The old tunnels are still there and can be found even though the rail authorities blew the openings with TNT. Not too long ago all the huge wooden trussels were still intact. Again the rail authorities burned them all down today. Lots of the lines carved out in the mountains are just tiny walking trails now.

Great project, thanks for sharing. Love the shots through the playmo train.

[playmofire]

That's a very interesting and clever use of your Playmobil loco, Marco.  I look forward to seeing more photos of other old lines.

We live just a few hundred yards from the route of the old Whitby to Scarborough railway line, most of which is now a walking and cycling route.  Going south, a three mile walk takes it into Scarborough, including crossing what used to be the marshalling yards, but are now green spaces, with the walk ending in what was the old goods yard but is now a supermarket car park.  Going north, the route takes us 20 miles to Whitby, much of it within sight of the sea and with a number of the old station buildings still there and being used as tearooms or homes.  A very nice walk to take, although not all in one day!

[Birdie]

This is a great project, thanks for sharing! 

[DrDalek6]

Cool I like that a great idea and an interesting perspective of the old abaondonned railway lines 

[Marco_4124]

On 9th of november I was at the Cruquiusweg in Amsterdam. It is an island just east of the railwayline from Amsterdam Central Station to Amsterdam Muiderpoort station. Were now live people in apartments once was the railway yard of Amsterdam Rietlanden. It was mainly used by cattle trains. From the former railway yard nothing is left, except some depot building and a platform along some rails. One depot building is now cafe "Gare de l'Est", other old railway buildings are used as offices. These old railway buildings and platform are now a monument.



Amsterdam Rietlanden, Cruquiusweg as it used to be. Only this platform is over from the once extensive railway yard.



Underneath the grass there are still a few yards of railwayline next to the platform.



This was once the railwaybridge to the island. It is now used by bikes and pedestrians.