My small Italian style layout "Valditaro" (HO scale)

[martin67]

Hi all,

 

would like to introduce my small layout "Valditaro". I started this project in summer 2014. When I was a boy, my first abroad experience was Italy, back then I developed the wish to have a Italian themed model train layout. The problem in those days in the early 80's was, that there were almost no houses and scenery available for a mediterranean scene. The situation changed some 5 years ago, when I visited the Model Expo in Verona for the fist time. I found many small manufacturers, providing almost everything I needed. At the same time the German company Noch began to offer mediterranean vegetation. This was the moment to start.

 

I wanted to boild a 2 piece "boot-sized" layout (I first measured the boot of my car to check the maximum size of each module). The height of the two pieces allows me to carry them double stacked in the car. I wanted to have a working catenay System, although without power, to have electic engines running with raised pantograph. There is no catenary in the tunnel area, at the end of each tunnel I installed a "pantograph catcher" (bent up catenary). The catenary poles are from Lima (1980's production), and I used wires from the German firm Hobbex.

 

The houses are from Struttura Ferroviaria and Ma.Co.Mo., small manufacturers from Italy and the church is a resin kit from C.R. Ninive. I used burned summer grass from Woodland Scenics, this resembles sunburned grass of southern Europe very well. The Trains are from Lima Expert, Rivarossi, Roco, ACME, Vitrains, Piko and others. Road traffic is from the common guys (Busch, Brekina, Herpa), and some smaller companies (G&G Rail, Co.Met Milano) or rebuilt by myself to match Italian prototypes.

 

And now, a bunch of pictures.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to mention that the whole layout is built extremely light weight. I used a wooden framework, the rest is made of polystyrene boards, cardboard and paper. This makes it very easy to carry the layout around, as I usually display everything twice a year.

 

Nice Weekend,

 

Martin

 

Edited August 31, 2018 by martin67

[gavino200]

14 hours ago, martin67 said:

Hi all,

 

would like to introduce my small layout "Valditaro". I started this project in summer 2014. When I was a boy, my first abroad experience was Italy, back then I developed the wish to have a Italian themed model train layout. The problem in those days in the early 80's was, that there were almost no houses and scenery available for a mediterranean scene. The situation changed some 5 years ago, when I visited the Model Expo in Verona for the fist time. I found many small manufacturers, providing almost everything I needed. At the same time the German company Noch began to offer mediterranean vegetation. This was the moment to start.

 

 

That's a beautiful layout. Thanks for posting. I love the vespa scene!

[martin67]

Sometimes, when nobody is watching, strange trains suddenly show up. Valditaro turned spanish that day....

 

Here's my vintage Ibertren TEE "Catalan Talgo" along with a EF66 lookalike RENFE Mitsubishi electric class 252 from Hornby/Electrotren.

 

 

 

 

Cheerio,

 

Martin

 

[marknewton]

Nice work Martin. I'm gong to show these photos to a friend of mine who's getting into modelling Italian railways in HO. I think he'll be inspired by them.

 

All the best,

 

Mark.

[martin67]

Would love to help with answers on questions about modelling, manufacturers, prototypes, operation...

 

Martin

[kvp]

Beautiful layout and has a really nice italian feeling! Do you have two separate loops or are there any hidden turnouts and/or sidings in the tunnels?

[martin67]

I mainly built this layout to be used on exhibitions, so the operation is rather limited. The two loops are not connected and there are no hidden sidings. Even if there are only two trains running, it prooved to be very successful. Adult visitors are more interrested in landscaping techniques or the scenery (i.e. "where did you get the houses, trucks, cars from?"), children love trains coming out of the tunnel and disappearing on the other side. And at home I love watching the trains go round and round, I'm not what you'd call a shunter.

 

Martin

[MichiK]

Buon giorno, Martin, que sorpresa !

 

Now, look what I found amongst my pictures:

 

You may be right - it's not that much in terms of operation - but your layout has a lot of Italian flair. Very enjoyable!

 

Michi

Edited September 5, 2018 by MichiK

[martin67]

There's me, too (the guy with the Lima-Shirt)! This picture is from 2017 at Munich Tram Museum, right? Thanks for taking your time and stopping by ! Next spring I'll be there again with my layout. And in November 3rd and 4th, you can meet me in Eresing (Ammersee), the new Location for the "Kaltenberger Model Train Days",

 

Martin

 

 

Edited September 11, 2018 by martin67

[MichiK]

Yes, Martin, the picture is from last year's exhibition (there is also a little report over at die-kartonmodellbauer.de, though as guest one can only see small pictures). Of course I watched the show also this year - I live directly in Munich, so there's really no excuse not to!

The november date is duly written down - I moght stop by with my boy, then!

[martin67]

Long time now, but this layout still exists, even if it's retired from exhibition service. Today I found out that somebody got rid of his old car on my layout.....

 

 

The model is not my own work, unfortunately, the Dutch company Artitec sold it as it is in their RIP-series. Have to try something like this with one of my Herpa models, maybe.

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[JR East]

Ouahou .... A Citroën Dyane

 

Fun to see that in a layout !

[martin67]

That's it. For decades there was no model of a Dyane in HO, just a few 2CV's. Now there*s a second one from Brekina, too.

 

Martin

[N-Osoi]

Did I also see an Alfa Sud in there? Amazing! Great layout.👍