On every 2nd December since 2016, German (probably also European) model railroad enthusiasts and modellers celebrate the International Model Railroading Day (dt. Internationaler Tag der Modelleisenbahn). The well-known Eisenbahn Romantik moderator Hagen von Ortloff searched high and low if there was a day where model railroad enthusiasts could celebrate their hobby and found none. So, 2nd December was chosen as it is around this time that the model railroad fever starts as people takes out their models for the winter/Christmas season playtime and as Christmas gift for self and their kids.

A Childhood Dream

I grew up in the railway town Brickfield near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Brickfields is located south of the old Kuala Lunpur central railway station; today, the site of Kuala Lumpur Sentral and the new central railway station and was a major freight marshalling yard and locomotive depot in the peak days up until the late 1980s. It was my childhood playground So. railway has been a part of my childhood and adult life as I lived threre for 30 years. In fact, my first model train bug was when I got my first tin steam locomotive for my 3rd birthday.

This was the main marshalling and locomotive depot on the west coast line of the Malayan Railways in Brickfields (Foto: @Boeing747S8)

My family circle knows my deep interest and passion for trains. I used my personal savings to buy my first Life-Like HO-scale Santa Fe freight train set in 1989 from Toys-R-Us in Subang Parade. A few years later after starting working, I switched to N-scale due to limited space. My focus was US railroad esp. UP and BNSF. After moving to Germany in 2011, I switched to German railroad in N-scale and built a segment layout.

Model Railroad Bonds People

Find a N-scale model railroad club around my area is pretty difficult, although it is German manufacturer Arrnold that made N-scale (1:160) popular. German model railroad modellers prefer H0 scale and there are many clubs dedicated to this scale.

Germans like to get together in clubs – be it sports or for specific hobbies such as small garden, bee clubs, etc. The feeling of association and sharing common interest bonds people. One way to integrate with the society wherever you are is to join a local club. And, I found mine in Märklin Insider Stammtisch (MIST) 61, an informal group of Märklin H0 enthusiasts around Hochtaunus, where I currently live.

We meet 4 times a year to bring out our modules and run our Märklin collections together.

Märklin Insider Stammtisch MIST-61 largest module setup for recent Q4/2022 ops session (Foto: Peter Fuchs (c))

My First Year Märklin H0 Journey

I started my first Märklin H0 journey with the first acquisition of pre-owned Baureihe 53 002 Borsig Mallet in November 2021. For that year’s Christmas I got a Märklin digital starter set 29074 as a both birthday-cum-Christmas gift.

From an oval track, my Märklin journey continues with building 2 Loewenherz modules with a total length 2 meters (track length 2160 mm). I am still building my modules but you can follow my progress on my germaN87AC website. More locomotives and cars mainly steam era II and III. were acquired as part of my collection.

I am happy and fortune for the support from my MIST-61 members esp. my mentor René Goy and my family in realising my childhood dream. I learned a lot from them about Märklin digital and how to build my modules as well as other important aspects such as cabling, decoders and electronics; the latter which I learned more than 30 years so.

Whatever your hobby is, enjoy the time and relive your passion!

Happy International Model Railroading Day 2022!