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jancs commented on Tiny Trains: Neat Narrow-Gauge Rail Connects German Island to Mainland   weburbanist.com/2018/05/0... · Posted by u/misnamed
Someone · 8 years ago
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lüttmoorsiel-Nordstrandischm... has a schematic of the track.

Looking at the map, it seems there are only two endpoints to the line on the island.

On the other hand, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordstrandischmoor claims there are only 4 households on the island, so even assuming each has its separate fork, “each house” isn’t that much.

I wonder what system they have to prevent the two locomotives from meeting each other half-way through and to get one of the locomotives to a home when needed.

jancs · 8 years ago
They use a marker in between the runarounds, and whoever reaches it first can pass while the other car needs to turn back.
jancs commented on Tiny Trains: Neat Narrow-Gauge Rail Connects German Island to Mainland   weburbanist.com/2018/05/0... · Posted by u/misnamed
parliament32 · 8 years ago
Private train cars are the most interesting part. I wonder how signaling works? Does each house/"station" have its own fork in the tracks for getting their private train car home?
jancs · 8 years ago
There is no signalling, except for one marker in the middle of the longest stretch of single track rail between turnouts. Whoever reaches it first can continue, the other party has to go back. Though apparently, you can see whether the other car will be first, and wait.

Also, you don't really need forks, because are light enough to be lifted off the tracks. Some pull them up on special car trailers.

jancs commented on Tiny Trains: Neat Narrow-Gauge Rail Connects German Island to Mainland   weburbanist.com/2018/05/0... · Posted by u/misnamed
OrganicMSG · 8 years ago
>Each island house has its own wagon — some used to be wind-powered, using sails, but today they run on diesel.

Is that pretty standard?

jancs · 8 years ago
It's a unique situation in Germany, and one that works for a small community where everyone knows everyone else.

The cars are not only privately owned, but handmade with wood and motorcycle parts.

There are a couple of safety rules, which are enforced by a permit you get from the mayor of the Hallig (island), and if you break the rules too often, it gets revoked. Which has happened only one time so far, apparently.

jancs commented on Tiny Trains: Neat Narrow-Gauge Rail Connects German Island to Mainland   weburbanist.com/2018/05/0... · Posted by u/misnamed
jancs · 8 years ago
There's a rather good documentary about it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3XI-4wfYxI (in German, unfortunately), for anyone interested in how it operates.

u/jancs

KarmaCake day3March 5, 2018View Original