From Bratislava with love…
I received a wonderful surprise yesterday, a small carefully wrapped box containing a gift for my European shelf layout, a Trabant…
Perfect. Even better from a good friends hand crafted with love. She looks great on the layout, I am touched and honoured, it is lovely to have such a touch to ‘finish’ this project. Beyond the car was a wonderfully penned letter, boldly scribed on quality paper…
“The humble Trabant 601 - the very personification of mundane. Underpowered and frankly dangerous, it was the basic transport of East Germany, becoming ubiquitous across Eastern Europe even into the 1990s.
Here is one in 1:87 scale. The detailing and weathering is not spot on, but the best I have been able to achieve in the hours devoted to this adorable little model. I hope it fits on KBB”.
Thank you good friend, I appreciate the thought, more though, the love that went into this tiny slice of Eastern Europe, very much at home here already. This hobby and the friends I have made through its experiences are so truly valued. Until next time, more soon…
There were tons of them on the road in Budapest when we went in 2003. Probably need to fit your model with a smoke unit though from what I remember!
ReplyDeleteWonderful imagery Jim! Cheers!
Delete"Probably need to fit your model with a smoke unit though from what I remember!"
DeleteSure, the Trabant engine was a two-stroke twin cylinder lubricated similarly to the old motorbikes from the fuel mixture; that means that at each refuelling it was necessary to add oil to the petrol in a ratio of about 1:50.
Love the detail Hank, thank you.
DeleteSimilar to a Triumph Dolomite in shape and a lovely weathering job. Superb!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tom, and I’m sure James will be happy to hear you agree with me about his weathering!
DeleteSmashing! I used to own a couple of MZ motorcycles, which triggered my interest in DDR and other Eastern Bloc vehicles.
ReplyDeleteIn H0 I have a couple of nicely finished Busch Trabis, several somewhat more basic (bare plastic) Trabis (there were 2, now there's a 3rd, so I guess they're breeding!), a Wartburg, some earlier DDR cars and lorries as well...so I need to build a suitable scene for them to infest at some point. It may or may not contain a railway...
Hi Simon, good to hear from you, I’m not sure of the provenance of this one, but it feels like it captures the shape and character well, aided in no small part by my friend James’s subtle weathering.
DeleteThat's quite the collection, Simon! This one is a Herpa model, a very basic bare plastic kit out of the box, but nice enough and the components were at least mostly the right colours. I painted details like indicator lights, handles, vents, mirrors, wipers and a representation of interior door panel upholstery. The rear registration plate component (which secures the chassis into the body!) was also missing from the kit but the fit is quite snug anyway once the front grille has secured the chassis at the other end, so I just cut a small piece of thin styrene to cover the holes.
DeleteNice addition, and gorgeously weathered too! A perfect addition to "site" your layout in its era and region!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I was so touched to receive it, a model to be treasured and a connection that spans beyond the layout, to friends in other places.
DeleteThere's a battered blue Trabbi 601 slowly disintegrating In a front garden about 100m down the road from me in Reading. Was a runner about 20 years ago and used to be seen smokily pootling around the local roads. It now sits forlorn, tyres flat and gently crumbling away behind it's own little Mauer, as the owner has bricked it (Henry the Green Engine-style) into his front garden! Said owner is a DDR fan and a railway modeller, having bought assorted surplus DR, PKP and CSD H0 stock from me in the past.
ReplyDeleteWhat a story Alan, thank you for sharing. I find it incredible how many connections we can weave via this rather unimportant hobby. Best, James
DeleteWow, cheers James, I wasn't expecting this little Trabi to get its own blog post when I popped it in the post! This is only the third road vehicle I've attempted to detail and weather, so it took longer than originally planned to work out how to approach some aspects, but it seemed like the perfect vehicle to contribute to your story of a somewhat neglected industrial backwater in Eastern Europe. I'm pleased it brought a smile.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thank you to all here in the comments for your kind feedback on the weathering. I admit I was quite pleased with the result at the time, but having seen it now in James' very clear macro shots, I'm convinced that I need to invest in some better magnification!
Thanks James, and of course I’m going to share it, it was a lovely surprise and I felt so excited I had to put it out there. Your thoughts on finesse made me smile, I think the finish is perfect and certainly passes the enlargement test! Keep up the good work!
DeleteThanks James, you're too kind. And no plans to give up any time soon!
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