R e n o v a t i o n J o u r n a l 10
Quarter 2/ 2 0 2 1
2018: Prelude (Part 1) - Prelude (Part 2)
2020: Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Part 5 ~ Part 6 ~ Part 7
2021: Part 8a ~ Part 8b ~ Part 8c ~ Part 9 ~ Part 10 ~ Part 11 ~ Part 12 ~ Part 13 ~ Part 14 ~ Part 15
2022: Part 16 ~ Part 17 ~ Part 18 ~ Part 19 ~ Part 20 ~ Part 21 ~ Part 22 ~ Part 23 ~ Part 24 ~ Part 25 ~ Part 26 ~ Part 27 ~ Part 28
2023:
Chapter 30 ~ Vineyard Watchtower
Chapter 31 ~ Animals in the Forest
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Chapter 10.1 ~ The Cathedral
(28.3.2021)
After finishing the W h i t e T o w e r and the D r a c h e n b u r g, I opened the box of Faller's cathedral last week.
It is the most expensive kit I have ever bought. For a sloppy 219 euros, however, you have no less than 666 parts, which are ready for many hours of attention and fun.
For the die-hards: I also bought glue and light bulbs (not to mention window foil, 7 masks and 1 construction instruction), so we can certainly drop the ominous number '666' for this church.
This Cathedral is part of the Bebenhausen Monastery.
Faller 130816
Unlike the Bebenhausen variant, this Cathedral has 6 additional flying buttresses.
I can hardly wait to place this church together with the Monastery behind the city, surrounded by vineyards.
This mask, meant for the grand gothic window, looks much better than the one Vollmer produced for the Monastery.
First things first.
As usual, the building is preceded by intensive painting.
As the base colour I chose a beige sandstone, which was then aged and weathered with Lasur and dry white paintbrush.
A particularly beautiful part is the piece of wall with a huge Gothic window.
I can never get tired of seeing plastic 'turn to stone' under your brush.
~~~
One day later, March 29th, I started the construction of the nave of the church!
With a sneak peek how large the construction will be in comparison with the Monastery.
~~~
Chapter 10.2 ~ The Interior
And then... there was this information:
The imitation stained-glass window can optionally be cut out to see through the rosette window inside the interior.
I think the window is so beautiful that I decide to leave it transparent.
But ... that does mean an interior. Starting with a white wall.
Particularly difficult, when you have already assembled part of the church and the windows have already been installed.
On Wednesday 31 March, I was able to buy three wall cards (Faller 170627) for the floor inside the church, as prescribed.
Next to a brand new - and last year's release already sold out! - BR 95 004 (Märklin 39098).
~~~
Chapter 10.3 ~ The Organ
But yes, while musing about the interior, I did some research into the original in Bebenhausen.
I discovered that the Monastery of Bebenhausen converted to Protestantism during the Reformation, and now falls under the Evangelische Kirche in Württemberg.
In 1885 the Walcker firm placed an organ in the church with 6 stops
and 1 manual, used until
1970.
With only one black and white photo I thought I could make this simple
organ in 1: 87 scale.
But a plan develops as it goes.
My organ became a bit bigger and was built according to my own insight.
From scratch building to...
I definitely wanted to add pedal towers on a 16-foot basis. The church room can handle it.
For the keyboard and lectern, I used the Schnitger organ in the Martini Church in Groningen.
Reduced and printed. Unfortunately, I don't have a colour printer...
And how about an organ without a pedal?
Last, not least: the organ bench!
5.4.2021
~~~
Now the one thing that still bothered me was that both manuals are flat.
So, on I made the second manual 3D...
6.4.2021
~~~
Chapter 10.4 ~ Floor, Balcony and Benches
The next thing was the interior: the floor! Since the Wall Cart (Faller 170620) is rather thin and tends to bend, I made a special underfloor of cardboard.
The openings in the walls under the organ balcony will be bricked up. A door in the north wall gives access to the organ.
And then some finetuning: a fence for the balcony. It's the very same one that once was seen on the station platform
Like in the original Bebenhausen Monastery, I made an elevation of the floor in the front.
Altar, pulpit and baptistry will be put there
7.10.2021
On April 7th, a parcel was brought: people for the vineyard to come!
A church also needs benches. Like the original, I choose for two rows.
I think the stained-glass as suggested by Faller is very successful.
~~~
Chapter 10.5 ~ Altar, Baptistry, Pulpit and Choir Organ
On the afternoon of Friday April 9th, I made the baptistry.
The wall in the back, under the balcony, was dressed up a bit.
~~~
Saturday, April 10th ~ Altar, Pulpit, Choir Organ and lamps.
My desk full with all kinds of stuff...
Lamps from the Faller station (never used) can be used, as well of St. Cristopforo's statue.
The beginning... I never know how it ends!
Except for the plinth (taken from the Alsfeld Townhall, Faller B 936), the pulpit is made entirely from remains of the forester's house (Busch 1675).
~~~
The Choir Organ
~~~
All together...
~~~
Chapter 10.6 ~ After the sermon...
Although not used, I just wanted to see how it fits.
I still can't remember in what Kibri kit it came! But I kept this adhesive sheet of stained-glass for many years.
It can be found in the station, in the Cochemer Burg and now... in the Cochemer Cathedral.
The still empty balcony seen from the outside... on which the grand organ finally has been glued.
On the left there's a cabinet in which organ literature is kept.
The small windows behind the organ also got stained- glass. Then it's time for 'illumination'.
These two Brawa lampposts with LED I bought many years ago.
Since they had an unnatural glow, I put them aside for many years. Now they may 'rise and shine'
For preventing them sliding out of their socket, well... this is what I made of it.
~~~
Wednesday, April 14th
Today I just stared a lot at my kit, considering how and where to make all the wiring.
I ordered the "Deko 1" for the rose window from the Faller Bebenhausen Monastery, which turns out to be very different from the window decoration included with this kit.
As long as this window is not in it, I cannot continue with the construction...
Left 130816, right 130598
But the online ordered switches were delivered today.
Now both the Cathedral and the Monastery will have 10 separate switches for illumination.
~~~
Monday, April 19th
This morning I found an envelope in my mailbox. My request was honoured.
The construction of the cathedral can continue.
19.4.2021
The original in the Bebenhausen Church
The choir organ is now foreseen with bench and a keyboard. The latter is a copy of the Schnitger organ in Uithuizen, Groningen.
With all furniture added...
~~~
Friday, April 23rd
Due to an annoying glue smudge on the stained-glass window, I ordered a new one.
Today he came in. All praise for Faller's service.
Ouch, that really hurts!
How in the world can they make such a magnificent adornment? For real...!
A final free look inside, before I will close the rooftop.
~~~
Chapter 10.7 ~ The rooftop
(25.5.2021)
It is taking shape more and more!
The roof mouldings that remained of the Vollmer Monastery are a great addition to the Cathedral.
This way I can get rid of the somewhat disturbing transitions.
On the other hand, it forms a unity in architectural style with the monastery.
It also means that my Cathedral is rather uniqeu in shape,
because of a number of adjustments that I made on my own initiative,
such as shutters at the wall above the organ, roof mouldings on the side walls, not to mention the interior.
~~~
Chapter 10.8 ~ The Wiring
(29.5.2021)
The monastery quadrant will get separate power supply.
I intend to make a separate switchboard on the side as well, so that almost every lamp and the servo for the clock tower can be controlled separately.
Ordered online: 20 toggle switches.
~~~
Chapter 10.9 ~ Gargoyles...
The month of May has arrived...
Today I started working on the flying buttresses.
How incredibly tiny... I didn't even notice this part while painting the rest. It will be right on top of the pinnacle.
My first photo, with the flying buttresses attached, at night...
... and the next day in bright daylight
By the way, here you can see the adjustments I made.
The hatches and door in the rooftop were in effect parts of this kit, but meant for the Bebenhausen Monastery.
They cover the gap of the cross in the wall, although I agree that
"even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars..."
In two words: Majestic!
In the evening I was reconsidering the Monastery's position in relation to the cathedral: longitudinal or perpendicular.
~~~
Chapter 10.10 ~ The Tower
(8.5.2021)
The next morning, Saturday May 8th, I started with the tower.
With clock and clapper.
This servo is included. A shame not to use it...
Therefor I decided this morning to purchase both Faller 180730 and 180725
viz. Sound Module and Servosteuerung
Not satisfied with the set-up as intended, I moved the Monastery to the left whereas the Cathedral gets a more central position.
This harmonizes better with the background as well as with the layout as a whole.
28.5.2021
~~~
Chapter 10.11 ~ The Servo
Then the Servo control arrived...
30.5.2021
Finally, I can continue with the belltower, since the lever has to be adjusted by means of the servo.
Whereas the servo on the other hand 'may not be moved by hand, not even when screwing the servo lever on.'
~~~
Chapter 10.12 ~ The Spire
So much for the mechanics. Now let's focus on the spire.
It's like those waffles you get with vanilla ice cream.
Not prescribed, but my personal favourite: lighting in the lantern.
A hatch is required, although again not prescribed.
It's time to get started with the ornaments. Everything times eight!
The spire is an awkward thing, now ready to be decorated with a pinnacle on every corner.
Eight times two halves, and eight times five make 40 parts.
Gargoyles are basically intended to drain water. But it is said that they also served to allow liquid tar to flow through when the cathedral was stormed.
~~~
Saturday June 6th, time for some wiring again. The servo will be positioned right under the floor of the Cathedral.
26.6.2021
When the wiring is done, the roof can be on!
In July I started putting the small upright pinnacles on the tower lantern.
Then it's time to seal up the roof so I can secure the tower and apply the pinnacles with gargoyles.
Beforehand I took some interior photos. After this, no longer accessible.
10.7.2021
Five days later it's time for the spire to be finished.
I had to cut off the edges for a proper fitting on, or better: in the roof
Each buttress was sorted individually by colour and location. This also applies to the gargoyles that were positioned on top of it.
Pretty exciting how it develops...
Because the roof parts at the back do not close completely, I decided to close the holes with a wooden rain drain.
The original at the Bebenhausen Monastery has a similar drain
~~~
Last Update:
Frits Osterthun © 18.7.2021