Fremo Cloppenburg 2025

~ Fremo 2025 at Cloppenburg ~

30/31 May, 2025

In gratitude for my photography, Andreas Lange (known from the website and railway Rbd Breslau) invited me as well as Julian and Yannick as his guests

and granted me access to the closed Fremo group (Fremo as in Freundeskreis Europäischer Modellbahner)

that set up its module layout in the sportshall at Leharstrasse in Cloppenburg (Germany) in May 2025.

Theme of the Cloppenburg Fremo 2025 was DRG 1928.

Which means: Track, Fahrpläne and trains had to fit in this time frame. Whereas most steamlocomotves still posses their Psusian livery

Although I came in principle to photograph specific models for a Prusian Calender to come

- Andreas had at least three suitcases full of steam locomotives and Altbau Eloks -

on Friday morning (after the first photo shoot) Andreas challenged me while handing over a Fahrplan to 'running a service' as an engineer myself.

It completely changed my vision on 'men running their trains'...

One of the highlights running on the layout, DRG 18 001 made by Kay Silabetzschky | © Osterthun Photography

It concerned to be a DRG railcar (Triebwagen) on a local line (COvT Magdeburg 804).

With this I ran one service (Bahndienst T 4448, T 4449, T 4450, T 4451), commuting between Possendorf (Hermannschacht) and Wilischtal.

Note: the clocktime was 1 : 3 on Friday and 1 : 4 on Saturday... which means 60 minutes (H0 time) in 20 viz. 15 minutes real time (there were clocks all around the hall)

Saturday morning I was assigned a BR 74 (DRG 74 207) with a three-carriage train, which had to commute twice between Fellhammer and Ondrup.

In Ondrup I had to shift position (socalled Umstellen), which in technical terms means that the locomotive is uncoupled from one side and coupled again to the other side of the train.

It felt great that there was a 'Dienstleiter' at every station who operates the points and signals and is the only one to give permission to leave.

Even when signals are green, you not only have to wait for the departure time, but ultimately for permission from the 'Dienstleiter'.

That's how it went in 1928...

In the afternoon, all the Farhpläne were handed out for the second time that day and I was given (of all things!) a train on the Czech track (Grenzverkehr) with - yes sir! - a Fahrplan in Czech.

But with the experience gained, this was not an issue.

Initially I was assigned tank locomotive CSD 355.001. However, after my first shift, I asked the Czech Service Department if I could change locomotives. Permission granted!

This was again a beautiful model by Micro Feinmechanik (CSD 414.096), now equipped with sound.

The feeling of driving such models through such a beautiful landscape for 'many a kilometre' is indescribable, indeed so.

Sincerely honoured, grateful, with many beautiful memories and newly made friends, I drove home in the afternoon.
That is to say... I intended to go home earlier.

However, after saying goodbye to Andreas, Julian and Yannick around 4 p.m., I also walked up to Mario Menge in passing by.
He said: "What? Leaving right now? I thought you were still going to photograph my locomotives as well, weren't you?!"

Anyway, I got all the stuff out of the car again and one hour later I was able to drive home now, with even more photographic treasures...

Stefan Unser (green T-shirt, left rear near the wall) and Mario Menge (midfront, black T-shirt on the back). Andreas is bending over the layout with goggle at Rbd Breslau (left side, black T-shirt)

~~~

Friday May 30

Model made by Andreas Lange. Due to connection, not able to shoot it in static way on my studio display!

Now there's my Triebwagen at Possendorf (Hermannschacht), during coffee break, waiting for my shift (T 4449) to leaving at 18:34 (Abfahrt)

Reading from right to left of T 4449 (green line): T 4449 Abfahrt 18:34, Ankunft in Schwarzbach um 18:45, Abfahrt um 18:50, Ankunft in Wilischtal 19:00