Epochs (model railways)

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Railway eras according to NEM

For authentic representation of a period of railway history on the model railroad layouts are available in continental Europe and in the United Kingdom and a division into different eras . In order to make it easier for the model railroader to assign the vehicle fleet and accessories that belong together at a given time, information on the epoch is sometimes given in the catalogs and on the product packaging in the form of a consecutive number.

The continental European epoch division in the standards of the European model railways is controversial, as there is no direct reference between the epoch designation and a specific year or a specific decade and this is primarily geared to the conditions in Germany. The time epochs could just as easily be given in the time segments of the decades or with specific year numbers, as is customary in North America. In this case an epoch division would be superfluous.

The further subdivision of the epochs into periods in the form of a consecutive lower case letter according to the standards of the European model railways, as used in the various continental European countries, has proven to be impractical for the relevant model railroad brands and was not implemented, as these are handled differently from country to country.

Model railway eras in continental Europe according to NEM

Systematics

The epoch affiliation of rail vehicles is mainly defined by the organization of the model and its reforms - which is why one can at least theoretically draw sharp annual boundaries. In Germany, for example, a passenger coach from Era III a represents its condition between 1949 and 1956, i.e. already from the Deutsche Bundesbahn , but still with a third class of wagon . The design of this car may well have existed before and after it, but the specific design of lettering, detailed equipment and color scheme, depending on the individual case, at most a transition time between a few hours (III a to III b) and several decades (until the end of Era V unchanged freight cars from Era IV c).

The same principles can also be applied to other objects such as urban planning and road construction , such as architectural styles or elements that were introduced or abolished in certain epochs. This includes certain types of cars, glazing, street lights, street signs, different colored telephone boxes , or traffic safety devices.

In a figurative sense, political changes also play a role, especially at the end of Epoch I with the end of World War I and, for example, the subsequent end of the Danube Monarchy (Austro-Hungarian Monarchy), Epoch II with the end of World War II and Epoch IV with the German reunification and the end of the Cold War , the collapse of the Iron Curtain and, as a result, the dissolution of the Eastern Bloc and 1991 of the Soviet Union .

In addition to very precisely definable features, there are also relatively timeless objects such as B. historical buildings or vehicles such as tractors, which may even have withstood more than one epoch largely unchanged.

There are different systems of epochs. The most famous of these, with six epochs today, was suggested by the then magazine Miniaturbahnen heute MIBA around 1968 and is now defined in the NEM 800 standard. The further subdivision differs depending on the country and is documented in recommendations NEM 801 to 825. These will be adapted to the current status with regard to the development of the model railroad offer. The subdivision according to NEM 800 is based on Germany and was transferred to other countries, with the given year figures being adopted, even if other events outside Germany would have been more significant (in Switzerland, for example, with the foundation of the SBB in 1902, a new era in Swiss railway history began , the marginal differences before and after the Second World War, on the other hand, would not actually justify an "epoch change".)

Epochs

The breakdown for Germany, Austria and Switzerland is shown below.

Important events are noted as commentaries that help to understand where the epoch begins.

Era I until around 1925

Symbol epoch I according to NEM 006 800 801 ff.png
Classification in Germany

In the founding phase of the railway, the state and private railways emerged with an extensive rail network. Era I is characterized by a variety of vehicle types, colors and lettering.

The epoch stands for the time from the first filigree steam trains to the creation of the Deutsche Reichsbahn after the First World War. Initially, there were initially small private railway companies that only operated individual railway lines that were not yet connected. In the course of time a coherent, coarse-meshed and internationally linked standard-gauge railway network develops. Then a fine-meshed narrow-gauge and standard-gauge network was created that was primarily operated by the so-called regional railways. For example, the Royal Bavarian State Railways , the Prussian State Railways or the Royal Württemberg State Railways emerged as regional railways. Each railway company painted its locomotives, passenger coaches and freight wagons in an appearance characterized by bright colors, given an elaborate decoration and lettering. The up to four car classes of the passenger coaches were largely painted according to the car classes. This made the trains appear quite colorful compared to those of later epochs. Steam locomotives dominated the scene. The first electric railcars and electric locomotives did not appear until the end of the era.

Era I in Germany covers the period from 1835 to 1920. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Period I a: 1835 to 1875 - A coherent, coarse-meshed and internationally linked standard-gauge railway network is created, mostly on the basis of private railways
  • Period I b: 1875 to 1895 - Nine large regional railway networks are created which were operated by the respective countries of the German Confederation as an independent state railway. In Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Württemberg, Baden, Hesse, Mecklenburg, Oldenburg and the then German Alsace-Lorraine. The first composite steam locomotives appear. By adapting the legislation, the construction and operation of branch lines in the form of small and local railways with simplified management also in narrow gauge is made possible. Tank locomotives appear.
  • Period I c: 1895 to 1910 - extensive standardization in the railway sector through corresponding building and operating regulations, signal regulations, driving regulations and the like. The first superheated steam locomotives appear. The first railcars with carburetor engines or with direct voltage from an overhead contact line or electric motors powered by accumulators appear. Four-axle passenger coaches appear in the express trains.
  • Period I d: 1910 to 1920 - German Freight Car Association, war operation and inflationary period
Division into Austria-Hungary

Era I in Austria-Hungary covers the period from 1837 to 1920. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Period I a: 1837 to 1858 - beginnings
  • Period I b / c: 1858 to 1884 - linking of the individual private railways to a coherent network
  • Period I d: 1884 to 1891 - expansion of main lines and local railways by the Austrian state railways
  • Period I e: 1891 to 1913 - nationalization of the private railways with the exception of the southern railroad
  • Period I f: 1913 to 1920 - First electric mainline lines , all wagons changed to a new system ("hyphen numbers")
Classification in Switzerland

The era of private railway construction to a largely complete railway network throughout Switzerland . Relocation of a large part of the passenger and freight traffic from the ships that operate on the waterways and from the horse-drawn carriages and carts that operate on the roads to the rail-bound railways , which were initially operated by steam locomotives , especially in transalpine transit traffic . Change in the offer of inland shipping on the lakes towards excursion traffic due to the emerging tourism . The heyday of steam operation. The heyday of tourism for the well-heeled in the time of the Belle Époque , first in the summer season then also in the emerging winter season. The Swiss locomotive and wagon industry emerges and does pioneering work in mountain railway construction and electrical engineering . Electric train transport began early. Establishment and successful operation of electrically operated trams , secondary , mountain and mountain railways . Towards the end of Epochs I, the large private railway companies merged as a result of a referendum to form the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). The cantonal railway companies such as the Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon (BLS) and the Rhaetian Railway (RhB) remained independent.

Era I in Switzerland covers the period from 1844 to 1920. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Period I a / b: 1844 to 1882 - beginnings
  • Period I c: 1882 to 1902 - opening of the Gotthard Railway, merger of the Western Switzerland Railway
  • Period I d: 1902 to 1920 - SBB founded

Era II from around 1920 to around 1950

Symbol epoch II according to NEM 006 800 801 ff
Classification in Germany

Era II describes the period from the founding of the Deutsche Reichsbahn in 1920 to shortly after the Second World War. The railway will initially be unified in terms of organization and later also in terms of appearance. A technical standardization takes place. This epoch was the last great heyday of steam locomotives. This epoch is characterized by a diversity in the vehicle fleet due to the vehicles taken over from the period before Epoch I to 1925 and the new emerging standard designs.

Era II in Germany covers the period from 1920 to 1950. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Period II a: 1920 to 1925 - transition of the former German state railways to the Reich under the name "Deutsche Reichsbahn", foundation of the Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft (1924). The locomotives still have the regional railway names and colors.
  • Period II b: 1925 to 1937 - introduction of uniform locomotive painting (e.g. black / red for steam locomotives, which is still known today), introduction of the uniform numbering plan, continuation of mainline “electrification” in Silesia, central and southern Germany, 1928 abolition 4th class (introduced by regional railways except e.g. in Bavaria).
  • Period II c: 1937 to 1950 - return as "Deutsche Reichsbahn" to direct state management. Integration of the railways of Saarland and Austria into the Deutsche Reichsbahn. Imperial eagle with swastika on locomotives and passenger coaches. Development of war locomotives, e.g. the series 42 and 52 as well as E 94, makeshift passenger cars. Early post-war period, shortage and hamster trains, inscription z. B. "Deutsche Reichsbahn in the US zone" - in the French. Occupation zone Südwestdeutsche Eisenbahn (SWDE), decoupling of state-owned railway operations in the Federal Republic of Germany through the establishment of the Deutsche Bundesbahn on September 7, 1949.

The occupation period between 1945 and 1949 is partly assigned to epoch III a, as vehicles with labels such as "DR Brit.-US.-Zone" can sometimes be used well into the 1950s, but by no means before 1945.

Classification in Austria

Era II in Austria covers the period from 1920 to 1945. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Period II a: 1920 to 1928 - transition from the kkSt.B. on the BBÖ , takeover of the southern railway and the Lower Austrian regional railways into state operations
  • Period II b: 1928 to 1938 - use of light signals, generous procurement of rolling stock
  • Period II c: 1938 to 1945 - Takeover of the Austrian Federal Railways by the Deutsche Reichsbahn
Classification in Switzerland

Experience from the First World War and then the global economic crisis at the beginning of the 1930s characterize Era II. Hundreds of kilometers of mostly meter-gauge road , overland, mountain and mountain railways are already being driven electrically, primarily with direct current. The lack of own coal, the availability of water power combined with job creation measures lead to the electrification of a large part of the standard-gauge railway lines with high-voltage alternating current . New steam locomotives were only procured in individual cases. The steam traction is mainly being pushed back on standard-gauge branch lines, on meter-gauge railways in the Jura, on industrial railways and the shunting services of large train stations. The end of the First World War and the progress it made in motorized road traffic also meant that newly built railway lines became the exception and the post bus not only replaced the stagecoach, but also made it possible to open additional postal bus routes.

The periods of Era II in Switzerland cover the period from 1920 to 1945. It is divided as follows:

  • Period II a: 1920 to 1928 - Since Switzerland actually had no war losses, the Swiss Federal Railways, which were able to renew the passenger car park with standard two- and three-axle wooden box wagons in its early days, did not make any major investments in the further renewal of passenger trains and Freight wagons also due to the high investment costs of electrification. The focus of electrification with high-voltage alternating current was on the standard-gauge main lines in the lowlands. This included not only the procurement of new electric locomotives and railcars and the construction of a contact line, but also the associated infrastructure such as power plants, transmission lines and the dam walls that characterize the landscape by the then emerging electrical engineering companies, which were essentially there: The Brown, Boveri & Cie. in Baden, the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon and the Sécheron in Geneva.

Era III from around 1945 to around 1970

Symbol epoch III according to NEM 006 800 801 ff. Png
Classification in Germany

1945/1949 Establishment of the Deutsche Bundesbahn and continuation of the Deutsche Reichsbahn in the GDR and all of Berlin until 1970 . As in everyday life, one speaks of the "post-war period" and the economic boom when it comes to model railways. An extremely mixed fleet of vehicles was characteristic of this era. Pre-war material - where available - was still used, but gradually replaced by new buildings. The steam locomotives were still a long way from disappearing, but their heyday was slowly coming to an end, because after the war essentially only diesel and electric locomotives were built and the steam locomotives were gradually decommissioned. The vehicles still have the well-known numbers and the letters presented for the new types of traction (E for electric locomotives, V for combustion vehicles, etc.)

Era III in Germany covers the period from 1949 to 1970. It is divided into the following periods:

West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany)
  • Period III a: 1949 to 1956 - inscription "Deutsche Bundesbahn", construction of the "blue F-train network", three-class system in passenger transport, introduction of 26.4 meter long passenger coaches
  • Period III b: 1956 to 1970 - inscription "DB" (the so-called "biscuit"), 1956 Europe-wide class reform (abolition of 1st class; 2nd and 3rd class are raised and renamed accordingly), 1959 new signal order (including three-light Headlights), 23 105 last new built steam locomotive 1959, 1965 E 03 with V max 200 km / h
East Germany (German Democratic Republic)
  • Period III a: 1949 to 1956 - resumption of operations after the war
  • Period III b: 1956 to 1970 - 1956 class reform (see DB), triple headlights
Classification in Austria

Era III in Austria covers the period from 1945 to 1970. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Period III a: 1945 to 1952 - reconstruction after the Second World War
  • Period III b: 1952 to 1956 - New designation of the vehicle fleet from 1953
  • Period III c: 1956 to 1970 - abolition of the 1st carriage class (see DB), change of the designation from BBÖ to ÖBB (1956)
Classification in Switzerland

The post-war period was marked by a large increase in passenger and freight traffic for all modes of transport. The experiences from the First and Second World Wars lead to extensive electrification of the Swiss rail network. The increase in traffic leads to bottlenecks in the supply of electrical energy and in the vehicle fleet. The latter leads to a comprehensive modernization and expansion of the vehicle fleet of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and several private railways. Comprehensive replacement of passenger cars in wooden box construction with cars in light steel and light metal (aluminum). The Swiss economy is booming and benefiting from the post-war period. The Swiss locomotive and wagon industry is also affected by this, as a result of the progressive designs at the time, but also through exports and the issuing of licenses. Occasional replacement of trams in larger cities by trolleybuses and buses. Replacement of trams in the smaller towns with trolleybuses or buses. Replacement of the village trams and individual local railway lines by the bus. Mountain railway boom, but no longer in the form of funiculars and cog railways, but in the form of ski lifts, chair lifts, gondola lifts and cable cars. Replacement of many paddle steamers on the inland lakes with motor ships.

Era III in Switzerland covers the period from 1945 to 1970. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Period III a: 1945-1956 - Commissioning of the city express trains with lightweight steel cars and Re 4/4 I .
  • Period III b: 1956 to 1970 - From June 3, 1956, there are only two car classes. The wood class at that time remained, but was promoted from 3rd to 2nd class. The upholstery classes of that time, the old 1st class, the luxury class and the old 2nd class were combined in the new 1st class.
Commissioning of the SBB Ae 6/6 , the SBB high-performance multiple units RBe 4/4 , the EAV multiple units and the first high-performance multiple units of the private railways, the standard car EW I and then the standard car II and the first BLS Re 4/4 . As a result of the boom in the Swiss locomotive and wagon industry and a pronounced shortage of vehicles on the part of SBB, SBB has been prompted to rent several locomotives from the Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB), and from other older four-axle passenger coaches in the main workshops in Zurich and now also older four-axle control cars and railcars Replace wooden box with new steel box. With exceptions, for example on various private industrial connecting tracks, steam operation ended in 1968.

Era IV from around 1965 to around 1990

Symbol epoch IV according to NEM 006 800 801 ff. Png
Classification in Germany

Era IV is defined by the introduction of uniform UIC numbers, which took place between 1965 and 1970, depending on the vehicle type and country. In long-distance traffic, TEE and InterCity trains in the new color scheme red / beige and ocean blue / beige dominated the picture. The last steam locomotives are taken out of regular service. Steam locomotives continued to be used in the GDR (until 1988). Here, too, different types of train are created, such as the city and InterExpress .

Era IV in Germany covers the period from 1965 to 1990. It is divided into the following periods:

West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany)

  • German crocodile in front of a freight train in Regensburg 1986

  • Period IV a: 1965 to 1970 - 1968 computer numbers on locomotives, UIC numbers on wagons
  • Period IV b: 1970 to 1980 - single-class IC (instead of the TEE), extended to 2nd class in 1979 (every hour. Every class), appearance of the blue / beige paint, briefly pop paint
  • Period IV c: 1980 to 1990 - first oriental red locomotives, appearance of the Inter City Experimental, retirement of the last pre-war class 194 locomotives
East Germany (German Democratic Republic)
  • Period IV a: 1965 to 1970 - UIC numbers, computer numbers for locomotives
  • Period IV b: 1970 to 1980 - new color scheme for locomotives (red or orange)
  • Period IV c: 1980 to 1990 - New color scheme for passenger cars
Classification in Austria

Era IV in Austria covers the period from 1970 to 1990. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Period IV a: 1970 to 1975 - Generous new construction of locomotives and traction vehicles
  • Period IV b: 1975 to 1980 - beginning of the "colorful" painting
  • Period IV c: 1980 to 1990 - the green color scheme was replaced by friendly colors, new passenger coaches replaced the two-axle coaches
Classification in Switzerland

In Era IV a comprehensive modernization of the infrastructure begins with an expansion of the offer. To this end, the vehicle fleet of the Swiss Federal Railways and most of the private railways is being renewed and expanded. Comprehensive replacement of obsolete passenger cars in steel construction and the last passenger cars in wood frame construction of the private railways with cars in light steel and light metal (aluminum). Nevertheless, the railways are falling behind and are losing significant market shares in freight transport, despite the introduction of piggyback traffic and a new, modern roller-jack system, or are making heavy losses in regional and suburban traffic. The Swiss locomotive and wagon industry is stalling as a result of a conservative Swiss procurement policy. It certainly sets accents in terms of thyristor and three-phase current technology, air-conditioned vehicles and tilting technology. Comprehensive, up-to-date procurements are only made for air-conditioned passenger cars. The automobile and the truck shape land transport. The coach takes over the public transport. International air traffic is growing steadily and becoming affordable for the general public. The first low-floor trams come up, the first low-floor buses follow.

  • Green yes, still brown, not yet red. This is how the RhB vehicles in the main network present themselves, here with a Ge 4/4 I in front of a freight train in 1985.

Era IV in Switzerland covers the period from 1970 to 1990. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Period IV a: 1970 to 1980 - Introduction of the new SwissExpress train type instead of the city express trains on the east-west axis with the new air-conditioned standard car III
  • Period IV b: 1980 to 1990 - Introduction of the new InterCity train type, also instead of the SwissExpress trains and express trains, commissioning of the first standard car IV, the previously green locomotives of the Swiss Federal Railways will be red from 1984 and lead to a new corporate identity that is still valid today

Era V from around 1985 to around 2010

Symbol epoch V according to NEM 006 800 801 ff. Png
Classification in Germany

Epoch V begins nominally with the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1990, which initially triggered an extensive mixing and adjustment of DB and DR . In 1994 both are combined with a new logo as "Deutsche Bahn AG". As a result of ever new competitors, who each operate their own vehicles in their own company colors, an enormous variety of colors has emerged on Europe's railroad tracks. The trend, which began decades ago in the USA, of renting out the smooth side surfaces of locomotives and freight cars for advertising imprints, reached Europe in the 1990s, which once again led to an increase in the variety of vehicles. New international long-distance trains such as EuroCity or InterCityNight as well as multi-system electric locomotives, which can move freely between many different countries without technical adjustments, are increasingly determining the picture on Europe's railways.

Era V in Germany covers the period from 1990 to 2006. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Period V a: 1990 to 1994 - "The German Railways" - the coexistence of the two railway companies, partly still assigned to epoch IV. The product colors prevail.
  • Period V b: 1994 to 2000 - Deutsche Bahn AG founded and new DB logo
  • Period V c: 2000 to 2006 - Passenger traffic mainly with multiple units and push-pull trains , the railway withdrew from the area
Classification in Austria

Era V in Austria covers the period from 1990 to 2005. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Period V a: 1990 to 2000 - double-decker cars, paint scheme of the vehicles with bright, large areas for advertising purposes
  • Period V b: 2000 to 2005 - use of double-decker coaches and push-pull trains, use of ICE trains from DB AG , appearance of the traffic red paint scheme
Classification in Switzerland

New locomotive types got a new numbering scheme, older ones were gradually adapted to the new scheme. Locomotives and wagons were given new color schemes or third-party advertising was attached to rolling stock. The trains were commuted and the S-Bahn traffic with double-deck cars came up.

Era V in Switzerland covers the period from 1990 to 2005. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Period V a: 1990 to 2000 - New numbering scheme for new SBB locomotives, Re 460 start-up
  • Period V b: 2000 to 2005 - Free network access by private companies, elimination of rail mail

Era VI from around 2005

From 2009, model railroad manufacturers will mark models with the new number as Era VI.

Germany
Symbol epoch VI according to NEM 006 800 801 ff. Png

From 2007 there will be a new labeling guideline for wagons, through which the UIC numbers no longer identify the railway, but the country: “80 DB” becomes “80 D -DB”. Locomotives now have a 12-digit UIC number, similar to that of wagons. In addition to the traditional railway companies, the rail network is now used by numerous railway companies (EVU) both nationally and internationally. Even experts can often no longer say which country a locomotive or an EVU belongs to.

The joint management of freight wagons ( RIV and OPW ) is canceled. The decline in freight traffic in the area goes hand in hand with the dismantling of freight transport facilities and marshalling yards. Multiple units and push-pull trains predominate in passenger traffic and block trains in freight traffic.

Era VI in Germany covers the period from 2007 onwards. It is characterized by the following factors:

  • 12-digit numbering scheme without uniformly designed identification addresses
  • Railway companies operating independently of the infrastructure
  • No uniform color concept
  • Dismantling or leaving unnecessary infrastructure open
  • Concentration of freight traffic in traffic centers
Austria

Era VI in Austria covers the period from 2005. It is characterized by the following conditions:

  • Post-war vehicles are being retired
  • Re-labeling of vehicles with country code and EVU registration
  • Conversion of local transport to the Talent generation of railcars
Switzerland

The federal law on the elimination of disadvantage for people with disabilities brings significant improvements for travelers with luggage, strollers and older travelers. The image of the railway is changing significantly as a result of the structural measures required to ensure accessibility, since the stations and the vehicle fleet have to be fundamentally renewed and upgraded. The train stations are being transformed into service centers where the focus is on selling everyday products. The infrastructure that is not required for operations is dismantled, open spaces are built over or used for P&R systems, noise barriers affect the landscape. Rail transport is increasingly becoming a mass means of transport of goods on the transit axes and a means of transport for commuters with the consequent capacity bottlenecks in traffic peaks. Other tram lines that were converted to bus operation in the past will be converted back to tram operation through the construction of new tram lines. The train attendants are largely disappearing, surveillance cameras and railway policemen take over their tasks. The rotten kitchens in the railway service, the minibar and the night trains are largely disappearing. With regard to traffic caused by leisure and tourism, the car, coach companies and airlines are the winners when costs fall, for example Twerenbold and Knecht (Knecht Holding with Eurobus and Car Rouge), but also Flixbus and airlines such as Easyjet. The liberalization of rail traffic means that state-owned companies compete with each other primarily at the expense of taxpayers, with total costs constantly rising. Really private railway companies remain the exception. The first public buses operated purely with batteries appear.

In Switzerland, epoch VI covers the period from 2005 onwards. It is divided into the following periods:

  • Commissioning of new high-speed routes
  • Dismantling of freight facilities at smaller train stations
  • Predominant use of push-pull trains or multiple units
  • Use of foreign multi-system locomotives in transit traffic

Handling of the epochs for selected model railroad brand names

With its brand names Märklin, Trix, Minitrix and LGB, the Märklin company only handles the epochs, but not their periods. In addition to the epochs, a term is usually used that describes a more precise point in time with a specific year number or a time epoch, such as: operating status before the class reform in 1956 and operating status around 1965 .

The Modellisenbahn Holding with the two model railroad brand names Roco and Fleischmann only handles the epochs, but not their period. In addition to the epochs, there are isolated terms that describe a more precise point in time of the model in a somewhat confused manner. For example: Steam locomotive P8 Erfurt 2553 of the Royal Prussian Railway Administration, epoch I, built in 1918. Electric locomotive series 1043 of the Austrian Federal Railways, epoch IV, version in the original color scheme, the locomotives equipped with thyristor technology proved themselves well and a total of ten machines were delivered by 1974.

Kleinbahn only handles the epochs, not their periods. In addition to the epochs, a term is used on various occasions that describes a precise point in time with a specific year or time epoch, such as: Operating status: approx. 1970 . For vehicles that are in use for a longer period of time in a certain condition, several epochs are summarized in the form Era III-IV .

The Piko company with the brand name of the same name, which is mainly known for N-scale, TT-scale, H0-scale and G-scale vehicle models, only handles the epoch, but not its period, because a specific year with a corresponding description is given in the corresponding catalogs and flyers used.

The Tillig company with the brand name of the same name, which is mainly known for H0 and TT gauge, but also for H0m and H0e scale vehicle models, only handles the epoch, but not its period.

The British company Hornby Railways usually only needs the epochs for the chronological classification of the continental European model railway vehicles of the brands Rivarossi, Jouef, Electrotren and Arnold. The brand name Lima will no longer be used by Hornby as of 2020. In a few cases there is a designation with two epochs, for example in the form of epoch III-IV, or the indication of a specific year.

The Chinese company Bachmann Industries usually only needs the epochs for the chronological classification of the continental European model railway vehicles of the Liliput brands. In a few cases, as with the Hornby company, the year is used in addition to the epoch for more precise specification.

The company Standard Light with the brand name Minitrains and the model railway brand Egger-Bahn , newly launched in 2003 by Reinhard Hofmann , offer their H0e gauge products as specialists in timeless light rail and narrow-gauge railway material, without exception, without any epoch or period information.

Update of the country-specific recommendations of the railway epochs

The respective country-specific suggestions and recommendations fall within the competence of the respective regional associations of the model railway associations. It should be noted here that there are countries without a regional association and those with several regional associations. Most of the state associations are also railway and model railway associations, not actual associations of model railway associations. As of 2020, none of the suggestions and recommendations are signed by name. For none of the suggestions and recommendations, it can be traced who created and changed these suggestions and recommendations, when, why and on what basis.

Era VI has not yet been introduced in several continental European countries. These are the following countries:

  • Belgium. The standard is structured according to milestones .
  • Bulgaria
  • Czech Republic
  • Hungary
  • Poland

Era VI has been introduced in the following countries:

  • Austria
  • Switzerland
  • Germany
  • Denmark
  • Spain. The standard is structured according to milestones.
  • France. The standard includes the logos of the SNCF. In contrast to the mandatory NEM 800 standard from 2007, epoch VI begins in 2004.
  • Italy
  • Netherlands

Criticism of the epoch system

This article or the following section is not adequately provided with supporting documents ( e.g. individual evidence ). Information without sufficient evidence could be removed soon. Please help Wikipedia by researching the information and including good evidence.

Often the painting and lettering of railway vehicles is mistakenly seen as the only epoch-defining criterion - but these variants sometimes merged into one another, as not all vehicles were repainted on a certain date. There are exceptions to this too. Unfortunately, the very exact deadlines are also used by the NEM itself - the establishment of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (1920–1945), the establishment of the Deutsche Bundesbahn and the Deutsche Reichsbahn (1945–1993), the accounting change to UIC numbers for locomotives, the establishment of the Deutsche Bahn See key data, across which transitions are rarely found or only for a short time. This is also due to the fact that some vehicles have still not been modernized years later. Even 20 years after Deutsche Bahn was founded, there were still numerous freight cars with the old Bundesbahn logo on the road. In the case of IC / EC passenger coaches, however, the orient or traffic red window band disappeared in the course of 2001 in favor of a paint scheme adapted to the ICE scheme. In the USA, many locomotives and wagons are painted and lettered by railway companies, some of them for decades no longer exist (“ falling flag ”), because the company they drive for today has simply not repainted them yet. In model trains, such inconsistencies also occur in the accessories: For example, the Lufthansa Airport Express disappeared from the DB in 1993, the Deutsche Telekom was only founded in 1995, so that the Lufthansa Airport Express could not drive past a magenta telephone box, even though both came from the Epoch V dates. The police patrol cars were repainted from green to blue in many places from the mid- 2000s ; that is still epoch V, but there is about 10 years between the disappearance of the Lufthansa Airport Express and the appearance of the blue police cars.

As can be seen from such examples, an arbitrarily fine subdivision of epochs is hardly possible and the more doubtful the more precisely one tries to approach it. Clear criteria for the opening and closing of each historically determined epoch cannot be established as valid for all eternity, despite standardization. The dispute over a better system loses sight of the goal of providing a generally understandable orientation. A distinction between no more than six roughly and very clearly delimited epochs serves this original goal quite sufficiently (see discussion on this topic).

Since the epoch system was created in Germany, it is only partially applicable to other countries, in Austria the UIC numbers and privatization were only introduced much later, and in Switzerland the upheaval caused by the First World War, which is otherwise important in all of Europe, is only through indirect effects were noticeable e.g. B. as a result of a lack of coal and consequently an even more accelerated electrification of the railway lines.

Model railroad eras in Great Britain

A different system is used for Great Britain, with nine epochs so far. This is from the Hornby company, not the British Model Railroaders Association:

  • Era 1, 1804 to 1875: pioneering years
  • Era 2, 1875 to 1922: before the four main companies were founded (grouping)
  • Era 3, 1923 to 1947: the big four - LMS , GWR , LNER and SR
  • Era 4, 1948 to 1956: British Railways , early coat of arms
  • Era 5, 1957 to 1966: British Railways, late coat of arms
  • Era 6, 1967 to 1971: British Rail, blue livery and double arrow logo, until the introduction of the TOPS
  • Era 7, 1971 to 1982: British Rail, TOPS (new numbers)
  • Era 8, 1982 to 1994: British Rail, division into sectors
  • Era 9, since 1995: privatization

Until the opening of the Eurotunnel in 1993, the points of contact with continental European railways were limited to ferry boat cars. The British Era 1 and 2 correspond roughly to the Continental European Era I, the Era 3 to the Era II, the Era 4 and 5 to the Era III, Era 6 is between Era III and IV, Era 7 and 8 correspond to Era IV and Era 9 of the Era V and VI.

Model railroad eras in North America

In contrast to the European Association of Model Railroaders and Railway Friends of Europe (MOROP) with its NEM standards , the standards of the American National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) do not contain any corresponding standardization. No epoch is specified in the catalogs or on the model packaging, so that model railroaders who want to recreate a certain epoch cannot avoid researching when which model was used. A system with five so-called Eras (German: era ) that is widespread today has established itself :

See also: History of the Railroad in North America

Epochs of German railway history in the Nuremberg Transport Museum

The permanent exhibition in the Nuremberg Transport Museum on German railway history is divided into epochs that differ from the current norms of continental European model railroaders in terms of time, but have a certain similarity in structure. It is noticeable that Horst Weigel's epoch system records the early days of the railway more precisely and does not begin with the opening of the first railway line from Nuremberg to Fürth. Railways, if not necessarily in line with today's concept, existed before. For example in the mines, initially on wooden planks, then only on the iron rails that gave the railway its name.

The permanent exhibition is arranged in such a way that the visitor is guided from the beginnings of track-guided vehicles to the Adler steam locomotive imported from England to German reunification. The start is based on the United Kingdom , as the first steam-powered railway ran there. Horst Weigelt , who was responsible for the epochs at the time, defined the main features of the epochs in 1985 according to the following list with epochs I to V.

  • Era I to 1840: industrial railways in the mines, the United Kingdom exports the first railways to Germany

  • Technical drawing of the tracks and coal wagons of the Prinz Wilhelm Railway , the oldest railway stock corporation on German soil, 1833

  • Era II 1840 to 1880: A coherent, coarse-meshed and internationally linked standard-gauge railway network is created and replaces important waterways and road networks as the main traffic routes.

Private railway companies are building a cohesive, wide-meshed and internationally linked standard-gauge railway network. This replaces important waterways and road networks as the main routes for passenger and freight traffic with significantly lower prices and travel and transport times. This railway network is initially operated with vehicles based on British models with filigree steam locomotives, compartment wagons imitated by stagecoaches for passenger transport and small freight wagons. In Württemberg, the vehicles are based on American models. Passage cars instead of compartment cars characterize passenger traffic.

In the German federal states, companies develop and manufacture products for rail transport. Locomotives, passenger coaches, freight cars, rails and the like will soon no longer have to be imported. The first standardizations arise in order to avoid problems in the operation of the independently created railway companies. The Franco-German War from 1870 to 1871 and its consequences briefly delayed further development and lead to the Belle Époque era with the first sleeping cars operated by the Belgian Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits in Germany . The first locomotives built specifically for freight or passenger transport in an even more delicate design replace the vehicles of the first generation. The military recognizes the usefulness of the railroad for their purposes.

  • American style steam train from KWSt.E. with two class III steam locomotives on the Zugspitze and through cars in Ludwigsburg station between 1860 and 1870.

  • Neustadt station (Weinstrasse) in the period from around 1866 to around 1869. Small filigree steam locomotives and small railroad cars characterize the large station area with the representative station building. Transfer platforms connect the tracks in the middle of the station area.

  • Epoch III 1880 to 1920: The regional railways are expanded and the railroad experiences its great heyday

  • Steam train of the Bad.St.B. with a tank locomotive for the mixed cogwheel and adhesion operation class IX a on the viaduct over the Ravennaschlucht in the Black Forest, 1894

  • There are many branch lines for the development of the hinterland. Steam railcars of KWStE with Kittel boilers in Ötlingen in Süddeutschlan, 1910

  • MEG train with the T11 diesel-mechanical multiple unit, around 1937

  • Era V from 1945: Reconstruction after the Second World War . History of the Federal Railroad (Federal Republic of Germany), Reichsbahn (German Democratic Republic)

  • Rubble train in Berlin on Unter den Linden, 1946

  • Green electric locomotive 141.100 in Limburg (Lahn) with silver coins with the characteristic pearl cut of the DB , 1989

Helmut Meschenmoser closes Era V of Horst Weigel in the website Verkehrswerkstatt, which is released for school lessons, in 1992, around the time the Federal Railroad and Reichsbahn merged to form Deutsche Bahn and added an Era VI.

  • Era VI from 1992: privatization. The Bundesbahn and the Reichsbahn are merged to form Deutsche Bahn in the form of a stock corporation with more entrepreneurial freedom.

  • Multiple unit VT 301 of the HzL with an outdated folding window and wing signals near Hanau , 2006

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Standard NEM 800 Railway Era , edition 2007. (PDF; 20 kB)
  2. ↑ www.maerklin.de, Epoch I , accessed on February 6, 2020.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Recommendation NEM 806 D Railway Epochs in Germany , 2008 edition (PDF; 42 kB)
  4. ↑ a b c d e f Recommendation NEM 801 A Railway epochs Valid for Austria (A) , edition 2008. (PDF; 31 kB)
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Recommendation NEM 804 CH Railway eras in Switzerland , edition 2009 (PDF; 31 kB)
  6. ↑ Golden Mountain Pullman Express Today , on the Swiss Federal Railways website (accessed on January 30, 2019).
  7. ↑ Otto Kurbjuweit: At that time in Bergün, when the Rhaetian Railway was still green in: Narrow tracks (magazine) No. 4, 2019, pp. 35–38.
  8. ↑ Märklin Article 43382, Light Steel Seat Car, 3rd Class, Series C4ü 6069-6100 of the SBB. Operating condition before the class reform in 1956. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  9. ↑ Märklin Article 39420, electric locomotive series Re 4/4 I of the SBB in the green operating condition of Era III around 1965. Retrieved on January 17, 2020.
  10. ↑ www.fleichmann.de, Article 739418, Electric locomotive BR E 94 of the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DRB), epoch II, version in gray paint with imperial eagle. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  11. ^ Steam locomotive P8 Erfurt 2553 of the Royal Prussian Railway Administration, epoch I, built in 1918. Accessed on January 20, 2020.
  12. ↑ www.fleichmann.de, Article 736509, electric locomotive series 1043 of the Austrian Federal Railways, epoch IV, version in the original color scheme. The locomotives equipped with thyristor technology proved their worth and a total of ten machines were delivered by 1974. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  13. ↑ www.kleinbahn.com, ÖBB 1010.07, epoch III-IV, fir green, operating condition: approx. 1970. , accessed on January 17, 2020.
  14. ↑ www.kleinbahn.com, ÖBB Schlierenwagen 2nd class, Bpo 5081 29-35 038-7, epoch III-IV, with interior fittings, fir green. , accessed on January 17, 2020.
  15. ↑ www.piko-schop.de, ÖBB class 1041 electric locomotive, AC version, Epiche IV, item 51881 , accessed on January 25, 2020.
  16. ↑ Article 02951, Railcar T1 of the Mittelbadische-Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft , epoch III Early Bundesbahn (D) and Reichsbahn (GDR) epoch (approx. 1949 to 1970), accessed on January 25, 2020.
  17. ↑ www.minitrains.eu, Standard Light GmbH with the brand name Minitrains . Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  18. ↑ www.egger-bahn.ch, R Hofmann, CH-7212 Seewis . Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  19. ↑ Recommendation NEM 802 B, Edition 2003, Railway - Epochs in Belgium , As of 2019 it is current: Epoch V, Period V b, from 2002. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  20. ↑ Recommendation NEM 803 BG, 1992 edition, Railway - Epochs in Bulgaria , As of 2019 it is current: Epoch V, from 1990. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  21. ↑ Documentation NEM 805 CZ, proposal 1998, Railway - Epochs in the Czech Republic , As of 2019 it is current: Epoch V, from 1993. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  22. ↑ Recommendation NEM 813 H, Edition 2007, Railway - Epochs in Hungary , Current as of 2019: Epoch V, Period b, from 2002. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  23. ↑ Recommendation NEM 825 PL, edition 2007, Railway - Epochs in Poland , As of 2019 it is current: Epoch VI, period a, from 2002. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  24. ↑ Recommendation NEM 801 A, edition 2008, Railway - Epochs in Austria , As of 2019 it is current: Epoch VI, from 2005. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  25. ↑ Recommendation NEM 804 CH, Edition 2009, Railway - Epochs in Switzerland , As of 2019 it is current: Epoch VI, from 2005. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  26. ↑ Recommendation NEM 806 D, edition 2008, Railway - Epochs in Germany , As of 2019 it is current: Epoch VI, from 2007. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  27. ↑ Recommendation NEM 808 DK, edition 2015, Railway - Epochs in Denmark , As of 2019 it is current: Epoch VI, from 2007. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  28. ↑ Recommendation NEM 809 E, Edition 2010, Railway - Epochs in Spain , As of 2019 it is current: Epoch VI, from 2006. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  29. ↑ Recommendation NEM 810 F, Edition 2010, Railway - Epochs in France , As of 2019 it is current: Epoch VI, Period a , from 2005. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  30. ↑ Recommendation NEM 814 I, edition 2012, Railway - Epochs in Italy , As of 2019 it is current: Epoch VI, from 2010. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  31. ↑ Recommendation NEM 818 NL, Edition 2009, Railway - Epochs in the Netherlands , As of 2019 it is current: Epoch VI, Period a , from 2001. Accessed on January 17, 2020.
  32. ↑ www.hornby.com British Railway Eras, Our Era System , our epoch system from Hornby Railways in German, accessed on January 28, 2020.
  33. ↑ Horst Weigelt : Epochs of Railway History . Hestra-Verlag, Darmstadt 1985, ISBN 3-7771-0187-7