The British-German H0 scale or how the Eastern Germans won the peace after World War Two

In the hands of passionate train railroaders, the apparently low quality GDR-style train modeling sets became often some stunning masterpieces. In this way the German people proved their technical genius in the eyes of entire world, once again.

(Screenshiot from the Youtube video: Modellbahn H0 Loks DDR Vorstellung Anlage)

 

 

In 1946 the adventure was started. Four years later, it became the national sport of East Germany. After few another years, the tiny rolling stock became almost in short supply of the so-called socialized national economy. Its amazing role in the social life of the German Democratic Republic became an easily verifiable fact. Not only. In this case, we are probably faced with the greatest mystery in the history of the Eastern Bloc countries and with the causes of the greatest tragedy in world history at the same time.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the “toy trains” as an elaborate model railroad construction for the whole family played a major role in the recreation and leisure of GDR citizens

There were several reasons for this. First, the support by the state and Communist party leadership. The PIKO manufacturing plant designers were able to explain to the SED's leading party members that the railway modelling means not exacty toy trains, but a valuable export commodity and even an important aid to technical progress nationwide. Moreover, it could also be perceived as one of the main guarantees that the GDR citizens do not declare any political fight to the gray everyday life. You can hardly find any other hobby which takes so much time and effort.

A Christmas gift without equal

In the beginning, an East German boy got a very simple box with a model train set under the Christmas tree: a few pieces of the rolling stock — quite typical series, also one to two meters of rails. Made of zinc sheet (galvanized sheet iron) — everything except the electric drive as in the 19th century.

Screenshot from the YouTube video; PIKO [V047] Die PIKO Geschichte und Tag der Offenen Tür 2017

Then, with the help of the family father or an uncle, a very modest model railroad was built up at the beginning, although keeping them occupied for days. At the age of between 6 to 14 years, the oldest son had such a facility. This was only a beginning. For the reasons that I am trying to clarify in the remainder of this essay, men from his family, his mother, his teachers, etc., were also interested in making this leisure-time activity more and more interesting.

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These modelled at a reduced, however extremely accurate scale rail transport systems were, in some aspects, a technical masterpiece of that time

This was mainly due to the excellent electromechanical control of the points and the traffic light. An automatized operating the miniaturized railway traffic by push buttons of the large model railway facilities was introduced to prevent the drive up of the train formations. Gradually, the nickel silver rails were introduced. In addition, the quality of the products of the two eastern manufacturers of the assortment (PIKO and Zeuke), was distinguished by high level of detailing on the reference to the real life models, quite comparable, sometimes even better than in the West. The delightful design of the tiny rail vehicles was thought so to conquer the heart of their owner for life — by looking wonderful and working perfectly well.

After the Second World War — as you perhaps know — the world was divided into Eastern Bloc and so called free world

So, Germany was divided into West Germany and East Germany too. Following this model, in West Germany many types of locomotives and trains were developed for the German Federal Railways (Deutsche Bundesbahn). However, in East Germany very special designs and types of locomotives and trains were separately developed for the state-owned railway of East Germany (Deutsche Reichsbahn), although some engines were produced in Soviet Union. In this video from the Pilentum television you can see a very detailed model railroad layout, which is with no doubt is depicting the economical life of that time. And best of all — the work is expeditiously performed!

It depicts the typical German attitude towards labour, but not perfectly the real performance of a Communist country. The East German railways worked really this way only on condition that ministries etc. made not too much mistakes in their centralized management of national economy. If the weather conditions were also good, of course, such a high efficiency was viable. And that's one of the reasons why the railway modeling became the national sport in the Soviet controlled part of divided Germany.

Why torture yourself with the past? It's better to play and work for the new ag

The widespread model railroaders movement left the Germans at least somewhat oblivious to the atrocities of the period 1939-45 and the greatest defeat in the history of their country. By the way, they could also design the space and the materials arbitrarily, according to the old principle: order (and cleanliness) must be. After the Wehrmacht's redesign of Europe ended twice with unsuccessful attempts, accompanied by most terrible levels of casualties and destruction, this was a wonderful respite and a remedy for possibility of a national nervous breakdown.

By the way, even the wives, from their own point of view, were quite in favor of that. Such an elaborate hobby meant that the husbands would spend their free time at home playing with the underage sons and learning something reasonable the boys.

Every reasonable person, including for the foreigners, had to admit that the Teutons once again came up with something very good and that one could only envy them. The happiness of the individual could be reconciled in this way with the requirements of the modern economy. The young model railroaders got to know the machines (a model railway engine can have a few hundred different parts), experienced some craftsmanship, were getting a better understanding of electricity and remote control devices. The technical skills of the adults and adolescents could be easily and successfully widened and deepened, simply while one had good time.

So, for example in the neighboring country Poland all this was attentively observed: The Germans lost the war and now they win the peace!

A press reporter from the People's Republic of Poland in the GDR remarked that there is still a gap between the average level of technical skills in Poland and Germany that is difficult to overcome. He commented bitingly: "Should it be just a good time? As I stood in the queue for additional rails and crossings in front of the best-equipped Pinder mechanic’s shop in Leipzig, I was amazed at our problems of promoting technical proficiency, which are still stuck in the theoretical discussions on the frontier of philosophy."

PIKO – hobby nie tylko dla młodzieży, “Dziennik Łódzki”, No 14/1960, 17 Jan. 1960, p. 4

Considering all that, the Polish communist leader Gomulka decided to call up a large consultation. He gathered many professors and engineers. A lot of important questions were discussed, but then ... No decisions were taken to promote technical progress. However, this progress happened in Poland since the first post-war years, and especially since 1956, anyway. You can say, the successes of German railroad modeling industry made the Polish engineers envious. They built up some of the most advanced main frame computers world-wide, also to monitor the movements and shipments of real trains, as an answer. This computer was designed in 1971:

   

In the meantime some Polish boys, the children of the technical upper classes of our country, who were brought by father or a generous uncle with the model railroad, expressed a different opinion on this topic: What our people has reached in the construction industry is something, but it’s a weirdy one!

In December 1959 it became necessary to queue in front of the shops selling electric model trains

In these queues there was a lot discussion about the national sport of East Germany, as the miniature models of the true trains and railroads were erected (often indefinitely) in every third apartment. The advantages and disadvantages of the PIKO systems (H0, scale 1:87, also called A-track) and G (scale 1:25, also known as G-track) were disputed very busy and often on a highly notable way (sometimes even ten-year-old boys talked like experts). These Anglo-Saxon systems, among others goals, were introduced to facilitate exports of the model making industry.

What is left of that: Märklin, PIKO and the exceptionally strong position of the German small machinery and model making industry

The PIKO is one of the largest toy trains manufacturers in the present-time world. Being now a family-run business in Thuringen (and one factory in China) has once had the idea of offering relatively cheap starter sets for young model railway enthusiasts, and that bright idea from the German Democratic Republic remained unchallenged. This possibility is now available also in United States and many other countries. The H0 system was adopted and is here to stay, divided in three variations: Standard, Expert, Classic. The Expert class means many robotic features of miniaturized trains at affordable prices. The Classic line means the high grade of precision and sophisticated engines technology. Two other systems: TT and N (or: NN) are available too, but mainly in Europe.

A typically German sense of beauty, and the most excellent example of an delightful industrial design, This engine is on an everyday exhibition in the front of PIKO manufacturing plant.

Also the much older enterprise from the former West Germany, the Märklin is a very important player in this industry branch, offering i. e. highly sophisticated steam-powered engines for the rich, mainly adult railway modeling enthusiasts.

All these products of German accuracy and labour efficiency says something else as it is nowadays asserted

First, it’s not the political system, but an able staff of managers which plays a crucial role for the development of national economy, Second, the Germans are not a bunch of blood-thirsty barbarians. They build a world of machines to run very easily the necessities of life.

Also the constructive culture of German people, where all employess are encouraged to be in communication with their co-workers, to be good and compassionate for them, are unbelievably efficient working as teams, rather than only as individuals, was of high importance for this most surprising success. Organizations with such a very high culture encourage members to work to their full potential, resulting in high levels of motivation, satisfaction, teamwork, products quality, and sales growth.

Most unfortunately for the Europe and the world this unique positive potential of Germans and Austrians was never fully used for the common good. Only one Austrian emperor, only three German chancellors were fully aware of the necessity to expand this very high, Austro-German culture by being good and compassionate for other European peoples. That´s one of the main reasons why Europe is nowadays so weak and exhausted.