Prototype: German Federal Railroad (DB) steam locomotive, road number 03 263, with Wagner smoke deflectors. The locomotive looks as it did around 1952. "Film star" from the German Federal Railroad film "Kleiner Mann auf großer Reise" / "Little Man on a Big Trip".

Highlights

• 5 Preiser figures included.
• Running gear lights.
• Cab lighting.
• Digital sound with many functions.

Product description

Model: The frame of the locomotive and tender as well as the body of the tender are constructed of die-cast metal. The locomotive has a built-in digital decoder and sound generator with the formats mfx and DCC. The locomotive and tender are close coupled. 3 axles in the tender powered. Traction tires. Firebox flickering is done using processor-controlled LEDs (red/orange). Warm white LEDs are used for the dual headlights, cab lighting, and running gear lights. The headlights change over with the direction of travel and will work in analog operation. There is an NEM coupler pocket on the rear of the tender. The smoke box door without central locking is new and includes a lower mounted number board.

Length over the buffers 150 mm / 5-7/8".

An accessory parts kit with brakeman's steps, rail clearance devices, and a front coupler with a pocket is included, as well as 5 Preiser figures (Peter, the dog Schwups, conductor, locomotive engineer, and fireman) included.

Charlie's Tips

You can make up a complete train by adding item numbers 18286, 18287, 18486, and 18487.

Publications

- New items brochure Minitrix 2023

Prototype information

There was once a time, when the Germans were proud of their railroad and the railroad felt a certain sense of pride in itself. It was a time, when human beings were still at the center, and the German Federal Railroad presented itself accordingly – among other things with short films produced in-house. An impressive example is the good half hour film "Kleiner Mann auf großer Reise" / "Little Man on a Big Trip", done at the start of the Fifties. It is a true masterpiece, which not only masterfully presents the traveling culture at that time, but also skillfully presents the all-around carefree package offered at that time by the German Federal Railroad to the traveler.

The central theme is little Peter, who has written the best essay in his class about the subject of railroading and has received a ticket for it from the DB to travel to his grandmother in the Black Forest. Of course, he can take his beloved dog Schwups on the trip. Moreover, he receives a note from the managing director requesting all DB employees to welcome both Peter and Schwups and to grant Peter access with expert guidance to all installations and locomotives and cars of the German Federal Railroad. Today that would be a request from another planet.

During the trip in a D-Zug express, Peter becomes familiar with everything the DB did back then: From the special dog's compartment for Schwups to the secretary's compartment and the tasteful dining car to the baggage car carrying his suitcase. When Schwups runs away and has to interrupt the trip involuntarily, he gets to know a large switchyard and is allowed to stay overnight with locomotive engineers in a large maintenance facility. In the express train with road number 03 263 as motive power, the trip goes farther south. Peter enjoys the beautiful Rhine scenery and admires the Höllental and Dreiseen rail lines behind a class 85 locomotive, where Grandma finally and joyfully greets her totally enthusiastic grandson at Feldberg-Bärental station. It is a film absolutely worth seeing. It clearly shows that today's railroad operations has lost quite a bit of its feeling. It also makes clear why the railroad had at that time no problem at all inspiring young people to take up railroading as a career compared to today. It was also clear that back then a trip by train was really a joyful event.

Bygone times – however not on a Minitrix layout. With this successful set, which skillfully models Peter's train, you can relive this glorious time a little on your own model railroad. And thus do a big trip with a son, grandson, or other small boys. Best accentuated by the original film, which can be called up at the SWR-Mediathek / Southwest Broadcasting Network Media Library (www.eisenbahn-tomantik.de).