Kirchner :ย โPuppy expressionist โ by KA-EF BAHN
(Written by P.G.)
Kirchner: the “Puppy expressionist” KA-EF BAHN
Taking a cue from Kirchner’s painting , today we speak about another pioneer, especially little known in Italy, railway miniature of the immediate post-war period.
In 1945, after the fall of the Third Reich,
the city of Reutlingen …
…ย in the French occupation zone.
It is in this city, in Katharinenstrasse 2, that at the beginning of 1946, Karl Faigle founded the brand KA-EF Bahn public in following year a package to promote his first train …
… called EL I / 47 and consists of a locomotive, four passenger carriages, an oval track and a transformer …
Subsequently, in 1950, it is also offered a electromotive ….
…. It does not know if they actually have seen the light,
and some locomotives including this “E18” three axles that comes on the rails at least at the prototype stage.
Since 1950 he lose all trace of KA-EF Bahn, which appears to have sold the same material as well as the Weista Bahn.
The first train of this manufacturer is contained in a sturdy cardboard box ….
… Where all inside the material is placed a little bulk …
Note, on the cover, the inscription “Made in Germany French Zone”.
With a little fantasy you could imagine the two-axle electric locomotive of this train as the “expressionist version” of the “puppy power” Conti, with decidedly more marked lines, squared and Teutonic, somehow the “Kirchner Version” of E 554 Italian ….
It operates three rail AC with manual reverse through the latch on the side of a ….
Made of strong sheet iron, this machine freelance reminds locomotives produced in France in the ’30s,
with the next size, scale 1, by Edobaud.
The two axles very close together and the no trucks give this locomotive of important changes and therefore it tends to sway on the tracks …
Contrary to the description of the leaflet, it is not equipped with headlights and can not be fed from the overhead line.
Nevertheless this is a car that stands out for its unusual shape, it is simple, robust and reliable operation, with a towing capacity modest, but sufficient for the four wagons in the pack.
The mechanics of excellent quality has allowed to theย original in my possession to operate until almost completely wear out shoes outlet …
… And, despite this being perfectly still in running order.
The cars are built too they very often in metal, cut and bent, are decidedly rougher the corresponding cars Maerklin or Fleischmann and have steel wheels turned.
It is, therefore, a bit as the material for Conti in Italy, of a train … robust.
… Made to play, to be handled and to withstand the shocks and intensive use
The transformer 50 VA, which read in German and French, is too it very heavy,
solid, all-metal ….
The tracks have the distinction of having the two outer rails in brass, the middle iron …
… .fixed to the bottom of the base by means of wood chips to ensure their electrical isolation.
And finally here still two photos to bring out the relationship and differences
between “puppy power” Conti and the locomotive KA-EF Bahn ….
… .Ah, One last detail: this motive has been challenged by the trade union of railway workers in miniature … ..
because no doors of access.
It does not take a rocket scientist
to figure out that … . come from the windows is quite uncomfortable …. !!
and now the Kirchner’ s painting
(@ november 25, 2015)