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Down to the smallest detail

Model railroading is fascinating: The miniature trains do not only look like the originals. They are also strong and can handle continuous operation. However, weeks of hard work have to pass before one of these 1:45-scale locomotives can take to the tracks.

It is perfection at the highest level, down to the smallest details. Hundreds of brass, steel and plastic parts are used. Many are made by the model builders themselves, who invest dozens of hours assembling the models by soldering, wiring, and bolting. Finally the model builders at Hermann can proudly present a finished locomotive – with a scale of 1:45. Identical to its original counterpart, down to the last detail.

Made by hand

The Swiss company Hermann Modellbahnen was founded in 1953. Today, it is the only professional Swiss builder of locomotives and wagons for gauge 0 – the king among the gauges. Up to six people work on the highly collectible pieces. Sometimes additional temporary staff are needed. In the large workshop close to Zurich, different locomotives and passenger cars are replicated. The originals are almost exclusively models of the Swiss Federal Railways SBB. According to managing director Stefan Bürki, 20 to 25 lo-comotives leave the workshop annually. Many of these are specifically customized ac-cording to the wishes of the buyer. In addition, around 80 railroad cars leave the workshop every year.

The customers are very diverse. “They are from all walks of life and all parts of the coun-try,” says Bürki. They have one thing in common: their appreciation for the robustness and quality of the Hermann models. “We put a high premium on mechanical reliability. You simply put our locomotives on the tracks and they run."

This is exactly what gauge 0 fans demand. They don't want objects to put in a glass cabi-net, even if it would look good. No – a Hermann model locomotive is put to use and has to withstand demanding driving operations.

This also places high demands on the DC motors in the locomotives. Especially on the brushes. They have to withstand heat and overvoltage without problems. Stefan Bürki: “maxon has always responded well to our wishes.”

“We put a high premium on me-chanical reliability.”
Stefan Bürki, managing director, Hermann Modellbahnen

maxon motors give new power to old locomotives
Many model builders sooner or later replace the standard motor in their locomotive with a maxon drive. Numerous videos and tutorials on the Internet bear witness to this trend. Hermann also frequently receives locomotives from customers and retrofits them with maxon motors. On the newer models, Hermann is counting on the Swiss quality motors right from the start. Not only because of the brushes, emphasizes Bürki: The DC motors are very easy to control and are thus ideal for the digital technology that is becoming in-creasingly common in modelmaking." For many years, the specialists at Hermann have been using the DC motors of the A-max series to drive their locomotives. With their opti-mised design and automated production, these brushed drives offer excellent value for money. Model makers are increasingly using DCX motors as well. These high-quality drives can be conveniently configured online and are ready for delivery within 11 working days. And then they ensure smooth rides for many years.
 

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