# Feldbahn in English?



## TOM_1/20.3 (Mar 28, 2013)

Hello in the new year,

I will be adding a "Feldbahn" to my 1/20.3 - 1/22.5 scale railroad. The width of these railways are usually between 50cm and 75cm (20" and 30").

I have checked the internet for a good translation of the term, but wasn't very successful. It is usually translated as light railway or narrow gauge which is sort of right. I guess you could call them narrow narrow gauge railways.
In Europe they are (were) used in the fields, forest, peat bogs, mining, harbour etc.
Here probably mainly in the mines. 

This is a Deutz Feldbahnlok made by Baumann in Germany in 1/22.5 scale.










I installed a Loksound decoder with the speaker is behind the grill. 










A smoke unit (brass pipe) and LED lights were added. 










I will be using O-gauge rails (32mm) since I have some Lenz track and switches that I will use.
I"m replacing the ties with hand spiked wooden ties that will make them look more realistic.










A switch and a few rails are done. The Deutz has a new paint job and I added diamond plate type floor.










If anyone knows a better generic name for this type of railway, let me know.

TOM


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

I have always thought 'Field Railroad' is the basic translation for 'Feldbahn'. 
A 'Field Railway' is usually a narrow gauge railway but a narrow gauge railway is not necessarily a 'Field railway'.
Often 'Field Railways' are only temporary sometimes with no ballast and work in a limited industrial, farm, forest or warfront area. 
Google translation brings up these words:- 
Feld - field, open country, area, box, panel, pane. 
Bahn - track, path, course, railway, train. 

I respectfully await for someone who knows the German language to correct me if I'm 'off track'. 

Andrew


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

Literally, feld = field, bahn = road. 

JackM 

Neat project!


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Feldbahn (field road) is a type of eisenbahn (steel road) which is German for railroad. It was typically a semi permanent railroad used for a specific activity. Many of them were built to supply troops in a stationary front (think WWI). 

The closest US analogue is a lumber railroad. These were quite often laid to a stand of timber and then taken up when the tress were cut. The same track was then laid to a new stand of timber. Thus most of these were of very bad construction. 


Hope this helps.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I've always had luck using Feldbahn and Field Railroad/way, also try 600mm gauge. Youtube is full of neat videos of working pieces.


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## derPeter (Dec 26, 2010)

Hallo from Austria,

the Langenscheidt-Dictionary says: Feldbahn = field-railway

greetings from
derPeter


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## TOM_1/20.3 (Mar 28, 2013)

Hi,

Here some pix from a still working peat railway in Bavaria, Germany







































TOM


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

While it isn't a feldbahn, the Zillertal Bahn in Austria is a narrow narrow gauge line. It is 750 mm. Chuck


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## TOM_1/20.3 (Mar 28, 2013)

Posted By chuck n on 04 Jan 2014 05:56 PM 
While it isn't a feldbahn, the Zillertal Bahn in Austria is a narrow narrow gauge line. It is 750 mm. Chuck 
Hi Chuck,
I believe the main difference is that the normal narrow gauges are open to the public and run on a schedule.

TOM


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

In Queensland Australia we have trains which are usually 2ft gauge that haul sugar cane to the mills for processing.
They tend to be permanent and definitely in the 'Field' but we call them 'Cane Railways' or 'Tramways'.

Below is one of the two 13 ton shays from Mapleton Tramway which is as cute as a button. They were probably the smallest Shays that the Lima Locomotive Co. ever produced.
Now wouldn't that be nice for Accucraft to do in 7/8ths!




























Andrew


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

I would translate Feldbahn as field railway as well. 
Best generic not specific translation - I tend to use field railway rather than field railroad since what I consider a "Feldbahn" is found mostly in Europe. 
Railway seems to be more the english (british) term while Railroad is more American. 

If you want to get specific you get 
Grubenbahn for mining railway 
Waldbahn for logging railroad


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Posted By Ironton on 04 Jan 2014 09:47 AM 
Feldbahn (field road) is a type of eisenbahn (steel road) which is German for railroad. It was typically a semi permanent railroad used for a specific activity. Many of them were built to supply troops in a stationary front (think WWI). 

The closest US analogue is a lumber railroad. These were quite often laid to a stand of timber and then taken up when the tress were cut. The same track was then laid to a new stand of timber. Thus most of these were of very bad construction. 


Hope this helps. 
I think there is a bit of misinformation here.

The military railway is called Heeresfeldbahn, nothing to do with the narrow gauge field-railway; the "Feld" that refers to is the battlefield.
And the typical gauge was standard gauge - think about it, there is no way one can move tanks and heavy equipment on 600mm gauge track.


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

We are not disagreeing. The standard gauge lines were used to move equipment near to the front, if I have things straight (not always true  ). The roads I was talking about were used to move ammunition and equipment up to the front lines from the depots. They had to be of light construction to enable them to be moved as needed. 

Once tanks etc. were at the depot they were unloaded and made their way to the front under their own power, or by being towed.


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## TOM_1/20.3 (Mar 28, 2013)

Hi,

Old pix from the Train Brigade





















Found page showing reenactment of how a Heeresfeldbahn would have been set up (in 2009 the 100 year meeting):


Heeresfeldbahn 

TOM


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