Lucky model railroaders
Created: 2022-12-19 07:04
By: Hanna von Prittwitz
Hearts beat faster: Thomas Lauß and Tobias Meier show Torsten Jäckel and daughter Annika (10) details of a model railway (from left).
© Andrea Jaksch
There was a big rush at Gilchingr town hall on Sunday: fans of model railways met there at a sales market.
Gilching
– There was a lot of hustle and bustle around the Gilching town hall on Sunday: Tobias Meier and Franz Gruber had invited to a model railway market again after a long Corona break.
The approximately 30 model railway dealers came from Rosenheim.
Parents and their children, collectors and the curious crowded around the stands in the town hall.
Parking spaces in front of the door were scarce.
Tobias Meier (48) wasn't quite sure beforehand whether the time was right for such an event, but the courage of the organizers was rewarded.
"Every year before Christmas, the model railway virus finds its way into German households," says Meier in explanation.
He has been organizing markets and exhibitions in Gilching for several years, always together with Franz Gruber.
Of course, one or the other track was set up in the town hall.
People talked shop everywhere and many visitors went home with beautiful little treasures.
Gruber also owns a system, he got it from his father.
It is also a bit of the reason why he has been organizing exhibitions on a voluntary basis for so long.
Gruber doesn't have the space at home for the 3.50 meter wide and eleven meter long model construction system.
"It fits perfectly into the canteen of the Christoph-Probst-Gymnasium," he says.
Exhibitions have also taken place there.
However, he is silent about how many locomotives he has.
"That's a golden rule," he says - and tells the story of the model railroader who had boasted about his layout and his treasures in the inn in the evening.
"When he came home, everything was stolen."
But on Sunday there was only selling and buying.
Meier believes that the pandemic has given model railways new impetus.
"It hasn't changed much for us. We were in the basement before and just stayed there," he says and laughs.
He himself likes to tinker and tinker around with locomotives and trains, so sometimes something has to be sent.
The trained businessman has been in charge of the DHL parcel shop in Gilching since 2016, and that benefits him a lot: "I didn't feel like queuing at the post office with my parcels anymore."
On Sunday, Meier and Gruber had their hands full, after the market at 3 p.m. they dismantled again.
In view of the success, there should probably be another edition in 2023.