Projecten van leden
Michael Staats
Michael Staats was active, not only in narrow gauge modelling in H0e and 7mm scales, but also in standard gauge in 00 and H0 scales. He was well versed in DCC technology and managed to fit chips into the tiniest narrow gauge locomotives. Apart from that, for a long time he was a volunteer with the Katwijk Leiden Steam railway (a.k.a. Valkenburg), and built his own 60cm gauge draisine, using a lawn mower as a starting point.
Regrettably we lost him in 2017, only 45 years old. His model railway after a Saxon theme, Daheeme, and a large selection of narrow gauge models, were given to the Valkenburg museum in 2019 by his parents, and was exhibited by us in September 2019, in working order. Daheeme was taken into the Museum collection and is now permanently exhibited as a static diorama with a model showcase set up in the former fiddle yard area.
Michael's motto, displayed on a tiny shield fitted to the front of the layout, says
"Saggsn, mei herrliches Heimadland, hier binnsch daheeme," Saxon German dialect for 'Saxony, my beautiful country, here I am at home.'