Making of Motzberg

Making of Castle Motzberg

Located at the foothills of the Odenwald in the district of Darmstadt-Dieburg, Otzberg Castle overlooks the Rhein-Main area.

The 17 meter high, white painted donjon, the "white beet", is salient for the Otzberg, built at the beginning of the 13th century.

Castle Motzberg near the tracks of the Moosbach-Rheinheimer Railway is scratch build following the original castle with old 1:160 scale kits of half timbered houses from Faller and a suitable tablet container for the donjon.

The strong walls are made of Styropor coloured like the original.

Motzberg = Otzberg?

castle Motzberg on top of Motzberg hill with vine yards and the Marbach signal tower

Motzberg hill with opened maintenance window for accessing the tracks inside

ruin of a chapel on the shoulder of Motzberg hill

The picture on the left was made at a first structure rehearsal on the 50 cm high hill made of Styrofoam in spring 2006.

The right picture shows the actual scene in January 2007.

An overview of the location of the castle hill

is possible from the observation tower of the ruin of Schalkenstein on the opposite hill across the Moosbach creek valley.

On the right the two bridges over the Neckar River with the Marbach siding.

Also visible is the level beneath with the track between Nuschelstadt and Rheinheim.

September 2006

This view of the hill and the castle, which is 1,80 meter above the floor, shows the construction of typical terrace style vineyards in the Neckar and Rhine valleys.

September 2006

Motzberg hill with vine yards in front and the signal tower of Marbach

In January 2007 the mountain is nearly finished, the vines on the 2nd and 3rd level are still missing. A first attempt to create realistic vines is to be seen above the red VT98. Unfortunately the desired "vineyard effect" has not yet been achieved.

January 2007

The used 40mm Styrofoam pieces make a stable and light structure possible. The position of the visible frame in front and the height of the electrical overhead line are determined by the window behind them. It is possible to open this window completely after taking away the removable background. This is necessary for reaching the light pit behind the window without having to completely dismantle the structure. The removable part of the hill is made of Styrofoam and despite its size it is rather lightweight and stable.

As an eye-catcher on the ridge of the hill, there is the ruin of a small chapel. It is scratch build of an old Faller kit chapel in scale 1:160 with strengthened walls.

A "window" for necessary operational interferences opens, when the front part of the mountain is removed. The tunnelled route is already prepared for the planned electrification of the tracks.