News 2026.06 - 22. Small Railway, Big Impact in Munich
“It was very nice, it gave me great pleasure!”
Although this remark was not originally made by me but by Emperor Franz Joseph I, I would like to borrow it because it perfectly summarizes the 2026 Kleine Bahn Ganz Groß exhibition in Munich.
© Halling Modelle
MesseMünchen26
Several months of hard preparation went into this event, especially for my staff and me, but every drop of sweat and every hour of overtime was worth it! We produced two special exhibition models (more on those later), manufactured additional stock wherever possible, installed drives, packed spare parts into bags, polished our display cases, packed everything up, loaded it into a van, and set off for distant Munich with a new team. For all of us, it was our first exhibition abroad, and virtually everything was new. We had no idea what to expect. And what can I say?
You exceeded all our expectations by far!
“ You ” refers both to the organizers, the volunteers of Kleine Bahn, and the staff of the MVG Museum, as well as to you, our loyal customers! From an exhibitor’s perspective, the event left nothing to be desired. The cooperation and especially the program outside opening hours were fantastic. Everyone pitched in and did their best to create an event that people would remember!
But even more wonderful were the two six-hour periods spent with our customers during the exhibition. A huge thank you to all customers, interested visitors, friends, and business partners who visited our stand. Thank you for the many inspiring conversations, for your praise, for your model suggestions, for your loyalty to Halling, and of course for your countless purchases! We would also like to thank you for your patience. At times, there was a long queue at our checkout. For everyone who was unable to travel to Kleine Bahn, we would now like to present our two exhibition models: On the one hand, there is an old acquaintance from Halling, which visited Munich for several weeks in 2001 on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the MVB:
The five-section Vienna ULF, fleet number 15!
In 2001, this ULF was loaned by Wiener Linien to MVG for approximately two months for trial operations on Line 21. The complete story behind the prototype vehicle was comprehensively documented for us by Christian Pscherer, a Wiener Linien employee who played a key role in the project. We are grateful to him for providing this first-hand account. See the next page.
Some details about the model:
Please note the two new driver’s windows, which improve visibility of the mirrors, the correct number and placement of the many loudspeakers, the new sensors, and numerous other details, such as the “Munich Child” emblem on both sides and the inscription “Vienna Greets Munich.” For the first time, we have not printed the interiors of the front headlights, allowing hobbyists to install working front lighting if desired. The model comes fully printed and lettered. You only need to apply the route numbers and destinations of your choice, which are included as decals. The model is available in both powered and unpowered versions. In the motorized version, the ULF now features a six-pin NEM651 interface.
On the other hand, there is a vintage vehicle from the Halling range, inspired by a Munich two-axle tram.
This vintage model has been intentionally kept simple, but it is printed using our latest UV printer technology and is intended as a souvenir and commemorative model of the Kleine Bahn exhibition. It comes as standard in H0 scale with plastic axles. It can also be retrofitted with a powered chassis, both in H0 and H0m.
Yours sincerely
Mag. Joachim Haselmayer
