Today, we are going to make a journey to the island of Cuba. In the Caribbean there is a special season, namely the sugarcane harvesting season. It is called “Zafra”, and it runs from January through May. The term Zafra became well-known internationally during the 1960s due to its importance in Cuba. Therefore, we see a narrow gauge field railway running along crooked rails somewhere in the Caribbean rainforest. This special season has been picked up by a German model railroader, Wolfgang Stößer. Cuba and the beautiful landscape, the nature and also the palm trees were inspiration to start model railroading. On this little model railroad diorama we are at the Viñales Valley in Cuba.
Sugarcane and other crops are cultivated on the bottom of the valley, mostly by traditional agriculture techniques. Many caves dot the surrounding hill faces. Finally, the Viñales Valley is a major tourist destination. The area of the diorama has a size of approximately 210 cm x 90 cm. The model landscape was made with “Plastiform”, a modeling compound. Trees and bushes are products which are made by the German company “Noch” but they were weathered by a special spraying technology. Some of the palm trees were bought by the Dutch company “Anita Decor”; some palm trees were handmade. The rolling stock, for example the steam locomotive and the railcar, was rebuilt from standard gauge to narrow gauge, HO scale. Additionally, locomotives and vehicles were weathered, too.
