EM 2021 - Through Spain, but on tracks

The diverse country on the Iberian Peninsula consists of 17 autonomous regions and is known for its coasts, sangria and flamenco. But Spain has so much more to offer!

Facts about Spain

• Madrid's metro system has the largest number of escalators in the world. There are a total of 1,656 pieces
• The Chupa Chups company was founded in 1958 by a Spaniard
• With 280 days of sunshine, Spain is one of the sunniest countries in Europe
• Spain has one of the oldest national anthems in Europe without a text
• The Spanish Christmas lottery is the world's largest lottery, with a total of over 2 billion euros
• Bananas only grow in Spain - nowhere else in Europe
• The density of bars is highest in Spain
• The oldest cave painting in the world can be found in the Spanish city of Santander
• Spain ranks second among most UNESCO World Heritage Sites with 44 sites
• The prototype of the submarine comes from Spain
• Europe's only desert is in Spanish Andalusia and is more than 280 km² in size
• Spanish is the fastest spoken language in the world
• Spain is the second-loudest country in the world after Japan.
• The highest mountain in Spain is on the Spanish island of Tenerife

Spain has so many beautiful places - here are some of the most beautiful:

Railways in Spain

Spain's passenger and freight transport is managed by the state-owned RENFE Operadora.

The development of high-speed trains is of particular importance in Spain. With them, the country wants to expand its lead. It is thanks to the AVE high-speed train that Renfe is now able to operate profitably. The flagship product of the Spanish economy is now also in operation in the USA, Finland, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

With a population of 47 million, Spain has the most kilometers of high-speed rail after China. For tourism alone, it is essential for Spain to have a well-developed route network. At weddings like it was in July, over three million people use the AVE and other Renfe long-haul connections.

The AVE operates on its own route network, which enables speed to go up to 310 km / h. That way, it is possible to travel from Madrid to Barcelona in under 3 hours.

You can find technical details of the AVE here.

Rack railway in Spain

Since March 22, 1931 the cog railway is on the tracks between Ribes and Nuria. The only interruption in operations was due to the Spanish Civil War.

The 12.5 km connection to the Nuria monastery, which is located at approx. 2000 meters above sea level, opens up a very popular ski area.

While steam locomotives were only used for the construction of the line, further operation took place electrically with the locomotives E1 to E4 and from 1986 with multiple units (A 5 to A 8). In winter, wagons were attached to cope with the increased volume of traffic. In 2003, two more Stadler railcars (A 10 and A 11) were added.

The locomotives E1 to E4 are still there and are occasionally used for special trips or in front of work trains. The passenger cars are also used on a case-by-case basis.

Eisenbahnmuseum Madrid

Today you can find the historic Delicias train station, which was built in 1880 in the Eisenbahnmuseum in MadridThe large train arrival hall is impressive for its design alone, and houses one of the largest collections of locomotives and wagons in all of Europe.

These include a four-wheeled passenger car from 1899 from Manchester and various locomotives from the 19th century from Great Britain and Germany. However, the Spanish locomotives of the 20th century leave the most lasting impression. They include a sleeping car restaurant built in Bilbao in 1930, a 2'D2 'steam locomotive from 1956 specially designed for express trains, the Virgen de Aranzazu Talgo train (articulated train) from 1951 and a hydraulic diesel locomotive from 1966 made by Maffei / Babcock & Wilcox.

Model railway in Spain

Well-known manufacturers of model railways come from Spain. The models from Ibertren and Electrotren inspire with detailed and fine prints

The Company Electrotren was founded in 1951 and initially specialized in the manufacture of model trains in 0 gauge. Models in scale 1:87 followed from 1954.
In April 2004, Hornby Railways bought the company and used the brand name to primarily sell Spanish models.

In 1973 the first vehicle model came out under the brand name Ibertren In 1992 the company had to stop its business activities.
In 2004 the brand name Ibertren was reintroduced. Since then, the Barcelona-based company Ibertren Modelismo S.L. offer model trains for the H0 gauge.

You can find impressions of Spanish model railways here:

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Spain in MSL

At MSL you will find a wide range of rolling stock and matching accessories from the Spanish manufacturer ElectrotrenAlso look for material from the Spanish company RENFE and order your desired model quickly and easily from MSL!