This beautiful paper model reproduces the Zeitnehmerhaus, or Timekeeper's House, from the legendary Nürburgring circuit in Germany, as it appeared in 1950.
Created by Henning Möller and available on the Carrera4Fun website, the model is in 1/64 scale, making it especially interesting for die-cast car collectors and for creating historical motorsport dioramas.
For decades, the Zeitnehmerhaus was one of Nürburgring's most characteristic buildings. Located near the start and finish area, it witnessed a large part of the circuit's history and had its appearance modified several times over the years.
Henning chose to reproduce the building as it appeared in 1950. In this configuration, the upper cabin with its characteristic roof was already present, as was the Mercedes star, while some of the extensions that would become part of its appearance in later years had not yet been built.
The model takes up nine sheets, including two intended for cardboard reinforcement. The Carrera4Fun page also provides assembly instructions and an exploded-view drawing to help with construction.
Despite the amount of graphic detail, Henning tried to keep the model accessible to build. From the beginning, the idea was to find a balance between simplicity and authenticity, something that, as you will see below, is directly related to the way he approaches modeling.
When Henning told me that the Zeitnehmerhaus was finally available, he also kindly sent me a text telling a little of the story behind this model.
His account ended up going far beyond the Zeitnehmerhaus itself. Henning told me a little about his history as a modeler, his passion for motorsport, how he met Frank Rehberg of Carrera4Fun, and how that friendship eventually led to a rather ambitious project related to the Nürburgring centenary, which will be celebrated in 2027.
Henning kindly allowed me to share his account here on Papermau. I made only a few small adaptations to the text so that it would flow more naturally within this post, without changing the essence of what he wrote so generously and spontaneously.
In the words of Henning Möller:
My interest in building things goes back to my childhood. LEGO, model kits, or even pieces handmade from wood with a coping saw, over the years I have built a little bit of everything.
My greatest hobby has always been model railroading. On my first layout, I even included a Faller AMS track, and both slot cars and that scale never completely left me. Later I moved from HO scale to N scale, but my second great passion, Formula 1 in particular and motorsport in general, eventually brought me back to slot cars when I reached the age of 50.
At first I returned to HO scale, or more precisely 1/64 scale, and later to Carrera Evolution in 1/32 scale.
But simply laying a track on the carpet seemed a little boring to me. For me, there had to be some atmosphere around it.
The problem is that suitable buildings and accessories are not exactly plentiful, and I also did not want to spend hundreds of euros just to place a few structures around the track.
That was how I began finding various websites dedicated to papercraft on the internet. During one of those searches, I came across Frank Rehberg's website, Carrera4Fun.
I immediately built the Dunlop Tower, followed by the Conti Tower, the pit lane and the gas station. Those buildings had a special charm, and before long I had caught the Nürburgring fever.
But the Zeitnehmerhaus was missing.
Together with the Dunlop Tower, the Shell gas station, the Conti Tower and the pit lane, the Timekeeper's House was certainly one of the most important structures at the Ring during the first seven decades after its opening in 1927.
On a motorsport website, I found a photograph of a model of this building, with Frank Rehberg credited as its creator. So I decided to contact him and ask whether he intended to make it available.
His reply came quickly and was unexpectedly positive. Frank offered to send me the PDF file of the model and asked only that I take photographs of the building process.
That was how a great friendship began.
A few years ago, after we completed the Schleizer Dreieck building for its centenary, Frank and I decided to turn our attention to the Nürburgring centenary.
The project grew to include new models still to be developed, updates to buildings that had already been released and, finally, the idea of recreating a complete pit area representing the first 70 years of the circuit.
After spending some time working with extremely detailed paper models in N scale, at the beginning of this year I decided to concentrate my work on 1/64 scale.
After the Dunlop Tower, it was time for the Zeitnehmerhaus.
I have always been fascinated by classic cars from the 1950s, so I decided to recreate the Nürburgring buildings as they appeared during that period. My goal is to develop models that are relatively easy to build but, at the same time, look as authentic as possible.
I also do not necessarily follow the idea that absolutely everything in a paper model has to be made of paper. Schreiber-Bogen itself, for example, offers photo-etched parts to complement some of its paper ship models. I also like combining papercraft with traditional modeling techniques whenever they can contribute to the final result.
And there is still much more to come.
Not all of the models that Frank and I intend to add to Carrera4Fun have been released yet. It is also important to remember that developing a convincing model is not easy when precise dimensions or original plans are not available.
This means analyzing hundreds of photographs, comparing details, correcting countless errors and building test models. The whole process takes a great deal of time, and for that reason it simply is not possible to present a new project every month.
I also do not use professional software or a high-performance computer. I work with LibreOffice Draw on a Mac Mini 2.
End of Henning's account.
That last observation from Henning particularly caught my attention because my own way of working is quite similar.
I have never used expensive professional programs to create my models either. Until last month, I was still working on an old computer from 2010 running Windows 7, which had been with me for many years. Only now have I moved to a machine running Windows 11.
And I still use simple, free and intuitive tools. Among them are the good old MS Paint, Paint.NET, an old version of SketchUp, version 6, and also a free version of Pepakura.
Perhaps our experiences are a good demonstration that you do not need the newest computer or the most sophisticated software to create something interesting. The tools help, of course, but knowing well what we have at our disposal, finding our own solutions and, above all, enjoying the creative process are still what matter most.
In the message he sent me, Henning ended with words that made me particularly happy. He said that Papermau is an almost daily source of inspiration for his next projects and joked that, because of this, his to-do list just keeps getting longer.
I can only thank Henning for those words, for his generosity in sharing a little of his story and, of course, for all the work and dedication he put into creating this model.
And the Zeitnehmerhaus 1950 is far from the end of this story. Henning and Frank still have other Nürburgring-related projects in development for the circuit's centenary in 2027.
From what Henning has already hinted at, we can expect some very interesting things to come from this partnership.
The Nürburgring Zeitnehmerhaus 1950 in 1/64 scale, together with the assembly instructions, is available at Carrera4Fun at the link below:
Nürburgring Zeitnehmerhaus 1950 - 1/64 Scale Papercraft - by Henning Möller
If you enjoy papercraft buildings created to display miniature cars and bring racing and automotive dioramas to life, take a look at the related models below.
01 - French Workshop Diorama Papercraft For Slot Cars And Miniatures - by Carrera4Fun
02 - Riverside Auto Works Garage Papercraft In 1/64 Scale - by Papermau
03 - Multi-Level Parking Garage Display Shelf Papercraft In 1/64 Scale - by Marco Antonio Checa Funcke
04 - Old Town Garage Papercraft In 1/64 Scale For Diecast Dioramas - by Papermau
Aos amigos de língua portuguesa: Para não deixar este post excessivamente longo, desta vez publiquei aqui a versão completa em inglês. O texto integral em português, acompanhado de todas as fotos, está disponível no meu blog secundário, The Papermau, no link abaixo:
Nürburgring Zeitnehmerhaus 1950 - Papercraft em Escala 1/64 - por Henning Möller - via Carrera4Fun
