Swiss Rails
Die Schweizer Modelleisenbahn in
der USA.
Okay, Okay the Model Swiss RailRoad
in the USA
The Cantonal flag of Bern.
Swiss Rail at the National
Train Show, Cincinnati.Ohio.
A bit about Switzerland and Swiss
Rails
Switzerland is located in the
heart of western Europe. You can see trains with
cars from many countries as they carry freight and
passengers to destinations throughout Switzerland and
beyond.
There are differences to railroading
in Switzerland (and Europe in general) to railroading
in the United States. You’ll notice that freight
cars are generally shorter and that all the cars have
buffers. The link/screw coupler is used in Europe and it limits
the weight of trains. Add that to the mountain grades and
that further limits the number of cars even more. Also, unlike
US freight trains, the use of the link/screw coupler and buffers
eliminates slack between cars. When cars are coupled together
the slack is taken out until the buffers compress slightly. One
buffer is slightly convex while its opposite is smooth. That allows
the buffers to move against each other in curves.
In Switzerland you’ll see trains
with trucks and trailers on special flat cars with
a passenger coach behind the locomotive. In Switzerland
truck usage of the Autobahn is limited (no trucks allowed
at night and on weekends). Trucks are loaded on these trains
in various cities throughout Europe. The drivers ride in the
passenger coach which has sleeping compartments. Would this catch
on in the US?
In Europe people are accustomed
to commuting and traveling by train. You
will encounter a wide variety of passenger trains and
see them at all hours of the day and night.
Modern Swiss commuter trains
around Zurich have bi-level coaches. Commuter trains
in other cities use single level coaches. You can even
buy items like milk and bread in the train’s Bistro car
on your way home, saving you a stop at the grocery store. Today,
all commuter trains and most inter-city trains are push-pulls
with a locomotive on one end and a pilot car on the other. When increased
seating is required, additional coaches and another pilot car
are coupled to one end of the train.
You also find cars catering
to children on the trains of Switzerland. They are KinderCoach and Familie
and have these names emblazoned on their sides. The Swiss railways
also have the Panorama Car with large windows that curl up and around the
roof for the rider’s enjoyment of the scenery.
Almost all the track has overhead
wires or catenary over it and nearly all Swiss
trains are electric powered. Older Swiss passenger
coaches are green and restaurant cars red. Modern passenger
cars now come in a rainbow of colors. Even the restaurant cars
have pantographs on them. Pantographs on restaurant cars are
only used when the car is uncoupled or sitting on a siding without
a locomotive to power the electric stove. If a locomotive is coupled
to the train, the restaurant car receives power from the locomotive.
When the car reaches about 25 kilometers per hour the pantograph
automatically retracts.
Switzerland is noted for its
mountains and it has its share of mountain passes.
The various Swiss Railroads have chosen to tunnel under
them. Before the advent of the Autobahn the railroad provided
a service that enabled you to drive your car unto a special
train that transported you through the tunnel where you
drove off. You could ride in your car or in a special passenger
car behind the locomotive. This service is still offered through
the Simplon tunnel and on a meter gauge line through the Vereina. The
service is no longer offered through the Gotthard and the Lötschberg
tunnels.
At this time in Switzerland
the SBB Railroad is building the Gotthard base tunnel. This will be a 57
kilometer long tunnel (about 36 miles long). When completed the passenger
trains will travel at 230 kph (143mph) and freight trains 160 kph (100mph).
Currently trains travel on gradients of 2.6% with a maximum speed 80 kph.
The travel time between Zurich and Lugano is 2 hours 56 minutes. The new
tunnel will reduce the time between Zurich and Lugano to 1 hour 40
minutes.
These modules use Roco Line
track which includes roadbed and regular Roco track laid on cork roadbed.
The advantage to Roco Line is that it sets up quickly and the switch machines
are mounted under the switch in the roadbed. The switch machines under
the regular track are Tortoise machines mounted beneath the module. All machines
are digitally controlled. The Roco Line switches also allow local manual
control.
The catenary or overhead is
made by two companies; Sommerfeldt and Viessmann. Sommerfeldt makes catenary
of many of Europe’s countries while Viessmann’s is modeled on Germany’s catenary.
Sommerfeldt’s catenary requires soldering skills
to assemble. Viessmann’s catenary is plug-and-play
typewith minimal installation work.
OderStadt represents an older
walled city in Switzerland. It has a passing track
off the main and it’s a tourist center.
Hausammann is a large city with
a large yard. It represents a border station and
some trains change engines or add/drop their dining
car.
Fritchberg is stopping
station for the church on the hill. Pilgrims get
off here to go to the church on the hill.
The large arched bridge
is modeled after one on the Gotthard route near the
village of Wassen. It’s the middle Reuss River Bridge.
The layout is controlled with
the Lenz Digital System. Almost all switches are
digitally controlled. Operators can follow their trains
around the layout plugging their throttles in at panels
located on the fascias of the modules. Or operators can control
their trains with the Lenz XPA and a cordless phone.
The control podium can be plugged
in between any two modules.
My thanks to Rudi Pfeiffer for
his help and time in building these modules, Cliff
and Aline Bergemann for help with scenery and valence drapes, Ron
Frankum of SP Bahnhof for providing track, trains, and
buildings, and a module, Hans and Mike Beck who contributed a module,
Brenda Julin at Marklin/Trix USA who provided the US train,
Bruno Walser and Alexandre Frauenknecht who helped with the technical information, Klaus Domes
and Kurt Miska who helped me with the translations and grammer.
Also Thanks to all those folks who miraculously appear to help set
up and take down the modular layout.
Ever wonder what it looks like when you open up
the trailer for set up.
Here's what Hans Beck saw when he opended up the back end.
The Site for EuroTrain Enthusiasts
European
Train Enthusiasts
The
Salt Lake City WGH Show
The NMRA Cincinnati National Train Show
Check back often as there will
be more to come.
