Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC) Posts: 8,239 Location: Montreal, QC
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https://www.20min.ch/sto...z-kommt-weg-618754392760I first saw the layout as a 9 year old when the family visited Luzern while living in Switzerland. I was there again in 1985. I remember watching as an employee opened a door and entered the layout. You could see the spiral loops that were used to increase the elevation of the tracks. On the real Gotthard, the trains made 3/4 to a a full circle to gain altitude. On the model, the trains often went around many loops in order to exit the tunnel at the next track level. When I first saw the layout, the rolling seemed to be a mix of Hag, Fleischmann, Trix Express and some Maerklin. When I was there in 1985, it was a mix of Hag, Roco, Lima, Liliput and other brands. It was cool that the trains were a little updated compared to 1971/72, but a little disconcerting to see exact scale, 1/93 and 1/100 models combined in consists. The last time I went there (2004), the rolling stock was mostly 1/87 and it looked better. I was, however, disappointed in the way that the layout had been moved. It seemed to have less impact in it's new setting. It is with sadness that I read that the layout is being phased out. Switzerland still has Smilestones, Baumgartner and Kaeserberg, but it will not be the same. Regards Mike C
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 7 users liked this useful post by mike c
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Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,482 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
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Originally Posted by: mike c  https://www.20min.ch/story/die-legendaerste-modelleisenbahn-der-schweiz-kommt-weg-618754392760
It is with sadness that I read that the layout is being phased out. Switzerland still has Smilestones, Baumgartner and Kaeserberg, but it will not be the same.
I don't think that is what the article is saying. They seem to state it will go into storage while they replace the building with a new one, and intend to put it on display again.
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Joined: 01/03/2008(UTC) Posts: 2,883 Location: South Western France
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Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan  Originally Posted by: mike c  https://www.20min.ch/story/die-legendaerste-modelleisenbahn-der-schweiz-kommt-weg-618754392760
It is with sadness that I read that the layout is being phased out. Switzerland still has Smilestones, Baumgartner and Kaeserberg, but it will not be the same.
I don't think that is what the article is saying. They seem to state it will go into storage while they replace the building with a new one, and intend to put it on display again. Yes that is correct Alan § "Sicher aber bleibe das beliebte Modell erhalten." : it is sure that the beloved model is being preserved! Where it woill be displayed again is under evaluation. I could not have seen this emblematic and inspiring layout disappear!! |
Jacques Vuye aka Dr.Eisenbahn Once a vandal, learned to be better and had great success! |
 3 users liked this useful post by jvuye
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Joined: 29/07/2007(UTC) Posts: 1,437 Location: Switzerland
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 3 users liked this useful post by Unholz
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Joined: 22/11/2006(UTC) Posts: 676 Location: Shoreline, WA
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This is a great layout and i took in as many as I could when i visited Europe. I signed the petition as it allows non-residents to sign. I hope it will be around for all to visit when they get the new building complete. |
Thom European Train Enthusiast - Pacific Northwest Chapter 4th Division, Pacific Northwest Region, National Model Railroaders Association |
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Joined: 15/12/2005(UTC) Posts: 3,594 Location: Spain
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Originally Posted by: Unholz  Signed! |
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Joined: 08/10/2011(UTC) Posts: 23 Location: Manawatu, New Zealand
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Don't dodge difficulties, meet and defeat them. (Anon) Anyone can eat an elephant, one bite at a time (Anon)
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,490 Location: Hrvatska
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There is hope for this faithful layout PDFPDF 2
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 6 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,490 Location: Hrvatska
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H0 Gottard railway system returns to the Verkehrshaus!  The H0 Gottard railway system from the Museum of Transport, safely packed in a wooden box, was transported to Rain after temporary storage in Bleienbach, in a hall on the Daetwyler AG site, where the system is being comprehensively refurbished and expanded. The model will return to the Museum of Transport from August 2024. The Swiss Museum of Transport had spoken to various organizations across Switzerland about loaning the Gotthard railway model including operation. However, the numerous negotiations did not lead to any success. The system will therefore not be given away and will remain at the Swiss Museum of Transport. The Gotthard railway model will probably be on display again in the Verkehrshaus from August 2024, as the museum confirmed to the Luzerner Zeitung [see article on Zentralplus that can also be read without a subscription]. Until then, the 64-year-old, 15-ton, 75-square-meter system will be overhauled by a voluntary working group. In the future it will be presented in a “contemporary form”, as it is said. We are talking here about current digital control and further development in the sense of contemporary museum education. For this purpose, the system will be cut into three parts and presented along a line in the future, following the original course in the Reuss Valley. A Ticino section will also be added. “It is important to the Museum of Transport to preserve this unique object, which is part of the childhood memories of countless visitors to the Museum of Transport, and to make it accessible to the public.” The Swiss Museum of Transport expects the entire project to cost around half a million francs. On October 7, 2023, the Gotthard model could be viewed in its unchanged form at its storage location in Bleienbach. There was driving, an insight into history and an outlook on the transformation. linkI downloaded some pictures of works on that fantastic layout  For the sake of transport, the layout is divided into 3 parts, each of which has about 5 tons!  The size and weight can be understood from this picture   Numerous decoders are connected for digitization  
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 12 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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bmcrae, kiwiAlan, marklinist5999, Ross, Jimmy Thompson, mrmarklin, ktsolias, GlennM, river6109, hxmiesa, dominator, osoraku
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,490 Location: Hrvatska
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 15 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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Marklineisenbahn, Willem99, bmcrae, kiwiAlan, marklinist5999, Ross, Jimmy Thompson, Alsterstreek, GlennM, Toosmall, river6109, French_Fabrice, Tom Jessop, dominator, osoraku
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,490 Location: Hrvatska
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The start of the layout is at linkThe last movie
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 7 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,490 Location: Hrvatska
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We are delighted that one of the most popular items from our mobility collection is returning to our showroom. But before that happens, the Gotthard railway model will be further developed through renovation. This transformation takes place in close cooperation with Swiss model building experts. Provisional results September 2024 Work on the transformation of the Gotthard railway model is progressing according to plan. In May 2024, we managed to transfer the first module to the Swiss Transport Museum. In the meantime, dedicated members of the Friends of Model Railways and Builders Luzern (EMBL) and Friends of Model Railway Builders Rothenburg (REMF) are working intensively on modules 2, 3 and 4. At the end of October 2024, the other modules will return to the Transport Museum and will be formally welcomed at an exclusive vernissage for invited guests. However, work on the model system is not yet complete at this time. Visitors are warmly invited to watch the model builders put the modules together and make the entire route passable again. This work is expected to be completed in early 2025. The entire Gotthard model railway system will then be officially opened on 18 June 2025 as part of the Railway Experience Switzerland 2025 exhibition. The realization of this project would not be possible without the generous support through donations and contributions from our Gotthard Model Railway partners. We thank all donors for their support. https://www.verkehrshaus.ch/unte.../gotthardbahnmodell.html   
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 7 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,490 Location: Hrvatska
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The legendary Gotthard railway model is back at the Swiss Museum of Transport - bigger, more modern and more impressive than ever. Adjustments are still being made until the end of December in preparation for its full commissioning. You are cordially invited to look over the model builders' shoulders as they work. The entire facility will not be back in operation until January 2025 and the trains will once again make their rounds from Wassen to Erstfeld.  In 2020, the Gotthard railway model had to make way for the construction of a new multi-purpose building. Now, after extensive transformation, it is back in the centre of the Museum of Transport and fascinates young and old alike with its impressive attention to detail and technology.  One of the longest model railway layouts in Switzerland An elevated passerelle now provides unique views of the detailed landscape. Like an unfolded penknife, it unfolds along the mountain top and integrates the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which opened in 2016. The extensive transformation of the installation in Bleienbach began 55 weeks ago. The original 6 x 14 metre Gotthard railway model now measures 31.5 metres in length and 3.5 metres in width and is one of the longest model railway layouts in Switzerland. The Gotthard Base Tunnel, which opened in 2016, has also been integrated. Visitors can take a look behind the scenes of the model world: a digital control system and staging yards at the back offer exciting insights.  A masterpiece of volunteer work Under the motto ‘Combining the old with the new’, the Gotthard modelling group, led by Emil Galliker, has further developed the Gotthard railway model with great attention to detail. The team consists of 20 dedicated members of the Lucerne Railway and Modelling Friends and the Rothenburg Railway Modelling Friends. Together, they invested over 12,000 hours of voluntary work to realise this masterpiece. verkershaus.chThese pictures were posted on Fb by Roger Haller  View from the gallery  Real trains in the museum can be seen through the windows from behind    
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 8 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC) Posts: 3,917 Location: Michigan, Troy
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We'll be visiting our travel agent soon, so have to make Lucern included then!
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 1 user liked this useful post by marklinist5999
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,490 Location: Hrvatska
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 6 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,490 Location: Hrvatska
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 8 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,490 Location: Hrvatska
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I'll go back to the very beginning, when it was decided to do the layout in the EU there were no manufacturers of flexible rails yet so they bought it in America. The minimum radius was 140 cm, and they made the switches themselves. Like Maerklin, both rails were on one pole and the contact network was on the other, but for steam locomotives and wagon lighting, a brass nail was driven through every other sleeper and connected from below (hm, did anyone count how many nails were used on 330 meters of track?) Later, this was modernized with more advanced techniques, instead of track contacts, reed contacts were introduced. The masterpiece was the creation of a contact network that was tensioned with weights like a real one. The original real copper wire, which wore out quickly and tightened a lot (so it had to be replaced) was replaced in 2002 with a beryllium-bronze wire. Standard pantographs would also wear out quickly (cut), so all pantographs were additionally treated with a thermal process at the Silbag company in Lucerne and also silver-plated.   All bridges are made of brass according to the designs of real  Beginning of work on routes that had to be strong to withstand people walking on them      They made the relays for driving the switches themselves, later they switched to factory-made ones. 
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 4 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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Joined: 10/02/2021(UTC) Posts: 3,917 Location: Michigan, Troy
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Wow! I wonder if they bought Atlas flex track or Peco or bare rails and separate sleepers and hand fabricated it.
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,490 Location: Hrvatska
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I think the finished Peco was mentioned?
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 1 user liked this useful post by 1borna
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,490 Location: Hrvatska
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 6 users liked this useful post by 1borna
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Joined: 28/11/2007(UTC) Posts: 8,239 Location: Montreal, QC
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I did not notice until recently that when the layout was put back together, rather than having Erstfeld to Hagrigenbach on one side and Wassen on the other to now having everything on the same side. With this new setup, the display is longer, but less wide.
Regards
Mike C
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 2 users liked this useful post by mike c
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Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 1,490 Location: Hrvatska
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This way it's more realistic, closer to reality, even though the distances had to be significantly shortened.
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 1 user liked this useful post by 1borna
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Joined: 09/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 2,971 Location: Somewhere, But Nowhere Near Manchester, England
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Interesting thread and interesting layout, I have placed it on my bucket list.
Thanks |
Don't look back, your not heading that way. |
 1 user liked this useful post by GlennM
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Joined: 01/02/2004(UTC) Posts: 7,458 Location: Scotland
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Fantastic layout. Stayed in Luzern for a week in the 1960s which although then no model railway was a great place and a trip up Mount Pilatus was a must. |
Take care I like Marklin and will defend the worlds greatest model rail manufacturer. |
 1 user liked this useful post by David Dewar
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Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC) Posts: 8,482 Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
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Originally Posted by: David Dewar  Fantastic layout. Stayed in Luzern for a week in the 1960s which although then no model railway was a great place and a trip up Mount Pilatus was a must. Stayed in Lucerne in 1997 on way from NZ to UK. It was the celebration of 150 yrs of SBB at the time and there was a big celebration at the Museum. They had a replica Spanish Brotli Bahn tripping back and forth to a station around the lake, which we managed to get a ticket for. You went one way on the train and did the return on a ferry on the lake. We chose to do it in the reverse direction which worked well, as the train was then going down hill, so we didn't get smoked out in the tunnels. We were also able to get a trip on the Rigibahn. On one Saturday each month they ran a steam train up the Rigi, and we were able to get a ticket for that as well. Didn't get to do Mt Pilatus, but have very pleasant memories of our week there, apart from seeing the funeral of Princess Diana on the TV while there.
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 4 users liked this useful post by kiwiAlan
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