“St Gracier” (SG)
An HO gauge Swiss / Austrian Layout
The layout is based on the station of Buchs in Eastern Switzerland near to the border with Austria. The location and layout size enables a wide variety of both Swiss and Austrian trains to be seen ranging from local Swiss and Austrian services, OBB (Austrian) Railjet, OBB Eurocity, vintage Transalpin, Swiss postal train, two types of freight train, a tunnel fire train, and a classic train hauled by a French steam locomotive. The near border location means locomotives can be exchanged where required, making use of the loco yard and the fully operational turntable.The station has five platforms, the aforementioned loco yard and postal sidings. The tracks converge and diverge through the station throat, the double track main to Switzerland, the single track main to Austria. The concealed stockyard can accommodate up to fourteen trains.The layout is operated using a Roco Multimaus DCC system with some sound fitted comotives, the near prototypical catenary enables us to run pantographs ‘up’ but not powered.The layout operates to a timetable; however, the aim is to show visitors a variety of trains even if one or two of the trains could never have been seen in Buchs. The operators are always happy to share their interest with the public even if they don’t always know the answer to questions posed!
