# ChRB (Christoph-Röbi-Railroad)



## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

Hello everyone

I am opening this thread with the intention to share information, descriptions, explanations, experiences, pictures and videos of our H0 layout with you.

Since we started building this layout about 15 years ago and its degree of completion is now about 80%, I cannot show you step by step from the beginning how the construction begun and continued (this is mainly because we failed to take pictures right from the beginning). Therefore I'm starting by giving you an impression of the current situation. Once this is done I intend to report about future progress. The introduction of the current layout status will utilize several posts.

The name of our railroad is "Christoph-Röbi-Bahn", thus the abbreviation ChRB. Its English name would be "Christoph-Röbi-Railroad". Christoph is the name of my friend and partner and Röbi (in Switzerland short for Robert) that's me. We both live in Switzerland. I am 64 years old and retired, while Christoph is only 50. Because Christoph still has to waste a big part of his invaluable time with professional working, he has limited time to contribute to our creation. And because I mainly do P.R. (instead of doing real work) and let the whole world know about our hobby smile.gif, our progress is very slow. But who cares?

In the next post there will be a textual introduction about the layout and the subsequent posts will contain pictures with descriptive texts.


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

*Introduction to the ChRB*

Christoph and I started in 1986 with our mutual model railroad hobby. We begun with another H0 layout, which we had to give up unfinished in 1997 because we lost its location. Some memories are left in the form of pictures of the initial layout.

Fortunately we got the opportunity to rent a former air raid shelter of 28 by 14 feet and started there with our second H0 layout towards the end of 1997. A few parts could be reused from the first layout, but the majority was newly built.

Normally we meet once a week at the scene of the action, where we spend a whole evening with building, crafting, repairing, talking, discussing and playing.

The layout is not yet finished. Apart from a few details, the left part is complete, but on the right side there are mountains, tunnels and sceneries left. Also the process control software is yet being developed. However the track system and the overhead wiring are complete and our trains can run over the whole track route. A few of the railway signals are equipped, but many of them are yet missing.

The layout has two underground sidings lots (parking lots for our trains). The lower of them (which is the bigger one) and the upper (which is the smaller one) are connected by a double track route. The level difference between the two underground stations is 25.6 inches. This difference in altitude is accomplished by slopes and two spiral tunnels. The average grade amounts to a maximum of 2.0%, but is no more than 1.7% in the spiral tunnels. On the track route between the two undergound sidings lots, there is also the station St. Christoph.

The length of the whole track route started from the lower underground sidings lot all the way to the upper one, through the terminal loop and all the way back to the starting point (including the lower terminal loop) amounts to about 377 feet. This corresponds to a track route of 6.2 miles on the prototype. With a speed of 50 mph one whole lap takes about 7.5 minutes. Together with all underground sidings and those of St. Christoph station, the overall track length amounts to about 750 feet. The whole layout contains 85 switchpoints. Double-slip switchpoints and three-way-switchpoints are counted twice, since each of them has two switchpoint drives. All switchpoint drives are electrical an can be operated from the central control system.

All our engines and other traction vehicles are driven by electrical power from the overhead wiring. For this reason we cannot operate steam or diesel engines. This strict power supply through the overhead wiring has the consequence, that even the underground tracks (tunnels and underground stations) had to be equipped with overhead wiring.

On our model railway site we have not tried to copy a distinct section of a real railway line to scale. The required space would be enormeous and there would have to be made too many compromises. Instead we decided to build a fantasy layout, which nevertheless should look realistic. The paradigm we had when we planned the layout, was the Wassen part of the famous Gotthard railway line in Switzerland, where the tracks pass the church of Wassen three times on different levels. In fact we don’t have a church at that position, but all the same our three tracks on different levels come close together.

We don’t try to dedicate our layout to a certain railway epoch. We have rolling stock which fits into the epoches III throug VI and here it may even happen, that a freight train with a crocodile engine or with an Ae 4/7 passes an ICN or a FLIRT. We are slightly tolerant with regard to model conformance. We want to have fun, but it should look good all the same. We set our focus on operational activity. We want traffic, we want motion, we want to see running trains and we don’t want to get lost in too many finicking details.

Once the layout will be finished, the visible things on the front side will be restricted to realistically looking objects: Countryside, mountains, trees, people, animals, other details, as well as tunnel entrances, railway tracks on ballast, rusty rails and a subtle overhead wiring system. Those however, who enter the area behind the scenes, will see pillars, bars and struts, tiles and many tracks and switchpoints, everything in a simple, but rugged way of construction, there is no ballast between the rails and the overhead wiring consists of firm brass wire. Here functionality is essential, and the appearance is less important.

The overall layout is capable of carrying about 25 trains of various lengths in a way that they don’t block out each other. Up to about seven trains can be en route on the tracks at the same time while they are still realistically separated from each other.

Our rolling stock complies with the DC-Standard of H0 railways. The engines, trains, switchpoints and signals are controlled by means of the Selectrix digital system. Each engine or other traction vehicle has to be equipped with a digital decoder. The digital system is connected to a computer and the whole operation (motion of trains, switching the points and signals) is done from this computer. For the feedback information about the actual train position to the computer, there are 163 reed contacts built into the tracks in more or less regular intervals. Tiny permanent magnets, which are stuck to the engines on their bottom side, cause a message sent to the computer, when they move over a reed contact.

We want to achieve a fully automated operation on the whole layout controlled by the computer. This however is not realized yet. At the moment (April 2013) we operate the layout via the computer, but we use it only as a replacement for control units for engines and switchpoints of the digital system. For the time being we have to monitor the train’s positions ourselves and we are responsible for crashes and railway disasters, which unfortunately happen now and then.


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

*The track route of the ChRB*

In this post I'm going to explain the track route through the layout. Here we will limit ourselves to the visible parts of the tracks. The two underground sidings lots and the insight to the spiral tunnels will be the subject to later posts. When we sometimes gain insight to the underground framework, this is because the construction of the terrain is partially incomplete.

This H0 model railway layout contains a part of a double track mountainous railway line how it could exist in Switzerland. The similarity to the Wassen part of the famous Gotthard railway line in Switzerland is not by coincidence. When we planned this layout we had the Wassen part in mind. But all the same it reamins a phantasy layout.

The chosen part represents a step in the valley, which is overcome by the trains by means of slant track sections and spiral tunnels. When the viewer looks towards the main part of the layout (the station St. Christoph is on his back), north is on his left and south on the right side. The valley ascends from north to south.

We are going to accompany a particular Interregio train, which started in Zweitacker, passes our layout and at the end disappears in the vertex tunnel, which leads through the alps to Ariollo and Bellincarno by means of pictures. The written comments refer to the pictures above the text, namely to the current train position. All measurement indications are converted to the prototype.










Our train has departed 12 Minutes ago in Zweitacker. It is leaving the Pfarrerhupf tunnel at the most nordern position of our layout.










The tracks lead over a slanted part with a constant grade of 2.0% towards south.










The train crosses below the Sturzenegg (the solid rock part with the little wood on its top).










This is the exit from the lower Sturzenegg tunnel. This part of the layout is yet incomplete. For this reason the view to the underground part is still open.









We continue our ascent on the slant track part with a constant grade of 2.0%.










Exactly at the position where the front of the engine currently is, there will be the lower tunnel portal to the Viraggio tunnel. This is a tunnel in which the trains do a wide loop and leave the tunnel on a higher level in the opposite direction. Fortunately, the layout is not yet complete, so we can see that the tracks of roughly 3,300 feet are aranged in an oval spiral with two revolutions instead.










Again at the front position of the engine there will be the upper tunnel portal of the Viraggio tunnel. Its level is about 57 feet above that of the lower portal.










This ramp ascends to the opposite direction to the former one (we travel north, although our destination is in the south) again with a constant grade of 2.0%. Immediately ahead of the engine there are four points which allow us to change to the other track if necessary.









We are entering the upper Sturzenegg tunnel.










Exit from the upper Sturzenegg tunnel and again an ascent of 2.0%.










This is the end of the ramp where we move in the opposite direction. We traverse a short gallery which protects the track against falling rocks and enter the Diga tunnel to again gain altutude by 57 feet. The Diga tunnel has the same form as the Viraggio tunnel and internally is also built as an ovel spiral.










We have reached the level of the Sturzenegg. The train leaves the Diga tunnel, which in its upper part leads through the middle of the dam, changes the side of the valley over the Sturzenegg viaduct, which is a copy of the famous Bietschtal bridge at the Swiss BLS railway line.










The train is now in the middle over the abyss on the way to the left side of the valley.










For a second time we see the Sturzenegg viaduct with our interregio train entering the area of St. Christoph station.










The scheduled stop of the hourly interregio train in St. Christoph has been a subject of debate for a long time. The population of St. Christoph is fighting intensely, that the stop remains retained. As a curiosity, the platform is too short to accommodate the whole train. Therefore the baggage coach stops ahead of or past the platform, depending on the direction of the train. For this reason, the transport of bicycles to and from St. Christoph is banned, to the annoyance of the cyclists. This ban however is ignored regularly and the train staff mostly look the other way.










After the stop we have resumed our journey towards south and have just passed the castle ruin of St. Christoph. Over the stone bridge we are changing the side of the valley for the last time. The wooden bridge in front of the stone bridge is used by a narrow gauge railway (H0e), which carries rocks between a nearby quarry and St. Christoph station.










At the current engine position, there will be the tunnel portal of the vertex tunnel to the south. We leave the northern part of the alps and begin our journey through the rock mass to the southern part of the alps. Our passengers may throw a last glance to the St. Christoph village. This coincides with the southern (upper) end of our layout. Next stop Ariollo with subsequent continuation to Bellincarno.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Great layout and description, keep them coming! It is truly an impressive undertaking! :thumbsup:


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

You have so much fantastic quality modelling and
workmanship that words aint' coming easy.

Do gotta rave about the amazing live overhead...as a
former HO Streetcar layout modeller I know
the work it takes to construct that. So smart
to use a heavy gauge wire for overhead in
the tunnels and other hidden areas...makes
those curves easy without all the hangers....but when
the track is visible...it's totally awesome...
and hey guys...no reverse loop problems...one
side of the current comes from the rails...the other
side from the overhead thru a pantograph on the
loco just like Amtrak in the NE.

Looking forward to more from y'all...

Don


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Fabulous! Beyond adequate description!

For those who haven't seen it, check out Sturzi's cab-cam video and forum thread, here:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=17937

TJ


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Can you guys believe this is built in a former Air Raid Shelter?!? Who else among us can say that about our layout? Not many, I'd say!

TJ


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

Thank you, guys, for your pleasing and encouraging comments!


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

*Some off track views --- part 1*


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

It looks like you're using some textured plexiglass (or similar) for your water surface. How, then, did you partially submerge some of the swimmers?

Is that a pool on the ground floor inside the hospital / adult-care building?

You've got all the detail ... even down to what the cows ... well ... !


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

tjcruiser said:


> It looks like you're using some textured plexiglass (or similar) for your water surface. How, then, did you partially submerge some of the swimmers?


That's easy. It was done with an electric grinder.



tjcruiser said:


> Is that a pool on the ground floor inside the hospital / adult-care building?


This is a spa hotal for seniors. These are individual baths.



tjcruiser said:


> IYou've got all the detail ... even down to what the cows ... well ... !


At least it doesn't smell anymore.


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

*Undeserved credits*

Christoph and I agreed right from the beginning on the following assignments of responsibilities:

Christoph: Everything which at the end will be visible, namely terrain, mountains, grass, buildings, people, animals, the visible track routes, tunnel portals, the station and the bridges.

Myself: Everything underground plus the control system, namely the underground sidings, the tunnels (apart from the portals), the helixes and the software development of the control software. As an exception to this agreement I have also done the two slanted ramps including their tracks, ballast and catenary.

Both of us: Purchase and maintenance of the rolling stock.

I'm writing all of this in order to not take credit for attainments I have not supplied.
Most of what you see on the pictures and in the videos are Christoph's works, although I have also contributet a considerable share to the overall layout.


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

*ICN Albert Einstein*

I would like to introduce this train. It is an ICN. ICN is an abbreviation of the german name "Intercity Neigezug". Neigezug means "tilting train" in Englisch.
Christoph has equipped this train with interior light and with passengers. The passengers were made in China and were quite cheap, but in order to fit them into the cars, he had to amputate the feet off each of them (naturally ChRB provided this service for free).

We like this train very much. We think, it looks good and its motion is very smooth.


























































































































































*And here you can see it in motion: ICN Albert Einstein*


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

What kind of camera do you use to take still photos? They are quite crisp and colorful.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

It's funny you say that about the passengers. We've had a few recent threads here about other members having to do just that ... foot-chop on some Chinese people.

Tricky thing, to find pre-made people that fit passenger car seats just right.


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

eljefe said:


> What kind of camera do you use to take still photos? They are quite crisp and colorful.


These still photos were made with a compact camera Canon IXUS 115 HS.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Love those trains. I can identify with mutilating the passengers, I have to do that as well.


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## dannyrandomstate (Jan 1, 2012)

truly amazing work!


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## robert_seerveiss (Apr 11, 2013)

Looks very Awesome That's only in my dreams to have something that huge and very nicely done. Looks like it took you years and years to build.

Robert


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

*Freight Train with a pushing helper engine*

Here you can see the longest train which has ever operated on our layout. It's a mixed freight train with 23 four-axle freight cars, pulled by an Re 10 (Re 4/4" und Re 6/6), as well as pushed by an Re 6/6. The train has a length of 19 feet (corresponds to 550 yards on the prototype) and has 108 axles. All three engines and all 23 cars come from HAG Switzerland. The helper engine at the end of the train is a real one (not a dummy). Due to the wagons which are made of metal, the train is very heavy. Therefore the pulling engines on their own would have difficulties to pull the train upwards throught the spirals.









The train from the front side. The pushing helper engine is at the end, exactly in front of the castle ruin.



















Here the front of the train (pulling engines Re 10) and the end (pushing helper engine Re 6/6) are positioned exactly next to each other. 







































*And here you can see it in motion: Video of the long freight train with pushing helper engine*


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That just looks like a really fun layout!


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

Excellent workmanship. The layout is amassing.


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## KAL5 (Sep 4, 2011)

WoW Very nice layout


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Fun stuff!

What are the blue-capped bottles in the 5th pic doing? Looks to me like they're filled with sand, perhaps tensioning a string that pulls something???

TJ


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

tjcruiser said:


> What are the blue-capped bottles in the 5th pic doing? Looks to me like they're filled with sand, perhaps tensioning a string that pulls something???


May I refer you to here for the answer to this question? What are the sand filled plastic bottles for?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The attention to detail just boggles my mind.


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## outlaw bill (Apr 3, 2013)

Wow!!! Just fantastic. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Robert,

Re: plastic bottles ... Thank you! Simple but very clever!!!

TJ


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

Thanks to all of you for your compliments and your constructive words!


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

*Emergency Stop*

On which layout is this not a subject?

Even on our ChRB (Christoph-Röbi-Railroad) it occasionally happens, that trains run off the rails or even crash into each other. An immediate emergency stop can help to cut one's losses. 

We have programmed our control system to use the blank (or space) key on the keyboard to commit an immediate emergency stop. But who of us is sitting permanently in front of the computer?

Our first approach to solve this problem was the use of a clap switch. A clap with the hands was to commit an emergency stop. The clap switch in itself worked, but it had a delay of one second. One second does not seem to be a lot, but trains running with 50 mph cover a distance of 10 inches in one second. We were willing to accept this delay, but within the sound of several running trains, the clap switch failed completely to function. Unusable!

Our current solution was a little more expensive, but is fast an reliable: Emergency Stop on the Christoph-Röbi-Railroad


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## outlaw bill (Apr 3, 2013)

Excellent idea! I am assuming you have these switches throughout your whole layout? What type switches are they? :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Just curious, but isn't there some delay until you reach one of those switches? I'd consider linking a small radio fob to the power system to stop it at the press of a button on a controller you have clipped to your belt, instant access.


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

outlaw bill said:


> Excellent idea! I am assuming you have these switches throughout your whole layout? What type switches are they? :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


Yes, we have 16 switches distrubuted over the layout. These are the same type of switches we have at the entrance of our houses to sound the door bell.


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Just curious, but isn't there some delay until you reach one of those switches? I'd consider linking a small radio fob to the power system to stop it at the press of a button on a controller you have clipped to your belt, instant access.


Since from any position in the room it is no farther than one yard to the next switch, the delay is minimal (the major delay happens in the brain, when the decision is made, whether or not to stop). We don't want to stop the power system for two reasons:
1. The way we are doing it, we can do a controlled stop with a deceleration of 186 mph/s. The stop on cutting the power system causes some engines to stop so violently, that cars can be pushed out of the rails.
2. We want to be able to resume from an emergency stop in an easy and smoth way. That's why we control both, the stop and the resume, by means of software (triggered by our buttons).


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I was kinda' thinking of being on a ladder or similar, but as long as it works for you, that's all that counts. 

Obviously, the remote button would be able to emulate the operation of the existing buttons, so I don't see that as an issue.


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Obviously, the remote button would be able to emulate the operation of the existing buttons, so I don't see that as an issue.


You are right. But, knowing us, we would have the remote button with us for 100 times and the 101st time, when there is a crash, the remote button would be lying on the desk


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, you'd have the crash if you didn't have the remote button as well!


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Well, you'd have the crash if you didn't have the remote button as well!


Of course, you are right. Normally after a crash there is not much, an emergency stop can help. There are exceptions though: For example our long freight train with the pushing helper engine at its end could have a crash at the front and the pushing engine at the end could still be pushing mountains of debris in front of it for seconds after the crash . That's when the emergency stop succeeds.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Crash or no crash, it's a mighty impressive layout! :thumbsup:


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

*Rolling Country Road*

I don't know, if the term "Rolling Country Road" can be used in Englisch. It's a one-by-one translation from the German term "Rollende Landstrasse".

In Continental Europe under certain conditions (most often to cross the alps), complete (loaded) trucks are driven onto special trains with low side cars. The truck drivers accompany the train in the passenger car behind the locomotive. The truck drivers don't like this kind of transportation at all. They prefer to drive themselves over the alps. But regulations force them to go by train.

Lately we puchased such a train with some trucks in H0 scale for our layout. Here it is (and almost in realistic length): Rolling Country Road


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## Carl (Feb 19, 2012)

This is unbelievable.......what a great masterpiece.


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## wingnut163 (Jan 3, 2013)

very nice.
the lay out is still amazing.
that is an interesting regulation, can see why they dont like it.. i bet there cost is high.

by the way, with a quick look it looks like the blue truck is trying to catch up to the train.


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

Here is a question I have wondered about. How much maintenance do the overhead power lines require? How do you access inside the tunnels if one of the wires comes loose?


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

eljefe said:


> Here is a question I have wondered about. How much maintenance do the overhead power lines require? How do you access inside the tunnels if one of the wires comes loose?


Normally there is no maintenance at all required to the catenary. If they are heavily touched or bent, they may need a little adjustment. Inside the tunnels we can normally access them from inside the mountains, but there are a few "difficult positions", where we hope, that nothing goes wrong. In the worst case we have to remove certain parts of the landscape, then do the repair and rebuild.


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

Thanks for the answer. Setting up all those lines must have taken a lot of effort!


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

As already said, there are no words to adequately say how stunning your layout is. My partner would say you have that vision thing. Congratulations on bringing to life a work of art.

Dan


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

Thank you, once more, to all of you for the praising words.


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

*Some off track views --- part 2*


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Fun details throughout!

What's on the roof of that German-looking cottage?

Have you ever thought about painting a scenery diorama on the cement walls, continuing some of the scenes / roads off into some hilly horizon? Do you know any artistic helpers?!?

TJ


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

tjcruiser said:


> What's on the roof of that German-looking cottage?
> TJ


If you mean the restaurant with the rocks on it: Yes, they are rocks to weight the roof down, to protect it from being blown away by a storm.



tjcruiser said:


> Have you ever thought about painting a scenery diorama on the cement walls, continuing some of the scenes / roads off into some hilly horizon?
> TJ


Yes, but we are explicitly forbidden to paint the walls (rental contract). Even if we were not, we woult not consider painting the walls before the landscape is complete (which might be in three years from now). Once it is that far, we might contact the owner of the room to negotiate about painting the walls.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You could probably hang or prop up some backboards that would have the scenery on them and accomplish the same thing without actually painting the walls.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Ditto to the hung backdrops.

(Three or four years down the road!)


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

sturzi said:


> If you mean the restaurant with the rocks on it: Yes, they are rocks to weight the roof down, to protect it from being blown away by a storm.


 Is this common European construction practice?


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## sturzi (Apr 4, 2013)

eljefe said:


> Is this common European construction practice?


It used to be some time ago, but not any more.


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