For months now I have been contemplating a station, or at least a halt, on the opposite side of the layout where I have a large open space between the Rhätische Bahn main line and the back tracks that no one is really supposed to see. Everyone can though because the elevation is not really low enough to hide the return trains on the back tracks because the scenery doesn't extend back far enough.
I had originally planned just a small halt, really nothing more than a shelter to pick up waiting passengers. There are many of these halts on the RhB for villages that just aren't big enough to rate a station but still need train transportation to get around the area.
This will be my first attempt at modeling a station area that actually exists but there are already compromises. My main line is already laid, so the far right of the station entrance will be modified with a right hand turnout instead of aa left hand turnout to enter the station from Litzirüti as can be seen on the station track plan. BTW, Litzirüti is the next actual stop on the line and I got lucky with track planning in that the tracks turn south out of the station area to get to Litzirüti.
Both of these staation are on what is called the Arosa Line which starts at Chur (pronounced Coor, like the beer) and Arosa. The line is 16 miles long and climbs almost 4,000' in that 16 miles.
![]()
The first order of business was to create a pattern of the wood I would need to cut to fill in this empty area for which to build upon. I taped several sheets of 120 pound printer paper together and taped the whole thing to the side of the tracks. I crawled under and traced the outline of the area I needed and for the cut lines. One of the cuts on the far right was critical because a small slab of 1/2" plywood was holding a catenary mast that was not going to be removed, so I had to cut this piece around that little block of wood.
![]()
After the pattern was taped to the laminated fiberboard I am using, I cut out the filler panel and test fitted the piece in the opening. I would like to have cut it deeper, not only for more space in the station area, but to cover the return leg of the RhB track that can be partially seen. The elevation was not low enough to go over the track however, and ended up cutting it along the contour of the return track sub-roadbed.
Next was cutting the supports to attach to the table joists to support the addition. I carefully measured the length needed using the bottom of the joist as a reference. I measured up, to 1/4" thickness of the 1/2" plywood sub-roadbed on the main line, as the laminated fiberboard I'm using is 1/4" thick and this joint needed to be flush. There was some very slight adjustments made to the height placement of the supports while feeling for a flush joint with my fingers from below the table. I got it spot-on at the correct height for all four supports.
![]()
I then laid the new addition onto the supports and checked for fit and flush at the joint area then made lunch.
![]()
Here the block of wood supporting a catenary mast can be seen with the cut that had to be made to go around it without disturbing the catenary.
![]()
Next will be attaching the filler panel when I'm satisfied with the fit.
Track and roadbed will likely be glued down due to the nature of the sub-roadbed in this case. I can't be banging nails into this stuff without it cracking.
Track will be either BEMO or Tillig along with the required turnouts.
I am sorry to say this will no longer be a dual-gauge line and will now be only HOm. Dual-gauge turnouts are available, however, when I installed the third rail between the HO track, it is on the wrong side for the way the commercial turnouts are configured. There is also a chang-over track available that will change the side that the rail is on, but I don'T have the physical rooom to install these tracks before the station entrance...so HOm it will be from now on.
Frankly, I haven't ran an HO locomotive on these tracks in months so I'm not really missing anything and there is no dual gauge this far into the mountains. They'd never make it. A standard gauge locomotive wouldn't be able to climb these grades.
If you've read this far, I'm glad I'm not the only one interested in narrow gauge Swiss.
![]()
![]()
![]()
I had originally planned just a small halt, really nothing more than a shelter to pick up waiting passengers. There are many of these halts on the RhB for villages that just aren't big enough to rate a station but still need train transportation to get around the area.
This will be my first attempt at modeling a station area that actually exists but there are already compromises. My main line is already laid, so the far right of the station entrance will be modified with a right hand turnout instead of aa left hand turnout to enter the station from Litzirüti as can be seen on the station track plan. BTW, Litzirüti is the next actual stop on the line and I got lucky with track planning in that the tracks turn south out of the station area to get to Litzirüti.
Both of these staation are on what is called the Arosa Line which starts at Chur (pronounced Coor, like the beer) and Arosa. The line is 16 miles long and climbs almost 4,000' in that 16 miles.
The first order of business was to create a pattern of the wood I would need to cut to fill in this empty area for which to build upon. I taped several sheets of 120 pound printer paper together and taped the whole thing to the side of the tracks. I crawled under and traced the outline of the area I needed and for the cut lines. One of the cuts on the far right was critical because a small slab of 1/2" plywood was holding a catenary mast that was not going to be removed, so I had to cut this piece around that little block of wood.
After the pattern was taped to the laminated fiberboard I am using, I cut out the filler panel and test fitted the piece in the opening. I would like to have cut it deeper, not only for more space in the station area, but to cover the return leg of the RhB track that can be partially seen. The elevation was not low enough to go over the track however, and ended up cutting it along the contour of the return track sub-roadbed.
Next was cutting the supports to attach to the table joists to support the addition. I carefully measured the length needed using the bottom of the joist as a reference. I measured up, to 1/4" thickness of the 1/2" plywood sub-roadbed on the main line, as the laminated fiberboard I'm using is 1/4" thick and this joint needed to be flush. There was some very slight adjustments made to the height placement of the supports while feeling for a flush joint with my fingers from below the table. I got it spot-on at the correct height for all four supports.
I then laid the new addition onto the supports and checked for fit and flush at the joint area then made lunch.
Here the block of wood supporting a catenary mast can be seen with the cut that had to be made to go around it without disturbing the catenary.
Next will be attaching the filler panel when I'm satisfied with the fit.
Track and roadbed will likely be glued down due to the nature of the sub-roadbed in this case. I can't be banging nails into this stuff without it cracking.
Track will be either BEMO or Tillig along with the required turnouts.
I am sorry to say this will no longer be a dual-gauge line and will now be only HOm. Dual-gauge turnouts are available, however, when I installed the third rail between the HO track, it is on the wrong side for the way the commercial turnouts are configured. There is also a chang-over track available that will change the side that the rail is on, but I don'T have the physical rooom to install these tracks before the station entrance...so HOm it will be from now on.
Frankly, I haven't ran an HO locomotive on these tracks in months so I'm not really missing anything and there is no dual gauge this far into the mountains. They'd never make it. A standard gauge locomotive wouldn't be able to climb these grades.
If you've read this far, I'm glad I'm not the only one interested in narrow gauge Swiss.
I assume you will expand the cat to include the station at some point in time. You have a very impressive layout. I just looks like its fun to run trains on!
