If you are a specialist Swiss modeler in Z chances are building structures have been difficult to find off the shelf. Or perhaps you are already building scratch-built structures. This post focuses on two rare off the shelf structures, but they could also be successfully built with balsa wood from your local hobby store.
Two very interesting alpine structures are a covered bridge and guardhouse used on the RhB railway (Rhaetian Railway). The covered bridge was offered fully built by FiDES of Switzerland, it featured balsa wood construction with printed (not etched) shake tile roof.
I wasn’t able to find any current information for this company, this one being the only example I have found. I cannot verify when the bridge was produced or whether it was marketed outside Switzerland, I found this one on Ebay.
In addition to being fully assembled the bridge was further glued in place within the cardboard carton thus I was not able to do a great job photographing it for the blog post. By my count the bridge incorporates over 100 individual parts each measured, cut and assembled: lot’s of work.
A similar bridge could be scratch-built using balsa wood and leftover parts from other kits for the roof. Good scenery construction could include this bridge known to Alpine hikers in multiples along a path and over water or even rock falls. Steep inclined features would also include granite outcroppings, pine trees, snow or random length grasses with pretty flowers. Bridge used in a town setting would also feature flower boxes because hey this is Switzerland.
Another good Swiss alpine structure is an older FR building kit for guardhouse on the RhB railway.
Very infrequently FR produces metal and wood structures that bespeak the precision and historical accuracy presented by FR in each one their releases. This building kit includes numerous dimensional strands of balsa wood as well as etched balsa and nickel parts including window frames.
Instructions are in German with excellent photo illustrations, using illustrations only I was able to deduce the order and correct assembly of all parts. Metal gutters and downspouts I will add in the future along with finish work, but at this point it looks pretty good, and I am happy with the results.
Although a very small building it required hours of assembly including measuring and cutting window glazing plus measuring and gluing all other parts.
A good solid building that features already painted metal shutters, doors and window frames. Roofing material had to be measured then cut, it was printed on textured paper to give the look of three dimensional terracotta tile, even the color is very good.
I probably won’t add aging to this structure as I associate Switzerland without air pollution, but perhaps even darkening is a correct patina? Chimney will get dressed up with a piece of flagstone during finishing touches as well as stucco application to sides with white paint. Footing for vertical support beam will also be painted concrete. And one cannot forget flower boxes hey this is Switzerland!
The prototype probably included a signal and short siding for passing trains, but as of this writing I have not found a picture of the prototype. For the layout this building could be connected to the hiking path previously suggested with the bridge, it too could have been a way station for hikers boarding a train, but this is a far off structure in the mountains inaccessible to auto traffic.
Siding: outstanding glue with easy applicator is Noch Laser-Cut Adhesive #61104 available from zscalehobo.com, I highly recommend this glue for laser-cut card stock, balsa wood, and metal or any combination thereof.
