The Broc Branch in Om scale - an ambitious project that stalled for a decade but is now reawakening

[Mol_PMB]

 

This thread describes a big project I started about 15 years ago, it was probably too ambitious, and I have never finished it. 

After some discussions on the thread...

... I have been persuaded to provide some more information on the layout, hence starting this thread.

 

The layout still exists in a part-completed form, perhaps 80% of the baseboards are built, and one small area around Les Marches has most of the scenery and the track, points and overhead are installed and probably still working. I still have the rolling stock I built or bought for it. So one day I may go back and finish it. I think I need to finish some other projects and reduce the number of other commitments in my life before that becomes a reality.

 

 

In this thread I intend to give some information on the history of the prototype branch line, which existed for over 100 years in its metre-gauge form but has now been converted to standard gauge. Here's a photo I took during the centenary celebrations:

In its original form the Broc Branch was a short, metre-gauge branch serving a chocolate factory, with an hourly passenger service, some of which were mixed trains hauling standard-gauge wagons on transporters. There were also trains running through from another neighbouring narrow gauge system. Wonderful variety and a great prototype for a model! Here's a typical mixed train in 2012:

 

I'll also describe the layout plans and show some of the completed sections. Here's my scratchbuilt model of the older railcar in the first photo above:

 

Perhaps writing this thread will eventually encourage me to go back to this project and finish it off?

In the meantime I have plenty to do on my models of a prototype closer to home - the Manchester Ship Canal Railways - also in 7mm scale but standard gauge.

 

I'll add to this thread from time to time with details of the prototype branch, the layout and rolling stock.

 

Cheers,

Mol

Edited March 14 by Mol_PMB
revised title

[ruggedpeak]

Excellent new Mol, looking forward to this 😀

 

 

[PaulRhB]

Nice model and yes please to more :) 

[Mol_PMB]

Before we go too far, I’d like to clarify the name of the branch and how it should be pronounced. My OCD won’t cope with imagining readers saying ‘Brock’ every time I write it!

Broc is in the French-speaking part of Switzerland so the last letter isn’t pronounced. Think of a rapper referring to his brother - it’s Bro’ . 

The French word Broc means jug, commonly a milk jug. This region is primarily a dairy-farming region and in addition to the chocolate factory at Broc-Fabrique, it’s only a couple of kilometres from the famous cheese dairy at Gruyères. The old town of Gruyères is actually visible on the hilltop above the photo of the mixed train in my first post. 

So, the Bro’ branch, serving Bro’-Village and Bro’-Fabrique. No Badgers! 😂

Edited January 30 by Mol_PMB
corrected spelling of Gruyères

[Mol_PMB]

The good news is that I've found the hard drive with my files about the Broc branch. So I don't have to re-invent too much of the detail, but can copy it here. So here's my history and geography of the Broc Branch, written in 2012. So the references to the present day in the text below refer to 2012. Obviously it doesn't cover the past 12 years including the regauging - in my model world I'll just pretend that never happened!

 

Bulle to Broc Fabrique: The Swiss Chocolate Factory Branch

Switzerland has a world-renowned network of railways; most of the standard-gauge intercity network is operated by the national operator SBB, but there are also many metre-gauge secondary routes run by private companies.

From the shores of Lake Geneva in Western Switzerland, a significant network of metre-gauge lines climbs into the high country and the mountains. Originally built by six different companies in the period 1887 to 1912, all lines were electrified from new using low-voltage dc overhead. The character of the lines varied from urban street tramway (VMCV) to main-line railway (MOB). Most of the lines were steeply graded (the MOB has a ruling gradient of 1:14) but only the Blonay to Les Pleiades section was fitted with rack. The map below illustrates the network; closed lines are shown dotted.

The use of common technical standards meant that from the beginning, inter-running of trains onto neighbouring lines was common and this is still the case today. Since the 1950s, mergers and closures have resulted in a 136km network run by two companies: ‘GoldenPass Line’ and ‘Transports Publics Fribourgeois’. The TPF is primarily used by locals including school-children, while the GoldenPass Line also focuses on tourist traffic. A preservation group operates vintage steam and electric trains on the Blonay-Chamby section and occasionally elsewhere on the network.

The 5km branch from Bulle to Broc was the last addition to the metre-gauge network in 1912. It was built primarily to serve the Cailler chocolate factory at Broc-Fabrique, but also provided a service to several villages en route. The branch runs roadside for much of its length, but features a substantial viaduct over the river Sarine approaching Broc-Village. Being in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, Broc is pronounced Bro’; the word means milk jug which is symbolic of the dairy farming in the Gruyère region. Bulle is a significant market town and railway interchange.

Throughout the history of the branch, the service has been operated with electric railcars, hauling coaches in the peak hours or freight off-peak. Special trains have always operated through from the MOB / Goldenpass line; the luxury ‘Chocolate Train’ now runs several days a week. In 1960, transporter wagons (‘rollwagen’) were introduced on the branch so that standard-gauge wagons could work through to Broc, avoiding trans-shipment of goods at Bulle. In the late 1980s, the branch was modernised with new overhead lines, realignment of certain curves and a new stronger viaduct to accommodate heavier standard-gauge wagons carried on transporter bogies (‘rollbocken’).

The model includes most of the distinctive features of the short branch, and is set in the early 1980s before the modernisation programme. The photos below give a feel for the line and the rolling stock also seen on the model. The real thing is definitely worth a visit; it still has varied and interesting passenger and freight operations with both modern and historic motive power.

 

Long freight with rollwagen at Bulle, 1970s

 

Line-up at Bulle, early 1980s

 

Container wagon on rollwagen at Bulle, 1980s

 

Loco-hauled mixed with rollwagen at Bulle, 1980s

Mixed train near La Tour, 1960s

 

Passenger and mail train near Epagny, 1970s

 

Empty timber train approaching Les Marches, 1970s

 

Passenger train on the old viaduct, early 1980s

 

Passenger train near Broc-Village, late 1980s

 

Steeplecab shunter at Broc-Fabrique, 1970s

 

Mixed train with rollwagen at Broc-Fabrique, 1970s

 

Bogie van on two rollwagen at Broc-Fabrique, 1980s

 

Early days using rollbocken near Epagny, late 1980s

 

‘Chocolate Train’ near Epagny, mid 1990s

 

Mixed train on rollbocken near Epagny, 2012

Edited January 31 by Mol_PMB

[Mol_PMB]

Here's an extract from the Swisstopo map showing the entire branch from the main junction station at Bulle to the terminus at Broc-Fabrique:

Edited January 30 by Mol_PMB

[PaulRhB]

Ah I recognise the silver and orange livery! Thanks for the prototype pics. 

[Mol_PMB]

3 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

Ah I recognise the silver and orange livery! Thanks for the prototype pics. 

Yes, that's the livery I remember from my earlier visits, and a few vehicles kept it until fairly recently.

I remember in my childhood having a Bemo catalogue illustrating lots of HOm things I could never hope to afford at that time, including one of the GFM locos in orange/silver livery. Later on I discovered that the Om scale versions were even more expensive!

 

The early GFM livery was green, initially quite a bright colour but it was dark green by the 1930s and some older stock was still in dark green into the 2000s.

A fleet of new railcars delivered in the 1940s carried a very attractive two-tone green livery with gold trim. The survivor, now preserved, has been restored to this scheme.

The silver and orange livery appeared in the 1970s.

GFM became part of tpf in 2000 and the white livery with red spots was introduced, and is still in use.

 

Being connected to the MOB and CEV and technically compatible, there have always been occasional through trains and rolling stock borrowed back and forth to meet peaks in demand on each line.

 

[ruggedpeak]

Just for info the Chocolat Express is still operating from Bern to Broc should anyone want to visit!

 

https://www.chocolatexpress.ch/en/

 

https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/ideas/offer.html/tagesausflug/maison-cailler-la-chocolaterie-suisse

[Mol_PMB]

12 minutes ago, ruggedpeak said:

Just for info the Chocolat Express is still operating from Bern to Broc should anyone want to visit!

 

https://www.chocolatexpress.ch/en/

 

https://www.sbb.ch/en/leisure-holidays/ideas/offer.html/tagesausflug/maison-cailler-la-chocolaterie-suisse

 

When the Broc branch was still metre gauge, the Train du Chocolat used to be Montreux to Broc, over the MOB and GFM/tpf. It also called at Gruyères for a cheese factory and old town. The chocolate train included the MOB's two original luxury saloons, which are beautiful inside, and seen here passing Gruyères:

Four more of these Pullmans were built for the MOB in the 1930s just as the depression struck. They were later sold to the RhB where they are used for the 'Glacier Express Classic'.

In the 2000s the MOB built 4 modernised replicas which operate the 'GoldenPass Classic'.

Edited January 30 by Mol_PMB
corrected spelling of Gruyères

[ruggedpeak]

8 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

 

When the Broc branch was still metre gauge, the Train du Chocolat used to be Montreux to Broc, over the MOB and GFM/tpf. It also called at Gruyères for a cheese factory and old town. The chocolate train included the MOB's two original luxury saloons, which are beautiful inside, and seen here passing Gruyères:

Four more of these Pullmans were built for the MOB in the 1930s just as the depression struck. They were later sold to the RhB where they are used for the 'Glacier Express Classic'.

In the 2000s the MOB built 4 modernised replicas which operate the 'GoldenPass Classic'.

That looks rather nicer than the current redecorated RBDe 560!

 

And inside Maison Cailler they have a model of it going around their layout 😊

 

Edited January 30 by ruggedpeak
added photo

[Mol_PMB]

Luxury trains running through from Montreux to Broc-Fabrique are not a new idea!

Here a CEG (later GFM then tpf) railcar has 4 MOB first-class saloons in tow with a special at the chocolate factory, some time in the 1930s.

The railcar is BCe4/4 421 of 1922 (later renumbered 121 and later again 116)

The leading coach next to the railcar is one of AB4 103-106, built in 1931 and sold to the RhB in 1939. The second coach is A4 102, which stayed on the MOB and is also seen in my more recent chocolate train photo a couple of posts up-thread. Next appears to be A4 85, built in 1924; I can't precisely identify the nearest partly-visible coach.

 

Just to show that it goes both ways, here's the same railcar with a tpf special train on the MOB at Chateau d'Oex in 2011:

 

[PaulRhB]

1 hour ago, Mol_PMB said:

Later on I discovered that the Om scale versions were even more expensive!

Funny that, I found the same with the RhB Om! 😆

[Gordonwis]

4 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

 

When the Broc branch was still metre gauge, the Train du Chocolat used to be Montreux to Broc, over the MOB and GFM/tpf. It also called at Gruyères for a cheese factory and old town. The chocolate train included the MOB's two original luxury saloons, which are beautiful inside, and seen here passing Gruyères:

 

In the 2000s the MOB built 4 modernised replicas which operate the 'GoldenPass Classic'.

 

A couple of minor points:

 

1) the Train du Chocolat (metre gauge version) was latterly part bus - with only the direct MOB bit being by train (cheaper than maintaining a complex agreement between MOB and TPF I suppose)

2) The MOB service with the old (original and replica) 'pullman' type cars has been called the Golden Pass Belle Epoque for some years now.

 

 

. 

[Gordonwis]

4 hours ago, ruggedpeak said:

Just for info the Chocolat Express is still operating from Bern to Broc should anyone want to visit!

 

 

 

Being my usual pedantic self, the above phrase is more correctly: 'A new version of 'Chocolate train' (the Chocolate Express) is now running Bern - Broc [made possible by regauging allowing a direct standard service throughout]

 

 

[Mol_PMB]

6 hours ago, Gordonwis said:

A couple of minor points:

1) the Train du Chocolat (metre gauge version) was latterly part bus - with only the direct MOB bit being by train (cheaper than maintaining a complex agreement between MOB and TPF I suppose)

2) The MOB service with the old (original and replica) 'pullman' type cars has been called the Golden Pass Belle Epoque for some years now.

 

Many thanks for the update, Gordon. I haven't been to Switzerland for more than a decade and as noted above most of my knowledge is therefore a decade old.

It would be interesting to know when the operation you describe was introduced, and how far the train ran (was it just Montbovon?)

 

The Train du Chocolat was still running through to Broc in 2013, as seen here on the branch (my photo):

By this time, one of the older panoramic driving trailers had been allocated to the train, so that the reversals at Montbovon and Bulle did not require shunting.

The last time I travelled on it (around this time) there was a bus element to take passengers from the station/cheese factory at Gruyères up the hill to the old town at Gruyères. After some time there, the bus took passengers direct to Broc-Fabrique. In the meantime the train went empty to Broc-Fabrique and the return was entirely by train.

 

 

Recent photos of the purely-MOB 'Golden Pass Belle Epoque' and its predecessor the 'GoldenPass Classic' show only the four replica pullmans in use. Do the original two still operate?

 

Cheers,

Mol

 

 

[Mol_PMB]

I haven't yet found the final version of the trackplan (I'll keep looking) but this gives an idea of it.

The layout is built in an old brick-built double-length garage which I insulated, lined and fitted lighting and electrics. The squares on the plan are 300mm in size 

Timber L-girder construction is used, and most parts of the layout have multiple levels.

Bulle (cyan) is at the lowest scenic level, climbing round the room through Epagny (green) and Les Marches to cross the Sarine viaduct (red) into Broc-Village at the highest level. The line then drops again into Broc-Fabrique which is directly above Bulle. This doesn't show the fiddle yard which is at a low level in the upper right corner of the plan, connected to Bulle and representing the line to Montbovon and the MOB.

 

[Mol_PMB]

These old photos show the method of construction of the baseboards.

Along the length of the building I constructed timber L-girders (two 3"x1" connected in an L) supported by 3"x2" legs fixed to the floor with angle brackets. At the rear the girders are also attached through the plasterboard to the battens screwed to the brick walls (there is insulation between them and the plasterboard).

 

You can see here the Les Marches station area on the right and the Sarine viaduct abutments in the middle. Three levels of trackbed are visible on the left: Broc-Village at the top, Epagny in the middle, and the fiddle yard representing Montbovon and the MOB at the bottom.

Then along the layout at approximately 1' intervals there are cross-sections cut from ply with 1"x1" reinforcing strips. These then support plywood trackbed and roadbed. In areas where the scenery isn't track or road, chickenwire and plaster-soaked newspaper strips are used to provide the ground surface. This is a view of Les Marches and the approach to the Sarine viaduct:

The front fascia is then made of flexible ply shaped to suit. The shape is mirrored on the ceiling with the intention that a strip of ply conceals the strip lights that illuminate the layout.

 

Edited January 31 by Mol_PMB
right words in order wrong

[Mol_PMB]

These photos show the surfacing of the landscape.

I made a dry mix of plaster powder, and brown and black powder paint. In batches I mixed this up into a slurry and dipped strips of newspaper in it, overlaid on a chickenwire former. After several layers, this provided a fairly stiff and robust surface, and the chickenwire underneath gave a good earth for the static grass machine to connect to.

[Mol_PMB]

Experimenting with Swiss springtime grassland, using long static grass and various coloured foam products for flowers...

This is the springtime flower meadow effect I was looking for, seen here on the MOB nearby. Close-up it's extremely colourful but less obvious in the distance, so difficult to judge the best approach for a model.

(back when the MOB had interesting trains, even the units had character!)

[Mol_PMB]

I decided on springtime for the model as it's a beautiful season in Switzerland, though I did consider a snowbound winter option. I seem to have spent a lot of time shivering my ar5e off by the lineside on the MOB and tpf lines...

 

 

 

 

 

[Mol_PMB]

Spiking rails down to wooden sleepers, then adding some vegetation on top.

This is the log siding at Les Marches halt.

 

At this time I hadn't built the bogie flat wagon for carrying logs; we'll come to that later. But here's the 1980s regular Broc branch railcar 111 with a couple of empty log wagons; thanks to Tram Club Basel for this image. Flowers in the meadows again!

[Mol_PMB]

As an aside, the balloon festival at Chateau d’Oex is well worth a visit. It happens in late January each year and for the railway photographer it offers some very unusual and interesting views with MOB trains. I particularly liked the giant inflatable cockerel 😂

[MOB 2002]

On 31/01/2024 at 07:04, Mol_PMB said:

Recent photos of the purely-MOB 'Golden Pass Belle Epoque' and its predecessor the 'GoldenPass Classic' show only the four replica pullmans in use. Do the original two still operate?

 

Only the ‘replicas’ are in traffic now, and even then sandwiched in the middle of a multiple unit. I seem to recall that the original cars (101 and 102 I believe) were never converted to feature the couplings now in use with the Stadler motor cars?

 

I’m not quite sure what became of 101 and 102, I’m sure there was some reference to them being sold by the MOB, but if that has happened I’ve missed it. The MOB seems to blow hot and cold on its heritage. 

 

A couple of years ago I ended up travelling in one of the replicas from Montbovon to Montreux. A couple opposite were raving about the historic features. My other half innocently asked me how old the carriage was and the couple opposite looked quite cheated when they overheard as I told her it was less than 20 years old and it was all essentially fake. The replicas clearly do convince most people though.

 

Mark

[Mol_PMB]

I probably have too much rolling stock for the model 'Chocolate Train' although it gives me some options of different formations. And of course nothing's quite 'finished'...

 

My initial plan was based on the Alpinline RhB dining cars like this one:

I have two of these, and with new sides and some additional detailing they could represent 101 and 102. 101 would be the easier one as it has conventional windows. This conversion project was never started.

 

Then I discovered these. They represent two of the original 1930s MOB Pullmans which were later sold to the RhB, but did visit Broc in the 1930s. Old, limited edition hand-made brass models by Fulgurex, I acquired them individually second-hand from different sources. Expensive but irresistable, but with the dilemma of whether to modify couplings etc to be compatible with my other stock, or to leave in original collectable condition:

 

The chocolate train also needs a panoramic car, and for my 1980s era that should be an early type. Alpinline made a 'Glacier Express' panoramic car in FO / BVZ livery, and I have 4 of these - 3 plastic and one of the premium metal ones. The MOB had two identical to these and others broadly similar, but really they're all too new for my 1980s period and they never carried the original dark blue panoramic livery. I repainted one of the Alpinline coaches in what was then the current MOB GoldenPass livery, though I never did the decals:

 

Then I stumbled across another brass model that is far more appropriate for the 1980s era, again a Fulgurex product:

 

So plenty of options for the rolling stock there!