“Rock’n rail” lures train buffs to Lucerne
Lucerne's transport museum has become the light at the end of the railway tunnel for train buffs craving to learn about the biggest railway construction boom in Switzerland since the 19th century.
The Swiss Transport and Communication Museum has opened a new permanent exhibition, titled “Rock’n rail – Hightech Railways for the Future”.
The interactive exhibition, aimed at families, focuses on the new trans-alpine tunnels now under construction, and on Switzerland’s efforts to join the European high-speed rail network.
Computer simulators allow museumgoers to “control” traffic on the tracks and learn about efforts to reduce noise pollution caused by trains. A tunnel cross-section reveals the scale of the mammoth trans-alpine projects.
Objects not normally on display at the museum include a double-decker carriage in a state of assembly and dozens of models of low-cost vehicles.
Between October 6 and 14, about 50 exhibitors will take part in a model railways exchange. Accompanying the event, a select group of model railway builders will present their collection of model trains going back to the first prototypes made from tin cans 40 years ago.
The museum also showcases the history of road, air and lake transport in Switzerland, and the development of cable cars that opened the Alps to mass tourism.
A helium-filled balloon anchored to the site gives visitors a bird’s eye view of Lucerne and its picturesque lake setting.
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