A recent request to design a Swiss prototype layout did awaken some fond memories of a short stay in the Swiss area of Bergell. The valley is in the southern part of Switzerland close to the border with Italy and is amazingly beautiful but also very quiet. 
Our Vicosoprano is a two level layout with the lower level located in the Maira valley at the junction with the river Albigna. The upper level sees the railway climb the mountains towards St. Moritz with the obvious necessity to cross the terrain by viaducts and tunnels to gain height. The upper level is a simple loop with hidden sidings to allow semi automatic operation, leaving the operator free to have a chat without breakdown of all operations.
When working in Z-gauge many opportunities arise to try out new things and this layout is no exception. The target weight for the layout was set at 15 to 20 pounds in weight but still provide rigidity and longevity for exhibition display. By constructing the layout in one piece many issues could be resolved such as baseboard and track joints and the setting up time.
The main frame of the layout is built of 50 mm polystyrene board which is externally finished in birch faced 4mm plywood panels all glued to the polystyrene to form a composite board of some considerable rigidity. The initial module looks like a box with reinforced joints in the corners and the rear of the layout is completely open for access. The lower track level is 250 mm above the ground with a 4mm plywood base for the track bed, which prevents the hidden sidings area from sagging and is part of the structural box.
The upper track level is another 100 mm higher and sits again on a 4 mm plywood base over some more polystyrene. At the rear the polystyrene has been stopped short to allow a clear zone for the hidden sidings without any interruptions due to supports and a full 140 mm in height available to access the stock.
The trackwork for the layout is Marklin Z-gauge set track. The points, catenary and signals are all by this manufacturer. The lower level sidings are split in length to store up to 4 trains.
The gorge in the foreground is the River Maira with a steady fall to the left making the area ideal for canoeists in late spring. The many scenic details in the foreground help to appreciate the scale of the layout.
We hope the layout will bring some smiles to people's faces and help them to appreciate how compact a Z-gauge layout can be made without braking the bank. We have also applied the use of some very cheap baseboard material to experiment with new ideas.