Following the activity schedule, Gera, beautiful historical city in State of Thuringia, Germany, hosted the annual exhibition of railway models and a meeting of the FISAIC Technical Commission for Railway Heritage and Model Railways from 4 to 6 April 2025.
In a symbolic linking of both railway heritage and models, the event took place in the old railway depot of Geraer Eisenbahnwelten, bringing together railway employees from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, and Spain.
A group of FISAIC historians and modellers organised an international exhibition of an interoperable junior modular railway network in scales H0, TT and N. The exhibition took place with the support of the International Federation for Railway Culture and Leisure (FISAIC). Moreover, the ceremonial opening was attended by the Mayor of Gera and the representatives of the BSW & EWH family of foundations (Stiftungsfamilie BSW & EWH).
The modellers presented (to hundreds of visitors within 2 days), the 1:87 scale (H0) interoperable network, consisting of 38 single-track junior modules with a total length of almost 26 m. In addition, a network of 29 TT-scale modules and network of 9 N-scale modules were presented. As the modules were interoperable, the model trains of various European railway operators were able to travel across Europe through a varied model landscape.
The junior module was invented and introduced by the French Artistic And Intellectual Union Of French Railway Workers (UAICF) 21 years ago to initiate young people into the world of train modelling. These FISAIC activities initially began with the German Social Work Foundation (BSW), Czech Railways (ČD), and UAICF and have gradually expanded over time, with other countries such as Hungary, Latvia, and Spain having joined with their own modules. The junior modules show FISAIC’s full support of and work with young people and their engagement in railway communities, it has already been commonly used for 16 years to enhance cooperation.
The Technical Commission for Railway Models and Railway Heritage, chaired by Roman Štěrba (Czech National Railway Infrastructure Manager (SŽCZ)), took place on 6 April with representatives from DB/BSW, Hungarian State Railways (MAV), UAICF, and the Railway Museum of Catalonia in attendance.
A highlight of the event was a visit to the Thuringia Mountain Railway, featuring the Oberweißbach funicular railway and historic electric railcars operating between Lichtenhain and Cursdorf. More details can be found at https://thueringerbergbahn.com/.
Additionally, Stiftungsfamilie BSW & EWH organised a sightseeing tour of Gera on a historical KT4D series tram, manufactured by ČKD Tatra Prague in 1983, along with a delightful trip on the park railway.
hosts of the exhibition and the participating national associations.
FISAIC is an international federation for railway art and culture. It signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UIC on 1 December 2016. FISAIC aims to promote and support cultural activities for railway personnel of all nationalities in their leisure time, establish relationships between the creative railway personnel of national associations and unions in order to organise cultural events, and contribute to the development of cultural understanding and activities. FISAIC was founded in Strasbourg in 1952.
fisaic.org
Roman Štěrba, President of the Technical Commission for Railway Heritage and Models
