THE MUSEUM SWITZERLAND OF MODEL MAKING
LIVE STEAM
Since 2018, the Fondation du Modélisation à Vapeur Vive has been carrying out a large-scale cultural and heritage project: the creation of a depot-museum in Le Bouveret, in the heart of the Swiss Vapeur Parc. With a surface area of more than 300 m², this new space will host an exceptional collection of live steam locomotives from June 2027, associated with an interactive, didactic and lively museum tour.
Conceived as an evolving project, the Swiss Museum of Vive Steam Modelling will be gradually unveiled between 2027 and 2029. Each new stage will enrich the experience offered to the public, with new spaces, content and devices to discover over the years.
THE COLLECTION
Preserve and share
A selection of some twenty models, from the Foundation’s collection as well as from private collections, will be presented as a real fleet of machines at rest. Staged in an environment reminiscent of the atmosphere of a railway depot, each model can be observed in detail, highlighting the quality of its workmanship, its technical characteristics and the richness of its history.
Each piece is accompanied by information devoted to both the model on display — its manufacturer, its scale, its gauge or its history — and the real locomotive from which it is inspired. This comparison allows the visitor to better understand the link between railway heritage and model making, while giving each model a real historical depth.
EDUCATIONAL AREA
Learning and experimenting
The educational area will invite visitors to discover the history of steam and its decisive role in the industrial revolution, from the first machines to the rise of the railway and the development of travel. It allows us to understand how this energy has profoundly transformed territories, exchanges and lifestyles.
Through accessible explanations, interactive devices and real-world experiences, the public will also be able to explore the technical principles of steam, to understand how a locomotive works and to experiment with the physical phenomena that set it in motion. A space designed for observe, manipulate and learn, where history and technique are discovered through experience.
IMMERSIVE SPACE
Travel and dream
The immersive space will invite the visitor to fully enter the world of the train, made up of travel, landscapes, mechanics and emotions. Through an evocative staging, he will convey the a passion for railways that has brought together amateurs, builders and passengers for generations.
More than a means of transport, the train here becomes an invitation to escape and imagination. A space for feeling, contemplating and dreaming, and rediscovering all the fascination that the railway world still exerts today.
A MISSION OF PUBLIC INTEREST
Recognised as a non-profit organisation since 2013 and placed under the supervision of the Federal Department of Home Affairs, the Foundation carries out its mission with a long-term perspective.
It relies on the skills of professionals from the railway, technical, economic and institutional fields, as well as on the commitment of many volunteers and enthusiasts.