Narrow Gauge News 2/1995 (July)

BRB - Brienz-Rothorn Railway

The BRB offers a workshop for railroad enthusiasts. In the four day lasting workshop they can learn a lot about steering and maintaining of narrow gauge rack steam locos. The first workshop will start at Mai 9th and will cost about 1200 Swiss Francs (include lodging). Interested people may write to the Brienz-Rothorn-Bahn, CH-3855 Brienz BE

FB - Forch Railway

On March, 22th, the new station at Esslingen was put in use. The new station helps to improve the traffic at the FB. The official consecration was at May, 6th.

LEB - Railway Lausanne-Echallens-Bercher

On May, 28th the new underground station Lausanne-Chauderon was opened. It has a 540m long tunnel line and a 170m line above ground.
The old station Lausanne-Chauderon with its 120 years old wooden building was closed now.

We are still waiting for the extension to Flon (TSOL/LO).

LSE - Lucerne-Stans-Engelberg Railway

In the end of 1994 the Swiss Confederation decided to give the LSE a credit about 58 Mio Swiss Francs. With this money the LSE wants to build a new rack line. The old line from Obermatt to Ghährst has a gradient of 24.7 %, the new one should have a gradient of 12 %. There are also 10 Mio SFr wanting from the two half cantons Nidwalden and Obwalden. The decision about this money will be made in June.

At fine weather there will be used some open coaches on the rack line between June, 4th and September, 17th.

MOB - Montreux-Oberland Bernois Railway

After the Rhaetian Railway and the Biere-Apples-Morges Railway (BAM) now the MOB has got the first machine of the Ge 4/4 II class. Only the electircal parts were changed to make the loco work under 900 V direct current. The design is similar to the coaches of the standard Panoramic-Express. In future this trains should be pulled by the new machines.

The loco GDe 4/4 6004 has now the design as the 6003. After the change of the timetable, this locos will run with the former Superpanoramic-Express, now know as "Golden Panoramic-Express". The train will also get some 2nd Class coaches.

NStCM - Railway Nyon-St.Cergue-La Cure

The railcar BDe 4/4 221, which was bought 1991 from the LEB, is now renewed and has a special color scheme. At the LEB the railcar was known as BDe 4/4 22. It is used normally in service duties, in cause of that it has an old middle buffer coupling.

RhB - Rhaetian Railway - Chur-Arosa

The change between direct current and alternating current at the Chur-Arosa line will be done in Summer 1997. Then the ChA will become part of the Main Network.

Because of financial problems the change has to be done before the construction of the town tunnel in Chur. This project will be realized in 2003 or later.

The work starts in April/May 1995 and lasts to 1997. For faster construction the line will be taken out of order in the months April-June and October-December from Monday to Friday.

It is planned to use the Ge 4/4 II with shuttle trains to Arosa. From the today used railcars only ABe 4/4 487 and 488 will survive. They shall get rectifiers which will built into steering coaches. The railcars ABDe 4/4 481- 486 will be put out of duty in 1997.

RhB - Rhaetian Railway - Main Network

The first time after 1989 the RhB offers this years special steam trains. The RhB wants to test the acceptance of these trains. If there is not enough interest, they want to sell their three steam locos (G 4/5 107 + 108, G 3/4 1"Rätia" (1889)).
The timetable for the trains is: The "Surselva" runs at 2nd and 16th of July and at 1st and 27th of August from Chur (starts at 10.00) to Disentis (ends at 17.17). The other train, the "Engadin", runs at 23th of July and at 13th of August from Samedan (starts at 10.01) to Scuol-Tarasp (ends at 17.08).

On April, the 1st, the short track to the power station in Küblis was used the first time by a passenger coach. The track, built in 1920, is used to transport heavy goods to the power station. The train, pulled by the private loco "Montania" (built in 1923), consists only of one coach, the old RhB B2 2060 (1908).

For the testing of the new Ge 4/4 III machines No 643 has done a special program in the 15,3 km long Furka-Basistunnel. To reach this destination, the adapted machine climbed with own power over the Oberalp-Pass. In cause of security it has had FO HGe 4/4 II as "braking companion" with it.
After a lot of test the engine is now back (over the same way) in Landquart. In 1984 the RhB has started such tests, first with a Ge 4/4 II.

Another freight waggon has painted with a colourful advertising: It is for the chocolade maufacturer Jacobs-Suchard and their product "Milka". Now the waggon is painted purple ... The RhB follows the SBB with the newest trend: The first loco, Ge 4/4 III 641, has now an advertisment on its outfit. The RhB wants to attract new customers for the "Heidiland-Express".

The Oldtimers Ge 2/4 221 and Ge 6/6 I 413, one of the famous Rhaetian Crocodiles", which were out out duty since some years, have been scrapped this year.

RVO - Regional traffic Oberaargau

At March, 10th, the renewed 78 years old Ge 4/4 126 of the RVO was presented. The work has been done in the Langenthal workshops. The machine weers a new outfit and will be used as reserve for the baggage railcars RVO De 4/4 121 and SNB 321.

Sources: Eisenbahn-Magazin (Germany), Schweizer Eisenbahn-Revue (Switzerland), Peter Behrlich, Thorsten Schöler

News