Switzerland July 2014

This is an extract from a multi-country report to read the full report use the following link:

Multi Trip (France – Switzerland – Luxembourg – Holland – Czech Republic – Slovakia – Hungary) July 2014

A trip that started out a lot more simplistic than it actually ended up but did have two purposes, the main one being to have a day doing the BLS “brownies” on the car trains at Kandersteg, with a bike, and the second one being to cover the weekend Summer diesel turns at Prague, which had been dropping 749’s vice 754’s every weekend since the timetable change. While I was bumming around Europe I decided that doing Luxembourg, Holland and Strasbourg in France all seemed like a good idea at the planning stages; in essence only one of those three went anywhere near as planned and to be honest Strasbourg was a complete disaster and I nearly got fined by the police in Holland for ducking under a level crossing barrier; that was going up!

The trip was in two parts, the first bit being solid cranking and the second bit being a relaxing week, with a bit of cranking, drifting from Zurich to Budapest via Prague & Bratislava with my girlfriend and a cracking week it was too; with weather that couldn’t have been better but was verging on too hot.

Flights

Booked direct through Norwegian Airlines

DY2497 1535 Budapest 2B – Gatwick – £78.80 each

Hotels

Switzerland

Chur – Hotel Chur, Am Obertor, Chur, 7000 – CHF174 for single room for 2 nights – a 10 minute walk from Chur station following the Chur – Arosa railway line through the street. Strangely the Hotel Chur was closed at 2100 when I arrived; it seemed for renovations as the restaurant wasn’t open. Access was granted via a phone call and an entry code to a safety key store, which then got me inside and my room key was on the reception desk. Quite why the details of this couldn’t have been forwarded before I got there I don’t know. The Chur doesn’t have AC and it was a bit warm in the room initially. Of my stays here this room was the smallest and probably worst arranged of them all. Continental style breakfast was included in my room rate.

Luzern – Erlebnis Jailhotel, Lowengraben 18, Luzern, 6004 – CHF76 for single room for 1 night – My hotel for the night had been booked in walking distance from the station as I was arriving late and departing early. I’d chosen the Erlebnis Jailhotel, through Booking.com, for both its proximity to Luzern station and the cost for a single night. By the time I arrived at the place, I’d actually been moved about to different hotels no less than 4 times! Firstly I’d had an e-mail the previous week from the hotel telling me they’d moved me to their sister hotel, which was about 3km out of town, due to an incident at the hotel resulting in not all rooms being available. My response to them told them exactly why I’d chosen their hotel and that their alternative wasn’t acceptable at all; sure enough I was moved back to the Elebnis Jailhotel and all was well. Then while in Amsterdam, two days prior to arriving, I had a call from the hotel telling me that they had to move me to their sister hotel due to there being a broken bed in one of the single rooms they had; of course I was soon explaining to the guy at the end of the phone that they’d already tried to do this to me and it wasn’t acceptable then; and still wasn’t. He then told me we had a problem, to which I told him that I didn’t have one at all, he did and he needed to sort me out a bed near to Luzern station. 20 minutes later I had an e-mail from the Erlebnis Jailhotel confirming that they’d booked me a room at the Falken Hotel, which I found on Google Maps and it actually looked better than the Jailhotel itself, and was nearer to Luzern station. Imagine the mouthful the person ringing got when they rang while I was at Molsheim on the day of my arrival into Luzern, to tell me that I wasn’t staying at the Falken anymore and was actually back at the Jailhotel; my reservation having been cancelled at the Falken!

Despite all the messing about the room was ok and the place was just like a real jail, with proper jailhouse doors and the rooms were cell sized. There was no AC but the opening window sufficed, thanks to the rain cooling the temperature outside quite considerably. The main issue I had was the fact that the plug sockets were all the diamond shape ones, which sunk into the wall so I had to use my portable charger to charge everything that night.

Chur – Zunfthaus ruz Rebleuten, Pfisterplatz 1, Chur, 7000 – CFH148 for a double room for 1 night – situated on the pedestrian area which leads through Chur town, about 5 minutes from Chur station. The staff at the reception were waiting for us and no sooner had we arrived did the woman at reception disappear home. The room was clean and spacious, there wasn’t any air-con but it wasn’t needed, and if anything the rooms didn’t seem as drab as those at the Hotel Chur. Breakfast was included in the room rate and served just across the hall from reception in a rather small room.

Train Tickets

Eurostar 9022 1131 St Pancras – Paris £73 booked online at Eurostar

Thello Train 221 1959 Paris – Milan (4 berth couchette) €77 booked online at Thello

Inter Rail Global Pass 15 Days – £369 booked through EU Rail

Reservations booked through Deutsche Bahn UK (all reservation only with Inter Rail Pass)

CNL40478 Basel – Koln €42.50 (4 berth couchette)

CNL40478 Basel – Arnhem €65 (3 berth sleeper)

CNL40419 Amsterdam – Basel €65 (3 berth sleeper)

CNL459 Zurich – Prague €180 (for two) (2 berth sleeper)

Switzerland BLS Car Train

0919 Iselle di Trasquera – Kandersteg CHF91 – booked through BLS online

Wednesday 16^th July 2014

Despite my alarm being set for 0050 I was awake when we arrived into Vallorbe, Switzerland. All the train doors were opened and the staff were out on the platform. I’d already asked about getting the loco numbers during the engine change and they were fine with my running down to the front of the train; where SBB Re 4/4’s 11158/11199 were just dropping onto the top of 36007. Obviously the gen I’d been given in Paris had been correct with 36007 working forward from Dijon, although quite what the Re 4/4’s were doing dropping on top of it I don’t know. Whether we took it with us t Domodossola or not I don’t know but it wasn’t on the train at Milan.

Although there weren’t any timings for the train 221 at Vallorbe the SBB Re 4/4 diagrams offer a little gen and showed the train to depart at 0111; thankfully we weren’t far after that and when I woke later we’d already been and gone at Domodossola which meant, judging on the time I woke, that we were on time!

A knock on the compartment door came at 0500 and our passports were handed back to us; the guy confirming we were on time when asked and we were into Milano Centrale 2 minutes early at 0558 with FS E402 402106 on the front as I hurried past in search of the Milan Metro.

I found the Metro through the hall and downstairs. Urban tickets, valid within urban Milan, are only Euro 1.50; the maps on board the trains show the boundary where they’re valid to. Mine sufficed for my quick two stop trip from Centrale to Porta Garibaldi. I needn’t have bothered rushing as the first train was showing as 14 minutes time when I got onto the platform.

I hadn’t realised that I could actually do a spin move on the train before my 0639 Porta Garibaldi – Chiasso; mainly because the 0631 Bergamo wasn’t showing on the EU Rail app! Still it was sat in when I got there with 464290 and it would have been rude not to do it to Greco Pirelli for Tren Nord 464243 forward to Chiasso on the 0639 ex Porta Garibaldi.

The journey to Chiasso was relaxing, on a virtually empty train the whole way. Upon arrival into Chiasso you can’t just wonder to wherever you want, you have to exit the station and come back in; having effectively been through Swiss border security.

There was no sign of the push-pull set and Re 4/4 that should form the 0818 Chiasso – Bellinzona, I hadn’t at that point realised it shouldn’t arrive until 0802, and the 0758 to Bellinzona was sat in platform 1 with an old EMU. Had I known at that point what I would discover 5 minutes after the 0758 departed, I would have done it to Bellinzona! The EMU to form the 0818 Chiasso – Bellinzona, yes that’s EMU and not Re 4/4, arrived bang on time; looking very shiny and very new. I was well and truly bowled and hindsight would have been a cracking thing at that point, for one I’d have been better off doing the 0758 to Bellinzona and making a train an hour earlier forward to Arth Goldau and for two I’d have been way better off spinning about in Milan on 464’s and doing the 0825 ICN straight to Bellinzona to make the same train I’d end up on anyway. I was where I was and despite the bowl out factor the EMU was comfortable, cool and empty for most of the journey; who needs crappy push-pull sets with old engines and no air-con……..?

Re 4/4 11116 was a welcome sight at Bellinzona as it arrived with IR2176 0947 Locarno – Basel and as we departed Re 4/4 11299 was stabled in the siding just north of the station on a push-pull set. Whether it is held spare or actually worked the 0718 Chiasso – Bellinzona I don’t know but it seems that there are now a few defunct turns for Re 4/4 at Bellinzona, all of which could be knocked out of the cycle without effecting anything else anyway so it’s understandable that this has probably taken place?

At Arth Goldau I was bowled by EMU number two of the day as VAE2423 1140 Luzern – St Gallen was already sat in waiting to depart with one of the VAE EMU sets. That flagged I waited the half an hour to view VAE2416 1105 St Gallen – Luzern and was promptly bowled again when the other VAE EMU set rolled in. That also meant that there were only 3 hauled sets out on the Voralpen Express circuit and I was quite concerned that the one not out might well be the set with SBB Cargo Re 4/4 11317 on it!

Having enjoyed an hours fester at Arth Goldau, photting a few SBB Cargo trains in the meantime, I boarded VAE2425 1240 Luzern – St Gallen, probably against my better judgement, with dud 456093/094 and we departed a couple of minutes late waiting connections from one of the Lugano ICN turns. I had a 50/50 chance of being withered completely if we crossed 11317 on VAE2418 1205 St Gallen – Luzern at Rothenthrum; and fuck me if it wasn’t sat at the head of the train; ready to depart as we rolled in, late!

A stroke of good luck bestowed me as for some bizarre reason I managed to attract the attention of the guard on 11317’s set as we rolled in and beckoned to him that I wanted to leap across onto his train; bless him, he waited for us to stop and me to leap across before closing the doors right behind me. And that was that, objective of the day achieved; unfortunately though it was on a turn that I couldn’t do to St Gallen and do what I wanted to do in the afternoon so I was off at Arth Goldau and did 11116 to Erstfeld on IR2173 1204 Basel – Locarno for and decided upon an afternoon bash between Erstfeld & Brunnen.

On the way up from Bellinzona I’d been spotting Re 4/4s so I could plan a move if anything new was seen. The only one I’d spotted that was new was 11191, which I thought was on IR2267 1009 Zurich – Locarno vice Re460. However while writing down the gen IR2267 passed me, still with and Re 4/4 vice Re460, which I obviously didn’t get the number of and was then left scratching my head as to what 11191 was working.

I had a cracking afternoon, with effectively three return trips to Erstfeld, starting at Arth Goldau on the first trip, getting off at Brunnen in between times and finishing at Zug on the last trip. Courtesy of 11111 on IR2276 1247 Locarno – Zurich and the mystery engine that turned out to be 11172 returning on IR2280 1447 Locarno – Zurich, both vice Re 460 I only had one Re 460 all afternoon with 11204, 11198 & 460090 all on booked turns. My suspicions turned out to be correct to as 11191 reared its head on its way back from Lugano with ICN turn 680 1312 Lugano – Basel on a load 9 push-pull set; what I’d seen it going down on was ICN667 0904 Basel – Lugano!

The original plan in my head had been to head into Zurich after doing the Voralpen Express trains to cover the Re 4/4 pair turn on IR3831 1733 Zurich – St Gallen but I had a change of heart and after a quick fill-in move on Re450’s on Zug – Uster trains I headed south to Rotkreuz with 460013 on IR2359 1735 Zurich – Luzern for what turned out to be T&T Re 4/4’s, vice the booked single one, 11140/11118 on IR3537 1741 Zurich – Luzern commuter. This dropped me nicely into the booked Re 4/4 turn on IR2184 1547 Locarno – Basel and having watched 11215 arrive with the train I walked to the other end of the train to watch single Re 4/4 11136 drop on; which then worked the train forward; another amended diagram perhaps?

As I was stopping in Chur for the next two nights it was simply 460005 forward to Zurich on IR2139 1915 Biel – Konstanz for 460061 direct to Chur on IC589 2037 Zurich – Chur; where the day then had one last twist to offer me before I could get to bed!

I was staying in the Hotel Chur, where I’d stayed a few times before, only a 5 minute walk from the station, following the Chur – Arosa tracks through the street. When I arrived, just before 2200, the hotel doors were locked, the reception in darkness and the usually busy restaurant empty. It turned out the latter was under refurbishment so reception was closed at 2100 during this time. This of course didn’t help me get through the door and knocking did no god whatsoever. Fortunately a guy from the bar next door was willing to ring the number on the hotel doors which went through to the hotel owners. A code was given to enter into the keypad by the side doors and a key was released to open the out of hours door. The key for my room, with a note addressed to me, was on the reception desk and all was well from that point on. A cold shower before bed was very welcome, it had been in the high 20’s all day and was set to get into the 30’s for the next two days…….!

The Moves

Gen for Wednesday 16^th July 2014

(Other than in the moves above)

SBB

11111 – IR2163 0704 Basel – Locarno (from Luzern), IR2276 1247 Locarno – Zurich (vice Re 460)

11116 – Diagram Day 21

11118/11140 – (T&T) IR3537 1741 Zurich – Luzern (only booked single Re 4/4)

11136 – IR2184 1547 Locarno – Basel (from Luzern – vice booked 2xRe 4/4)

11158/11199 – Thello 221 1959 (P) Paris – Venezia (Vallorbe – Domodossola)

11159 – EN415 2040 Zurich – Beograd (from Zurich)

11161 – Diagram Day 26

11172 – IR2267 1009 Zurich – Locarno, IR2280 1447 Locarno –Zurich (vice Re 460)

11194 – CNL478 2042 Zurich – Amsterdam (to Basel)

11198 – Diagram Day 20

11191 – ICN667 0904 Basel – Lugano, ICN680 1312 Lugano – Basel (vice ICN on load 9 push-pull)

11204 – Diagram Day 12

11215 – Diagram Day 19

11299 – Spare on push-pull set at Bellinzon

Voralpen Express

EMU (1) – VAE2423 1140 Luzern – St Gallen

EMU (2) – VAE2416 1105 St Gallen – Luzern, VAE2427 1340 Luzern – St Gallen

456093/094 – VAE2425 1240 Luzern – St Gallen

11317/446015 – VAE2418 1205 St Gallen – Luzern

BLS

420502 RE3340 1857 Luzern – Bern

The Photos

Thursday 17^th July 2014 (Any 100 year old engines out today?)

With most of the day pretty much mapped out, thankful of the fact I could leave my big bag behind in the hotel, I headed down for breakfast at 0700 and was on the station by 0740 confirming in the SBB office that the RhB run special train would depart from platform 14 at 0903. That would be my day, and what better way to spend the day than pottering around the RhB network behind a pair of Crocodile locomotives?

First I had an appointment with a mixed train at Domat/Ems and RhB Ge 4/4 III #647 delivered me there on RE1121 0758 Chur – St Moritz. My appointment was joined, bang on time at 0821, by RhB Ge 6/6 II #705 heading 4221 0753 Ilanz – Chur; with two coaches and 5 freight wagons. This dropped me nicely back at Chur to position myself at the end of the platform to photograph the crocodiles arriving; what actually arrived with the 0825 Landquart – Scuol-Tarasp round trip excursion was Ge6/6 I “Crocodile” #415 and Ge4/6 #353. This was actually the booked combination for the same trip the following Thursday; which I was planning to do for that reason. It turned out that crocodile #414 was out of service and wouldn’t be fit for traffic until September so all the Thursday run specials in July would be the same combination and the Friday ones would be guaranteed to be crocodile #415; September would be a different story of course.

The train was formed of load 4 Pullman coaches, which were pristine inside and had very nice furnishings indeed. The cost for the whole day’s tour was only CHF12.50 on top of normal ticket prices and while the train had a few on board it was by no means full and very comfortable indeed in the armchair seating provided. Hayfever tablets taken, Beckonase sprayed up the nose and sunglasses on we set off with all the windows open in the coach as it was already warming up; thankfully my preventative measures halted constant bombardment of pollen resulting in me spending the day scratching my eyes out and sneezing!

The on-train manager was a pleasant chap and took the time to explain to me in English what he was telling the rest in German. It was he who told me, when asked, about the fact that #414 was out of service. The CHF12.50 supplement was paid to him when asked and a ticket was issued; I don’t know if you can actually pay this supplement before boarding.

The train runs out via Filisur to Samedan, where the locos run round before heading across to Sagliains and into Scuol-Tarasp. On the return the train heads directly back to Landquart via Klosters. I was furnished with all the require train number gen by the train manager just after we set off from Chur and from that point on spent the day taking in the scenery and mostly spotting every loco-hauled train I saw to add the loco number to the diagram sheet that I’d printed from the RhB Lokdienste; which was invaluable when it came to working a move out later that afternoon, on arrival back into Landquart.

The 1929 (#415) & 1914 (#353) built locos performed faultlessly the whole day. The crew were out at every opportunity to check the axles and oil them when necessary and as the weather was so perfect the train was followed the whole day by a good number of photographers. During the layover in Scuol-Tarasp a spin move offering up to 4 RhB Ge 4/4 II’s was on offer but as I only needed two of the 4 a simple out and back to Guarda sufficed, which also allowed me to devour my dinner in the process.

The only proper photo-stop of the day was at Ardez on the return, where the train was posed with the monument on the hill in the background. Even though there were trains running we were allowed to wonder freely on the tracks with the train manager alerting people when trains were coming. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable day out, for a bargain price, and where else in the world, other than on the Mariazellerbahn in Austria, can you turn up and get on a train with a 100 year old engine at its helm on a main line railway these days!?

By the time we got back to Landquart I’d got a move worked out to get some required Ge 4/4 II’s in; unfortunately all the Ge 4/4 III’s I needed were on turn that wouldn’t get me back until after 2200 so they got flagged. The move was initially thrown into chaos while I was waiting on the SBB platforms, to do a fill-in to Sargans and back, when new Re 4/4 11146 rolled in vice Re 460 on IC10777 1607 Zurich – Chur. With no alternative to get me back on track I had to do an EMU back to Landquart for RhB Ge 4/4 II to Schiers.

This move achieved two things, one it allowed me to cover a Ge 4/4 II turn that I’d not seen all day and two it allowed me to spot the Ge 6/6 II freight turn that should form 4109 0503 Chur – Samedan mixed train the following morning. There was good news and bad news in both respects. New Ge 4/4 II #626 appeared with RE1358 1357 St Moritz – Landquart and dud Ge 6/6 II #704 ran through with 5054 1642 Davos – Landquart freight. This in itself meant good news and bad news in that I didn’t need to get up at 0430 to do 4109 but by the powers of deduction it also meant that 4209 had been a new Ge 6/6 II that morning as I’d seen the only two I’d had prior to this day during the course of it and the only turn I’d not seen for the Ge 6/6 II’s was the one that involved 4209 that morning!

Ge 4/4 II #633 stuck to diagram and worked RE1265 1644 Disentis – Scuol-Tarasp; which I did the short distance out to request stop Malans for dud 627 back in and after a quick leap to Sargans and back to pass the time I then found myself hanging around Landquart waiting for the loco to be backed onto the set, which had been in the platform for some time, to form 1266 2017 Landquart – Disentis. For some reason the 2010 arrival from Scuol-Tarasp was a set and loco swap at Landquart and as I’d hoped Ge 4/4 II #614 came off shed to work it. I’d seen it at Samedan while the locos had been running round the tour and could only see one such turn that it could fit into on the diagrams; which had it working freights most of the day before heading to Disentis last thing.

Before we departed Landquart Ge 4/4 II’s 615/618 departed towards Klosters with a short freight and then between Landquart & Chur another pair, 613/623, passed light engine; all four of these could at some point have been involved with Glacier Express trains between Disentis & Chur/St Moritz, of which I’d seen precisely none.

At Chur I called it a day. I could have stayed out later and got one of the three Ge 4/4 III’s in that I needed but getting into the hotel, ensuring my bill was paid and relaxing with a beer while waiting for what turned out to be an excellent pizza to arrive all seemed to make more sense; so that’s exactly what happened and I sat watching Swiss squaddies wandering aimlessly round town in various states. Rather them than me in the morning…….

The Moves

Gen for Thursday 17^th July 2014

(Other than in the moves above)

RhB

Ge6/6 I #415 / Ge4/6 #353 (RhB operated dated regular charter)

2125 0825 Landquart – Samedan (via Chur & Filisur), 2340 1150 Samedan – Scuol-Tarasp, 2350 1448 Scuol-Tarasp – Landquart (via Klosters)

All locos by diagram number from RhB Lokdienste Summer 2014 = Diagram No. then Loco No.

Ge 4/4 III

151 – 648, 152 – 650, 153 – 644, 154 – 652, 155 – 647, 156 – 646, 157 – 643, 158 – 651 & 159 – 645

Ge 6/6 II

201 – 705 (includes 4221 0753 Ilanz – Chur mixed), 202 – 706, 203 – 701, 204 – 704, 205 – not seen (includes 4109 0503 Chur – Samedan mixed), 206 – 702

Ge 4/4 II

301 – 630, 302 – 631, 303, 629, 304 – 619, 306 – 621, 307 – 626, 308 – 633, 312 – 627, 313 – 625, 314 – 614, 316 – 616, 318 – 617, 319 – 622, 320 – 612, 321 – 611

The Photos

Friday 18^th July 2014 (On the way to Vevey)

I settled the hotel bill before breakfast and made the usual amount of sandwiches for the day before heading out of the makeshift breakfast room at the Hotel Chur. Big bag in tow once again I mirrored the first two moves of the previous day’s bash; neither of the engines were the same though.

Ge 4/4 III #652 whisked me out to Domat/Ems and thankfully the predicted Ge 6/6 II, based on the previous day’s observations, produced on 4221 0753 Ilanz – Chur mixed train; #702. That was the fourth time I’ve done the train, both in two stints of consecutive days, and it was the fourth different one of the class that had produced for me! Hopefully I’d have the same luck when I did it again the following Thursday.

My day had a purpose and it got executed rather well in the end. I would be meeting up with a fellow class 31 basher, who now lives and works in Vevey, that evening so the plan was simple, go direct to Montreux, via Zurich, have a spin on the MOB stuff on the Golden Pass trains ex Montreux and finish up at Vevey off the last of the three commuter trains heading out from Lausanne that evening at 1851.

I covered the 0807 Zurich – Chur booked Re 4/4 turn before heading north, unfortunately it was dud 11196 so I got off at Landquart and headed towards Montreux an hour earlier than I’d planed. While departing Chur on the 0838 IC towards Sargans I passed Crocodile #415, all on its lonesome, with the booked RhB Friday excursion, which would cover exactly the same route as the pair had done the previous day. The stock it had wasn’t the Pullman stock though but some old green coaches, which would have been probably more authentic but probably a lot more rancid in the hot weather than their Pullman counterparts.

As I arrived into Montreux some 3 hours later MOB GDe 4/4 #6002 arrived shortly afterwards with the Golden Pass Classic rake on the 1105 from Zweisimmen. Before I departed on the 1319 Re 460 fill-in move to Vevey Ge 4/4 #8003 was already sat in with a Golden Pass Panoramic set to form the 1344 to Zweisimmen, which I was back for and did up the hill to Chernex when the MOB trains are a plus 11 from outbound to inbound. Move pretty much set for the afternoon I waited at Chernex for the next inbound which would then allow me to do the fill-in move to Vevey and back in between arriving at 1413 and departing at 1444 on the next one up the hill; or so you’d have thought! Unfortunately the 1313 arrival had lulled me into a false sense of security and the 1413 arrival missed the 1419 departure to Brig by a good 5 minutes! Ge 4/4 #8001 had done the honours with the Golden Pass Panoramic VIP set, with the engine in the middle of the set.

With nothing else better to do at Montreux during the fester I photographed a couple of SBB Cargo freights go through and watched the VIP set be ripped apart on the shed in the meantime. As the MOB trains on the Golden Pass route had different sets of stock allocated to different turns it meant that what arrived into Montreux didn’t generally go straight back out on the next train; as you might think. And Ge 4/4 #8002 was soon in the platform to form the 1444 to Zweisimmen with a standard Golden Pass Panoramic set. It seemed like my luck was holing out as I’d only had 6002 & 8004 before on the MOB route; it was soon set to hit rock bottom though, let me tell you.

While waiting in the glorious sunshine at Chernex for the next southbound off 8002 I caught a glimpse of the stock through the trees, high above me but didn’t see the engine. When the barriers went down at the end of the platform I was posed with camera ready as the train came round the corner; while I could see it clearly in my lens it was as though my finger didn’t want to do anything with the shutter, probably because my brain was trying to process the fact that the train didn’t have a loco on it at all and was actually formed of EMU set #4001, one standard coach and a Golden Pass Panoramic coach behind that. I did manage the photo in the end but was flabbergasted with the fact that I’d now been bowled out by four units in only three days; what the hell had I done to deserve it? And to add insult to injury, for the second time in a row the xx:13 arriving into Montreux off the MOB missed the xx:19 spin move to Vevey. It was close on this occasion though and I did manage to make it under the subway to watch the tail-light go past!

When Ge 4/4 #8001 presented itself with the Golden Pass Panoramic VIP set, having been pieced back together with an extra coach, for the 1544 to Zweisimmen I decided enough was enough and went to claw back some Re 460’s instead. The irony being that every time I was at Vevey to see the xx:13 MOB arrival off the GoldenPass route it made the xx:19 to Vevey easily; you just couldn’t write it. And even more ironic was the fact that some of the Re 460’s I’d missed earlier began to cycle back round during the later afternoon spin so all wasn’t lost after all and I even managed to get two new Re 4/4’s in of the three on the commuter turns with 11139 doing the 1651 Lausane – St Maurice, 11150 1712 Geneva – St Maurice & 11206 1851 Lausanne – Bex.

As it was over 30 degrees outside the run round the edge of Lake Geneva between Montreux and Lausanne was excellent, and even more so while bellowing out of fresh air stock on empty commuter trains. Even so I was glad to be giving up on the day when I arrived into Vevey at 1904; when I found Tohm waiting for me on the platform. It was good to relax away from it all for the evening, with decent company, and bloody good to get a shower and cool off before food and I’d like to say, an early night, but I can’t really; the alarm was set for 0320 though which I don’t know whether I’d consider late or early! Either way knowing it was set for that time resulted in me having a crap night’s sleep anyway and I was awake before it went off, less than 5 hours before hitting the sack.

The Moves

Gen for Friday 18^th July 2014

(Other than in the moves above)

RhB

Ge6/6 I #415 (RhB operated dated regular charter)

2125 0825 Landquart – Samedan (via Chur & Filisur), 2340 1150 Samedan – Scuol-Tarasp, 2350 1448 Scuol-Tarasp – Landquart (via Klosters)

All locos by diagram number from RhB Lokdienste Summer 2014 = Diagram No. then Loco No.

Ge 4/4 III

154 – 644, 155 – 652

Ge 6/6 II

201 – 702 (includes 4221 0753 Ilanz – Chur mixed)

Ge 4/4 II

301 – 619, 304 – 629, 313 – 627, 317 – 626

MOB

GDe 4/4

6002 2217 1105 Zweisimmen – Montreux, 2232 1644 Montreux – Zweisimmen

6004 ecs with one coach Chernex – Montreux, 2234 1744 Montreux – Zweisimmen

6006 2225 1505 Zweisimmen – Montreux

Ge 4/4

8001 2119 1225 Zweisimmen – Montreux, 2128 1544 Montreux – Zweisimmen

8002 2228 1444 Montreux – Zweisimmen

8003 3126 1344 Montreux – Zweissimen, 2127 1625 Zweisimmen – Montreux

8004 3123 1425 Zweisimmen – Montreux, 2236 1844 Montreux – Zweisimmen

EMU

4001 2221 1305 Zweisimmen – Montreux (dragging two coaches)

SBB

11191 Spare with a push-pull set at Olten for 2046 2337 Olten – Bern

The Photos

Saturday 19^th July 2014 (Bombing around on Brown Bombers)

There was method in the madness as regards the stupid o’clock alarm call and yes we could probably have got up a good 90 minutes later and still done the bash we were planning but if we didn’t make or get onto the first train we needed to do the whole day was literally down the pan; so the additional time secured the cracking day that followed.

Once breakfast, freshly squeezed orange and a good old cuppa were out of the way, we were out of the door; at precisely 0400. The car was already packed with a bike and there was just enough room for me to squeeze into the back seat beside it. Getting two bikes in had been a bit of an issue by all accounts; so one had to suffice.

The journey to Brig, on virtually empty roads, only too about 90 minutes and we were using the facilities at Brig station a little before 0600. The first train of the day would be 27959 0715 Brig Autoquai – Iselle di Trasquera car train. It was essential that we got on it as we were then booked on the 0919 Iselle – Kandersteg BLS car train throughout; not that you can actually get off anywhere!

The idea of the day was to bash BLS Re 4/4 “brownies” on the Kandersteg – Goppenstein car train shuttles and what better way to get there than by the Summer only BLS operated car train from Iselle; and of course the simplest way to get to that was by doing the SBB car train from Brig to Iselle. Hence the early start and us being 3^rd in the queue for the 0715 from Brig, when we arrived at 0615.

There was no rush to start boarding and in the meantime quite a queue built up behind us; said queue actually having to clear a path for the guy to open the access booth and sell tickets to us all. At 0740 we paid our CHF22 for the car and were moved into the compound to queue some more, before boarding the actual train commenced at 0705! At 0715 on the dot we departed for Iselle with SBB Re 4/4 11195 pushing on the rear. The car trains are formed of driving vehicle, car transporters and a coach on the rear, inside the engine; the latter being for foot passengers, who can travel on all SBB car trains between Brig & Iselle and return with normal tickets.

The journey through the tunnel was simple enough but despite it being 22 degrees already outside the windows were well and truly shut in the car throughout the tunnel. Unloading at Iselle was efficient enough and with plenty of time to kill before our BLS car train to Kandersteg we headed straight off to the nearest town; Varzo, Italy. And what a picturesque town it was, sporting very old Italian style buildings and surrounded by natural beauty. It even had a very respectable public toilet for us to use and the car park beside it had benches which we used to eat more breakfast.

We arrived back at Iselle car loading point with plenty of time to spare, the tickets say you must be there 30 minutes before departure. There was only one car in front of us when we got there and ultimately there would only be 5 cars in total on the whole train, which only filed the first car transporter! Tickets for the BLS Iselle – Kandersteg car trains can only be booked online, unlike the Kandersteg – Goppenstein ones where you just turn up and get on the next train. I booked mine, paying CHF81 for a car and the tickets were though my letterbox the following day; now that’s Swiss efficiency for you.

I’d walked to the Brig end of the station at Iselle to watch the train arrive and found BLS Re 4/4 #192 on the rear as it arrived. The formation was the same as the SBB car train but without a coach for foot passengers. BLS only carries vehicles on their car trains but does allow bike transportation in the driving vehicle, which does have half a coach worth of seating; hence the bike loaded into the car! There were supposed to be two, one for me and one for Tohm but as Tohm had already had quite a lot of the “brownies” he would think about using the car to get on a train if he spotted on he needed.

We were away at 0919, spot on time and only a car length away from 192 on the front, the sun was coming out and it was already getting quite warm; still not warm enough to have the windows down through the tunnel to Brig though. It was a welcome relief to be out of the tunnel as we trundled through the yard between the main station and the car train platform; our train being admired by everyone stood on the station waiting for their trains as we did so.

A bit of consternation ensued as we got to the Visp end of the statin and watched in disbelief as SBB Cargo Re 4/4 11341 appeared to back onto a set of Brig – Geneva stock that was sat in platform 7 (ish). It looked to have arrived not long before as there was an Re 460 on the opposite end. As the time was about 0935 we speculated that it could be the stock for the 0958 Brig – GenevaAirport and proceeded to figure out what it should do next. We figured out we could get for it coming back from Geneva if needed but in the end talked ourselves into believing one of two options; either it was just going into the platform to get behind the signal and run straight back out again, or it was going to follow the stock out at the other end of the station, once it had run out ecs, to allow it to get to the opposite end of the yard. Both likely explanations for what we saw but still our initial thoughts are just as feasible as any other explanation.

The BLS line to Spiez climbs immediately away from Brig and clings to the mountainside all the way up to the Lotschberg Tunnel at Goppenstein. It’s a fantastic view looking down into the valley and the weather made it all the more enjoyable; the widows being well and truly open between the Simplon & Lotschberg tunnels. We spent most of the time trying to spot SBB trains on the Brig – Geneva line down below and could follow the road that we’d driven down some 4 hours earlier from Vevey. What a cracking way it was to travel, sat in your car, windows open, sun shining and just generally admiring the scenery. Of course the usual reason for car transporter trains is to get vehicles through mountains and they’re usually inside tunnels for almost the entirety of their journey; the BLS Iselle – Kandersteg killing two birds with one stone allows for that rare 30 minutes out in the open air and offers some cracking scenery while it is. The car trains are now the only loco-hauled train over the Lotschberg route; or so we thought, until we passed through Hohtenn!

For the second time during our one hour journey from Iselle to Kandersteg we went into flap mode when we passed BLS Re 465 465005 with a passenger train at Hohtenn, heading to Brig. It wasn’t shown in any timetable or on the EU Rail app but Tohm suspected that it would be an 0831 Bern – Brig “extrazug” which sometimes runs at weekends as required; more like a control relief type thing. He also suspect that if there was one there could well be a second and what goes down must come back up and they usually did in the late afternoon apparently. That was certainly something to keep an eye out for later in the afternoon, especially as I was heading for Bern, en-route to Zurich, anyway.

As we passed through Goppenstein there were a few car train sets in either being loaded or unloaded and lots of scribbling down took place to note the locos, their corresponding driver trailer vehicle and the car train set number. This would allow each set’s “brownie” to be identified from any end of the train. Then we were into the Lotschberg tunnel for the final 10 minutes of our journey; during which we braved the cold air and left the car windows open. It did get a little chilly by the time we emerged into the sunshine at Kandersteg, where lots more scribbling down took place.

As there were only 5 cars on our train it was offloaded very quickly and the set immediately shunted out into the sidings north of the station. The other two car train platforms were occupied by “brownies” 164 & 191 as we arrived. The car was driven straight off, down the exit road and straight into the first car park space we found in the small car park at the bottom of the ramp. The one bike was out and I was off. Not really knowing what to do we all walked up a set of steps that led from the car park to what looked like a place to buy tickets for the car trains. I obviously carried the bike up but the place turned out to be just a shop so I left Tohm to do some wondering round and train spotting while I went to investigate at the boarding point.

As the locos are on the blocks at Kandersteg bike have to board first and be ridden right the way down the set to the driving vehicle at the south end of the train. As 164’s set was already being loaded with cars I’d missed that. Some guy then beckoned me over and suggest I wait a moment then I was directed straight onto 191’s set once the last car was off. As I rode onto the train 177 pulled in on the through platform and car were immediately loaded onto that at the same time as they were onto my set. By the time I’d secured the bike in the driving vehicle 177’s set was already away and went in front of me to Goppenstein. It looked like things were very busy at Kandersteg, which was just what we needed to keep all the “brownies” out at once; the queue of cars as we arrived was two deep and as long as the eye could see down the access road. The ticket office for the trains seemingly must be somewhere way back there, either way my first journey was completely free out to Goppenstein as a result of me just presenting myself with a bike! One down…….

I barely had time to think at Goppenstein as I rode off the train and no sooner had I pedaled 20 yards did my head have me turning straight back round and riding straight into the driving vehicle that was now on the blocks with “brownie” 177 at the Kandersteg end. Nobody actually saw me ride on anyway as they were more concerned with getting cars off the train I’d just arrived on. I was back at Kandersteg 36 minutes after departing, the single train journeys taking 15 minutes each way!

When I got back I was already in receipt of the full gen from Tohm, who’d actually found two “brownies” he needed, 173, which had gone by the time I got there and 189, which was spare in the yard opposite the station. When I rode off 177’s train and back to towards the shop I found Tohm perch with a bike. It turs out there’s a bike hire place at the station, his costing CHF27 for the rest of the day up to 1800. It appears that they can’t be booked in advance though and it’s a first com first served arrangement? Either way Tohm was waiting for 173 to come back in and get his new one in. I was straight back into the game while there were winners sat in and while we were directed onto 191’s set when it was ready for boarding the guy boarding seemed to accept that we were going to get the next train, as I told him in German, and 194 was soon being loaded before 191 had actually departed. I was on without a ticket again, no questions asked. I didn’t have the driving vehicle to myself on this occasion and couldn’t actually get through the set of rather large motorbikes between me and the seating area once I reached the van so I just stood and admired the darkness with the joining door to the car carriers wide open as we hammered through the tunnel; Tohm was 3 minutes behind on his winner 173, having been asked for a ticket as he boarded; which thankfully for him he had! The timetable should be xx:20 & xx:50 off each end but extra trains run as required. They were clearly required on this day and the weather was more than likely responsible!

As Tohm was going to do 173 back he asked if I’d get him a ticket for the return journey when I got mine; he was assuming one thing there but in light of him being asked for a ticket on the way out I thought it best to not push our luck too far and went to find the ticket booth. The correct way to get to it is to follow the traffic out of the complex at Goppenstein and then come back into the complex via the correct lane and pay at the booth before being allowed access through the barrier. It was the uphill bit at the end that put me off riding the correct way to the ticket booth so I thought the better idea was to ride against the traffic and the most direct way to the booth; all of which was flat I might add. Had I rode down the bike lane I might have stood a better chance of not nearly being knocked off but as it was there was a quick exit from the roadway onto a footpath at the side of the bridge; which sufficed quite nicely. Two tickets for bikes were purchased from a rather bemused ticket person at the booth and I was off back down the same way I’d come in, back to the station; this time the correct way!

While going for the tickets 173 had arrived and there was no sign of Tohm, until he returned from the ticket office with his own ticket; the treat! 195 was also sat in the adjacent platform and motorbikes were being boarded. I was all up for it as it was new and Tohm was going to wait but as we only had bikes the guy loading up directed us round the end of the driving vehicle and into it through the car carrier next to it. Some of the driving vehicles have side opening doors, like the set with 195 on it, which was why the motorbikes were put in there. However the guy loading told us 173 would go first so all was good and everyone was happy. The tickets we’d just bought for the journey weren’t needed and but did come in handy later mind. This was actually the only journey I did with Tohm during the day!

The fun began back at Kandersteg. 195 followed almost immediately behind 173 and plonked itself in the through platform. The only issue with that was if you weren’t paying attention cars would load on and generally bikes were loaded onto the other sets in the bay platforms. I loitered around the back of the train though and once the last car was off I gestured to the guy loading who acknowledged that I could board but then promptly asked me for a ticket.

Thankfully Tohm had given me the ticket he’d used on the last trip and had gone to get another for his next journey anyway. I showed the guy the ticket bought an hour earlier and he wasn’t going to have it as it was an hour old. My get out of jail card came by way of the fact that I’d bought the two tickets for the previous journey back from Goppenstein and explained to the guy that I’d been buying two tickets at a time to save time and messing about at each end. He was on the verge of accepting my explanation but I could tell he still wasn’t happy as I couldn’t produce the “other” Kandersteg – Goppenstein ticket; that I obviously didn’t have. My explanation for that being that I’d already thrown it away. His response to that being “this is not normal” as he pointed me towards the train. What the hell was normal about what I’d been doing all morning anyway?

I waited patiently at Goppenstein for 164 to arrive, the last one I needed on the Goppenstein sets. The only other one out that I’d not had by the time I got back to Kandersteg was 162, which had been on an Iselle set all morning yet it had been swapped out in the afternoon and replaced by 189, which was sat in the sidings alongside 192, which we’d had up in the morning. Both of which were poised to work the two late afternoon trips to Iselle and return.

Brown Bomber bashing was completed by just after 1400 and we then had a plan for the afternoon hatched thanks to Tohm nipping over to the station earlier and finding a 1607 “extrazug” to Thun on the departure screen, which could only mean one thing of course; that it would hopefully be 465005 returning from Brig?

Thom’s other half was dispatched to Spiez to pick him up on arrival, the bike I’d been using safely tucked away back in the car. While we sat and waited on Kandersteg station we watched 189 shunt its set into the through platform and be loaded up for the 1555 to Iselle; there wasn’t an ounce of space on the train when it departed and I was convinced a car was going to be left behind but no, they all squeezed on. That left 192 behind to work the 1755 to Iselle.

Sure enough 465005 turned up with its extrazug and departed right time at 1607; quite well loaded. The run through to Thun was quite nice scenery wise and while relieving the booked train behind it never got “well” loaded so we had plenty of room to ourselves. The train it was actually relieving rolled into Thun with 4 x EMU so it seemed it was a popular time of day to travel on the BLS line from Brig.

Having bode farewell to Thom at Spiez I was left to my own devices and worked a move out to get for RE3236 1806 Olten – Bern, which I’d planned to be doing on its outward journey until 465005 entered the equation, by doing the next train to Bern for a choice of trains towards Olten; the ICE actually being a small plus at Olten.

Still being advertised on the screen as an ICE, ICE332 1630 Interlaken Ost – Basel turned up with 460118 vice ICE, which was pleasing, and dropped me at Bern where I chose to do 460067 forward to Herzogenbuchsee to wait for the Re4/4, hopefully new 11191, back into Bern. While only at Herzogenbuchsee for a short time I still managed to photograph a couple of freights with Re 4/4 & 6/6 combinations, which passed the time as there was nothing else there and then sure enough, as hoped, 11191 appeared with the same load 9 push-pull set I’d seen it sat with at Olten two days previous and the very same set I’d seen it work to Lugano vice ICN with 3 days previous. The train was empty back to Bern and the front coach was like an oven due to the hot weather. The breeze from the opened windows made a difference but not a massive one.

I was booked on my overnight, CNL40478 2042 Zurich – Amsterdam, from Basel to Koln, but as I had plenty of time to spare I opted to go into Zurich for it instead and do the Re 4/4 across to Basel. Just in case the CNL staff wouldn’t let me on there was a 2036 Zurich – Basel right in front of it so I had a back-up if needed. 460061 on IC839 1749 Brig – Romanshorn took me direct from Bern to Zurich, where food was sought from the Migros downstairs near the entrance to the S-Bahn platforms.

There wasn’t a problem boarding CNL40478 at Zurich, with a reservation from Basel, and there wasn’t even a grip until after Basel anyway. As I was getting off at 0543 I’d opted for a 4 berth couchette instead of paying the extra for a sleeper; which only had two occupants from Zurich but was full from Basel, as was the rest of the train!

DB’s 101142 dropped onto the rear of the train at Basel and also added a couple of coaches as it did so. On arrival at Basel Bad the train was descended on by an army of teenage girls, which of course brought with them their girls noise! While everyone else in the coach at that point was getting ready for bed this lot seemed to want to spend the night making noise and giggling to themselves. I can understand the novelty at that age but I was in no mood for it and when the gripper came round doing tickets he was asked to get the coach to turn the volume down a few notches and whatever he did worked as I was away with the fairies a few moments later!

The Moves

Gen for Saturday 19^th July 2014

(Other than in the moves above)

BLS

Kandersteg – Goppenstein Car Trains

164 (Set 31 & DVT 955)

173 (Set 22 & DVT 956)

177 (Set 41 & DVT 951)

191 (Set 11 & DVT 949)

194 (Set 43 & DVT 958)

195 (Set 42 & DVT 957)

Kandersteg – Iselle Car Trains

162 (Set 32 & DVT 946) 27011 0524 Kandersteg – Iselle, 27012 0655 Iselle – Kandersteg, 27017 0754 Kandersteg – Iselle, 1019 Iselle – Kandersteg (was removed from set at Kandersteg and replaced by 189 from sidings)

189 (Set 32 & DVT 946) 27035 1555 Kandersteg – Iselle

192 (Set 23 & DVT 948) 27017 0754 Kandersteg – Iselle, 27018 0919 Iselle – Kandersteg & in place to work 27037 1754 Kandersteg – Iselle

465005 ???? Bern? – Brig (possible 0831 Bern – Brig) Extrazug, 1525 Brig – Thun Extrazug

SBB

11130 4762 0615 Domodossola – Brig

The Photos

Having been out of Switzerland to do Luxembourg, Holland and France I returned to meet up with my girlfriend and pick up the second part of the trip:

Tuesday 22^nd July 2014 (The French Revision!)

With the bonus of new 26150 on the 1951 Strasbourg – Basel, back from Selestat, I contemplated the day I’d just had as I sat and relaxed on a rather empty train back towards Switzerland; knowing full well I had one more farce to deal with that night when I got to Luzern; said farce getting ever closer when I was Luzern bound on 460067, working IR2483 2117 Basel – Luzern.

My hotel for the night had been booked in walking distance from the station as I was arriving late and departing early. I’d chosen the Erlebnis Jailhotel, through Booking.com, for both its proximity to Luzern station and the cost for a single night. By the time I arrived at the place, soaking wet from the pouring rain, I’d actually been moved about to different hotels no less than 4 times! Firstly I’d had an e-mail the previous week from the hotel telling me they’d moved me to their sister hotel, which was about 3km out of town, due to an incident at the hotel resulting in not all rooms being available. My response to them told them exactly why I’d chosen their hotel and that their alternative wasn’t acceptable at all; sure enough I was moved back to the Elebnis Jailhotel and all was well. Then while in Amsterdam, two days prior to arriving, I had a call from the hotel telling me that they had to move me to their sister hotel due to there being a broken bed in one of the single rooms they had; of course I was soon explaining to the guy at the end of the phone that they’d already tried to do this to me and it wasn’t acceptable then; and still wasn’t. He then told me we had a problem, to which I told him that I didn’t have one at all, he did and he needed to sort me out a bed near to Luzern station. 20 minutes later I had an e-mail from the Erlebnis Jailhotel confirming that they’d booked me a room at the Falken Hotel, which I found on Google Maps and it actually looked better than the Jailhotel itself, and was nearer to Luzern station. Imagine the mouthful the person ringing got when they rang while I was at Molsheim on the day of my arrival into Luzern, to tell me that I wasn’t staying at the Falken anymore and was actually back at the Jailhotel; my reservation having been cancelled at the Falken!

Discussions with the guy at the front desk, while I was still dripping wet, tired and a little pissed off, revealed that the hotel management weren’t best pleased with him having booked me at an alternative location without having consulted them first. The result being was someone else being moved to their sister hotel out of town to create space for me. The reason for all the messing about in the first place was revealed as well; it was simple overbooking, so everything else I’d been told had been a complete lie! I wasn’t given a discount or anything for all the messing about I’d faced, although I was offered  free breakfast; which of course I wouldn’t be around for but when I said he could give me the CHF15 it cost for breakfast my request was greeted with laughter; literally.

Despite all the messing about the room was ok and the place was just like a real jail, with proper jailhouse doors and the rooms were cell sized. There was no AC but the opening window sufficed, thanks to the rain cooling the temperature outside quite considerably. The main issue I had was the fact that the plug sockets were all the diamond shape ones, which sunk into the wall so I had to use my portable charger to charge everything that night. I was ready for bed hours before I’d arrived, let alone when I eventually got into it that night!

Wednesday 23^rd July 2014 (The Zurich Frenzy)

Having had a decent night’s sleep I was up at 0630 for a complete derance before heading back out for the day. I’d decided against getting up for the 0620 Luzern – Zurich, which is booked a pair of Re 4/4’s, and had decided on rolling up for the 0720 instead, which was only booked a single Re 4/4.

When I got downstairs in the Erlebnis Jailhotel I noticed straight away that breakfast was laid out ready for start-up at 0700. It was the same guy on reception that had checked me in the previous night and it took no persuading at all to get myself a free breakfast. The guy was even willing to open up the breakfast room and let me sit down but all I was interested in was packing some sarnies for the day and having a quick bite and drink before I set sail; I certainly got my monies worth after the messing about the hotel had caused me.

The walk to Luzern station was a lot nicer than it had been in the opposite direction the previous night, no rain, hardly any people and a very atmospheric morning over the lake, affording some nice early morning shots of the Kapelbrucke in the process.

I didn’t really have a plan for the day, it had been more of a back-up day to attempt to get SBB Cargo Re 4/4 11317 in if I’d not managed to do so a week earlier; so as I had it was going to be one of those view and chew days. The 0720 Luzern – Zurich came in ecs from the sidings with Re 4/4’s 11116/11145 T&T, neither of which were new so I opted to hunt around the station for something that was. 101961 was sat ready to go with the 0710 Engelberg, which even though it was new I opted to not do so I could view the first Voralpen Express of the day to St Gallen at 0740. I also found dud BLS Re 4/4 420502 with the stock for the 0757 Luzern – Bern, SBB Re 4/4 11172 with IR2159 0604 Basel – Locarno, which it had just re-engined, and also 460015 with the 0735 Luzern – Zurich. While I waited SOB’s 456095/092 arrived to form the 0740 Luzern – St Gallen so it was 460015 to Rotkreuz for 460007 back in on the other Luzern – Zurich double-deck diagram.

Upon my return I hunted round Luzern station again to find the following: BLS 465003 with the 0857 Luzern – Bern, SBB Re 4/4 11148 with EC253 0847 Luzern – Milano Centrale and unfortunately SOB’s 456093/094 with the 0840 Luzern – St Gallen Voralpen Express. As a result of that I chose to do 101961 out on the 0910 Luzern – Engelberg to Stans for what turned out to be 101965 back in on the other Engelberg turn; both locos sticking solidly on the Engelbergs the whole time I was in the area.

My move to Stans and back meant one thing, that I would not see the 0940 Luzern – St Gallen Voralpen Express and it turned out not to be the best move I’d play all morning as the 1040 Voralpen Express turned out to be an EMU, No’s 081/084 and then I managed to unwittingly flag BLS Cargo 465009 on the 1057 Luzern – Bern; not even realizing at the time that it was indeed a Cargo engine. Thankfully the 1140 Luzern – St Gallen Voralpen Express produced my last two SOB 456’s 456091/096, all of which I could have had on this very day of course; this likely meaning I’d managed to either miss 11317/446015 on the 0940 or possibly an EMU, although I was thinking it would probably have been the former yet I never did see the other turn.

Having worn out my cross platform leaping luckiness the previous week, when I nearly didn’t get 11317 in, I opted for the safe move and only did the new 456’s to Arth Goldau and waited there the hour for IR2272 1047 Locarno – Zurich; which was booked an Re 4/4. It duly rolled in with booked traction and I did 11136 through to Zurich to spend the afternoon trying to hunt down some new Re 4/4’s in the rush hour. I found some mind but not where I’d expected to find them; on the front of trains…….

After a quick out and back to Baden on Re460’s it was downstairs to the suburban platforms for a spin about on Re450’s during the rush hour. One thing I noticed straight away was that there weren’t many triple sets about as there had been during my previous trip a few months earlier; maybe this was due to it being Summer? Still I had a decent spin about in the hour or so I had before needing to view some trains and then bonus Lion 420223 turned up with 420226 on 19163 1600 Zurich Hardbrucke – Schaffhausen, the former being new, and by the time I got back from Stadelhofen it was time to find out what would do the 1642 Zurich – Luzern commuter.

Having not been in Zurich since the new platforms 31-34 had opened they took some finding initially but once you get your bearings, while below the surface of the main station, it is actually quite easy to navigate to/from them. They’re literally right below the old platforms 31-34, which now have no track in them at all and are a bit of a building site.

I fully expected the ecs for IR3535 1642 Zurich – Luzern to come in from the tunnel side of the platforms but when Re 4/4 11302 arrived from the carriage sidings end, with another Re 4/4 on the other end, it answered a few questions; and gave me a long walk down the 9 coach set to get the other engine number.

Thankfully the walk, in the stifling afternoon heat, wasn’t a wasted one as new Re 4/4 11302 headed the train. My guess was that all the Zurich – Luzern trains were now T&T as the sets couldn’t be reversed into the new underground platforms 31-34; every one I’d done or seen in the last week had been T&T and this was the only explanation I could come up with based on what I now knew.

I only had time to do the T&T Re 4/4’s to Zurich Enge as I needed to be back in Zurich to do the 1733 Zurich – St Gallen to Zurich Flughafen to meet my girlfriend who arrived at 1825 from London City. Having flagged the first train back into Zurich HB from Enge, which was an EMU, the screen showed the next one to be a triple set of Re450s, which was duly done back in, allowing enough time to get up the steps onto platform 10 to find Re 4/4’s 11132/11147 at the head of IR3831 1733 Zurich – St Gallen, the leading one being a winner.

As we departed Zurich HB I was on the lookout for SBB Cargo Re421’s as while coming in on the Re450’s I spotted something that didn’t compute, 421375 had been just outside the carriage sidings shunting a coach; this not being one of the regular 4 Cargo Re421’s that SBB usually uses. It was nowhere to be seen and my curiosity was nowhere near satisfied so having immediately figured out that it was a nothing walk to the arrivals gate for Zurich T2 arrivals I decided to risk going back into Zurich on the 1747 Zurich Flughafen – Luzern to do EC197 1816 Zurich HB – Munich HB back to the airport, which arrived at 1828.

Sure enough, just as I walked down the platform for EC197, 421375 was just dropping onto the train. Quite why it was out I don’t know and which “normal” SBB Cargo Re421 it was standing in for isn’t clear either as I only saw 421371 & 421394 the following day but didn’t see 421375 again so whether it stayed out I don’t know; it was a massive bonus for me though and I only ended up waiting 8 minutes at the arrivals gate for my girlfriend, her plane having already landed when I got there!

Things then became simple for the evening; get to Chur as quickly as possible and we did so via IC738 1811 St Gallen – Geneva to Zurich HB for the small plus onto IC587 1833 Basel – Chur; 460110 for 460002 respectively. We were in Chur for 2052 and at the Hotel Zunfthaus zur Rebleuthen 10 minutes later.

All our other stays in Chur had been at the Hotel Chur but for some reason it seemed a better idea to stay at the Zunfthaus zur Rebleuthen, it being cheaper being a good enough reason. It’s situated on the pedestrian area which leads through Chur town and the staff at the reception were waiting for us. No sooner had we arrived did the woman at reception disappear home; we actually saw her walk past just after we’d sat down for food nearby. The room was clean and spacious, there wasn’t any air-con but it wasn’t needed, and if anything the rooms didn’t seem as drab as those at the Hotel Chur. Breakfast was included in the room rate and served just across the hall from reception in a rather small room.

Food that night was at the pizza place just across the road from the Hotel Chur, the karma unfortunately spoilt by a large group of Swiss Army guys that were thankfully just finishing up when we started; although they did put at least two other couples off eating there due to the noise they were making. It didn’t stop the food being as good as always though.

Having had a busy few days and an early start that morning, bed was a welcome sight that night and I was looking forward to a leisurely start the following morning.

The Moves

Gen for Wednesday 23^rd July 2014

(Other than in the moves above)

BLS

420502 RE3316 0757 Luzern – Bern, RE3315 0936 Bern – Luzern, RE3324 1157 Luzern – Bern

465003 RE3318 0857 Luzern – Bern

465005 RE3320 0957 Luzern – Bern

465009 RE3322 1057 Luzern – Bern

SOB

456095/092 VAE2415 0740 Luzern – St Gallen, VAE2414 1005 St Galen – Luzern, VAE2425 1240 Luzern – St Gallen

456093/094 VAE2417 0840 Luzern – St Gallen, VAE2416 1105 St Gallen – Luzern

456091/096 VAE2423 1140 Luzern – St Gallen

EMU 081/084 VAE2421 1040 Luzern – St Gallen

ZB

101961 3654 0710 Luzern – Engelberg, 3662 0910 Luzern – Engelberg

101965 3663 0901 Engelberg – Luzern

SBB

11116/11145 RE3540 0720 Luzern – Zurich HB

11118 EC187 1353 Stuttgart – Zurich HB (from Singen)

11121 IR2165 0804 Basel – Locarno (from Luzern)

11148 EC253 0847 Luzern – Milano Centrale

11172 IR2159 0604 Basel – Locarno (from Luzern)

11196 IR2275 1409 Zurich HB – Locarno

11198 IR2170 0711 Chiasso – Basel (to Luzern, 11215 fwd)

11199 IR2176 0947 Locarno – Basel (to Luzern), IR2173 1204 Basel – Locarno (from Luzern)

11204 IR2169 1004 Basel – Locarno (to Luzern), IR2176 0947 Locarno – Basel (from Luzern)

11215 IR2170 0711 Chiasso – Basel (from Luzern, 11198 in)

The Photos

Thursday 24^th July 2014 (The promise of Pullman stock to Samedan……)

The whole idea of being in Chur on this particular day had been to do a second trip on the RhB run special; which was being run every Thursday & Friday with a combination of Ge6/6 Crocodiles #’s 414/415 and Ge4/6 #353. This particular date was advertised to be #353 plus a crocodile but as I’d found out the previous week, when the train arrived with #353 & #415, crocodile #414 was out of service at the current time so every date advertised as 2 x crocodile would in fact be 353/415. As I’d already had both locos, vice 2 x crocodile the previous week, I’d decided against doing the trip the whole way round anyway and once breakfast was over the day started rather well.

As with every stay in Chur this year it wouldn’t be the same without a trip to Domat/Ems during the Summer timetable to cover 4221 0753 Ilanz – Chur mixed train and having already covered it four times I wasn’t really expecting a new Ge6/6 II out of the move at all; having had 4 different ones each time I’d done the move. Yet still, with only 3 left to get in, I was presented with #701; number 5 of 7, what an absolute bonus! And having had a new Ge4/4 III, #646, out on RE1121 0758 Chur – St Moritz the day really had got off to a good start.

Unfortunately there was a mild turn for the worse when we came across the RhB Pullman stock sat round the back of Chur shed; while waiting for what I thought was it to arrive from Landquart! I’d promised my girlfriend a nice trip out on pristine Pullman stock in nice comfortable surroundings with clean toilets and a buffet car; what she actually got when #353 led the train into Chur was “nostalgia” coaches with wooden bench seats. Still, the toilets were clean, the train wasn’t wedged and there was still a buffet coach and the bonus of it all was that we didn’t get chung the CHF12.50 extra for the journey. This being even more of a bonus as we were only going to Samedan, not even half the day out, anyway.

The weather was nowhere near as good as it had been the previous week and the amount of photographers around was next to nothing compared to the previous Thursday. Due to a couple of late northbound St Moritz – Chur trains we were allowed off a couple of times for photos while we waited; the crew on board being very sociable in that respect and the whole crew throughout, drivers and all, were completely different from my last outing.

We were on time into Samedan and the locos were detached quickly. Photos taken we waited patiently for the next train to Pontresina to get the track in. While waiting we admired some random shunting taking place in the adjacent sidings whereby it seemed that some kind of filming was taking place of coupling/un-coupling utilizing Ge 4/4 II #624 in between freight duties. Strangely, also in the yard, well actually partly in the shed, was Ge 4/4 II #622, which didn’t mean much at the time but did later in the afternoon.

Another bonus winner for the morning in Ge 4/4 II #620 rolled in with 1929 1034 Scuol-Tarasp – Pontresina and once at Pontresina we viewed a Bernina Express in the opposite platform waiting connections. We were a little late on the way back and decided to go through to Bever, where the sandwiches we’d made from the hotel at breakfast were consumed; before we got bowled out by Be4/4 EMU #514 on 1933 1134 Scuol-Tarasp – Pontresina, which would explain why Ge 4/4 II #622 was sat in the shed at Samedan? Still we did it back to Samedan to give us a better chance of decent seats back to Landquart; we needn’t have bothered mind!

Ge 4/4 II #633 worked a very empty RE1342 1237 St Moritz – Landquart, which couldn’t have had more than half a dozen folk in the front coach and made for a very pleasant journey back to Landquart via Sagliains avoider.

Being in two minds what to do back at Landquart my mind was soon made up when SBB Re 4/4 11149 arrived with IC10778 1438 Chur – Zurich HB vice Re 460. Having spotted everything the whole morning on RhB there was nothing I could really do in regards to getting new stuff in any way as we needed to be in Zurich for our overnight to Dresden that night so this was quite a bonus really and it put us into some early rush-hour nedding about downstairs at Zurich HB; much to my girlfriends amusement.

The S-bahn stuff was more of a fill-in between the various trains that could be viewed at Zurich in the rush hour yet of everything that was viewed it seemed I was out of luck that evening and only picked up one new Re420 and that was a Lion one on a train I didn’t even realise was booked a set. While watching 420223/226 depart with the 1700 Zurich Hardbrucke – Schaffhausen 420230/227 arrived going the other way with what turned out to be the 1704 Stadelhofen – Baden; the set later being viewed on the 1830 Hardbrucke – Romanshorn. With ‘230 being new thankfully we had time to amble over the footbridge and down the other side; before it departed. Neither the 1642 or 1742 Zurich – Luzern T&T Re 4/4 trains, the 1700 Zurich Hardbrucke – Schaffhausen or the 1733 Zurich – St Gallen pair turn offered up anything new and I soon came to realise that the line of Re 4/4’s stabled near Hardbrucke seemed to contain quite a few of the ones I wanted. All of which had pantographs down and hadn’t moved since I’d spotted them the week before. From what I could see they were 11128, 11122, 11112, 11114, 11115, 11157 & 11155 plus maybe two others that were out of sight behind the front row.

Moves done for the evening we opted to get food at a Chinese place, which we’d passed a couple of times when walking from the S-bahn platforms to the new platforms 31-34 in the shopping area below Zurich HB. The food was fresh and tasty and not wedged; take-away is also available.

Having been in and out of Switzerland so much during the trip thus far it was finally time to say goodbye for good; on this trip anyway. The solid cranking would then give way to a semi-normal trip with my girlfriend as we headed for Prague.

What was slightly confusing was the fact that our CNL459 1942 ex Zurich was being advertised to Praha Hlavni Nadrazi; not so strange under normal circumstances but……. When trying to book the sleeper berths through DB from the UK I’d been told they couldn’t book anything as the system wouldn’t let them so they gave me the contact e-mail for City Night Line themselves who subsequently told me that on the date we wanted to travel the train was terminating at Dresden and we’d have to make our own way from there to Prague by alternative trains. When I rang DB in the UK back and told them this they then had no issue issuing sleeper berth reservations to Dresden and we were all set. Once on board the first thing I did was confirm where the train was going with the sleeper berth attendant; of course I was surprised to be told Praha! It seems not even the train operator can be sure of where their trains are running and our reservation was soon changed to Praha vice Dresden and everyone was happy; including my girlfriend, who’s first trip on an overnight train anywhere in the world was about to commence.

SBB’s 460108 handed over to DB’s 101026, which I’d already had across Germany and back during my trip, and once through Basel Bad we settled down to bed to relax for the night; although I had to set my alarm for 0615 to make sure I checked the loco that would work the train from Erfurt to Leipzig; having consulted all the diagrams I had on my tablet to figure out what worked where!

The Moves

Gen for Thursday 24^th July 2014

(Other than in the moves above)

RhB

Ge4/6 #353 / Ge6/6 #415 (RhB operated dated regular charter)

2125 0825 Landquart – Samedan (via Chur & Filisur), 2340 1150 Samedan – Scuol-Tarasp, (Assumed) 2350 1448 Scuol-Tarasp – Landquart (via Klosters)

All locos by diagram number from RhB Lokdienste Summer 2014 = Diagram No. then Loco No.

Ge 4/4 III

151 – 651, 152 – 648, 153 – 644, 154 – 649, 155 – 646, 156 – 652

Ge 6/6 II

201 – 701, 202 – 702, 203 – 704, 204 – 703, 206 – 705

Ge 4/4 II

301 – 611, 302 – 613, 303 – 619, 304 – 615, 306 – 633, 307 – 616, 314 – 624, 316 – 614, 318 – Be4/4 514 vice, 320 – 617, 321 – 620

SBB

11116/11145 T&T IR3537 1742 Zurich HB – Luzern

11143/11130 IR3831 1733 Zurich HB – St Gallen

11154/11199 T&T IR3535 1642 Zurich HB – Luzern

11192 EC164 1812 Buchs – Zurich HB

420223/226 19167 1700 Zurich Hardbrucke – Schaffhausen

420225/205 19163 1600 Zurich Hardbrucke – Schaffhausen

420230/22719066 1704 Stadelhofen – Baden, 19177 1830 Zurich Hardbrucke – Romanshorn

421371 EC281 1550 Stuttgart – Zurich HB (from Singen)

421394 EC197 1816 Zurich HB – Munich HB (to Lindau)

The Photos