Swiss Railways A-Z Part 2

Steve Ollive made a return visit to the Solent branch in February to continue his A - Z of Swiss Railways, this time focussing on those beginning with the letters D to M. Many of the lines have rack operation because of their steep gradients. It was explained that there are four systems - Riggenbach, Strub, Abt, and Locher.

The lines visited were predominantly metre gauge, though some were 800mm, and electrified using a variety of voltages. Our tour began with the Doldebahn at Zurich, a small line only 1.3kilometres long and concluded at the Meringen - Innertkirchen-Bahn line after visiting many others, including the Jungfraubahn. The latter railway is notable in using a three-phase alternating current electrical system.

The photos shown in the presentation were all taken on RCTS holidays and included some taken in depots as well as trains in service and spectacular Swiss scenery. Stadler is a Swiss manufacturing company which we have become familiar with in the UK with their FLIRT platform of trains, so it was no surprise to find many of their products in use on their home territory.

Steve’s presentation was enjoyed by all who attended the meeting, and we look forward to seeing the next instalment of his trilogy taking us from letters N to Z.