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| Re4/4 11114 works EC185 the 12:32 Zurich - Singen - (Stuttgart) across the impressive Rhein Bridge at Eglisau. 9/5/2023. |
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| A different meter gauge line as ZentralBahn 101968 stands at Engelburg. 7/5/2023. |
Having not always had the best weather for my previous trip to Switzerland in February, when I realised I had a few days available in May (when the weather should be better) I jumped at the chance of a quick return visit. With some reasonably priced flights booked there were a few key targets, particularly some of the last Re4/4 hauled trains which were due to finish in June.
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| Staples of SBB passenger traction, the now outgoing Re4/4 and Re460 line up at Zurich Hbf. 07/05/23 |
Sunday 7th May-
After a day out watching the Coronation and celebrating a
friends birthday on the Saturday day, driving to Gatwick airport for a 7am flight on Sunday morning suddenly didn’t seem such a good idea- especially since I had checked the
weather forecast and seen that it was fairly abysmal for the whole trip!
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| SNCF BB22249 at Geneva with a service for Lyon. 07/05/23. |
The first stop was an Morges to do a bit of a rekkie of the
MBC railway which runs from Lake Geneva up to the delightfully named towns
of Apples, Biere and L’Isle-Mont-la-Ville. The railway is also one of the last
to carry standard gauge freight on its narrow gauge tracks using rollbocks. I
knew I was unlikely to find any freight on a Sunday, but hopefully I could
gleam some information for a future trip- unfortunately not as I struggled to
find any staff, and the only driver I did speak to unfortunately didn’t speak
English. Still, I had a pleasant ride up to Apples before returning on the next
train, this one complete with opening windows.
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| Aside from their pasenger work, it is still fairly easy to see Re4/4's on freight trains. 420 277 is seen leading a classmate through Lausanne. Note the leading loco is dellner coupler fitted. 07/05/23. |
My next non-RhB narrow gauge target was the ZentralBahn from
Luzern, which I made my way to loco-hauled by way of the impressive station at
Lausanne. The weather was closing in now, and rain fell at various points on my
journey.
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| Evidence of freight acitvities at Morges on the MBC. The unit I have arrived on from Apples is parked to the left. 07/05/23. |
The ZentralBahn runs a network of lines here including the
line to Engelburg which retains loco haulage with their fleet of class 101
HGe4/4’s. 101 961 and 968 were providing the days service and a full run was
taken up to Engelburg with 101 968, returning to Wolfenschiessen where I had
planned some photography. The weather however had other ideas with torrential rain
now falling since I had passed through the station 30 minutes earlier. Lineside
photography was out, I wasn’t even sure if I’d make it to the nearby bar to
spend my hour without getting soaked! Without wanting a long fester on a wet
platform I made the dash and after a beer dashed back to the station to take
101 961 back to Luzern for a Twindexx on to Zurich.
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| 101968 pushes its 'Engelburg Express' away from a very wet scene at Wolfenschiessen. It would now rain for many hours! 07/05/2023. |
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| TGV Lyria 4722 arrives into Lausanne with a Paris service. |
It was still raining heavily in Zurich where several Re4/4’s
were photographed working their portions of overnight sleeper trains. I then
got wet once again on the quick dash to the Johanniter restaurant just across
the river where I enjoyed an excellent Rosti and a dark beer. It was then time
to brave the rain again to reach my base for the night, a guesthouse in Rafz,
reached by the S9 (Re450) train. I had ended up staying here due to the
proximity to some of my other targets and it being much more affordable than
Zurich at short notice. Fortunately the rain had subsided enough that I didn’t
get totally drenched on the 15 minute walk into town, however I then arrived to
find the whole place shut up! Fortunately I persevered and found a back door
which had my key in an envelope! It was good to be in the dry!
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| A lucky atch of sun as 101961 approaches Stans with an 'Engelburg Express'. The locos are effectively the same HGe4/4 as is in use with the Mattehorn Gotthard Bahn. 08/05/23 |
Monday 8th May-
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| RE4/4 11300 has backed onto stock at Zurich ready for its next working to the German border at Singen. 8/5/2023. |
The morning had dawned very grey, but it was at least dry.
There was however no point in trying to photograph the Re4/4’s on EC work
between Singen and Zurich this morning, so instead I took the local train to
Schaffhausen in order to take a ride behind one, 11114 taking me in to Zurich after a short delay arriving from Germany.
With the weather looking better further south I retraced my
moves from the previous day back to Luzern and the Zentralbahn. Miraculously
while at Stans a few gaps in the cloud appeared, and I managed sunny shots of
both the locos which had been out the previous day. Heading back to Luzern I
had around 40 minutes until my next train and was pleasantly surprised to find
that the waterfront and many of the main tourist attractions of this lovely
city were immediately outside the station! I had time for a quick wander around
and an ice cream (just as it started raining again) before boarding another
Re460 service to Thalwill and then connecting down to Unterterzen for another
attempt at some photography by lake Walensee. As seems to be typical for this
location, the weather was not kind, and despite some chunks of blue in the sky
I didn’t catch any trains in good light. There were though a good number of
Re4/4’s seen with the evening trains from Chur, Eurocity from Austria and
several freight movements.
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| ZentralBahn operate a large number of multiple units alongside the HGe4/4 push-pull trains. 161 012 is seen on the outskirts of Stans with a local service. 08/05/23. |
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| Re4/4 11114 (again!) is seen by lake Walensee near Unterterzen working the 17:08 Chur - Zurich. Still not the sunny shot I was after but an improvement on the trains producing Re460's on my previous visit! 08/05/2023. |
It was pretty late by the time I returned from Sargans to
Chur, and while I could really have done with a restaurant car, a loco hauled
train with Re460 043 had to suffice. There was some sleeper activity again with
Re4/4’s at Zurich, and to save a very late arrival back at my hotel dinner was
a Bratwurst from a station stall. To save another slow commuter journey I took
a fast service to Shaffhausen on one of the ex-WestJet 401 units (which I must
say were very comfortable) for the short hop back on the S9. This also allowed
me to get a run past the Rheinfall while it was lit up. I would have stopped
off for some photos but with the lights due to switch off at 23:00 I would have been too late once I had walked down.
Google reckoned the hotel restaurant was open until
midnight, and a beer would have been welcome, but unsurprisingly everything was
closed upon my arrival.
Tuesday 9th May-
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| SBB Cargo Re6/6 620 022 crosses the viaduct at Eglisau with a train of hoppers for the nearby quarry at Hüntwangen. 09/06/2023. |
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| S9 services are provided by Re450 push-pull train sets. 450 090 is seen working a service to Uster at Eglisay. 09/06/2023. |
Cloudy again, but the forecast did at least indicate some
sunny spells were possible in the morning. My main objective of this trip had
been to photograph the Re4/4’s on EC services between Zurich and Stuttgart on
the impressive viaduct over the Rhein at Eglisau as they were scheduled to finish in June-
this morning really was my last chance! Amazingly on arrival at Eglisau the
weather began to improve markedly. Several good shots were achieved, but the
southbound EC which I had came for never turned up, not with an Re4/4 at least!
Fortunately a couple of freight services to the nearby quarry did, and
eventually EC185 northbound to Stuttgart passed in acceptable light. Mission
accomplished!
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| Double-deck heaven at Schaffhausen! Left to right a suburban Re450 set, an SBB Twindexx and finally a set of DB Dostos bound for Friedrichshafen Haven. 09/05/2023. |
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| DB's 245035 was an unexpected visitor at Schaffhausen, these services usually running from Basel Bad Bf had been diverted due to engineering work. 09/05/2023. |
With the light diminishing again and not much more of a plan
I treated myself to half an hour of being a tourist at the Rheinfall, which
really was quite impressive. I then took a train up to Schaffhausen to pick up
the returning Re4/4- which was annoyingly 11114 again from yesterday!
Also at Schaffhausen I was surprised to see further loco
hauled action in the form of DB’s 245 035 to Friedrichshafen-Haven, I
understand diverted here due to engineering works.
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| The heavens have opened! 420 222 trails a Lion set through the fields between Effretikon and Illnau. 9/5/2023. |
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| 420 210 is at the helm of a 'Lion' set at Pffafikon. 09/05/2023. |
Back in Zurich there was time to enjoy a lunch and a beer by
the lake, and also to visit the Swiss Central Bank to change some old notes I
had been left with from a previous trip – an experience in itself and of course
a pillar of Swiss efficiency.
The pleasant weather was now starting to look less kind as I
headed towards the end of my short trip. The afternoon target were the Re4/4
‘Lion’ commuter sets which I had not previously covered. After riding a couple
I got into position for some photos near Illnau on the line to Pfaffikon. Of
course before I even got to my spot the heavens opened and I got drenched
again.
A little more Lion riding and a good move was found to get
me to the airport loco-hauled for my flight home.
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| With the ever eroding passenger diagrams for SBB's Re4/4's much of their remaining work is now working portions of overnight sleeper services. 11149 waits to depart Zurich with the Night Jet to Amsterdam via Basel. 08/05/2023. |
All was going fine until EasyJet cancelled the flight at
22:00. One thing I can say about Swiss efficiency is that it does not extend to
Zurich Airport (and certainly not EasyJet!). Accepting that I was not now going
home tonight and was not going to get any assistance from the airline I booked
a modest hotel in Zurich (having been told told I could re-claim it) and enjoyed what was
actually a very good Burger King for my dinner since I was now starving. I
booked on the flight 24 hours later, if the weather was any better at least I
could have another go at the Lion’s now.
Wednesday 10th May-
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| SBB Vectron 193 516 at Istein on the scenic line along the Rhein. 10/05/2023. |
The weather wasn’t better. Not in Zurich anyway, so I headed
west where things looked a bit more promising. A DB ICE-4 conveyed me to Basel
Bad from where I made a brief foray into Germany. I had spotted the scenic
looking line along east bank of the Rhein here from a plane landing at Basel
airport a few years previously and now I had an unexpected chance to give
photography here a go.
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| 460 018 at Basel SBB with a IC2000 rake bound for Brig. 10/05/2023. |
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| Re460 061 at Thalwill on a Luzern - Zurich service. 08/05/23. |
I queued up for quite some time to try to buy a DB FIP
ticket only to be told I couldn’t for the local operator. I then spent a bit of
time at Basel Bad, and then at Efringen-Kirchen watching the clouds and the
freight trains. Traffic on the route I had picked seemed variable, but the fact
there was any freight was a relief.
Having failed to get a sunny shot at my first location I moved on to Istein and found a precarious shot by the lineside to shoot the trains. I just needed to wait, and wait, and wait for something interesting to turn up. Fortunately by the time it eventually did the sun had also decided to make an appearance, and I left back to Switzerland with a couple of pleasing shots.
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| 186 222 makes as fine a sight as a Traxx loco can as it makes its way north from Istein over the German border. 10/05/2023. |
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| Basel BLT tram heading towards Basel SBB Station. 10/05/23 |
EasyJet treated me to dinner on my Twindexx unit back to Zurich where one member of staff did a very impressive job of serving a nearly full restaurant car as well as prepping drinks, food and billing everyone in the 50 minute journey to Zurich! I then dropped onto the now familiar move from the day before to take a Lion set to Oerlikon for what really, really would be my last loco of the trip this time to Zuirch Airport, 460 071.
This time EasyJet did fly me home- all be it a little late.
Zurich airport excelled once again with massive security and customs queues.
Exactly 24 hours earlier I had just walked through. A number of passengers,
myself included, were getting fairly worried that we would not get through in
time. In fact, had it not been for the delay to the flight we may well not
have!
Conclusions-
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| 101968 working a ZentralBahn 'Engelburg Express' away from Stans, bound for Luzern. 8/5/2023. |
I always love to spend time in Switzerland, even though the
weather did make this trip a bit trying at times. That said, while I didn’t
come away with masses of great pictures, I did get several including one or two
that I really wanted. The rest of the sunny pictures will, once again, have to
wait until another time.
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| Re6/6 power on the Pfaffikon line as 620 082 works a ballast train. Need I add this could have benefited from better weather! 9/5/23 |
What probably won’t be around next time are daytime IC and
EC trains hauled by Re4/4’s which are due to loose almost all of their
remaining passenger work (excluding Lion’s) in June. Fortunately there are still
plenty to see on freight for now, but the long dominance of these delightful
locos is certainly now diminishing rapidly.
Having my flight cancelled was a first for me, and while
EasyJet will honour my expenses I can’t say much for their customer service,
and despite my best efforts I’m clearly not going to get any compensation out
of them since the flight cancellation has gone down as weather related - not that I was told that at the time!
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| The view from above taken by drone at Eglisau as an Re6/6 works a stone train from Hüntwangen. 9/5/2023. |
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| Re4/4's doing their thing at Zurich Hbf. Scenes like this are fast becoming history as the class continues to loose what little remains of its passenger duties. 8/5/2023. |
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