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Swiss Rail "Holiday Snaps"


Glorious NSE
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Swiss-related image galleries from my holiday over the last couple of weeks can be found here.

There's a little more SBB to code up and upload, but all the MGB and RHB is on there - there's lots of rolling stock images and a decent collection of images of the upgraded Ilanz station in the RhB gallery.

Those collections are all sorted by filename (and so by vehicle ID where applicable/known) - if you want to view in date order there is a master collection here (though this won't all be Swiss in time...)

If anyone else needs to upload images or links for their own, feel free to continue using this thread.

Here's some samples:
MGB_94_Hospental_22082019_(340).JPG.966d14f85b13eee89b3b202f27962290.JPG209887702_RHB_111_Ilanz_23082019(813).JPG.65f754e0cd0eb4490ed7194900216a04.JPGRHB_611_Ilanz_22082019_(520).JPG.c7d347d1be2e1f9425b0da60da6092b8.JPG949968820_RHB_701_Ilanz_23082019(746).JPG.3c6c3f9033747dfde54cf3e79f02cb30.JPGSBB_16383_16440_Chur_23082019_(909).JPG.9d4ffae91e49f8922376fdb479d51670.JPG

 

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16 hours ago, Glorious NSE said:

Swiss-related image galleries from my holiday over the last couple of weeks can be found here.

There's a little more SBB to code up and upload, but all the MGB and RHB is on there - there's lots of rolling stock images and a decent collection of images of the upgraded Ilanz station in the RhB gallery.

Those collections are all sorted by filename (and so by vehicle ID where applicable/known) - if you want to view in date order there is a master collection here (though this won't all be Swiss in time...)

If anyone else needs to upload images or links for their own, feel free to continue using this thread.

Here's some samples:
MGB_94_Hospental_22082019_(340).JPG.966d14f85b13eee89b3b202f27962290.JPG209887702_RHB_111_Ilanz_23082019(813).JPG.65f754e0cd0eb4490ed7194900216a04.JPGRHB_611_Ilanz_22082019_(520).JPG.c7d347d1be2e1f9425b0da60da6092b8.JPG949968820_RHB_701_Ilanz_23082019(746).JPG.3c6c3f9033747dfde54cf3e79f02cb30.JPGSBB_16383_16440_Chur_23082019_(909).JPG.9d4ffae91e49f8922376fdb479d51670.JPG

 

These are superb photos - thank you for sharing them!

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About time I did an update I guess!

I entered Switzerland on Sat 22/8, travelling from Cologne, an ICE4 took me from Mannheim to Landquart to pick up the RHB to Davos Platz

I had a 36m connection in Landquart, so after a quick visit to the cashpoint I had chance for some pics, and the rain that had hit that day was just clearing...

Two of the new battery-electric shunters were outside the depot (with a third, 20604, operating) - 232, 20603 and 20605 pictured here.

i-nJRHTkS-X2.jpg.b83ea7fe3e0f463c3187af07eb324022.jpg

632 arrives with a Disentis to Scuol train, the "Innotren" observation car was on the back and uncoupled here.

i-ntvFfq2-X2.jpg.be2ebfa03bf0d038e1253219b2e889e3.jpg

My traction to Davos Platz today was Allegra 3508, coach, driving trailer, and two more coaches.

i-hSRV4GH-X2.jpg.0f8c5129cd8806fcba5536fed3ad6635.jpg

 

We passed Capricorn 3117 at Malans, and 3112 here at Davos Laret, confirming they are in use, 3112/3117 were in passenger use all week on the Klosters/Davos/Filisur workings diagrammed for units...

(As a round-up of the other Capricorn, 3113/3115 were stabled (coupled) at Davos Platz all week, I think for static training. 3114 seems to have been on active training based out of Felsberg, I don't recall seeing 3111 anywhere this year)

i-pZfskvF-X2.jpg.f32e395a3cfc94b29ca52f23a8783105.jpg

Met up with Jon at Davos Platz, with the Krok just in the process of putting away the afternoon train...

i-NM4hWrf-X2.jpg.0c5a4a9467bc1d5746c95551b14a16ef.jpg

I was a little concerned i'd miss the Pendelzug sets, but this one (511/1712) was around all week, where it worked some of the Klosters/Davos/Filisur workings seemingly at random with the pair of active Capricorn.

i-JQMMQ53-X2.jpg.5e3df327a44bf418e68c522e1bfe44c9.jpg

Happily there was overnight work going on, so as well as the regular shunter (#120) diesels 23404 and 243 were here all week, as well as various other bits of kit.

i-49K4QKV-X2.jpg.e2c876738c02f8e82f2907eae608366a.jpg


Nose comparison...
 

i-q4J8d8P-X2.jpg.8fa196450dbd61ed05f356ed2b9ade1c.jpg

612 with a push-pull set.

i-vWnRN4q-X2.jpg.6510b0f7dcc792ebd4d3aada95803c86.jpg

3513 with push pull set and trailing coaches.

i-6jKgLbt-X2.jpg.09e4b2a59416cedb4c6faa354e785724.jpg


The Capricorn have a bit of an evil stare going on (and the back end is even worse!) - I like the back-lit shield though!

i-n4P3FG4-X2.jpg.e29991c2f42f018860dfafdc9ef701e6.jpg

Taking a short walk from our accom, 511/1712 approach Davos Platz from Filisur

i-2rbvJDw-X2.jpg.f5879fd9087f37949bab50ae2dd179fe.jpg

My last pic of the day, a pan shot of 645 pushing it's train from Filisur back into Davos Platz

i-GGcDX8d-X2.jpg.19dfeeefecde08f5cdc5cc818d8b27ac.jpg

I've more pics to upload - put pics from this day are here:
https://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/Daybyday/2020/2020-08-22-Cologne-to-Davos-Platz/
(Be aware that whilst it's sorted into time order - I made the rookie mistake of not updating the time on my DSLR, so the order is a bit messy between images from phone and camera...)

Will try and gradually update these over the week...

 

 

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1 hour ago, Glorious NSE said:

Capricorn have a bit of an evil stare going on

Maybe the nickname “Mwah ha ha ha!” ;) 

That Pendlezug set obviously had a recent refurb as it carries the two tone red livery introduced on the Allegra so I guess it will last until the Capricorn’s are all in service. 
You really caught the transition and I guess by next year it will pretty much be the future look. I’ll reserve judgement on how much I like that ;) but the main loss is the EW1’s choice of windows to open.  

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16 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

Maybe the nickname “Mwah ha ha ha!” ;) 

That Pendlezug set obviously had a recent refurb as it carries the two tone red livery introduced on the Allegra so I guess it will last until the Capricorn’s are all in service. 
 

 

The on-board automated announcement welcomed us to the Allegra service from Filisur to Davos later in the week - I think this unit has delusions of grandeur! 

 

Jon

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16 hours ago, Glorious NSE said:

 

Will be interested to see what changes are in the timetables/diagrams for December as there should be more available, though I suspect not loads. 

 

Just to quantify this a bit and throw some musing in.

 

There's a new depot for them being built in Landquart, which if I have the site right is still at groundworks stage right now so isn't going to be on stream imminently, and definately not by the December timetable change. 

 

Without that depot I suspect there is a limit to how many units they can maintain (or even store!) alongside the existing fleets. 

 

Given that, I suspect Capricorn deliveries will be slow in the short term, but accelerate when they have the depot ready.

 

I think that will be why they say the 2021 timetable change is the big one. 

 

So I'm not especially expecting massive differences from Dec, with them not splitting/joining in traffic yet as they won't have enough available to create a timetable around that function. 

 

But by this time next year they should have more units, and the space for them, and crews that know them, and I'd be unsurprised if they started dropping them on diagrams that don't require shunting or tail traffic, either singly or paired. 

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Sunday 23rd, part 1 - an early start for me, as summer Saturdays/Sundays are the only times where a GE4/4i is booked for passenger trains, with a slightly weird diagram that shuttles up and back in the Rhine gorge all day. The first leg is an 07:58 Landquart to Ilanz, which would also get me the rarity of open coaches between Landquart and Chur! 

(Jon made the slightly more sane decision for a later start, with a plan to meet up later...)

645 rests at Davos Platz as I walk to the station for the 0600 to Landquart.

RHB_645_DavosPlatz_23082020-X2.jpg.6e477ed27a5e0d11c1a998c4ee6a562e.jpg

3513 ready to shove our train to Landquart.

RHB_3513_DavosPlatz_20200823_055604-X2.jpg.753a813501b7b1a394a7695ea0007da7.jpg

At Landquart - 20604 arrives (on battery power no less) with the slightly rag-tag selection of stock for the gorge train, van, 2nd class centre door car, 3x open coaches and a 1st class centre door car...

(Looking around the rest of the network, are these the last centre door cars that haven't been converted to brakes or bike coaches, quite possibly...?)

954188594_RHB_20604_Landquart_23082020(61)-X2.jpg.75b0f8968001bf2b7e2494aab63ca4bf.jpg

610 arrives from the shed to be our loco for the day, and shunts to the platform.

1992526181_RHB_610_Landquart_23082020(124)-X2.jpg.6bdc4c966c6240c697773135a543853c.jpg337025914_RHB_610_Landquart_23082020(144)-X2.jpg.c56ffa0086610e57c585079e9813502a.jpg

The centre door coaches have end windows, so there's quite a nice "observtion car" effect from the 1st class end at least!

(Nice tartan too...)

1910892969_RHB_1251_Landquart_23082020(150)-X2.jpg.c79961bc50c42e5c39f3f69e45a9c4ea.jpg

I moved to the middle open coach before departure, this leg of the journey out to Ilanz was practically empty, not surprising given the early start on a slightly dull morning.

Being in the middle coach of three entirely empty open air coaches was the only time I really questioned the usefulness of wearing a facemask. :D

IMG_20200823_081738-X2.jpg.40d5169eaf72a5382ccd7a020faa9167.jpg

20602 was working the yard at Chur...

161714779_RHB_20602_Chur_23082020(19)-X2.jpg.02487298abd549542ff7c1bb0a84b60b.jpg

Something I didn't spot last year - this interesting distribution warehouse at Felsberg, with standard and narrow gauge tracks. Calanda liveried 5161 is there for loading...

RHB_5161_Felsberg_24082020-X2.jpg.e611725134a0ccee84dfc14cf0d77dee.jpg

At Reichenau-Tamins we zig-zag our way between the oncoming trains from Disentis and St Moritz, passing the Disentis train to the left in the platform, then crossing over to pass the St Moritz train as it waited on the new river bridge...

1337503723_RHB_57805_Reichenau-Tamins_23082020(81)-X2.jpg.2e1d55fde1b2842b5016e4f9f95eb4c9.jpg1756478926_RHB_641_Reichenau-Tamins_23082020(84)-X2.jpg.206bb1c2c361df3be3fd27402ec1718f.jpg

Entering the Rhine gorge...

RHB_610_20200823_085435-X2.jpg.6538f13d708c55b56a3e81aa1e69d19e.jpg

At Ilanz the next train from Disentis was waiting for our arrival behind 625

1856650164_RHB_625_Ilanz_23082020(45)-X2.jpg.9793a5fd17b3fc96e2704726fb28b660.jpg

Nice  bit of wagonnage - check those spoked wheels!

751763970_RHB_7324_Ilanz_23082020(60)-X2.jpg.ab1347cf98445bf919746d5ea345eddd.jpg

625 headed for Castrisch whilst 610 ran round to head for Chur - 629 will have met 625 at Castrisch and is my next train today...

688732982_RHB_610_629_Ilanz_23082020(84)-X2.jpg.4ada7007dc34f3975fb8ed3c95ad55bc.jpg

A quick platform change at Disentis sees me onto the MGB for Oberalppass...

MGB 5 heads the other way...

MGB_5_23082020-X2.jpg.318a891c465687747395a6f1bba61cbf.jpg

MGB 23 was our power up the mountain today...

600333177_MGB_23_Oberalppass_23082020(4)-X2.jpg.5372603aa0b6f348576cbb3bddc1d73d.jpg

3 MGB engineers wagons in the bay at Oberalppass today, cloudy and cold when I arrived, but with the sun changing the character of the place entirely whilst I was there.

(For comedy value, the Met Office app was telling me it was snowing in Andermatt - er, no...)

696578395_MGB_Oberalppass_23082020(142)-X2.jpg.9b68346854f3ccb2eba22efd74f7da4c.jpg

589597230__Oberalppass_23082020(145)-X2.jpg.45948f5048d0617b532c5576ed3dbbf8.jpg

After nearly an hour, the Disentis bound train comes back up the hill from Andermatt, the same push-pull set with #23.

There's a great optical illusion here as the train appears from out of the lake!

1339819464__Oberalppass_23082020(35)-X2.jpg.b39b5497ca9fe40482243cb245fcb06e.jpg1596313433_MGB_2253_Oberalppass_23082020(57)-X2.jpg.07de30019e2bc1ff12f672f649310a70.jpg1087614190_MGB_23_Oberalppass_23082020(67)-X2.jpg.d7b72760856883b989fcf1948d7bd176.jpg

MGB 23 meets it's counterpart at Oberalppass, formed of MGB 103 and quite a nice length train...

825862561_MGB_103_Oberalppass_23082020(94)-X2.jpg.368013654bb481088a99f63027e7d033.jpg

 

About half an hour later, MGB 3 heads East with the first of the two Glacier Express' each way.
 

481430066_MGB_3_Oberalppass_23082020(125)-X2.jpg.be6452f8ae58809b1f3834a91f205cd9.jpg

Right - back to the station to head back East...

 

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2 hours ago, Glorious NSE said:

For comedy value, the Met Office app was telling me it was snowing in Andermatt - er, no...

Yep I found the app telling me it was raining where I was all week last year, except the one afternoon it did rain! ;)  

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Back at Oberalppass station for the train back down the mountain, MBG 103 makes a return, happily (from a photography point of view) having run round in Andermatt and not pushing back!

364876258_MGB_103_Oberalppass_23082020(167)-X2.jpg.98a6386b741364c6a98e2f87f5d6b251.jpg

#Happyplace

MGB_Oberalppass_20200823_125314-X2.jpg.eae0eb40494f490e85349be8603308dc.jpg

As we depart, a nice little historical reminder on the tunnel portal!

1014836665_MGB_2131_Oberalppass_23082020(184)-X2.jpg.72183eb84a94daeb37d242fa400836bb.jpg

The MGB has done a lot of work upgrading the loops and stations on this route...

MGB_103_TschamutSelva_23092020-X2.jpg.f1b48a70e1319631216c4b09404bb0bb.jpg

Back on the RHB after a quick change at Disentis again, we meet 632 at Rabius-Surrein

1666605210_RHB_632_RabiusSurrein_23082020(8)-X2.jpg.203c7edb07b4ba221dd440d4cd46ab2b.jpg

We passed 610 at Ilanz which would follow us back down the gorge, and I got off at Trin to meet Jon

A quick walk West to shoot 610 approaching.

428027118_RHB_610_Trin_23082020(24)-X2.jpg.8667b80c6fbd2aaf5535616c3fa38043.jpg

This particular part of the gorge diagram sees the train run round at Trin to head back to Ilanz, it just has time for a quick runround move...

417563506_RHB_610_Trin_23082020(36)-X2.jpg.527a465f8be6e6d7c59486ddc055c4e6.jpg

Before 611 heads through on the second of today's St Moritz bound GEX. 

749704871_RHB_611_Trin_23082020(44)-X2.jpg.d4748c226396de36e68041f803c2efeb.jpg

625 on the next Disentis bound train calls at the rather lovely Trin station - 610 will follow it back through the gorge.

488721753_RHB_625_610_Trin_23082020(81)-X2.jpg.0d4edea11c16125ce1d3711716c18ff7.jpg

610 gets a bit of attention before departure...

1307357684_RHB_610_Trin_23082020(104)-X2.jpg.688aa88d94834b0c1cd1e35bb79af6df.jpg

After 610 departs, not long to wait till our train - 632 arrives with the hourly Disentis-Scuol

487040672_RHB_632_Trin_23082020(160)-X2.jpg.28d91fedb32291fe911f36d0731822a9.jpg

Change at Reichenau-Tamins - probably one of the busiest places on the network - 632 departs, 626 then arrives the other way on the next Disentis train.

There were a few trains sporting bonus GEX cars, with fewer of those running they were running as normal 2nd class coaches on service trains....

1182627859_RHB_632_Reichenau-Tamins_23082020(21)-X2.jpg.5452e19ae408f4d2496e3ddb9bda1887.jpg1639791268_RHB_626_Reichenau-Tamins_23082020(68)-X2.jpg.ab295a2fd2d79f31089d8fd1dfed8f86.jpg

3102 with a local train off the Albula

106979263_RHB_3102_Reichenau-Tamins_23082020(38)-X2.jpg.fb05756675aa6e040ec191d0f05082c3.jpg

We took the next St Moritz train, giving me my first new trackage of the day...(up to this point i'd only done Disentis-Landquart and Landquart-Davos sections of the RHB)

Gathering of shunters at Thusis - 20601 is the new hybrid one on the right...

1959421149_RHB_117_88_20601_Thusis_23082020(14)-X2.jpg.dba826acd648a875b17fffe588f33ea2.jpg

Our Albula train also had a bonus GEX car, looks like this was an empty one deadheading to St Moritz though...

RHB_52523_23082020-X2.jpg.46aeaf2a2248816a271d68b0099dac90.jpg

My first trip over this little beauty....

980791342_RHB_Landwasser_23082020(6)-X2.jpg.1397d7ebda5f82c1ee7fb30085bf46e5.jpg

At Filisur we change again for the connection back to Davos, with 3501 and push-pull set waiting...

406075373_RHB_114_Filisur_23082020(2)-X2.jpg.2a254d3f5fc4d36bc9155efd064e722f.jpg2022032614_RHB_3501_Filisur_23082020(10)-X2.jpg.214261c569796e2cad9f82863fee17ff.jpg

...and waiting. 

We were held for the connection from the late running St Moritz to Chur. (Cut out and keep image for your next "Swiss trains never run late" conversation.;))

582860433_RHB_Filisur_23082020(18)-X2.jpg.7e999c24da7489828e55e8df8505809b.jpg

And back to Davos! The delay meant we did a meet with the next Filisur round-trip in Glaris rather than getting a clear run through to Davos Platz.

RHB_612_DavosGlaris_23082020-X2.jpg.9272459f0bc8c0a85b5a6a6586c40b55.jpg

Rest of the pics for Sunday 23rd are here - phone and camera times still not synched, sorry!
https://ukrailwaypics.smugmug.com/Daybyday/2020/2020-08-23-Davos-to-Oberalppass/
 

 

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Great set of pics Martyn! :) 
The late running isn’t that uncommon, there were a lot running 16+ late last year on a couple of days due to problems but they have the recovery time built in so they generally recover over a couple of hours. 

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Firstly I should say thank you to Martyn for allowing me to tag along - I've blundered between one domestic disaster and another this year, on top of moving sites at work and Covid, so I hadn't done any sort of research, and was quite content to have a non-thinking holiday. Happily Martyn had done his research and had pulled together a slightly different itinerary than I would have chosen, which was interesting - I love the Albula line, and tend to discount everything else as 'not the Albula', but I seem to have managed to enjoy myself!

 

My Sunday started with a very lazy lie in, and the Crocodile to Filisur and back, the train slows at various points to allow photos, including the view of the 'other' side of the Landwasser Viaduct

 

rhbday1001.jpg.97ed211480877ee91bc750de47e8eda4.jpg

 

rhbday1002.jpg.c7d609b7e8e66669b062125dac52d3bc.jpg

 

Before eventually making it down to the Rhine Gorge section at Trin - I marginally beat Martyn there, and had time to cross the suspension footbridge and scout out photospots on the foreshore - before concluding that the bridge offered a better view.

 

I think this is Martyn's train arriving

 

rhbday1003.jpg.27cc1e108bfff41b5bef4239bfd425cd.jpg

 

We will have inevitably ended up with a lot of similar views, so I won't repeat any more

rhbday1004.jpg.235c240f4028db7106de943a17693cbb.jpg

 

but I stayed out on the bridge for the Glacier working.

rhbday1005.jpg.2f0b63e2739dea5a0b358de88baf9892.jpg

 

 

Edited by jonhall
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Thanks for coming along Jon, was a great week - please do keep adding bits on occasions where we were going different ways or if i miss anything out, that's much appreciated! :good_mini:

I'm still sorting and uploading.... :chok_mini:

Back to pondering the deep and meaningful philosophical questions of life.... "should I have categorised 4xxx series wooden vent vans as goods vehicles, or does that 4xxx series number range denote something like NPCCS status so I should really be saving them in the coaching stock folder....?" :wacko:

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8 hours ago, Glorious NSE said:

should I have categorised 4xxx series wooden vent vans as goods vehicles, or

I’d say still a goods vehicle as a passenger baggage car can be accessed from the train while running while the 4xxx cannot carry passengers on the move ;) 
02B6F403-51DF-4844-A259-946487F8D8F1.jpeg.998d2e79d536f46a0c6a285f1876c85c.jpeg

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The 40xx series of the vans puts the number range below the gangwayed passenger vans though, whereas the rest of the freight stock starts at 5xxx. ;) 

(I think I agree though, and they will stay with freight stock...)

Anyhow - to the trains!

Monday 24th was our first weekday - and what do weekdays mean? Freight trains! :sungum:
And we're going to start off today by checking out some of the more overlooked bits of the RHB...

Oh - our theme for the day is "This Is Not The Glacier Express".

We were on the slightly more sensible 07.30 off Davos Platz today, the empty flat under the crane tells us that the local Spar has had their delivery already...

1538470780_RHB_65679_DavosPlatz_24082020(124)-X2.jpg.d0acc4b2b2b3d2fd56023d95a048d5a9.jpg

As we arrived in Landquart 702 was just heading off to the yard...

1983610004_RHB_702_Landquart_24082020(12)-X2.jpg.b9d4cd1e6c08451405ba4eeab6c233c0.jpg

Blue liveried 619 arrives for Scuol, the shunter would add a van to the back before departure...
(Quite like this one, the blue makes a nice change...)

143081427_RHB_619_Landquart_24082020(20)-X2.jpg.6304124c3763301a46062cc71b2a916f.jpg

We get onthe next commuter train heading towards Chur, 702 has picked up one wagon in Landquart yard....

1974614068_RHB_702_Landquart_24082020(57)-X2.jpg.6459e599b0ea8902b4c562eeda841059.jpg

As we call at Landquart Reid the station is alongside the Volg supermarket warehouse - they have their own "shunter" which was moving vans and container flats up and down the dock....

298219808_RHB_Landquart_24082020(71)-X2.jpg.e24aa0bbdf11a38121c16aaadc1ad499.jpg


We get off at Untervaz-Trimmis - this location forms one end of many of the RHB freight flows, with plants dealing with construction debris, cement, gravel, household waste and the Valser water warehouse located here.

Beyond the industrial foreground this part of the Rhine valley is pretty nice...

 

267152599_RHB_3101_Untervaz-Trimmis_24082020(5)-X2.jpg.a7788b82e83400c125451b0c17bc789f.jpg
 
Untervaz is also home to a pair of unique shunters, 93 and 241

1441252575_RHB_93_Untervaz-Trimmis_24082020(8)-X2.jpg.8e0f9e1495691b868dabea4d6b19d4f2.jpg

93 was coupled up to this great shunters truck, which allows it to shunt standard gauge wagons on the dual gauge sections of trackage here...

1873933106_RHB_99302_Untervaz-Trimmis_24082020(42)-X2.jpg.cc24082f495bf719aec666c041fa8104.jpg835407704_RHB_Untervaz-Trimmis_24082020(30)-X2.jpg.1613b35073367414dd1bbe937f4e3e6b.jpg

One of my targets was these, the new Valser swapbodies...

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Soon, 702 arrives from Landquart, uncouples from it's wagon...

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And picks up the first of today's empties from Valser for Ilanz - four vans and two flats.

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Adding them to the flat from Landquart it's off again. The Galliker load will be dropped at Chur yard to connect with an Albula freight, whilst the Valser traffic continues on to Ilanz

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241 waits with vans for the next Ilanz train later in the day...

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Assorted ACTS transports....

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632 appears for our next leg, we'll take it as far as Chur, then change to a local train to Reichenau-Tamins

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"This Is Not The Glacier Express"
On the back was a GEX car, so we thought we'd give it a go to see the scenic del....

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...scenic delights....well okay.

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Approaching Chur, as a BLS powered intermodal rolls through...

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We could have stayed on the same train to Reichenau, but changing for the local allowed a shot of it arriving on it's way to Disentis....

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With 648 following it to head up the Albula
(Think this one was the worst advertising scheme we saw...)

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"This Is Not The Glacier Express"
Following that was the freight for the Albula, 651 slows to drop off a crewmember - it's collected the Galliker container and a Calanda van from Chur.

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We take a short walk West from the station to our next location for a few hours of busy train-watching - on the way, time to shoot this nice pair of private owners - was surprised at just how many of these old vans were operating in engineers or private ownership.

We think that's a rail welding trolley on the flat.

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More to follow tomorrow...
 

Edited by Glorious NSE
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I'm sure most of you will be familiar with Reichenau-Tamins, from the train it comes over as a fairly industrial place, oddly, step back a bit and it's quite a nice place to watch trains, with a great backdrop to the photography - the only caveat is that shooting video may not be as good as there is constant traffic noise from the main road below you.

At this location two branches of the Rhine come together, and the RhB crosses one of them just outside the station.

The RhB opened a brand new bridge here in late 2018, initially some temporary track saw all trains diverted over the new bridge whilst the original deck truss bridge was refurbished, but now the track layout has been finished.

There are a pair of crossovers on the East side of the station to allow the two platforms and two goods loops to all work fully bi-directionally.

West of the station is this crossover giving all tracks access to the old bridge (the third track in the background here is a long siding.)

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Intermediate signals in both direcctions allow trains to be held on the bridge - the modern one of which has this lovely gentle curve to it...

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The other side of the river has the opposite number crossover, the Albula line then climbs steeply away whilst the Disentis line heads for the gorge ahead...

The layout means that trains to/from the Disentis line always use the old bridge, but trains to/from the Albula can use either.

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So - lots of investment....why?

Well, it's bloomin busy! Seriously, if you're looking for somewhere to "veg" and watch the trains go by, you could do much, much worse!

So - here's a graphical timetable excerpt for the North end of the Albula route in the middle of the day. Black trains are the principle long distance trains. Light black are local passenger. Purple is panoramic trains, and blue is freight.

(Note - not everything on here runs every day - 1734/1743 are the weekend gorge train diagram we shot on Sunday, the freights don't usually do weekends, and 900 is from memory a Covid cancellation...)

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But the basic pattern repeats all day, and gives you 8 passenger moves per hour, plus freight, plus panoramics:

So lets go through the pattern - these images are not in the order they happened on the day but illustrate the moves...

Lets start with the quietest bit of the hour, at Just after 20 past the hour the Rhäzüns local heads up the Albula, coming back just over 15 minutes later...at present these are consistently the 4 car Allegra units, but I would guess the Capricorns could easily run the same diagrams when there's more of them.

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10 minutes after that the Disentis to Scuol comes off the lower line and crosses the old bridge...

 

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Closely followed by the St Moritz to Chur off the Albula...

These two are closely flighted from Reichenau to Chur, they cleverly use separate tracks and platforms at Reichenau which means that if one is a little late or early they minimise conflict - there's even some video of a parallel arrival on YouTube.

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The local ex-Thusis then comes off the Albula and crosses over to the old bridge, and it's counterpart uses the new bridge and heads up the Albula - the two are timetabled to pass on the double track at the other end of the station so doubling the bridge gives some useful leeway.

Next, the Disentis train calls, this train crosses over at the East end of the station...

 

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As flighted right behind it is the St Moritz train, which uses the other platform and bridge, again giving a bit of flex if something is running a couple of minutes out.

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And then you're back to the Rhazuns local again...

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So what else did we get in the 4 hours we were there, beyond the basic 8tph passenger service above? You've already seen one short freight for the Albula, and we were expecting a freight off the hill shortly....

"This Is Not The Glacier Express"

A slightly disappointing freight, consisting of just loco 703 and a deadheading GEX car!  

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Which then went and shunted ballast wagons - here's a fun consist for you!

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Running a little early, Hakone liveried 622 brings the first Zermatt bound GEX of the day off the Albula

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This is booked to do a kinda zigzag between the oncoming Disentis and St Moritz trains, but as it was early they put it in the goods loop to meet the St Moritz, which would have given the passengers a panoramic view of the ballast pile. :D 
625 on the Disentis train calls on the other side.

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Unexpected move - Capricorn 3114 comes off the Albula on test...

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702 which we saw earlier at Untervaz comes back from Ilanz after swapping it's Valser empties for loads.

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The GEX has been to Chur and is back, now powered by 633, and it heads off towards Disentis.
(The other good thing with this location is you get all the St Moritz GEX through here twice!)

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The days second Zermatt bound GEX comes off the Albula, this time a little late, and doing the zig-zag move we expected earlier.

642 on the GEX, 643 waits on the bridge with the Gourmino equipped St Moritz train.
 

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704 heads the next Albula freight close behind the St Moritz train and does a little zig-zag of it's own to keep in clear blocks.

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This one is a bit more like it - two vans, a welded rail set and some flats with ACTS containers. The rear two at least came off at Thusis.

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616 rolls through with the next Ilanz bound freight, about to cross over.

This one has a 5 wagon MGB welded rail slinger set behind the loco, two flats with ACTS loads, and four flats and four vans for Valser. (The vans were the ones coupled to 241 earlier...)

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The second GEX returns, Disentis bound, now with 622 for power.

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"This Is Not The Glacier Express"

632 is back from Disentis with the set we rode earlier.

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Our last freight at this location - 706 comes off the Albula with a nice long freight with vans, and assorted swapbodies, lots of Coop traffic on the rear.

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Back to the station ready to move on - 633 is back from Disentis with the first Zermatt-St Moritz GEX.

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And Coop liveried 641 is our power onwards...

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Edited by Glorious NSE
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1 hour ago, Glorious NSE said:

at present these are consistently the 4 car Allegra units, but I would guess the Capricorns could easily run the same diagrams when there's more of them.

I get the impression that the locals will continue with the Allegra 4 car sets due to the single motor coach on those, they can’t use them elsewhere really as they can’t haul much up the Albula. The Capricorn’s seem to be to replace the Regional trains as 4 or 8 cars. The question is will the 4/4ii’s just run freight or will they still run some regional trains with them so they can tag goods on the back? 
 

Great shots of the formations, boy do we need more wagons in Nm9! ;) 

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2 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

I get the impression that the locals will continue with the Allegra 4 car sets due to the single motor coach on those, they can’t use them elsewhere really as they can’t haul much up the Albula. The Capricorn’s seem to be to replace the Regional trains as 4 or 8 cars. The question is will the 4/4ii’s just run freight or will they still run some regional trains with them so they can tag goods on the back? 
 

Great shots of the formations, boy do we need more wagons in Nm9! ;) 


Thanks - was taking lots of stock pics too...! 

Occurs to me that the 4 car Allegra and the Capricorn are pretty much equivalents, barring couplers, and that type of Allegra don't usually use their couplers - there would be nothing stopping you from swapping them, but it would indeed beg the question of what else you then do with the Allegras! 

 

There's supposed to be an Ilanz local starting at some point too, if they are also 4 car then they would need more more 4s and mixing could occur - though it's also possible that the Ilanz and Disentis trains will all be 8s to provide the half hourly Klosters trains that split for Davos and alternately St Moritz and Scuol.

 

Ref locos , they will still have 8 nearly new Allegra style cab cars, so presumably something, somewhere (beyond the Albula and GEX) is going to remain loco hauled. ^_^

The MGB welded rail wagon was interesting, i'd not realised that some of their stuff came in via Landquart, i'm surprised really, I guess I assumed they had standard gauge connections at Brig or Visp that they could bring stuff like that in through.

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5 minutes ago, Glorious NSE said:

Occurs to me that the 4 car Allegra and the Capricorn are pretty much equivalents, barring couplers,

Yes and I think it’s the coupler that’s the key to what they’ll use them on. The Allegra 4 car suits the Thusis run but not the Davos or Klosters splitting services without a shunter. To some extent it would make sense to retrofit the same Capricorn coupler to the Allegra (4) to make them fully compatible. 
The Allegra style driving trailers are interesting as you say as they aren’t needed to replace the existing low floor ones so it does suggest some other loco hauled services will continue apart from the Albula sets but with what stock? Will they use up the remaining EWII as push pull vehicles with those? I guess the success of the Capricorn units without freight capacity will decide how long the second batch of 4/4ii’s survive?

Interesting to watch and I’ll hopefully head back in 21-22 to catch the latest look ;) 

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