Jump to content
 

Interlaken and Wengen


David Bell
 Share

Recommended Posts

This weekend sees the last workings of ICE1 sets to Interlaken, here are a couple of pictures of them in Switzerland  from over the years. Never thought I would miss them and usually trad to avoid traveling on them in favour of a "proper" loco but they are no doubt better than their replacements and were one of the most comfortable trains around

ICE 401573 ICE
  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, bantam61668 said:

This weekend sees the last workings of ICE1 sets to Interlaken, here are a couple of pictures of them in Switzerland  from over the years. Never thought I would miss them and usually trad to avoid traveling on them in favour of a "proper" loco but they are no doubt better than their replacements and were one of the most comfortable trains around

ICE 401573 ICE

I quite liked them especially the compartment coaches. Not enough luggage space though!

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 25/05/2020 at 15:06, melmerby said:

The Bären Hotel in Wilderswil is a traditional inn built in 1706

We stayed there in 1990 which was during the centenary celebrations of the BOB (purely co-incidental!)

article_picture_1.jpg

I know it well!  For many years it was the base for the Ffestiniog Travel Xmas and New Year trip on which I am a regular.  It hasn't been the same since Fritz, the former proprietor, retired.  The 105 bus to Interlaken West stops just out of the picture to the left.

 

Chris

  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 25/05/2020 at 18:54, MOB FAN said:

I stayed at Hotel Baren during a Ffestiniog Travel Holiday trip in December 2016.

Thanks for the SBB zebra and PE pics. I’d forgotten about the freight shed at OST.

This is a very enlightening thread.

 

David

 

 

 

That must have been about the last time we stayed there.  Christmas is now spent in Interlaken.

 

Chris

Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh, you're THAT David!  Gosh, what a small world it is.

 

Very much, thanks.  He seemed to come to life on the live tracks.  I would not say that his version of "City of New Orleans" is the best around but it's still a great song.  I respect it too much to sing it myself!

 

Chris

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

11 hours ago, chrisf said:

 

That must have been about the last time we stayed there.  Christmas is now spent in Interlaken.

 

Chris

2016 was the year of the hatchet for the Baeren.

 

2017 & 2018 in the City Oberland then 2019 in the Metropole.

Link to post
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, JohnDMJ said:

 

2016 was the year of the hatchet for the Baeren.

 

2017 & 2018 in the City Oberland then 2019 in the Metropole.

Would this be “Gaugemaster John”?

2016 was my first holiday trip with FT.

Missed 2019 (went in September) and 2020 looks iffy due to COVID.

 

For the curious, I provided Chris a rendition of “City of New Orleans” by it’s writer, Steve Goodman. I do like the Arlo Guthrie version better.

 

It is a small world. I met these two gentlemen on a Swiss train trip. And through these pages, I’ve found a Swiss train nut...er...Swiss rail enthusiast...that lives 30 miles from me here in the States.

 

Back to Swiss trains....

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
12 hours ago, chrisf said:

I know it well!  For many years it was the base for the Ffestiniog Travel Xmas and New Year trip on which I am a regular.  It hasn't been the same since Fritz, the former proprietor, retired.  The 105 bus to Interlaken West stops just out of the picture to the left.

 

Chris

Fritz?

Was it Fritz Zurschmiede?

I found the staff very friendly although some of the bedrooms in the extension were a little below the standard that I would expect.

We went with Swiss Travel Service. Checked your cases in at Birmingham Airport, they were waiting in the bedroom when you arrived. First Class train travel to & from Zurich Flughafen - Interlaken Ost. Brilliant

 

I went classed as a vegetarian (although not at the time) because I thought I would avoid several foods that I just did not like at all.

They were so good I was given individually made meals if they couldn't provide the normal meal without meat. Had some rather nice things that some others were envious of!

 

It was a long while back and somewhere I'd like to go again but probably never will with SWMBO's now reduced mobility.

Link to post
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, eastwestdivide said:

What’s the purpose of the narrow offset front door on the old and new WAB trains? There aren’t any major tunnels on their network (as if it was for an emergency exit). 

On some units I have seen the ticket collectors use them to move from one unit to another whilst the train is moving

  • Agree 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Come to think of it there is one tunnel where you might need to use these end doors to escape ,the horseshoe tunnel below Wengwald. There are also the two snowsheds between KS and Alpiglen, though they are both double track

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
1 hour ago, eastwestdivide said:

What’s the purpose of the narrow offset front door on the old and new WAB trains? There aren’t any major tunnels on their network (as if it was for an emergency exit). 

I think it's just because a central door takes up too much room from the driving position so it's offset and the 'through corridor' is on that side rather than central. All the stock has it and I guess as they can't turn them it just means you need to get it right at delivery ;)  I assume there was a width restriction originally as the older stock is quite narrow and I guess the newer units, which look wider to me, just had to match?

Edited by PaulRhB
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks people - I meant what's the purpose of the door, rather than why is it offset. I hadn't noticed anyone using them on the couple of occasions I'd visited, and they don't look to be designed for everyday passenger use.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

It’s an emergency exit, I assume again the limited width somewhere meant they needed the ability to access only from an end. I haven’t travelled the whole line so I’m not sure what the restriction is, whether a tunnel or the line on a narrow shelf? 

Edited by PaulRhB
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Just read through this wonderful thread. We were due to stop 3 nights in Lauterbrunnen as part of our 2 week european road trip. Sadly postponed until next year. We made it to see the Rhatische Bahn in Samedan/Celerina/Filisur 2 years ago, and Mrs Wollastonblue saw Jamie Redknapp/Freddie Flintoff on the Jungfraubahn, and said she wanted to go back there. The decision was whether to take in the Brienz Rothorn Bahn or Murren up the Schilthorn for the 007 experience. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...