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A few of Dave F's European Railway Photos updated 16th January 2018


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I've had a look in my Swiss signalling book (Signalbuch der Schweizerischen Bundesbahn, published by SBB in 1982) and on Wikipedia.  When I bought my copy of the book it was on sale to the general public at various stations.

 

It is basically a form of shunting signal.

 

In the position shown in the photo, shunting is prohibited, it shows a blue light at night.

 

When shunting is allowed the two arms move to the vertical  (one behind the other) and it shows a white light at night.

 

I think it is now obsolete (there were very few around in 1988).  The normal light shunting signal is a box on a pole with lights which can display diagonally, horizontally or vertically, each a row of 5 lights.  A diagonal cross  means shunting forbidden, a vertical line is shunting allowed.

 

Other light combinations show halt, proceed etc.

 

This Wikipedia page gives the basic info on Swiss signals in English.        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_railway_signalling

 

The SBB handbook is about 100 pages plus several fold out diagrams showing how various layouts are signalled.

 

 

David

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I've had a look in my Swiss signalling book (Signalbuch der Schweizerischen Bundesbahn, published by SBB in 1982) and on Wikipedia.  When I bought my copy of the book it was on sale to the general public at various stations.

 

It is basically a form of shunting signal.

 

In the position shown in the photo, shunting is prohibited, it shows a blue light at night.

 

When shunting is allowed the two arms move to the vertical  (one behind the other) and it shows a white light at night.

 

I think it is now obsolete (there were very few around in 1988).  The normal light shunting signal is a box on a pole with lights which can display diagonally, horizontally or vertically, each a row of 5 lights.  A diagonal cross  means shunting forbidden, a vertical line is shunting allowed.

 

Other light combinations show halt, proceed etc.

 

This Wikipedia page gives the basic info on Swiss signals in English.        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_railway_signalling

 

The SBB handbook is about 100 pages plus several fold out diagrams showing how various layouts are signalled.

 

 

David

Thanks for the explanation.

I am familiar with the "lights in a box" signal which is quite common but not that mechanical device.

Being close to the crossing I thought it might have some meaning tied to that.

 

It's still there in this Jul 2013 streetview:

https://goo.gl/maps/kMg7EUGtKos

 

Cheers

 

Keith

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It's still 1988 in Switzerland, this time we are at Neuchatel, having arrived there from Kerzers on a BN train which originated in Bern.

 

 

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Neuchatel BLS Re4/4 172 Bern to Neuchatel 16th Aug 88 C11287

 

 

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Neuchatel Re4/4ii 11272 Basel to Geneve Aeroport16th Aug 88 C11293

 

 

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Neuchatel Ae3/6i 10711 northbound freight with shunter at rear 16th Aug 88 C11297d

 

 

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Neuchatel RVT RBDe4/4 106 Bulle to Neuchatel16th Aug 88 C11299

 

 

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Neuchatel Re4/4i 10042 Neuchatel to St Gorgier and St Aubain and RBe4/4 1414 Neuchatel to Bern 16th Aug 88 C11301

 

 

David

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Interesting to see 'TEE' on the front of the Re4/4i - was it actually pulling a TEE train and has a removable headboard attached (although the first coach doesn't give that impression), or is it a hang over from being one of the locos that I believe were painted in TEE red/cream at one time, I wonder?

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Interesting to see 'TEE' on the front of the Re4/4i - was it actually pulling a TEE train and has a removable headboard attached (although the first coach doesn't give that impression), or is it a hang over from being one of the locos that I believe were painted in TEE red/cream at one time, I wonder?

 

 

It was still carrying the TEE headboard from the BLS 75 celebrations at Interlaken the previous weekend.

 

A photo of it at Interlaken West is below (and I know it's already been in the thread before but it's easier to put it here than use a link).

The headboard is just visible on the leading engine, which is the same one.

 

 

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Interlaken West Re4/4i 10042 and Re4/4i 10050 TEE Rheingold special Basel to Interlaken West 13th Aug 88 C10969

 

 

David

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Thanks David, that's interesting - having seen pictures of various locos (and multiple units for that matter) in the red / cream livery, I think I's always assumed the 'TEE' initials were permanently attached as part of the livery, rather than being detachable headboards similar to those used in this country for named trains!

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Switzerland again today but this time we'll turn the clock back a bit further to1978 and visit Chamby, on the MOB above Lac Leman (Lake Geneva).

 

Chamby is on the MOB line from Montreux to Zweisimmen, it is also the junction with the preserved Blonay Chamby line.

 

 

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Chamby BC Geneve Tramways 151 29th July 78 J6192

 

 

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Chamby BC Geneve Tramways 151 29th July 78 J6193

 

 

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Chamby Blonay - Chamby ticket office 29th July 78 C3955

 

 

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Chamby Blonay - Chamby preserved MEG coach 29th July 78 C3956

 

 

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Chamby MOB 29th July78 J6185

 

 

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Chamby MOB ABDe8/8 4004 to Montreux 29th July 78 C3952

 

 

David

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Some photos from Biel/Biene in Switzerland today, with a mix of standard and metre gauge.

 

 

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Biel RBDe4/4 16th Aug 88 C11304

 

 

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Biel Re4/4ii 1134716th Aug 88 C11305

 

 

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Biel Re6/6 11602 prototype loco southbound freight 16th Aug 88 C11312

 

 

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Biel BTI Be4/4 503 Biel to Ins 16th Aug 88 C11306

 

 

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Biel BTI Be4/4 551 and 503 Biel to Ins 16th Aug 88 C11307

 

 

David

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Some photos from ArthGoldau this evening.   As you will probably remember ArthGoldau is to the north of the Gotthard, it is the junction for Luzern, Rotkruez and Zürich, as well as being where the Südostbahn joins the SBB.  It is also the terminus of the Arth Rigi Bahan.

 

 

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Arth Goldau ARB Bhe2/4 11 30th July 88 C9802

 

 

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Arth Goldau E3/3 No1 Oswald Steam ex SBB and SOB Re4/4iii 42 Arth Goldau Sonderzug 29th July 88 C9715

The electric loco is to pilot the steam loco up the 1 in 20 gradient on the Südostbahn on the way to Samstagern.

 

 

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Arth Goldau Re4/4ii 11148 2nd Aug 88 C10130a

 

 

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Arth Goldau Re6/6 11683 Chiasso to Basel 5th Aug 8 C10211

 

 

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Arth Goldau SOB Re4/4iii  Romanshorn to Luzern 29th July 88 C9712

 

 

David

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Today's photos were taken at Schwyz on the line between ArthGoldau and Erstfeld.

 

 

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Schwyz Dzt Airolo to Luzern 17th Aug 88 C11337

 

 

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Schwyz 17th Aug 88 C11339

 

 

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Schwyz Re6/6 11619 EC Rossini Schaffhausen to Milano 17th Aug 88 C11340.

 

 

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Schwyz Re6/6 11658 Chiasso to Zürich Flüghafen 17th Aug 88 C11341

 

 

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Schwyz 17th Aug 88 C11350

 

 

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Schwyz preserved signals by goods yard entrance 17th Aug 88 C11351

 

 

David

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Some photos of Flüelen for today. Flüelen is at the southern end of Lake Luzern (Vierwaldstättersee). In railway terms it is between ArthGoldau and Erstfeld.

 

 

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Flüelen Re6/6 northbound freight 17th Aug 88 C11356

 

 

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Flüelen Re4/4ii 11151 northbound 17th Aug 88 C11360

 

 

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Flüelen Re6/6 11688 Rome to Basel 17th Aug 88 C11362

 

 

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Flüelen Re6/6s 11675 and 11681 and Ae6/6 11489 northbound l e 17th Aug 88 C11366

 

 

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Flüelen Ae6/6 11424 northbound freight 17th Aug 88 C11370

 

 

David

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Some more from Flüelen today.

 

 

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Flüelen Re4/4ii 11369 Basel to Chiasso and Locarno 17th Aug 88 C11364

 

 

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Flüelen Ae6/6 11514 southbound freight 17th Aug 88 C11368

 

 

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Flüelen Re6/6 11668 Milano to Stuttgart 17th Aug 88 C11372

 

 

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Flüelen Re6/6 11625 Basel to Ventimiglia 17th Aug 88 C11373.

 

 

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Flüelen Re6/6 11658 Zürich to Chiasso 17th Aug 88 C11375

 

 

David

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What I like about countries like Switzerland is that the railways are quite often close to roads without much of a barrier to obstruct the view.

Some of the metre gauge lines even wander around the countryside totally unfenced.

 

You couldn't do that here, there would be too may accidents and plenty of ambulance chasing lawyers hovering.

 

Keith

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The photos today were taken at Erstfeld, just south of the station, where the line starts it,s climb to the Gotthard tunnel.

 

 

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Erstfeld 17th Aug 88 C11377

 

 

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Erstfeld Re6/6 11673 EC Tiziano Milano to Hamburg 17th Aug 88 C11382

 

 

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Erstfeld Re6/6 11615 Wilhelm Tell Expres Locarno to Flüelen 17th Aug 88 C11384

 

 

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Erstfeld Re6/6 11661 southbound freight 17th Aug 88 C11388

 

 

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Erstfeld Ae6/6 11511 souhtbound p w train 17th Aug 88 C11392

 

 

David

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We have a visit to Rheineckin the summer of 1991. It is on the SBB line between St Margarethen and Rohrschach.

 

It s also the terminus of the Rheineck Walzenhausen Bahn, a 1200 mm gauge line which uses Riggenbach rack to climb to Walzenhausen.  At the time of my visit the one and only railcar was at the other end of the line. If I remember correctly it only has one point, outside Rheineck station to reach the shed used for maintenance.

 

 

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Rheineck    Rheineck to Walzenhausen Bahn platform 7th Aug 91 C16196

 

 

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Rheineck Ae4/7 10903 northbound l e 7th Aug 91 C16195

 

 

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Rheineck Tmi 424 7th Aug 91 C16197

 

 

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Rheineck Mercedes rail road vehicle 7th Aug 91 C16198

 

 

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Rheineck Ae4/7 11022 southbound parcels 7th Aug 91 C16199

 

 

David

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Some more from Erstfeld today.

 

 

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Erstfeld RBe4/4 1466 Zug to Airolo 17th Aug 88 C11394

 

 

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Erstfeld Ae6/6 11514 and Re6/6 11640 southbound freight 17th Aug 88 C11398

 

 

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Erstfeld Re6/6 11627 and Re4/4iii 11363 northbound freight 17th Aug 88 C11403

 

 

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Erstfeld Re4/4ii 11367 Chiasso to Schaffhausen 17th Aug 88 C11409

 

 

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Erstfeld Re6/6 11601 and Ae6/6 11483 17th Aug 88 C11416

11601 is one of the two prototypes locos of the Re6/6 class with two part bodies.

 

 

David

 

 

David

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Four photos in Austria today, taken at Jenbach.

 

There is also one of an Austrian train taken in Liechtenstein.

 

 

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Jenbach 1020027 4th Aug 91 C16122

 

 

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Jenbach Achensee Bahn No 1 4th Aug 91 C16123

 

 

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Jenbach 2067 064 4th Aug 91 C16125

 

 

 

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Jenbach 1042 611 eastbound 4th Aug 91 C16130

 

 

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Liechtenstein Schaanwald 4030 307 Buchs to Feldkirch 5th Aug 90 C14787

 

 

David

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Some more photos from Esbjerg in Denmark for today.

 

 

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Esbjerg DSB dmu 4045 13th Aug 92 C17899d

 

 

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Esbjerg DSB dmu 4050 25th July 92 C17009

 

 

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Esbjerg view west 25th July 92 C17012

 

 

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Esbjerg DSB IC3 dmu 5207 and 5251 25th July 92 C17015

 

 

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Esbjerg IC3 dmu 25th July 92 C17026

 

 

David

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Switzerland in 1988 once again, this time at ArthGoldau station.

 

 

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Arth Goldau SOB Re4/4iii 43 Rapperswil to Luzern 17th Aug 88 C11420

 

 

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Arth Goldau Re6/6 11605 southbound freight 17th Aug 88 C11424

 

 

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Arth Goldau Ae6/6 11404 northbound freight 17th Aug 88 C11428

 

 

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Arth Goldau SOB BDe4/4 85 17th Aug 88 C11429

 

 

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Arth Goldau Re6/6 11672 Chiasso to Basel 17th Aug 88 C11436

 

David

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Today's photos were taken at Zürich Oerlikon on my way to the airport to return home after my 1988 holiday in Switzerland.

 

The last photo is of a very ordinary Swiss PTT VW, except that it is right hand drive.  I wonder why?

 

 

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Zürich Oerlikon Ae6/6 11433 northbound 18th Aug 88 C11457

 

 

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Zürich Oerlikon RABDe12/12 1105 Zurzach to Zürich 18th Aug 88 C11460

 

 

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Zürich Oerlikon RBe4/4 1447 Zürich to Schaffhausen 18th Aug 88 C11463

 

 

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Zürich Oerlikon Ae3/6i 10650 annual Pressefahrt press trip 18th Aug 88 C11478

 

 

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Zürich Oerlikon Re4/4ii 11297 Brig to Rohrschach 18th Aug 88 C11480

 

 

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Zürich Oerlikon right hand drive PTT VW 18th Aug 88 C11465

 

 

David

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Not sure why this VW should be so fitted, but RHD lorries used to be common in the more mountainous parts of Italy. The logic would seem to be that it meant the driver was better-placed to judge how much space there was between the vehicle and the cliff-edge to make passing less difficult on narrow roads with sheer drops. It's a similar logic to that behind having left-hand-drive roadsweepers in the UK.

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Not sure why this VW should be so fitted, but RHD lorries used to be common in the more mountainous parts of Italy. The logic would seem to be that it meant the driver was better-placed to judge how much space there was between the vehicle and the cliff-edge to make passing less difficult on narrow roads with sheer drops. It's a similar logic to that behind having left-hand-drive roadsweepers in the UK.

 

Similarly some Swiss PTT buses used in mountainous regions (Alpenwagen) were RHD for the same reason. Only normally applied to the older designs with a bonnet as obviously impossible with modern front entrance buses. Many Swiss lorries and even fire engines still have RHD.

The VW is used by the local Postmen on deliveries and it is reckoned to be safer because he/she can get in and out on the kerbside. I have seen this even in Germany back in the 1980s.

 

Brian

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