Waverley West Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Hi folks, I've just returned from a two-week trip to the Bernese Oberland with lots of narrow gauge mountain railways and high-level walks, so I thought I'd post a few piccies of the various railways we travelled on in case anyone is interested. We bought a 6-day travel pass, which covered all travel on most trains, buses and cablecars in the region and was good value, especially as the transport network is so unbelievably well-integrated in the country. We've been to Switzerland on a couple of occasions in the past and I always wanted to return to the Bernese Oberland region in particular. Hope you like them. First up, a couple of routine shots taken at Interlaken West station... ...and a Flirt in Brienz... Followed by a trip up to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe... The trip involves two changes, with the first leg being a trip on the Bernese Oberland Bahn (the BOB) from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen, where you change for Kleine Scheidegg.. At Lauterbrunnen, you change for the Wengen line to Kleine Scheidegg... At Kleine Scheidegg, you change for the final leg of the journey, literally up through the North Face of the Eiger, to Jungfraujoch. I think Kleine Scheidegg would make a fascinating prototype for a layout, with lots going on and three radiating lines operated by different and varied stock, all in a magnificent mountain setting. Challenging no doubt, but tempting, very tempting. One day maybe, when Waverley West is finished.. The North Face of the Eiger in the background... Jungfraujoch station, the highest in Europe All in all, an incredible piece of railway engineering and the view from the top is not bad either... The Aletsch Glacier.. There are plenty more shots of other narrow gauge mountain lines in the region where these came from if people are interested. Cheers Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Yes please Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Always interested in Swiss pics, rail or otherwise. Please do post. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted August 14, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 14, 2015 How much was the 6-day pass? I would definitely be interested in visiting that area again (not been since 1975). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 When I visited 25 years ago, the 6 day pass was advertised as 'half price' It was certainly great value for money. Based in Interlaken I was able to visit, Lucern, Basel, Spiez, Zwiessinim, and of course the fantastic Jungfraujoch. Of course the trains have changed quite a lot. A great place to visit, and every town and city seemed to have great model shops. Mal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waverley West Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 How much was the 6-day pass? I would definitely be interested in visiting that area again (not been since 1975). It worked out at about £195 I think, or just over £30 a day, which given what you could do with it I think is pretty amazing value and you don't really need to spend any more money once you've bought it. It covers all railways operated by Jungfraujoch, which includes a multitude of mountain lines in the Bernese Oberland region, most cable cars and most bus services in the region, all of which are incredibly well integrated. It also includes sailings on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, as well as discounts on entries to attractions and so on. EDIT: To say that, unlike the 3-day pass, it doesn't include a trip all the way up to Jungfraujoch. It does go as far as Kleine Scheidegg, which is the last interchange before Jungfraujoch. The last leg is extra. The 3-day pass does include one trip all the way to the top, but that is only slightly cheaper than the 6-day pass. Most days we caught a bus, followed by two or more trains and often a cable car or two and then back in reverse order. All services connected within 10 minutes and we didn't miss a single connection in the entire two weeks. A lesson in public transport integration if ever there was one. Regular timetable intervals meant that we became familiar with the timetable almost immediately and didn't really need to refer to it much after then. Sigh. Highly recommended. Cheers Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Kleine Scheidegg wouldn't just be a challenge to model, but - if you are relying on small scale Continental manufacturers such as HRF which have produced stock for such lines in the past - will also be exquisitely expensive...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold teaky Posted August 14, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 14, 2015 Hi folks, I've just returned from a two-week trip to the Bernese Oberland with lots of narrow gauge mountain railways and high-level walks, so I thought I'd post a few piccies of the various railways we travelled on in case anyone is interested. We bought a 6-day travel pass, which covered all travel on most trains, buses and cablecars in the region and was good value, especially as the transport network is so unbelievably well-integrated in the country. We've been to Switzerland on a couple of occasions in the past and I always wanted to return to the Bernese Oberland region in particular. Hope you like them. First up, a couple of routine shots taken at Interlaken West station... Pushpull 1.jpg Pushpull 2.jpg ...and a Flirt in Brienz... Flirt 1 Brienz.jpg Flirt Brienz 2.jpg Followed by a trip up to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe... The trip involves two changes, with the first leg being a trip on the Bernese Oberland Bahn (the BOB) from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen, where you change for Kleine Scheidegg.. BOB 1.jpg At Lauterbrunnen, you change for the Wengen line to Kleine Scheidegg... Wengen 1.jpg Wengen 2.jpg Wengen 3.jpg At Kleine Scheidegg, you change for the final leg of the journey, literally up through the North Face of the Eiger, to Jungfraujoch. I think Kleine Scheidegg would make a fascinating prototype for a layout, with lots going on and three radiating lines operated by different and varied stock, all in a magnificent mountain setting. Challenging no doubt, but tempting, very tempting. One day maybe, when Waverley West is finished.. Kleine Scheidegg 1.jpg Jungfraujoch 1.jpg The North Face of the Eiger in the background... Jungfraujoch 3.jpg Jungfraujoch station, the highest in Europe Jungfraujoch 6.jpg All in all, an incredible piece of railway engineering and the view from the top is not bad either... The Aletsch Glacier.. Aletsch Glacier.jpg Jungfraujoch 4.jpg Jungfraujoch 5.jpg There are plenty more shots of other narrow gauge mountain lines in the region where these came from if people are interested. Cheers Dave Thanks for posting these Dave. We honeymooned in Wengen and this brings back great memories. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waverley West Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 Thanks for posting these Dave. We honeymooned in Wengen and this brings back great memories. Fabulous place for a honeymoon, teaky. There was the obligatory horn blowing going on when we passed through... And the view down to the Lauterbrunnen valley is something else... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 The thing about Swiss public transport is that everything just....works! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waverley West Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 The thing about Swiss public transport is that everything just....works! It does, and many of the trains aren't particularly new either, at least the ones we travelled on. It really was a revelation just how easy it was getting about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waverley West Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 For our next trip, we headed for the Schynige Platte (Shining Plateau) on a line which uses 100-year old stock, almost entirely electric of course. From the station at the top, you can head out across the plateau with far-reaching views across to Lauterbrunnen and the big three, the Eiger, the Munch and the Jungfrau... We took the train from Interlaken to Wilderswil, where we changed for the Schynige Platte line. The delightful station building at Wilderswill The views going up were very impressive. The view down to Lake Thun and Interlaken The station at the top... From the plateau station we headed out on a very enjoyable high-level walk, without slogging up well over 1500m beforehand! A view of the Munch from the plateau... To be continued... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 5944 Posted August 24, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 24, 2015 Some nice shots there. You certainly had better weather up Schynige Platte than I had a couple of years ago. I stood in that same spot at the top to get a photo of the train, and the back of the second carriage was invisible in the cloud! The conductor couldn't understand why I was going straight back down the mountain. I couldn't see anything! I seem to recall I had a three day pass. I spent one day doing all the electric lines out of Interlaken, including Jungfraujoch. The other two days were spent going up and down on the Brienz Rothorn Bahn behind steam. I should really go back there at some point, it's a lovely area. Nice toy shop in Interlaken too, with a selection of models out the back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waverley West Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 Hi again folks, The weather wasn't great on the following day, so we decided to take a trip on Lake Thun to the beautiful city of Thun, which was included in our ticket (as were sailings on Lake Brienz). Not too many trains as a result, but I still managed a few minutes in Thun station. I was able to walk straight from the town onto the platform, no ticket barriers or unnecessary annoying announcements, no platform end barriers and I certainly didn't get accosted for taking photographs. in other words freedom with responsibility. A very refreshing change. It was exactly the same on the trains. No unnecessary announcements. Just what I needed to know (this is the train to..., we will shortly be arriving in..., that sort of thing). Here are some shots from the day... One particular feature I love about Switzerland are the fabulous window boxes which their owners obviously take great pride in... Cheers for now, Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted August 25, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 25, 2015 Great pics Dave. I was there in 1978, when my father took me up the Jungfrau from Interlaken Ost . A day I will never forget. My parents knew I was interested in railways and made the effort to get me up there even though it was very expensive back then. I followed up with visits by myself in 1988 and 1990 , staying in Interlaken. I booked through Swiss Travel Service and I think got the half price travel ticket as part of the package. You arrived at Zurich Airport and used the train to get to Interlaken via Berne, that might be why the half price ticket was included. Just superb railway journeys. As well as the Jungfrau , I did a visit over the Lotchsberg to Brig ( no base tunnel then)and from there onto Zermatt. You can do it in a day. Similarly you can do Spiez, Zweissimen, Montreau , the last part on the MOB , as well as head off on the Federal Railways metre gauge train to Lucerne( is it now the Zentralbahn?) , for the Transport Museum . The trains have changed since then. BLS have adopted fluorescent colours , I much preferred the good old fashioned blue and cream , with brown locos. Similarly the BOB , now in Blue and Cream used to be Chocolate and Cream. Ah well I suppose it's progress. There was seldom a day I wasn't on a train or steamer! Often thought of a layout based on Interlaken with Interlaken West at one side and Ost the other. Mine would be inaccurate as I would make Ost a standard gauge through station , joining up the oval. You could then have a meter gauge line running off up a mountain. It's still on the wish list, as the cost of Swiss stock is just prohibitive. But thanks for posting, brought back many happy memories. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I regularly visit Switzerland over Christmas and New Year in a party organised by Ffestiniog Travel. The first week is based at Wilderswil, a short and often crowded bus ride from Interlaken. The interchange between bus and train is best done at Interlaken West. The booked time between arrival of the train from Bern and beyond and departure of the 105 post bus is typically three minutes. We stroll it because it always makes. Imagine being able to do that in the UK! Imagine also our Post Office running a network of bus services. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waverley West Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 I regularly visit Switzerland over Christmas and New Year in a party organised by Ffestiniog Travel. The first week is based at Wilderswil, a short and often crowded bus ride from Interlaken. The interchange between bus and train is best done at Interlaken West. The booked time between arrival of the train from Bern and beyond and departure of the 105 post bus is typically three minutes. We stroll it because it always makes. Imagine being able to do that in the UK! Imagine also our Post Office running a network of bus services. Chris That sounds very familiar, Chris. Within the space of a couple of weeks, we developed a completely different attitude towards connections, which were usually around 10 minutes. Get off one mode of transport, stroll straight to the next one, find a seat (even though the trains were pretty full most of the time) and then settle down for a few minutes before departure. If it was a bus we were catching, we might have to sit at the bus stop for a few minutes sometimes. A week or so before we left to go on holiday, Mrs WW sweated over a 19-minute connection off a Stagecoach bus service from West Cumbria onto a Virgin WC service to Birmingham. She only just made it, after the driver offered to let her get off and walk the last hundred yards or so, which proved unnecessary in the end but it was that close. She then "enjoyed" the trip all the way to Birmingham stuck behind a window pillar. My younger daughter also recently "enjoyed" a similarly window-less trip all the way from Penrith to Euston in a Pendolino on a school trip. The lack of regard for passengers actually wanting to look out of the window from a train in this beautiful country of ours is quite staggering. We don't all spend our time utterly absorbed by a PC/tablet/phone/other electronic device. Needless to say, every seat we sat on on the trains we travelled on in Switzerland had a window next to it, but now I'm beginning to sound like a broken record. It just goes to show though that it is possible to provide fantastic public transport services where you can actually enjoy the journey. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted August 25, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 25, 2015 A true cornucopia of excellent pics, TVM! My last visit was more than 40 years ago, and it's good to learn that progress has been restrained. The steamers on the lakes are well worth a trip if you have time. Jungfraujoch was pricey, then as now, and oxtail soup and a bread roll were the cheapest option in the restaurant there. But that view down the glacier is quite something. Make sure your camera battery is charged! In those days it was film or film, and I had an extra camera body with infrared film, so the glacier pic was blues and purples. Long since rotted away no doubt, but clever folk could make such an effect in Photoshop in seconds. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Enjoying this thread very much and the memories. As my hotel was close to Interlaken West, I used to hop on a train at Interlaken Ost for the 5 minute journey, saving a half hour walk after a hard day's trainspotting at Ost station! Here's a couple more pics from 1990. Mal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted August 25, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 25, 2015 Enjoying this thread very much and the memories. As my hotel was close to Interlaken West, I used to hop on a train at Interlaken Ost for the 5 minute journey, saving a half hour walk after a hard day's trainspotting at Ost Mal For sure that's a nice little run, over the River Aare twice. Only trouble is by saving yourself the walk you would have missed the fantastic model shop on the Main Street between the Casino and Interlaken Ost, next to the Royal St George's. I was like Garfield, stuck to the window and drooling. They seemed to have most Swiss prototypes, at a cost! There was another one in the centre of town , the upstairs dept of a toy shop. I can't remember who made it but they had large scale model of Rhaetian locos and traditional Swiss coach, I think . It was a cross between a toy and model, with rack rails. Sort of like a more advanced finely engineered Swiss version of a Triang Big Big Train. The catalogue showed it climbing bits of furniture. Always fancied that as a Garden project. I really am off to fantasy land now! Again thanks to WW for the memories. Off to look out my pics now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waverley West Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 With all this talk of the two Interlaken stations, I just thought I'd post these shots of the two stations without any trains in the way: Interlaken Ost Interlaken West In both cases, the bus stop/station was immediately outside the railway station with no fencing in between between the bus stops and the platforms. Train/bus transfers couldn't have been easier. Cheers Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcanman Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 For sure that's a nice little run, over the River Aare twice. Only trouble is by saving yourself the walk you would have missed the fantastic model shop on the Main Street between the Casino and Interlaken Ost, next to the Royal St George's. I was like Garfield, stuck to the window and drooling. They seemed to have most Swiss prototypes, at a cost! There was another one in the centre of town , the upstairs dept of a toy shop. I can't remember who made it but they had large scale model of Rhaetian locos and traditional Swiss coach, I think . It was a cross between a toy and model, with rack rails. Sort of like a more advanced finely engineered Swiss version of a Triang Big Big Train. The catalogue showed it climbing bits of furniture. Always fancied that as a Garden project. I really am off to fantasy land now! Again thanks to WW for the memories. Off to look out my pics now As I stayed in Interlaken for 10 days, I had plenty of time to visit the model shops and, from memory, they were as you've described. Interlaken West doesn't seem to have changed much since 1990 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waverley West Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Hi folks, Continuing this thread, here are some shots taken at Andermatt on a day we did the "Three Passes Drive", which included the Susten, Furka and Grimsel passes. Highly recommended. A shunter shunting passenger stock. How quaint. They even had spare stock in sidings for use during busy periods. Imagine that. Level crossing gates, why would you need those? We followed a train for quite some distance, which by an amazing coincidence was travelling at more or less exactly the same speed as us. The scenery along the route is very special. so if you'll forgive me indulging in some landscape shots... This is the view from near the top of the Susten Pass.. A couple taken during the drive over the Furka Pass, which was used in the Goldfinger film. No DB5 for the full experience unfortunately, just a hired VW Polo. The ejector button on the gear stick didn't even work. My daughters in the back did their best to provide the sound effects of high-speed driving though, which unnerved Mrs WW quite a bit on some of the exposed hairpin bends. And finally the view from the top of the Grimsel Pass... More to follow. Cheers Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 What's the blue vehicle in a couple of those shots? Although loco-hauled, it looks like it's been stolen from the centre of an EMU, as it's got lots of electricals on the roof. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waverley West Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Couldn't tell you, I'm afraid, but it does look very similar if not identical to the new stock on the Bernese Oberland line (which consists of EMUs). Maybe someone on here knows... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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