Munich to Locarno over the Gotthard with 01 1066 & 01 202

[jonhall]

When I saw this tour online, it immediately took my fancy, and as it was across my Birthday weekend, I thought why not.

 

A few days in Stuttgart and Munich before hand and then last Wednesday

 

 

01 1066 (as 012 066 with second tender) is an oil burner.

 

Fairly shortly after departure from Munich we had a fake arrival - this unfortunately was the only one done, and in less than brilliant weather.

 

 

but we blasted along in the snow to Lindau on Lake Constance.

 

 

Where we had a few hours to take a spot of lunch, then either take the train to Freidrichshafen or take a boat trip there.

 

 

From where we continued to Singen for an overnight.

 

After a short trip from Singen in the morning we reached the boarder station of Shaffhausen where we took an (incredibly shiny) AE6/6 as a pilot loco because 01 1066 doesn't have the Swiss cab signalling

 

 

And passed the Reinfalls

 

 

And whilst we were only due to have this on the front for a short time, it wasn't long before we cane to a further stop (I believe at Buchs) because the second tender had a fault - it was a bit difficult to tell from the back of the train but either a wheelflat or possibly a tyre failure caused the second tender to come off

 

 

before we could continue to Wohlen where there was a change around. the AE6/6 came off the front and onto the back, 01 1066 was then released, and a couple of BLS coaches added to the front of the train and then 01 1066 was tucked in behind Swiss resident 01 202, which does (for the time being) have suitable in cab signalling for running in Switzerland.

 

 

 

We needed a water stop at Erstfeld

 

 

before climbing the Gotthard route passed Wassen

 

 

 

To Goshenen

 

 

I hadn't realised that the traditions pairs of Re 4/4+Ae6/6 were still on charge of most of the freight,

 

 

 

We got as far as Bellinzona behind steam, and a Vintage Electric got us into Locarno after dark.

 

On the middle day was a short trip our to Lugarno, presumably to get the locos turned - a very different day weather wise

 

 

With 5 hours or more of sightseeing I took the opportunity to knock off the narrow gauge Lugarno - Ponte Tresa line and return which I'd not done before - here is a view from their station which is at a slightly lower lever than the main standard gauge station

 

 

Before another boat trip, and a steep walk back up to the station (top tip - don't go until the funicular is fixed - sometime in 2016! )

 

 

The vintage electric had reappeared to do various reversing moves.

 

 

The following morning having been stuck at the back of the train on the way out, my coach 7 was now at the front! A rather too clean 01 202 was showing up a rather grubby 01 1066 - the coal burning 01 was making rather a mess.

 

 

 

 

A we joined the mainline South of Bellizona I couldn't understand what all the whistling was about until we flashed past this

 

 

it turned out that Swiss based 50 3673  was also crossing the alps that day, and we had a number of parallel runs and overtakes (most of which I filed in video)

 

 

After the tunnel transit we had quite a long water stop at Goshenen

 

 

 

Were 50 3673  passed us

 

 

And a quadruple headed freight

 

 

 

And I managed to get the snap of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn train on the way down from Andermatt.

 

 

Again we passed Wassen and the white church

 

 

 

At Erstfeld the 50 ended up on the front of our train as well - it seems to have been used as a positioning move?

 

 

 

Before leaving with 01 202 at Wohlen

 

Where rather a loot of shunting that I didn't fully understand occurred. Eventually it became clear that there was an engineering blockade at Singen and that we were going as far as Stein am Rhein behind the AE6/6 then being bussed to Singen, and the following morning we would be bussed from Singen to Radolfzell to re-join the train and 01 1066 (irritatingly the train had been turned again, so we were at the back again).

 

Another lunch stop at Lindau

 

 

And a rather nice rabbit seen en-route

 

 

before reaching the bufferstops at Munich.

 

 

 

Jon

 

 

Edited March 10, 2015 by jonhall

[cornish trains jez]

Nice photos. Thanks for sharing!

[bgman]

Envious.....er what do you think!

Excellent photographs, if only I'd have know it's something ive wanted to do for a long time now. Do you know of any more similar this year ?

 

Cheers

 

Grahame

[ben racey]

Great photos, awaiting the full report from my parents, who were somewhere on the train too!

 

Regards

 

richard.

[jonhall]

There is apparently one more steam trip over the Gotthard in June before it goes ETRMS and no steam locos have the signalling, however I don't know if the Swiss loco owners are trying to get a fix - I imagine they are but this trip was billed as a 'last chance'.

 

This year is some anniversary for 01 Pacific's the Dresden meet at Easter has an 01 theme.

 

There is an all Germany tour later in the year that uses 9 different  01 Pacific's to do Nuremburg>Dresden>Berlin>Hamburg>Leipzig>Bielefeld>Darmstadt>Trier>Stuttgart>Nuremburg (plus some other places I've already forgotten) - run by IGE you can book through RTC in the UK  I have already.

 

Jon

[EddieB]

Reminds me of the old football chant: "you're not Singen any more"...

 

The "vintage electric" is an Ae4/7, but I can't read the number to tell which one.

[5944]

The Ae 4/7 is 10987. 50 3673 has a couple of tours based in Switzerland this spring, hence why it went on the front later on, and it should've worked to Lyss with 01 202.

 

Tour at the end of June with 01 202, 012 066, 50 3673 and 141 R 1244. http://www.ige-erlebnisreisen.de/schweiz/eisenbahntouristik-sonderzugreisen/Dampflok-Spektakel+am+Gotthard/35001

 

A few of my shots from the weekend, well worth chasing it.

 

The 01s on the empty stock move to Locarno on Friday morning

 

Riazzino by 5944, on Flickr

 

50 3673 at Giornico, about to climb the double spiral

 

Giornico by 5944, on Flickr

 

And four minutes later, from the same spot!

 

Up High by 5944, on Flickr

 

An hour later, the 01s thundered past

 

Gotthard by 5944, on Flickr

 

On the climb up to Airolo at Quinto, the 01s on the nearest line, with 50 3673 on the opposite line in the distance

 

Wrong Line Running by 5944, on Flickr

 

 

[m0rris]

Wow, what a tip that looks amazing!

 

There is apparently one more steam trip over the Gotthard in June before it goes ETRMS and no steam locos have the signalling, however I don't know if the Swiss loco owners are trying to get a fix - I imagine they are but this trip was billed as a 'last chance'.

Jon

 

Unfortunately, I doubt they can, ERTMS is a serious system that I cannot see being economic or practical to fit to steam locos. With the 158s in Wales fitted with ERTMS theyhave rebuilt the cab interiors and have fitted a cabinet elsewhere. There isn't really the space on old steamers to put it in from what I have gathered. How mainline steam will survive on the futue ERTMSified railway will be an interesting one.

[The Stationmaster]

Wow, what a tip that looks amazing!

 

 

Unfortunately, I doubt they can, ERTMS is a serious system that I cannot see being economic or practical to fit to steam locos. With the 158s in Wales fitted with ERTMS theyhave rebuilt the cab interiors and have fitted a cabinet elsewhere. There isn't really the space on old steamers to put it in from what I have gathered. How mainline steam will survive on the futue ERTMSified railway will be an interesting one.

If my understanding remains correct it is not possible to fit ERTMS to a steam loco because, in addition to any physical fit troubles, the system has a requirement to cut-off power.  Relatively straightforward on more recent (and some older) electrics and diesels but quite how you make it close the regulator on a steam engine is a different job entirely  (but I wonder if it could be integrated with DB push-pull controls?)

Edited March 20, 2015 by The Stationmaster

[m0rris]

Rings a bell now you mention it, all in it does not look great for steam! I do think though that it is worth mentioning that if ERTMS fulfills its potential it will be a massive step forward for the whole industry and should not just be viewed in the light of killing off mainline steam.

[pointstaken]

Wot - no Krokodils ?

 

Dennis

[gordon s]

Some stunning scenery, but above all some beautiful locomotives.  There's something about the style of these locomotives with their red wheels and the smoke deflectors that were fitted to A3's back in the 60's.

 

They really are very handsome beasts!….

 

https://youtu.be/fIZSTFALIb8

Edited March 20, 2015 by gordon s

[jonhall]

There is a similar tour running next year

 

https://www.eisenbahn-nostalgiefahrten-bebra.de/

 

Two separate trains from Frankfurt and Munich with an 01 on each, then day two a third 01 and a Swiss loco across the Gotthard. Should be an interesting trip and I'm almost certain to book.

 

Jon

[jonhall]

I've just had an email from the German group organising the trip over the Gotthard in March, they are still about 50 short of a viable number of passengers but still hope to run - I hope they do, I really enjoyed last time and can't wait to do it again.

 

https://www.eisenbahn-nostalgiefahrten-bebra.de/gotthard-2018

 

Jon