These pages comprise articles from the 'Notebooks' compiled
by Charlie Hulme in the 1990s, mostly translated and edited articles
from Swiss books and magazines.
They appeared in printed, and latterly also e-mailed form, as
the Web hardly existed at the time. We have converted them to this
format, as they chronicle an especially interesting period in railway
history, and also include useful histories of various lines.
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Swiss Railways Notebook for Manchester - June 1991
The T2S Sleeping Car: prototype and model
From Loki 4/91, by René Stamm.
In 1971, a pool of sleeping cars was set up by eight European
railways, intended to standardize the rolling stock and also the fares
structure. Previously, the service had been provided by various
companies, and obsolete rolling-stock and different charges for the
same service were the normal order of things. This situation was
neither customer-friendly nor conducive to uncomplicated operation. The
pool system, marketed as TEN (Trans-Euro Nacht/Nuit) allowed the
railways to attempt to compete with increasing air and road traffic.
The Orders
In 1972 the Pool Organisation commissioned from Eurofima (the
European organisation of rail manufacturers) a new series of sleeping
cars. The chosen design was the Type T2S sleeper, vehicle code WLam,
which was to be built by a consortium led by Schlieren and composed of
Schindler and SIG of Switzerland, Fiat and Casaralta of Italy and
Jenbacher of Austria. Fiat and Jenbach were involved in the design, and
produced some components, but the main construction was carried out by
Casaralta of Bologna in the case of the 33 cars for FS Italia, and the
two Swiss firms for the remaining 30. Five were built for the SBB, 16
for the DB, 2 for the NS (Holland), 2 for DSB (Denmark) and 5 for
Austria. The bogies for all the cars were Minden-Deutz type M6-1A built
in France by AFN.
Despite the complications of this decentralized production
plan, the cars were delivered on schedule at the rate of two per month
from January 1975. The success of the design is shown by the fact that
the FS ordered a further 80 cars for internal Italian services,
delivered between 1982 and 1989.
Technical Details
The T2S cars are of lightweight steel construction. Each end
incorporates two crush-columns to protect the passengers in case of any
collision. The bogies are suitable for speeds up to 160 km/hr, and and
fitted with quiet disc brakes. If magnetic rail brakes are installed,
the speed can be increased to 200 km/hr. Two axle-driven 12.5 kW
generators supply power at 110V for the air-conditioning and, via a
solid-state convertor, the lighting, razor points and other
accessories. When stationary, power can be taken from an external 380 V
50 Hz supply, or from a locomotive via the standard train heating
connections. Car heating is by warm water, heated either electrically
or by an oil burner. The Danish cars are also fitted with steam
heating. Fresh air is heated to 20 degrees and distributed to
individual controls in each compartment. In the car roof is a 1200
litre water tank, supplying hot and cold water to each compartment, the
toilets and the attendant's office.
Each of the 17 first class compartments has two beds, which
fold down for daytime use, a seat for two people and a washstand. In a
cupboard beneath the washstand, and not well advertised to passengers,
all TEN sleeper compartments carry a chamber-pot, apparently meant for
use by children, but no doubt welcome to anyone who has consumed an
excess quantity of Cardinal on his last night in Switzerland. The
compartments are not roomy hotel suites, of course, but they offer a
pleasant and comfortable environment. Connecting doors can be unlocked
to make each pair of compartments into a family room. Hot and cold
drinks are served by the attendant, whose office is equippped with
refrigerator, coffee-maker, and cupboards for china and glasses. Only
one end of the car has external doors; at the other are two toilet
compartments. The whole passenger area is sound-proofed and insulated.
Livery
Most of the 63 cars were delivered in the same colour scheme,
irrespective of ownership. The dark blue TEN livery clearly owes much
to the earlier Wagons-Lits company colour, and gives the cars a rather
royal look. Each car carries the TEN emblem in white; the Swiss cars
have Trans Euro Nuit on one side and Trans Euro Nacht the other. At
first, the German cars were painted in the red of the DSG company, but
with the TEN emblem. These have been repainted into standard blue on
overhaul. The running numbers of the SBB cars are 71 85 75-70 450 to
454.
Allocation
Of the five SBB cars, two normally work between Schaffhausen
and Naples, and two between Geneva and Nice, with one as reserve. DB
cars work into Switzerland in EC 470/471 "Komet" between Hamburg and
Basel. Other international services worked include Paris -
Nürnberg, Paris - Frankfurt, Avignon - Hamburg (all DB cars).
Vienna - Venice (ÖBB), Munich - Genoa, Paris - Rome (FS) and
Amsterdam - Innsbruck (NS). The DSB cars have no fixed allocation, and
are used in various services.
Sadly, one of the T2s cars no longer rides the European rails;
German cars 407 were 408 were involved in a bad accident at Landquart
on 30 October 1975. 407 was repaired, but 408 was damaged beyond repair
and had to be scrapped.
T2s: the Models
Fleischmann 8117 is lettered as an SBB T2s, but is actually
a model of a T2 sleeper, easily recognisable by the characteristic
upper and lower windows on the compartment side resulting from the T2
design's overlapping compartments. Nevertheless, it is a good-looking
plastic model, 165mm long, with flush windows and the facility to fit a
lighting unit. The Lima T2s, issued in 1975 and withdrawn in 1985,
was under scale length at 138 mm and lacked the characteristic roof
corrugations. The 1989 catalogue of Minibahn showed an accurate
model of an SBB T2S, but it had not appeared when the Lima-Hobbytrain
partnership was dissolved. The same scale-length model appears in the
1991 Minitrain catalogue as an FS vehicle; it may be released in
Swiss livery later.
HO scale
Jouef released
their T2s in 1980, as an SBB vehicle (cat. 5784), notable for the time
in being a scale-length model. It is still available, and is
well-detailed and neatly lettered; the only drawback is the lack of
close-coupling linkage. The 1990 catalogue shows the same coach in FS
livery (5785). A red German version (5793) has been made. Lima
released the T2s in 1978 as the SBB type (cat.9237), and had since
released the model lettered for all the other owning railways. The
model is slightly under scale length, and like the N version missing
the roof corrugations; at present only the DB, FS and ÖBB versions
are available, and have new bogies introduced in 1986 with smaller
couplers, but still no close-coupling system or NEM standard sockets.
These newer bogies are available as Lima spare part no. 70-9214-517.
The Märklin catalogue
included the SBB T2s (cat. 4182) from 1986 to 1989; currently only an
ÖBB version is in production. However, the Swiss Märklin
company had some SBB versions in stock in February 1991. The model has
interior details, and can be fitted with lighting, but will need new
wheels to run on standard 2-rail layouts. It is a good representation,
although underscale in length and lacking in close-coupling facilities.
Tivoli-Hobby of Zürich have an advert in Loki offering the Jouef
and Märklin models, and also a Roco N gauge (cat. 24266) which is
not mentioned by Mr. Stamm - is this another type of car?
Riding the Wagons-Lits
It seems appropriate to insert here a few notes for those who
would like to travel to Switzerland by sleeping-car. Until a few years
ago, one had a choice of several overnight routes to Switzerland; my
usual route of the 1970s was from Calais via Vallorbe, including the
run round the Paris Grand Ceinture from Nord Station to Gare de Lyon
and the stop at Vallorbe with a glimpse of the Joux Valley train with
its De 4/4 followed by the run alongside Lac Leman. The train used to
include through cars to Istanbul or Athens (Direct Orient!), but Venice
was the furthest I ever reached. I will not discuss today's Venice -
Simplon - Orient Express, as I doubt whether many SRS Manchester
members really enjoy 'dressing for dinner' and all that; anyway, the
VSOE does not go via the Simplon!
Today, not counting overnight ship services, there is really
only one real through service with a sleeping car from the port, and
that is train 499 at 20.53 from Ostend, which includes one sleeping car
to Brig (via Basel, Bern & the Lötschberg - arr. 08.59), as
well as couchettes to Brig and Chur (arr. 08.47). Until very recently,
there was also a sleeper from Ostend to Lucerne, Lugano and Chiasso
which was one of the T2 types, including two-berth compartments
accessible to second-class ticket-holders. The Brig car, however, is
one of the traditional types in which second-class travellers are
placed in sex-segregated three-berth compartments, so that one must buy
a first-class ticket to get proper two-berth privacy. Mind you, first
class abroad is only 50% more than second, unlike the ridiculous
situation in Britain. The connecting train for this service leaves
London Victoria at 13.00, so it is easily reached from Manchester - the
ship sails from Dover Western Docks for easy access from the station,
and at Ostend one can walk easily from Station to Ship. Alternatively,
it is possible to travel Dover - Ostend by Jetfoil, although the
present timings only save half an hour. The bottom line is that a first
class return from London to Basel with sleeping car berth will cost you
£236 per person, plus £26 for a Saver (Second Class!) from
Manchester; more than the air fare, of course, but a really Great
Railway Journey. To me, there's nothing quite like the feeling one gets
stepping down from a dark-blue coach at Brig station, admiring the nice
brown engine, looking for a connectiing train to continue the adventure
...
The Trambahn Meiringen - Reichenbach - Aaresschlucht
(MRA), 1912 - 1956
From Schweers and Wall, Schmalspurparadies
Schweiz Band 2.
This little line in the Bernese Oberland was built to serve
two wonders of nature. In 1888 the romantically wild Aare Gorge had
been mad accessible by the construction of galleries and wooden
footways. The Reichenbach Falls, which fall 500 metres in seven
cascades, was served by a funicular built in 1899 from Talboden to the
upper waterfall. A tramway from Meiringen station to these two
attractions was first suggested in the 1890s, but the people of
Meiringen resisted, fearing a loss of trade for the local horse-cab
operation. As a result, the Commune applied for a concession itself.
which was granted in 1906, and then did nothing until the powers
expired in 1906. Private interests then applied again, and after much
debate construction began in 1912, in the hope of completion in time
for the summer season. However, due to delays in the delivery of
materials, service did not start until the end of August, using two
trams hired from the Albisgütlibahn in Zürich.
The line started at Meiringen station, ran through part of the
town, then crossed the Aare and curved round by the lower station of
the funicular to a terminus at the entrance to the Aare Gorge, a total
length of 2.773 km. It was metre gauge, with a maximum gradient of 39
per mille, a minimum radius of 20 m, and electrified at 500 V DC. The
depot lay inside the terminal loop at Meiringen. The hired cars were
returned on delivery of three four-wheeled power cars and four open-air
trailers in spring 1913. The line was born under an unlucky star: the
First World War took away its traffic, then after a period of relative
prosperity in the 1920s it was hit again by the world financial crisis
of the thirties. About thirty journeys per day were made, and tickets
included the funicular and entry to the Gorge. Profits were never
enough to keep the stock and track in good condition, and by the 1950s
the line was in a bad state.
For the 1957 season, it was decided to try a replacement bus
service, which proved quite adequate and the line never reopened,
having last run on 16 September 1956. The bus service still operates 11
times per day (table 470.60) over the same route each summer, worked by
Aare Gorge Ltd., and the ancient funicular (RfB - table 1460) is still
worked by an operator almost as ancient for those wishing to pretend to
be Sherlock Holmes and/or Moriarty. The survivor can escape by walking
from the top of the falls to a nearby inn where one can catch the post
bus to Schwarzwaldalp and Grindelwald.
News Items from Loki
4/91
RBe 4/4 Facelifting
The RBe 4/4 railcars were originally built for fast trains,
but these days are predominantly used in local service. They are now
beginning to emerge from overhaul at Zürich works painted in the
same livery as the modern "Kolibri" units. 1433 was the first to be
treated, re-entering service on 22 February. It retains its original
round headlamps, but future overhauls will be fitted with modern
rectangular lamps.
Double-loco Overhauled
60-year old museum loco Ae 8/14 11801 was being overhauled in
Zürich works at the beginning of the year. Among other tasks, the
white-metal motor bearings are being replaced and the Brown-Boveri
drive units sealed to prevent oil leaks which contravene environmental
regulations.
V200 diesels 'return to Germany'
The only non-electrified SBB line is the freight-only link
from Etzwilen to to the German town of Singen, which bridges the Rhine
by a lattice-girder bridge at Hemishofen. This bridge is no longer in
the best of condition, and last year the large Bm 6/6 diesel-electrics
were banned from it as too heavy. Since then, a Bm 4/4 has been used,
but these smaller locomotives have often run into difficulty on the 13
per mille gradient on the approach to Etzwilen.
It was decided to try the Am 4/4 (ex DB V200)
diesel-hydraulics on the service, and in the third week of March 18462
and 18466 arrived from Bern depot. Tests were made with a 1000-tonne
train (126 axles), including checking of noise levels, before they
entered service on the regular freights. Despite an engine failure
during these tests, the Am 4/4s lived up to expectations, and will be
very kind the to the Hemishofen bridge, with a loading (measured in
tonnes per metre of wheelbase) 34% lower than the Bm 6/6 and Bm 4/4
diesels.
Cargo X
In the future, the SBB intends to run a very fast, regular
freight service between major Swiss centres; a pilot service starts on
3 June 1991 between Zürich, Bern and Lausanne/Renens. The trains
will run at a maximum speed of 120 km/hr, almost as fast as an
Intercity. They will be formed of 12 flat wagons able to carry ISO and
Pool containers, swap-bodies and roll-off containers (ACTS system). At
the terminals, cranes or heavy-duty stackers will effect an efficient
transfer to and from road vehicles used for collection and delivery to
customers. In fact, Cargo X is the British Freightliner system which
was pioneered in Britain in the 1960s.
Wandering Double-deckers
Some of the SBB double-deck coaches used in the Zürich
S-Bahn traffic have been recently tested on various other railways,
from the neighbouring SZU (Sihltal - Zürich Uetliberg) to the
far-flung Swedish Railways, who are considering them for the Stockholm
- Uppsala service.
Oensingen - Balsthal News
The OeBB management have decided to purchase three twin-unit
railcars from the BLS, to replace the three three-car sets obtained
from Germany in 1985. The first will enter service in late-autumn 1991.
The End of Fama/Utz?
Although they announced new models at the Nürnberg Fair,
it appears that the Utz range is to cease production, although there
has not yet been an official announcement. The O scale metre gauge rack
railway range was originally launched by Fama, later taken over by Utz,
and since last year has been sold by Klein of Weinheim under a new name
- Golden Train. Bankruptcy proceedings are under way, and the firm has
ceased trading.
First published 1991
- this edition April 2009
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