Saturday 7 September - Returning Home

While we were waiting for the train at Yverdon-les-Bains we could see the sparrows were having a good time eating the crumbs from the lady's baguette

We set out n good time for Geneva Airport.  The ICN from Yverdon-les-Bains ran well. It was a bright sunny day and there were several deer in the fields around Chavornay.  Further on there were some impressive views of the French Alps across Lake Geneva and we arrived at the airport in plenty of time.

The airport was crowded but as we had our boarding passes on our phones we were able to take our time. There was a small hiccough going through security when I had difficulty calling up my boarding pass on my phone. Afterwards Paul taught me to take a screen shot of the pass which is much easier.

The ground staff at Geneva seemed very off hand. There were six of them at times who were more concerned with chatting than boarding passengers.  We boarded by bus and were not ready at the planned departure time. The Captain then announced there would be a delay while they took off some baggage as a result of passport problems with some intending passengers.  We left over an hour late in the knowledge that our flight would be over eight hours because we were being diverted around the heavy storm which was centred around Nova Scotia.  With a very tight connection in Montreal we were resigned to missing the flight to Ottawa.

However, we made up a little time and here the fun began. We had about 45 minutes to get off the aircraft, get through Immigration and find the connecting gate. It is amazing to say that we made it in about 35 minutes.  Montreal Immigration has a special section for connecting passengers and the new machines worked well. We were then directed to a newly opened corridor which allowed us to get to the gates without having to go through Security. Part way down our tickets were scanned and we were told the departure gate - which was at the other end of the airport. We walked fast bur started to run when we heard our names being called out over the PA.  We reached the gate, were given fresh boarding passes and greeted on the small plane by a smiling steward.  The scheduled departure was 1620 and we arrived at 1610. The plane was full and we left a little early. With a short 22 minute flight we arrived home in Ottawa about 10 minutes ahead of schedule.

So how was the trip?

In a word FANTASTIC

The highlights are too numerous to mention

Miniatur Wunderland was worth spending two days and the DB didn't mess us up both coming and going.

In Switzerland we saw a lot of the railway system including many new features that have been implemented since we were there last year.
Standard Gauge - SBB, BLS, TPN, SZU, Rigibahn (including to Vitznau)
Narrow Gauge -
Jura, TPN (Les Brenets), Aare Seeland, Appenzellerbahn (new tunnel, Gais rack), Mont Blanc Express, Tverdon-Ste. Croix, Lausanne-Echellens-Bercher, MBC (including gauge transfer), TPC Aigle and Bex (rack), Vevey-Les Pleiades (rack), BDWM, Zentralbahn (rack), MIB (innertkirchen), Blonay-Chamby.
Tramways -
Bern (steam tram), Basel, Zurich, Lausanne, Forchbahn, Schnitznach Garden Center, Emosson

We saw a lot but there is still more to see - ah well, next time.

Friday 6 September - The Jura

We always enjoy the Jura with its wide green valleys mixed in with some wild rugged scenery.  The center of rail operations is La Chaux de Fonds which has many different railway companies running in:
Standard Gauge - SBB; Trans N.: BLS; SNCF
Narrow Gauge - Jura; Trans N.
These all manage to work together and all trains arrive within five minutes before the hour and leave within 5 minutes after the hour so the interconnections are perfect.

At Le Locle - the Trans N connection from La Chaux de Fonds is on the left. The Italian built railcar to Les Brenets is on the right

We were sitting in the railcar for Les Brenets, it was quite full with locals who were all chatting. A small dog was wandering around being petted by many. A man stood up and whistled and the dog ran into the drivers compartment followed by the driver.  At Les Brenets he told me the dog was no trouble and it was better than leaving him alone in the house.

The driver and his dog

Les Brenets

Les Brenets

A preserved steam engine is inside this glass case. It is well preserved but not good for photography

The deer farm is one of the features of the short trip

WE returned to Le Locle and La Chaux de Fonds and took the Jura Railway all the way through to Glovelier, a very pleasant ride, including the hairpin bend and reversal at Combe-Travelion.

Jura train at Glovelier

Dual gauge ties/sleepers laid in the main line at Glovelier. The result of an abortive scheme to run narrow gauge trains to Delemont

From Glovelier we went on to Porrentruy and planned to go on to Delle but the announcement said that there would be a full customs inspection with passports examination and declarations. We decided to get out at Boncourt and found a Coop which provided sandwiches. We left Boncourt as soon as possible and eventually arrived at Biel/Bienne where we boarded the Aare Seeland narrow gauge for an enjoyable ride to Ins.

An orange Re 4/4 ex Trans Europe EXpress at Biel

At Ins there is a lot of construction going on. Passengers have to cross here to get to the BLS station on the right.

The BLS took us to Neuchatel and the SBB brought us back to Yverdon-les-Bains.

Thursday 5 September - Aigle

 Aigle is a delightful town just to the west of Lac Leman. It has three narrow gauge railways all, now under the same management and all now on the same voltage (1500v DC) and same rack system (Riggenbach). It also has an impressive castle situated in the vineyards.  We always like to make a visit here.

We went to Lausanne using a Re 4/4/ hauled commuter train originating in Neuchatel.

11199 reached a maximum of 147 km/hr. Although it rattled a bit not bad for a 1960s era locomotive.

We took a look around Aigle after trying unsuccessfully to get pictures of the Leysin train heading its way to the station down a narrow one way street heavily filled with cars.

THis heritage car and trailer are kept under a bridge at the west end of the station

Aigle

Aigle - Leysin train arriving in front of the station

There is a steep climb up to Leysin but the area is not particularly ispiring and we caught a post bus over to Le Sepey,

Leysin

Train for Diablerets arriving at Le Sepey

Sawmill at Le Sepey

Like many Swiss towns and villages, Le Sepey abounds in flowers

Le Sepey

We took a train back into Aigle and admired the chateau.

Finally we took the opportunity to go to Monthey and Champery on the third line out of Aigle. This is now equipped with new trains following the conversion to the 1500v DC voltage and the change to the Riggenbach rack (from Strub)

Monthey

Champery

At Monthey we took the opportunity to view an SBB switcher at the standard gauge station

All in all it was a pretty long day. We encountered a little rain at Leysin but the weather was not too bad. The sun came out on the way back so tomorrow in the Jura looks to be promising.

Wednesday 4 September - Bouveret Steam Park and Bex

The SBB were having problems again this morning - something happened at Morges. Anyway we made our way easily to Montreux and found we had a lot of time before the paddle steamer was due. So much time that we saw it come in on its way back to Vevey. We decided to get on anyway and so we rode first class on the paddle steamer Vevey from Montreux to Vevey and then Vevey to Montreux and Bouveret.  The weather was calm and sunny.

Paddle steamer Vevey

Chateau de Chillon - sorry about the rope

The funny green island near Villeneuve

We noticed a couple of very large flocks of cormorants which do not normally flock. Maybe they were following a school of fishes.

The Bouveret Steam park was running about four trains, including one steam locomotive. It wasn't too busy with most of the visitors being grandparents with under school age children.  The ride is exceptional - the main one took about twenty minutes. The rack equipped train was also interesting - it took about ten minutes.  The gardens are very well laid out with some exceptional architectural features and some colorful flower displays.

Engine house

"Meckienburg" a Decauville 0-4-0 built in 1990

A RhB Ge 6/6 Crocodile built in 2008

MGB Ge 4/4 built 1990

The MGN rack train (built 2003) crossing the lake

We had lunch at a good restaurant close by. I decided to have the poulain, which I thought would be a derivation of poule - i.e. chicken.  The waitress asked me "Quel cuisson?" so I then realized it was some red meat. Turns out poulain is foal.  Anyway it was very good and tender and I enjoyed the salad, vegetables and fries that came with it.

We ambled up to the station at Bouveret and caught the SBB to Saint Maurice and changed for Bex. There was a tram waiting in the station forecourt and so we took it into Bex.  After a quick look around we caught the next tram back to the SBB and came back to Yverdon, changing at Lausanne

In the station forecourt at Bex

We searched in vain for Magnum ice cream bars but had to wait until we had returned to the SBB station so we ate them waiting for the train to Lausanne.

Bex has some very ornate hydrants

Also fountains

Bex is amazing. The track is single and wanders from one side of the two way main road to the other. There is a very tight corner close to here and a lot of whistle is used.

Tuesday 3 September - The Emosson Barrage

This was truly an amazing day today. We had delayed this trip to ensure good weather as we would be in the mountains. This was worthwhile as we had a cloudless sky with just a little early low level mist.

We caught an early train to Lausanne and then a train to Martigny which was headed for Brig.  At Martigny we joined a very full narrow gauge train of the Mont Blanc Express which was going to Valorcine in France. It was full and standing with a large group of elderly people as well as a large group of schoolchildren who got out quite early.

This part of the journey was pretty spectacular in itself as we entered the rack to climb out of the valley. The views were spectacular and many of the valleys had very steep walls covered in forest.

View from the train on the rack section. We had been down there just a few minutes before

We left the train at Le Chatelard Village, a request stop.  The place was little more than a large warehouse and a power station used by the SBB. We had to make our way around the back and eventually found the funicular.  Our Swiss Passes gave us a 50% discount so we only had to pay ChF 20 each.

As we ascended the views of the mountains became better and better.

At the top of this funicular we had a short walk to board a 60 cm (two foot) gauge train that was originally constructed to build the Emosson Barrage. This took us on a 1.6 km ride along the side of the mountain with sheer drops towards Mont Blanc on one side and a vertical wall on the other side.

Arriving at the base of the mini funic

We quickly came to the "mini funic" which was a small funicular to take us up to the level of the dam itself.  Here there was a restaurant and some amazing views over the barrage and towards Mont Blanc. The sky was clear and there as only a gently wind - not enough to ruffle the waters of the lake. There were a lot of swallows zooming around catching insects close to the warm concrete of the barrage.

Having enjoyed the view we came down the same way, stopping off at the top of the main funicular to examine the battery electric locomotive which hauled our train and to look at the small exposition in the carriage shed which was mainly shop weighing machines and meat/cheese/sausage slicers.

Back down at Le Chatelard village we watched a helicopter which was picking up pallets of cement and taking them to a work side close by.

The next train took us to Le Chatelard Frontier from where we returned to Martigny and back to Yverdon-les-Bains with a transfer at Lausanne.

The Mont Blanc Express uses both overhead and third rail pick up. At Le Chatelard one can see the two systems

Train for Martigny at Le Chatelard

At Martigny there was just time to see the St. Bernard Express which is standard gauge running to Orsieres and Le Sable

Bonus Train Stuff

Last night we caught sight of a side rod switcher of which there are only some three left,  one or two at Yverdon-les-Bains

An orange Re 4/4 of which there are only two, originally used on the Trans Europ Expresses

At Lausanne we were treated to a visit by an SBB emergency train, The first car is a tool car, the second one fire extinguishing and the third car is a wrecking car. It is diesel powered and self contained

Click here to see all pictures taken at the Emosson Barrage