Colin Churcher 2020

y Paul and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip on Air France to Paris CDG The pork dinner was helped down by an excellent glass of Margaux Arriving just before 0600 we were quickly through entry requirements and were surprised at how well the new (to us) RATP ticket system worked. We had loaded our tickets on our phones and this allowed quick and easy access. Because we were so early we had a long wait for our TGV from the Gare de Lyon which took us right through to Zurich. The entrance stairway for Le Train Bleu is very impressive Our route from Basel to Zurich was an unusual one, We branched off before Liestal and went via Kaiseraugust (locomotive graveyard), Rheinfelden (brewery), Effungen, passed close to the Tree Forest Railway we shall be visiting tomorrow at Schinznachdorf, crossed over the main line at Brugg, then Mellingen and eventually joined the main line after the tunnel at Kilwangen. This was an extraordinary route, maybe to ease a problem on the main line. It covered some new ...

Today we left Yverdon-les-Bains and traveled back to Zurich in preparation for return to Canada tomorrow. In the morning we took an ICN through Neuchatel to Oensingen. We left four minutes late but with a tight throttle and the banking on these trains we left Neuchatel on time - it was an exciting ride. At Oensingen there was quite a lot to see. As well as the main line freight a single manned diesel switcher went across the main line a couple of times to pick up empty cars.  The two narrow gauge trams from Solothurn and Langenthal came in and reversed.  Main line freight The standard gauge line to Balstall was using an SBB train with TPN markings.  In addition there was a magpie poking around on the ground, and a couple of kites flying around.  We went on to Olten for lunch at the M igros restaurant.  After lunch we took a short trip to Daniken on the main line. Just after we got there we saw three freight trains with Re 420s on them and a further SBB Vectron o...

Yverdon-les-Bains has some great street art The main item for today was to travel Montreux then take the steamer across to Le Bouveret and get to Aigle via St Maurice. We took a train from Yverdon-les-Bains to Lausanne and another to Montreux  with views of the world heritage vineyards . There was time at Montreux to walk along the lakeside and look at the weather over the lake. The weather forecast was threatening but it seemed that the clouds were lifting although the waves on the lake were quite heavy.  The horse chestnut tree was shedding its conkers making it hazardous to sit in this cafe The Chateau de Chillon We waited for the steamer to arrive but unfortunately it turned out to be a small crowded diesel operated vessel rather than a heritage steamer and we decided to forgo the trip across the lake and took a train to Aigle.  This older vehicle was ready to go to Leysin. It has won all its street fights. At Aigle we walked a little away from the station along ...

We looked at three narrow gauge lines in the area today. We left the hotel early to catch a direct train to Morges to see what was happening on the line to Apples and Biere. At Morges the two narrow gauge electric locomotives were about to be coupled up to a train of empty hoppers that were being put on skates. We then had to make a decision - do we wait here or do we go up the line to see if we can see this train on the move? We decided to go to Vufflens the Chateau and after two passenger trains had passed the the freight train came by..   Along came the freight train with its standard gauge cars on narrow gauge skates The Chateau even looks good without the trains We then went back to Morges to see what additional action there might be. The ex-SBB green 4/4 was not in evidence but instead they had an ex-SudOstBahn class 456 which seems to have come from Koblenz. The two small shunters were still in evidence but it does not look as if they are used very much.     W...