Virtual Railfan Tour of Switzerland - Tuesday - La Traction at Pre-Petitjean

La Traction is a small preservation group that has a narrow gauge depot at Pre-Petitjean on the CF du Jura between Noirmont and Glovelier. The URL is http://www.la-traction.ch/.  They only have the tracks within the depot itself but run frequent excursions on the narrow gauge network.

We first came across La Traction which had an excursion at Glovelier using ex-Portuguese Mallet compound E.164.

E.164 is an 0-4-4-0T Mallet built in 1903

Taking water

Don't stand underneath while taking water

However to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Yverdon-Ste-Croix railway a second Mallet was trucked across to Yverdon-les-Bains for a celebratory trip to Ste-Croix.

Mallet E.206 approaching Baulmes

Baulmes

The whole town was out to celebrate

E.206 is taking water at Baulmes.  It is a larger locomotive built in 1913 to the 2-4-6-0T wheel arrangement.  The extra power will be needed on the very stiff climb up the mountain to Ste-Croix

Ste-Croix

It was fortunate a couple of days later that we happened to be at Noirmont on the CF du Jura and happened across E.206 which had just been taken off a truck which had brought it back from Yverdon.

They were obviously going to be there for some time before moving off to Pre-Petitjean.

Quick change of plan which involved an excellent lunch at Noirmont.

Then is was back to the station to watch E.204 getting its train ready.

Pre-Petitjean is on our bucket list of places to visit. Here are a few video clips.