The CF du Jura (CJ) is a narrow gauge (1 metre) railway running in the Jura in the north west of Switzerland. It starts at La Chaux de Fonds and runs to Glovelier with a branch from Le Noirmont to Tramelan and Tavannes. There are connections to the SBB at Glovelier and Tavannes.
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CJ train for Glovelier at La Chaux de Fonds. The power car is new but is attached to an older trailer.
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La Chaux de Fonds is an amazing station. It is part through and part stub ended. It has two gauges and is served by five different railway companies:
CF du Jura to Glovelier (narrow gauge)
TPN to Les Ponts de Martel (narrow gauge)
SBB and BLS to Neuchatel (two routes) and Le Locle (for Les Brenets)
SNCF to Frasne in France.
What makes this station unique, however, is the train service. From about 55 minutes past the hour to 00 hours trains from each company arrive at the station. There is then a pause while from 00 to 05 minutes past the hour they all leave on their return journeys. This happens every hour, except for the SNCF which has an irregular schedule.
This gives everyone the opportunity to transfer between trains through the underground passageway and at 05 the station returns to an uncanny calm for the next 50 minutes.
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In the off period there is not a great deal to see, other than a narrow gauge car shunting wagons of garbage
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A standard gauge private diesel switcher doesn't get a great deal of use
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And so we take off for Glovelier, first through the streets of La Chaux de Fonds then quickly into the lovely rolling countryside of the Jura with fields in a park like setting and trees on the hills.
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At Le Noirmont the CJ does a mini ballet that we have just observed at la Chaux de Fonds. We cross with a train from Glovelier and a branch line train from Tavannes makes a connection.
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A view no longer possible with the delivery of new trains. This is a locomotive hauled train from Tavannes arriving at Le Noirmont
 | Tramelan is the location of the CJ main shops
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At Le Noirmont it is frequently possible to see standard gauge cars riding on narrow gauge flats.
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At Le Noirmont we see a standard gauge ballast car ready to do work on the narrow gauge
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Having picked up a sandwich, we continue on past Pre-Petitjean, where La Traction has its headquarters (see yesterday's blog) but there is a lot of down grade to get to Glovelier. The CJ does this by hugging the contours and with a switch back.
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The railway rounds a hill and there is a switchback at Combe-Tabelion.
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Combe-Tabelion is an amazing place. It is isolated within the forest but there is a double switchback here with a scissors crossover so that trains can cross here if necessary.
All the passenger sees here is the driver walking from one cab to the other end of the train. The switches are controlled automatically and there is very little delay. |
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However the real fun is to get out here and wait for the next train. With an hourly service we can see the next train up while we wait for the train to Glovelier. Good place to have a quiet sandwich
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| Train arriving from Glovelier |
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Train departing for Glovelier
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There is plenty of time to explore the end of the siding where we find some narrow gauge transporter cars
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We catch the next train to Glovelier where the narrow gauge trains now have a platform adjacent to the standard gauge SBB. Until recently the CJ terminated in the street outside the station. An SBB switcher is adjacent to the main line which runs to the border at Delle
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| At Glovelier we have to take a standard gauge train to get into Delemont but there is a curious piece of trackwork on this line. Recently laid concrete ties have provision for a third rail to accommodate narrow gauge trains. Stay tuned! |
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