Zurich Day 2 - Train Watching and a Cargo Tram

Decoration in the very large hall at the station

We started the day at the Hauptbahnhof looking at various trains and some of the moves that have to be made there.

Even though some trains have  a very short time in the station, in this case ten minutes, some cars had to be detached and removed from the rear 

We took a train to Dietikon to see the work in preparation for the opening of a tramway to Dietikon and on to Kilwangen later this year. It appears to be mainly street running and is a good integration with the existing line to Wohlen. All the new track is double and the streets have been well paved. The new line turns north just outside the station and runs to new carbarns which are being built for this extension.

Dietikon

We went on to Kilwangen which was wall to wall trains, roughly one a minute, both passenger and freight.

Train returning to Germany

Ab Re6/6 came slowly from the yard and waited several minutes for a margin to get on the main line in between the passenger trains

Traffic regulation is quite a problem because of the large number of passenger trains running through at high speed and the need to interleave the slower freight trains into the main lines. Some freight trains wait here in order to get a path on to the main line. In other cases the controllers put the freight trains out ahead of a stopping passenger train knowing that the freight trains will be able to keep ahead of the passenger train which although it has a higher speed is stopping frequently.

This is one of the last Re4/4s in the original green livery

This heritage train was going into the yard and was not easily seen

We then went to Oerlikon via Wettingen. There was a short interval at Oerlikon for lunch and then on Glattbrugg by tram to see the operation there and compare it with Glattbrugg on Paul's layout.

Oerlikon station

 A mystery locomotive seen in the distance from Glattbrugge. An Re4/4 sold by SBB

From Glattbrugg we took a No. 10 tram to Universitad Irchel where we looked long and hard for the Cargo Tram.  The tram was supposed to be in the tram depot. We walked around on all sides but there were notices marked VERBOT which we assumed meant forbidden to enter. We finally came back to the main entrance where we saw a number of people, obviously not employees walking around carrying boxes and carrier bags.  If little old ladies are allowed to wander around with impunity that so can a couple of Canadians who cannot speak German.  We followed one old lady around a corner of the tram depot and finally came across the Cargo Tram.

This is a 1940 built tram modified to haul the trailer. 

Here they are waiting for business

We met the driver who drove regular trams. He invited us to throw away our cameras to be recycled.

A number of people came along and brought in their old electronic equipment, vacuum cleaners, wire etc. The crew sorted the material and segregated it ready for recycling

They felt that this was an expensive way to collect recycled materials but the message sent out to people about recycling was very important.

A pleasant walk through the campus and tram 10 brought us back to the hotel and the nearby model shop.

On the way back to the hotel we were able to find seats in the small area at the back of the tram.