Day 21 Tuesday - How to Run Standard Gauge Cars over Narrow Gauge
Yesterday evening while passing the main Lausanne marshalling yard we noticed some railway flat cars with army tanks as well as a couple of green hopper cars used by the narrow gauge MBC line from Morges. These would have to go up the line being transferred to narrow gauge at Morges. We left early this morning in the hope that we could see the transfer of standard gauge cars with tanks onto the narrow gauge. Unfortunately, by the time we got there the tanks must have left and been taken to the military depot at the end of the line near Biere.
However, when we took a look at the freight operation at Morges, all of which can be seen from the platform, we realized there was a lot of work to be done. As we arrived, the two narrow gauge locomotives owned by the Morges Biere Cossonay railway (MBC) arrived with a train of cars on skates all of which had to be transferred to the standard gauge.
They did this using the train locomotives and one of the two standard gauge four wheel shunters that the MBC has acquired from the SBB.
When this transfer had taken place the standard gauge locomotive owned by the MBC, a former SBB re 4/4 was used to propel a train load of empties onto the narrow gauge skates and the narrow gauge locomotives which were to take them away.
The MBC standard gauge locomotive then went on to the train of cars that had just been transferred from the narrow gauge ready to depart westward on the SBB main line.
We reasoned that if we took the next train to an intermediate point we should be able to see the standard gauge cars on the narrow gauge skates being taken up the line to the quarry which is just beyond Apples. We got off at Vufflens Le Chateau and sure enough the freight train came through soon after our train had left.
We had a surprise while waiting for the next train to take us further up the line. There was a short freight train hauled by two MBC former passenger cars nos. 11 and 12, built in 1981, all the freight cars were standard gauge on skates.
From Vufflens Le Chateau we caught the next up train to the junction at Apples.
Having taken a look around the small village we were surprised to see another freight train from the nearby quarry hauled by the two freight locomotives coming into the siding at Apples. After a train for Morges arrived our train towards Biere came in and we took it to the end of the line.
At Biere we took a look around and then went to the Restaurant du Commerce. The Plat du Jour was good, soup, followed by pork in a lemon sauce with a dessert of chocolate pudding and cream.
We then walked around Biere time waiting for the departure of the train to Apples where we we had planned to transfer to the line to L'Isle. However, there was a long delay at Apples while another freight train was shunted and there was work equipment out spreading ballast. In view of the potential delays and uncertainty we decided to return to Morges.
As we left Morges there was a train of four wheel standard gauge flat cars that had been put on skates, presumably for a military movement.
Leaving Morges we went to Renens and took a train to Cossonay Penthaluz. There is a funicular up to the village which has an interesting centre. We returned on the funicular and came back to Yverdon.
Click here to see all pictures taken at Morge this day
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