Colin Churcher 2020

This was the surprise of the day - a three unit tram train replacing an old single unit on the line to Orbe We took a train from Yverdon les Bains to Chavornay to find that the switching that we used to see doesn't seem to happen there certainly early in the morning. There is a short branch line from here to Orbe which is electrified at 750 V DC, the only such standard gauge line in the country. There is quite a bit of industrial switching required and the plan is to convert the line to the standard Swiss system at 15,000V AC. However the passenger trains, essentially two single units, were becoming life expired and so two two tram trains have been acquired from Karlsruhe as they can operate on both systems.  We waited to see the arrival of one of these trains from Orbe and were surprised to see that they are three unit trains. Quite a jump from the earlier equipment. These tram trains started operating here last month.  We went up to Orbe and noted that there were none of the...

Emmental Steam Railway locomotive at Sumiswald-Grunen It was a long ride to Huttwil to ride the Emmental train but well worth it. We caught an ICN at Yverdon les Bains for Olten, changed for Langenthal and then changed to a local train for Huttwil. The area is mixed farming with a lot of corn but also much cattle. The BLS train was very full, mainly cyclists with their bikes. Huttwil was a surprise because the major part of the town was closed off for cyclists. It turns out this was a "Go Slow" day in which many roads were closed, including the routes between Huttwil, Sumiswald-Grunen and Madiswil, and were given over to cyclists with no automobiles allowed. Within the entire town itself I don't think a motor car moved but there were hundreds of people, families with small kids, groups etc. riding bicycles. The bicycle rental place was doing a good trade. This pamphlet had a map showing the extent of the cycling area The steam train came in from Sumiswald-Grunen over what...

A snail being fattened up for the table. Snails and slugs live in abundance in Les Brenets We caught the train from Yverdon les Bains to Neuchatel where there was a quick over the platform transfer to the TransN (Neuchatel Transport) train to Le Locle. There was the usual reverse at Chambrelien and we arrived at Le Locle on time. There was sufficient time before our train for Les Brenets for us to walk along to see what is left of the heritage operation at Le Locle. There is not much left now only one electric locomotive and some rotting freight cars.  The site looks abandoned and anything worth preserving seems to have been moved away. Ae 4/7 No 11000 of 1932 rotting away at Le Locle The narrow gauge train to Les Brenets was car No. 3 which was built in 1950 in Italy. The journey takes only seven minutes and there are two quite substantial tunnels one at the beginning and one at the end.  No 3 at Le Locle The journey is full of interest with heavy forest and a deer farm....