The Rochers-de-Naye Line in Switzerland

[rogerfarnworth]

My wife and I travelled along the The Rochers-de-Naye Line from Montreux in Switzerland in 2004 ..........

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2018/04/16/the-rochers-de-naye-line/

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've done it as far as Caux, a wonderful little curiosity. An evening picture of the EMU at Glion is attached.

 

[rogerfarnworth]

I've done it as far as Caux, a wonderful little curiosity. An evening picture of the EMU at Glion is attached.

Thank you!

 

[Bletchleyite]

Thank you!

No probs

 

[martinsh]

Very interesting. I did the Rocher de Naye line, including steam loco in (I think) 2001. Also did the Territet - Glion funicular (original means of accessing line) couple of years before that.

Does anyone know why this line is 80cm gauge, when just about every other NG line in Switzerland is metre gauge ?

 

[rogerfarnworth]

I don't know why it is 80cm track-gauge. It is worth noting that this is also the gaige of the Brienz-Rothorn Bahn.

 

[Calthrop]

By my understanding, 80cm / 800mm gauge was the "trademark" of the Swiss firm of Winterthur, prominent in the construction of mountain rack / funicular lines, and the fabrication of their equipment: principally in and for Switzerland, but some also in other countries -- including Britain's Snowdon Mountain Railway, which is of this gauge.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/800_mm_gauge_railways

 

[47271]

I've been on it many times, and on the Territet-Glion funi.

- the terrace of the station buffet at Glion is great, and possibly Neil's vantage point for his photo. You can while away the hours as the trains rumble by and look across the whole of the eastern end of the lake.

- Marmots and the views aside, the highlight of a visit to Rochers-de-Naye is the walk through the tunnel to the restaurant. Very James Bond.

- just while we're in the locality, has anyone been on the Les Avants-Sanloup funicular? This really creeped us out a few years ago, although we drove to the top rather than taking the ghost train. It leads to a disused hotel so has no passengers but is full on automation, remote CCTV monitoring by MOB etc. It runs every few minutes but there's absolutely noone there. More Avengers than Bond...

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've been on it many times, and on the Territet-Glion funi.

- the terrace of the station buffet at Glion is great, and possibly Neil's vantage point for his photo. You can while away the hours as the trains rumble by and look across the whole of the eastern end of the lake.

I can't remember where I took that, it could well have been out of the window of the replacement minibus[1] from Caux, as one time I went up there was bustitution on the upper section (though I have also done Caux by train). Or maybe I went for a walk up once the bus had dropped me off before departure.

[1] MOB operate those themselves using the oldest, most knackered Ford Transits they can find, I suspect probably normally used as staff minibuses. One notable thing about them, though, is the hand-operated retarder for going downhill without burning the brakes.