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Rhätische Bahn stock developments (bad news)

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Gordon

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Seven of the eight new Bit 2nd class universal driving trailers have been accepted onto the RhB books since January, joining the six AGZ Ait 1st class driving trailers delivered last year.


As is already known, this will eventually decrease the number of locos required for RhB services. Definitely not good news for photographers as it will reduce the number of angles available when photographing locomotive-powered trains (and all the ends are 'Allegra' style so look very similar to each other)


In the last month, four more EWIs have been stopped (three 2nd and one 1st)

this adds to the four 1st class and two 2nd class EWI that went during 2017


Ge4/4 648 received a new advertising livery ('Blick') in February
 
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duesselmartin said:
it always seemed to me that Swiss railways where almost un-altered over the past 30 years. That seems to be changing fast now.
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Not sure where you get that idea from. There’s a lot has changed over that time.
 
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Gordon - I assume we can expect withdrawals of the early batch of Ge4/4 (611-620?) at some point soon. Any idea when that might be? I have also read that the small batch of Ge6/6 (700-707) are due for withdrawal too, can you confirm this?

Thanks in advance.
 
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DaiGog said:
Gordon - I assume we can expect withdrawals of the early batch of Ge4/4 (611-620?) at some point soon. Any idea when that might be? I have also read that the small batch of Ge6/6 (700-707) are due for withdrawal too, can you confirm this?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

As far as I'm aware both of those are due to be withdrawn once the new EMUs for splitter trains arrive next year: https://www.rhb.ch/en/company/projects-dossiers/separable-multiple-unit-trains

I would imagine that this will also spell the end for the Be 4/4 sets, although they have very little work these days as it is.
 
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DaiGog said:
Gordon - I assume we can expect withdrawals of the early batch of Ge4/4 (611-620?) at some point soon. Any idea when that might be? I have also read that the small batch of Ge6/6 (700-707) are due for withdrawal too, can you confirm this?
.
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That's the perceived wisdom, yes.

'sooner rather than later' might be the mantra regarding the batch 1 Ge4/4II. I have spent the last few summers (and some easters too) on the RhB preparing myself for the eventuality by getting as much observation, riding and photting in as possible.

Bear in mind that RhB is also going to get two additional Ge4/4 from MOB.

The new EMUs due in 2019 will be a 'another disaster' for fans of traditional loco-haulage railways (and one assumes that RhB Marketing is working on a replacement wording (or abolition) of the 'Treasure trove for railway fans' section of their web site)

If the current diagrams were maintained, The initial batch of the new plastic would immediately negate the need for at least three of the current Ge4/4II diagrams, and no doubt with rejigging (especially around the modified Glacier Express workings) that would leave room for some withdrawals.

Some of the variables at play at the moment are as follows:

What happens to the Ge4/4I currently employed on Albula tunnel work (assume early 're-withdrawal') ?
What happens between now and when all the Ge4/4III have been rebuilt?
What will pull the freights in place of the 700s (they are employed intensively at present - with still six diagrams and only one 'resting' spare loco M-F)?


.
 
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Gordon said:
Bear in mind that RhB is also going to get two additional Ge4/4 from MOB.
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The extra locos from the MOB (to be 653/4 presumably) are to allow the Vereina car trains to be top’n’tailed with two locos, so will have no impact on the current loco fleet.

Glad I’m going over there next week though! :D
 
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Bletchleyite said:
He's sort of got a point in that they are switching very rapidly from scratch-formed LHCS to modern MUs, which they weren't doing before.
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I was going to make a similar point. But I think both viewpoints have a ring of truth.

The 'nothing has changed' feeling stems IMO from the fact that over the many decades since Switzerland became an 'electric railway' country, there has been a sort of consistency in 'style' of the way Swiss railways operate. The counter to this is that within that overall consistency, many subtle changes took place gradually. For example, freight trains stayed as freight trains but the wagons changed over time (as on all western European railways) and the locos changed. Passenger trains stayed as passenger trains but a loco hauled service that was once an Re4/4I and early lightweight stock is currently a class 460 and stock from the 1980s/90s

.
 
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My post was not suppose to be negative, more astonishment that a system with relative little change has changed so much. This reflects particulary in the RhB system.
Also the mentioned SBB 460 class is also already 25 years old. Now re-furbished to extend their life. The Re4/4 and Re6/6 more than 40. The Swiss railways had consistantly used their stock (thanks to excellent maintanance) longer than most other European systems.
EMUs existed decades ago, but always in relative small numbers.
But that discussions is a bit OT as it only touches the RhB.
Martin
 
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RhB Summer loco diagrams are on the RhB website:

https://www.rhb.ch/en/company/treasure-trove-for-railway-fans/locomotive-allocations

The Albula expresses remain officially the same as before, ie three diagrams for Ge4/4III and three for Allegra, although in recent weeks the appearance of Ge4/4III has been limited. This is due to the increasing use of the Alvra trainsets requiring re-built dual-braked locos, but only 641, 644 and 647 are fitted so far (along with Ge4/4II 625,629)

Through the summer, the two stand alone GEX each way are booked Ge4/4II over the Albula, one is booked the same loco Disentis - St Moritz implying a run round at Chur

Ge6/6II (701) class gains an afternoon northbound Vereina diagram similar to a few years ago, ie Train 1358 St Moritz - Landquart Mon - Sat until early October.
Good news for haulage fans but maybe not so good for photters as it means the evening northbound Samedan - Albula - Chur freight is booked Ge4/4II. This train regularly loads to 15 wagons which made for some lovely old fashioned 'roar' from the 55-60 year old 700 class veterans.

Liveries:
Good news for most people I suspect is that Ge4/4II 618 has lost its 'Edelweiss' advertising livery, and had its famous raised chrome lettered 'Bergün Bravuogn' name reinstated, although the 'plain red' livery now features a huge RhB 'large logo' (German one side, Romansch the other)

Ge4/4III 648 has been repainted from original style plain red into a startling black advertising livery for 'Blick' (newspaper), with jet black on both ends
 
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Gordon said:
RhB Summer loco diagrams are on the RhB website:

https://www.rhb.ch/en/company/treasure-trove-for-railway-fans/locomotive-allocations

The Albula expresses remain officially the same as before, ie three diagrams for Ge4/4III and three for Allegra, although in recent weeks the appearance of Ge4/4III has been limited. This is due to the increasing use of the Alvra trainsets requiring re-built dual-braked locos, but only 641, 644 and 647 are fitted so far (along with Ge4/4II 625,629)

Through the summer, the two stand alone GEX each way are booked Ge4/4II over the Albula, one is booked the same loco Disentis - St Moritz implying a run round at Chur

Ge6/6II (701) class gains an afternoon northbound Vereina diagram similar to a few years ago, ie Train 1358 St Moritz - Landquart Mon - Sat until early October.
Good news for haulage fans but maybe not so good for photters as it means the evening northbound Samedan - Albula - Chur freight is booked Ge4/4II. This train regularly loads to 15 wagons which made for some lovely old fashioned 'roar' from the 55-60 year old 700 class veterans.

Liveries:
Good news for most people I suspect is that Ge4/4II 618 has lost its 'Edelweiss' advertising livery, and had its famous raised chrome lettered 'Bergün Bravuogn' name reinstated, although the 'plain red' livery now features a huge RhB 'large logo' (German one side, Romansch the other)

Ge4/4III 648 has been repainted from original style plain red into a startling black advertising livery for 'Blick' (newspaper), with jet black on both ends
Click to expand...
I believe there's more than just 625/629 of the Ge4/4II locos that have the brake mods - think also 621/623/626/628. The modified locos can't work in push-pull mode with the old stock as they lose the jumper socket next to the Graubünden coat of arms on the front end as a result of the mods.
 
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