Switzerland: BLS turn up and go heritage train on Lötschberg 5 Summer sundays

[Gordon]

BLS have announced a turn up and go heritage train service Burgdorf - Bern - Belp - Lötschberg mountain route - Brig, on 5 Sundays this summer

Even the booked traction is listed:
Ae 6/8 205 10 June and 9 September
Ae 4/4 251 8 July and 14 October
Be 4/4 761 (railcar) 12 August

• BLS site implies fresh air EWI stock will be used. Theme pictures on the BLS website show 1st class EWI although the train is advertised as 2nd class only.
• Will run as a normal service train so boarding or alighting possible at all stops
• normal fares apply and no reservation needed (except for groups of 10 or more)
• Runs via Belp, a rare opp to do this line loco hauled on a service train
• Stops at Blausee - Mitholz, the famous 'back to front' station closed to normal passenger service for many years now
• 10 minute photo stop at Hohtenn on the southbound run

Train is well timed for lineside photography, for example the train traverses the Lötschberg south ramp at perfect times with the sun roughly 3/4 front of the train for both outbound and return workings

Schedule

Burgdorf 07.46, Zollikofen 08.03, Bern 08.12 to 08.21, Belp 08.38, Thun 09.04, Spiez 09.15, Mülenen 09.22, Reichenbach i.K 09.25, Frutigen 09.31, Blausee-Mitholz 09.39, Kandersteg 09.49, Goppenstein 10.06, Hohtenn 10.11 to 10.21 (Photo stop), Ausserberg 10.28, Eggerberg 10.33, Lalden 10.36, Brig arr 10.43

Brig 14.58, Lalden 15.04, Eggerberg 15.07, Ausserberg, 15.12, Hohtenn 15.19, Goppenstein, 15.25, Kandersteg 15.42, Blausee-Mitholz 15.50, Frutigen 16.00, Reichenbach i.K.16.05, Mülenen 16.07, Spiez 16.15, Thun 16.26, Belp 16.48, Bern 17.02 to 17.08, Zollikofen 17.15, Burgdorf 17.26.

 

[Bletchleyite]

A question - what's "back to front" about Blausee-Mitholz?

 

[Gordon]

A question - what's "back to front" about Blausee-Mitholz?

Ah, I was hoping someone would ask! I left the fuller explanation out of the original text so as not to over extend the details about the interesting new train.

Blausee Mitholz station is famously situated in the middle level of the 'Felsenburg' set of double back loops which means that to travel south towards Brig you have to board a train heading northbound through the station, and vice versa.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ah, cheers.

 

[30907]

Ah, I was hoping someone would ask! I left the fuller explanation out of the original text so as not to over extend the details about the interesting new train.

Blausee Mitholz station is famously situated in the middle level of the 'Felsenburg' set of double back loops which means that to travel south towards Brig you have to board a train heading northbound through the station, and vice versa.

I remember alighting there over 30 years ago to visit the Blausee lake. Wasn't exactly busy, and the replacement bus is much more convenient for both the lake and Mitholz (which presumably is an abbreviated form of middle-of-the-wood). Though I suspect the BLS decided to chop the stoppers as they were getting in the way of the freights.

 

[axlecounter]

A thing we can only dream of (at the moment) on the Gotthard line...

 

[Gordon]

Though I suspect the BLS decided to chop the stoppers as they were getting in the way of the freights.

Partly that and partly geographical/demographical.

Blausee Mitholz and Kandergrund were both quite remote in the scheme of things, and served very small hamlets, and the replacement bus service runs along comparatively straight roads; in contrast to the south ramp local stations (which remained open despite the heavy freight at the time) which are close enough to larger villages to get enough usage (as well as being on a more vertiginous hillside making equivalent bus services hard to deploy)