Brienz Rothorn Bahn
Encyclopedia
The Brienz Rothorn Bahn is an gauge tourist rack railway
in Switzerland
, which climbs from Brienz
, at the eastern end of Lake Brienz
, to the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn
mountain. The two designers, engineer Alexander Lindner and contractor Theo Bertschinger were supported by the mountain railway pioneer Roman Abt
, who had responsibility for equipping the line with his newly developed double lamella rack system.
in 1898.
The train service was suspended on 1 August 1914 as a result of the First World War
, but did not re-open when the war ended. Essential maintenance was carried out and a small amount of timber traffic was carried from Planalp in 1918. Carriages were hired to the Schynige Platte Railway in 1924 and 1925, providing money for the maintenance work.
The line was finally re-opened on 13 June 1931, the first train to reach the summit in 17 years having run 4 days earlier. The railway was in good condition because of the continuing maintenance. Unlike other Swiss mountain lines, the BRB was not electrified and this made the railway a special attraction as from 1953 to 1990 it was the only steam-operated line in Switzerland. Although other Swiss mountain railways offer special "steam" trips this is the only line which offers a full steam service, the diesel locomotive only being used for additional trains and for light traffic periods.
, opposite the station of the Swiss Federal Railways Brünigbahn
. The Brünigbahn did not open here until 1916 so early travelers mainly arrived by boat.
The railway is single track with three passing loops. The first passing loop is at Geldried, 1019 m above sea level. The halfway passing loop of the line is Planalp station at 1341 m above sea level. The older steam locomotives stop to take water. The third passing loop is at Oberstafel, 1819 m above sea level.
The upper terminus of the line is Rothorn Kulm station at 2244 m, a little below the summit of the mountain.
.
A prototype diesel locomotive, class Hm2/2 ,number 8 , was delivered in 1973 but sold to the Chemin de fer Montreux-Glion-Rochers-de-Naye
in 1995 as their number 4. New diesel locomotives were constructed by Ferdinand Steck Maschinenfabrik FSM and are of (Whyte System) 0-4-0 wheel arrangement to a "kneeling cow" design.
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=7 align-center|Brienz Rothorn Bahn Locomotives
|-
! BRB No.
! Builder(s)
! Works No.
! Year Built
! Type
! Notes
|-
| 1 (I)
| SLM
| 688
| 1891
| Steam
| Scrapped 1961
|-
| 1 (II)
| SLM
| 693
| 1892
| Steam
| Ex-MGR
, 1962 1892-1941 was Monte Generoso 7
|-
| 2
| SLM
| 689
| 1891
| Steam
|
|-
| 3
| SLM
| 719
| 1892
| Steam
| Out of service since 1993. Withdrawn 2005 and displayed at the Steck premises at Bowil. Now returned to the depot in Brienz.
|-
| 4
| SLM
| 720
| 1892
| Steam
| Out of service since 1993
|-
| 5
| SLM
| 690
| 1891
| Steam
| Ex WAB
1 1912
|-
| 6
| SLM
| 3567
| 1933
| Steam - Gear
ed
|
|-
| 7
| SLM
| 3611
| 1936
| Steam - Geared
|
|-
| 8
| Reggazoni-Buhler-Caterpillar
|
| 1973
| Diesel-hydraulic
| Prototype Class Hm2/2. Sold to MGR, 1995
|-
| 9
| Steck
| -
| 1976
| Diesel-hydraulic
| Class Hm2/2
|-
| 10
| Steck
| -
| 1976
| Diesel-hydraulic
| Class Hm2/2
|-
| 11
| Steck
| -
| 1986
| Diesel-hydraulic
| Class Hm2/2
|-
| 12
| SLM
| 5456
| 1992
| Steam
|
|-
| 14
| SLM
| 5689
| 1996
| Steam
|
|-
| 15
| SLM
| 5690
| 1996
| Steam
|
|-
| 16
| SLM
| 5457
| 1992
| Steam
| Ex-MGR 1 , 2005
|-
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=6 align-center|Coaching Stock of the Brienz Rothorn Bahn.
|-
! BRB No.
! Builder
! Date Built
! No. of Wheel
s (Bogie
s)
! Seats
! Notes
|-
| B1
|
| 1892
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 40
|
|-
| B3
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B4
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B5
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B6
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B7
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B8
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B9
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B11
|
| 1892
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 48
|
|-
| B12
|
| 1892
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 48
|
|-
| B14
|
| 1987
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 60
| Lightweight
|-
| B15
|
| 1987
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 60
| Lightweight
|-
| B16
|
| 1933
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 48
|
|-
| B21
|
| 1892
| 4
| 28
| Semi-open
|-
| B26
|
| 1933
| 4
| 32
|
|-
| B27
|
| 1933
| 6
| 40
| "Bistrowagen"
|}
Trains depart Rothorn at 08h30(b), 09h33, 10h35, 11h10 and every hour until 16h10, 16h45, 17h20(c), 21h40(d)and 22h00(e).
(a) Sunrise Trip, Operates October 1 2006 only.
(b) Diesel operated train, operates Sundays, 13 August to 24th Sept. 2006
(c) Operates between 17 June and 3 September 2006.
(d) Operates on Swiss National Day, 1 August 2006, only. Fare includes Swiss Buffet and Folk music.
(e) Special service operates on Thursdays Only, 29 June to 5 October 2006. Fare includes dinner at the summit restaurant.
Except where shown all trains are steam operated. Additional trains may be run in between those shown and these may be steam or diesel-operated.
Journey time apprx. 55 minutes uphill, 60 minutes downhill.
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, which climbs from Brienz
Brienz
Brienz is a municipality in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.The village lies on the north bank of Lake Brienz in the Bernese Oberland at the foot of the Brienzer Rothorn mountain.-History:...
, at the eastern end of Lake Brienz
Lake Brienz
Lake Brienz is a lake just north of the Alps, in the Canton of Berne in Switzerland. The lake took its name from the village Brienz on its northern shore. Interlaken and the villages Matten and Unterseen lie to the south west of the lake. The shores are steep, and there is almost no shallow water...
, to the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn
Brienzer Rothorn
The Brienzer Rothorn is a mountain in the Swiss Alps on the border between the cantons of Lucerne, Berne and Obwalden. The summit can be reached from Brienz by the Brienz Rothorn Bahn and from Sörenberg by a cable car.-External links:*...
mountain. The two designers, engineer Alexander Lindner and contractor Theo Bertschinger were supported by the mountain railway pioneer Roman Abt
Carl Roman Abt
Carl Roman Abt was a Swiss mechanical engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. He made groundbreaking innovations in rack-and-pinion railways, giving his name to one of the most widely-used systems developed for mountain railways, the Abt rack system.-Biography:Abt was born on 16 July 1850 in Bünzen...
, who had responsibility for equipping the line with his newly developed double lamella rack system.
History
The railway was opened on 17 June 1892, after a two years construction period but was quickly in financial difficulties. The line was designed to carry 25,000 passengers per year but only managed 5,000 passengers in the first year. Tourist traffic was further affected by the opening of Schynige Platte Railway in 1895 and the JungfraubahnJungfraubahn
The Jungfraubahn is an gauge rack railway electrified at 3-phase 1,125 volts 50 Hertz, which runs 9 kilometres from Kleine Scheidegg to the highest railway station in Europe at Jungfraujoch...
in 1898.
The train service was suspended on 1 August 1914 as a result of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, but did not re-open when the war ended. Essential maintenance was carried out and a small amount of timber traffic was carried from Planalp in 1918. Carriages were hired to the Schynige Platte Railway in 1924 and 1925, providing money for the maintenance work.
The line was finally re-opened on 13 June 1931, the first train to reach the summit in 17 years having run 4 days earlier. The railway was in good condition because of the continuing maintenance. Unlike other Swiss mountain lines, the BRB was not electrified and this made the railway a special attraction as from 1953 to 1990 it was the only steam-operated line in Switzerland. Although other Swiss mountain railways offer special "steam" trips this is the only line which offers a full steam service, the diesel locomotive only being used for additional trains and for light traffic periods.
Route
The BRB is 7.5 km long with a maximum gradient of 1 in 4 (25%) and includes 5 tunnels. It begins in Brienz at 566 m above sea levelSea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, opposite the station of the Swiss Federal Railways Brünigbahn
Brünigbahn
The Brünigbahn was, until 31 December 2004, the only narrow gauge railway of the Swiss Federal Railways . On 30 June 2004, the Swiss Federal Council empowered the SBB to sell the Brünigbahn to Luzern–Stans–Engelberg-Bahn , and this company was renamed to Zentralbahn.The Brünigbahn encompasses the...
. The Brünigbahn did not open here until 1916 so early travelers mainly arrived by boat.
The railway is single track with three passing loops. The first passing loop is at Geldried, 1019 m above sea level. The halfway passing loop of the line is Planalp station at 1341 m above sea level. The older steam locomotives stop to take water. The third passing loop is at Oberstafel, 1819 m above sea level.
The upper terminus of the line is Rothorn Kulm station at 2244 m, a little below the summit of the mountain.
Locomotives and Rolling Stock
All steam locomotives are Class H2/3, indicating that 2 axles of the 3 are driven, giving a wheel arrangement (Whyte System) of 0-4-2. The older locomotives are a side tank, "kneeling cow" design of a standard SLM product. The modern steam locomotives use an efficient "light oil" fired steam technology and were built by SLM (Schweizerische Lokomotiven und Maschinen Fabrik) of WinterthurWinterthur
Winterthur is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. It has the country's sixth largest population with an estimate of more than 100,000 people. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, it is usually abbreviated to Winti...
.
A prototype diesel locomotive, class Hm2/2 ,number 8 , was delivered in 1973 but sold to the Chemin de fer Montreux-Glion-Rochers-de-Naye
Chemin de fer Montreux-Glion-Rochers-de-Naye
The Chemin de fer Montreux - Glion - Rochers-de-Naye is an electrically operated rack and pinion railway in Switzerland, with a track gauge of , which links the places mentioned in its title.-History:...
in 1995 as their number 4. New diesel locomotives were constructed by Ferdinand Steck Maschinenfabrik FSM and are of (Whyte System) 0-4-0 wheel arrangement to a "kneeling cow" design.
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=7 align-center|Brienz Rothorn Bahn Locomotives
|-
! BRB No.
! Builder(s)
! Works No.
! Year Built
! Type
! Notes
|-
| 1 (I)
| SLM
Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works
Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works were a railway equipment manufacturer based in Winterthur in Switzerland...
| 688
| 1891
| Steam
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
| Scrapped 1961
|-
| 1 (II)
| SLM
| 693
| 1892
| Steam
| Ex-MGR
Chemin de fer Montreux-Glion-Rochers-de-Naye
The Chemin de fer Montreux - Glion - Rochers-de-Naye is an electrically operated rack and pinion railway in Switzerland, with a track gauge of , which links the places mentioned in its title.-History:...
, 1962 1892-1941 was Monte Generoso 7
|-
| 2
| SLM
| 689
| 1891
| Steam
|
|-
| 3
| SLM
| 719
| 1892
| Steam
| Out of service since 1993. Withdrawn 2005 and displayed at the Steck premises at Bowil. Now returned to the depot in Brienz.
|-
| 4
| SLM
| 720
| 1892
| Steam
| Out of service since 1993
|-
| 5
| SLM
| 690
| 1891
| Steam
| Ex WAB
Wengernalpbahn
Wengernalpbahn is a 19.091 km long, gauge rack railway line in Switzerland, which runs from Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg, making it the world's longest continuous rack and pinion railway....
1 1912
|-
| 6
| SLM
| 3567
| 1933
| Steam - Gear
Gear
A gear is a rotating machine part having cut teeth, or cogs, which mesh with another toothed part in order to transmit torque. Two or more gears working in tandem are called a transmission and can produce a mechanical advantage through a gear ratio and thus may be considered a simple machine....
ed
|
|-
| 7
| SLM
| 3611
| 1936
| Steam - Geared
|
|-
| 8
| Reggazoni-Buhler-Caterpillar
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
|
| 1973
| Diesel-hydraulic
| Prototype Class Hm2/2. Sold to MGR, 1995
|-
| 9
| Steck
| -
| 1976
| Diesel-hydraulic
| Class Hm2/2
|-
| 10
| Steck
| -
| 1976
| Diesel-hydraulic
| Class Hm2/2
|-
| 11
| Steck
| -
| 1986
| Diesel-hydraulic
| Class Hm2/2
|-
| 12
| SLM
| 5456
| 1992
| Steam
|
|-
| 14
| SLM
| 5689
| 1996
| Steam
|
|-
| 15
| SLM
| 5690
| 1996
| Steam
|
|-
| 16
| SLM
| 5457
| 1992
| Steam
| Ex-MGR 1 , 2005
|-
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=6 align-center|Coaching Stock of the Brienz Rothorn Bahn.
|-
! BRB No.
! Builder
! Date Built
! No. of Wheel
Wheel
A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...
s (Bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s)
! Seats
! Notes
|-
| B1
|
| 1892
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 40
|
|-
| B3
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B4
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B5
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B6
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B7
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B8
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B9
|
| 1972
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 56
| Arched Roof
|-
| B11
|
| 1892
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 48
|
|-
| B12
|
| 1892
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 48
|
|-
| B14
|
| 1987
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 60
| Lightweight
|-
| B15
|
| 1987
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 60
| Lightweight
|-
| B16
|
| 1933
| 8 (2 x 2 axle bogies)
| 48
|
|-
| B21
|
| 1892
| 4
| 28
| Semi-open
|-
| B26
|
| 1933
| 4
| 32
|
|-
| B27
|
| 1933
| 6
| 40
| "Bistrowagen"
|}
Timetable
Trains depart Brienz at 06h00(a), 07h33(b), 08h33, 09h33, 10h05, 10h40 and every hour until 15h40, 16h20(c), 17h50(d) and 18h30(e).Trains depart Rothorn at 08h30(b), 09h33, 10h35, 11h10 and every hour until 16h10, 16h45, 17h20(c), 21h40(d)and 22h00(e).
(a) Sunrise Trip, Operates October 1 2006 only.
(b) Diesel operated train, operates Sundays, 13 August to 24th Sept. 2006
(c) Operates between 17 June and 3 September 2006.
(d) Operates on Swiss National Day, 1 August 2006, only. Fare includes Swiss Buffet and Folk music.
(e) Special service operates on Thursdays Only, 29 June to 5 October 2006. Fare includes dinner at the summit restaurant.
Except where shown all trains are steam operated. Additional trains may be run in between those shown and these may be steam or diesel-operated.
Journey time apprx. 55 minutes uphill, 60 minutes downhill.