The longest rail tunnel is opening (in 2016)

[Alemino]

After looong years is almost done.

the 3-4 June, with a popular party, the Gotthard base tunnel will be opened

57.1 km of length.

For normal operation we will have to wait December, when Swiss railways change the timetable.

 

More information

 

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/railway-across-the-alps_the-new-gotthard-tunnel--in-numbers/42124876

 

Model train side, can be expensive, very expensive, as lot of train will be painted with special livery.

And models of course made

Some are already, before even selling them, sold out! specially in H0 size. 

 

(pics to follow)

[Alemino]

here some special liveries for the opening

 

Re420 cargo official

 

Re460 official

 

RE460 from a bank

 

Re460 from a watchmaker (the real swiss railway clock..the one that stop for one second at the top)

 

Re460 from a swiss engineering company

 

Re460 from a big supermarket chain

 

 

Re469 from an insurance company

 

and all will be made by a swiss H0 manufacurer..

( each one cost about 700 USD)

 in N only he official ones are for the moment made

 

in H0 some are already sold out at supplier!

but is an historic event..so may be worth to invest some money

(pics from internet)

Edited May 17, 2016 by Alemino

[Ochanomizu]

Hello,

 

In 2010 my wife and I took a driving holiday through Europe.  One day, we drove from Lucerne to Taach in Switzerland.  We did not expect it, but the GPS took us to a town called Frutigen, high in the mountains, and announced "now board the ferry".  This made no sense to us and we thought we had made a mistake.  We were high in the mountains in a station car park.  Then another car pulled up and the driver went to a building.  I quickly followed.  I realised he was buying a ticket.  I bought also.  The attendant asked a question.  I could not understand.  I guessed she asked how many passengers.  I held up 2 fingers.

 

The other driver was sitting in his car, so we sat two.  It was nearly 20 minutes.  My wife and I were anxious, but there was no one we could understand, so we waited.  Then the gate opened and the other driver entered and we followed.  By now there were more cars.  I quickly realised we were driving on the train, from the back up almost to the front.  Other cars and trucks followed.  We could not understand anything.  At least we were laughing because it was a train, not a ferry.  When I think of ferry I think of boat.

 

The train pulled out and we suddenly disappeared into a tunnel.  We were in the tunnel for about 25 minutes.  It was the longest I've ever been in a tunnel like that.  We were in the dark the whole way.  We had no idea where the train went.  We were trusting our GPS, which of course, was now dead.  I could not tell the speed or direction we were travelling.  I thought we could end up in Switzerland, Italy where we were heading next week, or Austria where we were last week.  All I could promise my wife is a good night sleep at whatever town we ended up at.

 

Eventually we came out of the tunnel.  We were high in the mountains ... somewhere.  It took about 5 anxious minutes for the GPS to come to life.  The train stopped.  A gantry was lowered over the leading flat car, which was empty, allowing vehicles to drive off in a forward direction.  Suddenly our GPS said something like "now drive straight on for 20 kilometers".  Eventually we arrived at Taach.  After checking in I explained the event to the owner of the hotel.  He told me about the Lötschberg Base Tunnel and that we had come that way.

 

Today it remains one of our favourite talking points.  It was such a funny situation to us and anxious at the same time.  Now I would like to return to Switzerland and travel through the Gotthard Base Tunnel.  I think that would be very exciting.

[serotta1972]

What a neat story Ochanomizu, thanks for sharing!  :)

 

Thanks Alemino for sharing an awesome engineering feat - any documentaries on it yet?  I love watching these great wonders of engineering.  

And it looks like you already have your commemorative locomotive, very nice. A Swiss model train is in my future but definitely not any of these special liveries.

[Ochanomizu]

Hello Serotta1972,

 

Thank you for your kind comment.

 

Have you seen the Japanology episode about the Seikan tunnel?  I think you would enjoy very much.

[Alemino]

nice story Ochanomizu!

I was thinking you did catch the Ffurka Tunnel, which is also not far..

 

the Lotschberg tunnel is also part of the project of tunnels for fast crossing alps.

Being shorter was completed early!

 

And has a local advantage too, car loading! and literally changed the tourism in the region! with people driving more with the train for a fast connection nord-south on daily basis!

 

 

In the Gottard base tunnel is not planned any car loading. (there is a highway)

 

 

Serotta: i will look for documentaries, i know there is one old from NG or Discovery about Engineering of the tunnel, but was more about the drilling.

For sure now there are lot more!

i will search

[Alemino]

some videos

sadly not all in english

but to view are great

in this one you can see the whole 57 km like a driver :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdRpod7YBUc

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpYaHmX2f88

 

[Alemino]

not really about the tunnel..

but you see some of the most beautiful swiss trains..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVnTKmycm08

[serotta1972]

Thanks guys for the links, something for me to watch while Im on the bike trainer. I've actually seen the Japanology Episode on the Seikan Tunnel.

[Alemino]

found this in a local arab newspaper..( im right now traveling in middle east)

 

let's see who see it ;)