Glacier Express Derailment

[katoftw]

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/australian-among-11-hurt-in-swiss-alps-train-derailment/story-fnizu68q-1227023673225

 

3 cars derail after mudslide.

Edited August 14, 2014 by katoftw

[Densha]

It was even on the local news here in the Netherlands. At least there were trees that prevented the cars from falling in the gorge.

[ToniBabelony]

11 injuries. It's not such a big accident after all and luckily no casualties. Still, it's big news here in Japan, since it's a popular tourist spot for the old folk here. Not very surprising with vistas such as these:

 

[Densha]

Well that the Hakone-Tozan Railway and the RHB are affliated also helps methinks:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lastarial/6876898283

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tekken90/5198696796

[JR 500系]

11 injuries. It's not such a big accident after all and luckily no casualties. Still, it's big news here in Japan, since it's a popular tourist spot for the old folk here. Not very surprising with vistas such as these:

 

That's a fantastic picture! It looks just like an N scale model! Now we know why the N scale model of the Glacier Express sold so well...

[Densha]

I've seen pictures and videos of that place so many times I don't even bother going there. :P I think it's nicer outside than from inside the train as well though.

[westfalen]

I've seen pictures and videos of that place so many times I don't even bother going there. :P I think it's nicer outside than from inside the train as well though.

The tourist brochures always have photos shot from a helicopter or something and you never see those views from the train, but if you do go it's better if you get the local all stations train instead of the Glacier Express.  You can open the window and stick your head out, and because no one else could be bothered to walk all the way up to the power car ahead of the loco I had it all to myself.

Edited August 15, 2014 by westfalen

[kvp]

The RhB is actually made up of several railways and lines. The glacier express goes across most of the network but the more famous spots are actually only on a few lines.  The Landwasser viaduct is on the Albula line and the Glacier express goes across it, and this is what Kato choose to make, mostly because most tourists ride this train.

 

Imho the most famous one is the Bernina line (St. Moritz–Tirano), which contain the spiral viaduct above. As you can see, this line is served by special motor cars and not the usual locomotives. This is because it runs on a different electric system than the rest of the RhB network. The cause is historic, the two companies who build lines to St. Moritz didn't want to use the same system. Also, this line is especially scenic, since the designers didn't want to use tunnels, so it goes up the mountain all the way to the top and then goes down on the other side. The highest point is the Ospizio Bernina station in the middle of the Bernina pass and it's right at the official watershed of the Alps. There are two lakes with different colors, one flows into Switzerland, the other into Italy. 

 

ps: I'm waiting for Kato to make at least one of the 5 types of motor cars and matching trailers that this line uses. (the old yellow ones, the 3 flat front types or the modern streamlined gtw). The Glacier express cars are pulled by these motor cars on this line and it's officially called the Bernina express.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Berninabahn_Lej_Pitschen_im_Winter.jpg

(yes, that's an actual freight car at the back on the photo, since most villages in the area are only accessible by train during the winter)

[Densha]

The tourist brochures always have photos shot from a helicopter or something and you never see those views from the train, but if you do go it's better if you get the local all stations train instead of the Glacier Express.  You can open the window and stick your head out, and because no one else could be bothered to walk all the way up to the power car ahead of the loco I had it all to myself.

I like your first pic, with the loco behind the motor car with seats. Really strange that they didn't put it behind the loco, but that way you can't walk through the whole train can you?

[kvp]

I like your first pic, with the loco behind the motor car with seats. Really strange that they didn't put it behind the loco, but that way you can't walk through the whole train can you?

It's a speciality of the operation. It depends on the date of the picture, but the railcar is the local train and the diesel electric was bringing the tourist coaches, so they just coupled them together. If it's a more recent picture, then the diesel electric was used as a booster unit for the railcar. Usually you see two normal railcars or a single 3 section gtw in front of the the tourist coaches. Passage between the local railcars and the tourist coaches is not possible in either case.

 

From wikipedia:

Between 1973 and 1981, both Gem 4/4s were reserved each summer for the haulage of the Bernina Express. They would take over the Tirano-bound through coaches in Samedan from the St Moritz express train, and then pilot them in diesel operation to Surovas or Bernina Diavolezza, where the Gem 4/4 would be switched to DC electric operation. Thereafter, the Gem 4/4 would lead the Bernina Express further, to Tirano. Today, this form of operation would be regarded as hybrid traction. Ever since the installation in 1981 of a switchable catenary section above track 3 at Pontresina station, the Bernina Express through coaches from Chur have been hauled as far as Pontresina by a core network electric locomotive powered by 11 kV AC current. After the train stops in Pontresina, the core network locomotive is uncoupled, and the catenary section is switched to 1,000 V DC. A Bernina Railway railcar train is then manoeuvred onto the existing train. The rolling stock so added is usually made up of ABe 4/4 II or ABe 4/4 III railcars, sometimes mixed with a Gem 4/4. At the conclusion of the timetabled seven minute halt in Pontresina, the train continues further under the DC wires and over the Bernina Pass towards Tirano.

Edited August 15, 2014 by kvp

[westfalen]

It's a speciality of the operation. It depends on the date of the picture, but the railcar is the local train and the diesel electric was bringing the tourist coaches, so they just coupled them together. If it's a more recent picture, then the diesel electric was used as a booster unit for the railcar. Usually you see two normal railcars or a single 3 section gtw in front of the the tourist coaches. Passage between the local railcars and the tourist coaches is not possible in either case.

The photos were taken on 22 June 2008, over the course of a few days I rode the entire RhB with the exception of the section from Davos Platz to Filisur.

 

I think the railcar was being used as a booster unit for the electric loco, on the way to Tirano the loco was leading as you would normally expect but when they ran around the train at Tirano for the return trip they just left them in the same order resulting in the railcar leading (and giving me the best seat on the train ).  I saw trains with various combinations of motive power including two railcars as in the other photo.

Edited August 16, 2014 by westfalen

[JR 500系]

The tourist brochures always have photos shot from a helicopter or something and you never see those views from the train, but if you do go it's better if you get the local all stations train instead of the Glacier Express.  You can open the window and stick your head out, and because no one else could be bothered to walk all the way up to the power car ahead of the loco I had it all to myself.

 

Nice Photos West thanks for sharing! You mean you can actually walk pass the locomotive, seeing that the front car is ahead of the locomotive?

[westfalen]

Nice Photos West thanks for sharing! You mean you can actually walk pass the locomotive, seeing that the front car is ahead of the locomotive?

You can't walk through the loco but the railcar is a passenger carrying vehicle and you can walk along the platform to it.