Berner Oberland Bahn

Berner Oberland Bahn
Legend Interlaken Ost -0.18km Wilderswil 3.24km Zweilütschinen 8.18km Sandweid 10.42km Lutschental 12.29km Lauterbrunnen 12.28km Burglaunen 14.43km Schwendi 16.82km Grindelwald 19.41km

A BOB train headed by class ABeh4/4 No.312 (named Interlaken) at Interlaken Ost, note the former brown / cream livery.

The Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB, pro. beh-oh-beh) is a narrow-gauge mountain railway in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. It runs, via a "Y" junction at Zweilütschinen to serve Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald.

History

Planning

Lauterbrunnen Station

The first proposals for the Berner Oberland Bahn, made in 1873, showed a line from Interlaken (at that time Aarmühle) to Zweilütschinen with later options to Lauterbrunnen and Grindlewald with starting point at Bönigen. Four years later an 80 years concession was obtained for construction and operation of the line and the company, Berner Oberland-Bahn was founded on 2 November1888 and construction started the following year

Failure of the plan to extend to Visp

In 1897 the company obtained a concession to construct a 54.7 km line from Lauterbrunnen to Visp, with stations at Stechelberg, Steinberg, Oberborn, and Blattern. It would have involved the construction of a 4,650m tunnel at 2,200m elevation under the Breithorn mountain. At Visp it would have had a connection with the Simplon line. Estimated at 15 million Swiss francs, finance was not forthcoming and by 1906 the plans were abandoned.

Initial operations

By 1 July 1890 the metre-gauge (3 ft 3⅜ in), was opened, using steam traction.

On 18 August 1902 a disastrous fire destroyed the station buildings and goods shed at Grindelwald and these were later rebuilt, surviving to the present day. On 7 October 1908 a new station was added to the system, that at Schwendi on the Grindlewald section. Steam traction on the line came to an end in 1914, the line becoming electrified at 1500 V d.c., overhead supply, on 17 March of that year, although steam locomotives have been used since that date on special services. Several changes were made during the 1950s and 1960s, the two most important being in 1957, the construction of an airfield at Interlaken causing the realignment of the line between Wilderswil and Interlaken Ost, but to no detriment and, with a need for servicing and construction facilities on the line a new depot was opened at Zweilütschinen in 1968.

Recent improvements

Since that time there has been a need for track capacity to be increased and in 1991 the Wilderswil to Gsteigwiler section was substantially improved followed by the doubling of the Gsteigwiler to Zweilutschenin in 1995. A bottleneck between Wilderswil and Zweilütschinen was eased when, in 1999, a 2.5 km. double track section was opened between Wilderswil and Zweilütschinen, meaning that trains could run through without the need to use the passing loop and, as necessary, awaiting the train in the opposite direction. The BOB has a total length of 23.608km and is a mixed rack and adhesion railway with two rack and pinion sections, using the Riggenbach rack system system, on the steep sections of both arms of the line.

Fatal accident in 2003

On 7 August 2003 two trains collided head-on on a single track section between Zweilutschinen and Lauterbrunnen, 1 person was killed and 64 injured.^[1]

Operations

A modern low-floor train of the BOB in Grindlewald with the track of the Wengernalpbahn on the adjacent platform. Note the modern blue / yellow BOB livery.

Since 1949 railcars have predominated. Some of the older electric locomotives still survive and are used to haul goods trains or kept in reserve service. The centre of operations is Zweilütschinen with the depot headquarters and the modern main workshops.

From the introduction of the 1999 timetable, a newly constructed 2.5km section of dual track between Wilderswil and the junction station at Zweilütschinen allows trains to pass without one having to wait in a loop, off the main line. This means that a half-hour timetable can be operated with only five train compositions. Since 2005, every composition has been equipped with a three-part low-floor unit as standard. Two train compositions are usually coupled together to travel to Zweilütschinen where they are then split. One train, usually the front portion, travels to Lauterbrunnen, the other, to Grindelwald. In recent years, all compositions have been assembled with shuttle potential. The locomotive (power unit) is always positioned on the uphill side, unusual on a system which involves "rack" operation, a control car with a driver’s cab being positioned on the downhill side, to avoid any running round manoeuvres at the terminus stations.

Stations

Timetable

The departure board at Sandweid station

Like all Swiss railways the BOB operates to a clock - face timetable offering connections from the main line at Interlaken and, at its upper terminals, to the Wengeralpbahn. Trains leave Interlaken Ost, dividing at Zweilütschinen, at 06h30, 07h20 and every hour until 22h20 with additional, dated, trains, leaving at 50 minutes past each hour during the morning and afternoon and an extra late evening service departing at 23h20. In the reverse direction trains leave Lauterbrunnen at 05h53, 06h55, 07h50 and every hour until 21h50, again with additional dated trains, leaving at 20 minutes past each hour during the morning and afternoon, with a late service at 22h50. Trains leave Grindelwald at 05h39, 06h39, 07h35 and every hour until 20h35, then 21h46. Additional, dated trains operate at 5 minutes past each hour in the morning and afternoon with a late service at 22h46.

Locomotives / Railcars

Rolling Stock

The passenger rolling stock of the line can be divided into that in regular use and that which is historic in nature. Present day passenger stock is painted in striking a blue/yellow livery. That in regular use can be divided as follows:

• Series A, First class open saloon bogie coaches with 36 seats, numbered 181 and 182, built by SIG in 1981 ,with 182 being rebuilt in 1999.
• Series AB, First/Second Composite bogie saloon coaches with 18 first and 48 second class seats, originally numbered 205-210, built by SIG and delivered, the first two in 1952, the second pair in 1954 and the final pair in 1956. No.209 is the only member to be found on the line and still carrying (Sept 2007) the brown and cream BOB livery. It is not regularly working. (See Preservation Notes (Below).
• Series AB, First/Second Composite bogie saloon coaches with 24 first and 23 second class seats, numbered 211-215, built by SIG and delivered in 1970. All have since been rebuilt.
• Series AB, First/Second Composite bogie coach with 23 first and 22 second class seats, numbered 221, built by SIG in 1946 and rebuilt in 1997.
• Series B, Second class open saloon bogie coaches with 64 seats, numbered 231-237 and 241-252, built by SIG between 1952 and 1970, most have been rebuilt. Five members of this group are preserved,(See notes below).
• Series B, Second class open saloon bogie coaches numbered 253 to 255 inclusive.
• Series B, Second class open saloon bogie coaches with 62 seats, numbered 261 and 262, built by ACMV/SIG and delivered in 1987.
• Series B, Second class open saloon, bogie coach with 52 seats, numbered 271, built by SIG for the CFF/SBB/FFS in 1954 as AB477 and rebuilt in 2001.
• Series B, Second class open saloon bogie coaches with 60 seats, numbered 272-274, built by SIG for the CFF/SBB/FFS as B861/B863/B846 and delivered in 1954, being rebuilt in 1998.
• Series BD, Second class open saloon bogie coaches (40 seats) with guards/parcels compartment, numbered 501-503. These were built by SIG/RJ and delivered to the CFF/SBB/FFS as numbers 512-4 / 511-6 / 510-8 in 1968/9. They were rebuilt 2003/4.
• Series BDt, Second class driving trailer (40 seats) with guards/parcel compartment, numbered 401-403, built by ACMV/SIG/BBC in 1987.
• Series ABt, First/Second composite driving trailer with 18 first and 31 second class seats, numbered 411 and 412, built for the RBS, and originally numbered ABt207 and 203 respectively, by FFA/SWPO in 1982 and 1981, being rebuilt by the BOB in 2003/4.
• Series ABt, First/Second composite driving trailers, numbered 413 to 415 inclusive. These were built by FZA/BBC
• Series ABt, First/Second composite driving trailer three-car sets with low floor access built by Stadler with electrical equipment by BBC. These were delivered in 2005 and now form part of every train. They are numbered from 421 to 425 inclusive.
• Series D, Guards/Parcels/Luggage bogie coach built by SIG in 1971 numbered 531 to 535 inclusive. 531 was rebuilt in 1997, 532 in 1993 and 533 in 1998.

Historical stock includes the following items, which still carry the former brown/cream livery for coaches and all-over brown for guards/parcels vehicles.

• Series BC4, First/second class open saloon coach with 14 first and 38 second class seats, numbered 203, built by SIG in 1938 and rebuilt in 1988.
• Series C3, Second class open saloon coach numbered 29.
• Series D3, Guards/parcels carriage, numbered 515 and 516, built by SIG in 1911.

Goods stock is a varied collection, much of which would not be out of place in a museum. The earliest wagon shown on the BOB stock list dates from 1888 and was rebuilt by the BOB in 1990. After 102 years that, I suppose, is the least they could do! The collection of goods stock totals over 30 assorted wagons, most pre-First World War, many built by SIG and much rebuilt by the BOB over the years. More recently a few additions have been made, most of which are second-hand from CFF/SBB/FFS. The line is home to a snowplough (Series Xrot e) with was built in 1954 by SIG/BBC and rebuilt in 1990 at the BOB workshops.

Preservation

Several items of rolling stock have been sold (transferred) to metre gauge preserved railways.

• Series B, Second class open saloon bogie coaches with 52 seats, numbered 201 and 202, built by SIG in 1930 are preserved by the La Traction group. Both were rebuilt, 201 in 1965, 202 in 1972 and both again in 1997.
• Series AB, First/Second Composite saloon bogie coach No. 204, with 24 first and 23 second class seats, built by SIG in 1938 and rebuilt in 1997 can also be found at the depot of La Traction.
• Series AB, First/Second Composite saloon bogiecoaches with 18 first and 48 second class seats, numbered 205-210, built by SIG and delivered, the first two in 1952, the second pair in 1954 and the final pair in 1956. All, except 206 and 208 have been rebuilt. No.205 is preserved and works on the Brohltalbahn whilst 207,208 and 210 can be found on the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme.
• Series B has five preserved members, No's 234 and 235 are to be found on the Brohltalbahn with 205, whilst 231, 236 and 237 are in northern France working on the Chemins de fer Baie de la Somme.
• Series D, Guards / parcels carriages, No.521, built by SIG in 1916 and rebuilt by BOB in 1973/4 can be found working on the Brohltalbahn, whilst No 522, again built by SIG in 1916 and rebuilt by BOB in 1973/4 together with No.523, built in 1908 by SIG and rebuilt by BOB in 1976 are to be found on the Chemins de fer Baie du Somme. Vehicle No. 522 is undergoing, (at Spring 2007), a rebuilt into a catering car for use on the CFBS dining car train.

References

Sources

Items shown in the above list are taken from official BOB listings, last issue September 2004, and have been updated by personnal observations made during September 2007.

External links

Rail info