Zermatt – Riffelalp Tramway

Le tramway de l’hôtel Riffelalp a été construit en 1899 et il fut démantelé le 12 septembre 1960 peu de temps avant  l’incendie qui détruisit complètement  l’hôtel en le 14 et 15 février 1961.
Le nouvel hôtel Riffelalp fut construit en 2000 et le tramway fut reconstruit à l’identique pour être mis en service le 21 juin 2001.

The Tramway Hotel Riffelalp was built in 1899 and was dismantled 12 September 1960 shortly before the fire that completely destroyed the hotel on 14 and 15 February 1961.
The new Riffelalp hotel was built in 2000 and the tram was rebuilt to identical to be put into service June 21, 2001.


Map

A – Riffelalp Tramway
B – Riffelalp Station (MGB)
C – Riffelalp Resort
In yellow, the Gornergratt Bahn Railway (MGB) /En jaune le chemin de fer du Gornergratt (MGB)


DFB – Les vidéos de la section Gletsch – Oberwald

DFB – The videos of the section Gletsch – Oberwald

Le 12 août 2010 était enfin mise en service la troisième et dernière section de la Ligne Sommitale de la Furka entre Gletsch et Oberwald.
En voici enfin les vidéos !

On August 12, 2010, at least,  the third and last section of the Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway was unveiled between Gletsch and Oberwald.
Here are the videos!

DFB 02 – From Gletsch to Oberwald (1/2)
At 1:00 level crossing on the Furka road
At 3:20 note, on the right, the track after the exit of the helical tunnel and the bridge over the Rhone river.
At 3:40 the entrance in the helical tunnel
At 4:30 the cylinder tank filled with water from the mountain and which is used to feed the sprinklers arranged all along the line in the wonderful Oberwald forest.

DFB 03 – From Gletsch to Oberwald (2/2)
The crossing of the Oberwald forest.
At 0:30 the bridge over the Furka road.
At 3:30 the sprinklers all along the right side of the track which are used in case of fire in the forest.
At 4:47 a marmot runs on the green grass and hides int the stones.
Note the…… arrival over Oberwald which is the first village of the wonderful Goms valley. Then
the level crossing (with retractable cog) on the Furka road before the
final arrival at Oberwald station where Dampfbahn Furka Bergstrecke
(DFB) joins the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) (Glacier Express).

DFB 04 – Level crossing with retractable cog at Oberwald (1/2)
The section Gletsch -Oberwald at least was opened on August 13, 2010 after quite 30 years of the association. A level crossing with retractable cog has been installed at Oberwald to cross the Furka road.

DFB 05 – Level crossing with retractable cog at Oberwald (2/2)

DFB 06 – On section Gletsch – Oberwald
The locomotive HG 3/4 DFB 1 Furkahorn, recovered from Dà-Lat Vietnam, pulls the train along the Gletsch – Oberwald section.
The bridge over the Rhone river and the twisting Furka road.
At 0:17 the train exits from the helical tunnel…. you can see the wooden doors of the helical tunnel.
At 3:14 the same traingoes up to …Gletsch.
At 5:21 the diesel Tmh 985 cog tractor follows the train to keep an eye in case of fire in the forest.

DFB 07 – From Oberwald to Gletsch

DFB 08 – At Oberwald station
At Oberwald station, the locomotive HG 2/3 no. 7 Breithorn maneuvers to be at the head of the train for the next departure to Gletsch.

DFB 01 – Diesel Locomotive HGm 4/4 from MGB at Gletsch
The Diesel Locomotive HGm 4/4 lent by MGB to DFB… arriving at Gletsch after passing the Furka pass.
Note the Rhone glacier at 0:10 behind the chapel.

My first travel on the new section from Gletsch to Oberwald.
At 3:20 note, on the right, the track after the exit of the helical tunnel and the bridge over the Rhone river.
At 3:40 the entrance in the helical tunnel
At 4:30 the cylinder tank filled with water from the montain and which is used to feed the sprinklers arranged all along the line in the wonderful Oberwald forest.

L’arrosage préventif du DFB

Afin de prévenir tous risques d’incendies lors du passage des locomotives à vapeur dans la forêt de la section Oberwald – Gletsch, l’Office Fédéral des Transports a donné son accord pour la mise en place d’un système d’arrosage tout le long de la voie et cela avant le passage des locomotives.
Sur d’autres lignes, comme par exemple sur le réseau des chemins de fer Rhétiques, les locomotives à vapeur touristiques sont suivies d’un train un wagon avec citerne d’eau. Ici la solution qui a été choisie consiste en un arrosage fixe, de type sprinkler, le long de la voie qui se déclenchera avant le passage du train. Pour cela deux réservoirs d’eau ont été construits… un en béton de 9 m3 près du tunnel hélicoïdal et du pont sur le Rhône et qui est alimenté par un ru sur la rive droite du Rhône et dont l’eau est filtrée par gravité pour ne pas obstruer les tuyaux par des sédiments. Le deuxième réservoir est en plastique et d’un volume comparable et situé entre le sentier pédestre qui rejoint le restaurant Rhônequelle sur la ligne et le pont de Lammen. Il est chargé de l’arrosage par gravité de la voie sur la partie inférieure jusqu’à Oberwald.

The preventive watering of the  DFB

To prevent any risk of fire during the passage of steam locomotives in the forest section Oberwald – Gletsch, the Federal Office of Transportations has agreed to set up a sprinkler system throughout track and that before the passage of locomotives.
On other lines, such as the network Rhaetian Railway, steam locomotives are followed by a train with a tank of water. Here the solution that was chosen is a fixed sprinkler along the track that will spray water before the passage of the steam locomotive. For that two water tanks have been built … a 9 m3 concrete tank near helical tunnel and near the bridge over the Rhone river, which is fed by a brook on the right bank of the Rhone and the water is filtered by gravity to prevent blockage of the pipes with sediment. The second tank is plastic and of a comparable volume and located between the footpath which joins the restaurant Rhonequelle on the line and the bridge Lammens. He is responsible for watering the track by gravity on the bottom until Oberwald.

Tête d'arrosage de type sprinkler / Sprinkler type head
Tête d'arrosage de type sprinkler / Sprinkler type head

Réservoir près du pont sur le Rhône / Tank near the bridge over Rhone river
Réservoir près du pont sur le Rhône / Tank near the bridge over Rhone river

Système d'arrosage de type sprinkler / Water supply system type sprinkler
Système d'arrosage de type sprinkler / Water supply system type sprinkler

Essai de la crémaillère retractable / Test of the retractable cog
Essai de la crémaillère retractable / Test of the retractable cog

Photos Hervé Deville

Le Glacier Express déraille entre Lax et Fiesch

Le Glacier Express a déraillé vendredi 23 juillet 2010 à 11:50 entre Lax et Fiesh dans le Goms, la haute vallée du Rhône.
Trois wagons se sont renversés en tuant une touriste japonaise et en blessant 42 personnes dont une douzaine grièvement.

The Glacier Express derailed between Lax and Fiesch

On Friday July 23rd 2010, the famous Glacier Express train derailed between Lax and Fiesch in Goms Valley.
One japanese tourist was killed and 42 other passengers were injured… dozen of which were seriously injured.

Oberwald – Mise en place du passage à niveau

La mise en place du passage à niveau dans la soirée du 6 au 7 mai 2010. La pièce pèse 36 tonnes et comprend une crémaillère rétractable.

Oberwald – Installation of the level crossing

The level crossing is installed during the May 6-7, 2010 night. The 36 tons piece includes the retractable cog.

(Voir / See  /oberwald-la-cremaillere-retractable/ )

Photo Manfred Willi (http://www.v-f-b.info)
Photo Manfred Willi (http://www.v-f-b.info)