Amsteg - Bristen

Canton of Uri, Switzerland

The funicular (1)

The Amsteg-Bristen funicular is the 'brother' of the Piotta-Ritom funicular near Airolo in the canton of Ticino.

The two funiculars have some characteristics in common:
. they were both built by the Federal Railways (SBB) with a hydroelectric power station designed to feed the Gotthard line.
. they are both located on a side of the Gotthard massif.
. they are both the same type of funicular (one car on a single track, the engine at the bottom station, a passive pulley at the top).

The funicular was restored by Garaventa. The old chassis was renovated and a new wooden bodywork, which can contain 20 passengers (12 seats) and one conductor. During the travel, the uneven track causes many creaking sounds with the wooden structure!

 

The new car with its wooden bodywork. The passengers enter the car through the rear platform and the rear door of the car.

 

The passengers enter the car through the rear platform and the rear door of the car (see the photo on the right).

 

 

The maximum gradient of the line is 92% which is one of the steepest gradient of swiss funiculars. Steeper than Chatelard and Piotta, but not so steep as Gelmer.

 

The car reach the point where the funicular passes over the Federal Railway line.

 

The steepest part of the line. .

 

The vue from the front window. Note the cable with its pulleys on the wall on the left of the track.

 

The interior of the wooden bodywork.

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Click on the thumbnails to enlarge

 

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