|
|
|
|
Editor: Clay Moritz, cdmoritz@erols.com ·March issue · February issue
In this issue: Rail News · Events · Indian Head Central Excursion · 1998 European Journey
DEADLINE FOR MAY ISSUE: April 21, 2000. Submit articles and news items to Clay Moritz, Editor, Potomac Rail News, 2811 Plyers Mill Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20902.
INFORMATION ON POTOMAC CHAPTER ACTIVITIES: CALL: (301) 946-9461 or Visit us at: www.potomac-nrhs.org/
ADDRESS MEMBERSHIP INQUIRIES TO: Rick Davidson, Membership Agent, 2908 Breezy Terrace, Alexandria, VA 22303-2401
THE CHAPTER FAMILY: If you know of a Chapter Member who is sick, has lost a loved one, or has a new birth in the family, please call the Chapter on (301) 946-9461.
THIS MONTH'S PROGRAM...will be presented by long-time Potomac Chapter Member Bill Edson, who has had a most dynamic and interesting career in railroading. Bill started as the Chief Mechanical Officer for the New York Central, served as Chief Engineer for Equipment and Facilities for Penn Central, followed by a stint as General Superintendent of cars for Amtrak (1971-1974) before ending his career with the Federal Railroad Administration testing high-speed trains for the Northeast Corridor Project. In addition to his railroad career, Bill has authored numerous books on railroad topics, the most recent being the 4th edition of his popular Railroad Names book that documents the almost 7,300 railroads that have operated in the U.S. since 1826.
RAILROAD RAY! Long-time Potomac Chapter Member, Ray Saunders, a.k.a. MR. PICNIC, has crossed over to the other side of the tracks and joined CSX as a conductor-trainee. Ray has completed a five-week conductor-training course at the Community College of Philadelphia as well as advanced training at CSX's training center at Huntley Yard in Atlanta, GA. He is now assigned to CSX's Baltimore Division. GOOD LUCK RAY! We missed you at the banquet!
UNSAFE WIDE-GAUGE. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has discovered deteriorating track conditions in many areas of CSX's rail system, including the CSX tracks used by AMTRAK and Virginia Railway Express. The FRA began a two-week system-wide track audit on February 22nd because of a 60% increase over five years in track-caused accidents on CSX's 22,700-mile system. Among the defects discovered by the FRA's track inspection car were two areas of track between VRE's L'Enfant Plaza Station and the Potomac River Bridge. In these areas, the track gauge had spread wide-enough to risk derailments. Once discovered, the defects were immediately repaired.
The FRA is more concerned about the type of defects than the number found. George Gavalla, FRA's Associate Administrator for Safety, said, "We will not tolerate wide gauge on any railroad." CSX President Ronald Conway called the conditions "unacceptable" and vowed to correct any problems.
Under Federal track standards, allowable gauge variances are measured in fractions of an inch, not as much as an inch or 1½ inches. The faster the speed limit, the tighter the Federal gauge tolerance.
The FRA said in a draft report that "listening sessions" with CSX track workers and first-line supervisors indicated that there are worker shortages on many parts of CSX's system. These reports have been supported by FRA's own observations of CSX track. Track width is supposed to be 56½ inches and the FRA inspections found the gauge in two spots between L'Enfant Plaza and the Potomac River Bridge to be 58 inches. This section of track was repaired within hours and new rail was laid through the area.
On the CSX route used by Amtrak's Cardinal, the North Mountain Subdivision from Charlottesville to Clifton Forge, VA, the FRA found 23 areas with a gauge of 57¾ inches or more, poor crosstie conditions and many curves with not enough spikes to hold the track in proper gauge. As a result, the passenger train speed limit through the area has been cut from 60 to 40 mph. The FRA report recommended the assessment of civil penalties for the conditions found on the 97-mile subdivision.
Other problems found by the FRA included: (1) Two areas of 58-inch-plus gauge in the curves on either side of the long Susquehanna River bridge at Perryville, MD, (2) 69 "noncomplying" conditions on the 15-miles of main line track in the Washington area, (3) "Marginal" tie conditions between Baltimore and Philadelphia, and (4) "Marginal" tie conditions on the line from Portsmouth, VA, to a connection with the main North-South line at Roanoke Rapids, VA, that were significant enough to cause a speed reduction from 49 to 35 mph. The Baltimore-Harpers Ferry-Cumberland line, which had scored poorly in previous inspections, is now called "reasonably good" by the FRA. However, the FRA report did note several areas of water saturation that would cause deterioration if not fixed with adequate drainage. The FRA made similar comments about CSX's Columbus to Toledo, OH, heavy freight line.
CSX Chairman John Snow has said that he will personally lead an internal review of CSX's maintenance practices. (Washington Post)
MERGER MORATORIUM. The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has decided to implement a 15-month moratorium on railroad mergers while the Board develops new merger rules. The delay also allows railroads time to concentrate on improving their operations rather than dealing with the distractions of another round of industry consolidations. The delay applies the brakes to the proposed Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Canadian National merger and stops other large railroads from potentially launching their own merger proposals.
In the interim, BNSF and CN have said they are committed to their merger and each railroad has filed an appeal, to stay the STB decision, with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Court. (Wall Street Journal and BNSF Press Release)
NS AND BLE REACH AGREEMENT. Norfolk Southern has signed a five-year agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE)that continues to link engineer compensation to corporate performance. The agreement continues to authorize bonus payments, which were implemented in a 1996 agreement, to engineers based on corporate financial performance and is calculated in the same manner as for management personnel. The agreement also raises base wages to current national standard levels. The agreement covers about 5,000 locomotive engineers and was ratified by more than a 6-to-1 margin. (NS Press Release)
A DONE DEAL! On March 28th, the Richmond City Council approved the City's purchase of Main Street Station. The Council voted unanimously to accept the $10 million deal, which shifts ownership of the historic train depot from the State of Virginia to the City of Richmond. The depot, which opened in 1901, has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Renovations on the main station building could begin as early as May and, if everything goes according to plan, trains could begin stopping in downtown Richmond by 2002. City officials hope that the station will eventually serve as a regional transportation hub with rail, bus, and taxi service. (Times-Dispatch)
DOUBLE-TRACK PROJECT COMPLETED. On March 28th, Union Pacific Railroad completed a 105-mile-long, four-year, $157 million double-track project between Gibbon, NE, and Marysville, KS. This year, UP spent $56 million finishing construction on nearly 28 miles of second main line track at various locations between Marysville and Davenport, NE. UP also completed construction, which was started last year, on nearly 16 miles of second main line track (also between Marysville and Davenport) at a cost of $30.4 million.
The double main line project has increased the capacity of the 145-mile railroad corridor between Marysville and Gibbon. The increased rail traffic over the last five years is due to electric utilities' demand for low-sulfur coal from the Powder River Basin coalfields in Northeast Wyoming. Currently, 55 trains a day operate between Marysville and Gibbon.
The Marysville to Gibbon corridor ties the UP's new triple-track main line at Gibbon, in Central Nebraska, to Kansas City. These projects are part of the $1.9 billion UP plans to spend in 2000 on improving and maintaining its rail network. (UP Press Release)
NEW STORAGE CHARGES IMPLEMENTED. Citing the fact that it takes nearly as long to move a vehicle the last 15 miles to the dealer as it does to move the same vehicle thousands of miles for the rail segment from the assembly plant, Union Pacific has implemented a vehicle storage charge policy at its automobile distribution complexes to encourage faster delivery of new vehicles from the destination rail facilities to dealers and consumers. In implementing the policy, UP noted that the average loaded rail delivery times have improved to less than 117 hours, the dwell time for vehicles on the rail facilities after they are unloaded has grown to over four days, causing terminal congestion and adversely affecting productivity.
The plan is for the new program to assess storage fees dependent on the amount of time the vehicle actually remains at the facility. The objective is to expedite dealer delivery. UP's automotive customers are developing fast-to-market strategies with the railroad and this reduction in the facility to dealer segment is critical for UP to build upon the improvements they have made in the rail delivery segment. UP has established a goal of delivering vehicles from plant-to-dealer in less than seven days. (UP Press Release)
CONGRATULATIONS...To Courtney B. Wilson, who has been named the new Executive Director of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum, in Baltimore, MD. Several years ago, Mr. Wilson was the featured speaker at our annual Chapter banquet where he spoke about the restoration of Baltimore's President Street Station and the Civil War museum that it houses. Mr. Wilson, a Baltimore native, has served as the Chief Curator for the B&O Museum since 1997 and as its interim Executive Director since the departure of his predecessor, John Ott, six months ago. The B&O Museum's next major event, which Mr. Wilson plans to put his signature on, will be called "The Fair of the Iron Horse," which will celebrate the 175th birthday of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 2002. (The Sun)
CELEBRATING PITTSBURGH'S MINIATURE RAILROAD. The Miniature Railroad and Village is celebrating its 45th year of operation. In November 1954, Founder Charles Bowdish set-up the railroad on a 14-square foot platform in the basement of Buhl Planetarium. In 1992, the planetarium closed and the railroad moved to its present home at the Carnegie Science Center. The railroad and village now cover a platform 83 feet long by 30 feet wide. Generally, there are four trains and one trolley operating at a time over 1,200 feet of track.
Lionel Corporation served as the sponsor and exclusive source for the Science Center's trains in 1999. Lionel's generosity enabled the Science Center to install the new Trainmaster Command Control with state-of-the-art sound effects, like the digitally-recorded sounds of real steam locomotives from screeching brakes to whistles and bells. Thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Miniature Railroad and Village has a new connection to the outside world at www.miniaturerailroad.org For a current schedule of activities, call (412) 237-3400.
A NEW HOME. The Roanoke Chapter's ex-Southern 10-6 Sleeper "Yadkin River" has been sold to Mid America Locomotive and Car Repair at Evansville, IN. They plan to completely restore the car and make it fully Amtrak compatible for charter service. (Turntable Times)
REMEMBERING THE J! The Virginia Museum of Transportation will open an exhibit, "Streamlined Steam: The Story of Class," on May 6th during Railfair and Model Mania: 50 Years of the 611. The exhibit will be on display through September 15. (Turntable Times)
WEST VIRGINIA CENTRAL NEWS. The Roanoke Chapter has completed contract negotiations with the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (operator of the West Virginia Central) to operate in the year 2000. Operations are expected to begin sometime in April. This year the schedule will be expanded with the passenger train going to Tygart Junction, a new destination. Trips to Elkins will be continued while Bellington will remain the origination point for the trips. (Turntable Times)
GOOD NEWS FOR THE C&TS RR. The steam-powered Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, the historic former Denver & Rio Grande Western narrow-gauge tourist line running between Chama, NM, and Antonito, CO, will open its 2000 season as scheduled on Memorial Day weekend. The veteran 1400-member support group "Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad" will be its designated operator. Service will continue on two more June weekends before daily operation begins on June 17 for the summer.
On March 2, the railroad's overseeing agency, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission, awarded the Friends a 5-year contract to operate the railroad. Officially, the nonprofit Rio Grande Railway Preservation Corp., an affiliate of the volunteer Friends group, will run the line. The 64-mile railroad had been without an operator since October 1999 when the commission canceled its contract with former operator George Bartholomew for breach of contract and failure to maintain the railroad properly. Bartholomew and the commission are now suing each other. (TRAINS NewsWire)
C&O #614 FOR SALE. Chesapeake & Ohio 4-8-4 No. 614 will be sold at auction. The engine's most recent ownership group included Ross E. Rowland, who ran the engine on a series of Hoboken (NJ) to Port Jervis (NY) trips over New Jersey Transit in the late 1990s. The 4-8-4 was built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1948, and hauled various C&O passenger trains until its retirement in 1952. Donated to the B&O Railroad Museum in 1976, the 614 came out of retirement in 1979 when Rowland and his associates restored the engine for use on the Chessie Safety Express. After demonstrating for Rowland's "ACE" project as a modern, coal-burning locomotive, the 614 was inactive for a decade, 1985-95, before the series of New Jersey excursions. For more information on the sale, contact: D. F. Barnhardt & Associates, 8344 W. Franklin St., P.O. Box 1089, Mt. Pleasant, NC 28124. Phone: (704) 436-9393. (TRAINS NewsWire)
ALL ABOARD DAYS. April 29-30, 2000. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum hosts a Live Steam Weekend, featuring rides behind the B&O #25 William Mason (4-4-0, American Type), America's only operating Civil War era locomotive. B&O #25, originally built in 1856 by the William Mason Company, was featured in the Warner Brothers Studio's Film "The Wild Wild West." The Chesapeake & Allegheny Live Steamers will offer small scale live steam rides. Events also include rides aboard the Mt. Clare Caboose Special and The National Capital Trackers' large "O" gauge layout. Ride prices and more info: Call the Museum's Events Hotline: (410) 752-2465. Museum Hours: 10AM-5PM. 901 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD.
STEAMTOWN SPECIAL EXCURSIONS. April 29-30, 2000. Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA, will operate diesel-powered Amtrak excursions during its celebration of National Park Week. Two Amtrak FP40 diesels hauling Amtrak cars will depart Steamtown bound for Mount Pocono, PA, at 9AM, and Binghamton, NY, at 1:30PM. The trip to Mount Pocono is an extension of the seasonal steam-powered excursion route; the Binghamton trip is via Canadian Pacific's Delaware & Hudson. For further information, contact Steamtown at (888) 693-9391, extension 5203. (TRAINS NewsWire)
RAILROADIANA AUCTION. May 5, 2000. Preview 10AM-3PM, auction begins promptly at 3PM, 4-H building at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, York Road, Timonium, Maryland. This will be the John Hickman Collection auction. A photographic listing can be obtained from the auctioneer for $10. FOR MORE INFO: Richard Opfer Auctioneering, Inc., 1919 Greenspring Drive, Timonium, MD 21093, (410) 252-5035. (From Railroadiana Events compiled by Rob and Nancy Hoffer)
12TH ANNUAL TRANSPO. May 7, 2000. The Baltimore Transportation Memorabilia Show & Sale. 10AM-4PM, 4-H Building, Maryland State Fairgrounds, York Road, Timonium, Maryland. 1000s of railroad, steamship, airline, streetcar, and bus items for sale. Admission $5, or mention InterNet for a $1 discount. FOR MORE INFO: Transpo '00, Post Office Box 10372, Alexandria, VA 22310, (703) 768-2990, E-Mail to Transtique@aol.com (From Railroadiana Events compiled by Rob and Nancy Hoffer)
MYSTIC FLYER. May 13, 2000. Washington to either Old Saybrook or Mystic, Connecticut. Options include visiting the Mystic Seaport Museum or ride the Valley Railroad to the docks and a cruise on the Connecticut River. Cost: $109 Adult coach, $99 DC Chapter members - one ticket only, Child (Ages 2-12) $89, First Class on Dover Harbor $249, Valley RR/River Cruise Optional Box Lunch $8/person. Boarding at Union Station, New Carrollton Rail Station, BWI Rail Station, Baltimore Penn Station, or Philadelphia 30th Street Station. Tickets: Send Stamped Self-Addressed Envelope to Washington DC Chapter, NRHS, P.O. Box 151, Alexandria, VA 22313-0151 Info: (703) 273-8440 or visit www.dcnrhs.org Make sure you indicate your boarding location.
MAINE COAST RR. May 27, 2000. The 470 Railroad Club has announced another opportunity to ride the entire former Maine Central branch from Brunswick to Rockland on the Maine Coast Railroad. Included is the Rockland Wharf Branch. Fare: $45.00 and includes box lunch, beverage, and Alco power. Info and tickets: The 470 Railroad Club, c/o Ron Cole, 37 Longwood Drive, Portland, ME 04102 If ordering, enclose a SSAE, note your phone number and indicate either roast beef, BLT, turkey club, or veggie box lunch.
CINCINNATI RAILROAD CLUB. Plans to run excursions on the Central Indiana between Greensburg, IN, and Cincinnati, OH. Dates: May 20, 21, 27 and 28, 2000. Last year track conditions limited most of the trip to 10mph. Track improvements have boosted most of the line to 25mph and plans are to run round-trip excursions this year. No cost was given in the Club's newsletter. Contact: Cincinnati Railroad Club, PO Box 14157, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0157 Phone: (513) 651-RAIL (7245) www.rrhistorical.com/crrc
RARE MILEAGE EXCURSION. May 27, 2000. Port Clinton to Good Springs, PA. Departs 9AM. Train operates over the Reading & Northern's former Reading Company trackage to Good Springs, PA. Recently refurbished ex- Reading RR RDCs. Food available for purchase on board. FARE: $35 Tickets: send SSAE and check payable to: Jersey Central Railway Historical Society, P.O. Box 700, Clark, N.J. 07066 Info: (908) 233-3603; http://www.rrhistorical-2com/jcrhs
2000 MANASSAS RAILWAY FESTIVAL. June 3, 2000. 10AM - 4PM. Excursion rides, model railroad displays, railroadiana vendors, living history, music, educational exhibits, entertainment and rides for children. Info: Historic Manassas, Inc. (703) 361-6599.
FORMER DT&I. June 10 & 11, 2000. Snider Park in Springfield, OH, to Lincoln Park in Lima, OH. Trip is over the former DT&I, now Indiana & Ohio. June 24 & 25: the two trips are scheduled to run from Lincoln Park in Lima to Snider Park in Springfield, OH. Tickets are $55 Adults and $40 Children. Box lunches available for $7.50. Sponsor: WEST CENTRAL OHIO MODEL RAILROADERS CLUB, 900 CHESTNUT AVENUE, SIDNEY, OHIO 45365 e-mail: girard@bright.net Phone (937)492-1660
SEA TRAIN EXCURSION. June 24-25, 2000. The URHS will be running excursions at the Naval Weapons Station-Earle, NJ. 1950-era coaches pulled by U.S. Navy locomotives. First opportunity since 1981 to ride a train within this famous U.S. Navy facility. Excursions operate rain or shine and include a ride on the pier out over Sandy Hook Bay. Departs 9AM. Directions to Naval Weapons Station - Earle, Colts Neck, NJ, will be provided with tickets. Info: (732) 671-9644 (between 7PM and 9:30PM). Seats are limited; Order early. URHS, 112 Hill Top Lane, Neshanic Station, NJ 08853
By: Bob Cohen
Saturday, March 18, 2000, had long been the planned initial charter excursion on the Indian Head line connecting the Naval base with the Pope's Creek Secondary. In the days just preceding the trip, several former Long Island Railroad Commuter "chair" cars were prepared for service on this long anticipated trip. Ken Bitten of Northern Central Railway is to be commended for accomplishing much in a short amount of time in order to be ready to run.
The line's history dates back to World War I-era 1918 construction and, to best of my knowledge, only one other passenger trip covered the mileage. That trip was sponsored way back in 1973 by the predecessor organization of today's trip sponsor, the Chesapeake Railway Association (CRA), which was formerly known as the Chesapeake Division of the Railroad Enthusiasts, Inc. As the luck of the Irish would have it (and this was billed by CRA as their Annual St. Patrick's Day outing), there were at least four passengers who were also on the 1973 trip. The four "veterans" of the line were Bob Janssen, Joe Maloney, Sr. AND Jr. and Frank Tosh. They provided us throughout the day with interesting and humorous sidelights from the day of that trip 27+ years ago. They also shared their memories of early Indian Head Naval Base operations and rail stories in general.
Earlier in the week, the weather had been delightfully warm but as the 18th of March approached the skies darkened and rumbled and the temperature plummeted. By Saturday morning, though chilly as it was, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sun shone brightly as the 9AM boarding hour came and went without so much as a hint of a passenger train. By 10AM, more of the same and the assembled photographers and fellow passengers grew increasingly restless. Tantalizing us around the bend and through the high security gate was the sight of crew preparations and switching maneuvers. Finally, word filtered down to us that the old yard trackage had spread apart on the previous afternoon and caused a minor derailment, thereby causing the present delay in getting OUR train ready.
We finally departed the base well after 10 AM, but by then all parties were well chilled to the bone in the breezy, chilly, 35 degree cold. To make matters worse, there was NO heat on the cars as well. As ANY rail fan knows on one of these photo specials - BE PREPARED. At least I was wearing my thermal socks; however, many others were not so lucky and a few who had just recuperated from bronchitis or other winter maladies opted out of the trip rather than face this unanticipated hardship. A few others wondered why it was going to take so long (scheduled 9AM-4PM) to go only 14 miles to White Plains, MD, (the interchange point with CSX's ex-Conrail and Pennsylvania Railroad line) and return. When informed this going to be a "photographers' special," that put a slightly different light for them on the meaning of "excursion."
Our consist of four retired Long Island Railroad commuter chair cars with an ex-MBTA F10 lettered for the Cape Cod Railroad on the point shoving towards White Plains was an interesting sight to the motorists at the several grade crossings we passed. As we proceeded slowly Eastward, our operation was under the able radio protection of our conductor sending instructions back to the locomotive. Along the Eastward journey, we made three photo stops, all well-planned in advance by CRA trip coordinator Jim Cummings. Noted photographers Kermit Geary and Railfan & Railroad Editor Steve Barry all carefully coordinated their efforts for maximum use of the advantageous sunlight angles and lots of film and video footage was exposed along the way.
At White Plains, most passengers detrained and either got a bite to eat or stretched their legs while switching maneuvers ensued for an hour or so. The more 'die-hard' rail enthusiasts opted to photograph the various back and forth movements until it was time to reboard and proceed back to Indian Head. There were three additional photo stops on the return leg of our journey. My favorite was by a beaver pond (as shown in this month's cover photo). All that would have been needed for a stupendous photograph would have been some snow and a couple of visible beavers in that pond. By the time we detrained back at Indian Head, it was nearly 6PM and all were delighted with the day. While there were a few problems during the day's affair (mostly centered around malfunctioning lavatories on the train), most thought it was a successful trip and look forward to the Dinner Train operations, which are scheduled to commence this summer, perhaps as early as July.
By: Rudy Volin
GSTAAD TO ZWEISIMMEN AND FRUTIGEN
As Eastbound trains leave Gstaad they round a horseshoe curve and then start to climb to the summit of the line near Schonried which is at nearly 4200 feet. Passengers sitting on the left can see Gstaad as the train crosses the stone arch bridge in the center of the town. The mountain peaks were covered with snow and I noticed there was fresh snow on the ground when the train stopped at Schonried. Shortly before reaching Zweisimmen, passengers on the left side can see Zweissimen's station and yard while passengers on the right can see the line from Lenk a little later on through the trees. I photographed the Zweisimmen station as we passed, and I videotaped a train approaching Zweissimen from Lenk. I transferred to a standard gauge train on a branch of the Bern Lotschberg and Simplon, which runs from Zweissimen to Spiez and connects with the mainlines to Brig and Interlaken in Spiez. The connecting time at Spiez between the trains from Zweisimmen and the trains for Interlaken and Brig is short; a train for Interlaken arrived as its passengers were getting off the train from Zweisimmen. One of the passengers for Interlaken rode his bike down the platform, through the tunnel under the tracks, and up the ramp to the platform where his train was waiting. Meanwhile, other passengers ran for their connection.
Our train for Frutigen and Brig came next and I luckily had a little extra time to find its platform. Frutigen is a 10-minute train ride South from Spiez, and it lies in the Kander Valley at the base of the grade to the North portal of the Lotschberg Tunnel near Kandersteg. The tracks cross the Kander Valley on a long, high stone arch bridge about one-mile South of the Frutigen station. You can see the Frutigen Viaduct from the station and you can also see the ruins of a castle on top of a hill that overlooks the viaduct. To reach the Frutigen Viaduct from the railroad station, turn left into the parking lot and go to an alley that runs along the railroad yard. You will see signs in the parking lot before you reach the alley that say "Wander Weg" (walking trail) on yellow arrows. Walk through the alley to a highway bridge, turn left, cross the tracks, and take the first ramp to the right down to what is called Lotschberg Strasse (street). Follow Lotschberg Strasse to the viaduct, and turn right after going under the viaduct to reach a trail to the top of the hill. There are good vantage points for photographing trains crossing the viaduct either from the trail on the side of the hill or from the trail at the top of the hill that leads to the castle. From the castle, the view of the viaduct is hidden by trees. The walk from the station to the photo spots takes about 30-35 minutes. The Frutigen Viaduct runs in a Northwest-Southeast direction so it should be well-lighted for photographs from the late morning on, and shots of Northbound trains are slightly better than Southbound ones. Traffic is heavy; one local and one express passenger train pass in each direction every hour and freight trains often follow the passenger trains. You get very little advance warning of approaching Southbound trains, but you can see the approaching Northbound trains in the distance across the valley. The trail between the Frutigen railroad station and the viaduct is part of a hiking trail called the Bern Lotschberg Simplon, or BLS, which runs from Frutigen to Kandersteg along the railroad tracks.
I returned to Lausanne from Frutigen via Bern rather than via the MOB because it was faster. As the train approached Lausanne, Lake Geneva and the railroad's Lausanne-Brig line appeared way below off to the left side; a train was heading for Lausanne on those tracks but it was too dark to photograph.
LAUSANNE TO PARIS AND LONDON
The Lausanne-Paris TGV service was formerly part of a coordinated Paris-Milan Eurocity train service where passengers to or from Paris changed at Lausanne; however, this coordinated service via Lausaane was dropped shortly after the thru Paris-Milan TGV service via Modane and Turin was initiated in 1997. The two non-smoking first class coaches of our TGV were crowded, but the one first class smoking car was nearly empty. The train stopped at Vallorbe, which is near the border between Switzerland and France, to pick up passengers, change from Swiss to French train crews, and change from the Swiss to the French electric power. Vallorbe is still in Switzerland, and it has a small railroad museum.
The train entered the Mont d'Or tunnel after leaving Vallorbe and was in France when it emerged. The next stop was Frasne where the Lausanne section coupled to the rear of the waiting Zurich-Bern section after boarding passengers. Our speed increased once we left the mountains, but it didn't reach the high speed until the train entered the TGV line West of Dijon.
It only took us a ½-hour to reach Gare d' Nord by cab after we got off the TGV in Gare d' Lyon in Paris because of light traffic on Sunday. The Eurostar check-in and waiting area is on the mezzanine of Gare d' Nord which was formerly a baggage checking area. We were surprised they allowed us to check in for our Eurostar train even though it wasn't scheduled to leave for 1½ hours. Our train was crowded and according to the train manager, the entire first class section of the train was sold out. England's passport control was carried out while the train was en route to London instead of on arrival at London which was very convenient. We spent the next two days in London visiting and sightseeing. I finally got to see the London Transport Museum which has on display London streetcars, early London Underground equipment and much more.
General Information
References. "Switzerland By Rail" by Anthony Lambert is a guide to the many scenic railroad routes in that country; it is published by Globe-Pequot Press. George Drury has written articles about his trip to Switzerland in the February and March 1986 issues of Trains, and he has written articles about his trip to Austria in the June and July 1990 issues of Trains. He has also published more detailed railfan guides to both countries. Ross Valentine wrote an article about railfanning in the Tyrol region in Austria in the May 1998 issue of Trains.
The Thomas Cooke European Timetable contains the schedules of mainline trains and some local trains in Europe, and it can be purchased from the Forsyth Travel Library (1-800-FORSYTH) in the United States, from Thomas Cook Bureau's d'Change in England and many European countries, and from newsstands in London's main line railroad stations. We used the Lonely Planet guides to Austria, Italy, and Switzerland, and we found them to be the most informative.
Air to Train Connections in London. Same-day connections between overseas flights and trains departing from London's main line stations are possible. If you have reservations, or if the service isn't frequent, I recommend allowing a minimum connect time of 5 hours between the scheduled arrival time of the flight and the departure time of the train. This is to ensure you will make your connection in spite of seriously delayed flights, long lines in passport control, or delays in claiming your luggage.
Connections to and from the Eurostar in Paris. If you use a taxi to transfer between Gare d' Nord and Gare d' Lyon in Paris, I recommend allowing 1½ to 2 hours to account for heavy traffic, long lines for taxis, passport control entering Paris, and the 20 minutes minimum check-in for the Eurostar leaving Paris.
London Airport Rail-Links. Non-stop rail service from London is now available to both London Heathrow and Gatwick Airports. The Heathrow Express runs out of Paddington Station and the trains run every 15 minutes between 5AM and 11:30PM. The trip takes 15 minutes to terminals 1, 2, and 3; and 21 minutes to Terminal 4. The Gatwick Express runs out of Victoria Station and operates every 15 minutes between 5AM and 11:30PM; and hourly between 11:30PM and 5AM the next day. The trip takes 30 minutes to the South Terminal and the shuttle to the North Terminal takes an additional 5 minutes. Gatwick Airport is also served by local trains between London and the South of England. British Airways passengers can check-in for their flights at Victoria Station.
Luggage. In addition to restrictions on the size and quantity of carry-on luggage, most of the airlines have weight restrictions on overseas flights. British Airways allowed us, as tourist class passengers, to only carry-on one item weighing no more than 6 kilograms (about 13¼ pounds). A good reason for packing light for train travel in Italy is that the only access to the platforms in many of its thru track stations is by stairs.
Film. Opticians in Italy and Austria maintain full-service camera departments. Except for the islands of Venice, both color print and slide film were readily available in the full-service camera stores in those countries; however, slide film was available in camera stores in the mainland borough of Venice Mestre. The airlines are using the CTX-5000 x-ray machines to screen checked luggage which will ruin any exposed or unexposed film.
Language. English is spoken to a limited extent in France, Spain, Italy, and Austria, but mostly in the large cities and in the main tourist areas. Except for the Eurostar in France, few, if any, railroad train crew or station staff in those countries speak English. We used pocket-size phrase books to help us communicate our needs, and translate menus. Some other foreign language tips: When we took cabs from the railroad station to our hotels in Europe we showed the driver something from the hotel with its name and street address on it. When we made seat reservations for our day trips on trains we wrote out the necessary details, and we presented them to the clerk. We got the words for no smoking and first class from our phrase book.
Railroad Photography. I had no trouble photographing trains from public property; however, it is a good idea to ask for permission when photographing trains in major railroad stations. Vienna's South and West Stations only permit passengers who are going to board the train on their platforms. Photographing trains from station platforms is apparently illegal in Spain. I asked a security officer on a platform in the Tarragona station, in Spanish, if photographing trains from the platform was permitted, and he told me no. Ironically, this was after I had been photographing trains there for the previous hour.
Foreign Exchange. ATM's were readily available in all of the countries we visited on this trip. The exchange rates were close to the exchange rates that are published in the financial sections of newspapers.
Getting Around in the Cities. Many cities in Europe have reduced fare plans for getting around on public transit. You can buy day passes in London and Lausanne for the price of 2-3 single tickets, but you can't use the day pass in London until after 9:30AM on weekdays. You can buy a book of 10 tickets for the price of 6 single tickets in Paris. You can buy passes for 24, 48, or 72 hours unlimited use of the public transportation systems in Venice, Vienna, and Innsbruck; the pass in Innsbruck is called the Innsbruck Card, which also gives the holder one free admission to each participating attraction in the city. London and Vienna are divided into different fare zones, but most of the time you only need a pass that is valid in one zone.
When To Go. September and October are good months to visit Europe because it is not crowded and the weather is usually pleasant, although there can be no guarantees about the weather. We had more cloudy than sunny days on this trip. Many countries in Europe now observe daylight saving time through the last Sunday in October, and since the sunsets are later, it is possible to do sightseeing or photograph trains later in the day.
Food. Many cafés in Italy display sandwiches and pastries in showcases, however, the prices shown are the carry-out prices. If you sit at one of their tables the price is higher because restaurants in Italy charge for seating in addition to the service charge and the value-added tax. Most restaurants in Europe don't start serving dinner until after 7PM, and we noticed many people brought their dogs, well-behaved or not so well-behaved, into the restaurants.
Lodging. We mostly used the Best Western affiliated hotels during this trip. Best Western has a money saving hotel voucher program called Best Western Euro-Guest cheques in participating hotels in Europe; however, we only used the vouchers in one hotel. It might be difficult and inconvenient to go between the Venice railroad station and your hotel if you have any amount of luggage unless it is a short walk. It might be more convenient, and perhaps cheaper, to stay in Venice's mainland borough of Mestre and commute. Mestre has several hotels including two four-star hotels across from the railroad station and all trains into and out of Venice stop in Mestre. The trains run every 5-8 minutes, and the trip only takes 10 minutes.
CONTRIBUTORS: Alex Mayes, Martin Ozga, Ray Saunders, and Wes Vernon.
 Free Web Hosting Since 1996. Join & Become Part of the TrainWeb's Railroad Community. |