Day six - it must be Saturday 8th July 2006 and back to Tiefencastel for another
jolly train trip. This time on the renowned 'Glacier Express'.
Anyway there I was trying to get
a good shot of it coming round the corner and approaching the station whilst at
the same time having a 'vigorous' debate with my long suffering better half over
which side of the train we needed to sit on to get the best views! The
next time some tells me which side to sit I will ask them to specify the start
and end destinations, and whether this takes account of the fact that the train
goes into reverse as the engines are changed and more coaches added at any
particular point.
As you can see from the station clock, this is
the 10.59 train to Zermatt
The
more modern Glacier Express engine passes Chur but no Glacier Express coaches in
site. Don't know where that was coming from or going to but we were in
Chur for 20 minutes from 11.50 something to 12.15. And although Swiss
railway timetables are very easy to read and decipher, I'll leave that one as
anonymous! But here's a link to the Glacier Express Timetable and other
Rhaetian Railway
English website.
The other thing of interest about Chur (pronounced Kooer) is that
it has the metre gauge and standard gauge lines in the station. At one
point on the approach the two were both on in the same track. There were
obviously 3 rails and the sets of points looked awfully complicated!
The other thing worth noting is that there are two Glacier Express sets of
coaches that go to make the train up from Chur to Zermatt. The train we
arrived on, five coaches long, had left Davos Dorf at 09.50 and arrived in Chur
at 11.53. The train in the video on the left was the other half arriving
from St Moritz at 12.03 with another six coaches. These were taken off and
put on our train with two 'Gourmino' (restaurant) coaches to make sure that the
more affluent amongst the travellers didn't starve!
The train then departed for Zermatt at 12.15. We only travelled as far as
Andermatt and then went by our tour coach to Darligen, near Interlaken, and more
trains.
The old and the new motive power for the Glacier Express doing what electric
engines do at rest, that is nothing!
Note this handy little bit of kit - No 83. Not only does it have a little
load carrying space but also, which I nearly cut off, a little crane on the far
right. Is it a shunter or for track maintenance I ask?
No
706 waits for departure, and for me to get on of course, on the 12.15 Glacier
Express departure for Zermatt. But then you should know that by now!
The 'Gourmino Dinning Cars'
are seen here at the front of the train. (Click the link for more
information) I haven't noted where but business must have been a bit slack
- one was taken off before we reached Andermatt.
The
opposite side of the station at Chur, and the standard gauge is evident, with
another electric train arriving from somewhere and looking quite the thing.
Quick view of a fairly quiet Andermatt, and a last look at the Glacier Express
before its departure. We then travelled by road over the Furka Pass - very
scary!
On the way and much to my surprise was this tantalising glimpses of the
preserved Furka Pass steam railway. We actually went over a level crossing
near where the train is on the left and much nearer but I didn't get a decent
picture. It had a lamp post in the middle. Mind you, these two
pictures are hardly of the late Robert Adley quality. Here's the
link to the Furka
Railway - go on just click it and have a wee look.
