Fribourg–Farvagny trolleybus system

The trolleybus Freiburg- Farvagny was a trolleybus overland route in the Swiss canton of Fribourg, then known as the German-speaking still Trackless train. The 12.5 km long route was operated by the Compagnie des omnibus électriques Fribourg- Farvagny and joined the old station of Fribourg with Farvagny- le -Grand. It was the first trolleybus Switzerland.

History

Prehistory

Beginning of the 20th century, the initiative committee Freiburg- Daillettes was founded, which had to build a meter-gauge tram route from Freiburg to Les Daillettes, a neighborhood of Villars -sur -Glane, the goal. This should be extended as far as possible to Bulle.

Meanwhile, it was learned, however, from the new achievement of a track lots of train and sent in 1908 a delegation to visit to Austria. There, the first plant was opened after a system Mercedes - Electrique -Stoll with the electrical catenary automotive line Gmünd in July, 1907. In Switzerland found to date, however, only its demonstration tour in an electric car at Chillon on December 17, 1900 instead.

So it was decided in 1909 to abandon in favor of a trolley bus to the tram concession. Calculations had shown that only one-third of the construction costs could be expected over a tram route. The course should lead from Freiburg on Daillettes after Farvagny, wherein before the Glane bridge a nearly one kilometer long branch in the also belong to Villars -sur -Glane hamlet of Sainte- Apolline was planned. In this way, a noodle factory for freight should be tapped.

Opening

On 31 August 1910, the Committee received a valid license until September 1, 1915, which was eventually extended in 1912 to 1 February 1932. As the first section of the 7.4 km long route went between the old train station in Freiburg and Posieux in operation. Plus the Freiburger link between passenger station and freight station measured the distance 7.73 km. On December 15, 1911, the trial runs began on 30 December, the opening ceremony took place before 4 January 1912 they started regular operation. The five permanent depot was located in La Glane, about 200 yards from the same station. This in turn was the northern abutment of the bridge over the Glane, there was also the converter station. The last stop was in front of the White Cross Inn in Posieux. The fare for the thirty minute ride was 60 cents.

On 1 October 1913, the 2.4 km long section Posieux - Magnedens followed ( It Bous ). This, however, was temporarily shut down between August 1914 and August 1915 and again because the first road had to be adapted to new loads. The last stretch of 2.7 km long section Magnedens was opened ( It Bous ) Farvagny -le- Grand on November 1, 1916. At the end point was henceforth an additional two permanent custody and another sub-station available. To the maximum extent was reached, the planned Streckenast to Sainte- Apolline, however, was never built.

Decline

As a result of economic difficulties after the First World War, the extension was not pursued further by cop. In addition, the vehicles had defects which were mainly due to the not yet far advanced vehicle technology and the bad road conditions. The Roadmap in 1925 contained five currency pairs over the entire route as well as an additional currency pair Freiburg -La Glane. After the electrification of the railway line Lausanne- Bern: Swiss Federal Railways, the section Romont -Bern went on 15 May 1927 in operation, had to be dismantled the contact line at the level crossing in La Glane. From then on had to be implemented with difficulty every time you ride the contact carriage; this task was an employee of the nearby depots. Only in 1949 this level crossing was replaced by a slightly further east overpass, bringing back an obstacle- free travel would have been possible.

On April 1, 1929, the management of the Chemins de fer de la Gruyère électriques (CEG ) was ceded. The CEG decided to use the license until the end of their term on 31 January 1932 but they did not extend. The reasons for this lay in the desire on the one hand, the line to extend over Farvagny out, and on the other hand the slow and laborious operation when cruising and at the level crossing. On May 21, 1923 sailed for the last time a trolley bus route scheduled routes while the operation time together 1.5 million people were transported electrically.

From the day after the CEG sat only a diesel buses, these perverted through to Bulle. The regular travel time of 50 minutes by trolleybus fell after the switch to only 30 minutes. Today, the ratio of the regional bus 336 is operated. In the city of Freiburg operate the free TPF since 1949 also a modern trolley bus network with three lines, the trolley Freiburg. West of the station line 2 operated here also a short section of the former route to Farvagny. Get also remained the two garages in La Glane and Farvagny and the converter station in La Glane, the buildings are now used for other purposes, however.

Infrastructure

The overhead line from Freiburg to Farvagny was performed on the whole route only one lane. It consisted of two located at a distance of 30 centimeters contained copper wires of 65 millimeters in diameter. These were located at a height of 5.8 meters above the ground. The voltage was 550 volts DC. On the wires during the usual system Mercédès - ƒlectrique -Stoll contact carriage ran, it was connected by a cable to the vehicle. The vehicles could run in both directions thus even without the investment of turning loops. In a car encounter the contact carriage between the vehicles were exchanged by the driver aussteckte his vehicle plug and pocketed the little cart of the oncoming vehicle to drive on. The design Mercédès - ƒlectrique -Stoll left to a lateral deviation of six to eight meters.

Rolling stock

Three cars with numbers 1 to 3 and a catenary trucks were purchased. In addition to the 1918-1922 operated track train lots Gümmenen - Muhlenberg - but where was held exclusively freight - the route discussed here was one of only two catenary truck operations in Switzerland.

Manufacturers of all four vehicles was the Daimler -Motoren-Gesellschaft in Wiener Neustadt. From this came the manufacturer chassis and bodies, and also the electrical equipment was installed here. All vehicles were delivered in 1911. The buses offered seventeen seats and seven standing. They were initially 20 km / h fast, 3.2 tons and possessed two wheel hub motors with 20 horsepower power. The wheels were made of wood, which were provided at the front wheels with a simple, at the rear wheels with a double rubber bandage. The two wheel hub motors were very vulnerable, which is also due to the lack of suspension, and they corresponded to the seal not today fully sealed motors. This construction weaknesses led to disturbances, because the roads were still unpaved dirt roads, with appropriate dust exposure for the motors. For this reason, the three vehicles 1917-1920 had to be rebuilt. This happened with the company Tribelhorn in box Bach, the einbaute the new engines. The wagons were after reconstruction 25 km / h fast; the weight increased with the car 1 and 2 to 3.6 tonnes, the vehicle 3 to 4.47 tons. The vehicles were kept in dark red color, in the region of the underframe they were partially painted yellow.

Thus, the operation could be maintained, 1917 Saurer petrol omnibus of type 32 R was procured. The truck was rarely used due to the lack of branch line. The vehicles were sold after the setting to individuals and over time has been scrapped all.