Lauterbrunnen–Mürren mountain railway

The Lauterbrunnen -Mürren ( BLM), also Mürren in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland connects both villages Lauterbrunnen ( 797 m above sea level. M. ) and Mürren ( 1'639 m above sea level. M. ). The railway was opened on August 14, 1891, since 1910 and the winter is possible. It operates on two differently designed sections that are connected in the station Grütschalp ( 1'487 m above sea level. M. ). The BLM operates between 6 and 20 half hour clock with slim connection in Lauterbrunnen for BOB. During the winter and the summer season, the BLM moves to the tourist rush hour even every fifteen minutes.

The BLM 's majority shareholder, founded in 1994 Jungfrau Railway Holding ( JBH ) and how her sister tracks by the Jungfrau Railways Management AG in a joint business between Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB) and led the group companies of the Jungfrau Railway Holding.

• 2.1 Rolling stock

Lauterbrunnen Grütschalp

Cable car

From Lauterbrunnen led a funicular up with a maximum gradient of 60 percent to the mountain station Grütschalp. The valley station of Lauterbrunnen is located directly opposite the train station of the Bernese Oberland Railway ( BOB) to Interlaken and the Wengernalpbahn ( WAB) to Kleine Scheidegg and Grindelwald.

Due to the difficult situation of the funicular in a landslide repeated extensive renovation work was needed in order to stabilize the road. The roadbed has now moved since it was built sideways by about two and a half meters and down to three meters on the most active slip part of the slope. To rule out a future danger to the passengers, the responsible Federal Office of Transport had so limited the operating license for the funicular up to mid-2006.

In retrospect, it has been found that running in the area skid broken water pipe has accelerated the landslides.

A scheduled for autumn 2005, opinion of the cantonal government on the final fate of the train came. The Lauterbrunnen -Mürren and the Jungfrau Railway Holding had meanwhile decided in favor of a cable car Lauterbrunnen Grütschalp and laid the funicular on 23 April 2006 of work on the construction of the cable car finally shut.

Cableway

The evaluation of the BLM along with the Jungfrau Railway Holding was in favor of a cable car, to replace the non- threatened funicular. The advantage of this solution is the possibility to span the abrutschgefährdeten parts of the slope and to place the masts on geologically stable places.

During November 2005, the BLM submitted the planning application to the local municipality Lauterbrunnen on the funding request to the Canton of Bern and the license application to the Federal Office of Transport and published the plans at year-end. The BLM began in April 2006 with the construction. Inaugurated and put into operation then was on 16 December 2006.

As the cable car should run in the axis of the track beds of the funicular and thus also took over the existing terminals, the funicular completed on April 23, their most recent outings and was shut down after that. During the construction phase, the cable car Stechelberg -Mürren -Schilthorn ( LSMS ) was - in short referred to as Schilthornbahn - Mürren single transport connection to the rest of Switzerland. The Grütschalp remained as a popular starting point for walks during the summer months on the narrow- gauge railway from Mürren ago reachable under reduced timetable.

The cable car has been implemented as a single-track wind aerial tramway with a cabin. Designed is the cabin for 100 people ( around 8 tonnes ) and 6 tons of payload for goods. The total weight under full load amounts to including its own weight about 26 tons. With the elemental for Murren cargo handling is driven in normal operation in 12 -minute intervals, which corresponds to a capacity of 500 people and 30 tons of goods per hour per direction - without transhipment would be theoretically a 10 -minute intervals (600 P. / h) possible. This is a significant increase over the funicular (320 persons per hour per direction ) and even surpasses the narrow gauge railway (360 P. / h).

The costs for the project are estimated at CHF 23.4 million, of which 2.9 million to the ( partial) restoration of the old funicular. From its own resources, the BLM can muster CHF 3.5 million and the Jungfrau Railway Holding has in turn granted a loan of CHF 4.2 million. The remaining CHF 15.7 million expected to control the federal government (4.3 million) and the canton of Bern (11.4 million) in the form of conditionally repayable loans added. The cost of decommissioning, it is assumed that they do not have to be repaid, but will be fully borne by the federal and canton.

Grütschalp -Mürren ( narrow gauge railway )

From the station Grütschalp performs a good 4 km long narrow gauge railway with a track width of 1000 mm and a maximum gradient of 5% to Mürren. The track is a single track, down to the station Winteregg ( 1'578 m above sea level. M. ), which is located approximately at the middle of the line and has a passing siding.

The isolated narrow gauge railway has no track connection to the other railways of the Bernese Oberland, hence the maintenance of the rolling stock must be carried out on site. The three-lane station Grütschalp this has a small workshop. The rolling stock, consisting of five railcars is turned off, respectively in the Grütschalp station and the dual station Mürren.

Rolling stock

The BLM narrow gauge railway never possessed due to their small length over a large fleet of vehicles. At start of operations in 1891, only the third electrified railway in Switzerland, the BLM received three two-axle electric locomotives Ge 2/2 1-3, and originally two two-axle passenger cars (so-called Rowan trains) for operation under 525 volts DC, but not in this form satisfied. Only the conversion of the two temporary four-axle passenger cars, each with a locomotive to Rowan trains had a trouble-free and comfortable for the passengers driving operating results.

1913 replaced the two railcars BDe 2/4 11 and 12 of SIG and the MFO electric locomotives, one of which remained in reserve until it was acquired in 1923 by an avalanche. As a short-term replacement is procured, the two-axle steam locomotive of the BOB Eiger.

1925, the railcar BDe was 4/4 13 ( SIG again and MFO ) delivered, which differed from the two predecessors something. The railcar crashed in 1964 and was then terminated.

In 1967, the three railcars Be 4 were finally / 4 21 to 23 - built by SIG, BBC and SAAS - put into service, which is still on track to do their daily duties. In the same year the railcar No. 12 was canceled while No. 11 remained in reserve. The No. 11 is occasionally observed today in low season in standard mode. In addition, they can be booked for special events.

1997 four Niederflurwagen No. 13 were taken to 16 for the transport of goods into operation. They are coupled to the railcars on page Grütschalp, have a payload of 6 tons and transport most of the goods to supply the car-free resort of Mürren.

2010 by the ASM of the Be 4/ 4102 (ex OJB 82, SWS and MFO 1966) was purchased. It has been adapted in the workshop Zweilütschinen for use on the BLM and in the snow- free period, a special transporter of a cable car building company ( von Rotz Cable Cars AG) along a forest of Isenfluh ( while still a road leads ) brought to Winteregg. This railcar was taken in January 2011 and wears the new number 31

Pictures

Railcars BDe 4/4 22 in Mürren Train

View of Wengen between Grütschalp and Winteregg