Wetzikon–Meilen tramway

The Wetzikon -mile track ( WMB ) was a Swiss railway company, which until 1950 operated a narrow gauge interurban railway in the Zurich Oberland of 1903.

Genesis

1872 a first project for a rail link to the Lake Zurich was designed. It was not until 1889, a committee was formed for a narrow-gauge tram Wetzikon Zurich, which won the concession on 29 June 1893. Addition, there were projects and concessions for a Uerikon - Bauma -Bahn, a type- Egg -Bahn, as well as a line - type- Effretikon Stafa.

A Commission of the Canton of Zurich government proposed a merger of projects and the implementation of a standard gauge railway from Effretikon about Uster Gossau - Grüningen to Hombrechtikon. Wetzikon, which feared to be bypassed west through this alley and east by the Uerikon - Bauma -Bahn, resisted and suggested the creation of a narrow-gauge railway from Wetzikon to miles. On April 24, 1900, the establishment of the railway company and as the funding was secured, began in the summer of 1902 the construction of the track, which was festively opened on October 1, 1903 was performed.

Railway line and operating

The total distance of the WMB, DC 750 volts was electrified and colloquially sausage with bread train was called, was 22.5 kilometers and led from Kempten Wetzikon SBB Gossau Green Ingen Oetwil long wooden Männedorf at village - Uetikon large village -mile SBB to the boat station in miles. In Wetzikon and miles the rail connection found on the railway lines of the Swiss Federal Railways and Langholz at the Uster Oetwil train. The frequencies and the freight developed very well and a short time after the opening had to be procured another two-axle motor cars and two freight cars. This meant the track has a fleet of three four-axis and five double-axle passenger railcars, two -axle freight motor car, three passenger cars, nine freight cars and three company cars. The record was the 1920 with 532'345 11'014 passengers and tons of goods.

23 years after the operation recording the arguments on the common use of the station Langholz were settled by a contract.

Route reductions

Initially, 1931 required the Building Authority of the Canton of Zurich the termination of the short piece of miles SBB down to the boat station, and after careful consideration, the Board agreed to cut this route. As of October 3, 1931 WMB reversed only to the station miles, and the track to the boat station were canceled.

On the other side of the track and the community Wetzikon demanded a termination of the tram to Kempten, as they stood in the way of a road extension. But experts rejected a car or trolley bus operating from in this section.

As from 1935, the streets were paved along the track, it was hoped more passengers due to the lower dust. This proved to be a fallacy, because more people used their bikes. So was again discussed a switch to bus operation at the General Assembly on 14 May 1938. A request from the Board on the introduction of a bus operation between Kempten and Wetzikon SBB was granted. On May 15, 1939, the bus operating between Kempten and Wetzikon was recorded and canceled the line.

Downfall

Despite the high frequencies during the Second World War, the end of the runway loomed, but was saved on maintenance and repair only the bare necessities. The narrow road conditions in the villages, especially in green rings, and the many accidents with cars showed an urgent need for action.

Since the Wetzikon -mile track, as well as the Uster Oetwil Railway and the Uerikon - Bauma -Bahn were technically outdated, suggested a commission to replace these paths by a bus operation. Formed immediately an action committee for the preservation of the tracks in the Zurich Oberland. But on March 18, 1946, the Cantonal Council approved its contribution to the reorganization of the three tracks in the Zurich Oberland, abolition of railways and establishment of bus routes and after a fierce battle for votes voted out the people of Zurich on May 26, 1946, a ratio of 3:2 this reorganization to. In the same year, the company transport company Zürcher Oberland ( VZO ) was founded. On 13 May 1950, the last hour for the Wetzikon -mile track, she was decommissioned, dismantled and replaced by the buses of the transport companies Zürcher Oberland.

Rolling stock

• CFe 4/4 1 (1903 ) SIG / MFO canceled
• CFe 4/4 2 (1903 ) SIG / MFO, sold to Iserlohn orbit canceled later today on the site of the transport services and Lake Zurich Oberland in Grüningen ( same design as CFe 4/4 designated 2 -engine car Trogenerbahn )
• CFe 4/4 3 (1903 ) SIG / MFO, sold to Iserlohn orbit later aborted
• Ce 2/2 11 (1903 ) SIG / MFO, 1950 in Düren Railway ( DE G ) sold, terminated later
• Ce 2/2 12 (1903 ) SIG / MFO, 1950 canceled
• Ce 2/2 13 (1903 ) SIG / MFO, 1950 canceled
• Ce 2/2 14 (1903 ) SIG / MFO, 1950 sold to Düren Railway, later aborted
• Ce 2/2 15 (1909 ) SWS / MFO, canceled in 1950
• Fe 2/2 31 (1903 ) SIG / MFO, 1950 canceled
• Fe 2/2 32 (1903 ) SIG / MFO, 1950 canceled

• C 21 (1903 ) SIG, 1950 canceled
• C 22 (1903 ) SIG, 1950 canceled
• C 23 (1903 ) SIG, 1950 canceled

• K 41 (1903 ) SIG, 1950 canceled
• K 42 (1903 ) SIG, 1950 canceled
• K 43 (1903 ) SIG, 1950 canceled
• K 44 (1908 ) SWS, sold 1950 Forchbahn (FB ), where K 25
• K 45 (1920 ) SIG, 1950 Sernftalbahn ( SETB ) sold, there K 36
• L 51 (1903 ) SIG, 1950 sold to Trogenerbahn (TB), where L 53
• L 52 (1903 ) SIG, 1950 sold to Langenthal - Melchnau -Bahn (LMB ), where L 45
• L 53 (1903 ) SIG, 1950 sold to Langenthal -Jura -Bahn ( LJB ), where L 43
• L 54 (1908 ) SWS, sold 1950 Forchbahn (FB ), where L 34 "
• S 61 (1903 ) SIG, 1950 canceled
• S 62 (1903 ) SIG, 1950 canceled

Furthermore, there was a catenary mounting car X 71 available, which was also canceled in 1950.

Today you can only see a few places remnants of the route, especially in places where the train did not run directly on a road:

• Serpentine at « Uf village » in Männedorf,
• Viaduct on the panoramic above Männedorf,
• Embankment between wood Husen and green rings.

In Uetikon there is still a " Tramstrasse ".

In Grüningen of historic motor cars CFe 4/4 2 since 1992 is installed, consisting of an identical Trogenerbahn motor car (No. 23, ex 1), which series CFe 4/4 1-5 in 1986 and 1987 by the Association of Public Transport Museum Zurich ( TMZ ) was prepared externally.