Monday 29 September - Brienze Rothorn and Innertkirchen

We decided to change the schedule today because the forecast is for rain later in the week. This morning we left early and changed at Luzern for Brienze. A quick dash to the Mountain railway station and we scored a couple of the last seats on the train to the summit. This is the only steam mountain line in Switzerland. I had a dog sitting between my legs. He was very good but became a little restless towards the end of the hour long trip. This is a very different ride than the Pilatus of yesterday. It climbs much higher first through wooded country and then mainly grass. The weather was wonderful and there were great views over Lake Brienze.

 

 

We spent about half an hour at the summit which is not so well appointed as Pilatus. Rough paths instead of pavement.

The trip down was in a pretty empty train. The steam engine was worked hard on the way up but had it easy on the way back. There was just one man on the engine, it being oil fired.

I loved the moss on the roof

At Brienze we watched the steamer arrive and its passengers transfer to the train and Post buses.

Meiringen

A quick ride to Meiringen and we transferred to the single electric car of the Innertkirchen railway. We got off at the station in the tunnel. The platform is about 6 feet long and when you get off two doors open to let you out. There is a small waiting area open to the sky where intending passengers can signal for the train to stop.

Aareschulcht Ost station. The platform is very short and the doors are only opened when a train is stopped there.

We crossed a suspension bridge over the Aare river and could look into the gorge. A stiff climb up many steps brought us to a snack bar which controlled entry to the walkway through the gorge. We paid 8.50 francs and started out. The walkway is well maintained and is placed almost entirely on the south wall of the gorge. The river is rushing below and at one place the gorge sides are about 3 feet apart.

At the west end we made our way out through a gift shop and just missed the train from the little station back to Meiringen. We had a beer at a restaurant and caught the next train which went in the other direction to Innertkirchen and then came right back to Meiringen. The entire line takes just about ten minutes with one man and one electric car.

Innertkirchen

Click here to see all Brienze Rothorn pictures
Click here to see all Innertkirchen pictures

Direct trip back over the Brunig to Luzern with great views in the evening sun. The train to Zurich was a standard double decker, very comfortable.

Sunday 28 September - Pilatus and Swiss Railway Museum

We were out in good time this morning to catch a train to Luzern and on to Alpnachstad. It was misty and very foggy in places.  We didn't have to worry because the ride to the top of Pilatus was in full sun although we could see the early mist hanging in some valleys.

I don't know what to say about Pilatus. It is the steepest rack railway in the world at 48%. However they have been operating for 150 years so they know what they are doing. The trains are run in flights, we passed a group of five at the half way point. The first part was steep alpine meadows with tiny yellow and purple flowers and tiny butterflies. There are many cows and their bells make quite a din.   There were a number of walkers and the up trains were all full, it being Sunday.

The second, upper, part was more stark with several patches of bare rock and a few tunnels.  There was time to look around at the top but photography was difficult because of the haze. There was hardly any wind and I didn't really need my fleece.

As we descended into the base station we could see the steamer approaching and we wondered how we would be able to get there in time across a busy two lane road. Of course there was an underground passage so that we made it with plenty of time to spare.

Click here to see all pictures taken on Pilatus

 

Our pass allows us to go in the first class lounge on the steamers.

Steamer arriving at Alpnachstad

The Museum of Transport was good. The exhibits were quite interesting and well captioned. What impressed us the most was the great variety of neat things for children to do. There was a building site where kids could shovel gravel into dump trucks and move it around. There was a sailboat lake which had been fitted out with fans to make a breeze. There was a complete container system where gravel or wooden blocks could be loaded and then winched on to a rail vehicle, then transfered to a barge. Many kids were working hard together at this. There were radio controlled boats, scooters - things kids could do rather than press a button. At the end of the day many of the kids would be very tired indeed.   

This Climax steam locomotive was giving rides

There was even a train simulator that Paul and I tried. We didn't do too badly until it came time to stop when we both stopped short and were told to speed up.

To get back to Luzern we had a choice of a trolley bus, a suburban train or a steamer. We chose the steamer and there was just time to have a beer in the first class lounge.

We caught the first train back to Zurich and had dinner sitting on a bench on the platform enjoying the sun and the trains - at one point six trains arrived in 5 minutes. A train of old coaches came in hauled noisily by a CARGO locomotive in need of attention. It had made a round trip to Munich. I hope the coaches ride better than the locomotive. Maybe the locomotive was used because it is equipped to work in Germany. It seems Octoberfest starts in September.

Saturday 27 September - Zurich

I must first comment about the amazing weather. Zurich is hot and sunny with very few clouds. Everyone is out and about on a Saturday even without the Zurich Film Festival.
I was up early and took the tram to the airport.  The no. 10 tram is a nice leisurely ride and there is plenty of space for luggage. Paul's flight arrived on time and we  came straight back to the hotel, again on the no. 10 tram.  Why take a train when there are trams available?
First this afternoon we went on the no. 11 tram to the Zurich Tram Museum which is in an old car barn. The  vehicles were all well preserved but a little  closely packed.

We intended to catch a no. 10 to Rehalp to connect with the Forchbahn but a museum tram came along first on route 21. This only runs when the museum is open between Rehalp and the Hauptbahnhof. 

At Rehalp we caught a Forchbahn tram to Esslingen. This is a tramway operated as an extension of the Zurich tram system but the trams are painted red and are kept at Forch. The line climbs through the Forch pass in pretty good scenery, especially today. This is typical eastern Switzerland scenery with green rolling hills, some wooden houses and plenty of cattle and sheep. There were good views over a lake to the east and there were several sailboats out. There was a lot of activity at Egg and we stopped off on the way back to investigate. The Egg fair was going full swing with rides, food and drink. A great day for it. The line is single track from Forch to Esslingen and as the next tram through Egg was going to Essinglen we went back there and stayed on the tram. This was better than waiting in the hot sun.

Egg

Egg Fair

Egg

Zurich was packed down by the lake which was thick with sailboats. A couple of steamers punctuated the noise with their sirens. There were a large number of swans with their cygnets, also ducks and coots, all looking for handouts of which there were many bearing in mind the large number of fast food stands.  As we moved along one form of music would fade into the next as there were a large number of performers - Caribbean, guitar, folk songs.  We walked along a little then took a tram back to the Hauptbahnhof for some food and train watching.

Friday 26 September -Travel London to Zurich

Eurostar left on time and things went well until the approach to Paris Gare du Nord where we were held for over 30 minutes while they investigated a mysterious package. I still had two hours to make the transfer to Gare de Lyon. RER line D was very crowded but I had plenty of time. The TGV to Zurich went via Dijon and the new line via Belfort and Mulhouse to Basel. The sun shone all the way and helped to make a long journey pleasant. The hotel was right where Google Maps said it would be.
No pictures today.

Thursday 25 September - Eltham College 1960 class reunion.

We had a great time together at the Skinners Arms on Judd Street near St. Pancras station, London. John Palmer, Colin Bishop, Peter Gregory, Clive Grenyer, Charles Smith, Mike Fulford, Dai Bamford, Dai Rhys-Tyler, John Bingham, Rob Carter, Derek Browne and  Colin Churcher. The lunch orders with discounts and beer kitty were ably managed by our treasurer, Dai Rhys-Tyler.  Regrets were received from Gethyn Timothy, Roy Bennett, Ian Cunningham,  Peter Holgate and Tony  Butwick. The pictures tell the story.

Charles Smith, Dai Rhys-Tyler, Clive Grenyer

Derek Browne, Dai Bamford, Mike Fulford, Peter Gregory

Derek Browne and Dai Bamford

Mike Fulford and John Bingham

Peter Gregory

Wednesday 24 September - Cutty Sark and Tower Bridge

 We took Docklands Light Railway from Tower Hill running alongside the electric line to Southend and Shoeburyness.  I fired steam passenger trains along this stretch.  Coming in I had to make sure there was enough fire to keep the steam up for the brakes to be fully charged coming into the stub end station at Fenchurch Street but not too much because we were not allowed to make smoke or blow off steam in the station. Coming out I had to have a good fire for the run back to the coast.

 

The Cutty Sark is magnificent. The vessel has been extremely well restored but it is also shown in an interesting manner. The whole  vessel has been raised so that one can walk around underneath it and sit with  a drink. The explanations were well done and very interesting.

There was some frigging in the rigging

We then moved back to Tower Hill to see Tower Bridge. The weather was fine and we were taking pictures from the side when a tourist mentioned that the bridge was about to be raised. A tall ships sail training boat came up with the crew ranged all over the boat and singing a special chant.

A couple of beers with scratchings was lunch at the Anchor and Tap, a good pub close by. No music, no TV, no games - just good beer and conversation.
We then took the tour of Tower Bridge. It allowed us to walk across the top section and the exhibit of other famous bridges was interesting. However the tour of the engines was good but the explanations were facile. Museums tend to dumb down their exhibits and try to make them into a learning experience.

 The Millenium Bridge was good and there are good views in both directions. We finished up at St. Pauls and took the Underground back to the hotel.
Dinner this evening was at the Stanhope Arms including a  Black Sheep  brewery Four Square ale.

Tuesday 23 September- Sevenoaks, Knole House and Deer Park

Took train to Sevenoaks changing at Orpington.  There was a steep climb up into the town but a latte helped.

 

We saw several deer before we reached the visitor centre. The house was interesting but many of the room were dark because of the dark wood and to conserve the delicate fabrics. The gardens were very interesting, they are only open on Tuesdays during the summer. The flower gardens had splashes of colour and the vegetable garden was very formal with privet hedges and lawns.

 

Vegetable garden

 

After a light lunch we walked through the deer park.  The grounds extend for miles and we came across several groups of deer.  Most were in small groups of does and fawns but we came across a stag with large antlers.

We walked through a grove of chestnut trees and the fruit was ready

The walk back to the station was fortified by a Shepherd Neames Spitfire bitter and we came back via Blackfriars to see the new station which has entrances on both sides of the Thames.  The concourse and circulating areas are excellent, well signposted and easy to use.

Dinner was at an Indian restaurant not very good.