Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway

The Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway (French: Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, BC) is a short 3-kilometre-long (1.9 mi) steep but adhesion worked metre gauge heritage railway operated as part of the Blonay–Chamby Railway Museum using vintage steam and electric locomotives and rolling stock. It uses the Blonay–Chamby railway line, originally built by the Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans. It is rail-connected at both ends, at its upper terminus, at Chamby Station on the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line and at the lower end at Blonay station on the Vevey–Les Pléiades railway line operated by Transports Montreux–Vevey–Riviera.

Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway
Electric railcar BCFe 4/4 11 and passenger car BC4 22 of the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line
Overview
Dates of operation1968 (1968)
PredecessorChemins de fer électriques Veveysans
Route map

km
0.0
Blonay
620 m
1.0
Chantemerle
1.5
Vers-chez-Robert
Cornaux tunnel
2.0
Cornaux
2.6
Chamby-Musée
3.0
Chamby
749 m
[1]

History and aims

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The Blonay–Chamby Railway and Museum was opened in 1968 with the aims of operating the metre gauge railway line from Blonay to Chamby and in doing so preserving railway equipment of technical or historic value. For this purpose the Blonay–Chamby Railway built two motive power and carriage depots at Chaulin, a short distance from its upper terminus. They house what is generally regarded as the largest and most representative collection of preservation metre gauge rolling stock in the world.

The museum line

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The Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway is a railway preservation group staffed entirely by volunteers who operate trains each Saturday and Sunday between May and October. Vintage steam and electric hauled trains depart from Blonay and climb slowly through a spectacular environment with fine views over Lake Geneva and the Alps. After reversing at or just before Chamby, the trains terminate at the museum site, where visitors can explore stationary exhibits.

A further part of the remit of the preservation group is the encouragement of local and regional tourism and tourist traffic on adjacent lines. The services from Blonay to Chamby and back are included in the Swiss National Railways Timetable.

The museum collection

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As of autumn 2021 was home to over 70 items of rolling stock, listed below:

Steam locomotives

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Steam railway locomotives

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Steam locomotive HG 3/4 3 of the Brig–Furka–Disentis-Railway
Picture No. Name Class Cyls. Built by Works No. Date built Previous owners Notes
  1 Le Doubs G 3/3 OC SLM 618 1890 RdB (Regional des Brenets [fr]), CMN (Chemins de fer des Montagnes Neuchateloises [fr]) On loan from Swiss Transport Museum Luzern. Not operational
  3 HG 3/4 OC SLM 2317 1913 BFD, FO Abt rack In service.
  5 Bercher G 3/3 OC SACM 4172 1890 LEB, Energie Ouest Suisse [fr], Hilti & Jehle, Feldkirch. used by EOS to build Dixence Dam. In service.
  6 G 3/3 OC SLM 1341 1901 Brünigbahn/Jura-Simplon JS 909, SBB 109, BAM No.6, Scierie Renfer, Bienne. Under restoration
  23 G 3/5 OC MTM 282 1926 Olot–Girona railway Not operational.
  104 Zell[2] G 2x3/3 OC Hanomag 10437 1925 SEG Mallet design, 0-6-6-0T, Compound. Under restoration.
  105 Todtnau[3][4][5] G 2x2/2 OC MBG 2051 1918 Haspe–Voerde–Breckerfeld Light Railway, Mallet design, 0-4-4-0T, Compound. In service.
  99 193 G 5/5 OC MFE 4183 1927 DR, DB. Stationary, repainted in grey livery

Steam tramway locomotives

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Picture No. Name Class Cyls. Built by Works No. Date built Previous owners Notes
  4 Rimini G 2/2 OC Krauss 4278 1900 Ferrovie e Tramvie Padane (FTP), Ferrara-Codigoro and Rimini-Novafeltria. In service
  7 G 2/4 System Brown SLM 316 1882 Mulhouse Tramways Stationary

Electric locomotives, railcars and trams

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Locomotives

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Picture No. Name Class Built by Works No. Date built Previous owners Notes
  2 La Grisette He 2/2 SLM / CIE 1899 Bex–Villars–Bretaye (BVB) Abt rack functional but only the rack wheel is driven.
  29[6] - HGe 3/3 SLM / MFO 1926 Bernese Oberland railway (BOB) Riggenbach rack, in service
  75 - Ge 4/4 SLM / MFO 2328 1913 Georg Fischer (+GF+) temporarily out of service
  81 - Ge 4/4 SLM / BBC 1916 Berninabahn (BB), Rhaetian Railway (RhB) in service

Railcars

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Electric railcar BCFeh 4/4 no.6 of the Monthey–Champéry-Morgins railway
Picture No. Name Class/type Built by Works No. Date built Previous owners Notes
  4 - BCFe 2/2 SIG / MFO 1928 Ex-Sernftalbahn (SeTB) historical picture, acquired 1969, under restoration to operational state.
  6 Valais[7] BCFeh 4/4 SLM / SIG / EGA 146 1909 Ex-Monthey–Champéry–Morgins railway (MCM) Abt rack, operational
  10 - BCFeh 4/4 SLM / SWS / BBC 1914 Loèche–Loèche-les-Bains railway (LLB) Abt rack, operational
  11 les sept à vingt BCFe 4/4 SIG / EGA 2191 1903 Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line, operational
  12 - Ce 2/2 Ringhoffer / EAG 1907 Langenthal–Jura railway (LJB), Oberaargau–Jura railway (OJB) built in Prague
  35 - ABe 4/4I SIG / SAAS / MFO 1908 Bernina railway (BB), Rhaetian Railway (RhB) restoration 2024, operational
  105 - ABDe 4/4 SWS / MFO 1913 Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV) historical picture, acquired 2017, unrestored.
  2002 - DZe 6/6 SIG / BBC 2703 1932 Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line acquired 2008, operational

Trams

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Picture No. Name Class/type Built by Works No. Date built Previous owners Notes
  7 - Ce 2/2 Rat / CIE 1904 Tramway de Fribourg (TF) stationary
  28 - Ce 2/3 SWS / SAAS 1913 Tramways Lausannois (TL) in service
  31 - Ze 2/2 SIG / EGA 1914 Rheintalische Strassenbahn (Rhine Valley Tramways) (RhSt) stationary
  52 - Ce 2/2 SWS / MFO 1914 Städtische Strassenbahn, Bern (SSB) in service
  76 - Ce 2/2 SIG / MFO 1911 Tramways de Neuchâtel (TN) stationary
  151 - Fe 4/4 SIG / S&H 1911 Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE) in service

Passenger coaches

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Railway passenger coaches

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Picture No. Name Class/type Built by Works No. Date built Previous owners Notes
  2 - As2 SIG 1903 Ex-Rhaetian Railway Bernina Line (RhB) acquired 1972, last restoration 2023, in service
  6[8] Kaiserwagen[9] B3 SIG 1901 Bernese Oberland railway (BOB), Modelleisenbahnfreunde Eiger Zweilütschinen (MEFEZ) Riggenbach rack, acquired 2013, in service
  7 - C4 ANF 1910 Chemin de fer Vicinaux de la Haute-Saône (CFV), Morez-La Cure (MLC), Nyon–St-Cergue–Morez railway (NStCM) acquired 1993, in service
  10 - BC2 1908 Monthey-Champéry-Morgins (MCM), Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champery (AOMC) Abt rack, in service
  11 - BC2 SIG 1890 Régional des Brenets (RdB) historical picture, acquired 1973
  13 - C2 MAN 1905 Sernftalbahn (SeTB) historical picture, ex BC2 13, acquired 1969
  15 - ABCFZ4 De Dietrich 1895 Cie de l'Ouest, Chemins de fer de l'Etat (ETAT), Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais (SNCF)/Réseau Breton (RB) acquired 1968, in service
  20 Reine Berthe[10] C2 Chevalier, Chailus & Cie à Paris 1865 Lausanne–Echallens–Bercher railway (LEB), original Mont Cenis Pass Railway acquired 2016, in service
  21 - CF2 SIG 1900 Aigle–Leysin railway (AL) Abt rack, acquired 1973, in service
  21 - BC2 SWS 1902 Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV) acquired 1971, in service
  21 Giardiniera[11] C2 SWS 1911 Lugano–Cadro–Dino railway (LCD) acquired 1990, in service
  21 - CF2 SIG 1890 Régional des Brenets (RdB) historical picture, acquired 1973
  22 - BC4 SIG 1915 Loèche - Loèche-les-Bains (LLB) Abt rack, acquired 1967, in service
  22 - BC4 SIG 1902 Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line acquired 1971, in service
  23 - C2 SWS 1903 Gruyère–Fribourg–Morat railway (GFM) acquired 1967, in service
  44 - C4 SIG 1926 Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB) Riggenbach rack acquired 1967, in service
  61 - B4 SIG 1906 Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line acquired 2016, in service
  121 - AB2 SIG 1903 Rhaetian Railway (RhB) acquired 1972, in service
  171 - C4 Herbrand 1891 Mittelbadische Eisenbahn Gesellschaft (MEG) acquired 1967, in service

Tramway passenger coaches

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Picture No. Name Class Built by Works No. Date built Previous owners Notes
  57 - C2 SIG 1930 Tramway Vevey–Montreux–Chillon–Villeneuve (VMCV), Bex–Villars–Bretaye Railway (BVB) acquired 1970, in service
  370 - C4 SIG 1920 Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE) acquired 1967, in service

Post and baggage coach

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Picture No. Name Class Built by Works No. Date built Previous owners Notes
  36 - FZ2 SWS 1903 Gruyère–Fribourg–Morat railway (GFM) in service

Goods wagons

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Open wagon LO 153 of the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line
Picture No. Name Class Built by Works No. Date built Previous owners Notes
  30 - K Kirchheim 1874 Schweizerische Lokalbahnen (SLB), Appenzeller Bahn (AB) acquired 1968, staionary
  31 - K MAN 1905 Sernftalbahn (SeTB) acquired 1969, in service
  31 - K SWS 1910 Tramways de Lausanne (TL) acquired 1993, in service
  41 - K SWS 1915 Leuk-Leukerbad railway (LLB) Abt rack, acquired 1967, in service
  51 - M SWS 1915 LLB Abt rack, acquired 1967, in service
  60 - L SWS 1915 LLB Abt rack, acquired 1967, in service
  87 - K SWS 1912 Aigle–Leysin railway (AL) Abt rack, acquired 1977, in service
  101 - K SIG 1903 Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line acquired 2014, in service
  153 - LO SIG 1901 MOB acquired 2006, in service
610 - K SWS 1904 Gruyère–Fribourg–Morat railway (GFM) in service
  672 - K GFM 1955 GFM acquired 2012 - on display at Vevey station
  706 - M Busch 1904 MOB acquired 2005, in service.
  712 - L SWS 1905 GFM acquired 2002, in service.
  810 - O Busch 1903 MOB acquired 1989, in service

Diesel locomotives, shunters and maintenance vehicles

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Picture No. Name Class/type Built by Works No. Date built Previous owners Notes
  1 - Tm 2/2 O&K, Berlin 20200 1930 Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line, Holzwerk Rieder St. Stephan in service
  3 Biniou Dm 2/2 Billard SNCF, Réseau Breton (RB) under restoration
  926 Bouc ("goat") Te 2/2 StStZ / MFO 1935 Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ) Shunter, in service
  - Dm 1/2 Rhaetian Railway (RhB) Petrol Powered draisine
  - Dd 1/2 Rhaetian Railway (RhB) Hand driven draisine, operational

Rotary snowplough

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Picture No. Name Class Cyls. Built by Works No. Date built Former Owners Notes
  9214 - Xrot d OC SLM 2299 1912 Bernina railway, Rhaetian Railway (RhB), Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstecke (DFB) 0-6-6-0. moveable. The blade is operated with external steam supply.

Service coach and wagons

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Picture No. Name Class/type Built by Works No. Date built Former Owners Notes
  1 - Xe 2/2 SWS / MFO 1915 Tramway de Bienne (TrB) Tank for fire service, under restoration
52 - X2 Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV) stationary.
  52 - X2 SWS 1915 Loèche–Loèche-les-Bains (LLB) Abt rack, acquired 1967 as LLB M 52, since 2008 crane truck. Operational.
  466 Trois Pattes C3 SIG 1889 JBL C3 466, preceding Swiss Federal Railways, Brünig line X3 9951 stationary.

Loaned-out rolling stock

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Picture No. Name Class/type Built by Works No. Date built Previous owners Notes
  121 Baladeuse C4 Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Basel 1892 Tramways de Neuchâtel (TN) permanent loan to Musée du tram Neuchâtel, Association Neuchâteloise des Amis du Tramway (ANAT)
  125 - Ce 2/2 SIG / SAAS 1920 Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE) permanent loan to Association Genevoise du Musée des Tramways (AGMT)

Former rolling stock

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Picture No. Name Class/type Built by Works No. Date built Previous owners Current owners
230 - C2 SWS 1905 Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat (GFM) acquired 1969, taken over by GFM Historique in 2012
  40 - K SWS 1915 Loèche–Loèche-les-Bains railway (LLB) Abt rack, acquired 1969, sold to the municipality of Inden, Switzerland, Switzerland in 2017
  671 - K GFM 1955 Gruyère–Fribourg–Morat railway (GFM) taken over by GFM Historique in 2020, and exhibited at the Broc chocolate factory.

Abbreviations (selection)

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Rolling stock manufacturers

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Steam locomotive cylinders

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  • OC : Cylinders outside frames
  • IC : Cylinders inside frames

See also

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Literature

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  • Sébastien Jarne, Le chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, tiré à part du livre « Voies étroites de Veveyse et de Gruyère », édition Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, Lausanne, éd. 2, 1991, 56 p.
  • José Banaudo and Alex Rieben, À la découverte du Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, Édition du Cabri, Breil-sur-Roya, 1992, ISBN 978-2-903310-98-1.
  • Peter Willen, Lokomotiven und Triebwagen der Schweizer Bahnen, volume 2, Privatbahnen Westschweiz und Wallis. Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1977, ISBN 3-280-00923-5.
  • Alain Candellero, Charles-Maurice Emery, Brice Maillard and Nicolas Regamey, 40 ans de musée vivant, Chemin de fer musée Blonay-Chamby 1968–2008, édition Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, Lausanne, avril 2008, 32 p.
  • Alain Castella and Charles-Maurice Emery: Faire la Voie, Chemin de fer-Musée Blonay-Chamby, Département de la formation, de la jeunesse et de la culture (DFJC) – Service des affaires culturelles (SERAC) of Canton de Vaud,[12] Lausanne, 2010
  • Michel Grandguillaume, Gérald Hadorn, Sébastien Jarne, Jean-Louis Rochaix, François Ramstein: Voies étroites de Veveyse et de Gruyère. Bureau vaudois d'addresses (BVA), Lausanne 1984, ISBN 2-88125-003-3

References

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  1. ^ Eisenbahnatlas Schweiz. Cologne: Schweers + Wall. 2012. p. 72. ISBN 978-3-89494-130-7.
  2. ^ www.echtdampfwelt.de, Herrmann Echtdampf, Echtdampfshop, Echtdampflok SEG-Mallet - Picture Archived 2013-01-02 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 13 August 2013)
  3. ^ www.drehscheibe-foren.de, Drehscheben Online, Forum, Schmalspurdampf ex Zell-Todtnau auf der GFM, 1973, mit 24 Fotos - first picture (Retrieved 13 August 2013)
  4. ^ www.youtube.com Youtube Film LGB Mallet SEG104 + eMOTION XLS Sounddecoder (mit sichtbarem Wappen von Zell) (Retrieved 15 August 2013)
  5. ^ "BC - Museumsbahn ex SEG G 2x 3/3 104 am 19.05.1997 in Chaulin ..." www.bahnbilder.de (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2013.
  6. ^ "Museums- und Touristikbahnen 'BC'". Eisenbahn Amateur (in German): 69. February 2014.
  7. ^ Bernet, Ralph; Rizza, Timi. Schweizer Schmalspurbahnen. Bäretswil: Edition Lan AG. ISBN 9783906691718.
  8. ^ "Kaiserwagen in Interlaken Ost". Eurolok.ch. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  9. ^ Finke, Wolfgang (2010). Die Fahrzeuge der Jungfraubahnen 1. Berner Oberland-Bahn - BOB, Jungfraubahn - JB, Mürrenbahn - BLM (in German). Köln: Tram TV Verlag. ISBN 978-3-9813669-2-1.
  10. ^ "Le parc remorqué s'agrandit de 2 unitées". blonay-chamby.ch (in French). Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby – Musée vivant du chemin de fer. September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  11. ^ Ammann, Christian (2017). "Begegnungen mit der LCD". Eisenbahn Amateur (in German). 1: 24–29.
  12. ^ issuu.com Faire le Voie, retrieved 25 November 2012
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46°27′56″N 6°53′45″E / 46.4656°N 6.8958°E / 46.4656; 6.8958