The Les Avants–Sonloup funicular (French: Chemin de fer Les Avants–Sonloup) is a metre gauge funicular railway in the Swiss canton of Vaud. It links the railway station of Les Avants, on the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line between Montreux and Montbovon, with an upper terminus at Sonloup.[1][2][3]
| Chemin de fer Les Avants–Sonloup | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Status | in operation |
| Owner | Transports Montreux – Vevey Riviera (since 2001); Compagnie du chemin de fer Les Avants-Sonloup |
| Locale | Vaud, Switzerland |
| Termini | |
| Connecting lines | Montreux–Zweisimmen |
| Stations | 2 |
| Website | lesavantsfuni.ch |
| Service | |
| Type | Funicular |
| Operator(s) | Transports Montreux – Vevey Riviera (short: MVR) |
| Rolling stock | 2 for 40 passengers each |
| History | |
| Opened | 14 December 1912 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 515 m (1,690 ft) |
| Number of tracks | 1 with passing loop |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) |
| Electrification | from opening |
| Operating speed | 1.6 metres per second (5.2 ft/s) |
| Highest elevation | 184 m (603.7 ft) above Les Avants |
| Maximum incline | 54% |
Description
editThe funicular, which was opened on 14 December 1912, runs at a right angle to the MOB line for a distance of 515 m (1,690 ft) and in doing so climbs at a 54% gradient to a height of 184 m (603.7 ft) above Les Avants.[2][4] The line is still operated with the original Belle Epoque carriages.[5]
The peak season for tourists, is in the spring, when the narcissus and forget-me-not plants flower in the meadowlands near the summit.[citation needed]
Parameters
editThe funicular has the following parameters:[1]
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of stops | 2 |
| Configuration | Single track with passing loop |
| Track length | 515 metres (1,690 ft) |
| Rise | 180 metres (590 ft) |
| Maximum gradient | 54% |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge |
| Number of cars | 2 |
| Capacity | 40 passengers per car |
| Maximum speed | 1.6 metres per second (5.2 ft/s) |
| Travel time | 6 minutes |
The line is operated by Transports Montreux – Vevey Riviera, under the GoldenPass Services banner.[6]
Gallery
edit-
Les Avants-Sonloup funicular cabin
See also
editFurther reading
edit- Michel Grandguillaume, Gérald Hadorn, Jean Paillard, Jean-Louis Rochaix (1982), "Les Avants–Sonloup", Crémaillères et funiculaires vaudois (in French), Lausanne: Bureau vaudois d'adresses (BVA), pp. 243–247, ISBN 2-88125-002-5
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
References
edit- ^ a b "61.001 Les Avants - Sonloup, Montreux, Funiculaire", Schweizer Seilbahninventar = Inventaire suisse des installations à câbles = Inventario svizzero degli impianti a fune [Swiss Inventory of Cableways] (in French, German, and Italian), Federal Office of Culture, 2011, retrieved 10 April 2014
- ^ a b "GoldenPass funiculaire Les Avents - Sonloup". GoldenPass Services. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- ^ "Ou se trouve les Avants". Webamoi. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- ^ "Histoire du funiculaire". Webamoi. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
- ^ Construit en 1910 et récemment rénové, le « funi » Les Avants–Sonloup a la particularité d'avoir conservé ses voitures d'époque. Une vraie curiosité !
- ^ "Notre enterprise". GoldenPass Services. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
External links
edit
Media related to Les Avants–Sonloup funicular at Wikimedia Commons- Les Avants–Sonloup funicular web site
