Schynige Platte Railway

Schynige Platte Bahn
A descending Schynige Platte Bahn train.
Operation
Owner	Berner Oberland Bahn
Technical
No. of tracks	Single track with passing loops
Track gauge	800 mm (2 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	1500 V DC overhead wire
Maximum incline	1 in 4 (25%)
Rack system	Strub

The Schynige Platte Railway or Schynige Platte Bahn (SPB) is a mountain railway in the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland, which connects the town of Wilderswil, near Interlaken with the famous wildflower gardens of the Schynige Platte.

An impressively varied natural landscape unfolds on the journey: fertile forests, Alpine pastures and breathtaking views of the Bernese Oberland with Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. Then a sudden change of scenery to the almost overwhelming view of the glistening giants of the Bernese Oberland, directly opposite, the imposing peaks of the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau.

History

• 1890 The concession for the line was given and the company is founded on 16 September.
• 1891 Construction starts.
• 1893 A train with special guests reaches the top on 5 May and the line opens to the public on 14 June.
• 1896 The Berner Oberland Bahn become the new owners.
• 1914 The line was electrified. Electric services start on 9 May.
• 1928 The Alpine Garden opens on the Schynige Platte.
• 1964 The Schynige Platte Railway receives 4 locomotives from the Wengernalpbahn.
• 1970 The Schynige Platte Railway receives 2 more locomotives from the Wengernalpbahn.
• 1978 The Schynige Platte Railway receives another locomotive from the Wengernalpbahn.
• 2001 Teddyland opens on the Schynige Platte on 7 June.

Operations

Modern steel coach with owner inscription BOB B 45

No. 14, one of the original locomotives in heritage livery in Wilderswil station

The Schynige Platte Railway connects with the metre gauge line of its owner company Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB) at Wilderswil. The line is 7.25 km (4.50 mi) long and has a rail gauge of 800 mm (2 ft 7 ¹⁄₂ in). It is a rack railway, using the Strub rack to climb 1,420 m (4,659 ft) to its summit with a maximum gradient of 25% (1 in 4). There are a few short stretches of Riggenbach rack particularly over bridges.

Passage of the line is often be impossible in winter, and as there is no winter sports possibility, it only operates in summer months, generally from the end of April to the end October.

The line is electrified using a 1500 V DC overhead supply since 1914. The line still operates the four original electric locomotives, numbers 11 to 14. More such locomotives, together with matching coaches, were bought from the Wengernalpbahn but had (until the recent delivery of additional train sets) often returned to this line to help in winter sports traffic. 1992 the company started a rebuilding program for the coaches. On old underframes, brought to a unified length of 10,695 mm over buffers, Ramseyer+Jenzer built a new steel body in the old compartment style.

BOB and all companies of the Jungfraubahn Holding (JBH) have a joint management, staff may be exchanged and technical services are available for other companies within the group.

Locomotives

No.	Name	Arms	Builder	Date	SPB	Livery (2008)	Notes
5			SLM	1894	1894-		Class H2/3, 0-4-2T, Steam.
11	Wilderswil		SLM / BBC	1914	1914-		All electric locomotives, Class He2/2
12	(Gsteigwiler)		SLM/BBC	1914	1914-
13	Matten		SLM/BBC	1914	1914-
14	(Gündlischwand)		SLM/BBC	1914	1914-
15			SLM/Alioth	1910	1964-92		originally WAB 55, 1992 back to WAB as shunter Lauterbrunnen, 1997 monument in Münchenstein BL (former Alioth factory)
16	Anemone		SLM/Alioth	1910	1964-		originally WAB 56
17			SLM/Alioth	1910	1964-96		originally WAB 57, withdrawn 1996
18	(Krokus) Gündlischwand		SLM/Alioth	1910	1964-		originally WAB 58
19	Flühbluhme		SLM/Alioth	1911	1964-		originally WAB 59
20	(Edelweiss) Gsteigwiler		SLM/Alioth	1911	1970-		originally WAB 60
21 61	Enzian		SLM/Alioth	1912	1970-81 1991		Rebuilt 1992
62	Alpenrose		SLM/Alioth	1912	1989-		Rebuilt 1989
63	(Silberdistel)		SLM/Alioth	1912	1996-		Rebuilt 1996

References

• Brawand Hansruedi, Schynige Platte Bahn, Die Bergstrecke der Berner Oberland-Bahnen, Mit nostalgischem Cachet. Prellbock Verlag, Leissigen, 2003, ISBN 3-907579-26-7
• Book Tramways and Light Railways of Switzerland and Austria, ISBN 0-900433-96-5, by R.J.Buckley, published by the Light Rail Transit Association, 1984.
• Rolling stock lists by Verein Rollmaterialverzeichnis Schweiz

External links

• Schynige Platte Bahn website
• Some Photographs and a brief description