While the local shunter is still sorting the cars, the return train is already being composed. It all happens with relatively few people, and it goes fast. I wonder if this is a profitable business, considering the number of cars the freight trains carry. Continue reading Ready, set, …
Once the freight train arrives at it’s destination, it is quickly pulled apart and the cars delivered to where they will be unloaded. Swiss railways work very efficiently, no different here: in almost no time the first car was delivered to a local distribution centre. Continue reading Shunting Pontresina
When shooting freight trains, we usually look for locations that show a lot of train. Same for this train, but it turned out pretty hard to combine sunlight and a good view… it turned out not to be necessary; 3 cars easily fit within the frame. The train on the photo comes from Chur and has almost reached Pontresina, it’s final destination. Continue reading Almost there
A bit of looking around usually does the trick. Shot from almost the same location, with a tele instead of a wide angle lens, this view is something quite different compared to the previous photo. I prefer this one, by far: it reduces the train more to it’s real size compared to the giant mountain in the background. Look closely and you’ll see that the … Continue reading Proportions set straight
The search for photo opportunities became harder as the forest became more dense. No big deal though, getting there is half the fun; that is one of the reasons this hobby has become a passion. Right on time for the next freight train up the mountain we found this view on one of the Albula railway’s many typical bridges. Loco 626 is in charge of … Continue reading Through dense forests
Sledges are dangerous. Trust me. I would experience that in person in a couple of hours – at this moment we were only making sure not to be hit by Continue reading “Long freight”
Initial plans for this trip focused on the Gotthard railway. When wheather turned out to be better in the eastern part of Switzerland, I was happy to propose the Rhaetian Railway, on my photo-bucketlist for a long time already. We hadn’t prepared for shooting photos in this region, but in Bergün it all came together. We left the car in town and hiked into the … Continue reading High and higher
In Switzerland, rail still has an important share in the modal mix. Government takes adequate measures to get traffic off the trucks and onto trains. As a consequence, they have managed to preserve the peace in the beautiful Alps. And that’s one of the reasons why I love this part of Europe so much. To get all this traffic on rails, it is still possible … Continue reading Mini freight
With the focus directed well, you see more than you would usually see. 20 years ago, I never saw any freight train on the Rhätische Bahn network. Now, with the right information, the main focus during our 2 days along the RhB would be the freight trains, passenger trains being a welcome change. We first saw train 5120 from Samedan to Thusis. The 6-axle locomotive … Continue reading First freight
Backlight is perfect for the last shots of the day, with low sun. Like the day before, we ended up standing above a viaduct, with the sun in front of us. The hike up here and the view were how I like them best: steep and scenic. The bench made for a comfortable wait. Continue reading Backlight on a bridge 2
Railscapes 