Aigle–Leysin railway

The Aigle–Leysin railway (French: Chemin de fer Aigle–Leysin, AL) was the earliest of the narrow gauge line in the Chablais area of south west Switzerland. The line was opened on 5 May 1900, a 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)-gauge cog-wheel railway using the Abt rack system.

Aigle–Leysin railway
Overview
TerminiAigle
Leysin, Switzerland
Operation
Opened1900-1915
OwnerTransports Publics du Chablais
Operator(s)Transports Publics du Chablais
Depot(s)Aigle
Technical
Line length6.209 km (3.858 mi)
Track gaugeMetre (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)
Electrification1500 V DC
Highest elevation1,047 m (3,435 ft)
Maximum incline23 %
Rack systemAbt

Nowadays it is joined in Aigle's main railway station by express trains of the Swiss Federal Railways together with those of three other, local, narrow-gauge railways: the Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champéry Railway (AOMC), the Aigle–Leysin Railway and the Aigle-Sépey-Diablerets Railway (ASD).

History
All three narrow gauge lines start outside Aigle CFF station: here in 1979
  • 5 May 1900 : opening of the two kilometer long section Aigle JS station - Aigle Grand-Hôtel des Bains.[1] The station Aigle JS of the Jura–Simplon Railways (JS) became the station Aigle CFF with the foundation of the Swiss Federal Railways in 1902, which is called Chemin de Fer Federaux Suisse (CFF) in the French-speaking part of the country. This section was laid out as a normal tramway used in adhesion operation. Due to 1:10 grade near the hotel, the tram had special emergency brakes system Réal, where in case of bad track conditions brake beams with claws could be lowered into oak beams embedded in the road along the tracks in case of an emergency. The tramway line was operated by three two-axle streetcars build by SIG and CIE.[2]
  • 5 November 1900 : opening of the rack railway section Depot Aigle - Feydey (Leysin). The depot of the tramway was about half-way of the tramway line Aigle JS station - Aigle Grand-Hôtel des Bains on the other side of the river Grand Eau. The rack railway vehicles did not have ability to run with own force on the tramway, because they were only equipped with rack drive. Therefore, the tramway cars took the rack cars from the railway station to the depot, from where they ran on their own propulsion to Leysin.[2]
  • 1912 : The line between Leysin-Village et Leysin-Feydey is doubled[3]
  • September 1915 : Extension of the line to the current terminus at Leysin-Grand Hôtel.[3]
  • 31.August 1932 : Tramway operation between Aigle Pont-de-la-Grande-Eau and the Grand-Hôtel des Bains was stopped due to economy crises. The hotel closed in 1934 and did not open after World War II. The hotel was knocked down in 1945 as well as the tramway line between the former station Aigle Pont-de-la-Grande-Eau and the terminus at the hotel.[2]
  • In 1946, the rolling stock was renewed. The three tramway cars used for the Aigle tramway were scrapped. The destination Aigle CFF-Leysin was operated by vehicles, which were able to operate on adhesion track as well as on rack railway track.[2] Traction current voltage was raised from 650 to 1300 volts. This allowed the journey time to be reduced to around 30 minutes.[3]

The route

The Aigle–Leysin railway line is 6.5 km (4.04 mi) long and rises 1,047 m (3,435 ft) from its terminus outside the main line station in Aigle to its summit at the Grand Hôtel at Leysin. The first 1 km of the route is through the streets of Aigle from the railway station to the railway depot where the train reverses to enable the powered vehicle to be at the rear of the train for the uphill journey, normal working on a rack (cog-wheel) railway. From this point the line climbs steeply through the vineyards, the steepest gradient being 1 in 4.3 (23%).

The operating voltage of the line has changed four times, increasing from 600 V DC at opening, first to 650 V DC, then in 1946 to 1300 V DC, and later to the present operating voltage of 1500 V DC.

Mergers

In 1975 the four local railway companies, Aigle–Leysin, Aigle–Ollon–Monthey–Champéry, Aigle–Sépey–Diablerets and Bex–Villars–Bretaye (BVB) merged to form a single operating company, known as the Transports Publics du Chablais (TPC). This brought about increased co-operation between the companies in the provision of community-based services.[4]

Federal involvement
The line leaves Aigle as a street tramway
The route now operates as TPC line A

In 1985, the Federal Government informed the Aigle–Leysin Railway, and other privately operated railways, that it would cease all funding the following year, however they renewed a federal concession for a further period of 50 years. An agreement was signed between the Canton of Vaud, the communities served by the railway and the Aigle–Leysin Railway and its partners to renew rolling stock and upgrade the track.

In the mid-1990s, faced with greatly increased operating costs, the Canton of Vaud and the communities served by the railway petitioned the Federal Government to revoke its 1985 decision. The Federal Government did so and in 1996, recognizing the importance of this regional line as a public transportation carrier, awarded the line with a contract to provide a public transportation service. This brought about, in 1999, talks which resulted in the founding, the following year, of Transports Publics du Chablais as the parent body of local public transportation with the four local railway companies as founding members. The railway now operates as line A under the TPC banner.

Locomotives, railcars and rolling stock
Compartment coach with compartment for lying patients CF2 21 at the Blonay–Chamby Railway (BC) in Chaulin at Summer 2010

The line owns just two locomotives. Their class He 2/2, built by SLM /SIG in 1915 was rebuilt in the company workshop during 2006/7, and has returned to service in near original condition and in its original red livery. They also have a 1949-built class Te 2/2.

The "automotrices" (railcars), painted in a light chocolate and cream livery, are, with the exception of No. 201 which is a class Arseh 2/4, of class BDeh 2/4. The company also owns 5 "Voiture Pilote"(driving trailers) of class Bt and retains 2 older coaches, class B2 for historic trains.

Details from official stock lists, May 2006 and personal observations 2006-2009.

No. Name Class Builders Details. Date Completed Notes
1 Ce 2/2 SIG/CIE 1900 650 V tramway car, scrapped 1946
2 Ce 2/2 SIG/CIE 1900 650 V tramway car, scrapped 1946
3 Ce 2/2 SIG/CIE 1900 650 V tramway car, scrapped 1946
12He 2/2SLM/CIE 1915650 V locomotive, static monument, En Chalex
41 BCFe 1/4 SIG/CIE 1900 650 V motorized rack railway trailer, scrapped 1946
101Te 2/2Reb. AL1949Rebuilt 2006/7, returned to traffic, 2008. Out of service, Les Diabrelets, Sept 2009.
201Arseh 2/4SLM/BBC1946Converted to 1st class Restaurant Car
202BDeh 2/4SLM/BBC1946
203BDeh 2/4SLM/BBC1946
301AigleBDeh 2/4SIG/SAAS1966
302LeysinBDeh 2/4SIG/SAAS1966
311YvorneBDeh 2/4Vevey/BBC1987Ex-No. 303
312OllonBDeh 2/4Vevey/BBC1987Ex-No. 304
313La BerneuseBDeh 2/4Vevey/BBC1993Ex-No. 305
351BtSIG/SAAS1966
352BtSIG/SAAS1966
361BtACMV/SIG/BBC1987Ex-No. 353[5]
362BtACMV/SIG/BBC1987Ex-No. 354
363BtACMV/SIG/BBC1993Ex-No. 355
B21900
B21955

Abbreviations
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References
  1. "Transporteinnahmen der schweizerischen Nebenbahnen im Juni 1900". Schweizerisches Handelsamtsblatt. 18 (Heft 281). 1900. p. 1129.
  2. Ehrbar, Jürg. "Chemin de fer Aigle–Leysin". www.eingestellte-bahnen.ch (in German). Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  3. Maison, Gaston (1975). 75 ans du chemin de fer Aigle-Leysin (in French). Aigle: Revue des amis du rail. p. 104.
  4. refer to websites for Transports_Publics_du_Chablais Transports
  5. Internetplattform Schmalspurtreff, Aigle-Leysin-Bahn (AL), Spur 0e Güterwagen K2 51 aus Karton, Beitrag vom 10.05.2013, Steuerwagen Bt 361 bis 363, ehemals 353 bis 355 retrieved 15 May 2013
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