Railway Romanticism - The old timers on the Rigi Railway - locomotive 7 and other rarities
The Swiss Rigi Railways are famous for their historic vehicles, such as the oldest cogwheel railcar in the world + the only roadworthy cogwheel steam locomotive with a standing boiler.
On special occasions, the entire fleet of vehicles is brought up the mountain. Technically and logistically, this is a challenge for the employees of Europe's first cogwheel mountain railroad, and the 150th anniversary celebrations in May 2021 are a special one.
But the preparatory work is already a challenge: in September 2020, locomotive 7, the unique steam locomotive with a standing boiler, will be taken from the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne to be repaired in the workshop in Goldau. This involves packing it onto a ship, taking it across the lake, hoisting it onto a freight wagon with a crane in Vitznau and bringing it up to Mount Rigi and down again on the north side with a powerful traction unit.
Workshop manager Martin Horath spends a good six months dismantling, cleaning, grinding or replacing small parts, not to mention reassembling them, which doesn't always work straight away. In between, he takes care of electric railcar no. 6, which has been running on the Rigi since 1911 and needs a brake test from time to time. Steam locomotives no. 16 and no. 17 also need to be inspected. The winter trips with them are particularly popular on the Rigi, which is also loved by sledgers. The toboggan run runs parallel to the cog railroad between Rigi Kulm and Rigi Staffel.
Parallel runs are an attraction anyway, especially when all the trains pull up at the same time to celebrate the 150th anniversary with a parade to the mountain summit.
Broadcasting on 19th of January 2024 at 11.20am on SRW/ARD
Music: POPVIRUS Library