I’m installing a ”train guard” (Fahrdienstleiter?) with movable arm. It’s a Viessmann 1513 and it will be located on a platform. However, now it comes to my mind that I don’t have a single clue on when nor how the train guard directed the trains on Swiss platforms? I couldn’t find any help on the net, and I don’t even know the name of this position in Switzerland?



Not a big thing, but fun!

Adding to the previous post, here is an other typical guy (picture 17): https://etb-infra.ch/de/...ction=gallery&cid=17

If I remember correctly, the upper red part was kind of a (removable) coating that distinguished the "guy in charge" or the "chief Abfertigungsbeamter". As you can see in the first picture, it was not always considered as necessary (for instance in smaller stations or when only one train was about to leave).

The raising of the Abfertigungskelle was the very last sequence of the train departure (when everybody and everything was ready and when the time of departure had arrived). Before, the "Bremsprobe" had to be carried through (the checking of the functioning of the brakes) in those cases when the train consist had been freshly assembled and/or a locomotive had been added. It was also necessary that the train crew and (if present) the mail and baggage people had signalled to the Abfertigungsbeamter that they were ready. This signalling was done by raising one arm/hand and occasionally by blowing a whistle.

It is possible that the Abfertigungsbeamter also blew a whistle, but only to attract the attention of the other staff or in case something was unusual.

Welcome to Swiss railway procedures in the good old days...

Oops, one more thing: Here it was a actually not only a "raising" of the Abfertigungskelle, but a sidewise movement of the gadget up to the moment when the train started to move. And did you know that the Kelle should be green with a white stripe on one side and white with a green stripe on the other? The Abfertigungs-Guy always held it in a manner that the Kelle was visible against the background in the best possible manner.

Searching for a video? How about this, especially at minute 5:58. Also an excellent video to learn the Swiss German language:

Video not available in my location ???

Sorry to hear about this obstacle, but you can easily watch the SRF videos from outside Switzerland by using a VPN on your computer (many provider options available, from free to "costs a fortune"; personally, I use "Private Internet Access" on my Mac, https://www.privateinternetaccess.com ).