Updated 28.04.2013

In October 2006 my wife and I were invited some good friends in Switzerland.  We had some interesting train trips, over four days.
Here are some of our impressions from the visit.

Day 1
Winterthur - Guarda

Day 2
Guarda - Scuol-Tarasp - Guarda

Day 3
Guarda - Samedan - Poschiavo - Pontresina - Guarda, with the Bernina Express

The day came with some clouds in the sky.  Fortunately we could take the post bus down to Guarda station.  The first part was to Samedan, where we switched to the Bernina Express.

Even on this curvy track they some times operated in a push - pull system.  This is our pushing locomotive, Ge 4/4 II 625

A shunter in Samedan, Ge 3/3 214

Ge 4/4 III 643 on track 7

Another locomotive, Ge 4/4 I 609, entering on track 6

A weather station in Samedan.  4 degrees C and rather high pressure, 1023 mBar.

The destination sign of our train

Inside our panorama coach.  Only 11 passengers including the eight of us.  Good view through the large windows, but the shining end walls made a lot of reflexes in the windows, especially visible when making photos.

In Pontresina we had to change the locomotive, due to different current systems; 11.000 V 16 2/3 Hz on the RhB main net and 1.000 Volt DC on the Bernina Bahn.  This is our new pulling power, Gem 4/4 801 and ABe 4/4 II 48.  The 801 is a dual power locomotive.  When running under a 1.000 V DC catenary, it is fed from the wire.  When running under wires with other voltages, it lowers the pantograph and runs as a Diesel-electric locomotive.

A few minutes after departure from Pontresina.  The radius was very small in many curves.

Photo activities

The rear end of the train.  Sorry about the reflexes

Climbing up towards the top.  It is funny to see all the cars that had to stop for us.  It is one big cable car on each side of the track.

I always thought that the trolls came from Norway, not Switzerland.
Not so easy to see, but the train is now approaching a right hand curve, later to enter a left hand curve.  Notice the small posts to the left.  That's our catenary.

Another curve

This area splits the east and the west. The text on the sign is "Water Separation"  Adriatic Sea to the left, Black Sea to the right

When we went southwards, the weather was very dull and gray.  For a Norwegian, used to mountain areas, this is a very "scenic" way to experience mountains.  This is the lake at the top, at Ospizio Bernina, 2.253 meters above sea level

My wife and I jumped out to make a photo

Very nice scenery

An internal train in Alp Grüm

Some electrical work.  Idea on a Märklin layout?  Notice the orange wire.

The hotel at Alp Grüm.  Normally the view from the hotel is fantastic.

On the way down on the south side

A very nice station building

Descending towards Poschiavo

In Poschiavo.  The hill down towards the station was quite steep.  In the shed, as far as I know: ABe 4/4 I 35 and Xe 4/4 9922 (ex. ABDe 4/4 38, now used for catenary service).  They were built in 1908 and 1911 by SIG & Alioth.  To the left Ge 2/2 162. This was also built in 1911.

Our train continues to Tirano

We had a short brake in Poschiavo before returning back to Pontresina.  On the way back we entered a normal coach with windows to open.  We sat in the front powered car.  Before leaving we saw this historic car, with a party on board:

On the way up again:

Red light in Stablini (1.934 meter above sea level), as we had to wait for an approaching train.  After Stablini the steep climbs up to Alp Grüm starts.

A train identical to ours.  ABe 4/4 III 55.

Green light. Ready to go.

Climbing up towards Alp Grüm

We left the train at Alp Grüm (2.091 meters above sea level), to have lunch in a small restaurant maybe 100 meters above the station.  Alp Grüm can only be accessed by train.  The station seen from the restaurant, before lunch:

A very nice lunch came to us

During lunch the fog disappeared in a mysterious way.  This is Alp Grüm after lunch.  We decided to walk to Ospitzio Bernina.

A panoramic view of Alp Grüm:

Mountain tops, when we started our walk

A part of the railway line up towards Alp Grüm:

Stablini Station seen from above Alp Grüm.  A northbound train is waiting for the southbound one.

Stablini station far right, the avelange protection (nine photos above) to the left.  It was still a bit foggy in the valley.

The restaurant from behind

Nice scenery.  The train runs under the roof, for avelange protection.

Approaching the lake at Ospizio Bernina.  All the fog from earlier is gone.

What we saw in front of us.

The road we came.  Our friends are far away.

Very nice

Maybe the train we saw at Stablini Station?  ABe 4/4 II 44.

Ospizio Bernina far away

A train coming in the opposite direction.  ABe 4/4 II 43

A panoramic view, stitched from four photos, and slightly modified.

In real life

Looking south, from where we came.  Quite different from the foggy view when passing earlier the same day.

A train driving in to Ospizio Bernina.  Gem 4/4 801.

Our train to Pontresina.  Once again we were sitting in the powered car in front of the train

We left the train in Pontresina.  It continued to St Moritz after changing the locomotive.  We waited for another train, to take us to Guarda.  This is once again Ge 4/4 I 609

Tired after a long but perfect day, on the way from Pontresina to Guarda

When we arrived in Guarda, the post bus was in the village, so we had to climb the steep hills up to the village.  Exhausting!

Day 4
Return from Guarda to Winterthur

It is highly recommended to visit Switzerland and their fantastic railway network!