Working narrow gauge freight

Tuesday of my holiday involved a trip up the Jungfrau, an impressive series of trains and an incredible view from the top of the mountain. However, on the way back, as we passed through Lautebrunnen, I was amazed to see an ancient electric locomotive - shunting!

Since the next day was free, thanks to the Schynige Platte railway having closed for winter the week before, I decided to head back and see if I could get a proper look at this anachronism. To be honest, I didn't expect much luck, but as it involved a trip through the mountains, I was happy with a gawp at the scenery. 

On arrival, I spotted another target for my camera, and old-looking railcar tucked in a shed. Working my way along the street, and using the car park of a hostal, I bagged the photo above. It turns out that overhead electrification equipment gets in the way as much on the real thing as it does on models!

It didn't take long loitering on the station platform for me to get a better look though, as these things are still working. It seems that there are communities on the mountain without road connections - so everything has to be sent up by rail. The result - a parade of short goods trains running on narrow guage rack track!

It seems that these are the original railcars that have since been displaced by more modern, and less stylish to my mind, units. 

The little green loco, a WAB He 2/2 51–58, is over 100 years old. The class used to be used on the mountain, but this one is now kept as the shunter in the small yard. A yard which would make a nice model, apart from the knitting. 

Nowadays, more modern machines have taken over the mountaineering, but they are no less interesting. They are also very busy, in three hours, I saw a good train depart at least every 30 minutes, alternating with the passenger trains. 

You can tell the photo above is Switzerland - look at those corner protectors on the plasterboard. No strapping it down and wreaking the top couple of sheets here!

It was interesting that some trains had a proper driving cab at the front, but the plasterboard service was driven by someone standing on the front of the wagon, presumably using radio control. I saw this on the standard gauge a few days later, as a freight diesel shot through Thun station at speed with a couple of orange-clad guys on the front of a two bogie train. 

So, a fun morning on a day to misty to go up any mountains. Until this point, I'd never actually seen narrow guage railways earning thier keep with freight, and certainly not as much as this, on such a modern system.