An interesting view from a couple of years ago in Switzerland. Approaching Thun on the boat, we passed by this gantry for moving coal from ships to railway wagons. Via a great big pile, presumably a stockpile.
A quick look on Google maps gives another angle, although oddly, the gantry itself hardly shows up. The gantry spans four tracks, and well as poking out over the water to unload ships.
It strikes me that this would be quite a slow way to move coal, and I wonder why the stuff isn't moved all the way by rail. Or in a mountainous country, is this too hard?
Also, what is the coal for? Switzerland is known for extensive use of clean power. Who is burning this stuff?
Regardless, this would make a fantastic model. Good luck if you fancy making it work in HO, though, there's not much structure to hide the mechanical parts!
Switzerland, Coal!!!!!????
ReplyDeleteIsn’t Google amazing. This felt so out of the ordinary it had to be investigated! The key clue was the name on the overhead gantry. Anyway, it turn’s out it isn’t coal, but rather a dark plutonic rock that probably looks rather like coal in the bright sunshine.
After the first Swiss national pastime - digging tunnels, quarrying and stone extraction probably ranks second.
AG Balmholz own a quarry on the north shore of Thunersee, just west of Interlaken. Google Maps suggests this has quayside loading equipment to transshipment to barges. With the railway running on the south shore of the lake, it looks as though the barges are used to transport loads to the quayside in your photos and this is the site where rail transfer takes place.
Anyway, that’s my guess…
Chris TGG
I'm happy with that guess, and I couldn't work out what they needed all that coal for, especially nowadays. I wouldn't have guessed dark rock, but I suppose it all hass to go somewhere. Thanks for investigating.
Delete