European Railroad Discussion > A few more RhB images

Here are a few more pix taken during my four day stay at Filisur. I was surprised by the number of freight and mixed trains, and especially the amount of log traffic. There was an active log loading facility at Surava, not far from Filisur. The first picture is a southbound freight leaving Solas, and the second a northbound train crossing the viaduct at Solas. The third picture is passenger train approaching Tiefencastel.

JBWX

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The first picture is the little shunting engine the switched cars at the log yard at Surava, followed by a northbound freight approaching Surava. And the third is the distant view of Landvasser viaduct you get from the road as you approach Filisur.

JBWX

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Finally the Hotel Grishuna at Filisur station, which I highly recommend, followed by the view from my window at the hotel. And I'll end up with a picture of the Landwasser viaduct that I took about 20 years ago. This is about a 30 minute hike from Filisur. At the time I took this picture the overlook was just a clearing in the woods, to which somebody had hauled an old living room couch. I hiked up again this year and found the railway had constructed a wooden viewing platform, bench, and a large sign with information about the viaduct. But it clouded up and the older view is much better than what I got this year. These pictures are nothing special but some might find them interesting.

JBWX



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/14 15:09 by jbwest.

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You did a first-class modelling job in Picture #1!

Ray

Ray_Murphy Wrote:
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> You did a first-class modelling job in Picture
> #1!
>
> Ray

It's easier to get the details right in the larger scales. But tough to fit into the train room.

JBWX

Great images, hope to see it someday!

All this and meter-gauge with 15,000 volt AC catenary! It is not difficult to see how the Rhaetian Railway has been declared a UNEDCO World Heritage Site. The railway is owned, incidentally, by the Canton (state) of Graubunden.

Labiche Wrote:
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> All this and meter-gauge with 15,000 volt AC
> catenary!

The RhB is 11kV/16.7 Hz, the SBB is 15kV/16.7Hz.

Labiche Wrote:
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> how the Rhaetian Railway has been declared a UNEDCO World
> Heritage Site.

I believe the UNESCO World Heritage status covers the Albula & Bernina Lines from Thusis to Tirano (It)

Thanks for the photos and information. The hotel seems ideal.

Did you have a car to get to some of those photo spots? Or did you travel by train and walk from the nearest station?

railsmith Wrote:
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> Thanks for the photos and information. The hotel
> seems ideal.
>
> Did you have a car to get to some of those photo
> spots? Or did you travel by train and walk from
> the nearest station?

I had a rented car. However there are a lot of good pix available within walking distance of various RhB stations. Filisur, Davos Weissen, Ospizio Bernina, and Alp Grum would be at the top of my list if I were train riding and wanted to get pix, and there are probably a bunch of others. But you can't beat a car for flexibility, and in this case a car fit the logistic needs of this trip

JBWX

The Hotel and its management is great.

Trail Walking gets you to a spot to photo the high bridge. No roads for an auto.

mundo Wrote:
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> The Hotel and its management is great.
>
> Trail Walking gets you to a spot to photo the high
> bridge. No roads for an auto.

There is one good shot of Landwasser from close to the road if you walk a short way across a field to get some power lines out of the way. I posted a recent version of that shot. It is a pleasant walk from the Filisur station, but I generally park in the parking lot at the trail head which is closer, and either walk up the hill to the overlook (there is a sign pointing to the trail up the hill) or walk along the creek into a spot where you can shoot up at the bridge. These are short walks from the parking area. Landwasser is very photogenic and there are a lot of interesting angles...the local PR folks seem to like an extreme wide angle view looking up at the viaduct, which is a bit artsy for my taste.

JBWX