European Railroad Discussion > Thun before Bears or RM: 1966

The post below on BLS AG "Bear"class emu's with its photos taken at Thun reminded me what an enjoyable place that used to be -- and perhaps still is -- for train watching.  Here are some photos taken almost fifty [ gasp....] years ago to illustrate that.

Thun is not only on the "BLS Main line" [ which at that point is still SBB, unless things have changed ] but was the terminus of the EBT to the northeast and the alternate BLS-Gruppe [ GBS, which itself was a 1944 fusion of the GTB + BSB ] line from Bern.  The EBT [ Emmental - Burgdorf - Thun ] was the lead member of the EBT-Gruppe that also included the VHB and SMB, and which later was renamed the RM, which then was combined with what was left of the classic BLS.  Got all that ?  Good, onto the photos....

1)  EBT BDe2/4 212, built in 1947.  They started painting passenger equipment green + cream around 1968

2)  EBT BDe2/4 227, built in 1932 for the initial [ at 15 kV that is ] electrification.

3)  SMB Be4/4 171, also built in 1932, and one of ten owned by the Gruppe.

More to follow....

SZ

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4)  "BLS" / BN 317, a Ce4/4

5)  GBS 703, the powered portion of an ABDe2/8.  I did not realize at the time of the photograph, or perhaps forgot, that the control trailer was considered an integral part of the unit. It was built as GTB 691 in the thirties, and mated with a control trailer [ from a wreck damaged sister, 705 ] in 1956.

6)  BLS 271, the first of the Ae8/8's dating from 1959, on a through express passenger for Italy.

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7 )  Of course, SBB had a presence in Thun as well;  this is Ae3/5 10205 from 1922.  Together with the Be4/7's from that year they were SBB's first road locomotive classes with single axle [ Westinghouse ] drive.

I hope you enjoyed this look back.

With best regards, SZ

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Brings back great memories, thanks for posting!

Thomas Eckhardt

Astonishing pictures, thank you very much Steinzeit! And thanks for the backgrounder too!

Are any of these around nowadays (outside museums)?

McKey Wrote:
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> Astonishing pictures, thank you very much
> Steinzeit! And thanks for the backgrounder too!
>
> Are any of these around nowadays (outside
> museums)?

I saw an engine quite similar to the one in #6 at the Lucerne station a few weeks ago, but it didn't have a train and it was just sitting there. I don't know what destination or assignment it had. I also saw one in the Lucerne Transportation Museum, which touted it as "the most powerful engine ever built".

Tor in Eugene

Beginning in 1969 the EBT-Gruppe acquired five Re4/4 III's [ in SBB-speak ], three for the EBT itself and one each for the other two roads;  here's VHB 141.  I believe all five went to RM and then BLS, but are now spun off to Crossrail.

SZ

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McKey Wrote:
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> Are any of these around nowadays (outside
> museums)?


By "outside  museums" do you mean in true, every day revenue earning service ?  No, I don't think so, but some of the same class may be operational with BLS Historic [ or SBB Historic for the Ae 3/5 ] or a club.  For example, the BLS has preserved at least one Ae8/8, but I don't believe it is operational.


SZ

Thanks for posting these interesting historical images.  That's not the EBT Americans think of.  Gerry

Steinzeit Wrote:
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> McKey Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Are any of these around nowadays (outside
> > museums)?
>
>
> By "outside  museums" do you mean in true, every
> day revenue earning service ?  No, I don't think
> so, but some of the same class may be operational
> with BLS Historic [ or SBB Historic for the Ae 3/5
> ] or a club.  For example, the BLS has preserved
> at least one Ae8/8, but I don't believe it is
> operational.
>
>
> SZ

I remember seeing an operational Ae8/8 a little while ago, the others I think are all withdrawn.

Certainly going on the Lotschberg shuttle the standard loco last time I took it (a few years ago) was the Ae8/8.