Tue 12 Jan 2010

Another good forecast for the Oberengadin and over the Bernina but there was a lot of cloud around Samedan. The Bernina was completely clear, so it was off to Ospizio Bernina where I made my way with some difficulty up over snow of uncertain depth to the main road. With brilliant sunshine and deep snow everywhere, the views were stunning. After a couple of trains, some low cloud came scudding across the surface of the lake and then rapidly built up obscuring everything within the space of around 10 minutes. I walked down the road towards Bernina Lagalb in the hope that it might still be clear further north. It wasn’t, so I returned to Pontresina by bus from Lagalb. There was still some light at first but it soon went there and everywhere else in the Oberengadin. Time to give up and return to Filisur for an early bath. Locomotive highlights were 603 waiting to leave Samedan with the stock for the Bergün – Preda Schlittelzüge, 606 on Pontresina – Scuol-Tarasp workings, 802 working up to Ospizio Bernina with a rotary snowplough (minutes after the light failed unfortunately) and 707 on freight 5135.