After a relatively unsuccessful few days trying to photograph Ae6/6s in early September, it seemed a good idea to go back for another attempt as soon as possible. So I found myself getting up in the middle of the night to catch Swiss’s 06:00 Heathrow - Zürich flight again. We were away a few minutes late and landed a few minutes early but things soon ground to a halt in a very un-Swiss manner. The door that led from our jetway to the terminal was closed and the staff on duty couldn’t open it. They disappeared to get assistance that came in the form of a heavily armed police detachment. I did wonder whether they would shoot the lock off but, unfortunately, one of them produced a key and we were through. Despite the delay, all the formalities were completed, the luggage was collected and I was on the platform by 08:55, only 20 minutes after our booked arrival time, why can’t all airports be like this?

From Zürich Flughafen, I travelled to Olten, dumped my bag in a locker, then continued to Oberbuchsiten, noting no less than four Ae6/6 on the way. Things weren’t as good at Oberbuchsiten with the very photogenic freight from Oensingen producing a pair of Re4/4s, while the Solothurn - Olten bins had a filthy green Ae6/6 on a single wagon. At least there were two wagons when it went back. The most interesting freight was a short westbound intermodal with half height yellow containers marked “Marti Shuttle Express” and a wagon fitted with a control cab at the back.

The Biel - Konstanz passengers provided some interest with IR2119 formed of a class 500 tilting triebwagen as opposed to the usual class 460 push pull set. This train was a class 500 last time I was here so maybe it’s regular. Even more interesting were IR2120 and IR2125, worked by a pair of 540s. Incidently, all the 460 worked Biel Konstanz trains were formed of double-deck stock last time but they were all single deckers this time.

During the afternoon I went for a ride to Luterbach-Attisholz then back to Niederbipp in order to look for spots that would get the light later in the afternoon. A few potential positions were found west of Niederbipp but none were particularly brilliant. The Wiler - Limmattal freight, a candidate for an Ae6/6, was missed but I got the afternoon freight from Biel after walking to a remote spot. The train was Ae6/6 hauled but the loco seemed to be devoid of numbers. It was red with chrome bands on the nose but no shield on the front. I’ve seen pictures of 11417 and 11424 in this condition but both of them had front and side numbers while this one had neither.

Freight traffic seemed to dry up after 16:00 so I had a look at a few more potential spots then returned to Olten to collect my bag and then backtracked to Solothurn to find my hotel.

Zürich Flughafen

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
460.065	IR2116	08:03 Konstanz - Biel/Bienne	09:10 (travelled Zürich Flughafen - (Zürich HB))

Zürich HB

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
460.065 propelling	IR2116	08:03 Konstanz - Biel/Bienne	09:10 (travelled (Zürich HB) - Olten)

Zürich-Mülligen

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
11520		WB Freight	09:35

RB Limmattal

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
11438 610.487		Stabled	09:38

Olten

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
610.496		EB Track Machines	10:08
560.255	6838	10:10 Olten - Solothurn	10:10 (travelled Olten - Oberbuchsiten)

Olten-Hammer

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
11369		EB Containers	10:12

Härkingen

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
11179	50229	08:01 Chavornay - Däniken Refrigerated Vans	10:20

Oberbuchsiten

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
500.xxx	IR2119	10:15 Biel/Bienne - Konstanz	10:48
560.292	6837	10:17 Biel/Bienne - Olten	11:08
11284	50915	09:20 Eclepens - Gossau Postal Vans	11:11
460.035 propelling	IR2118	09:03 Konstanz - Biel/Bienne	11:11
11610	66521	Cornaux - RB Limmattal Oil Tanks	11:19
11148 11269	62561	11:49 Oensingen - RB Limmattal Freight	11:22
11288	50912	Zürich-Mülligen - Geneve Postal Vans	11:45
460.065	IR2121	11:15 Biel/Bienne - Konstanz	11:49
11440	64733	11:42 Solothurn - Olten Bins	11:54
420.268	50604	11:41 Härkingen - Daillens Postal Containers	12:04
540.069 t & t with 540.017	IR2120	10:03 Konstanz - Biel/Bienne	12:12
11259	50717	Lausanne Triage - Frauenfeld P.P. Vans / Postal Containers	12:12
11440	64776	12:49 Olten RB - Solothurn Bins	12:38
843.056	57174U	12:38 Härkingen - Oensingen Trip Freight	12:42
11608	66523	12:06 Cornaux - Tankanlage Rümlang Oil Tanks	13:11
460.114 propelling	IR2122	11:03 Konstanz - Biel/Bienne	13:12
421.383		WB Intermodal	13:30 ("Marti Shuttle Express" yellow containers, last wagon fitted with a control cab)
11171 11177		EB Oil Tanks	13:38
11473		WB Light Engine	13:38
11173	50241	Geneve Cargo - Lenzburg Vans	13:42
540.017 t & t with 540.069	IR2125	13:15 Biel/Bienne - Konstanz	13:50
11235	50043	Renens VD - Däniken Vans	14:00
11180	50727	12:33 Daillens - Frauenfeld P.P. Postal Containers	14:12
837.822-MVN		Shunting	14:17
560.255	6858	14:10 Olten - Solothurn	14:24 (travelled Oberbuchsiten - Luterbach-Attisholz)

Oensingen

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
11316 420.276		Stabled	14:49

W of Niederbipp

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
11360		EB Empty Flats	15:47
Ae6/6	62573	15:37 Biel RB - RB Limmattal Freight	16:03

Niederbipp

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
11653		WB Oil Tanks	18:01
560.243	6871	17:17 Biel/Bienne - Olten	18:03 (travelled Niederbipp - Olten)

Oensingen

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
11360		EB Freight	18:05 (same flats + containers + vans)

Olten

Loco	Train No.	Train Details	Notes
500.037 500.xxx	ICN536	16:48 St.Gallen - Genève-Aéroport	18:40 (travelled Olten - Solothurn)