Wed 03 Oct 2012

A very frustrating day, even by Swiss standards. The forecast was for a mainly sunny day and that was how it started around Solothurn. I had intended spending the day around Neuchâtel and Yverdon-les-Bains but approaching Neuchâtel it suddenly clouded up. By the time I’d gone out to Auvernier it was raining. I hung around for some time but there was no sign of a clearance coming. It still looked brighter to the north-east so I took the ICN up to Olten and a local out to Hägendorf. The weather wasn’t brilliant there either. After the potential lunchtime Ae6/6 activity was over (more on that later) it was off to St. Erhard-Knutwil on the Olten - Luzern line where there was glorious sunshine but only for the first 10 minutes I was there. The rest of the afternoon was spent walking back along lineside paths to Nebikon, looking at potential locations along the way.

The first potential Ae6/6 working, Neuchâtel - Cottendart trip 64568, was an Re4/4ii but there was an Ae6/6 stabled at Neuchâtel FD when I left for Olten. The freight from Les Verrières, another potential Ae6/6 working, hadn’t got back by then so I couldn’t confirm what was working it. I didn’t expect to see any Ae6/6s at Biel but there was one stabled at Biel RB and another passed on Lengnau - Biel trip 65354, a train I wasn’t expecting to be worked by the class. At Solothurn the only interest was a steam special hauled by A3/5 705, a very elegant 4-6-0 and undoubtedly the reason it was raining.

Lunchtime at Hägendorf was very disappointing. I’d spotted a location east of the station from the train but it turned out ot be fairly naff and most of the anticipated Ae6/6s failed to materialise. The Solothurn - Olten and return bins, 64733 and 64776, were worked by an Re6/6. I couldn’t positively identify Oensingen - Limmattal freight 62561, it could have been the train of rails behind 11179 or light engine 11425. The latter is worthy of note as it still appears to have all it’s decorations intact including nose and bodyside shields. The only Ae6/6 seen on a train was 11424 on Frauenfeld - Härkingen postal 50722. This was undoubledly the “mystery” Ae6/6 I saw yesterday afternoon as it had a couple of dents in exactly the same place as yesterday’s engine. A pair of 540s turned up on IR2120, so this may now be a regular 540 turn!

On the Luzern line, the Wildegg - Luzern cement, another anticipated Ae6/6, was Re4/4ii hauled. The other possible Ae6/6 turn, 62383 from Sursee to Limmattal, did produce but I’m not sure which of two Ae6/6 hauled trains it was. 11518 went north through Nebikon at 16:48, was looped at Zoffingen and then passed Olten at 17:37, very early for a train not booked to leave Sursee until 17:58. Then 11424 appeared at Olten from the Luzern (or possibly Bern) direction at 17:49, more in line with the expected running time of 62383. 11518’s train was fairly short, about a dozen wagons, many of them carrying coiled steel wire and a couple loaded with bogies and wheelsets. 11424’s train was much longer and mainly consisted of vans. Which was 62383 and what was the other one?

A couple of interesting freights were seen at Olten. The first was an intermodal carrying Planzer swap bodies with a couple of coaches at the front, what the Americans would call “business cars”, full of people - Planzer customers? The second had interesting motive power, a BLS 465 and BLS Re4/4 “Brownie” double heading, both with raised pantographs and seemngly powering. I didn’t see a driver in the second loco but I wasn’t aware that these two classes could work in multiple either.

Solothurn

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
11652   EB Oil Tanks 07:52
500.002
500.011
ICN1510 05:44 St.Gallen - Lausanne 07:59
(travelled Solothurn - Neuchâtel)

Neuchâtel

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
562.002 4808 08:40 Neuchâtel - Buttes 08:40
(travelled Neuchâtel - Auvernier)

Auvernier

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
11366
11182
50752 08:18 Biel/Bienne - Daillens Postal Containers 08:51

Neuchâtel

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
11108   Stabled 09:41
(on p/p set)

Auvernier

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
560.232 4713 09:34 Gorgier-St-Aubin - Neuchâtel 09:47
(travelled Auvernier - Neuchâtel)

Neuchâtel-Serrières

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
Re4/4ii 64568 09:49 Neuchâtel FD - Cottendart Trip Freight 09:50

Neuchâtel

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
11289 50915 09:20 Eclepens - Gossau Postal Vans 09:56
11255 50467 09:19 Estavayer-le-Lac - Langenthal Vans 10:02
11608 68266 09:30 Avenches - Chavornay Vans 10:13
420.501 RE3037 10:33 Neuchâtel - Bern 10:26
500.002 ICN1521 09:45 Lausanne - St.Gallen 10:27
(travelled Neuchâtel - Olten)

Neuchâtel FD

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
Ae6/6   Stabled 10:28

Biel/Bienne

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
460.049
propelling
RE2938 10:52 Biel/Bienne - Bern 10:49
460.098 IR2121 11:15 Biel/Bienne - Konstanz 10:49

Biel RB

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
Ae6/6   Stabled 10:51

Biel Mett

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
Ae6/6 68354 10:52 Lengnau - Biel/Bienne Trip Freight 10:51

Solothurn

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
705   WB Special 11:06
(A3/5 4-6-0)

Olten

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
620.042   EB Oil Tanks 11:33
560.243 6846 11:35 Olten - Biel/Bienne 11:35
(travelled Olten - Hägendorf)

Olten Hammer

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
843.xxx   EB Freight 11:37
(mainly PWay + a few containers)

Hägendorf

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
11623 50604 11:41 Härkingen - Cadenazzo Postal 11:50
11650 64733 11:42 Solothurn - Olten Bins 11:59
540.039
540.057
IR2120 10:03 Konstanz - Biel/Bienne 12:08
11150   EB Empty Stock 12:11
11424 50722 10:16 Frauenfeld PP - Härkingen PP Postal Containers 12:13
11179   EB Rails 12:20
11425   EB Light Engine 12:45
11650 64776 12:47 Olten - Solothurn Bins 12:46
560.234 6849 12:17 Biel/Bienne - Olten 13:15
(travelled Hägendorf - Olten)

Olten

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
560.xxx 22839 13:37 Olten - Sursee 13:37
(travelled Olten - St.Erhard-Knutwil)
11222
propelling
IR2024 12:57 Zürich HB - Bern 13:37

St.Erhard-Knutwil

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
460.083 IR2467 13:17 Basel SBB - Luzern 14:10
460.108
propelling
IR2526 14:00 Luzern - Genève-Aéroport 14:21
460.014 IR2527 12:01 Genève-Aéroport - Luzern 14:38
11155 IR2177 14:04 Basel SBB - Locarno 14:46
460.027
propelling
IR2470 14:30 Luzern - Basel SBB 14:50

Wauwil

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
11272
11370
  WB Hoppers 14:59
460.105 IR2469 14:17 Basel SBB - Luzern 15:07
11200 IR2178 11:45 Locarno - Basel SBB 15:13
460.083
propelling
IR2528 15:00 Luzern - Genève-Aéroport 15:22

Nebikon

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
460.014
propelling
IR2472 15:30 Luzern - Basel SBB 15:53
11358   WB Oil Tanks 16:04
460.068 IR2471 15:17 Basel SBB - Luzern 16:05
176-BLS   EB Freight 16:16
460.105
propelling
IR2530 16:00 Luzern - Genève-Aéroport 16:26
11311 67232 15:46 Wildegg - Luzern Cement Tanks 16:33
460.080 IR2531 14:01 Genève-Aéroport - Luzern 16:38
11152 IR2181 16:04 Basel SBB - Locarno 16:46
11518 62383 17:58 Sursee - RB Limmattal Freight 16:48
460.026
propelling
IR2474 16:30 Luzern - Basel SBB 16:55
560.267 22850 16:51 Sursee - Olten 17:01
(travelled Nebikon - Olten)

Olten

Loco Train
No.
Train Details Notes
11155 IR2182 13:45 Locarno - Basel SBB 17:27
11518 62383 17:58 Sursee - RB Limmattal Freight 17:37
11369   WB Intermodal 17:38
(train had 2 "business cars" at the front)
465.011-BLS
190-BLS
  EB Intermodal 17:48
11424   EB Freight 17:49
460.098 IR2135 17:15 Biel/Bienne - Konstanz 17:58
460.054
mid train
IR2132 16:03 Konstanz - Biel/Bienne 18:03
(travelled Olten - Solothurn)