Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway Explained

Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway
Predecessor Line:	Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans

The Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway (fr|Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, BC) is a short 3adj=midNaNadj=mid steep but adhesion worked metre gauge heritage railway operated as part of the Blonay–Chamby Railway Museum using vintage steam and electric locomotives and rolling stock. It uses the Blonay–Chamby railway line, originally built by the Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans. It is rail-connected at both ends, at its upper terminus, at Chamby Station on the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line and at the lower end at Blonay station on the Vevey–Les Pléiades railway line operated by Transports Montreux–Vevey–Riviera.

History and aims

The Blonay–Chamby Railway and Museum was opened in 1968 with the aims of operating the metre gauge railway line from Blonay to Chamby and in doing so preserving railway equipment of technical or historic value. For this purpose the Blonay–Chamby Railway built two motive power and carriage depots at Chaulin, a short distance from its upper terminus. They house what is generally regarded as the largest and most representative collection of preservation metre gauge rolling stock in the world.

The museum line

See main article: Blonay–Chamby railway line. The Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway is a railway preservation group staffed entirely by volunteers who operate trains each Saturday and Sunday between May and October. Vintage steam and electric hauled trains depart from Blonay and climb slowly through a spectacular environment with fine views over Lake Geneva and the Alps. After reversing at or just before Chamby, the trains terminate at the museum site, where visitors can explore stationary exhibits.

A further part of the remit of the preservation group is the encouragement of local and regional tourism and tourist traffic on adjacent lines. The services from Blonay to Chamby and back are included in the Swiss National Railways Timetable.

The museum collection

As of autumn 2021 was home to over 70 items of rolling stock, listed below:

Steam locomotives

Steam railway locomotives

No.	Name	Class	Cyls.	Built by	Works No.	Date built	Previous owners	Notes
1	Le Doubs	G 3/3	OC		618	1890	RdB, CMN	On loan from Swiss Transport Museum Luzern. Not operational
3		HG 3/4	OC	SLM	2317	1913		Abt rack In service.
5	Bercher	G 3/3	OC	SACM	4172	1890	LEB,, Hilti & Jehle, Feldkirch.	used by EOS to build Dixence Dam. In service.
6		G 3/3	OC	SLM	1341	1901	Brünigbahn/Jura-Simplon JS 909, SBB 109, BAM No.6, Scierie Renfer, Bienne.	Under restoration
23		G 3/5	OC	MTM	282	1926			Not operational.
104	Zell^[1]		OC		10437	1925	SEG	Mallet design, 0-6-6-0T, Compound. Under restoration.
105	Todtnau^[2] ^[3] ^[4]		OC	MBG	2051	1918	Haspe–Voerde–Breckerfeld Light Railway,	Mallet design, 0-4-4-0T, Compound. In service.
99 193		G 5/5	OC	MFE	4183	1927	DR, DB.	Stationary, repainted in grey livery

Steam tramway locomotives

No.	Name	Class	Cyls.	Works No.	Date built	Previous owners	Notes
4	Rimini	G 2/2	OC	4278	1900	Ferrovie e Tramvie Padane (FTP), Ferrara-Codigoro and Rimini-Novafeltria.	In service
7		G 2/4	System Brown	316	1882	Mulhouse Tramways	Stationary

Electric locomotives, railcars and trams

Locomotives

No.	Name	Class	Built by	Works No.	Date built	Previous owners	Notes
2	La Grisette	He 2/2	SLM / CIE		1899	Bex–Villars–Bretaye (BVB)	Abt rack functional but only the rack wheel is driven.
29^[5]	-	HGe 3/3	SLM / MFO		1926	Bernese Oberland railway (BOB)	Riggenbach rack, in service
75	-	Ge 4/4	SLM / MFO	2328	1913	Georg Fischer (+GF+)	temporarily out of service
81	-		SLM / BBC		1916	Berninabahn (BB), Rhaetian Railway (RhB)	in service

Railcars

No.	Name	Class/type	Built by	Works No.	Date built	Previous owners	Notes
4	-	BCFe 2/2	SIG / MFO		1928	Ex-Sernftalbahn (SeTB)	historical picture, acquired 1969, under restoration to operational state.
6	Valais^[6]	BCFeh 4/4	SLM / SIG / EGA	146	1909	Ex-Monthey–Champéry–Morgins railway (MCM)	Abt rack, operational
10	-	BCFeh 4/4	SLM / SWS / BBC		1914	Loèche–Loèche-les-Bains railway (LLB)	Abt rack, operational
11	les sept à vingt	BCFe 4/4	SIG / EGA	2191	1903	Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line,	operational
12	-	Ce 2/2	Ringhoffer / EAG		1907	Langenthal–Jura railway (LJB), Oberaargau–Jura railway (OJB)	built in Prague
35	-		SIG / SAAS / MFO		1908	Bernina railway (BB), Rhaetian Railway (RhB)	restoration 2024, operational
105	-	ABDe 4/4	SWS / MFO		1913	Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV)	historical picture, acquired 2017, unrestored.
2002	-	DZe 6/6	SIG / BBC	2703	1932		acquired 2008, operational

Trams

No.	Name	Class/type	Built by	Date built	Previous owners	Notes
7	-	Ce 2/2	Rat / CIE	1904	Tramway de Fribourg (TF)	stationary
28	-	Ce 2/3	SWS / SAAS	1913	Tramways Lausannois (TL)	in service
31	-	Ze 2/2	SIG / EGA	1914	Rheintalische Strassenbahn (Rhine Valley Tramways) (RhSt)	stationary
52	-	Ce 2/2	SWS / MFO	1914	Städtische Strassenbahn, Bern (SSB)	in service
76	-	Ce 2/2	SIG / MFO	1911	Tramways de Neuchâtel (TN)	stationary
151	-	Fe 4/4	SIG / S&H	1911	Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE)	in service

Passenger coaches

Railway passenger coaches

No.	Name	Class/type	Built by	Date built	Previous owners	Notes
2	-	As²	SIG	1903	Ex-Rhaetian Railway Bernina Line (RhB)	acquired 1972, last restoration 2023, in service
6^[7]	Kaiserwagen^[8]	B³	SIG	1901	Bernese Oberland railway (BOB), Modelleisenbahnfreunde Eiger Zweilütschinen (MEFEZ)	Riggenbach rack, acquired 2013, in service
7	-	C⁴	ANF	1910	Chemin de fer Vicinaux de la Haute-Saône (CFV), Morez-La Cure (MLC), Nyon–St-Cergue–Morez railway (NStCM)	acquired 1993, in service
10	-	BC²		1908	Monthey-Champéry-Morgins (MCM), Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champery (AOMC)	Abt rack, in service
11	-	BC²	SIG	1890	Régional des Brenets (RdB)	historical picture, acquired 1973
13	-	C²	MAN	1905	Sernftalbahn (SeTB)	historical picture, ex BC² 13, acquired 1969
15	-	ABCFZ⁴	De Dietrich	1895	Cie de l'Ouest, Chemins de fer de l'Etat (ETAT), Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais (SNCF)/Réseau Breton (RB)	acquired 1968, in service
20	Reine Berthe^[9]	C²	Chevalier, Chailus & Cie à Paris	1865		acquired 2016, in service
21	-	CF²	SIG	1900	Aigle–Leysin railway (AL)	Abt rack, acquired 1973, in service
21	-	BC²	SWS	1902	Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV)	acquired 1971, in service
21	Giardiniera^[10]	C²	SWS	1911	Lugano–Cadro–Dino railway (LCD)	acquired 1990, in service
21	-	CF²	SIG	1890	Régional des Brenets (RdB)	historical picture, acquired 1973
22	-	BC⁴	SIG	1915	Loèche - Loèche-les-Bains (LLB)	Abt rack, acquired 1967, in service
22	-	BC⁴	SIG	1902	Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line	acquired 1971, in service
23	-	C²	SWS	1903	Gruyère–Fribourg–Morat railway (GFM)	acquired 1967, in service
44	-	C⁴	SIG	1926	Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB)	Riggenbach rack acquired 1967, in service
61	-	B⁴	SIG	1906	Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line	acquired 2016, in service
121	-	AB²	SIG	1903	Rhaetian Railway (RhB)	acquired 1972, in service
171	-	C⁴	Herbrand	1891	Mittelbadische Eisenbahn Gesellschaft (MEG)	acquired 1967, in service

Tramway passenger coaches

No.	Name	Class	Built by	Date built	Previous owners	Notes
57	-	C²	SIG	1930	Tramway Vevey–Montreux–Chillon–Villeneuve (VMCV), Bex–Villars–Bretaye Railway (BVB)	acquired 1970, in service
370	-	C⁴	SIG	1920	Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE)	acquired 1967, in service

Post and baggage coach

Goods wagons

No.	Name	Class	Built by	Date built	Previous owners	Notes
30	-	K	Kirchheim	1874	Schweizerische Lokalbahnen (SLB), Appenzeller Bahn (AB)	acquired 1968, staionary
31	-	K	MAN	1905	Sernftalbahn (SeTB)	acquired 1969, in service
31	-	K	SWS	1910	Tramways de Lausanne (TL)	acquired 1993, in service
41	-	K	SWS	1915	Leuk-Leukerbad railway (LLB)	Abt rack, acquired 1967, in service
51	-	M	SWS	1915	LLB	Abt rack, acquired 1967, in service
60	-	L	SWS	1915	LLB	Abt rack, acquired 1967, in service
87	-	K	SWS	1912	Aigle–Leysin railway (AL)	Abt rack, acquired 1977, in service
101	-	K	SIG	1903	Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line	acquired 2014, in service
153	-	L^O	SIG	1901	MOB	acquired 2006, in service
610	-	K	SWS	1904	Gruyère–Fribourg–Morat railway (GFM)	in service
672	-	K	GFM	1955	GFM	acquired 2012 - on display at Vevey station
706	-	M	Busch	1904	MOB	acquired 2005, in service.
712	-	L	SWS	1905	GFM	acquired 2002, in service.
810	-	O	Busch	1903	MOB	acquired 1989, in service

Diesel locomotives, shunters and maintenance vehicles

No.	Name	Class/type	Built by	Works No.	Date built	Previous owners	Notes
1	-	Tm 2/2	O&K, Berlin	20200	1930	Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line, Holzwerk Rieder St. Stephan	in service
3	Biniou	Dm 2/2				SNCF, Réseau Breton (RB)	under restoration
926	Bouc ("goat")	Te 2/2	StStZ / MFO		1935	Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ)	Shunter, in service
	-	Dm 1/2				Rhaetian Railway (RhB)
	-	Dd 1/2				Rhaetian Railway (RhB)	Hand driven draisine, operational

Service coach and wagons

No.	Name	Class/type	Built by	Date built	Former Owners	Notes
1	-	Xe 2/2	SWS / MFO	1915	Tramway de Bienne (TrB)	Tank for fire service, under restoration
52	-	X²			Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV)	stationary.
52	-	X²	SWS	1915	Loèche–Loèche-les-Bains (LLB)	Abt rack, acquired 1967 as LLB M 52, since 2008 crane truck. Operational.
466	Trois Pattes	C³	SIG	1889	JBL C³ 466, preceding Swiss Federal Railways, Brünig line X³ 9951	stationary.

Loaned-out rolling stock

No.	Name	Class/type	Built by	Date built	Previous owners	Notes
121	Baladeuse	C⁴	Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Basel	1892	Tramways de Neuchâtel (TN)	permanent loan to Musée du tram Neuchâtel, Association Neuchâteloise des Amis du Tramway (ANAT)
125	-	Ce 2/2	SIG / SAAS	1920	Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE)	permanent loan to Association Genevoise du Musée des Tramways (AGMT)

Former rolling stock

No.	Name	Class/type	Built by	Date built	Previous owners	Current owners
230	-	C²	SWS	1905	Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat (GFM)	acquired 1969, taken over by GFM Historique in 2012
40	-	K	SWS	1915	Loèche–Loèche-les-Bains railway (LLB)	Abt rack, acquired 1969, sold to the municipality of Inden, Switzerland, Switzerland in 2017
671	-	K	GFM	1955	Gruyère–Fribourg–Morat railway (GFM)	taken over by GFM Historique in 2020, and exhibited at the Broc chocolate factory.

Abbreviations (selection)

Rolling stock manufacturers

BBC : Brown, Boveri & Cie, Zurich
CIE : Compagnie de l'Industrie Électrique, Geneva
EAG : Elektrizitätsgesellschaft Alioth, Basel
MFE : Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
MFO : Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon, Zurich
MGK : Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Karlsruhe
MTM : Maquinista Terrestre y Marítima, Barcelona
O&K : Orenstein & Koppel, Berlin
Rat : Rathgeber, Munich
SAAS : Société Anonyme des Ateliers de Sécheron, Geneva
SIG : Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (Swiss Industrial Company)
SLM : Schweizerische Lokomotiv- und Maschinenfabrik, Winterthur (Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works)
SACM : Elsässische Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Grafenstaden (Grafenstaden Alsatian Engineering Company)
SEG : Süddeutsche Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft (South German Railway Company), Darmstadt
SWS : Schweizerische Wagons- und Aufzügefabrik AG Schlieren-Zürich (Swiss Wagon and Lift company)

Steam locomotive cylinders

OC : Cylinders outside frames
IC : Cylinders inside frames

Literature

Sébastien Jarne, Le chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, tiré à part du livre « Voies étroites de Veveyse et de Gruyère », édition Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, Lausanne, éd. 2, 1991, 56 p.
José Banaudo and Alex Rieben, À la découverte du Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, Édition du Cabri, Breil-sur-Roya, 1992, .
Peter Willen, Lokomotiven und Triebwagen der Schweizer Bahnen, volume 2, Privatbahnen Westschweiz und Wallis. Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1977, .
Alain Candellero, Charles-Maurice Emery, Brice Maillard and Nicolas Regamey, 40 ans de musée vivant, Chemin de fer musée Blonay-Chamby 1968–2008, édition Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, Lausanne, avril 2008, 32 p.
Alain Castella and Charles-Maurice Emery: Faire la Voie, Chemin de fer-Musée Blonay-Chamby, Département de la formation, de la jeunesse et de la culture (DFJC) – Service des affaires culturelles (SERAC) of Canton de Vaud,^[11] Lausanne, 2010
Michel Grandguillaume, Gérald Hadorn, Sébastien Jarne, Jean-Louis Rochaix, François Ramstein: Voies étroites de Veveyse et de Gruyère. Bureau vaudois d'addresses (BVA), Lausanne 1984,

External links

Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway (BC)

46.4656°N 6.8958°W

Notes and References

http://www.echtdampfwelt.de/echtdampf-classic/echtdampflok-seg-mallet.htm www.echtdampfwelt.de, Herrmann Echtdampf, Echtdampfshop, Echtdampflok SEG-Mallet - Picture
http://www.drehscheibe-foren.de/foren/read.php?17,5020337 www.drehscheibe-foren.de, Drehscheben Online, Forum, Schmalspurdampf ex Zell-Todtnau auf der GFM, 1973, mit 24 Fotos - first picture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-ZpRoLvrAw www.youtube.com Youtube Film LGB Mallet SEG104 + eMOTION XLS Sounddecoder (mit sichtbarem Wappen von Zell)
Web site: BC - Museumsbahn ex SEG G 2x 3/3 104 am 19.05.1997 in Chaulin ... . www.bahnbilder.de . 15 Aug 2013 . German.
Museums- und Touristikbahnen 'BC' . Eisenbahn Amateur . Feb 2014 . 69 . German.
Book: Bernet . Ralph . Rizza . Timi . Schweizer Schmalspurbahnen . Edition Lan AG . Bäretswil . 9783906691718.
Web site: Kaiserwagen in Interlaken Ost . Eurolok.ch . 10 Feb 2014.
Book: Finke . Wolfgang . Die Fahrzeuge der Jungfraubahnen 1. Berner Oberland-Bahn - BOB, Jungfraubahn - JB, Mürrenbahn - BLM . 2010 . Tram TV Verlag . Köln . 978-3-9813669-2-1 . German.
Web site: Le parc remorqué s'agrandit de 2 unitées . blonay-chamby.ch . Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby – Musée vivant du chemin de fer . 17 Sep 2016 . fr-FR . Sep 2016.
Ammann . Christian . Begegnungen mit der LCD . Eisenbahn Amateur . 2017 . 1 . 24–29 . German.
http://issuu.com/docvaud/docs/dp_38_blonay_chamby_basdef issuu.com Faire le Voie