The coolest iron in the world. The coolest railway in the world. What to bring as a souvenir

Most dangerous area of the Pilatusban railway - at the end, when the train enters the tunnels, and tourists frantically squeeze into their seats. This is where the real Swiss extreme begins.

Pilatus is mountain range in the Swiss Alps, one of those “must visit” places. There are three ways to get to the top of the mountain: by rack railway (from Alpnachstad), by cable car(from Kriens) or on foot. Any of the climbing methods will leave an unforgettable impression, the main thing is to guess the weather. And it is changeable here - rain can change to sunny weather without warning, and vice versa. And this sometimes happens several times a day.

Pilatusban - old Railway, its opening took place in 1889, and in 1937 it was electrified.

The construction of the railway was carried out according to the design of an engineer with the telling name of Eduard Locher. An interesting fact is that when he proposed a design with two horizontally moving gear wheels, he was called an eccentric. Today, the Locher system is one of the most common gear designs on railways.

For reference: a rack railway is a rail type of transport, the motor cars (or locomotive) of which are equipped with one or more gear wheels. They turn on while driving. A toothed rack is laid between the regular rails, with which the gear wheel of the locomotive (or cars) meshes. This technology provides better grip on the rails on grades of up to 16% or more (in dry conditions) and up to 14% (in wet conditions).

There are currently more than 150 rack railways in the world. There are about 60 roads in constant use (in winter and summer). 50% of all operating roads are in Switzerland.

This country has the longest experience in operating such roads, the most modern rolling stock of its own production and the most steep roads(28% and 48% slope). In addition, Swiss roads are mostly profitable and cost-effective.

Austria, Germany, Hungary and a number of Latin American countries (Brazil, Venezuela, Chile) can also boast of cogwheel roads.

They are used as a way to move around tourist routes in mountainous areas or as an urban passenger transport(for example in Budapest, Zurich or Stuttgart). There are no cogwheel railways on Russian territory.

There are 10 carriages with a capacity of 40 people each running along the Pilatusban route. The maximum capacity of the road is 340 people per hour. The average speed is 9-12 km/h.

The inside of the carriages is clean and the interior is in the style of the 50s of the last century. The manual windows and the inscription “Do not lean out of the windows” immediately catch your eye. This is important - there are sections of the road where, by stretching your hand out of the window, you can pick mountain flowers or touch a rock.

You need to sit in the carriage facing the top of Pilatus. On the left side there are landscapes of mountains, rocks, meadows, forests, and on the right side there is a stunning view of lakes and settlements.

Well, around, as throughout Switzerland, you can hear the ringing of bells of grazing cows. Those who are interested in the process of driving a train can sit in the first carriage and watch the driver at work.

30 minutes on the road fly by in a flash. The train makes short stops along the route.

One of them, at the Amsigen station, lasts a couple of minutes - here you can buy cheese from farmers. But not like in Russia - from a train window or on the platform, but to go into the house and taste the cheese. Only the train is not waiting for the tasters; they will have to get there on the next scheduled train.

The final section of the route is the most exciting - driving through tunnels carved into the rocks, these are the same slopes of 48%, these are cliffs tens of meters high, a meter from the train.

The question immediately arises in my head: “How long will we fly if the brakes fail?” Joke! Thoughts about something else - not to drop the camera and not break my neck when entering the next tunnel. The only negative from traveling on the road, which, however, you do not pay attention to, is the noise of the gear wheels.

At the top of Mount Pilatus Kulm there is everything - hotels, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, open and indoor observation decks and five hiking trails with elevation changes of up to 60 m.

What to do: View the scenery outside your window and click your camera shutter on the Pilatusban train ride.
How to get there: Alpnachstadt is located at the foot of Mount Pilatus. You can get to Alpnachstadt by train from Lucerne (about 30 minutes) or by ferry from pier No. 2 (1 hour).
Equipment: Despite the temptation to reach out and pick an alpine flower, you should not lean out of the window.

Infrastructure: the train consists of 10 carriages.
How to improve your experience: get off at one of the intermediate stops and buy cheese from local farmers. True, then you will have to stay late and take the next train.
Entrance fee: CHF 68.

Working hours: from 8:10 to 17:50. The last train back leaves at 18:45.
Where to spend the night: in the city of Lucerne or in a hotel on top of Mount Pilatus.
What to bring as a souvenir: cheese from local farmers, lots of photographs and impressions.

Pilatusbahn is considered the steepest railway in the world. The train covers the entire route from the city of Alpnachstadt to the top of Mount Pilatus in half an hour, making a couple of stops along the way. The most dangerous section of the Pilatusban railway is at the end, when the train enters the tunnels and tourists frantically squeeze into their seats.

This is where the real Swiss extreme begins.

Pilatus is a mountain range in the Swiss Alps, one of those “must see” places. There are three ways to get to the top of the mountain: by rack railway (from Alpnachstad), by cable car (from Kriens) or on foot. Any of the climbing methods will leave an unforgettable impression, the main thing is to guess the weather. And it is changeable here - rain can change to sunny weather without warning, and vice versa. And this sometimes happens several times a day.

Pilatusbahn is an old railway, it opened in 1889 and was electrified in 1937.

The construction of the railway was carried out according to the design of an engineer with the telling name of Eduard Locher. An interesting fact is that when he proposed a design with two horizontally moving gear wheels, he was called an eccentric. Today, the Locher system is one of the most common gear designs on railways.

For reference: a rack railway is a rail type of transport, the motor cars (or locomotive) of which are equipped with one or more gear wheels. They turn on while driving. A toothed rack is laid between the regular rails, with which the gear wheel of the locomotive (or cars) meshes. This technology provides better grip on the rails on grades of up to 16% or more (in dry conditions) and up to 14% (in wet conditions).

There are currently more than 150 rack railways in the world. There are about 60 roads in constant use (in winter and summer). 50% of all operating roads are in Switzerland.

This country has the longest experience in operating such roads, the most modern rolling stock of its own production and the steepest roads (28% and 48% slope). In addition, Swiss roads are mostly profitable and cost-effective.

Austria, Germany, Hungary and a number of Latin American countries (Brazil, Venezuela, Chile) can also boast of cogwheel roads.

They are used as a way to travel along tourist routes in mountainous areas or as urban passenger transport (for example, in Budapest, Zurich or Stuttgart). There are no cogwheel railways on Russian territory.

The inside of the carriages is clean and the interior is in the style of the 50s of the last century. The manual windows and the inscription “Do not lean out of the windows” immediately catch your eye. This is important - there are sections of the road where, by stretching your hand out of the window, you can pick mountain flowers or touch a rock.

Well, around, as throughout Switzerland, you can hear the ringing of bells of grazing cows. Those who are interested in the process of driving a train can sit in the first carriage and watch the driver at work.

30 minutes on the road fly by in a flash. The train makes short stops along the route.

One of them, at the Amsigen station, lasts a couple of minutes - here you can buy cheese from farmers. But not like in Russia - from a train window or on the platform, but to go into the house and taste the cheese. Only the train is not waiting for the tasters; they will have to get there on the next scheduled train.

The final section of the route is the most exciting - driving through tunnels carved into the rocks, these are the same slopes of 48%, these are cliffs tens of meters high, a meter from the train.

The question immediately arises in my head: “How long will we fly if the brakes fail?” Joke! Thoughts about something else - not to drop the camera and not break my neck when entering the next tunnel. The only negative from traveling on the road, which, however, you do not pay attention to, is the noise of the gear wheels.

At the top of Mount Pilatus Kulm there is so much to see - hotels, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, outdoor and indoor observation decks and five hiking trails with a height difference of up to 60 m.

What to do: View the scenery outside your window and click your camera shutter on the Pilatusban train ride.

How to get there: Alpnachstadt is located at the foot of Mount Pilatus. You can get to Alpnachstadt by train from Lucerne (about 30 minutes) or by ferry from pier No. 2 (1 hour).

Equipment: Despite the temptation to reach out and pick an alpine flower, you should not lean out of the window.

Infrastructure: the train consists of 10 carriages.

How to improve your experience: get off at one of the intermediate stops and buy cheese from local farmers. True, then you will have to stay late and take the next train.

Entrance fee: CHF 68.

Working hours: from 8:10 to 17:50. The last train back leaves at 18:45.

Where to spend the night: in the city of Lucerne or in a hotel on top of Mount Pilatus.

What to bring as a souvenir: cheese from local farmers, lots of photographs and impressions.

Pilatus is a mountain range in the Swiss Alps. There are three ways to get to the top of the mountain: by rack railway (from Alpnachstad), by cable car (from Kriens) or on foot. Any of the climbing methods will leave an unforgettable impression, the main thing is to guess the weather. And it is changeable here - rain can change to sunny weather without warning, and vice versa. And this sometimes happens several times a day.

Express information on the country

Switzerland (Swiss Confederation) is a state in Western Europe.

Capital– Bern

Largest cities: Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lausanne

Form of government- Federal Republic

Territory– 41,285 km 2 (133rd in the world)

Population– 8.2 million people. (98th in the world)

official languages– German, French, Italian, Romansh

Religion- Catholicism, Protestantism

HDI– 0.917 (2nd in the world)

GDP– $701.03 billion (20th in the world)

Currency- Swiss frank

Borders with: Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Liechtenstein

The Pilatusbahn railway opened in 1889 and was electrified in 1937. The construction of the railway was carried out according to the design of engineer Eduard Locher. It is noteworthy that when he proposed a design with two horizontally moving gears, he was called an eccentric. Today, the Locher system is one of the most common gear designs on railways.

A cog railway is a rail type of transport whose motor cars (or locomotive) are equipped with one or more gear wheels. They turn on while driving. A toothed rack is laid between the regular rails, with which the gear wheel of the locomotive (or cars) meshes. This technology provides better grip on the rails when climbing slopes.

There are currently more than 150 rack railways in the world. There are about 60 roads in constant use (in winter and summer). 50% of all operating roads are in Switzerland. Austria, Germany, Hungary and a number of Latin American countries (Brazil, Venezuela, Chile) can also boast of such roads.

However, it is Switzerland that has the longest experience in operating cogwheel roads, the most modern rolling stock of its own production and the steepest roads (28% and 48% incline). In addition, Swiss roads are mostly profitable and cost-effective.

They are used as a way to travel along tourist routes in mountainous areas or as urban passenger transport (for example, in Budapest, Zurich or Stuttgart).

There are 10 carriages with a capacity of 40 people each running along the Pilatusban route. The maximum capacity of the road is 340 people per hour. The average speed is 9-12 km/h.

You need to sit in the carriage facing the top of Pilatus. On the left side there are landscapes of mountains, rocks, meadows, forests, and on the right side they are complemented by stunning views of lakes and settlements. Around, as throughout Switzerland, you can hear the ringing of the bells of grazing cows. Those who are interested in the process of driving a train can sit in the first carriage and watch the driver at work.

30 minutes on the road fly by in a flash. The train makes short stops along the route. One of them, at the Amsigen station, lasts a couple of minutes - here you can buy cheese from farmers.

The final section of the route is the most exciting - driving through tunnels carved into the rocks, these are the same slopes of 48%, these are cliffs tens of meters high, a meter from the train. The only negative from the trip, which, however, you do not pay attention to, is the noise of the gear wheels.

The Pilatusbahn Railway, located in Switzerland, is considered the steepest rack and pinion railway in the world, opening in 1889. Red trains, on which you can climb to the top of Mount Pilatus along a specially laid railway, are considered one of the main attractions of both the Lucerne region and the whole of Switzerland.

The route of the road connects the city of Alpnachstadt with the top of Mount Pilatus; the train covers the incredibly difficult and dangerous route in 30 minutes, and takes 10 minutes more on the way back. At the final section of the route, it passes through a narrow tunnel, at the exit of which passengers can immediately see the edge of the cliff.

The movement along the cliff continues for several minutes; in some sections of the path, once reliable fences and embankments have long since collapsed, so the rails slightly protrude beyond the edge of the fragile rock. At some point, the road climbs up so sharply that from a distance it seems as if it is completely vertical!
Sometimes it seems that the trailer seems to be hanging over an abyss. It must be said that this is not an optical illusion - in some places the rails pass from the cliff literally a few centimeters.

For centuries, Mount Pilatus was considered the home of spirits, gnomes and dragons. At least this is what legends tell about, which many parents in Switzerland still read to their children at night. According to legend, several fairy-tale dragons lived in the galleries at the top of the mountain, which periodically dragged up beautiful girls from the surrounding villages, and brave Swiss fellows fearlessly went to save them. Fairy tales are fairy tales - and the image of a dragon now decorates everything tourism infrastructure associated with Pilatus.

Pay attention to the photographs: do you see a dragon?

The mountain was also considered inaccessible because of another hero - namely, Pontius Pilate. Legend has it that the spirit of the “fifth procurator of Judea, the equestrian Pontius Pilate,” because of whom Jesus died on the cross, took refuge in one of the local lakes. In 1387, fear of this ghost, which was believed to be the cause of bad weather here, led the then government of Lucerne to ban all ascents of the mountain. The ban was lifted only several centuries later. The mountain supposedly got its name from Pontius Pilate. Another version is that the name of the mountain comes from the Latin word “pilleatus”, which can be translated as “with a felt hat”, which reflects the nature of Pilatus, often covered with fluffy clouds.

Be that as it may, at the end of the 19th century, one of the Zurich industrialists named Eduard Locher came up with the “crazy” idea, as many considered then, to build a railway straight up to the top, making it accessible to mass tourism. It must be taken into account that at that time cable car technology reigned supreme in the mountains of Switzerland. And it is clear that everyone was quite skeptical about Locher’s idea.
However, being an experienced engineer, he developed a system that was actually quite simple and was based on a special type of railway, between the rails of which a rack (rail) is additionally laid. Accordingly, the rolling stock of such railways must be equipped with an additional gear wheel.

This design turned out to be so revolutionary for its time that it was even shown at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1889. The 4.6-kilometer-long route was built by about 600 workers, among them many Italians who had previously worked on the construction of St. Gotthard railway line. This work was enormous. But all the work was completed just 400 days after it began, and therefore the first train with passengers on the Pilatus railway passed already on June 4, 1889.

Locher was clearly a brilliant engineer: when he proposed a design with two horizontally moving gear wheels, he was called an eccentric. Today, the Locher system is one of the most common gear designs on railways.
Typically, a rack railway track consists of three rails - two regular and a third rack, located between the first two. The locomotive moving on such rails is equipped with a special gear and can overcome fairly steep climbs, but Locher managed to raise the train by a record 48 degrees with the help of two horizontally moving gears. The ingenious design has been serving well for more than 125 years, delivering tourists to the top of Pilatus. During all this time, only one global modernization was required - in 1937 the steam locomotive was replaced by an electric locomotive, the average speed of which was 9-12 km/h. A remarkable fact: since the time of construction, the cogwheel rails on the line have not been changed at all, only routine repairs have been carried out, and their safety margin is another 100 years of service!

The trip will last 30 minutes and will be extremely educational: in just half an hour outside your window you will see a broad-leaved forest, mountain coniferous forest, an alpine meadow, real tundra, rocks and, finally, a glacier - all natural landscapes from plains to highlands.

Currently, 10 small red carriages constantly run along the road, each of which can carry 40 passengers. The cars move at a speed of no more than 12 km/h, which allows them to transport up to 340 passengers every hour. In all the trailers, the atmosphere of the middle of the last century was recreated as much as possible, which makes the trip even more interesting. The inside is clean and the interior is in the style of the 50s of the last century. The manual windows and the inscription “do not lean out of the windows” are striking.

If you “don’t lean” out of the window, then the trip will seem as comfortable as possible, and if you do “lean out” at the right moment, you can feel the aroma of mountain flowers.

Pilatushbahn is one of the coolest railways in the world, both literally and figuratively.

The coolest railway in the world October 30th, 2013

Pilatusbahn is considered the steepest railway in the world. The train covers the entire route from the city of Alpnachstadt to the top of Mount Pilatus in half an hour, making a couple of stops along the way. The most dangerous section of the Pilatusban railway begins at the end, when the train enters the tunnels and tourists frantically squeeze into their seats.

This is where the real Swiss extreme begins.

Pilatus is a mountain range in Swiss Alps– one of those places where you “must visit”. There are three ways to get to the top of the mountain: by rack railway (from Alpnachstad), by cable car (from Kriens) or on foot. Any of the climbing methods will leave an unforgettable impression, the main thing is to guess the weather. And it is changeable here - rain can change to sunny weather without warning, and vice versa. And this sometimes happens several times a day.

Pilatusbahn is an old railway, it opened in 1889 and was electrified in 1937.

There are several different types of rack railways. Common gear grafting designs are the Marsh, Abta, Locher, Riggenbach, Strub and Von Roll systems.

The construction of the railway was carried out according to the design of an engineer with the telling name Eduard Locher. An interesting fact is that when he proposed a design with two horizontally moving gear wheels, he was called an eccentric. Today, the Locher system is one of the most common gear designs on railways.

For reference, a rack railway is a rail type of transport, the motor cars (or locomotive) of which are equipped with one or more gear wheels. They turn on while driving. A toothed rack is laid between the regular rails, with which the gear wheel of the locomotive (or cars) meshes. This technology provides better grip on the rails when climbing on slopes of up to 16‰ or more (for dry conditions) and up to 14‰ (for wet conditions).

Currently, there are more than 150 rack railways in the world, including about 60 roads that operate constantly (in winter and summer). 50% of all operating roads are in Switzerland. This country has the longest experience in operating such roads, the most modern rolling stock of its own production and the steepest roads (28‰ and 48‰ slope). In addition, Swiss roads are mostly profitable and cost-effective.

Austria, Germany, Hungary and a number of Latin American countries (Brazil, Venezuela, Chile) can also boast of cogwheel roads. They are used as a way to travel along tourist routes in mountainous areas or as urban passenger transport (for example, in Budapest, Zurich or Stuttgart). There are no cogwheel railways on Russian territory.

There are 10 carriages running along the Pilatusban route, with a capacity of 40 people each. The maximum traffic capacity of the road is 340 people per hour. Average speed is 9-12 km/h. The inside of the carriages is clean and the interior is in the style of the 50s of the last century. The manual windows and the inscription “do not lean out of the windows” immediately catch your eye. This is important - there are sections of the road where, by stretching your hand out of the window, you can pick mountain flowers or touch a rock.

You need to sit in the carriage facing the top of Pilatus. On the left side there are landscapes of mountains, rocks, meadows, forests, and on the right side they are complemented by stunning views of lakes and settlements. Well, around, as throughout Switzerland, you can hear the ringing of bells of grazing cows. Anyone interested in the process of driving a train can sit in the first carriage and watch the driver at work.

30 minutes on the road fly by in a flash. The train makes short stops along the route. One of them, at the Amsigen station, lasts a couple of minutes - here you can buy cheese from farmers. But not like in Russia - from a train window or on the platform, but to go into the house and taste the cheese. Only the train is not waiting for the tasters; they will have to get there on the next scheduled train.

The final section of the route is the most exciting - driving through tunnels carved into the rocks, these are the same slopes of 48‰, these are cliffs tens of meters high, a meter from the train. The question immediately arises in my head: “How long will we fly if the brakes fail?” Joke! Thoughts about something else - not to drop the camera and not break my neck when entering the next tunnel. The only negative from traveling on the road, which, however, you don’t pay attention to, is the noise of the gear wheels.

At the top of Mount Pilatus Kulm there is so much to see - hotels, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, outdoor and indoor observation decks and 5 hiking trails with a height difference of up to 60 m.

Things to do

Look at the scenery outside the window and click the camera shutter while traveling by train on the Pilatusban Railway.

How to get there

Alpnachstad is located at the foot of Mount Pilatus. You can get to Alpnachstadt by train from Lucerne (about 30 minutes) or by ferry from pier no. 2 (1 hour).