Along the Brusio viaduct - Photo by albi.fc, June 2010
The Bernina railway is a single-track 1,000 mm [...] metre gauge railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway (RhB). It links the spa resort of St. Moritz, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, with the town of Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy, via the Bernina Pass. Reaching a height of 2,253 metres [...] above sea level, it is the highest railway crossing in Europe and the third highest railway in Switzerland. It also ranks as the highest adhesion railway of the continent, and – with inclines of up to 7% – as one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world. The height difference on the section between the Bernina Pass and Tirano is 1,824 m [...], allowing passengers to see glaciers and palm trees on the same line.
On 7 July 2008, the Bernina Railway and the Albula Railway, which also forms part of the RhB, were recorded in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the name Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes. The whole site is regarded as a cross-border joint Swiss-Italian heritage area.
Trains operating on the Bernina Railway include the Bernina Express.
With the Palü Glacier in the background - Postcard ca. 1910, Public Domain
History
In the year following the completion of the Albula Railway in 1904, the Bernina-Bahngesellschaft (BB) was established, with the objective of opening a railway line between St Moritz and Tirano, via the Bernina Pass. After obtaining a concession for such a line in 1906, the BB opened it from 1908 onwards, in several sections: on 1 July 1908 between Pontresina and Morteratasch, and between Tirano and Poschiavo; on 18 August of the same year between Pontresina and Celerina; and on 1 July 1909 between Celerina and St Moritz, and between Morteratsch and Bernina Suot. It was only on 5 July 1910 that the whole line could be opened, upon completion of the most difficult section between Bernina Suot and Poschiavo. The line was electrically operated with DC current from the start. In 1935 the voltage was increased from 750 to 1000 volts.
Originally, the Bernina Railway was intended for use only in summer, but in 1913/14 the BB commenced winter operations as well. This development was associated with major weather-related problems, necessitating further erection of avalanche barriers.
In the first years of its existence, the BB was always on the verge of bankruptcy. The costs of construction expenditure on the line to 1915 amounted to around 15 million Swiss francs. Even the introduction of a restaurant car in 1928, and packages for tourists, could not save the little railway from ruin. Due to its difficult financial situation, it was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway in 1943.
The RhB modernised the line fundamentally, also for military reasons, and completely renewed the section at the top of the pass. Previously, the line formation on the north ramp of the Bernina Pass had been laid out in curves giving passengers extensive views, but also lying in the path of avalanche courses. The new parts of the line cut off those curves, the catenary and the flat bottomed rails of the old formation were removed, but the substructure is still visible in the high mountains.
Since the mid-1980s, the Rhaetian Railway has been marketing the natural and technical attractions of the Bernina Railway specifically to tourists. Thus, the section from Pontresina to Tirano forms part of the route of the Bernina Express. In October 2011, it was the first rail line in the world to be photographed and put on Google Street View.
At the "Am See Brücke" - Photo by Kabelleger / David Gubler - CC BY-SA 4.0
Description of the railway
St Moritz is the terminus of both the Albula Railway and the Bernina Railway. As the two railways are powered by different electrification systems, they meet at the same station, but operate on separate lines from separate platforms. [...]
You can read a full description, from Sankt Moritz to Tirano, on the Wikipedia page.
Rolling stock and traffic
Today, the following classes of railcar and locomotive are used in scheduled commercial services on the Bernina Railway: fifteen ABe 8/12I starting service in 2010, to replace the old series of engines, such as four ABe 4/4I and nine ABe 4/4II. Still in service also six ABe 4/4III and two Gem 4/4 that can operate without electrical feeding, thanks their diesel-generator inside (double engine locomotives).
This fleet, consisting of railcars, also carries freight traffic. Some freight cars are added to passenger trains until the maximum towing capacity of such trains of 140 tonnes is reached. For reasons of safety, due to the presence of dangerous goods, other freight cars are operated in pure freight trains. Despite being set up originally only for tourist traffic, the Bernina Railway now also assists trade with Italy by carrying considerable quantities of freight, consisting mostly of heating oil, fuels and timber. Additionally, the regional shopping businesses of the Poschiavo valley are served partly by rail.
The timetable is tightly designed, with year-round services of one passenger train per hour in each direction. The flagship services are the now fully panorama car equipped Bernina Express and the Trenino Rosso travelling in the opposite direction.
In winter, an old 1913 steam rotary snowplow is regularly in service, but also two electrical rotary snowplows from 1968 and also two modern engines from 2010 are used as well. Their operation is also a tourist attraction that draws in railway enthusiasts from all over the world, especially for the steam one. The two Gem 4/4 assure the shunt of the rotary snowplow.
In connection with the danger of avalanches on the Bernina Railway, the Rhaetian Railway has developed an unusual procedure for the removal of these high alpine hazards. In late winter, when the risk of avalanche is greatest, artillery is fired at the points of origin of avalanches, to bring some control to their occurrence.
Source: Wikipedia contributors. "Bernina railway." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 6 Jul. 2018. Web. 6 Aug. 2018.
Bernina Railway between Lagalb and Ospizio Bernina - Photo by Kabelleger / David Gubler - Public Domain
The Wherigo
As an Italian, the Bernina railway has always been the little red train that goes from Tirano to Sankt Moritz, but of course, being a Swiss Railway, it's just the opposite.
Anyway this easy WIG has been built starting from Italy.
Whether you want to play it totally by taking the train or choose to combine car and hike sections, you will enjoy stunning panoramas and you will travel from palm trees to glaciers.
Yes, because you can choose between two ways to play it:
1) take the train and answer the questions while sitting comfortably, watching the panoramas and maybe drinking a coffee at the restaurant car. Available all seasons.
2) most of the stations are very close to the road so you can go stage by stage just parking your car and entering the zones to answer the question. This is possible between Tirano and Poschiavo and between Ospizio Bernina and Sankt Moritz (with few exceptions). But between Poschiavo and Ospizio Bernina the only way is to walk along some beautiful paths that passes through the railway stations. Not available in presence of snow.
In order to answer the questions at the WIG stages please take note or print the following altitudes of the railway stations and waypoints:
- Tirano 429
- Campocologno 553
- Campascio 637
- Brusio spiral viaduct 116 (lenght of the viaduct)
- Brusio 780
- Miralago 965
- Le Prese 965
- Li Curt 998
- Poschiavo 1014
- Privilasco 1119
- Cadera 1383
- Cavaglia 1692
- Stablini crossing loop 1934
- Alp Grüm 2091
- Ospizio Bernina 2253
- Bernina Lagalb 2099
- Bernina Diavolezza 2082
- Bernina Suot 2046
- Morteratsch 1896
- Surovas 1822
- Pontresina 1774
- Punt Muragl Staz 1728
- Celerina Staz 1716
- Sankt Moritz 1775
This cache has been inspired to me by the Latvian Wherigo Zilupes vilciens, which actually I haven't played but liked much.
The T refers to the lenght of the railway; the terrain at GZ is a T 1,5.
The cartridge, all in English, can be dowload HERE.
Many thanks to pchappuis for warning me about some errors on the first version of the cartridge.
Questa cache fa parte della serie Geo Summer Games 2018.
This cache take part to the Geo Summer Games 2018.
La cache ovviamente continuerà ad essere disponibile anche dopo i Geo Summer Games 2018!
The cache of course will keep on to be available after the end of the Geo Summer Games 2018!
