The Furka Oberwald-Realp mountain route (as part of the Brig-Andermatt-Disentis route) was operated by the Furka Oberalp Bahn (FO) between 1914 and 1982. It connects the Swiss cantons of Uri and Valais.
The rack railway climbs 617 meters between Realp (1546 m) and Furka DFB 2163 (m). Due to the location and the severe winter conditions with regular avalanches along the route, only summer operation was possible, which is why the route was replaced by the Furka Base Tunnel in 1982.
The mountain route was initially shut down after the tunnel was commissioned and lay fallow. However, it was not dismantled and reactivated by the various associations of the Furka Bergstrecke Steam Railway from 1992. In the meantime, there is a scheduled, continuous summer operation between Oberwald, Gletsch, Furka, Tiefenbach and Realp, which is still made possible by volunteer club members.
Most of the locomotives used are former Furka Oberalp Bahn (FO) and Brig Visp Zermatt Bahn (BVZ) steam locomotives. Some of the FO locomotives were sold to Vietnam after the FO line had been electrified and brought back to Europe in a costly campaign in 1990 (Back to Switzerland) and extensively repaired.
An additional highlight is the 4-axle locomotive HG 4/4 No. 704. This was built in Switzerland directly for Vietnam and was also brought back to the Furka mountain route in 1990. An identical locomotive (708) is also being refurbished and should be used from 2024.
The "Wander-Express", which runs daily in summer, is also transported with diesel locomotives HGm 4/4 61 and 62 rented from the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn MGB and center boarding cars from the former BVZ.
Part 1 recordings August 2023
00:00-08:37 Furka station with HG ¾ Gletschhorn locomotive 9 (BFD); HG 4/4 locomotive DFB 704; MGB HGm 4/4 61
08:38- between Furka and Tiefenbach locomotive BFD 9
11:08 DFB HG 4/4 704 on Sidelenbach bridge
14:06 HG ¾ Gletschhorn locomotive 9 (BFD) on the Steinstafel viaduct
16:30 DFB HG 4/4 704 and BFD HG ¾ locomotive 9 on the Steffenbach bridge
19:24 MGB HGm 4/4 61 with Wanderexpress at the WIlerbrücke
23:18 DFB HG 4/4 703 Depot Realp
27:14 Tmh 985 in the Realp depot
Part 2 recordings August 2022
29:13 HG ¾ Gletschhorn locomotive 9 in Realp
31:34 DFB HG 4/4 703 shunting Realp
33:49 Level crossing Muttbach FO HG 3/4 locomotive 4
36:16 departure Gletsch HG 3/4 FO locomotive 4
38:06 MGB HGm 4/4 62 Rottenschlucht
41:28 MGB HGm 4/4 62 in Oberwald
44:59 ride Wander Express Realp - Furka DFB (August 2023)
16 июл 2024
