Rail Online Sept. 2/3

[Dan Dawdy]

File: ro_1_3.txt (2/3)

The Operating team took top honors for knowledge of
safety procedures, train equipment, and other skills, while the
Maintenance team's competition involved a written test and
several troubleshooting problems.

CONRAIL AND PENGUINS SUPPORT SUMMER READING IN PITTSBURGH
Conrail Newswire

Conrail, Mellon Bank and the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey
club are sponsoring the Carnegie Library's summer reading program
for school-age children in the Pittsburgh area. The program,
called "The Summer Reading Tour," involves discussion of various
modes of transportation, including rail.

Conrail was the largest contributor of funds to the
program, donating $20,000 to support the library's effort.
Conrail will be recognized for its support of the program in a
presentation prior to a Penguins hockey game this fall.

GOLFING FOR THE UNITED WAY
Conrail Newswire

Conrail's Harrisburg Division will kick off this year's
United Way campaign, "Get on Board in '94," with a corporate
scramble golf tournament at the Hershey Country Club on September
7. The tourney is open to everyone. Prizes will be awarded,
including one for the best-dressed foursome. For information call
Bill Hanna at SMART 324-2048, Marianne Farley at 324-2000 or Bob
Binion at 324-2186.
__________________________________________________________________

RAILONLINE FEATURES
Valley Forge Convention @J
__________________________________________________________________

We've alterered the perspective for our coverage of this year's
NMRA convention, by printing the point of view of those directly
involved with the convention: different kinds of visitors, and the
floor manager for the train show. Here are their points of view in
regards to this year's celebration, from its highlights to areas for
improvement.

---

"Just got back from the convention. It was my first. I got out of
model railroading ten years ago when the space the trains were on
was taken up by my disk drives. Since then I have regretted the
decision. With that in mind..."

"The show was crowded. I arrived about 11:30 in the Valley Forge
area and noted that cars were backed up at least a mile to the
convention. I jumped off sooner and parked in a lot for one of my
consulting clients nearby. Walking from there to the convention, I
had further luck: I found a line and got into it (it was a long
snake like line bending around the parking lot). A minute after I
started waiting in line, an official came around and told us that
we could be admitted in the back of the building. This meant that
I was now in the front of the new line--the train had reversed
direction!"

"$6 got me in the door, $10.50 got me lunch, and $27 got me a toy
train to take home so that I could feel that I was not coming home
empty-handed."

"Interesting exhibits were many:"

"- The world's largest N-guage track layout."

" - An exhibit by the Delaware Valley Traction Club,
featuring models (generally trolley cars) that took 100% of their
power from overhead wires. They even had a scale model of the Bryn
Mawr station of the SEPTA route 100 line (P&W to old Philly
people)."

"- Exhibits by S-guagers having a concurrent convention."

"- A helix layout exhibited by one of the sysops on the
Compu$erve forum."

[For those of you non-CompuServe people, CI$ is our fond (?)
nickname for CompuServe, which, much as we love the services we
get with it, does get a wee bit expensive. -Ed.]

"- And many others."

"A good afternoon."
-Bill Patterson
_________________________

"...The highlight for me was being able to visit and talk
with the various manufacturers and distributors of digital command
control systems, a field I have just gotten into. I found a man and
wife from Norcross, Ga., (DigiTrax) who make a line of receivers
smaller than Lenz and totally compatible, thanks to the new NMRA
standards. The grouping of exhibitors by kinds and interests was very
well worked out. Most, though not all, of the command control people,
for example, were-side-by-side on one aisle. I also bought the
clinic books from 1990, 1992, and 1993 at the NMRA store. This was my
first NRMA show, and the size of it really staggered me."
-Harry Bacas
_________________________

"As a Philly resident, I'm thrilled the NMRA convention
stopped here this year. My 4 and 11 year-old boys and I had a
great time Friday evening, even after spending half and hour in the
pouring rain waiting in line."

"Fabulous show; great layouts, friendly people, lots of room,
Russ Larson in the flesh, joined the NMRA; what more could you ask
for? Hats off to everyone who contributed to a great meet!"
-William Marvin

NOT FAMILLIAR WITH THE NMRA CONVENTION?
by Peter Kirn

The National Model Railroading Association is holding the
next convention in the spleandor of Oregan on the Pacific Coast.
Here's what to expect from NMRA conventions for those of you who
haven't been to one before and might be considering it. The
convention offers plenty for model railroaders and non-model
railroaders alike.

> Non-modelers

Despite the fact that the NMRA convention is intended
mainly for modelers, those who are strictly railfans will find
an unusually wide variety of railfanning activities to rival
any other convention.

Tours over the week of the convention will visit local
railfanning destinations and ride on excursions. Next year's
convention will likely host an even more exciting collection than
usual, with the rugged Oregan landscape as a background.

In addition to model railroad products, the train show
over the weekend, which is open to the general public without
requiring full convention fare, features the usual assortment of
non-modeling displays.

Even people who don't particularly like railroads will
come across a lot to do. Everything from local sightseeing to
other hobbies are regularly featured at conventions.

> Modelers

Model railroaders won't be able to find a more complete
selection of activities and displays anywhere else in the world
than can be found at the NMRA Convention.

Clinics run throughout the week, featuring well-known
modelers. Everything from scenery to command control will be
featured, with the opportunity to talk with modelers afterward.

Modelers from around the region invite visitors into
their basement, along with clubs, on layout tours, which
generally are made up of several layouts. All scales and locales
are represented.

The train show in this year's convention included nearly
240 vendors, from train shops to manufacturers, in addition to
15 layouts. The show is sponsored by the Model Railroad Industry
Association. Manufacturers often release products at this show
and the Chicago Hobby Show, also sponsored by the MRIA, in winter.

TO IMPROVE UPON FOR NEXT YEAR...
by Peter Kirn, with the RO VFX convention team

We certainly commend the organizers of this convention on
a job well done, as is confirmed by the comments run here.
According to one member of our RO Valley Forge convention team,
though, there were some grumbles at Valley Forge, as there always
are. Here they are for future convention managers.

One apparant problem was buses arriving late for tours.
In fact, one bus didn't drop off its passengers until 2AM,
according to an RO con team member!

Several complaints surrounded certain things being spread
between the two hotels. Clinics at the Hilton, five or ten minutes
away from the Sheraton, made it difficult for some people to
organize their clinic schedule. Picking up items from the auction
also required doing a bit of hotel-hopping.

Other complaints included the quality of hotels and clinics
being scheduled too late. Despite all these complaints, though,
there was a definitely clear concensus that the show was a
successful one, and it sounds like many will be back.

CONVENTION OVERVIEW by Peter Kirn

If there was one major change in this convention over
previous conventions, it would definitely be the prominence of
digital and computer technology.

In the clinics as well as on the train show floor,
command control was the buzzword. While command control is
nothing new, work on a standard computer interface has now really
come close to a reality. The NMRA is currently working on
creating its own standard. (Watch this fall for an article by
Daniel Dawdy, a member of the committee on the project, on this
very subject.)

However, whether digital technology for lighting in
locomotives or computer control, electronics is playing a
larger and larger role in the NMRA convention in the same way it
is growing in the hobby. In fact, one of our convention team is
with SoftTrack, a publisher of Macintosh model railroading
software.

Micro Mark, a favorite outlet for many model railroaders
wanting specialized modeling tools at mail order prices, displayed
at the convention for the first time, among other newcomers.

Clinics seemed to be the favorite aspect of the convention
for the convention team, followed by the train show.

Overall, everyone had a good time at the convention,
especially the first-timers. Congratulations to the organizers,
and here's to Oregon!

TRAIN SHOW REPORT
Richard Daniels, Floor Manager

Trade Show Staff:
Henry Jordan, Trade Show
Chairman, Silver Spring, MD
Richard Daniels, Floor Manager,
Columbia, MD
Brian Kampschrorer, Administrator,
Machanicsburg, PA
Dennis Masters, Show Move-In/Out
Coordinator, Hagerstown, MD
Dottie Finch, Registrar, Phoenix, AZ
Dean Dickerhoof, Layout Display
Planning, Golden, CO
Shirley Miner, Registration Staff,
Columbia, MD
Marylin Jordan, Registration Staff,
Silver Spring, MD

Henry Jordan now confirms that there were about 30,600
people through the Valley Forge Train Show. This includes paid
admissions, children under six (free), Ticketron sales, and fully
registered convention attendees (about 3100). It does not count
the 1500 plus exhibitors and layout personnel.

The show was on three floors of the Valley Forge
Convention Center, located between and connected with two hotels,
the Sheraton Plaza and the Sheraton Valley Forge. Additional
exhibitors kept asking to be included, which resulted in using
the Sheraton Valley Forge Hotel Ballroom for additional space.
Total floor space was just under 140,000 square feet. One
hundred twenty five retailers and seventy nine manufacturers
exhibited in the Convention Center while an additional 36
retailers exhibited in the Ballroom on Friday and Saturday
only.

Also included were 14 modular and portable layouts in N,
HO, HOn3, S, O tinplate, On3, G, HO Traction, and O Traction.
Highlight of the show was the Worlds Largest N Scale Modular
Layout, with over 1100 linear feet of 4 foot and six foot modules
in a 100 by 150 foot space. Trains took about an hour to traverse
the entire layout.

Next train show will be in Portland, OR on 19-21 August,
1994. We will have up to 180,000 square feet of floor space, all
on one floor.
---
Coming this fall: early coverage of the Portland Convention, and
the Chicago Hobby Show. Join the NMRA Convention team for this
year, next year, or for any convention: send us your own comments!

__________________________________________________________________

RAILONLINE FEATURES
Rhetian Railway: 2 @K
__________________________________________________________________

by Max Wyss

Last month, RO gave only a taste of the character of RhB, with a
trip down one of its more popular lines. We continue our two-part
portrait of the Rhaetian Railway with an overview of the railroad
and its history by Swiss native and CompuServe Travel SysOp Max
Wyss. In addition to his writing skills, Mr. Wyss is a talented
photographer, as can be seen with the photo of his that follows.
The photo returns from the 300dpi dot matrix prison of last month
into full 600dpi laser glory this month along with Mr. Wyss's
debut in RailOnline.

Station names are used in their official spelling. No
pronounciation hints are given; you have to be there to learn the
correct pronounciation.

> Introduction

The Rhetian Railways (Rhätische Bahnen, Ferrovie Rhetica, Viafier
Retica in the official languages) are the "national" railways of
the Canton of Grisons in Switzerland.

The Grisons are the Heart of Europe. The waters from the Alps
flow into three major streams. The Rhine which has the sources in
the northern part of this canton, the Donau which is fed by the
Inn, and the Po getting the waters from the southern parts. The
climate in the Grisons reflects this too. Three distinctive zones
can be found. And also three of the four Swiss official languages
are spoken in the Grisons German, Italian and Rumantsch. The
Grisons is a country of contrasts. It's a country which cannot be
discovered in one day.

All those contrasts are linked by the Rhetian Railways. But not
even the Rhetian Railways are one monolithic system. Every line
has its own charms and particularities. Three different
electrification systems can be found on the whole network. The
network has its lowest point in Castione-Arbedo, alt. 244 meters
and its highest point in Bernina Ospizio, alt. 2253 meters (the
line from Castione-Arbedo to Cama has no passenger service; the
lowest station with passenger service is Tirano, alt. 429 meters,
a place only 38 route kilometers from Bernina Ospizio).

> History

Historically, the Grisons always had transit traffic. The
Splügenpass and others are known since the Roman era. With the
decision to build the Alpine railroad through the Gotthard, the
Grison routes lost all their traffic to the Gotthard and the
Arlberg / Brenner routes.

With the upcoming tourism, for example in Davos, it was possible
to raise money for a railroad. So, in 1889, the first line of
the Landquart-Davos Bahn opened from Landquart to Klosters. In
1890, Davos was reached. For financial reasons, it was decided
to use meter gauge, which allowed tighter curves, steeper grades
and smaller tunnel cross sections. In 1895, after projects for
new lines from Landquart to Chur and ahead to Thusis came up,
the LD changed its name to RhB. A change in Railroad legislation
made the former stockholders lose their interest, and in 1897,
the Canton of Grisons nationalized the Rhetian Railways. By then,
the line to Thusis was finished. Immediately after the takeover,
money was sought for extending the network to the Engadin valley
and to Ilanz.

In 1897, the decision for the Albula route to the Engadin was
taken. After only five years of construction, the lines to the
Engadin (Celerina) and to Ilanz were opened. One year later, the
short extension from Celerina to St.Moritz was finished. In 1908,
the line from Samedan to Pontrsina was opened, which guaranteed
the RhB the connection to the Berninabahn. By 1914, the network
was extended from Ilanz to Disentis in the Bündner Oberland, from
Samedan to Scuol-Tarasp in the Engadin and from Davos to Filisur,
giving Davos a connection to the Albula line. With this, the now
called "main network (Stammnetz)" was finished.

There were other projects, which were never realized, mainly
because of World War I and the following recession. One extension
would have lead from St.Moritz over the Maloja pass, down to the
Bergell valley to Chiavenna. Another extension was planned from
Scuol all along the Inn to Landeck with connection to the Arlberg
route.

In addition the the RhB, three other railroads existed in the
Grisons. They were merged into the RhB in 1939 to 1943. The first
of these railroads opened the line from Bellinzona to Mesocco in
1907. A further extension over the San Bernardino pass to Thusis
was planned, but never realized. So, this line is a separate unit
in the whole network. Landslides and the construction of the San
Bernardino highway made passenger operation on this line stop in
1972. Between Cama and Mesocco, the line was abandoned in 1979.

The second line, opened in 1908 is the Bernina line from
St.Moritz to Tirano. In the first five years, it was operated in
Summer only, but then, they started Winter operation as well.

The youngest of those lines is the line from Chur to Arosa,
opened in 1914. As the RhB had not much interest in a connection
to Arosa at this time (remember, it was in full expansion at
other places), this line was privately built with local money.

Since 1914, no further extension was built. Locally, some parts
of the lines were corrected, for example due to landslides to
make the line less sensitive against the weather or to remove too
tight curves, allowing higher speeds. However, for a long time,
the need for a winter-proof connection between the lower Engadin
and the northern part was around. There were two solutions.
Either to invest in the Flüela pass road or to build a railroad
tunnel. The decision was in favour of the railroad tunnel. The
Vereina line (basically a 19 kilometer long tunnel) between
Klosters and Susch/Lavin in the Engadin is under construction
right now, and is expected to be opened in 1997. Another project
is the City tunnel in Chur, where the Chur-Arosa line still
operates in the streets of Chur. This will lead to a new
underground station in Chur, and the line to Arosa will be
re-electrified.

> Description of the lines

Landquart - Davos
(47 route kilometers)

This line is the oldest line of the Rhetian Railways, and built
to the oldest standards which have been revised afterwards. The
minimum curve radius is 100 meters, and the maximum grade is 4.5%.
With that, it gave (and still gives) operational problems.

The line leaves Landquart (alt. 523 meters) towards the North and
turns sharply eastbound. It crosses the Rhine valley and approaches
Malans, famous for its wine. After Malans, it enters the very tight
Chlus gorge and then comes out in the Prättigau valley at
Seewis-Valzeina. The valley narrows again a few kilometers near
Schiers. After Küblis, the steep grade really begins. The line
gives a wonderful view down the valley and reaches Klosters after
passing Saas and Serneus. Until 1930, the trains had to change
direction in Klosters. Now, it is a tight loop making the
connection to the line, climbing at maximum grade again. After
another loop, it enters Davos aera and crosses the Wolfgang pass
(alt. 1625 meters). It follows the Davos Lake to Davos Dorf and
then to Davos Platz.

Davos - Filisur (22 route kilometers)

From Davos Platz, the line follows the Landwasser valley to
Davos Glaris, where it gets gradually narrower. The first tunnels
are passed, and in Davos Monstein, the Davos aera is left. The
line enters in the wild Zügen Gorge. From now on, tunnels and
bridges follow each other in a fast pace. Wiesen, a station in the
middle of nowhere, is passed, followed immediately by the Wiesener
Viaduct (196 meters long, 88 meters high, widest span 55 meters).
The line goes through a nice mountain forest down to Filisur.

Landquart - Chur - Thusis
(42 route kilometers)

This line is the "suburban" line and is with 2.5% grades the
flatest of the whole network. Landquart is the main node of the
RhB. The main workshops are located there. Landquart - Chur is a
lso operated by the Swiss Federal Railways, but there are no
intermediate stations, so the RhB handles the local traffic. The
line is also important for freight traffic, as in Untervaz and
Haldenstein some very important customers are near the stations.
The RhB line serves the small towns in the valley and is therefore
not so straight as the SBB line is.

Chur is the Capital of the Canton of Grisons and the end point of
the SBB line from the lowlands. Passengers change here to the
trains to Arosa, to the Oberland and to the Engadin. The RhB line
from Chur to Reichenau-Tamins is double tracked, and from Chur to
Domat-Ems, one track is twin gauge. The standard gauge track serves
a very important freight customer there. The standard gauge trains
are operated with SBB engines which do run under the reduced voltage
of the RhB.

After Reichenau-Tamins, the line crosses the Hinterrhein, just
before it joins the Vorderrhein to from the Rhein river. After the
bridge, the line to Disentis leaves. The line to Thusis turns into
the Domleschg valley to Thusis. This area was very important in the
past, and many ruins prove this.

Chur - Disentis (50 route kilometers)

The trains to Disentis (and further to the Furka Oberalp line to
Andermatt and Brig) use the line to Thusis until after the bridge
near Reichenau-Tamins. The line leads through the bizarre looking
Rhine Gorge (also called "Grand Canyon of Switzerland") and enters
the Bündner Oberland (Surselva) and reaches Ilanz. From Ilanz to
Trun, it runs in the relatively wide valley and then starts to climb
and gives a good view down to the valley. Somvix was for a long time
the highest populated place in the valley until sometimes in the 7th
century, the Monastery of Disentis/Mustér was founded. The place is
dominated by the baroque building of the monastery. In Disentis, the
RhB ends. The trains are taken over by the Furka Oberalp Bahn.

Thusis - Filisur - Samedan -
St.Moritz (62 route kilometers)

This line is the main line of the RhB. It is the famous Albula line.
They learned the lessons from the Landquart - Davos line and reduced
the maximum grades to 3.5%. The curves are a little bit less tight,
but there are exceptions.

After Thusis, the line crosses the Hinterrhein. This bridge is 228
meters long, and the longest bridge of the network. After Sils
in Domleschg, the line enters the dark Schin Gorge, where tunnels
and bridges follow each other. The biggest building is the Solis
Viaduct over the Albula river, with 89 meters the highest of the
network. In Tiefencastel, the valley opens up a bit, and the line
climbs steadily until it enters the Landwasser valley. The line
then takes a tight turn over the famous Landwasser Viaduct directly
into a vertical cliff. The Landwasser Viaduct is in a curve with
only 100 meter radius, and the line is at its full 3.5% grade.

In Filisur, the line from Davos enters. After the station, the
line enters again in a steady 3.5% grade which is interrupted
only by stations and reduced in some tunnels. It will be the most
spectacular part of the line. After the first of many reverse loop
tunnels, the line reaches Bergün. From here, loops follow each
other. It is very difficult to keep the orientation. The line
crosses the Albula river four times in a short row. Two of the
reverse loop tunnels are located almost above each other. In Preda,
the line enters the 5865 meter long Albula tunnel. The tunnel ends
in Spinas, in the Val Bever, a romantic side valley of the Engadin.
In Bever, the line enters the Engadin and reaches Samedan, the
major railroad node in this valley. The line follows the valley up
to St.Moritz, where it ends. A stub track at the western end of the
station indicates that the line was expected to continue here.

Pontresina and St.Moritz -
Scuol-Tarasp
(5 and 57 route kilometers)

Samedan is the railroad node in the Engadin. The line to Pontresina
leaves the Engadin line here and makes the connection to the Bernina
line in Pontresina. In Punt Muragl, about in the middle of this line,
the traveller can change to the funicular up to the Muottas Muragl
which gives a great view down the upper Engadin valley.

The Engadin line leaves the Albula line in Bever. It runs along the
high plain of the valley through places like Zuoz. Suddenly, after
the Cinuos-chel-Brail station, the valley makes a step, and the line
becomes a mountain railroad again. The line comes down to Zernez and
Susch and follows the Inn river to Scuol-Tarasp. Parts of the line
lead through a geologically very difficult area. To protect the line,
two rather long tunnels had to be built. In Scuol, another stop
indicates that the line was expected to go on.

St.Moritz - Tirano
(61 route kilometers)

This is the line of the superlatives of the Rhetian Railways. It
connects the highest and the lowest points with passenger service
of the network. It has the steepest grades and the tightest curves.
It is the highest transit line of the Alps. And it is the most
international line of the RhB.

The line leaves St.Moritz and crosses the Staz Forest to
Pontresina, where the line from Samedan comes in. It climbs through
open space through alpine forests to Morteratsch. Shortly after
that place, the line makes a sharp turn, and on certain trains, the
clicking of the cameras is louder than the noise of the train. This
is the Montebello curve, giving a great view to the Bernina Mountains.
The line crosses alpine pastures and finally reaches the culmination
point in Ospizio Bernina. It then follows the Lago Bianco to the Alp
Grüm. After Alp Grüm, the line gets into very steep grades again (7%)
and reverse 10 reverse loops follow each other. The air line from Alp
Grüm (alt. 2090 meters) to Poschiavo (alt. 1014 meters) is 6
kilometers, the railroad line measures 16 kilometers.

In Poschiavo, the line follows the lake until after Miralago, the
valley makes another step. Again, the grades get very steep. Before
entering Brusio, the line makes another double loop, and after the
station, the famous open circular loop follows. In Campogologno, the
border to Italy is crossed. The line ends in Tirano, an almost
mediterranean town in the Valtellina.

Chur - Arosa (25 route kilometers)

Another tourist place near Chur is Arosa. As the Rhetian Railways
had other priorities in 1910, this line was built privately. It
leaves Chur from the station square and runs as street railroad to
Sassal. Here, the valley becomes very tight, and the line starts to
climb along the Plessur Gorge. The whole valley is geologically not
very stable, so lots of civil engineering construction was needed
for the line. It climbs steadily to Peist and Langwies. Above
Langwies, the famous Langwies viaduct is crossed. This viaduct (and
it's twin over the Grundjitobel just below Langwies) are among the
very first important railroad bridges made of reinforced concrete.
They are very elegant, and the span of the Langwieser viaduct
measures 99 meters. This viaduct is probably also the longest
straight part of the line. Otherwise curve and countercurve follow
each other at a fast pace. The line approaches Arosa through a
tunnel.

Bellinzona - Mesocco
(originally 31 route kilometers)

This line is the least known line of the Rhetian Railways. In fact,
passenger operation stopped in 1972, and it was partly abandoned in
1979 after landslides and washouts. Today, it serves only a few
industries in the lower valley, near Grono, from where a few
carloads are shipped to Castione-Arbedo on the Gotthard line of the
SBB.

Rolling Stock

The LD began operation with 8 small 2-6-0 tender engines. Another 8,
a little bit heavier engines of this type were added in the
following years. For the Albula line, a total of 12 Mallet engines
were added to the roster. The main steam engines were the 2-8-0
engines which came into operation between 1905 and 1915. At the time,
they were considered as the most powerful narrow gauge steam engines
worldwide.

As the Rhetian Railways were electrified very early, and in 1922,
the last line of the whole today's network was electrified, steam
traction did not evolve further. Most of the rather young engines
were sold to lines all over the world. Some engines came to Brasil,
some to Thailand, some to Spain. After 1928, only three 2-6-0 and six
2-8-0 engines were around. The Spanish company was so satisifed with
the three engines, they bought in 1920, that they bought another four
between 1949 and 1952. There, the engines survived until 1971.

Five RhB steam engines are still around. Two 2-8-0 still belong to
the RhB, and are used for specials. It is possible to charter a
steam train with these engines. The very first one, Engine 1 "Rhätia"
was taken out of service in 1928 and stored for a railroad museum.
In 1970, it was refurbished by the Blonay-Chamby railroad museum.
For the centennial fesivities in 1989, it was the star. The other
two 2-6-0 engines are running specials on the Appenzeller Bahn and
on the Berner Oberland Bahn.

There is one more steam engine on the rails of the Rhetian
Railways, and it is still in official service. It is the self-powered
Rotary Snow Plough of the Bernina line. When the avalanches and
snowdrifts over the pass are too bad, it is fired up and used to
clear the line. In the last few years, it was even used on a few
very special trips for railfans.

The first electrified line of the network was the Bellinzona-Mesocco
line. It used 1000 V DC. The whole operation was handled with 6 EMUs,
and a new one was added in 1969. Today, one of the first series and
the new one are still running.

The next line was the Bernina line which was electrified from the
beginning on. The voltage was originally 750 V DC, later increased
to 1000 V. Of the original 17 cars, 8 are still around, but heavily
rebuilt.

The Chur - Arosa line also was electrified from the beginning on, but
at 2000 V DC. The original 6 cars were replace by new stock in 1957
and 1973. Some of the Bernina line cars can be switched to 2000 V
operation. At the time, when the Ice Hockey Club Arosa was in the
first leage, those cars were needed to haul spectator to the Arosa
matches, especially when the guests were from Davos.

The first line of the main network to be electrified was the
Engadin line. In fact, it was electrified from the beginning on
too. The RhB did not chose DC, but 11 kV 16 2/3 Hz AC. It proved
to be the favorable solution, and it still is. In the next few
years, the Arosa line will be changed to AC as well.

The first engines for the engadin line were eight 1D1 and seven
1B1 engines with huge Déri type repulsion motors, connected
directly to the side rods. Of these very first engines, one
remains today, and is very rarely used.

The electrification of the rest of the main network after World
War I and the fast developments of railroad technology in these
years lead to the most famous design of a RhB engine, the crocodile.
From 1921 on, 15 of these CC engines were acquired. At their time,
they too, were the most powerful narrow gauge engines worldwide.
Five of these engines are still around, and there is one or two
daily services provided by them. They hauled the main load of the
network traffic until 1939 and 1940, when four motor cars were
acquired. Together with special cars, they formed the "Fliegende
Rhätier" ("Flying Rhetian") express trains. In the early 1950s, ten
modern BB engines kicked the crocodiles out of the remaining express
services. The crocodiles were assigned to freight service. In that
time, several hydroelectric power station were built, which lead to
an enormous freight traffic. In 1958, two BBB prototypes were
acquired which were followed by another 5. These engines still haul
the heaviest express trains over the Albula line.

In 1973, the first group of 10 modern thyristor controlled BB
engines appeared. With this, the oldest and least powerful engines
could be retired. For the suburban traffic around Chur, a group of
6 thyristor controlled EMUs was acquired at the same time. A second
group of 13 BBs lead to the retirement of 9 other crocodiles.

The Bernina line got 9 motor units in two groups between 1964 and
1972. Two Electro-Diesel engines appeared in 1968. They run as
electrics on the Bernina line, and as diesels elsewhere. For a few
years, the Bernina Express was hauled by them from Samedan to
Pontresina diesel hauled. in 1990, six more three-phase AC converter
motor units were delivered to the Bernina line. At the monent, these
are the most modern engines of the RhB.

For the Vereina line, a third generation BB engines is under
construction.

> Today's operation

All the lines with passenger service have a train roughly every hour
and direction. A few trains may operate only in the respective high
season (either summer or winter). The Albula line has an express
every hour during the day.

The Crack trains of the Rhetian Railways are the Bernina Expresses
and the Glacier Expresses. The Bernina Expresses run from Chur to
Tirano, and are equipped with the best rolling stock available; at
least the Bernina Express A in summer which requires seat reservation
and a surcharge.

During the sommer two, otherwise one, Glacier Express train run from
St.Moritz to Chur and then to Disentis - Andermatt - Brig - Zermatt
and back. One additional Glacier Express runs from Chur to Zermatt
and back, and one special Glacier Express operates from St.Moritz to
Zermatt for groups only. The top Glacier Express has only First Class
and Panorama cars on the whole line; the others are accessible with
second class tickets as well.

Some trains have a dining car which is operated by the Schweizerische
Speisewagen Gesellschaft. The Glacier Expresses do have dining cars
to Andermatt (one to Brig). A speciality is the articulated dining
car, seating 60 persons. It can not be used in the Glacier Expresses,
but in other trains. Reservations are essential here.

Local trains stopping at every station operate on the whole network,
on certain parts of the Albula route, operation is very
limited. Both according to the timetable, some mixed trains are
still around.

Freight trains do exist. For example, the leading supermarket chain
in the Engadin sends its goods by rail. There is a very-early-morning
mixed train from Chur to St.Moritz with reefers.

Timber used to be hauled over the Bernina to Tirano. In the high
season, almost every train was filled up to the maximum train weight
with flat cars carrying timber. It might have finished, as some
distant official in Rome decided from his desk that timber may be
imported inot Italy only via Domodossola and Como. With this, the
woodworking industry in the upper Valtellina will disappear soon,
and the Rhetian Railways loose some 10% of their whole freight
traffic.

Not to be neglected is fuel oil. For most parts of the Grisons, it
is cheaper to bring the fuel oil from Genova via the Bernina route
than from Rotterdam via Basel and Landquart. The spot market pirce
difference between Genova and Rotterdam for fuel oil is reflected
very well by where the cars via the Bernina route are hauled.

More spectacular freight is all kind of heavy load, be it structure
members for a new Ice Hockey hall, be it components for
hydroelectric stations, all can be transported by the RhB. Another
special kind of freight trains operates in early and late summer,
when life stock is transported to pastures high in the alps.

One thing, the RhB has to keep in mind is the weather. As it goes
up to high altitudes, snowfighting is a real serious issue. The
steam powered rotaries of the Bernina line have already been
mentioned. Ploughs are ready all over the network and will be used
as soon as required. In some instances, however, the network will
be closed down. This can happen in early spring, when the avalances
are very likely to come down. Some galleries have been built, but
even then, there is a constant danger, and it is then better not to
run the train than to shovel it out of an avalanche. The railroaders
know their mountains, and they do have quite a respect of them. In
the past, quite a few railroaders lost their lives in the snow.

Even in Summer, the weather can be a serious problem, when the line
can be washed out or when landslides come over it. The most critical
points are now bypassed with tunnels, but it still can happen.

> Conclusion

There is so much to see along the RhB. This article cannot cover
every aspect. The best thing is to come to Switzerland and spend
a few weeks in the Grisons and discover the Rhetian Railways with
all its services, including the slowest Express Trains in the world.

Bibliography

Bernhard StuderRhB, Gebirgsbahn in Graubünden; Verlag Bucheli, Zug;
ISBN 3-7168-1659-0

Rhätische Bahn Heute - Morgen - Gestern; Centennial Anniversary book
of the Rhetian Railways; published by the Rhetian Railways, 1988; ISBN
3-907036-08-5

-Max Wyss
__________________________________________________________________

RAILONLINE FEATURES
Railphoto `93 Preview @L
__________________________________________________________________

by Ken May

One of the largest railfan events of 1993 in the United
States will take place over three rail action-packed days in mid-
September at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA.
"Railphoto '93", a three day program of steam and diesel powered
passenger train excursions, railroad equipment displays and other
related activities, will run from Friday, September 17, through
Sunday, September 19. The fourth annual program is sponsored by
the Steamtown Volunteer Association in cooperation with the
National Park Service.

Many restored classic steam and diesel locomotives along
with passenger and freight cars from the Steamtown collection and
private owners around the Northeastern U. S. will be featured at
"Railphoto '93" events. A choice of six different passenger train
trips will be offered over the long weekend including a rail diesel
car ride, a dinner train and a steam powered "doubleheader".

Numerous photo runby opportunities will be available on all
trips. Conrail's "Operation Lifesaver" display train and CP Rail's
history exhibit will be open to the public all three days during
regular Park hours. Among other scheduled events are a night photo
session at the Steamtown site and a banquet at the Lackawanna
Station Hotel. "We're looking forward to a very busy three-day
weekend of railfan activities," says Jim Fransen, Plans Chief of
"Railphoto '93"and Vice President of the Steamtown Volunteer
Association.

Three of Steamtown's restored steam locomotives will be
operating over the weekend. Canadian National Mikado No. 3254 and
Canadian Pacific Pacific No. 2317 will run on excursions Friday,
Saturday and Sunday. Baldwin Locomotive Works switcher No. 26 will
handle Steamtown yard shuttle duties each day.

Privately owned diesel locomotives participating in
"Railphoto '93" are as follows: New York, Susquehanna and Western
Technical and Historical Society RDC No. M-1; Anthracite Railroads
Historical Society Central of New Jersey F3A-B-A set and Lehigh
Valley C-420 No. 414; United Railroad Historical Society Reading
RS-3 No. 492; and NRHS Central New York Chapter Lackawanna E8A No.
808. Private varnish slated to attend includes Pennsylvania
Railroad "Broadway Limited" coaches "Mountain View" and "Aldar
Falls"; New York, Susquehanna and Western diner No. 507; ex-New
York Central parlor car "Morris County" of the Morristown and
Erie; and Norfolk Southern business car "Blue Ridge".

"Railphoto '93" begins Friday, September 17, with a rail
diesel car excursion from Scranton to Pocono Summit, PA, and
return using NYS&W T&HS Budd car No.M-1. This trip departs the
Park at 9:30 AM and returns at 3:30 PM with a 1 1/2 hour layover
in Pocono Summit for lunch. The RDC ride is limited to 85 people
and the fare is $50.00 plus $15.00 for spaghetti lunch. There
will be two regular Steamtown passenger train excursions on
Friday only at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM powered by CN 3254 or CP 2317
consisting of restored DL&W coaches travelling to Moscow, PA, and
back over the old Lackaawanna mainline. Prices for these two
trips are $7.00 for adults and $3.00 for children age 12 and
under. The Steamtown yard shuttle pulled by Baldwin switcher 26
will operate every hour on the half-hour between 10:30 AM and 2:30
PM Friday through Sunday to the roundhouse restoration area. There
is no charge for the yard shuttle.

The dinner train will depart from the Lackawanna Station
Hotel at 5:00 PM for a three-hour ride to Moscow and back,
returning by 8:00 PM. Dinner will be catered by the Lackawanna
Station Hotel. Fare is $60.00 including the meal. This train will
consist of ARHS CNJ F3A-B-A units leading the five private passenger
cars. At 9:00 PM Friday, the night photo session will be conducted
at the Park by Steve Barry, Railpace Newsmagazine columnist
("Creative Camera") and Kermit Geary, regular Railpace contributor
and member of ARHS. Three photo locations at the Steamtown site in
the roundhouse and shop areas will be open for nightshots. All
operating steam and diesel locomotives will be on display at the
session. The cost of the night photo session is $25.00 and the
event is limited to 150 photographers. The seesion will end at
11:00PM.

On Saturday, September 18, "Railphoto '93" continues with
all displays opening at 8:00 AM. The five private passenger cars
will be open to the public at the Park from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Saturday only. An admission fee of $1.00 will be charged with the
proceeds going to charity. Two excursions will leave from the Park
at 9:30 AM - a photo freight train consisting of vintage freight
cars powered by CN 3254 and a passenger train made up of DL&W
coaches led by CP 2317.Both trains will move southeast out of
Scranton on the former Lackawanna main upgrade to Moscow. After
laying over for two hours in Moscow, the freight and passenger
trains will roll downhill back to Scranton for return to the Park
by 4:30 PM. Fare for Saturday's rides is $35.00 plus $7.00 for
box lunch. The evening banquet at Lackawanna Station Hotel starts
with cash bar from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. Buffet dinner will be served
from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. Award presentations will be made between
9:00 and 9:45 PM. Special guest will be Steve Lee, head of Union
Pacific's steam program. From 9:45 to 10:45 PM, Jim Boyd of
Railfan and Railroad Magazine will present a slide show. Cost for
the banquet is $30.00 and seating is limited to 300 people.

"Railphoto '93" will climax on Sunday, September 19, with
a doubleheader steam engine excursion to Moscow and back behind CN
3254 and CP 2317 hauling the DL&W coaches and all five private
passenger cars over the Lackawanna mainline. After a two hour
layover in Moscow for lunch, the train will return to Scranton
behind CNY Chapter DL&W E8A 808 and another diesel engine to be
announced. The steam/diesel doubleheader trip will leave the
Park at 9:30 AM Sunday and return by 4:30 PM. Fare for the last
excursion of the weekend is $35.00 for regular coach, $50.00 for
deluxe coach and $115.00 for first class plus $7.00 for box lunch.
All displays at the Park will again be open all day starting at
8:00 AM. All "Railphoto '93" events will operate rain or shine.
Trips are subject to equipment availability and the sponsors reserve
the right to substitute motive power and passenger cars if
necessary. Seating on the train trips is limited, so order tickets
as soon as possible. Tickets will be on sale up to the day of the
trip if not sold out beforehand.

For additional information about "Railphoto '93" and to
request a ticket order form, send a self-addressed stamped envelope
to:

Steamtown Volunteer
Association, P. O. Box 448, Chinchilla, PA
18410-0448 or call 717-346-0660.

Make tracks to Scranton, PA, September 17-19 for the railfan
event of the fall!

> Can't make it in September?

Steamtown, a National Historic Site, runs regular excursions
between Scranton and Moscow, PA. The two and a half hour trip is
all-steam, and runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and on holidays from
August 27th to October 31st, 1993.
__________________________________________________________________

RAILONLINE FEATURES
ICE challenges X2000 @M
__________________________________________________________________

RailOnline features
ICE challenges X2000
@M
by Peter Kirn

The ICE tour this month, which continues on through
September, was not simply a chance to see German equipment on US
rails, or even a glimpse into the future of rail travel into the
US. It was rather the sealing of a clear victory for AEG and
Seimens over their Swedish competition.

In fact, the X2000 was all but forgotten at the crowded
platforms where onlookers eargerly awaited a glimpse at the train.
The German technology was displayed not only for VIPs, but also the
very markets that are crucial to high speed rail in the United
States.

Simply put, the ICE has taken the nation by storm. The
trainset is a winner for the general public, the business traveler,
Amtrak, travel agencies, Senators, and environmentalists. Only a
few months ago, it appeared as though the X2000 was a sure winner
as a replacement for the slower Swedish AEM7 on the Northeast
Corridor. However, now general concensus has clearly changed in
the ongoing clash of locomotive manufacturers.

The X2000's major feature is its tilting technology, that
allows it to be faster on turns than conventional trainsets.
This is combined with advanced axles for comfort. However, its
one major advantage is also its greatest weakness.

"Speed is not neccessarily an advantage," said Valman
Matzel of AEG, at the public stop in Chicago. Even with tilt
trains, he said, high speed on curves creates massive maintenance
costs, on top of additional maintenance on the trainset itself.

More importantly, though, the X2000's biggest advantage
yeilded little actual difference on the Northeast Corridor. The
entire trip was only 5 minutes faster on the X2000 than on the
ICE during the test run, according to Matzel.

The ICE is actually far faster than the X2000, with a top
speed approaching 250 mph. On US rails, the train traveled at
over 150 mph.

The ICE has its own technological feats, including three
independent breaking systems. AEG/Seimens points out in its
literature that the design of the power units is extremely close
to that of the Space Shuttle.

The ICE is also a real crowd pleaser. Visitors to the
show could peer into its state-of-the-art cockpit. Its
sophisticated, futuristic look is a far cry from the passenger
locomotives that usually roam Amtrak's lines, or even the
world's most advanced airliners.

The engineers that designed the ICE are true showman,
as well. The interior is a perfect balance between the two
worlds that define rail travel itself: a richly elegant and
romantic heritage and a fulfillment of the dream of transportation
in the 21st century. The basic layout and concepts expressed in
the design and ornamentation of the interior have a clear sense
of identity, reminiscent of the height of rail travel in the 30s,
with a distinctively European flair. However, the components of
its luxurious, plush design are refined in the spirit of the space
age.

The X2000 was complimented for its luxury, but the ICE
was acclaimed. The excursion out of Chicago literally crawled,
delayed by Metra commuter trains and powerless without an
electrified route, but it was no matter to the passengers. While
the ICE may be one of the world's fastest trains, it could attract
riders without moving at all.

The ICE's seating is more accomodating than any first class
air service, and some seats are even equipped with video monitors.
Private conference rooms seat four and offer a fax machine and
copier. Sound insulation, pressure-tight cabins, silent running
gears, and wheel silencers make the ride nearly silent. An
interactive passenger information computer is located in the
vestibules with information on the train, destinations, and so on.
Such dazzling amenities are probably more benificial to Amtrak
than AEG/Seimens on this tour, as Amtrak tries to drum on general
support for high speed rail. Now high speed rail will also be
high luxury rail on a level never before acheived.

--
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