Bernina Express

[CosherB]

Recently travelled over the Bernina Pass on this train. Adhesion-only railway, not rack rail, yet has gradients of 1 in 7! How do they manage this without slipping?

 

[Gordon]

Recently travelled over the Bernina Pass on this train. Adhesion-only railway, not rack rail, yet has gradients of 1 in 7! How do they manage this without slipping?

Very powerful motive power with well designed adhesion mechanics and good power to weight ratio.

New Allegra units now on most services: Swiss classification Abe 8/12 (ie eight out of 12 axles driven) - power = 2320kW
Old Abe4/4 power = 1016kW. These were always double headed on the main day trains so power was always 2032kW

For comparison, BR Class 47 = 1550kW on standard gauge


Personally I've finished with the Bernina for now since the advent of the Allegra units vice the nice old ABe4/4s

My 2009 pictures here: http://gwizz.zenfolio.com/p556440952


Sorry not yet captioned but I'm still rebuilding following the Fotopic debacle - although IMHO Zenfolio gives a good easy to see date and time which helps.



.

 

[robvulpes]

Recently travelled over the Bernina Pass on this train. Adhesion-only railway, not rack rail, yet has gradients of 1 in 7! How do they manage this without slipping?

NOT "1 in 7" - Wikipedia says "7%" which is 7 in 100 which equates to 1 in 14.3. (But I freely admit, still very impressive!)

Rob

 

[CosherB]

Well according to the Rhatische Bahn (RB) documents I picked up at St Moritz, and the RB leaftlets we got on the train, it says "The Bernina Line covers this difference in altitude of nearly 1824 metres between Ospizio Bernina and Tirano over a horizontal distance of just over 22km without the use of cog wheels - despite having to tackle gradients of up to 1 in 7!"

Did they get it wrong or did Wiki?

 

[Gordon]

I think the leaflets were wrong.

RhB web site and all other web resources state 70 pro mille max gradient

 

[CosherB]

Thanks. It was certainly steep, anyway! And very twisty - the only train I've been on with more flange squealing than a nodding donkey!

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

This is a great journey, as is the Glacier Express, plus the Centovalli and the old Lotchberg Route and the Gottard Line.