Blonay Chamby Museum Railway

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway

The Blonay-Chamby museum railway (French: Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, BC) is a short 3-kilometre-long (1.9 mi) steep but adhesion worked metre gauge heritage railway operated as part of the Blonay - Chamby Railway Museum using vintage steam and electric locomotives and rolling stock. It is rail connected at both ends, at its upper terminus, at Chamby with the Chemin de Fer Montreux Oberland Bernoise and at the lower end, Blonay, with the Vevey - Les Pleiades, Chemin de fer électriques Veveysans, line.

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway History and Aims

The Blonay - Chamby Railway and Museum was opened in 1968 with the aims of operating the metre gauge railway line from Blonay to Chamby and in doing so preserving railway equipment of technical or historic value. For this purpose the Blonay - Chamby Railway has purpose built two motive power and carriage depots at Chaulin - Chamby, a short distance from its upper terminus which nowadays houses what is generally regarded as the largest and most representative collection of metre gauge relics in Europe.

The Museum Line of the Blonay Chamby Museum Railway

The Blonay - Chamby Museum Railway is a railway preservation group staffed entirely by volunteers who operate trains each Saturday and Sunday between May and October. Vintage steam locomotives or electric locomotives haul equally vintage carriages slowly through a spectacular environment with fine views over Lake Geneva and the Alps. Visitors can access the shed / museum complex from Chamby, travelling the short distance on a vintage tram.

A further part of the remit of the preservation group is the encouragement of local and regional tourism and tourist traffic on adjacent lines. The timetable for the Blonay - Chamby line can be found on Table 115 and 115.1 of the Swiss National Railways Timetable.

The Museum Collection of the Blonay Chamby Museum Railway

The collection includes in spring 2009 the following items. The museum is the home of over 70 items of rolling stock.

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Steam Locomotives
 

No	Name	Class	Cyls	Builder	Works No	Date Built	Notes
1	Le Doubs	G 3/3	OC	SLM	618	1890	Ex-Regional des Brenets (RdB)/Chemins de fer des Montagnes Neuchateloises (CMN)/On loan from Swiss Transport Museum Luzern.
3		HG 3/4	OC	SLM	2317	1913	Ex-Brig-Furka-Disentis railway (BFD), Furka-Oberalp railway (FO) (Abt rack)
5	Bercher	G 3/3	OC	SACM	4172	1890	Ex-Lausanne-Echallens-Bercher railway (LEB), barrage de la Dixence (EOS), Hilti & Jehle, Feldkirch.
6		G 3/3	OC	SLM	1341	1901	Ex-Brünigbahn/Jura-Simplon JS 909, SBB 109, Biere-Apples-Morge (BAM) No.6, Scierie Renfer, Bienne.
23		G 3/5	OC	MTM	282	1926	Ex-Olot-Gerona
104	Zell	G 2x3/3	OC	Hanomag	10437	1925	Ex-SEG, Mallet type, 0-6-6-0T, Compound
105	Todtnau	G 2x2/2	OC	MBG	2051	1918	Ex-Haspe-Voerde-Breckerfeld (Germany), Mallet type, 0-4-4-0T, Compound
99	193	G 5/5	OC	MFE	4183	1927	Ex-Deutsche Reichbahn, Deutsche Bundesbahn

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Tramway Steam Locomotives
 

No	Name	Class	Cyls	Builders	Works No	Date Built	Notes
4	Rimini	G 2/2	OC	Krauss	4278	1900	Ex-Ferrara-Codigoro (Ferrovie Padane) Rimini-Novafeltria.
7		G 2/4	System	SLM	316	1882	Ex-Mulhouse Tramways Brown

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Electric Locomotives, Railcars and Trams

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Locomotives
 

No.	Name	Class	Builder	Works No	Date Built	Notes.
2	La Grisette	He 2/2	SLM / CIE		1899	Ex-Bex-Villars-Bretaye (BVB)
29	-	HGe 3/3	SLM / MFO		1926	Ex-Bernese Oberland railway (BOB)
75	-	Ge 4/4	SLM / MFO	2328	1913	Ex-Georg Fischer (+GF+)
81	-	Ge 4/4	SLM / BBC		1916	Ex-Berninabahn (BB), Rhaetian Railway (RhB)

Railcars
 

No	Class/Type	Builder	Works No.	Date Built	Notes
4	BCFe 2/2	SIG / MFO		1928	Ex-Sernftalbahn (SeTB)
6	BCFeh 4/4	SLM / SIG / EGA	146	1909	Ex-Monthey-Champéry-Morgins railway (MCM), Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champery railway (AOMC), Abt rack
10	BCFeh 4/4	SLM / SWS / BBC		1914	Ex-Loèche-Loèche-les-Bains railway (LLB), Abt rack
11	BCFe 4/4	SIG / EGA	2191	1903	Ex-Montreux-Oberland Bernois (MOB)
12	Ce 2/2	Ringhoffer / EAG		1907	Ex-Langenthal-Jura railway (LJB), Oberaargau-Jura railway (OJB)
35	ABe 4/4I	SIG / SAAS / MFO		1908	Ex-Bernina railway (BB), Rhaetian Railway (RhB)
2002	DZe 6/6	SIG / BBC	2703	1932	Ex-Montreux-Oberland Bernois railway (MOB), 2008

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Trams
 

No	Class/Type	Builder	Date Built	Notes
7	Ce 2/2	Rat / CIE	1904	Ex-Tramway de Fribourg (TF)
28	Ce 2/3	SWS / SAAS	1948	Ex-Tramways Lausannois (TL)
31	Ze 2/2	SIG / EGA	1914	Ex-Rheintalische Strassenbahn (Rhine Valley Tramways) (RhSt)
52	Ce 2/2	SWS / MFO	1914	Ex-Städtische Strassenbahn, Bern (SSB)
76	Ce 2/2	SIG / MFO	1911	Ex-Tramways de Neuchâtel (TN)
182	Ce 2/2	SIG / BBC	1926	Ex-Basler Verkehrsbetriebe (BVB)

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Passenger Coach
 

No.	Name	Class/Type	Builders	Date Built	Notes.
2	-	As2	SIG	1903	Ex-Rhaetian Railway Bernina Line (RhB)
6	Kaiserwagen	B3	SIG	1901	Ex-Bernese Oberland railway (BOB), Ex-Modelleisenbahnfreunde Eiger Zweilütschinen (MEFEZ)
7	-	C4	ANF	1910	Ex-Chemin de fer Vicinaux de la Haute-Saône (CFV), Morez-La Cure (MLC), Nyon-St-Cergue-Morez railway (NStCM)
10	-	BC2		1908	Ex-Monthey-Champéry-Morgins (MCM), Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champery (AOMC)
11	-	BC2	SIG	1890	Ex-Régional des Brenets (RdB)
13	-	C2	MAN	1905	Ex-Sernftalbahn (SeTB)
15	-	ABCFZ4	De Dietrich	1895	Ex-Cie de l'Ouest, Chemins de fer de l'Etat (ETAT), Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais (SNCF)/Réseau Breton (RB)
20	Reine Berthe	C2	Chevalier, Chailus	1865	Ex-Lausanne-Echallens-Bercher railway (LEB),  & Cie à Paris original Mont Cenis Pass Railway
21	-	CF2	SIG	1900	Ex-Aigle-Leysin railway (AL)
21	-	BC2	SWS	1902	Ex-Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV)
21	Giardiniera	C2	SWS	1911	Ex-Lugano-Cadro-Dino railway (LCD)
21	-	CF2	SIG	1890	Ex-Régional des Brenets (RdB)
22	-	BC4	SIG	1915	Ex-Loèche - Loèche-les-Bains (LLB)
22	-	BC4	SIG	1901	Ex-Montreux-Oberland Bernois railway (MOB)
23	-	C2	SWS	1903	Ex-Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat railway (GFM)
44	-	C4	SIG	1926	Ex-Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB)
61	-	B4	SIG	1906	Ex-Montreux-Oberland Bernois railway (MOB)
121	-	AB2	SIG	1903	Ex-Rhaetian Railway (RhB)
171	-	C4	Herbrand	1891	Ex-Mittelbadische Eisenbahn Gesellschaft (MEG)
811	-	C4	SIG	1930	Ex-Swiss Federal Railways, line Brünig (SBB-CFF-FFS),

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Tramway Passenger Coaches
 

No.	Class	Builder	Date Built	Notes
57	C2	SIG	1930	Ex-Tramway Vevey-Montreux-Chillon-Villeneuve (VMCV), Ex-Bex-Villars-Bretaye Railway (BVB)
121	C4	Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft	1892	Ex-Tramways de Neuchâtel (TN) Basel
370	C4	SIG	1920	Ex-Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE)

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Post and Baggage Coach
 

Name	Class	Builder	Date Built	Notes
36	FZ2	SWS	1903	Ex-Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat railway (GFM)

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Goods Wagons
 

No.	Class	Builder	Date Built	Notes.
30	K	Kirchheim	1874	Ex-Schweizerische Lokalbahnen (SLB), Appenzeller Bahn (AB)
31	K	MAN	1905	Ex-Sernftalbahn (SeTB)
31	K	SWS	1910	Ex-Tramways de Lausanne (TL)
40	K	SWS	1915	Ex-Loèche-Loèche-les-Bains railway (LLB)
41	K	SWS	1915	Ex-Loèche-Loèche-les-Bains railway (LLB)
51	M	SWS	1915	Ex-Loèche-Loèche-les-Bains railway (LLB)
60	L	SWS	1915	Ex-Loèche-Loèche-les-Bains railway (LLB)
87	K	SWS	1912	Ex-Aigle-Leysin railway (AL)
111	K	Baume & Merpent	1886	Ex-Yverdon-Ste-Croix railway (YSteC)
153	LO	SIG	1903	Ex-Montreux-Oberland Bernois (MOB)
610	K	SWS	1904	Ex-Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat railway (GFM)
671	K	GFM	1955	Ex-Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat railway (GFM)
672	K	GFM	1955	Ex-Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat railway (GFM)
706	M	Busch	1904	Ex-Montreux-Oberland Bernois (MOB)
712	L	SWS	1905	Ex-Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat railway (GFM)
801	O	Busch	1904	Ex-Montreux-Oberland Bernois (MOB)

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Diesel Locomotives, Shunters and Maintenance Vehicles
 

No.	Name	Class/Type	Builder	Works No	Built	Notes
1	-	Tm 2/2	O&K, Berlin	20200	1930	Ex-Montreux-Oberland Bernois (MOB)
3	Biniou	Dm 2/2	Billard			Ex-Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais (SNCF)/Réseau Breton (RB)
926	-	Te 2/2	StStZ / MFO		1935	Shunter, Ex-Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ)
	-	Dm 1/2				Draisine motorized, Ex-Rhaetian Railway (RhB)
	-	Dd 1/2				Draisine hand drive, Ex-Rhaetian Railway (RhB)

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Rotary Snowplow
 

No.	Class	Cyls	Builders	Works No	Date Built	Notes.
9214	Xrot d	OC	SLM	2299	1912	Rotary snowplow, ex-Bernina railway, Rhaetian Railway (RhB), Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstecke (DFB). 0-6-6-0T

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Service Coach Stock
 

No.	Class/Type	Builder	Date Built	Notes
1	Xe 2/2	SWS / MFO	1915	Cistern for fire service - Ex-Tramway de Bienne (TrB)
52	X2			Joinery - Ex-Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV)
52	X2	SWS	1915	Cran truck - Ex-Loèche - Loèche-les-Bains (LLB)
424	F2		1914	Repair shop - Ex-Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat (GFM), ex. CEG K2 123, ex.     GFM X2 1011
9951	X3	SIG	1889	Refectory - Ex-Swiss Federal Railways, line Brünig (SBB-CFF-FFS), ex. JBL C3 466

Placed external line Blonay-Chamby
 

No.	Class/Type	Builder	Date Built	Notes.
125	Ce 2/2	SIG / SAAS	1920	Ex-Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE)
151	Fe 4/4	SIG / S&H	1911	Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE)
182	Ce 2/2	SIG / BBC	1926	Ex-Basler Verkehrsbetriebe (BVB)
230	C2	SWS	1905	Ex-Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat (GFM)

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Abbreviations 

BBC : Brown, Boveri & Cie
CIE : Compagnie de l-Industrie Électrique, Geneva
EAG : Elektrizitätsgesellschaft Alioth
MFE : Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
MFO : Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon
MGK : Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Karlsruhe
O&K : Orenstein & Koppel
Rat : Rathgeber, Munich
SAAS : Société Anonyme des Ateliers de Sécheron
SIG : Swiss Industrial Society (de.: Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft),
SLM : Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works, Winterthur (de.: Schweizerische Lokomotiv- und Maschinenfabrik)
SACM : Alsatian Engineering Company in Grafenstaden (de.: Elsässische Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Grafenstaden)
SEG : South German Railway Company (de.: Süddeutsche Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft)
SWS : Schweizerische Wagons- und Aufzügefabrik AG Schlieren-Zürich

Steam Locomotive Cylinders

OC : Cylinders outside frames
IC : Cylinders inside frames

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway in Literature

Sébastien Jarne, Le chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, tiré à part du livre « Voies étroites de Veveyse et de Gruyère », édition Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, Lausanne, éd. 2, 1991, 56 p.
José Banaudo and Alex Rieben, À la découverte du Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, Édition du Cabri, Breil-sur-Roya, 1992, ISBN 978-2-903310-98-1.
Peter Willen, Lokomotiven und Triebwagen der Schweizer Bahnen, volume 2, Privatbahnen Westschweiz und Wallis. Orell Füssli Verlag, Zürich, 1977, ISBN 3-280-00923-5.
Alain Candellero, Charles-Maurice Emery, Brice Maillard and Nicolas Regamey, 40 ans de musée vivant, Chemin de fer musée Blonay-Chamby 1968-2008, édition Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, Lausanne, avril 2008, 32 p.
Users Wikipedia: Museumsbahn Blonay-Chamby, ein Auszug aus Wikipedia Anfangs 2011, E-book, 2011, 52 p.
Alain Castella and Charles-Maurice Emery: Faire la Voie, Chemin de fer-Musée Blonay-Chamby, Département de la formation, de la jeunesse et de la culture (DFJC) - Service des affaires culturelles (SERAC) of Canton de Vaud, Lausanne, 2010
Michel Grandguillaume, Gérald Hadorn, Sébastien Jarne, Jean-Louis Rochaix, François Ramstein: Voies étroites de Veveyse et de Gruyère. Bureau vaudois d'addresses (BVA), Lausanne 1984, ISBN 2-88125-003-3

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Operation

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Line length:           2.95 km (1.83 mi)
Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Track gauge:         1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3/8 in)
Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Voltage:                 900 V DC
Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Electrification:       Overhead Lines
Blonay Chamby Museum Railway Maximum incline:  5%

Blonay Chamby Museum Railway

Transports Montreux-Vevey-Riviera to Vevey
Blonay 620 m above Sea Level
Transports Montreux-Vevey-Riviera to Les Pléiades
0,0 Blonay BC 620 m above Sea Level
Clarens-Chailly-Blonay to Clarens
0,970 Chantemerle (H) 667 m above Sea Level
Viaduc de la Baye de Clarens (80 m)
1,500 Vers-Chez-Robert 680 m above Sea Level
Tunnel de Cornaux (45 m)
1,990 Cornaux (H) 705 m above Sea Level
Chamby-Musée (Chaulin) 736 m above Sea Level
Bifurcation
Montreux-Oberland Bernois to Zweisimmen
2,950 Chamby 750 m above Sea Level
Montreux-Oberland Bernois to Montreux