Swiss event features longest passenger train

[Dwight in Toronto]

Came across this news item, thought others might be interested.

GENEVA (AP) — A Swiss railway company claimed the record for the world’s longest passenger train Saturday with a trip on one of the most spectacular tracks through the Alps.

The Rhaetian Railway company ran the 1.9-kilometer-long (1.2-mile-long) train composed of 100 coaches along the Albula/Bernina route from Preda to Berguen.

The route was designated a UNESCO World Heritage in 2008 and leads through 22 tunnels, some of which spiral through mountains, and across 48 bridges, including the curved Landwasser Viaduct.

The entire journey took over an hour. Rail enthusiasts lined the valley to watch the train’s 25 sections wind their way about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) through the Alps.

Rhaetian Railway director Renato Fasciati said the record attempt was intended to highlight some of Switzerland’s engineering achievements and to celebrate 175 years of Swiss railways.

[Chris333]

[nkalanaga]

OK, "distributed power", passenger style!  I didn't think they could pull 100 coaches up that grade, simply because the couplers wouldn't take the stress.

For those who aren't familiar with this line, it's one of the crookedest railroads in the world.  It isn't far from Berguen to Preda, straight line, but the track crosses itself in at least four places, and there are three spiral tunnels, including two stacked on top of each other.  It looks like a "spaghetti bowl" model railroad.

[trainforfun]

OK, "distributed power", passenger style!  I didn't think they could pull 100 coaches up that grade, simply because the couplers wouldn't take the stress.

For those who aren't familiar with this line, it's one of the crookedest railroads in the world.  It isn't far from Berguen to Preda, straight line, but the track crosses itself in at least four places, and there are three spiral tunnels, including two stacked on top of each other.  It looks like a "spaghetti bowl" model railroad.

They went only downhill too !!  Each locomotives can handle 3 other locomotives in DPU , there was a total of 25 locomotives ,  that's why there was 7 engineers talking to each other by radio or cell phone , not sure , but they did add some kind of antenna in these long tunnels to be sure they would not loose communications