The onset of winter on the first weekend in December reminded me of the photo of ARB railcar 6 in front of the shed on Rigi Kulm. Built in 1911, it is one of the oldest operational electric cogwheel railcars in the world. We had travelled up for a photo trip with railcar 6 and reached Rigi Kulm very early in the morning. The night was stormy with snowfall and there was a lot of snow drift. The sun had not yet made it through the clouds when we arrived on the mountain. The carriage shed on Rigi Kulm was covered in drifting snow and the atmosphere was very mystical. This short period of time until the sun broke through, which I was able to capture photographically, remains an unforgettable memory for me.
And yes: it was very cold (at least at the beginning of the day).
Railcar 6 in front of the shed on Rigi Kulm. The entire side wall is powdered white from the drifting snow. The mechanics of the transfer table are covered in ice and snow, but it was still operational. November 2, 1985 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachThe view from the mountain side of railcar 6 on the transfer table. Without the sun, this shot into the backlight with the still foggy mountain panorama is quite possible. November 2, 1985 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachThe now open gate provides a view of the second vehicle to be used on our photo tour: the X 102 snow plough. Nice to see again: the snow drifts on the doors and the side wall of the shed. November 2, 1985 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachWith sunlight, the whole scene no longer looks so icy cold, but still wintry. The snow-covered parts of the transfer table look very nice.
November 2, 1985 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachWith the transfer table, the snow plough has now been brought onto the track with railcar 6 and is standing here ready to depart behind our railcar 6 on Rigi Kulm. Note the remnants of snow still clinging to the overhead line. November 2, 1985 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachRailcar 6 with snow plough X 102 just below Rigi Kulm. The snow cover is not yet very thick in November. November 2, 1985
Photo: Edi Meier, Bülach A few metres further down, the photo train stops next to a thickly snow-covered fir tree. November 2, 1985 Photo: Edi Meier, Bülach
