I dedicate this railway story to Hans Hug, who passed away a few days ago. Hans Hug was closely associated with railways throughout his life and left many traces behind.
I myself was in close contact with him when he was editor of the magazine Eisenbahn Amateur and responsible for the NiK (News in Brief) section. I was one of the most eager suppliers of photos at the time.
Around ten days before Easter 1982, I received a desperate phone call from the magazine Eisenbahn Kurier, to which I also supplied photos on request. They had advertised a Swiss trip for Easter with a lot of registrations and now the trip had been cancelled. Could I organise a two-day photo trip at such short notice? Actually a ‘mission impossible’, especially when you’re also in bed with the flu…
Part 1 was solved by my family doctor Rainer Siegenthaler, who is well known in SGEG circles as the organiser of a number of excursions. He said that although he was shooting sparrows with these medicines, I was guaranteed to be fit again in a week.
Hans Hug now came into play for part 2. My mental search for possible destinations quickly condensed into the Appenzell region. I knew a lot of the photo spots there and didn’t have to do much reconnaissance in advance. And even more important: the head of ZfW (train haulage and workshops) on the Appenzell Railway was called Hans Hug…
Hans Hug responded incredibly quickly and straightforwardly, so that I was soon able to present a great programme to the Eisenbahn Kurier, which was met with great enthusiasm. As no staff could be found at such short notice, the train driver on most of the journeys was – no wonder – Hans Hug…
In the first part I would like to show a few photos of the journeys on the AB on Easter Saturday 10 April 1982. The second part from Easter Sunday on the SGA will follow later in another story.
The special train with the ABe 4/4 40 + Bi 5 + BDi 29 reaches Waldstatt and poses in front of typical houses. Unfortunately, the weather is very changeable, as usual in April. April 10, 1982 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachThe ABe 4/4 40 + Bi 5 + BDi 29 recreates a typical consist as it was often seen in 1982, but not with a Bi, instead with a standard coach B. There are still remnants of snow on the plateau near Gonten and clouds of mist still hang in the hills in the background.
April 10, 1982 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachAt the small station Steinegg with the pretty chapel and the typical Appenzell houses with the transverse farm part in the background, there happened to be four milk cans ready for collection, which complemented the scene perfectly. The ABe 4/4 40 + Bi 5 + BDi 29 stops in Steinegg on April 10, 1982 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachPresumably a foehn gust opened up the sky in Wasserauen and made the snow glisten in the sun. The foehn can storm violently here and has already blown trains over, unfortunately once also a beautifully restored nostalgic carriage. On the right is Ebenalp, to which a cable car leads, with the Wildkirchli Höhli and the famous Äscher mountain inn. At the end of the valley, partly obscured by clouds: the highest peak in Appenzell, the Säntis, to which this railway line was to lead as a project… The railcar has bypassed the train at Wasserauen terminus, so that the formation is now ABe 4/4 40 + BDi 29 + Bi 5 below Wasserauen on April 10, 1982 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachIf I remember correctly, it was after lunch when the line to Wasserauen was taken under the wheels a second time. The train from the morning was now supplemented with the freight wagon Gck 152. ABe 4/4 40 + Bi 5 + BDi 29 + Gck 152 below Wasserauen where there were still wooden masts. April 10, 1982 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachOnce again the railcar went round the train so that the goods wagon was lined up just behind the railcar on the return journey. The ABe 4/4 40 + Gck 152 + BDi 29 + Bi 5 poses in front of the stately church of Schwende. April 10, 1982 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachIn Appenzell the passenger coaches were left behind and instead five narrow gauge goods wagons were attached to the ABe 4/4 40. The train with the ABe 4/4 40 + Gck 152 + Ek 301 + Gck 154 + 159 + Gk 162 poses in the entry curve below Gontenbad.
April 10, 1982 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachThe ABe 4/4 40 + Gck 152 + Ek 301 + Gck 154 + 159 + Gk 162 has just left Gonten station. The church and a few typical houses are clearly visible. Gonten April 10, 1982 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachAfter the bypass manoeuvre at Jakobsbad, the same goods train returned to Appenzell in reverse formation. This photo was taken below Gontenbad on the descent towards Appenzell. ABe 4/4 40 + Gk 162 + Gck 159 + 154 + Ek 301 + Gck 152.
April 10, 1982 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachA few metres below, the same train again, now taken in the inner curve. ABe 4/4 40 + Gk 162 + Gck 159 + 154 + Ek 301 + Gck 152 above Appenzell. The snow has only just melted, the meadows are still more brown than green and the sky is grey, which prevents some railway photographers from taking pictures… April 10, 1982 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachAnd because it’s so beautiful, here’s the same train ABe 4/4 40 + Gk 162 + Gck 159 + 154 + Ek 301 + Gck 152 above Appenzell. In 1982, such beautiful narrow gauge goods trains were hardly ever seen on the Appenzell railways. Normally, standard gauge freight wagons were travelling on narrow gauge trucks. April 10, 1982 Photo: Edi Meier, BülachFinally, both trains were united in Appenzell: ABe 4/4 40 + BDi 29 + Bi 5 + Gck 152 + Ek 301 + Gck 154 + 159 + Gk 162 above Appenzell with a view back to the cantonal capital. Now the then already aged Triebwagen could once again show what it was capable of…
April 10, 1982 Photo: Edi Meier, Bülach
For comments and additions to this railway history, please contact our Vice President Edi Meier. Thank you for your help.
