100 year old Swiss Steam train
Train enthusiasts will celebrate the 100th anniversary of a historic Swiss railway this weekend as vintage steam locomotives ferry tourists through the stunning Alpine scenery as part of the celebration. The Furka Pass, at an altitude of 7,976 feet, is among Switzerland’s highest Alpine passes and famous for its hairpin curves featured in the 1964 James Bond “Goldfinger” movie. But long before 007 actor Sean Connery filmed a harrowing car chase scene there, a steam train first traversed the steep and winding route in a continuous journey on July 3, 1926, kicking off a vital rail link between the regions of Uri and Valais in central Switzerland for a century. In the early 1980s, a tunnel at the base of the Alps diverted rail traffic and prompted the closure of the historic mountain route until volunteers stepped in. Hundreds of them, nicknamed the railway’s “pioneers,” have spent hours to restore, maintain and operate the historic tracks and trains so they run the same as a century ago.
The first section of the line reopened as a heritage railway in 1992, and the 11-mile track was ready for travel in 2010. The steam trains now operate exclusively as a tourist attraction in the summers between the stations of Realp and Oberwald, where visitors can hop aboard vintage carriages and marvel at the scenery of rivers, Alpine meadows and lush green pastures where patches of snow still linger. Tourists last month enjoyed their trips through the German-speaking region aboard the “dampflokomotive.” Passenger Stephan Willareth called his journey “wonderful,” while Kurt Guldemann, a former employee of the Swiss railways, heralded the history of the machines.
Bernhard Lang, one of the many enthusiasts who volunteer to drive the vintage steam trains, said it can take years to master the skill. “It’s something like a living machine, so you have to get kind of the feeling for it,” he said. “To feel how it behaves, how it moves, how it smells, how it sounds.” A 21-year-old German transport engineering student and the youngest train manager, said it’s important to listen to the locomotives. “You hear every sound, you hear if everything is right,” he said. “You can pretty much feel how it was then and how it is now.”
Humorous tickets, please
A man is sitting on the train, chewing gum in silence.
After a while, an elderly lady leans forward from opposite and says: “Sir, it’s very kind of you to tell me so much, but unfortunately I’m deaf!”
4 Roman Catholic priests are sharing a private compartment on a train. They decided to confess their biggest flaw to each other:
The first priest confesses that he spends most of the church money on booze.
The second priest explains that he blows the church collection betting on horses.
The third priest confesses that he spends the church takings on drugs.
They have opened their souls and revealed their deepest secrets. They look to the last priest and he says, “I am a gossip and I can’t wait to get off this train.”
My boss said to me, “You’re the worst train driver ever. How many have you derailed this year?”
I said, “I’m not sure; it’s hard to keep track.”
A PESSIMIST sees a dark tunnel.
An OPTIMIST sees light at the end of the tunnel.
A REALIST sees a freight train.
The TRAIN driver sees 3 idiots standing on the tracks.
July 7th Birthdays
1980 – Michelle Kwan, 1973 – Kristen Vangsness, 1996 – Alyssa Lynch, 1968 – Amy Carlson
1906 – Satchel Paige, 1940 – Ringo Starr, 1927 – Doc Severinsin, 1988 – Steven Crowder