Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway

Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke
The Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
Status	Open
Locale	Uri / Valais, Switzerland
Termini	Realp Oberwald
Stations	6
Services	1
Website	Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway (English)
Operation
Opened	1925
Closed	1981
Reopened	1992
Owner	Verein Furka-Bergstrecke
Operator(s)	Verein Furka-Bergstrecke
Character	Heritage railway
Depot(s)	Realp
Technical
Line length	17.838 km (11.084 mi)
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Highest elevation	2,160 m (7,090 ft)
Maximum incline	3.5% (adhesion) 11.8% (rack rail)
Rack system	Abt
Route map 0.000 km Realp DFB 1,546 m above the sea Connecting line to MGB 0.150 km Realp Depot Schweigstrasse Wilerbrücke70 m Alt Senntumstafel-Tunnel III80 m Alt Senntumstafel-Tunnel II79 m Alt Senntumstafel-Tunnel I36 m Steffenbachtobelbrücke37,5 m 3.660 km Tiefenbach 1,849 m above the  sea Steinstafelviadukt54 m Sidelenbachbrücke26 m 6.996 km Furka 2,163 m above the  sea Furka Summit Tunnel1,874 m Cantonal border Uri/Valais 9.206 km Muttbach-Belvédère 2,120 m above the  sea Muttbach railway crossing Gletsch 2 railway crossing 12.891 km Gletsch 1,762 m above the  sea Gletsch 1 railway crossing Gletsch-Kehrtunnel578 m Rottenviadukt25 m Lammenviadukt86 m Räterisbachbrücke22 m Line to Furka Base Tunnel 17.838 km Oberwald 1,366 m above the  sea This diagram:

The Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway (Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke, DFB in German) is a largely volunteer operated heritage railway which operates a partially rack and pinion-operated line across the Furka Pass, between Realp in Uri and Oberwald in Valais. Culminating at 2,160 metres above sea level, it is an old mountainous section of the Furka-Oberalp-Bahn (FO) that was abandoned after the construction of the Furka Tunnel. It has been gradually brought back into service by the Verein Furka-Bergstrecke with the use of only steam locomotives, with the entire line completed in 2010. The Furka Railway is the second highest rail crossing in Europe, after the Bernina Railway. The Uri side of the line also constitutes the highest railway in Central Switzerland.

The section of line was always a severe operational difficulty for the FO as its high altitude rendered it impassable due to snow and ice for much of the winter season, hence it being abandoned and a tunnel constructed. This has remained a headache for the DFB, as every year it must be closed down and then reopened, an expensive process which involves the removal and replacement of a specially folding transportable bridge that would otherwise be damaged by the snow every year.

The rebuilding of the line has also not been without new difficulties. Requiring to cross a busy main road on a rack operated section, the rack over the road is retractable, actuated to raise at the same time as the level crossing barriers by radios fitted to the line's locomotives. Another section, running through a forested nature reserve, has had to be fitted with a sprinkler system that operates before and after trains pass, again actuated by the radios aboard. Relays allow the system to cascade up or down the section in line with the train, to save water which is supplied by natural water supplies near the summit of the line.

The organisation is currently restoring 2 HG 4/4 "D" Steam Locomotives. These 0-8-0 locos were built in Switzerland for use in Vietnam, and were repatriated along with locomotives from the Furka-Oberalp-Bahn that had been exported to Vietnam after their use in Switzerland. The organisation is currently endeavouring to raise approximately Swiss Fr. 1,700,000, or 1,200,000 Euro or 1,200,000 US Dollars for the work required. The test runs of one of the locomotives are planned for 2013, to assess their suitability for the Furka line. The cost of a new firebox, one of the components the HG 4/4s require, is about Swiss Fr. 110,000, or 80,000 Euro.