2004 : European Vacation - Switzerland Basel, Switzerland [video=youtube;TQ_U3tocTS8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ_U3tocTS8[/video]
2004 : European Vacation - Switzerland It's nearly the end of the day as we pull into Luzern and I catch this view of the Old Train Station Entrance Luzern, Switzerland [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT]
2004 : European Vacation - Switzerland Before we call it a night here in Luzern, Switzerland I will take this photo of the train station across the lake [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT]
2004 : European Vacation - Switzerland It's the next day and we are off for a great train ride but while we travel to Alpnachstad, Switzerland I will catch some other trains in the area...
2004 : European Vacation - Switzerland We reach Alpnachstad Depot for our ride on the Pilatus Kulm Cog Railway [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT]
2004 : European Vacation - Switzerland On board the Pilatus Kulm Cog Railway; got a feel for the crazy grade yet!!! [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT]
I've watched a fair number of shows on PBS and video. Don't recall ever seeing or hearing of this cog system. How long is the trip, in distance?
It's about 2.5 miles (one-way) from the lake where the depot is to the top of the peak. Go lots of photos and a VIDEO! to share from this one...
Information Gauge: 0.8 m, Gradient: 48% maximum, 38% average "From Alpnachstad to Pilatus Kulm, the world's steepest cogwheel railway winds up through lush meadows carpeted with Alpine flowers, past sparkling mountain streams and fascinating rock faces." Here is a Google Maps link to give you a feel for where this is at. We started down at the station which is at the lower left end of the lake and then travel to the summit of Pilatus Kulm https://www.google.com/maps?ll=46.965201,8.282919&spn=0.047152,0.132093&t=h&z=14&layer=t
2004 : European Vacation - Switzerland Up and Up we go... [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT]
2004 : European Vacation - Switzerland You can really see the steep grade in this shot! [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT]
Is that a residence at right? If so, I wonder what it is like having this operation frequently coming past? Is it fairly quiet? Or do the cog gears produce a bit of rumbling?
I was curious about their noise. The Mt. Washington Cog was clanking loudly when we rode. Of course we were inside the car, not 100-150 feet away in a building.
OK. Now you have me wondering about cog system designs. Are they fairly standard, world wide? Or are the many real differences possible in how they are built?
