Switzerland

Welcome to the Swiss railroads section of the FUNET Railway pictures archive
Sihltalbahn

Sihltalbahn used to be a part of the SZU or Sihltal - Zürich - Uetliberg -Bahn Gruppe still when these pictures were taken. The SZU was a combination of two Zürich region private railroads, the Sihltalbahn, which operates the S-Bahn line S4 from Zürich up the valley of the Sihl river and the Uetlibergbahn, which climbs steeply up the hillside of Uetliberg, landmark of Zürich. Synergy between these two lines was modest: although both are normal gauge railroads, the Sihltalbahn was electrified with the usual 'big railroads' 15 kV AC, 16,7 Hz whereas the Uetlibergbahn used the tram-like DC 1200V DC - and with a very exotic aerial (please see the section of Uetlibergbahn). The combined companies that made up SZU split again in 1999-2000.

Sihltalbahn is a 28 km long piece of normal gauge, normal electricity railroad from Zürich up the Sihl valley, connecting nowadays a series of suburban areas to central Zürich. The typical Sihltalbahn train is a locomotive led, 'German style' short commuter train with a modern Re 4/4 (Re 456) locomotive and one or two red double decker coaches plus one or two normal coaches, the last one with a cockpit. Although a modern suburban railroad, the Sihltalbahn has traditions: the track was opened for service already 10.5.1875 and still today operates several historic trains in addition to the busy city commuters.


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Last updated 1.6.02