Switzerland is full of strange small private railroads. One of the smallest ones is WB or Waldenburger Bahn, which operates a really narrow gauge railroad with only 750 mm rail track width - the only one in the country with just a 75 cm gauge width. It runs from Liestal, the small capital town of Kanton Baselland, some 20 minutes, only 13 km, uphill along a river valley, sometimes in full countryside, but also serving small suburban style villages, ending at the village of Waldenburg. Waldenburgerbahn was opened for traffic in 1880. It brought workers to work at the Liestal area factories and it also connected the small villages of the river Frenke valley to the "real" railroad at Liestal station. Today WB has six modern two coach EMUs, running on 1500V DC. It looks like an odd crossing between a tram and a real train.

Photo of WB BDe 4/4 no. 12 with matching coach no. 112 at Liestal station 4th June 1999 by Ilkka Siissalo ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi (10k) Uploaded Jun 5, 1999

Waldenburger bahn BDe 4/4 no. 12 with matching coach no. 112 at Liestal station. WB bought these trains, which look like a cross between trams and trains in 1985-86 and they have six pairs of this kind in operation. The coaches can also be used alone, without the trailer, since the motor wagon has a cockpit at both ends. Photo 4th June 1999 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi (9k) Uploaded Jun 5, 1999

Waldenburgerbahn WB BDe 4/4 no 14 with its trailer coach no. 114 stopping at the old Bad Bubendorf station. Note the motor wagon´s special cargo department for transporting cycles - many people continue with bike from Liestal station to their work. The old station is also fascinating - unfortunately it is here behind the train - it even has a water outlet to fill the tanks of the old steam engine. Photo 4th of June 1999 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi (5k) Uploaded Jun 5, 1999

There it goes ! The Waldenburgerbahn BDe 4/4 is much like a tram and has actually been built with many components from trams of the Swiss "Tram 2000" design concept. Photo 4th of June 1999 in Bad Bubendorf by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi (5k) Uploaded Jun 5 1999