AP, REALP, Switzerland
Train enthusiasts are to 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 2,431m, is among Switzerland’s highest Alpine passes and famous for its hairpin curves featured in the 1964 James Bond Goldfinger movie. However, 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, beginning a vital rail link between the regions of Uri and Valais in central Switzerland for decades.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.
A steam train travels from Realp to Oberwald during a stop at the Furka Station in Switzerland on Friday last week.
The first section of the line reopened as a heritage railway in 1992, and the 18km 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.
