Going to Gelterkinden (3)

When the Hauerstein line opened in 1858 running from Basel to Olten via Sissach, it missed the little town of Gelterkinden. But enterprise and local politics eventually resolved the lack of trains by building a short rail link which opened in 1891. Staffed by folk with splendid moustaches ...

... it was the Victorian equivalent of the Tram-Train. The line began from a minimalist "station" a little further west beside the Swiss Central Railway at Sissach.

The buildings on the left are the SBB station buildings, partly converted into an "Avec" shop.

Interchange between the two "systems" was literally "next door"!

The line was electrified using trolley-pole technology, being only the second railway in Switzerland to be so powered. The great and the good attended the opening ...

... complete with more superb facial hair and impressive hats! After leaving the station, the line veered slightly north and then ran along the "main road" ...

... to Gekterkinden. 

There was one intermediate stop at Böckten ...

... where facilities for boarding and waiting were non-existent.

At Gelterkinden, the line crossed the river on a splendid bridge ...

... then a fairly main road (no signals or crossing gates, of course) to terminate at a small but delightful station on the south bank.

The above rather grainy picture illustrates a unique feature if the line's infrastructure. Towards the end of its line it was converted from electricity to steam.

Ab Mai 1914 verkehrten nur noch Wagen der 3. Klasse, im Spätsommer 1915 stellte man den elektrischen Betrieb ein und verkaufte die Kupferdrähte der elektrischen Fahrleitung, den kriegsbedingten Anstieg des Kupferpreises ausnützend. Am 7. Januar 1916 wurde der Betrieb eingestellt und die Gesellschaft liquidiert.

The management no doubt reckoned that the money to be made from selling second hand metal might help the company's weak finances! Here are the staff posed for the traditional moustachioed photo (ladies excluded!)

The caption does not make it clear whether the ladies are staff or a collection of spouses and/of children. Not carriages waiting for onward travel - Swiss integration way back when!

Once again, nothing obvious remains of the terminus.

A few intriguing remains have been found. One sleeper ...

... and the abutment of that river bridge.

This was initially fettled up as a pleasant viewpoint (with bench) ...

... for the little stream and could be found in a small chunk of woodland opposite the Migros Supermarket.

Then along came Ernst Graf (relative of the moustache man illustrated at the head of this blog - driver Graf?) ...

... with another find, namely a wagon from the line.

The bench was summarily ousted, a short length of track installed and the rebuilt and repainted wagon plonked thereupon.

But enthusiasts want to go further. It was decided to make a replica of the first electric loco (imaginatively called No 1).

Now completed, this has joined the wagon on its little bit of track on the historic bridge abutment.

A one-pole piece of overhead support was also added to the display.

This little line provided an adequate passenger service, plus limited good business generally using wagons couple to the passenger trains.

Below is the very first timetable.

Running time was a gentle 15 minutes ...

... somewhat slower than today's bus service.

But, the arrival of the new Hauenstein line in 1916 left the S & G with insufficient business to be viable and it duly closed - but with a spectacular farewell - steam hauled of course.

It is good that the folk of Sissach and Gelterkinden have preserved so much of a little line that closed 103 years ago.

Thanks to No 34 son for spotting the piece of history during his visit to Gelterkinden.

Tomorrow's blog may turn out to have a (deliberately?) misleading title!

 Next rails of Sheffield blog : Thursday 20th June