In 1922 ...
... Pratteln was an insignificant village east of Basel in Switzerland.
Modern photos show that it has changed ...
There is a huge amount of industry between town and the river Rhein (muddy waterway, top of picture). And there is a lot more town to service it.
As is usual in Switzerland, public transport is excellent. When Google Streetview ambled around, the railway station ...
... was undergoing some refurbishment.
At the bottom end of Station Road (Bahnhofstrasse) is a tram stop ...
... which is the terminus.
The tracks then continue ...
... to a turning circle and siding in a small field.
Trams run "light" over this section.
fbb is guessing, but he thinks that, many years ago, Bahnhofstratsse and Schlossstrasse both formed level crossing with the railway. Bahnhofstrasse stops short of the tracks these days ...
... with development beyond. But an obviously newer road leads to an under bridge a little further west.
Likewise Schlossstrasse has been "diverted" via an obviously newer underpass!
We will meet this mini-tunnel again in tomorrow's blog.
Not very far down Schossstrasse is Schloss Pratteln (Pratteln Castle).
To the west of the station buildings are some freight sidings occupied by disused wagons, it appears, when Google Streetview toddled past.
Note the fences and warning signs! NOT. As is so often the case, our European cousins make far more use of common sense than "Health and Safety" legislation. There is no statistical evidence that accidents are higher than in the UK!
... seen here on a street map of the town.
Next stop along the line eastbound is Schlossstrasse (Castle Street - note the triple "s" and double "s") ...
fbb is guessing, but he thinks that, many years ago, Bahnhofstratsse and Schlossstrasse both formed level crossing with the railway. Bahnhofstrasse stops short of the tracks these days ...
It would be good to find our way there via Google Streetview but, in Switzerland, coverage is disjointed and, in this case, there is none at the Castle. Streetview only works on the blue lines!
fbb could only find this on line, by way of the Castle's description.
Das Schloss besitzt einen quadratischen Grundriss mit abgerundeten Ecken, ergänzt durch einen Turm und einer Toranlage auf der Südseite, sowie durch eine Küchenanlage auf der Ostseite. Rund die Hälfte der Grundfläche beansprucht das auf der Ostseite gelegene vierstöckige Hauptgebäude, der Rest wird durch einen Innenhof verwendet, der mit zwei Nebentrakten auf der Nord- und Südseite und einer Mauer auf der Westseite begrenzt ist.
Die äussere Fassade ist weiss verputzt. Der obere Teil des Eingangstor ist als Fachwerk ausgeführt, ebenso die Innenseite der Nebentrakte sowie die Teile der Fassade des Küchenanbaus. An der Toranlage war früher eine Ziehbrücke befestigt. Der Hauptbau besitzt am äusseren Rand zwei runde Ecktürme und ein Krüppelwalmdach. Ein Turm neben der Toranlage gelegen verbindet den Hauptbau mit dem südlichen Trakt. Während der Turm am unteren Teil noch rund ist, besitzt der obere Teil eine polygone Figur.
It's not much of a Castle, more a large Manor House with white facade. It's got two round Eckturme and, obviously, a notable Kruppelwalmdach, which everyone knows is German for "half-hipped roof". The fbb family home, before the current owners extended it, had a half-hipped roof!
One other Pratteln edifice has excited fbb.
Yep! It is a very distinctive motorway service area!
You may struggle with the German "Autogrill", but. certainly, the facility is "distinctively" yellow!
fbb'a bedroom was on the left and the model railway was set up in "the study" (where nobody ever studied) immediately beneath.
They don't make 'em like that in the UK, except (possibly) at Forton on the M6.
But we read that tram line 14 is due to be extended; and that will form the content of tomorrow's blog.
Next Prattling About Pratteln blog : Tues 29 March
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