A Mount Piatus cog railway car desdends the mountain Wednesday afternoon. Jim Wrinn photo.
PILATUS, Switzerland – Greetings from Switzerland, where railroads have no fear of grades. Yesterday and today I am riding the cog railway at Mount Pilatus, a peak just outside Luzern that is about 6,800-feet high and offers stunning views of the nearby Alps. To get here you have your choice – the steepest cog railway in the world with maximum grades of 48 percent – or helicopter.
A fleet of 40-passenger electric-powered vehicles makes the climb, less than 3-miles long, multiple times per day from March through November. For an upcoming story in Trains, I rode with the driver on one trip to the top of the peak. He explained that the cog here is unique – it doesn’t ride on top of the center rail; it interlocks from either side, eliminating the potential for slipping. The trip takes about 30 minutes, features tunnels and stone arch bridges and views that are not for those who are afraid of heights.
Once you’re at the top, there are great vantage points from which to enjoy the views of the mountains and the little red cog vehicles, most of them dating to 1937 when the line switched from steam to diesel. You can also do some hiking like I did Tuesday evening, for even more spectacular views here. Just your camera and enjoy the show!
Yes, that is a snowshed on the Mount Pilatus cog railway. The line also has tunnels. Jim Wrinn photo.
The operator tells me she never gets bored with scenery like this. Great office, eh? Jim Wrinn photo.
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