Chemins de fer de la Suisse Occidentale

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Locomotive of the SO.

The Chemins de fer de la Suisse Occidentale (SO or SO), or Suisse-Occidentale for short , translated West Swiss Railways , were initially a joint venture between three Swiss railway companies that became the railway company of the same name on January 1, 1872 through the merger of the participating railways . Since June 28, 1881, the company called itself Chemins de fer de la Suisse Occidentale et du Simplon (SOS or SO-S) or Suisse-Occidentale-Simplon for short . On January 1, 1890, the SOS merged with Jura-Bern-Lucerne (JBL) to form the Jura-Simplon Railway (JS).

Operating group Suisse-Occidentale

Grandfey viaduct of the Lausanne-Friborg-Bern railway over the Saane

The connection from the French-speaking Switzerland in the German Switzerland was in the early 1860s in the hands of the three railway companies Ouest Suisse (SO), Franco-Suisse (FS) and the Oronbahn Lausanne - Freiburg - Bern (LFB). One of the lines led from Lausanne along the southern foot of the Jura to Biel and on to Herzogenbuchsee , where it met the rival line via Friborg and Bern. The Ouest Suisse and the Franco-Suisse were thus opponents of the Oronbahn, which in turn owned the initial Geneva - Versoix line . In addition to this inhibiting competitive situation , there were financial difficulties caused by the cost estimates being exceeded during the construction work.

After long and difficult negotiations, the three railway companies formed an operating community on January 1, 1865, called the Association des chemins de fer de la Suisse Occidentale . Each railway company made its railway systems and rolling stock available. The income was distributed in a predetermined ratio. The operating community was managed by a three-person operating committee - each company sending a representative - and a supervisory board. Three members of the supervisory board were elected by Ouest Suisse and two each by Franco-Suisse and the canton of Friborg . The company was bought by Laurent-Bergeron et Comp. At a price of CHF 8,000 per kilometer per year. transfer. The financial situation of the three railways in western Switzerland stabilized and from 1868 onwards the operating group was able to pay a very modest dividend every year . Finance and construction matters remained a matter for the individual railway companies.

Ownership in the route network of the Association des chemins de fer de la Suisse Occidentale

The following map shows the ownership structure in the route network of the operating association of the Western Switzerland Railways at the end of 1871 before their merger to form Suisse-Occidentale:

Ownership in the route network of the Association des chemins de fer de la Suisse Occidentale

Suisse-Occidentale railway company

Le Day viaduct on the route to Paris between Pontarlier and Vallorbe
The SOS D 3/3 No. 503 was the first composite steam locomotive in Switzerland.

In 1871 the three railways planned to intensify their cooperation. The operation should no longer be leased to a company, but rather run directly. Under pressure from the cantonal governments , especially of Vaud , led by 1 January 1872 for complete fusion of the three Western Swiss railways. The new railway company Suisse-Occidentale (SO) with a property length of 315 kilometers became the railway company with the largest rail network in Switzerland. The cantons used their influence to connect the Suisse-Occidentale with the construction of the Broyetalbahn Palezieux - Payerne - Fräschels (longitudinal) and Friborg – Payerne– Yverdon (transversal). These lines should originally have formed the end of the Swiss National Railroad (SNB) in western Switzerland .

The shares of the merged railway companies were exchanged for those of Suisse-Occidentale, with additional payments in the form of bonds totaling 14 million francs, depending on the share price . After the conclusion of this financial transaction at the end of 1876, the capital of Suisse-Occidentale consisted of 85 million francs in shares and 102 million francs in bonds. The Central and Nordostbahn tried unsuccessfully, together with a bank group, to raise the funds required for the expansion of the Suisse-Occidentale network and to form a joint venture between the three railways. The financing came from the “Societe Suisse pour l'industrie des chemins de fer”, which forced the SO to reorganize the administration. Its board of directors of four members was replaced by a single director in 1875.

In 1872 the Suisse-Occidentale acquired a significant stake in the Jougne-Eclépens-Bahn (JE), which had a direct connection to the network of the Paris – Lyon – Mediterranean Railway (PLM). The SO wanted to prevent the competition from taking over JE, who was constantly struggling with financial problems. In 1876 the Jougne-Eclépens-Bahn went bankrupt and was completely taken over by the Suisse-Occidentale.

On July 7, 1876, four dead and three injured were to be mourned after a collision in Palézieux.

Suisse-Occidentale-Simplon

The operating results allowed the Suisse-Occidentale and the Suisse-Occidentale-Simplon to pay a dividend every year .
The NOB , on the other hand, like other railway companies, suffered from a slump in profits during the years of the "railway crisis".

The Suisse-Occidentale-Simplon (SOS) came into being on June 26, 1881 from the purchase of the Ligne du Simplon (S) for around 13.2 million francs by the Suisse-Occidentale. Since the Simplon Railway was too weak financially to support the construction of a Simplon tunnel , the canton of Vaud in particular pushed for the two railways to merge. With an investment capital of CHF 248 million and a network length of 581 kilometers, the SOS was the largest railway company in Switzerland at the time. The connections Geneva – Lausanne – Brig and from Lausanne the continuations via Romont to Bern and via Yverdon – Neuchâtel to La Neuveville formed the main route network. Their most important strategic goal was the construction of a connection from Brig to Domodossola with a breakthrough of the Simplon , which was initially unsuccessful. In 1886 alone, the SOS invested around 670,000 Swiss francs in the relevant preparatory work.

On June 1, 1886, the SOS opened the Swiss section Bouveret - St-Gingolph of the Tonkin Line . The section from Saint-Gingolph to Évian-les-Bains in Savoy belonged to the Paris – Lyon – Mediterranean Railway (PLM).

On January 21, 1888, larger masses of rock loosened near Cheyres and covered the track two to three meters high. A Payerne – Yverdon passenger train with about 40 passengers drove into the rubble cone, with the two locomotives derailing. The stoker of the leader locomotive was killed, the other stoker and the driver of the leader locomotive were seriously injured.

The Suisse-Occidentale and the SOS took care of the operation of further railway lines:

The operating results of Suisse-Occidentale-Simplon were always positive. Freight and passenger traffic contributed roughly equally to this. The SOS was able to distribute a modest dividend every year.

Route network of the Suisse-Occidentale-Simplon (SOS)

The following map shows the Suisse-Occidentale-Simplon route network before the merger with the Jura-Bern-Luzern-Bahn (JBL):

Route network of the Suisse-Occidentale-Simplon at the end of 1889
JS poster from 1897

Merger to form the Jura-Simplon Railway

Map with the route network of the Jura-Simplon Railway from 1894

The SOS merged with the Jura-Bern-Lucerne Railway (JBL) on January 1, 1890, including the Gümligen – Lucerne line belonging to the canton of Bern in the newly founded Jura-Simplon Railway (JS). The Swiss Confederation also participated in the new railway company by buying shares over the counter . Exactly one year later, the Jura-Simplon Railway took over the Pont-Vallorbe Railway operated by the SOS. The JS finally advanced the construction of the Simplon Tunnel, which had been planned for decades.

Graphic summary

Overview of the history of Suisse-Occidentale-Simplon (E: opening; T: takeover):

Ouest Suisse (OS)
E: 5.5.1855 O: 1.1.1872
 
 Genève – Versoix (GV)
E: June 25, 1858 O: July 1, 1858
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Lausanne-Friborg-
Berne-Bahn (LFB)
O: 1.1.1872
 
 Franco-Suisse (FS)
E: November 7, 1859 O: January 1, 1872
 
 Ligne d'Italie (LI)
E: July 14, 1859 O: 1.6.1874
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jougne – Eclépens (JE)
E: 1.1.1870 O: 20.12.1876
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Suisse-Occidentale
 
 
 
 
 
 Compagnie du Simplon (S)
O: June 28, 1881
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 from June 28, 1881:
Suisse-Occidentale – Simplon
O: January 1, 1890
 
 Jura – Bern – Lucerne (JBL)
O: 1.1.1890
 
 Gümligen – Lucerne line
(leased from JBL)
O: 1.1.1890
 
 Pont – Vallorbe (PV)
E: October 31, 1886
O: January 1, 1891
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Jura-Simplon Railway (JS)
 
 
 
 

Route network

No. Railway line Route section opened on from Double track comment length
1. Lausanne – Biel Lausanne - Renens May 5, 1856 OS 1872 In Renens junction of the line to Geneva 87.72 km
Renens - Bussigny July 1, 1855 -
Bussigny - Daillens - Yverdon May 7, 1855
Yverdon– Vaumarcus (canton border VD - NE ) Nov 7, 1859
Vaumarcus - Auvernier - Neuchâtel - La Neuveville (canton border NE- BE ) FS In Auvernier junction of the line to Pontarlier
La Neuveville - Biel 3 Dec 1860 OWB Bernese route section owned by JBL and its predecessors (16.78 km)
2. Lausanne – Geneva Lausanne – Renens May 5, 1856 OS 1872 In Renens branch of the line to Biel 60.26 km
Renens - Denges - Echandens - Morges
Morges - Allaman April 14, 1858 1868
Allaman - Gland 1872
Gland - Coppet 1868 Geneva line section Céligny –Céligny-canton border owned by the GA
Coppet– Versoix (canton border VD- GE ) April 21, 1858
Versoix– Geneva June 25, 1858 GV Already taken over by LFB on July 1, 1858
Denges-Echandes-Bussigny May 5, 1856 OS - Connection loop, passenger traffic ceased in 1866, abolished in 1879 (reactivated in 1971) (6.54 km)
3. Lausanne – Bern Lausanne - Palézieux - Freiburg - Balliswil (near Düdingen ) 4th Sept. 1862 LFB - Provisional Balliswil station at the north warehouse of the Grandfey Viaduct 86.88 km
Balliswil– Thörishaus Station (canton border FR -BE) July 2, 1860
Thörishaus Station - Bern SCB Route section owned by SCB (8.98 km)
4th Lausanne-Brig Lausanne– Villeneuve April 2, 1861 OS - 145.55 km
Villeneuve - Bex June 10, 1857
Bex – Les Paluds (canton border VD- VS ) Nov 1, 1860
Les Paluds - Saint-Maurice - Martigny July 14, 1859 LI Takeover by SO on June 28, 1881
Martigny - manners May 10, 1860
Sitten - Sierre Oct 15, 1868
Sierre / Siders - Leuk June 1, 1877 S.
Leuk - Brig June 1, 1878
5. (Saint-Maurice–) Les Paluds – Saint-Gingolph Les Paluds - Bouveret July 14, 1859 LI - Takeover by SO on June 28, 1881 25.52 km
Bouveret– Saint-Gingolph –Land border CH - F June 1, 1886 SOS Connection to the line to Évian-les-Bains of the PLM
(closed in 1988)
6th Neuchâtel – Pontarlier Neuchâtel-Auvernier Nov 7, 1859 FS - In Auvernier branch of the line to Lausanne 41.07 km
Auvernier – state border CH-F July 25, 1860
State border – Pontarlier PLM French route section owned by PLM (11.28 km)
7th (Lausanne–) Daillens – Vallorbe Daillens - Vallorbe July 1, 1870 JE - 29.34 km
Vallorbe – national border CH-F July 1, 1875 Connection to the PLM line to Pontarlier
(closed in 1939)
8th. Palézieux – Kerzers
(Broye longitudinale)		 Palézieux - Payerne - Murten 25 Aug 1876 SO - 67.09 km
Murten– Kerzers - Fräschels (canton border FR-BE) June 12, 1876
Fräschels - Lyss JBL Bernese route section owned by JBL (12.97 km)
9. Yverdon – Freiburg
(Broye transversale)		 Yverdon – Payerne Feb. 1, 1877 SO - 49.92 km
Payerne – Freiburg 25 Aug 1876
Total (1889) 60.20 km
(10%)		 580.67 km

Rolling stock

Since 1881 the SO designated their locomotives with Roman numerals: Series I and II were two couplers locomotives, Series III Dreikuppler- passenger locomotives and Series IV Dreikuppler- freight train locomotives. In the rolling stock statistics, some of the series names have been used since 1873. The locomotives taken over from the Jougne-Eclépens-Bahn were named in the statistics as Series V, the machines of the Compagnie du Simplon as Series IV. From 1887 onwards, the locomotives were named according to the system that was standardized throughout Switzerland .

List of locomotives that were used by the SO and SOS. The series designation valid from 1902 is shown in brackets.

Series
from 1873		 Series
from 1887		 SO no. SO / SOS no.
from 1871		 Surname JS no.
from 1890		 SBB no.
from 1903		 Manufacturer Construction year discarded image
I. A2T ( B 2/3 ) 6-20 6-20 taken over by Ouest Suisse in 1872 (see there) Karlsruhe 1856-58 1888-1902 B 2/3
I
from 1881:  II		 A2T ( B 2/3 ) 21-25 1-5 Cail 1858 1890-1892
II B2 ( Ec 2/4 ) 1-12 51-62 taken over in 1872 by the Lausanne-Friborg-Bern railway (see there) Esslingen 1862 1895-1895 Ec 2/4
II A2T ( B 2/3 ) 1'-3 ',
26-28		 21-26 → Main article:
SO B 2/3		 74-79 1074-1079 Koechlin 1868/70 1904-1907 B 2/3
- B2 (Ec 2/3) - 63 Chambésy 263 6195 SACM 1888 1923 Ec 2/3
- 64 Genthod 264 6196 1922
- 65 Celigny 265 6197 1909
- 66 Crans 266 6198 1909
- 67 Myes 267 6199 1909
III B3T (C 3/3) - 70
from 1874: 80		 Valais 410 2410 Koechlin 1871 1906 C 3/3
- 71 Lucerne 401 - 1901
- 72 Bâle 402 - 1900
- 73 Soleure 403 - 1900
- 74 Argovie 404 2407 1909
- 75 Zurich 405 2401 1904
- 76 St-Gall 406 2402 1872 1903
- 77 Thurgovie 407 2408 1906
- 78 Schwytz 408 2406 1904
- 79 Ticino 409 2409 1904
- 81 Grisons 411 2414 1875 1904
- 82 Appenzell 412 - 1900
- 83 Uri 413 2411 1904
- 84 Unterwald 414 2403 1910
- 85 Glaris 415 - 1901
- 86 Schaffhouse 416 2412 1911
- A3T (B 3/4) - 91-94 - 201-204 1421-1424 SLM 1887 1917 B 3/4
IV C3T (D 3/3) 51-55 101-105 taken over by Ouest Suisse in 1872 (see there) Cail 1858 from 1901 D 3/3
56 106 La Cote-aux-Fées 506 3364 PLM 1864
by SO		 1913 B 2/3
57 107 Buttes 507 3370 1907
58 108 Chaumont 508 3371 1910
59 109 La Reuse 509 3372 Creusot 1865
by  FS 		1911
60 110 La Thielle 510 3373 1914
61 111 La Concorde 511 3374 1909
62 112 Broye 512 3375 Koechlin 1865 1914 D 3/3
63 113 Venoge 513 3352 1924
64 114 Rhône 514 - 1870 1897
65 115 Léman 515 3376 1925
66 116 Versoix 516 3377 1871 1906
67 117 Aar 517 3378 1912
68 118 Avancon 518 3353 1912
69 119 Gérine 519 3390 1904
- 120 Mont Cenis 520 3379 1871 1911
- 121 Culoz 521 3365 1912
- 122 Turin 522 3380 1907
- 123 Gênes 523 3381 1910
- 124 Florence 524 3389 1909
- 125 Milan 525 3354 1910
- 126 Suze 526 3382 1872 1921
- 127 Italy 527 3355 1909
- 128 Mulhouse 528 3366 1915
- 129 Strasbourg 529 3383 1916
- 130 Mannheim 530 - 1901
- 131 Cologne 531 3391 1906
- 132 Anvers 532 3356 1908
- 133 Rhin 533 3357 1924
- 134 Francfort 534 3367 1903
- 135 Verrières 535 3384 1912
- 136 Moudon 536 3385 SACM 1874 1925
- 137 Payerne 537 3386 1913
- 138 Avenches 538 3358 1910
- 139 Estavayer 539 3359 1912
SO  V B3T (C 3/3) - 87-89 taken over in 1876 by the Jougne – Eclépens railway (see there) Koechlin 1869 1898-1909
SO  VI
from 1881:   I.		 A2T (B 2/3) - 41-46 taken over in 1881 by the Compagnie du Simplon (see there) Fives 1858 1892-1896 B 2/3
SO  VI
from 1881:  II		 A2T (B 2/3) - 27-29 SACM 1875 1903
- E3 (E 3/3) - 201-202 procured from the Pont – Vallorbe railway for operation on their route (see there) SACM 1886 1948, 1924 E 3/3

The SO reacted to the serious shortage of rolling stock - especially during the Franco-German War - by renting mostly French locomotives.

literature

References and comments

  1. ↑ Western Switzerland and Simplon Railway
  2. ↑ Western Railway
  3. ^ Association of Western Switzerland Railways
  4. ^ The Fräschels – Lyss section of the longitudinal Broyelinie in the canton of Bern was created by the Jura-Bern-Luzern (JBL).
  5. ↑ Swiss Society for the Railway Industry
  6. ↑ Marcel Manhart: List of the most serious rail accidents in Switzerland up to May 2006 from SBB Historic. Retrieved August 2, 2014 .
  7. ↑ Derailment at Cheyres (Yverdon-Payerne line) as a result of rock detachments above the railway. (PDF 1.7 MB) Schweizerische Bauzeitung, Volume 11 (1888), Issue 11, pp. 69–70 , accessed on January 25, 2014 .
  8. ↑ until the takeover on June 26, 1881
  9. ↑ determined on the basis of the route kilometers
  10. ↑ a b Length of property according to official railway statistics in bahndaten.ch
  11. ^ The SBB numbered the locomotives they took over after the boiler overhauls were due.
  12. ↑ The machine came to the Tösstalbahn (TTB) as No. 7 in 1910 and, after its nationalization in 1918, returned to the SBB, where it was re-assigned with No. 6195.
  13. ↑ The machine came in 1909 as No. 1 to the Martigny-Orsières-Bahn (MO), in 1910 as No. 8 to the Tösstalbahn TTB and after its nationalization in 1918 back to the SBB, where it again carried the No. 6196.