Historical Central Thurgau Railway Association
The Historical Central Thurgau Railway Association (VHMThB), based in Weinfelden TG, maintains and operates historical railway vehicles, especially the former Central Thurgau Railway (MThB), which it exhibits in the Locorama Railway Adventure World in Romanshorn and for nostalgic people Society and excursion trips begin. The best known are the “Most India Express ” and the “ Thurgauer Zug ”.
society
The association has around 350 members and patrons. The board works on a voluntary basis, and many members also work on a voluntary basis in their free time to maintain the vehicles and in the operation. On the one hand, the association sees itself as a platform that represents all interests that serve to preserve the historical substance of the former Central Thurgau Railway. On the other hand, he ensures that the historical vehicles, especially the MThB, are in use as living cultural monuments and can convey experiences. The Ostschweizer Verein organizes public trips on the “Mostindia Express” steam train (Eastern Switzerland area) and the “Thurgauer Zug” (throughout Switzerland). The seat of the association is in Weinfelden (like that of the former MThB), the vehicles are on display in the "Locorama" railway adventure world in Romanshorn.
Club history
In December 2002, various rolling stock of the Mittelthurgau Railway in liquidation was advertised for sale to the highest bidder in a railway magazine (cost: 180,000 francs for a steam locomotive and two wagons). Then on January 14, 2003 four people from Weinfelden, Märstetten and Bussnang founded an association with the aim of preserving the historic vehicles of the former Mittel-Thurgau-Bahn. With a collection campaign among the Thurgau population, 165,000 francs were raised in three weeks. On February 10th, the Ec 3/5 No. 3 steam locomotive belonged to the association, and on March 31st, 2003 the entire “Most India Express”, together with the red C 111 saloon car and the green FZ 502 luggage / mail car. In the meantime, more vehicles have been added and in addition to the steam train, the “Thurgau Train”, consisting of the MThB motor car ABDe 4/4 12 and control car BDt 205, is an electrical composition for use throughout Switzerland. On October 28, 2018, the TRAVYS association took over another complete shuttle train composition: motor coach ABDe 538 316 (ex Thurbo ABDe 638 616, MThB ABDe 4/4 16, ex GFM ABDe 4/4 171) and the last still original control car Bt 904 ( ex Thurbo / MThB Bt 204). Both vehicles were delivered to GFM ( TPF ) in the 1960s , they were in service with MThB from 1983 to 2002 and then with Thurbo until 2006 before they reached western Switzerland.
Public rides
The most well-known and long-established public trips with the “Mostindia Express” steam train from May to October on the last Sunday of each month as a “shore steam trip” on the lake line (Romanshorn-Kreuzlingen-Romanshorn in the morning, Romanshorn-Rorschach in the afternoon) . Other trips are the “Easter Bunny Rides” into the region, the Mother's Day trip or the autumn and gourmet rides on the “Thurgau Train”. In addition, in winter (as a rule every two years) the “Most Indian Express” is on the road on larger round trips in the eastern part of Switzerland.
literature
- Michael Mente: From MThB to Thurbo. 100 years of history and stories about the railway in central Thurgau - accompanied by the stories of a cultural monument under steam. Verlag Flügelrad, Weinfelden 2013, ISBN 978-3-033-03961-2 .
- Sandro Sigrist, Ralph Bernet, Peter Hürzeler: Swiss railcars of the 1960s. Edition Lan, Bäretswil 2012.
"Most India Express" with MThB Ec 3/5 No. 3 as an excursion train of the "Historische Mittel-Thurgau-Bahn" association on February 22nd, 2015 in Winterthur station
MThB ABDe 4/4 No. 12 and BDt 205 in 2013 (passage through Tenero station, on the occasion of a society trip over the Gotthard)
Web links
- www.mthb.ch Official website
- Locorama - Romanshorn Railway Adventure World