Waldenburgerbahn

Liestal – Waldenburg
Bad Bubendorf stop
Timetable field :	502
Route length:	13.1 km
Gauge :	750 mm ( narrow gauge )
Power system :	1500  =
Maximum slope :	35  ‰
Legend 0.0 Liestal 327  m above sea level M. Transition to the Hauenstein line 1.3 Old market 334  m above sea level M. 3.4 Bad Bubendorf 360  m above sea level M. 4.6 Valley house 373  m above sea level M. 5.8 Lampenberg-Ramlinsburg 396  m above sea level M. 7.9 Hölstein 423  m above sea level M. 8.5 Hölstein South 434  m above sea level M. Weidbächli 446  m above sea level M. Deer snake 461  m above sea level M. 10.8 Niederdorf 469  m above sea level M. 11.7 Winkelweg 490  m above sea level M. 12.3 Oberdorf 499  m above sea level M. 13.1 Waldenburg Station 518  m above sea level M.

Waldenburg terminus in 2009

The Waldenburgerbahn is a Swiss narrow-gauge railway in the canton of Basel-Country . It connects the canton capital Liestal with the municipality of Waldenburg . As the only Swiss railway in passenger traffic, it ran on a track width of 750 millimeters until April 6, 2021 . Investments of around 280 million francs for new vehicles and the renewal of the infrastructure in meter gauge are planned by 2022 , until then the railway will be running in replacement rail traffic .

The originally responsible transport company was the Waldenburgerbahn AG , abbreviated to WB . On June 7, 2016, it merged with Baselland Transport AG (BLT).

history

Railway construction

The direct route from Basel to the Swiss plateau and further south leads through the Waldenburgertal and over the Oberer Hauenstein pass (734 m above sea level). The well-developed road was heavily used in the 19th century for goods traffic with carts . This fact brought work and good income for the people in the valley.

With the commissioning of the Basel - Liestal - Sissach - Olten railway by the Swiss Central Railway (SCB) in 1858, the Waldenburgertal lost its importance as a north-south connection. The carriage traffic came almost completely to a standstill. The residents lost their main source of income and the valley was threatened with impoverishment.

This coming development was recognized early on, and efforts were made to bring industrial companies such as watch production and trimmings into the valley. The municipality of Waldenburg founded the Societé d'Horlogerie à Waldenburg in 1853 . It was also clear that these efforts could be supported by a suitable transport system in the valley.

When in 1856 the SCB submitted a license application for the Bözbergbahn Basel - Muttenz - Augst via the Bözberg tunnel to Baden , the permit succeeded in incorporating an obligation to provide financial support for the construction of a horse-drawn railway from Liestal to Waldenburg. Because the SCB was seen as jointly responsible for the loss of earnings in the Waldenburgertal. But then neither of the two projects was implemented.

However, the idea of ​​a train stuck in people's minds. On July 28, 1865, a "Comité" invited to a meeting. 64 MPs from nine municipalities appeared. The committee had to clarify three basic questions: Is it technically possible to build a railway on the country road? What are the expected traffic conditions with regard to the movement of people and goods? What are the costs and how can they be covered?

A committee to which the district administrators Gédéon Thommen and Martin Bider belonged published a report by the SCB in December 1869, in which the costs for a narrow-gauge railway were estimated at around 700,000 francs. Financing had not yet been secured, but an application for a corresponding license was submitted. On April 19, 1870, the district administrator had already promised a concession . This was sanctioned at the referendum on June 18, 1871. But it turned out differently. On July 18, 1871, the Federal Council gave the SCB a new concession for the Bözbergbahn. This again included supportive measures for a Waldenburgerbahn. The Bözbergbahn has now been built. But again not the Waldenburgerbahn.

On July 15, 1872, the SCB applied for a concession for the Wasserfallenbahn Liestal - Reigoldswil - Mümliswil - Balsthal . In it, she committed herself to the construction of a connecting railway from Waldenburg to the confluence at a “suitable point” or a financial compensation. On September 24, 1873, the license was granted to the SCB by federal decree. In 1874 construction work began on the tunnel in Reigoldswil. In September 1875, however, these had to be stopped again for financial reasons and “lack of technical experience”. The financial compensation for the Waldenburgerbahn was canceled. In 1876 the SCB applied to the Federal Council for an extension of the deadline. However, this was refused.

Martin Bider became active again. He was convinced that his project would be technically and financially feasible. Around 1876 he founded the "Comité for the construction of a railway in Waldenbburgertal", which had a project drawn up by chief engineer Burri and director Niklaus Riggenbach . The gentlemen presented the following result: If a narrow-gauge railway with 750 mm is laid on Hauensteinstrasse, which is ten meters wide (after the elimination of the wagons), land purchases are reduced to a minimum. As a result, the costs for the railway would only amount to 377,000 francs.

Registered share for 100 francs of the Waldenburger-Bahn-Gesellschaft from March 1, 1880

Martin Bider died unexpectedly on June 19, 1878. His cousin Gédéon Thommen had to take over the chairmanship of the committee and the other business with immediate effect. From September 20, 1879, the share subscription was advertised. After only two months, the required amount was drawn by private hand. On November 25, 1879, the founding meeting of the Waldenburgerbahn was held as an independent company.

On December 20, 1879, the Board of Directors received an offer from the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Factory (SLM) in Winterthur. She offered the construction of the railway with rolling stock for 350,000 francs.

At its meeting on February 24, 1880, the Federal Council decided to transfer the “concession to build and operate a railway from Liestal to Waldenburg, possibly Langenbruck” from the SCB to the Waldenburgerbahn.

The construction of the railway started in mid-March. The originally planned route was stretched by the geometer and later government councilor Martin Stohler . On October 29, 1880, the official colludation took place .

On October 30, 1880, the small railway was inaugurated with large festivities throughout the valley, and on November 1, 1880, operations began according to the timetable. The railway provided seats in the second and third carriage classes. The fare in the third car class from Liestal to Waldenburg was one franc. In 1881 the railway served eight stations and stops and offered four trips in each direction. The fastest train took 56 minutes for the entire route.

In 1909, an initiative committee applied for a license to build and operate an electric narrow-gauge railway from Waldenburg via Langenbruck to Balsthal with a branch from St. Wolfgang to Mümliswil. In a study from 1912, it was proposed to change the gauge to 1000 millimeters and at the same time electrify the railway. However, the outbreak of World War I prevented both projects. However, the board of directors decided to design the substructure for the meter gauge for future reconstruction work on track systems, stations and engineering structures. As early as 1913, when a track section was laid between Waldenburg and Oberdorf, the route was dimensioned for meter gauge. The new tracks between the Liestal train station and the Frenkenbrücke were also prepared in 1922 for a possible change of gauge.

Passenger transport

Passenger train around 1881 in Waldenburg station

Summer car from 1880

Passenger car, delivered in 1883

The opening of the Waldenburgerbahn was celebrated on Saturday, October 30th, 1880 with great festivities throughout the Waldenburg Valley. On Monday, November 1, 1880, passenger traffic began operating. The two steam locomotives G 2/2 number 1 “Dr. Bider ”, number 2“ Rehhag ”and four two-axle passenger cars, B2 numbers 1 and 2 and C2 numbers 3 and 4, each with 18 seats and ten standing spaces. During the day, three trains were run in each direction. During the night, the train was stopped because strangers tried to derail the train through stones and wooden beams on the tracks. A trip took 55 to 60 minutes. In the first year of operation, the railway carried 73,704 people. Due to the lack of passenger cars, open freight cars were converted into "summer cars". Freight traffic began on January 17, 1881. This resulted in more transport services. In 1881 two additional passenger cars, the C2 numbers 5 and 6, were delivered. The number of locomotives also turned out to be too small. As the trains got heavier, a more powerful machine had to be purchased. In 1882 the G 3/3 number 3 “Dubs” locomotive from Krauss & Cie was put into service. In 1886 81,438 people were carried. The B2 number 7 and 8 passenger cars followed in 1883. In 1887, the G 3/3 number 4 “Waldenburg” locomotive was put into service by SLM. It was now possible to run ten trains a day. In 1905, after 25 years of operation, 135,640 people were transported. The vehicle fleet had to be continuously adapted.

The First World War also brought difficult times for the railway. For a long time, five trains per direction were used according to the war timetable. Despite military traffic, no additional train could be driven. It was getting harder and harder to get the expensive coal. There were restrictions in operation from 1917, and from 1918 operations had to be stopped on Sundays.

From May 1928 onwards, with various improvements, a “sports express train” Liestal - Waldenburg was offered. This was popular and well used. In 1929 230,258 people could be transported.

The Second World War also brought restrictions again. The war timetable, which was valid from September 2, 1939, provided for only six trains per day in each direction. From 1940 seven trains ran in each direction on weekdays and twelve on Sundays. In 1942, up to 4,000 people had to be transported on fine Saturdays and Sundays. Seven trains ran in each direction every day. Due to the coal bottlenecks, the number of trains had to be reduced to five in each direction from May 1943. In 1943, however, over 400,000 people were transported. In the summer of 1944, the troop presence increased, which resulted in a considerable increase in traffic. The availability of coal slowly improved. From the summer of 1946, the number of trains could be increased to eight on weekdays and to nine on Sundays. In 1948 the upholstery class was abolished.

After electrification, from October 26, 1953, the timetable could be condensed to 15 pairs of trains per day. By the end of 1954, the number of passengers carried rose to 505,980. In 1963 there were 757,569.

In 1970, the highest level in railway history was reached with 846,675 passengers. The EUROVAPOR steam train started operating on November 1st. This was very popular with the audience. In 1971 it was used by over 5,000 passengers.

In 1973, because of the oil crisis in November and December, drivers were banned from driving on Sundays. This led to a gratifying increase in traffic on the Waldenburgerbahn. Compared to the same Sundays in 1972, up to almost three times the number of rail customers had to be transported.

From 1974 onwards, passenger transport declined. This was attributed to the strong increase in individual traffic, but it may also show a certain dissatisfaction of the customers with the rail services. By 1978 the number of passengers had dropped to 665,013. However, the steam train was still very popular. In 1978 he carried 6,526 Friends of Steam Locomotives.

A restructuring program was approved at an extraordinary general meeting in November 1982. The migration of passengers had to be stopped. Four commuter trains were to be purchased. The train connections of the SBB in Liestal had to be guaranteed. Sufficient seats should be offered during peak traffic times. This could not be achieved with the 30 to 60 year old multiple units and trailer cars. As in the steam locomotive era, the railcars would have to bypass the trains in Liestal and Waldenburg for the return journey, which was time-consuming. In order to guarantee a 30-minute timetable, the journey time had to be reduced from the current 25 to 21 minutes. For this purpose, the driving speed had to be increased to 70 to 75 km / h. This was no longer possible with the rolling stock used. For new, faster trains, adjustments to the tracks and signaling technology were necessary at individual points. In July 1983, the Basel district administrator decided to fundamentally renovate the Waldenburgerbahn.

By 1984 the number of passengers carried rose again to 729,627.

Freight transport

Freight wagons from the Wilhelminian era, 1880

From January 17, 1881, the Waldenburgerbahn began transporting goods with two covered and six open freight cars. At the end of the year, 248 tons of goods had been transported. At the end of 1885, a special milk train was introduced on behalf of the Allgemeine Consumverein (ACV) Basel . Since the passenger traffic was increasing steadily, a passenger car was attached to this train in order to offer the travelers another opportunity to travel. In 1886 1,444 tons of goods of all kinds were already transported. The tonnages increased steadily. In 1905, 3,223 tons were shipped. The number of freight cars also rose to 20 by 1906. In 1910, pure freight trains were introduced in order to optimize general cargo traffic. One morning and one afternoon train ran each day. A drive from Waldenburg to Liestal took over an hour and a half. Freight handling could take place at all stations. If the domicile of a customer was on or in the area of ​​the railroad track, a stop was made on the open route to load or unload the corresponding goods.

After the electrification of the railway in 1953, there were no more pure freight trains. Only freight trains with passenger transport (GmP) could be operated. Nevertheless, the transport volume rose to 6,325 tons by the end of 1954. In 1962, the Northwest Swiss Milk Association wanted to move the milk transports from the Waldenburg Valley to the road, which would eliminate reloading at Liestal station. After reaching an agreement with the association, the Waldenburgerbahn acquired a truck with a trailer and took over the daily transport from Waldenburg to Basel from May 1, 1962.

Since the timetable could be continuously compressed and the travel times shortened, the operation of the slow GmP became more and more problematic. These required 47 minutes for a journey in the direction of Waldenburg and 30 minutes in the direction of Liestal. From 1984 onwards, goods were only reloaded in the direction of Waldenburg at all stations. Freight to Liestal was collected in Waldenburg. In Switzerland as a whole, and not only for the Waldenburgerbahn, the volume of freight has declined in recent years. So it happened that on Friday, December 28, 1984, the last official GmP left Waldenburg station at 3:03 p.m. Thus, after 104 years, the transport of goods on the Waldenburgerbahn ended. The Waldenburgerbahn operated as a road haulier with its own truck until December 31, 1994 , when this was also given up due to unprofitability.

Mail transport

Locomotive G 2/2 number 1 «Dr. Bider »with mail car FZ2 number 2 in Waldenburg station around 1893

With the start of operations on November 1, 1880, mail transport began with its own luggage and mail car FZ2 number 1. This was followed in 1886 by the structurally identical FZ2 number 2. The four-axle Z4i number 69, which was put into service in 1948, was owned by the Swiss PTT The passenger car BC4 number 12 (1891) that was discarded in 1956, the four-axle mail / baggage car FZ4 number 70 was built in the company's own workshops in 1958/59.

Locomotive G 3/3 number 6 “Waldenburg” (1912) with the mail car Z2 number 101 (1880) and Z2 (1886) around 1914

The task of the two accompanying postal officials was to sort the mail for the post offices on the railway line and for the villages of Lampenberg , Ramlinsburg , Bennwil and Langenbruck and to forward them accordingly. As with freight transport, the volume of mail has also increased steadily. Up to 200 parcels and 20 to 25 mail bags had to be processed. Since the use of the new rolling stock significantly shortened travel times, various problems arose. The travel time was not always enough to sort everything. From Waldenburg, the post had to be transported back to the post offices by road. In addition, there was not enough space in the mail car for all the mail. The unloading of mail at the individual stations often took too long, which meant that the trains carrying mail were regularly delayed. From 1989 onwards, the majority of mail from Liestal was delivered to the post offices in the company's own truck in the early hours of the morning.

For example, after 112 years, mail transport was relocated from rail to road on June 1, 1992. The Waldenburgerbahn also tried to keep the lucrative mail traffic in the house with its own trucks when transporting mail. Restructuring at PTT has drastically reduced the order volume and compensation. As a result, the Waldenburgerbahn terminated the contract with PTT at the end of May 1998.

Electrification

The 1951 annual report on the subject of “electrification” included: “ A book could be written about this odyssey ”.

As early as 1901, an electrical company was conducting studies relating to the conversion of the Waldenburgerbahn to electrical operation. In 1909 the Board of Directors (VR) granted a loan to commission such studies. As a result, a change of gauge to 1000 millimeters and simultaneous electrification of the railway was proposed in 1912 . However, this was postponed due to the outbreak of the First World War . In 1927 another advance was made. It was single-phase analogous to the SBB suggested. In 1929 it was even examined whether diesel-electric railcars would be a solution. This failed because the vehicle was too heavy.

In 1930 it was believed that the goal was getting closer. The fundamental decision was made to carry out the electrification with direct current 1500 volts and to keep the 750 millimeter track. You would need three railcars and two additional passenger cars. The General Assembly of August 1931 instructed the Board of Directors to start the necessary negotiations with the authorities in order to be able to switch over to electrical energy as quickly as possible. In the autumn of 1931, the government council of the canton of Baselland commissioned an expert opinion. This was presented in 1933. On August 7, 1934, the government council applied to the district administrator to convert the Waldenburgerbahn to electrical operation. Since the commissions were not in agreement, the government commissioned another report. The experts were then of the opinion “it is not“ opportune ”to invest considerable funds in a public transport company”. However, it was recognized that the operating conditions could be improved. So the purchase of another steam locomotive and four to six passenger cars was proposed. The general assembly of April 28, 1937 followed this suggestion. In December 1937 the four ordered passenger cars C4 numbers 45 to 48 and in May 1938 the locomotive G 4/5 number 7 were delivered.

In the years of the Second World War , the lack of electrical energy made itself criminally noticeable due to the lack of coal. Coal became scarce and prices soared. After the war, electrification quickly became an issue again. Now the Federal Office of Transport (EAV) also intervened. As an alternative, a switch to bus or trolley bus operation should also be considered. The EAV carried out an analysis of the operating systems. His report of November 15, 1946 showed that electrification was the only financially viable solution while maintaining the gauge on the existing route. The general assembly of the Waldenburgerbahn on April 10, 1947 decided to carry out the electrification on the basis of the report of the EAV and the decision already made in 1930. In order to be able to decide on an operating variant, however, the government council requested a further report. The switch to bus operation should be checked again. The result showed that very high costs would be expected.

And the operating costs also put a heavy strain on the Waldenburgerbahn. While in 1938 27,500 francs had to be spent on coal, in 1948 this was 116,000 francs.

In 1948 the management of the Waldenburgerbahn went to the Basler Verkehrsbetriebe (BVB). This undertook to draw up an expert opinion on the operating systems steam, electric or rail-less vehicles. Thus, all variants were checked again on behalf of the government council. This time the result of the report was: "The railway operation should be replaced by a bus operation". The committee formed for electrification and the board of directors of the Waldenburgerbahn had the advantages and disadvantages of rail or bus operation explained to them. The board of directors saw the clear advantages of rail operations and did not want to deviate from the decision made on April 10, 1947. Now public events were held in all affected communities and discussions were held with the community representatives. Everyone agreed to the electrification except Langenbruck. Strengthened in this way, the Waldenburgerbahn submitted an application to the EAV on November 24, 1949 for a subsidy for the total costs of electrification and repair work on the railway systems. On December 9, 1949, the same took place at the government council of the canton of Baselland. The SAB was accepted immediately. On October 28, 1950, the government council decided in favor of electrification. As a result, BVB terminated the contract for the management of the Waldenburgerbahn on December 31, 1950. Suddenly, cantonal and non-cantonal associations came forward and, with the support of the press, demanded the switch to bus operation. Since there were also personnel changes in the government council, the treatment of the electrification bill was delayed again. The government council even applied for another test for a bus operation. This time, a direct inquiry was made with the general management of the PTT as to the conditions under which the PTT would take over bus operation. The government received the report on July 3, 1951. This report was analyzed very critically at the Waldenburgerbahn. It was recorded and written to the government on August 10, 1951, that various jobs were lost, that the train would be much faster than the bus and the PTT would charge far higher taxes than the train. A trip from Waldenburg to Liestal would be 76% more expensive, freight transport costs 159 to 233% and milk transport even 600% more expensive. It also had to be taken into account that a fully occupied steam train with five passenger cars could carry a good 200 passengers, sometimes still with skis or sledges, in one trip from Liestal to Waldenburg or back in winter or on beautiful summer Sundays. After several discussions between the government, local councils and the Waldenburgerbahn organized by the Waldenburgerbahn, the government council finally decided to campaign for electrification. On October 20, 1951, he submitted an application to the district administrator to guarantee the Waldenburgerbahn a cantonal participation in the form of share subscription in the amount of 633,000 francs.

Railcar BFe 4/4 (1953) in Oberdorf, around 1975

Train with BFe 4/4 and B4 in Liestal station around 1975

All necessary preparatory work and the regulation of the financing could be brought to a conclusion quickly. Extensive work began in May 1952. On October 23, 1953, the official collaudation was carried out by the EAV and on Sunday, October 25, 1953 the celebratory commissioning of the electric driving operation with 1500 volts direct current began. For this purpose, three railcars (CFe 4/4) number 1 to 3 and two new passenger cars (C4) were procured.

The operating account soon showed a positive picture. In order for a steam train to cover the Waldenburg - Liestal route, CHF 15.34 had to be spent. The electric railcars were content with 1.72 francs.

Wave of nostalgia for steam

In 1970 the Europe-wide wave of steam nostalgia also reached the Waldenburgerbahn. A restoration of the steam locomotive 5 set up in Liestal station did not appear to be feasible for financial reasons. As an alternative, a contract was therefore concluded with EUROVAPOR , which provided for the procurement and operation of a steam train. On June 18, 1970, the C1-n2t tank locomotive , ÖBB number 298.14 and three two-axle Mariazellerbahn passenger cars on special Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) wagons arrived in Liestal. The EUROVAPOR managed to recondition the locomotive in time for the 90th anniversary of the line. On October 19, 1970, the approval by the EAV took place. On November 1, 1970, it was finally possible to start driving. After that, the train was regularly used for publicly advertised and privately rented journeys. The train was last in service on October 4, 1980; After a due inspection by the Federal Office of Transport (BAV) it was found that the locomotive and wagons had serious defects, which led to a traffic ban. The machine was parked in Waldenburg. In 1982 the contract with EUROVAPOR expired. On May 5, 1984, the locomotive and wagons were therefore transported to the Öchsle Museum Railway in Baden-Württemberg.

Revision of the locomotive number 5

After the electrification of the Waldenburgerbahn in October 1953, the steam locomotives were decommissioned, including the number 5 «G. Thommen ». The locomotive was first sold in a locomotive shed in Waldenburg. It was intended to set up the number 5 in Waldenburg as a monument locomotive. But this did not happen. In 1961 the municipality of Liestal showed interest in erecting the locomotive as a memorial in the Liestal train station area on a small podium in the open air. This request was granted.

For the 100th anniversary in 1980, an original steam locomotive was to be shown. For this purpose, on June 30, 1975, helpers from the SBB depot inspection in Basel pushed the monument locomotive back onto the tracks in Liestal, after which it was towed to Waldenburg. There they clarified whether only an exterior renovation or a total overhaul would be possible. It was decided to get them ready to drive again. Markus Rickenbacher, an engineer from Liestal, was won over as the technical manager for this project. He formed a working group of volunteers. The locomotive was dismantled into its individual parts. It turned out that the boiler and the fire box had to be thoroughly overhauled and parts had to be replaced. In January 1978 the boiler with firebox was shipped to Knittelfeld, the main workshop of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).

In Waldenburg, the individual parts of the machine were thoroughly overhauled by the “Gédéon Thommen” working group. Frames, axles, springs, wheels, cylinders, pistons, fittings, driver's cab, water tanks, boiler casing - everything was restored to new value. Some parts, such as the ash box, smoke chamber, safety valve and others, had to be rebuilt.

The boiler with fire box, overhauled by the ÖBB, was transported from Knittelfeld back to Waldenburg at the end of July 1979. The construction of the locomotive began immediately. When electrical operation was introduced in 1953, the previous vacuum brake system was replaced by the compressed air brake system. All vehicles had to be converted. For operational reasons, it was decided to also adapt number 5 to the new system. A steam-powered air pump is required for this. This "foreign body" was attached to the boiler at the front right in the direction of travel. In November 1979, the work had progressed so far that the number 5 could be steamed for the first time. Not all work was finished yet. The painting was still missing, and then various small jobs were still to be done.

G 3/3 number 5 G. Thommen (1902/1980), in Liestal, 2009

During the festivities in June 1980 to mark the anniversary of “100 years of the Waldenburgerbahn”, locomotive number 5, “G. Thommen »as an anniversary train through the Waldenburgertal. A passenger car, C2 number 6 (1881), also restored by the “Gédéon Thommen” working group, could be attached to it. The car from the “Wilhelminian era” was converted into “Salon Car As Number 24”. Locomotive “Number 5 G. Thommen” has been in service as a historic locomotive since 1980 and is looked after by the steam group of the Waldenburgerbahn.

Younger story

In 1974 the Waldenburgerbahn started preparations to join the BVB / BLT tariff association . As early as April 1, 1985, the environmental protection subscription was introduced, which proved to be a great success. Of the 871,803 passengers carried, 319,680 took advantage of this offer. From January 1, 1986, the Waldenburgerbahn was a member of the BVB / BLT tariff association and, from June 1, 1987, of the Northwestern Switzerland tariff association (TNW).

Shuttle train with multiple unit BDe 4/4 number 11, in Liestal station, 2009

Last logo of the former Waldenburgerbahn AG

From December 1985 to April 1986 the new shuttle trains, consisting of multiple units and control cars BDe 4/4 (with luggage compartment) and Bt, were delivered to the Waldenburgerbahn. The new trains proved themselves right away. The required company postulates could be achieved. The passenger numbers developed more than expected. Between January and June 1986, 35.2% more passengers were carried than in the same period in 1985. The number of passengers rose steadily. The shuttle trains soon reached their capacity limits. On October 18, 1992, the district administrator approved a follow-up order for three more railcars and six control cars of the same type, financed with federal aid. The first second-generation shuttle train went into operation as early as December 1992. The remaining vehicles followed by March 1993. This is evidenced by the increasing number of passengers. In 1998 over 1,600,000 passengers were carried.

On August 24, 1988, two trains collided head-on below the Altmarkt stop on the open route. 2 people were killed and 14 others injured.

In 2002, on the occasion of the Federal Gymnastics Festival , the Waldenburgerbahn and buses carried 75,000 visitors from Liestal to the Bad Bubendorf gymnastics center and back on two weekends, the train operated with extra-long compositions and every 7½ minutes. During Euro 2008 , shuttle trains were used every 15 minutes between Liestal and Bad Bubendorf as the location of the 9th stadium fan camp.

Route and operation

The single-track Waldenburgerbahn served eleven en-route stations until 2021, with Talhaus, Hölstein Süd, Hölstein Weidbächli, Hirschlang and Oberdorf Winkelweg being demand stops . The route is integrated into the Northwestern Switzerland Tariff Association (TNW). It has had line number 19 since 2016, following the Basel tram lines operated by BVB or BLT. However, this is not written on the vehicles, as there is no risk of confusion due to the lack of a direct connection with the tram network.

From spring to autumn, the Waldenburgerbahn offered historic trips with the only operational steam locomotive number 5 Gédéon Thommen from 1902. Due to legal requirements and the resulting necessary adjustments to the vehicles, the steam train operations ended in 2015. A second steam locomotive of the Waldenburgerbahn has been preserved. Locomotive number 6 Waldenburg from 1912 is in an inoperable condition in the Swiss Museum of Transport (VHS) in Lucerne. Number 6 has been owned by the VHS since 1958.

Conversion to meter gauge

Since the replacement of the rolling stock was planned from 2015 to 2017, re- gauging to meter gauge was checked again. Meter gauge vehicles can be procured more cheaply. This would also enable a connection with the BLT tram line 14 Basel - Pratteln , which currently ends in Pratteln-Dorf. In October 2010, for example, the building and planning commission prepared a report for the district administrator of the canton of Basel-Landschaft . Because of this, the district administrator decided at that time to stay with the current operating mode and gauge until 2030. Only the substructure should continue to be prepared for the meter gauge when renovating engineering structures or when working on the railway line. In 2012, the federal government and SBB decided to expand Liestal station to a four-lane system.

In 2015, the building and planning commission drew up another report to the district administrator. Based on this, the District Administrator approved on December 17, 2015 with a clear increase in the number of votes that the Waldenburgerbahn should be changed from 750 mm to meter gauge. The construction program planned by the federal government and SBB will be implemented between 2017 and 2025. Due to the existing Liestal train station building, the track systems can only be extended to the south. As a result, the track of the Waldenburgerbahn between Frenkenbündten and Liestal station has to be moved up to twelve meters to the south.

The existing vehicles therefore had to continue driving for a few more years. The historic steam locomotive with passenger and freight cars could not be changed to meter gauge for cost reasons . Since autumn 2018, they have been on display in a specially built shed at the newly renovated Talhaus stop. Also in autumn 2018, BLT, together with AVA, tendered the procurement of 18 new multiple units. The order went to Stadler from Bussnang (CH) . The BLT ordered ten, the AVA eight multiple units of the Tramlink model .

On April 6, 2021, the railway was temporarily taken out of service. The new meter-gauge railway is scheduled to start operating in December 2022. All of the old rolling stock (seven railcars and ten control cars) was sold to the Slovak Schwarzgranbahn in April 2020 for 80,000 francs ; the switch material went to the Austrian Zillertal Railway for tens of thousands of francs .

Timetable

Since the timetable change in December 2008, the Waldenburgerbahn had a clearly different symmetry time ; this was about five minutes later than usual. Train crossings took place in Altmarkt, Bad Bubendorf, Lampenberg-Ramlinsburg, Hölstein, Hirschlang or Winkelweg, depending on the timetable. The basic hourly cycle runs from Liestal at minute: 35 and from Waldenburg at minute: 06, the intermediate runs from Liestal at minute: 05 and from Waldenburg at minute: 36. Up until April 2021, the Waldenburgerbahn offered an approximate half-hourly service on weekdays, with a 15-minute service at peak times (47 journeys in each direction); only at the end of the day it was thinned out at hourly intervals. The travel time was 24 minutes for the entire route.

BDe 4/4 13 "Hölstein" in Hölstein (2019)

Rolling stock

Railcar BFe 4/4 from 1953 in Niederdorf, around 1979

BDe 4/4 16 in the Talhaus stop, which was modernized in 2018 (2019)

Post and baggage car DZ 70 (1959), parked in Bieringen (Jagst), 2009

Steam locomotives

• G 2/2 No. 1 Dr. Bider , SLM (1880), canceled in 1928.
• G 2/2 No. 2 Rehhag , SLM (1880), sold in 1913.
• G 3/3 No. 3 Dubs , Krauss (1882), broken off in 1940.
• G 3/3 No. 4 Waldenburg , SLM (1887), broken off in 1910.
• G 3/3 No. 4 Langenbruck , SLM (1910), 1953 broken off.
• G 3/3 No. 5 G. Thommen (1902) SLM , erected as a memorial in the station area in Liestal 1961–1975, since 1980 operational steam locomotive again . Out of service since the end of 2015, refurbished again for goodbye drives from the 750 mm track in 2018.
• G 3/3 No. 6 Waldenburg , SLM (1912). Owned by the Swiss Museum of Transport (VHS) Lucerne since 1958 , exhibited in a non-operational condition.
• G 4/5 No. 7 SLM (1938), canceled in 1960.

Passenger cars

• Passenger car C2 No. 6 (1881), since 1980 as As No. 24 again in green.
• Passenger car C4 No. 48 (1937), since 1980 as B4 No. 48 again in green.
• Passenger car C4 No. 49 (1953), installed in Bubendorf from 1992 to 1999, again in green as B4 No. 49 since 2001.
• Passenger car B4 No. 50 (1953), again in green since 1994.
• Passenger car B4 No. 51 (1968), again in green since 1995.

Railcar and control car

• Railcar BDe 4/4 1 to 3, SWP / BBC (1953), formerly CFe 4/4, given away to the Mariazellerbahn in 1992/93 , broken off in Prora in 2000 (EBG bankruptcy estate).
• Railcar BDe 4/4 11 to 14 (1986), 15 to 17 (1993), 2020/21 sold to the Schwarzgranbahn .
• Control cars Bt 111 to 114 (1986), 115 to 120 (1993), 2020/21 sold to the Schwarzgranbahn.
• 10 seven-part Tramlink multiple units, delivery by December 2022.

Mail and baggage trolleys

• Post and baggage car DZ 70 (1959) SIG / WB, built from parts of the passenger car BC4 No. 12 (1891). From 1992 with the Mariazellerbahn , but not in use there. With the Jagsttalbahn since 2000

literature

• Friedrich Gysin, Alex Amstein: Waldenburgerbahn - the narrow-gauge railway in the Jura in Basel. Dietschi, 2000, ISBN 978-3-905404-14-2 .
• Hans Leupin: 100 years of the Waldenburg Railway 1880–1980. Waldenburgerbahn, 1980.
• Jeanmaire Claude: The Waldenburger Bahn. Eisenbahn Verlag, Villigen (CH) 1978, ISBN 3-85649-040-X .

Web links

Commons : Waldenburgerbahn  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• BLT: new railway for the Waldenburgertal

Individual evidence

1. ↑ A new railway for the Waldenburgertal. In: blt.ch. Retrieved May 6, 2018 . 
2. ↑ The BLT and the Waldenburgerbahn merged. In: Bahnonline.ch. December 24, 2016, accessed May 6, 2018 . 
3. ↑ Waldenburgerbahn merged with BLT . In: railway magazine . No. 8 , 2016, ISSN  0342-1902 , p. 39 .
4. ↑ The idea of ​​a horse-drawn tram came from Martin Bider from Langenbruck .
5. ↑ from the Swiss Central Railway (SCB)
6. ↑ from the "International Society for Mountain Railways" in Aarau
7. ↑ These were popularly called Bregg .
8. ↑ The milk cans delivered by the farmers were taken to Liestal on low side cars.
9. ↑ 100 years of the Waldenburgerbahn 1880–1980. P. 60.
10. ↑ The Federal Office of Transport (EAV) was renamed the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) in 1980
11. ↑ The C1-n2t, class U, was originally built for the narrow-gauge railway Röwersdorf - Hotzenplotz . It last operated on the Steyrtalbahn
12. ↑ The composition has been owned by EUROVAPOR since 1969.
13. ^ Accident de train à Liestal: un mort et quatorze blessés. In: Journal de Genève. August 25, 1988, p. 13 , accessed November 14, 2013 (French, with photo). 
14. ↑ Public transport in the Salina-Raurica - Liestal - Waldenburg area from October 14, 2010, accessed on April 10, 2016
15. ↑ Media information from the Building and Environmental Protection Directorate ( Memento from June 10, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) from September 16, 2009. (PDF; 33 kB) Retrieved on April 10, 2016
16. ^ Report of the building and planning commission ( memento of April 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) of December 7, 2015. Retrieved on April 10, 2016
17. ↑ BLT magazine on the new construction of the Waldenburgerbahn. Retrieved October 30, 2018 . 
18. ↑ This is the new "Waldenburgerli". BaZ, accessed on October 30, 2018 . 
19. ↑ Katrin Hauser: Wehmut im Oberbaselbiet - Tonight the «Waldenburgerli» is going for the last time. Basler Zeitung , April 5, 2021, accessed on April 5, 2021 . 
20. ↑ Last ride Waldenburgerbahn - the narrowest narrow-gauge railway in Switzerland goes to the siding. Swiss radio and television , April 5, 2021, accessed on April 5, 2021 . 
21. ↑ The narrowest Swiss narrow-gauge railway goes out of service for renovation. SWI swissinfo.ch , April 5, 2021, accessed on April 5, 2021 . 
22. ↑ Andreas Hirsbrunner: The Waldenburgerli becomes Slovak - all of the rolling stock is sold for 80,000 francs. bzbasel.ch, April 22, 2020, accessed on April 24, 2020 . 
23. ↑ Farewell by steam at the Waldenburgerli . In: The Museum Railway . No. 4 , 2018, ISSN  0936-4609 , p. 11 .