Ok, folks. I see you are really hot for more pics from Switzerland. Here`s the first one. It was taken in 1997 in Erstfeld, when the private owned steamer Mikado 1244R was on an excursion trip during the 150 year Swiss railways celebration. Have fun Stefan
As you know, steam locomotives needs a lot of coal (or oil) and water. In Erstfeld, the locomotive was cut from the train for taking water and oil. Yes it`s an oilburner. Stefan
And the last one. If you`re interested for more information about this beauty, check this page. Mikado 1244R Regards Stefan Railfan`s Homepage
Thanks for posting these great pics Stefan. I saw this French Mikado at work on the Gotthard in 1997 and it was truly impressive. The sound of it's exhaust bouncing off the mountains will be something I never forget. Here are a couple of my photos taken at Mezzovico and Airolo. John
Great shots John. What a coincidence. I was at the same day in Airolo just a few hundreds meter away from you I sat with my videocamera at the big curve after the short tunnel just south of Airolo. You are right with the exeptional sound. I felt the vibration from the burner in the air when the mikado was in the tunnel. And as an extra bonus, the engineer gave me a wave with the unforgettable whistle. Stefan
That's quite a handsome locomotive. Very clean smooth lines. Looks like it is sitting on a transfer table. That's one operation I have only seen from a distance. Would sure like to see one operate from a close up viewpoint. Boxcab E50
Yes it sits on the transfer table but it was not necessary to move it. As an employee of Swiss Federal Railways I had an easy access to this place. Stefan Railfan`s Homepage
That is a really beautiful and impressive locomotive. French locomotives have a very distinctive look. It has also been restored beautifully. Is it kept in Switzerland? The video clips are very impressive also
