Hi, guys, it’s me Driverwoods#1787 and I present to the community the Pilatus Bahn the world's steepest Rack Railway. Contents Description Map Timetable Rolling Stock DLC Pictures Videos Final Thoughts Description The Pilatus Bahn runs for 4.618km from Alpnachstad to Pilatus Kulm using the Locher Rack System and track gauge of 800mm 80cm 8 dm. The route was opened on 4 June 1889 using steam locomotives and was electrified on 15 May 1937 with 1.5-1.6kv DC with the Bhe ½ 21-28 which was built from 1937. The railway is open from May to November. From 4 June 1889- 15 May 1937 route was operated by Steam Railcars in addition to the locomotives. Locations for them are the Swiss Transport Museum and Deutsche Museum Munchen. Locher Rack Railway has the tooth placed sideways to prevent the locomotive driving teeth from out of alignment. Sources were the Pilatus Bahn Website technical information History and Railway Wikipedia article. Map Taken from the Pilatus Bahn website shows Luzern Hb (present in game as the Terminal for Luzern Sursee Route S1 S-Bahn Luzern Zug Erstfeld) Zentrabahn and Mount Pilatus including the Rack Railway Lake Luzern (For the German Language TSW 2 community the Vierwaldstättersee link is from the German Wikipedia) and Cable Car the dragons Ride. Timetable The 2022 Time Table Shows the first ascending service leaving Alpnachstad at 08:10 CET and arriving at Pilatus Kulm at 08:40 CET (Which correlates to EST TSW routes OSD SPG NEC Boston Providence TSW 2020 NEC Newark, NJ New Rochelle, NY LIRR Harlem Line 02:10 to 02:40) For the UK routes ECW SEHS NTP TVL WCL Glasgow Cathcart Circle this corresponds to (07:10 to 07:40 GMT). This pattern continues until the last ascending trip the 17:10 CET Alpnachstad 17:40 CET (11:10 -11:40 EST 16:10-16:40 GMT) Pilatus Kulm. Ascending trips from Alpnachstad take 30 minutes. For the Descending Trips from Pilatus Kulm to Alpnachstad first trip is at 08:45 CET(07:45 GMT 02:45 EST) from Pilatus Kulm arrival at Alpnachstad is at 09:25 CET (08:25 GMT 03:25 EST) and the last trip occurs at 17:45 CET (16:45 GMT UK Time 11:45 EST US Canada Atlantic Ocean Side) Pilatus Kulm arr Alpnachstad 18:25 CET (17:25 GMT 12:25 EST). The duration for the Descent trips is 40 minutes Source is the Pilatus Bahn Website for the 2022 Time Table Rolling Stock Note: All Pilatus Bahn Trains are limited to 9-12 kmh (5.5mph-7.5 mph) for Ascent Decent speed is 9 km (5.5 mph). Voltage is 1.5-1.6 Kv DC. Capacity is 10 railcars for 40 passengers for Bhe ½ Sources are Pilatus Bahn Website Technical information & Railfan Europe Bhe ½ These are Built from 1937-1968 these are numbered from 21-28 & 30. Two will be used as museum trains when Bhe 2/2 comes in full services Ohe ½ sed by Pilatus Bahn for Freight duties on the railway to and from Alpnachstad and Pilatus Kulm DLC Bhe 2/2 Built from 2021-2023 This will Replace the Older 1937-1968 Bhe ½ trains Exterior Technical Information from Calag AG written in Swiss German Max Speed 15 kmh uphill down hill 12 kmh Interior Video Pictures Bhe ½ at Pilatus Kulm taken by JurgenG Alpnachstad Terminus of the Line junction with Zentralbahn the Luzern Interlaken Rack Railway and Lake Lucerne Ferry Taken by Alpohi Alpnachstad Station Platform area includes the transfer table to turn trains around taken by Audriusa The entire line does not use ballasted track instead it’s on a slab track with locher rack system. Taken by Audriusa Videos SWR Stuttgart Mainz Ramstein AFB Kaiserslautern Documentary on Pilatus Bahn Pilatus Bahn Advertisment on the electrification 1937 Video is by James Wilford from 2016 Uphill on the Pilatus Bahn Bhe 2/2 Summer 2021 Final Thoughts Pilatus Bahn is a Swiss Rack Railway that must be added to Train Sim World 2. For Various Reasons, the first reason is that this is a railway line that has a gradient of 48% which is double the steepness of Spessart Rampe Heigenbrucken Laufach on Main Spessart Bahn which is 22% grade. In addition to that one this offers unique rolling stock that is 200mm narrower than the arosa line 1000mm track gauge and slower than them. Since Bhe ½ freight train Ohe ½ DLC train Bhe 2/2 are limited to 12 kmh uphill and downhill unlike the Rhb Ge 4/4 II which runs downhill and uphill at 20-50kmh on the Arosa Line. Which Holds the title of TSW 2 narrow-gauge line. For the Marketing Team Pilatus Bahn Switzerland can be sold as a bundle with other rack railways US Mount Washington UK Snowdown Mountain Railway Germany Stuttgart Rack Railway or the Bavarian Zugspitze Railway as a Train Sim World 2 Mountain Railways pack. Provided DTG simgraph can simulate different rack railway systems these are Riggenbach Stuttgart and Bavaria Abt Rack System Snowdon Mountain Railway Wales UK Marsh Rack System US Mount Washington Railroad and Switzerland Pilatus Bahn for the same price as a normal route. On a more personal note, I was influenced by two reasons to make this suggestion for Train Sim World 2 one of these was my 17-year-old brother's trip to Luzern and Pilatus Bahn. Followed by a documentary by Science Channel on the railway itself which explains the Tap Changer system on Bhe 1/2. To make it more fun Pilatus Bahn can also host existing trains from the game which are only adhesion based if off-the-rails mode is enabled to see if they can handle the 48% gradient.To sum it up Pilatus Railway combines the mountain railway narrow gauge and slow speed action seen on Arosa Line with the new function being a rack railway. In addition it can serve as a test route for existing locomotives to see if they can handle the steep gradients. Overall these are the reasons why Pilatus Bahn should be made for Train Sim World 2.
I would love this for Train Sim! I've ridden this railway before. It was one of the most amazing and beautiful I've ever been on in my life. The views as you progress are amaKng all around. I have been dying for them to add Pilatus Bahn. I wonder if maybe we should contact Pilatus Bahn ourselves if you want to draft a letter together encouraging them to reach out to Train Sim World to partner with them for this and sort of offer to try to help them make it happen. It would be one of the best and having Pilatus Bahn directly involved in this DLC would make it that much better and that much more historically and physically accurate to the actual route.
Nice suggestion, but you should also consider if the rolling stock for the route is driveable because if it's not then DTG can't consider this route to come to TSW5.
