Swiss Railways Six Decades of Change

Description

Swiss Railways Six Decades of Change
There is something about the railways of Switzerland that draws the enthusiast towards them.It may be,for example,the sheer splendour of the countryside through which they operate.It may be the skills employed in constructing the railway routes through the inhospitable and complex landscape of the country.It may be simply the sheer variety of lines-standard and narrow gauge;conventional and rack;funicular and cable car-with which the country is well served.Or it may simply be a reflection of the efficiency for which Switzerland is noted at a time when the railways of other countries struggle to maintain punctuality.Whatever the reason,Swiss railways have long been one of the most popular destinations for enthusiasts travelling in Europe. Philip J.Kelley can lay claim to being perhaps amongst the first generation of British enthusiasts to travel widely in Switzerland.For more than 60 years he has been heading regularly to the country and,over these years,has been recording the changing nature of Swiss railway operation.When he first visited,steam was still visible on the main line and many routes were still operated with the rolling stock that they had when first electrified.These were recorded in both mono and in colour,providing a unique portrait of Swiss railways and other forms of transport over many years.These images have been supplemented by historic postcards from the author’s collection to provide a superb overview of the history of railways in Switzerland.