# Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway

The Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway (French: Chemin de fer-musée Blonay-Chamby, BC) is a short 3-kilometre-long (1.9 mi) steep but adhesion worked metre gauge heritage railway operated as part of the Blonay–Chamby Railway Museum using vintage steam and electric locomotives and rolling stock. It uses the Blonay–Chamby railway line, originally built by the Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans. It is rail-connected at both ends, at its upper terminus, at Chamby Station on the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line and at the lower end at Blonay station on the Vevey–Les Pléiades railway line operated by Transports Montreux–Vevey–Riviera.

## History and aims

The Blonay–Chamby Railway and Museum was opened in 1968 with the aims of operating the metre gauge railway line from Blonay to Chamby and in doing so preserving railway equipment of technical or historic value. For this purpose the Blonay–Chamby Railway built two motive power and carriage depots at Chaulin, a short distance from its upper terminus. They house what is generally regarded as the largest and most representative collection of preservation metre gauge rolling stock in the world.

## The museum line

The Blonay–Chamby Museum Railway is a railway preservation group staffed entirely by volunteers who operate trains each Saturday and Sunday between May and October. Vintage steam and electric hauled trains depart from Blonay and climb slowly through a spectacular environment with fine views over Lake Geneva and the Alps. After reversing at or just before Chamby, the trains terminate at the museum site, where visitors can explore stationary exhibits.
A further part of the remit of the preservation group is the encouragement of local and regional tourism and tourist traffic on adjacent lines. The services from Blonay to Chamby and back are included in the Swiss National Railways Timetable.

## The museum collection

As of autumn 2021 was home to over 70 items of rolling stock, listed below:

### Steam locomotives
#### Steam railway locomotives

| No. | Name | Class | Cyls. | Built by | Works No. | Date built | Previous owners | Notes |
| 1 | Le Doubs | G 3/3 | OC | SLM | 618 | 1890 | RdB (Regional des Brenets [fr]), CMN (Chemins de fer des Montagnes Neuchateloises [fr]) | On loan from Swiss Transport Museum Luzern. Not operational |
| 3 | | HG 3/4 | OC | SLM | 2317 | 1913 | BFD, FO | Abt rack In service. |
| 5 | Bercher | G 3/3 | OC | SACM | 4172 | 1890 | LEB, Energie Ouest Suisse [fr], Hilti & Jehle, Feldkirch. | used by EOS to build Dixence Dam. In service. |
| 6 | | G 3/3 | OC | SLM | 1341 | 1901 | Brünigbahn/Jura-Simplon JS 909, SBB 109, BAM No.6, Scierie Renfer, Bienne. | Under restoration |
| 23 | | G 3/5 | OC | MTM | 282 | 1926 | Olot–Girona railway | Not operational. |
| 104 | Zell | G 2x3/3 | OC | Hanomag | 10437 | 1925 | SEG | Mallet design, 0-6-6-0T, Compound. Under restoration. |
| 105 | Todtnau | G 2x2/2 | OC | MBG | 2051 | 1918 | Haspe–Voerde–Breckerfeld Light Railway, | Mallet design, 0-4-4-0T, Compound. In service. |
| 99 193 | | G 5/5 | OC | MFE | 4183 | 1927 | DR, DB. | Stationary, repainted in grey livery |

#### Steam tramway locomotives

| Picture | No. | Name | Class | Cyls. | Built by | Works No. | Date built | Previous owners | Notes |
| | 4 | Rimini | G 2/2 | OC | Krauss | 4278 | 1900 | Ferrovie e Tramvie Padane (FTP), Ferrara-Codigoro and Rimini-Novafeltria. | In service |
| | 7 | | G 2/4 | System Brown | SLM | 316 | 1882 | Mulhouse Tramways | Stationary |

### Electric locomotives, railcars and trams
#### Locomotives

| No. | Name | Class | Built by | Works No. | Date built | Previous owners | Notes |
| 2 | La Grisette | He 2/2 | SLM / CIE | | 1899 | Bex–Villars–Bretaye (BVB) | Abt rack functional but only the rack wheel is driven. |
| 29 | - | HGe 3/3 | SLM / MFO | | 1926 | Bernese Oberland railway (BOB) | Riggenbach rack, in service |
| 75 | - | Ge 4/4 | SLM / MFO | 2328 | 1913 | Georg Fischer (+GF+) | temporarily out of service |
| 81 | - | Ge 4/4 | SLM / BBC | | 1916 | Berninabahn (BB), Rhaetian Railway (RhB) | in service |

#### Railcars

| No. | Name | Class/type | Built by | Works No. | Date built | Previous owners | Notes |
| 4 | - | BCFe 2/2 | SIG / MFO | | 1928 | Ex-Sernftalbahn (SeTB) | historical picture, acquired 1969, under restoration to operational state. |
| 6 | Valais | BCFeh 4/4 | SLM / SIG / EGA | 146 | 1909 | Ex-Monthey–Champéry–Morgins railway (MCM) | Abt rack, operational |
| 10 | - | BCFeh 4/4 | SLM / SWS / BBC | | 1914 | Loèche–Loèche-les-Bains railway (LLB) | Abt rack, operational |
| 11 | les sept à vingt | BCFe 4/4 | SIG / EGA | 2191 | 1903 | Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line, | operational |
| 12 | - | Ce 2/2 | Ringhoffer / EAG | | 1907 | Langenthal–Jura railway (LJB), Oberaargau–Jura railway (OJB) | built in Prague |
| 35 | - | ABe 4/4$^I$ | SIG / SAAS / MFO | | 1908 | Bernina railway (BB), Rhaetian Railway (RhB) | restoration 2024, operational |
| 105 | - | ABDe 4/4 | SWS / MFO | | 1913 | Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV) | historical picture, acquired 2017, unrestored. |
| 2002 | - | DZe 6/6 | SIG / BBC | 2703 | 1932 | Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line | acquired 2008, operational |

#### Trams

| No. | Name | Class/type | Built by | Date built | Previous owners | Notes |
| 7 | - | Ce 2/2 | Rat / CIE | 1904 | Tramway de Fribourg (TF) | stationary |
| 28 | - | Ce 2/3 | SWS / SAAS | 1913 | Tramways Lausannois (TL) | in service |
| 31 | - | Ze 2/2 | SIG / EGA | 1914 | Rheintalische Strassenbahn (Rhine Valley Tramways) (RhSt) | stationary |
| 52 | - | Ce 2/2 | SWS / MFO | 1914 | Städtische Strassenbahn, Bern (SSB) | in service |
| 76 | - | Ce 2/2 | SIG / MFO | 1911 | Tramways de Neuchâtel (TN) | stationary |
| 151 | - | Fe 4/4 | SIG / S&H | 1911 | Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE) | in service |

### Passenger coaches
#### Railway passenger coaches

| No. | Name | Class/type | Built by | Date built | Previous owners | Notes |
| 2 | - | As$^2$ | SIG | 1903 | Ex-Rhaetian Railway Bernina Line (RhB) | acquired 1972, last restoration 2023, in service |
| 6 | Kaiserwagen | B$^3$ | SIG | 1901 | Bernese Oberland railway (BOB), Modelleisenbahnfreunde Eiger Zweilütschinen (MEFEZ) | Riggenbach rack, acquired 2013, in service |
| 7 | - | C$^4$ | ANF | 1910 | Chemin de fer Vicinaux de la Haute-Saône (CFV), Morez-La Cure (MLC), Nyon–St-Cergue–Morez railway (NStCM) | acquired 1993, in service |
| 10 | - | BC$^2$ | | 1908 | Monthey-Champéry-Morgins (MCM), Aigle-Ollon-Monthey-Champery (AOMC) | Abt rack, in service |
| 11 | - | BC$^2$ | SIG | 1890 | Régional des Brenets (RdB) | historical picture, acquired 1973 |
| 13 | - | C$^2$ | MAN | 1905 | Sernftalbahn (SeTB) | historical picture, ex BC$^2$ 13, acquired 1969 |
| 15 | - | ABCFZ$^4$ | De Dietrich | 1895 | Cie de l'Ouest, Chemins de fer de l'Etat (ETAT), Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer Francais (SNCF)/Réseau Breton (RB) | acquired 1968, in service |
| 20 | Reine Berthe | C$^2$ | Chevalier, Chailus & Cie à Paris | 1865 | Lausanne–Echallens–Bercher railway (LEB), original Mont Cenis Pass Railway | acquired 2016, in service |
| 21 | - | CF$^2$ | SIG | 1900 | Aigle–Leysin railway (AL) | Abt rack, acquired 1973, in service |
| 21 | - | BC$^2$ | SWS | 1902 | Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV) | acquired 1971, in service |
| 21 | Giardiniera | C$^2$ | SWS | 1911 | Lugano–Cadro–Dino railway (LCD) | acquired 1990, in service |
| 21 | - | CF$^2$ | SIG | 1890 | Régional des Brenets (RdB) | historical picture, acquired 1973 |
| 22 | - | BC$^4$ | SIG | 1915 | Loèche - Loèche-les-Bains (LLB) | Abt rack, acquired 1967, in service |
| 22 | - | BC$^4$ | SIG | 1902 | Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line | acquired 1971, in service |
| 23 | - | C$^2$ | SWS | 1903 | Gruyère–Fribourg–Morat railway (GFM) | acquired 1967, in service |
| 44 | - | C$^4$ | SIG | 1926 | Berner Oberland Bahn (BOB) | Riggenbach rack acquired 1967, in service |
| 61 | - | B$^4$ | SIG | 1906 | Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line | acquired 2016, in service |
| 121 | - | AB$^2$ | SIG | 1903 | Rhaetian Railway (RhB) | acquired 1972, in service |
| 171 | - | C$^4$ | Herbrand | 1891 | Mittelbadische Eisenbahn Gesellschaft (MEG) | acquired 1967, in service |

#### Tramway passenger coaches

| Picture | No. | Name | Class | Built by | Works No. | Date built | Previous owners | Notes |
| | 57 | - | C$^2$ | SIG | | 1930 | Tramway Vevey–Montreux–Chillon–Villeneuve (VMCV), Bex–Villars–Bretaye Railway (BVB) | acquired 1970, in service |
| | 370 | - | C$^4$ | SIG | | 1920 | Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE) | acquired 1967, in service |

#### Post and baggage coach

| Picture | No. | Name | Class | Built by | Works No. | Date built | Previous owners | Notes |
| | 36 | - | FZ$^2$ | SWS | | 1903 | Gruyère–Fribourg–Morat railway (GFM) | in service |

### Goods wagons

| No. | Name | Class | Built by | Date built | Previous owners | Notes |
| 30 | - | K | Kirchheim | 1874 | Schweizerische Lokalbahnen (SLB), Appenzeller Bahn (AB) | acquired 1968, stationary |
| 31 | - | K | MAN | 1905 | Sernftalbahn (SeTB) | acquired 1969, in service |
| 31 | - | K | SWS | 1910 | Tramways de Lausanne (TL) | acquired 1993, in service |
| 41 | - | K | SWS | 1915 | Leuk-Leukerbad railway (LLB) | Abt rack, acquired 1967, in service |
| 51 | - | M | SWS | 1915 | LLB | Abt rack, acquired 1967, in service |
| 60 | - | L | SWS | 1915 | LLB | Abt rack, acquired 1967, in service |
| 87 | - | K | SWS | 1912 | Aigle–Leysin railway (AL) | Abt rack, acquired 1977, in service |
| 101 | - | K | SIG | 1903 | Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line | acquired 2014, in service |
| 153 | - | L$^O$ | SIG | 1901 | MOB | acquired 2006, in service |
| 610 | - | K | SWS | 1904 | Gruyère–Fribourg–Morat railway (GFM) | in service |
| 672 | - | K | GFM | 1955 | GFM | acquired 2012 - on display at Vevey station |
| 706 | - | M | Busch | 1904 | MOB | acquired 2005, in service. |
| 712 | - | L | SWS | 1905 | GFM | acquired 2002, in service. |
| 810 | - | O | Busch | 1903 | MOB | acquired 1989, in service |

### Diesel locomotives, shunters and maintenance vehicles

| No. | Name | Class/type | Built by | Works No. | Date built | Previous owners | Notes |
| 1 | - | Tm 2/2 | O&K, Berlin | 20200 | 1930 | Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line, Holzwerk Rieder St. Stephan | in service |
| 3 | Biniou | Dm 2/2 | Billard | | | SNCF, Réseau Breton (RB) | under restoration |
| 926 | Bouc ("goat") | Te 2/2 | StStZ / MFO | | 1935 | Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich (VBZ) | Shunter, in service |
| | - | Dm 1/2 | | | | Rhaetian Railway (RhB) | Petrol Powered draisine |
| | - | Dd 1/2 | | | | Rhaetian Railway (RhB) | Hand driven draisine, operational |

### Rotary snowplough

| Picture | No. | Name | Class | Cyls. | Built by | Works No. | Date built | Former Owners | Notes |
| | 9214 | - | X$^{rotd}$ | OC | SLM | 2299 | 1912 | Bernina railway, Rhaetian Railway (RhB), Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstecke (DFB) | 0-6-6-0. moveable. The blade is operated with external steam supply. |

### Service coach and wagons

| No. | Name | Class/type | Built by | Date built | Former Owners | Notes |
| 1 | - | Xe 2/2 | SWS / MFO | 1915 | Tramway de Bienne (TrB) | Tank for fire service, under restoration |
| 52 | - | X$^2$ | | | Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV) | stationary. |
| 52 | - | X$^2$ | SWS | 1915 | Loèche–Loèche-les-Bains (LLB) | Abt rack, acquired 1967 as LLB M 52, since 2008 crane truck. Operational. |
| 466 | Trois Pattes | C$^3$ | SIG | 1889 | JBL C$^3$ 466, preceding Swiss Federal Railways, Brünig line X$^3$ 9951 | stationary. |

### Loaned-out rolling stock

| Picture | No. | Name | Class/type | Built by | Works No. | Date built | Previous owners | Notes |
| | 121 | Baladeuse | C$^4$ | Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Basel | | 1892 | Tramways de Neuchâtel (TN) | permanent loan to Musée du tram Neuchâtel, Association Neuchâteloise des Amis du Tramway (ANAT) |
| | 125 | - | Ce 2/2 | SIG / SAAS | | 1920 | Compagnie Genevoise des Tramways Électriques (CGTE) | permanent loan to Association Genevoise du Musée des Tramways (AGMT) |

### Former rolling stock

| No. | Name | Class/type | Built by | Date built | Previous owners | Current owners |
| 230 | - | C$^2$ | SWS | 1905 | Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat (GFM) | acquired 1969, taken over by GFM Historique in 2012 |
| 40 | - | K | SWS | 1915 | Loèche–Loèche-les-Bains railway (LLB) | Abt rack, acquired 1969, sold to the municipality of Inden, Switzerland, Switzerland in 2017 |
| 671 | - | K | GFM | 1955 | Gruyère–Fribourg–Morat railway (GFM) | taken over by GFM Historique in 2020, and exhibited at the Broc chocolate factory. |

### Abbreviations (selection)
#### Rolling stock manufacturers

* BBC : Brown, Boveri & Cie, Zurich
* CIE : Compagnie de l'Industrie Électrique, Geneva
* EAG : Elektrizitätsgesellschaft Alioth, Basel
* MFE : Maschinenfabrik Esslingen
* MFO : Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon, Zurich
* MGK : Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Karlsruhe
* MTM : Maquinista Terrestre y Marítima, Barcelona
* O&K : Orenstein & Koppel, Berlin
* Rat : Rathgeber, Munich
* SAAS : Société Anonyme des Ateliers de Sécheron, Geneva
* SIG : Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (Swiss Industrial Company)
* SLM : Schweizerische Lokomotiv- und Maschinenfabrik, Winterthur (Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works)
* SACM : Elsässische Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Grafenstaden (Grafenstaden Alsatian Engineering Company)
* SEG : Süddeutsche Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft (South German Railway Company), Darmstadt
* SWS : Schweizerische Wagons- und Aufzügefabrik AG Schlieren-Zürich (Swiss Wagon and Lift company)

#### Steam locomotive cylinders

* OC : Cylinders outside frames
* IC : Cylinders inside frames