- Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans
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Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans 
MVR Beh 2/4 72 leaving Lally in
MU behind 71 and 224 towards
the Les Pléiades terminus on 20 May 2007Technical Line length 10.51 km (6.53 mi) Track gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) Electrification 900 V DC overhead contact Highest elevation 1,348 m (4,423 ft) Rack system Blonay - Les Pléiades = Abt 
MVR Beh 2/4 71 and Bt 224 arriving from Les Pléiades in MU behind 72, Sunday, 20 May 2007
MVR BDeh 2/4 73 and Bt 221 on 20 May 2007 in Blonay. 71-75 originally were identical.
MVR Bt 223 and BDeh 2/4 74 in Vevey on 6 May 2005
MVR Gk 35, 36 and 38 in Vevey on 8 October 2006The Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV) built and operated narrow gauge lines from Vevey to Blonay, Chamby, Châtel-St-Denis and Les Pléiades. The first section to see service, that from Vevey to Chamby, was opened on 1 October 1902. Next section was the branch line from St-Légier to Châtel–St-Denis that opened on 2 April 1904. On 8 July 1911 the rack line from Blonay to Les Pléiades was opened.
On 23 November 1911 Blonay was also reached by the Clarens - Chailly - Blonay electric tramway operated by a separate company (CCB). This closed at the end of 1955, being replaced by buses.
The lines were constructed to a gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) and electrified from the outset. Presently it operates on 900 V DC, overhead contact. Train services were offered from Vevey to Chamby and Châtel-St-Denis, where the CEV connected to the MOB and GFM (now tpf). The electric motor coach from Vevey to Chamby conveyed coaches to Blonay, where they were taken over by a rack locomotive and brought up to Les Pléiades.
On 22 May 1966 the section Blonay–Chamby was closed, followed by St-Légier–Châtel-St-Denis on 31 May 1969. While the Châtel-St-Denis branch was torn up, track to Chamby remained. Railway enthusiasts formed an association which could set up a weekend museum operation starting on 20 July 1968. On 24 May 1998 CEV reintroduced regular trains but stopped these services again two years later because of low patronage. The infrastructure was always owned by CEV and the museum trains operate in open access.
Of the remaining open sections, the Vevey to Blonay line is 5.72 km (3.55 mi) long and from there to Les Pléiades a further 4.79 km (2.98 mi). In that 10.51 km (6.53 mi). the line rises some 962 m (3,156 ft) reaching 1,348 m (4,423 ft) at Les Pléiades.
The line has its own workshops at Vevey although much work is undertaken at the MOB's Chernex works and also a small depot at Blonay.
In 2001 CEV was merged into the Transports Montreux-Vevey-Riviera (MVR) which is managed and operated by the MOB management under their Golden Pass Services banner.
Contents
Locomotives, Railcars and Rolling Stock
No. Name Class Builders details Date Built Notes. 1 HGe2/2 SLM/MFO/SIG 1911 Rebuilt 2007, red livery, lettered 'Blonay-Les Pléiades' (Note 5) 2 HGe2/2 SLM/MFO/SIG 1911 Red & White livery, lettered 'Blonay-Les Pléiades' 3 HGe2/2 SLM/MFO/SIG 1913 Withdrawn 1984. 71 BDeh2/4 SWP/SAAS 1970 Rack & Adhesion. Rebuilt (see below) 71 Beh2/4 Rebuilt from above 1999 Train des Etoiles (Silver with stars) livery, single cab, permanently coupled to Bt 224 72 BDeh2/4 SWP/SAAS/BBC 1970 Rack & Adhesion. Rebuilt (see below) 72 Beh2/4 Rebuilt from above 2002 Astro Pléiades livery, double ended (2 cabs) 73 BDeh2/4 SWP/SAAS/BBC 1970 Rack & Adhesion, red & white livery (Note 3) 74 BDeh2/4 SWP/SAAS/BBC 1970 Rack & Adhesion, red & white livery 75 BDeh2/4 SWP/SAAS/BBC 1983 Rack & Adhesion, red & white livery 81 Te2/2 SWS/MFO/CEV 1963 Built in 1963 using parts from retired Luzern trams. Often found at Chernex working as "works shunter". 82 Te2/2 SWS/MFO/CEV 1938 Built on frame of wagon K 39 and used spare motors from 101 series 91 Xrot SWS/CEV/Boschung 1910/66 ex-L 401 Snowplough(Note 2) 101 Blonay BCFe4/4 SWS/MFO/CEV 1903 Rebuilt 1949. Scrapped 1983 102 BCFe4/4 SWS/MFO/CEV 1903 Scrapped 1975 103 BCFe4/4 SWS/MFO/CEV 1903 Rebuilt 1951. Scrapped 2010 104 Vevey BCFe4/4 SWS/MFO/CEV 1905 Rebuilt 1945. Scrapped 1973 105 BCFe4/4
BDe4/4SWS/MFO 1913 Rebuilt 1964, not in running order, being restored as historic vehicle 221 Bt SWP/SAAS 1976 Driving Trailer 222 Bt SWP/SAAS 1976 Driving Trailer. 223 Bt ACMV/BBC/SIG 1981 Driving Trailer- used parts including bogies from coach 211 built by SIG,1949, 2009 sold to TPC
224 Bt ACMV/BBC/SIG 1990 Driving Trailer - used parts including bogies from coach 212 built by SIG,1949. Burnt out 1996(see below) 224 Bt R+J/MOB/ABB 1999 Driving Trailer, bogies SIG, 1949, frame rebodied and rebuilt with low floor, 1999, used as trailer car with rebuilt No. 71 7001 Vevey Be2/6 Stadler/ACMV/Adtranz/SLM 1997 Note 1 7002 St Legier La Chiesaz Be2/6 Stadler/ACMV/Adtranz/SLM 1997 Note 1 7003 Blonay Be2/6 Stadler/ACMV/Adtranz/SLM 1998 Note 1 7004 Montreux Be2/6 Stadler/ACMV/Adtranz/SLM 1998 Note 1 - Note 1: This class are labeled Chemin de fer Léger de la Riviera, Two of them are usually to be found working on the Vevey - Blonay line whilst the other two are found working from Montreux. The numbering scheme used is that of MOB.
- Note 2: Rotary plough blowers by Boschung Schmitten on downhill end, double plough blades in 'V' formation at uphill end, mounted on underframe of L 401.
- Note 3: This railcar was the first to be released from works with the new "golden pass" logo. The lower panel, below the main saloon, was repainted in red and the cream coloured logo applied.(First week in May 2010).
- Note 4: Motor coaches 101–105 delivered as BCFe 4/4 (2nd and 3rd class plus luggage, adhesion only), became ABFe 4/4 in 1956, ABDe 4/4 in 1963 and BDe 4/4 in 1970, when first class was abolished on CEV.
- Note 5: Locomotives 1–3 were delivered as HGe 2/2 for rack & adhesion. 1950/51 they were rebuilt to rack only and became thus He 2/2.
Abbreviations
- ABB = ABB Group
- ACMV = Ateliers de constructions mécaniques de Vevey
- BBC = Brown, Boveri & Cie
- CEV = Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans
- MFO = Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon
- MOB = Montreux-Oberland Bernois
- R+J = Ramseier + Jenzer
- SAAS = Société Anonyme des Ateliers de Sécheron, Geneva
- SIG = Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
- SLM = Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works, Winterthur
- SWP = Schindler Waggon Pratteln
Weblinks
Sources
- Michel Grandguillaume, Gérald Hadorn, Jean Paillard, Jean-Louis Rochaix: Crémaillères et funiculaires vaudois. BVA, Lausanne 1982, ISBN 2-88125-002-5
- Michel Grandguillaume, Gérald Hadorn, Sébastien Jarne, Jean-Louis Rochaix: Voies étroites de Veveyse et de Gruyère. BVA, Lausanne 1984, ISBN 2-88125-003-3
- Rochaix et al.: Chemins de fer privés vaudois 1873 - 2000. Editions La Raillère, CH-1092 Belmont 2000, ISBN 2-88125-011-4
- Rochaix et al.: Chemins de fer privés vaudois 2000 - 2009. Editions La Raillère, CH-1092 Belmont 2009, ISBN 978-2-88125-012-5
References
www.blonaychamby.ch (Histoire du chemin de fer Vevey-Blonay-Chamby de 1902 á 2002)
Categories:- Railway lines in Switzerland
- Former railway companies of Switzerland
- Metre gauge railways in Switzerland
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