History: Cogwheel railway

When engineer Eduard Locher put forward the idea of building a railway up to Mount Pilatus in the 19th century, many people thought he was crazy. Nevertheless, the 4618-metre stretch of railway from Alpnachstad to the Pilatus Kulm (summit) was opened in 1889 (steam operation to 1937). When engineer Eduard Locher put forward the idea of building a railway up to Mount Pilatus in the 19th century, many people thought he was crazy. Nevertheless, the 4618-metre stretch of railway from Alpnachstad to the Pilatus Kulm (summit) was opened in 1889 (steam operation to 1937).

Eduard Locher-Freuler (courtesy to Locher AG, Zurich - www.locher-ag.ch)

In the 19th century, visitors to Mount Pilatus had become so many as to suggest the building of a mountain railway. Seen from an economical point of view, this idea was absolutely justified, far Mt. Pilatus now had an international reputation as a unique view-point, and by now it was dear that Switzerland was on its way towards a boom in tourist traffic. In 1871/72, a 'blue print' of the Pilatus Railway was worked out by order of the Creditanstalt of Lucerne. The projected line from Alpnachstad or Niederstad to Pilatus Kulm would have reached a length of 8,750 km, with a maximum gradient of 25 %. This plan, however, was given up owing to the high building costs which were involved in negotiating the much ridged terrain.

Then came the invention of the cog-wheel system by Colonel Eduard Locher-Freuler of Zurich (1840-1910), who was an important building engineer, constructor of numerous bridges, water-works and especially railways. This brought the idea of a railway construction up Mount Pilatus at the beginning of the eighties well into the range of possibility. With the help of this system it became possible to conquer gradients of up to 48 %, which solved many problems involved in choosing the route.

Together with his brother-in-Iaw Eduard Guyer-Freuler, Colonel Locher worked out a new project during the years 1883/84, which reduced the length of track required by nearly half, and the firm Locher & Co. and Eduard Guyer-Freuler received on the 24th June 1885, by decision of the Confederation, the concession for the construction of the railway. After having secured from the authorities and property owners concerned the agreements necessary for the execution, they submitted their final plans in December 1885 to the public. On the 29th March 1886, the Pilatus-Railway-Company, with a share capital of 2 million francs and 850,000 francs stock capital, held ist first general meeting in the Hotel du Lac at Lucerne, and in the first days of April 1886 the actual work began.

The trial runs on the first section of the track were satisfactory in every respect. Nothing stood in the way of continuing this most novel construction. Col. Locher, with his staff of 20 engineers and technicians, supervised personally the difficult work. Besides 120 to 200 Swiss workmen, about 600 Italians were employed, and it was on the 27th August 1888 that the top of Mt. Pilatus had its first visitors. The first, that is, who had not made the tiresome ascent on foot, or in a rocking sedan-chair carried by two strong men, or on muleback, but who had made it in a steam coach of the Pilatus Railway, in absolute comfort. These visitors were a number of technicians and journalists who had been invited on the trial trip up to Pilatus Kulm.

On June 4th, 1889, the then called "Pilatus Railway" started its regular service. Soon developments took place on the summit of the mountain; new paths were laid out up to the various peaks and along the length of the ridge, galleries and tunnels were blasted out on the mountain face, and the commodious Pilatus Kulm Hotel was built. During the days of steam-traction the number of passengers carried rose from 30,000 to 55,000 a year, but in the 1930S it had become evident that the eleven combined steam locomotives and coaches no longer could cope with the demand. Moreover, they were beginning to wear out. As far back as 1905 e1ectrification of the Pilatus Railway had been considered, but e1ectric railway working was then in its infancy, and the cost would have been prohibitive. A quarter of a century later conditions had changed, and at last in 1931 the decision to e1ectrify was reached. So it was that on May 15th, 1937, the summer season of the Pilatus Railway opened with eight new electric motor coaches, each seating 40 passengers as compared with 32 in the old steam cars, and so much faster that the journey which formerly took 70 to 80 minutes now could be completed in half-an-hour. Electrification has had an amazing effect on the working of the line.