Anniversaries

In 2007, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the TEE (Trans Europe Express)

and the 125th anniversary of the Gotthard Tunnel!

ETE EuroEast Celebrates 125 years of the Gotthard Rail tunnel!

For 125 years, the Gotthard rail tunnel has served as a major trans-alpine link for rail traffic between Germany and Italy. Over 220 trains per day use this vital link.

This Swiss rail line, when opened, was the longest tunnel in the world at 15 kilometers (9.3 miles).

Click here to see photos taken at the Goschenen entrance to the tunnel!

It has since been surpassed by the Channel tunnel "Chunnel" and the Seikan tunnel in Japan at 53.85 km (33.3 miles) which runs  between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. But few routes in the world compare with the beauty of the approaches to the Gotthard Tunnel!

Click here to see a map of the approaches!

Rising some 3650 ft above sea level the to the north portal, the approach circles the onion domed parish in Wassen three times, through a series of loops, to gain elevation.

Tackling the grades up to the portals required the creation of several unique locomotives, such as the extremely successful Swiss "Krokodil" or "Crocodile".

The "Krokodil" or, as it was more properly known, the Ce 6/8 II, was used to pull heavy freights from Lucerne to Chiasso through the Gotthard. These engines were articulated to navigate the sharp curves leading to and from the tunnel itself, and ran from the early 1920's into the 1980's. They are still run on special occasions.

A replacement tunnel, referred to as the Gotthard Base Tunnel, is under construction. When completed in 2017, it will be the longest tunnel in the world at 57 km(~35.3 miles), and will reduce transit time between Zurich and Milan by 1 hour. It will also allow for a doubling of train weights by reducing the grade between the cities. The new tunnel will be 600 m/650' below the existing entrances.

On the southern side of the Gotthard Massif lies the Italian section of Switzerland with its subtropical town of Lugano, near the border crossing at Chiasso. In recent years, more and more celebrities have discovered Lugano, and it is now known as the "Monte Carlo of Switzerland". The trip through the Gotthard from Zurich to Milan is truly one of the most beautiful in the world!

In August--the Keystone Chapter of ETE will feature this locomotive pulling several long freights over their stunning Euro-Swiss scenery at this year's show.

50 Year Anniversary of the TEE

The Network
The Trans Europ Express (or TEE) was the brain child of Ir. F.Q. den Hollander, president-director of the Dutch national railway system (Nederlanders Spoorwagen or "NS"). Den Hollander's vision of a trans-continental rail network was revolutionary in the 1950's. Before the TEE there was — of course — travel between the countries of Europe, but a fluid trip was hampered by the different electrical specifications (voltage and current type) utilized by various countries. This meant that trains traveling between countries required time consuming locomotive changes at borders.
While the concept of the TEE was of Dutch origin, the actual operation was very much a cooperation between numerous European countries; Germany (DB), Switzerland (SBB-CFF-FFS), France (SNCF) and Italy (FS) were all founding members of the TEE. As the network developed, other countries joined: Spain (RENFE), DEMARK (DSB) and Austria (ÖBB) were all member by the networks height in 1974. A fascinating animated map of the network can be found here.

The Trains
	The style of the TEE trains were designed to offer a direct contrast to the growing popularity of air-travel. The network offered the speed associated with airplanes, but with a level of comfort unavailable on commuter flights at the time. From the on set, the Trans Europ Express fleet was composed of diesel multiple units. Many of these trains remain icons of design; the German VT 601 (later the class VT 11.5) is perhaps one of the most recognized train-sets of the TEE, but the jointly produced Swiss/Dutch RAe is also a stunning example of mid-century train design.
	Later, as electrical system became more standerized, the diesel multiple-units were replaced with electric locomotives pulling fleets of coaches. These consists still bore the distinctive red and cream color scheme of the TEE.

The VT11 of the German DB		The Dutch/Swiss RAe

The Anniversary
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary, it's remarkable to note the cultural influence the TEE has had in the last half century. At least one film, Alain Robbe-Grillet's Trans Europ Express (1966), was inspired by the network. The seminal German electronic band, Kraftwerk, wrote a song about traveling on the TEE and named an entire album, "Trans Europe Express". The European Train Enthusiasts even utilize a variation on the famous TEE logo to use as the organization's logo.
Many model-train manufactures have produced models of numerous TEE trains-sets. The Keystone Chapter and Eastern New England Chapter of the ETE will be running a variety of examples of the TEE on their respective modular HO layouts.