Friday September 14 - Jura Narrow Gauge - and steam!

One of the day's highlights was a ride between Le Locle and Les Brenets in this 1950 built Italian railcar

We left a little early today and adjusted our schedule accordingly.

- SBB Yverdon-les-Bains to Neuchatel
- BLS Neuchatel to Le Locle
- Le Locle to Les Brenets and back
- BLS Le Locle to La Chaux de Fonds
- La Chaux de Fonds to Combe-Tabellion
- Combe Tabellion to La Chaux de Fonds with a stop at Le Noirmont
- BLS La Chaux de Fonds to Neuchatel
- SBB Neuchatel to Yverdon-les-Bains
As we rushed past the vineyards on our way to Neuchatel we could see they were putting oput the baskets - the vendage is starting.
We always like the short ride to Les Brenets in the ancient railcar. The deer farm was pretty busy and it was good to see that the small steam engine #2 was well preserved in its glass case at Les Brenets.
There is not much time at Les Brenets but even less time at Les Ponts de Martel where we were treated to a more recent(1) railcar built in Vevey in the 1990s.

At Les Ponts de Martel the spare car (Vevey 1990s) is kept at the end of the line

Our trip over the CF du Jura was in brand new power cars but with an older trailer or trailers behind.

La Chaux de Fonds is always interesting to watch. Between xx55 and xx00 each hour a BLS train arrives from Neuchatel and another from Le Locle and occasionally an SNCF diesel railcar from Pontarlier. On the narrow gauge a Jura train arrives from Glovelier and a railcar arrives from Les Ponts de Martel. Between xx00 and xx05 these trains all go out again and everything is quiet until the next time - four companies and two gauges, all perfectly interconnecting.

Our journey over the Jura line gave us a surprise when we saw the narrow gauge Mallet in steam in the siding. This was the locomotive that was used at Ste-Croix on September 2 and our surmise ois that it was being put on rail here to make its journey back to its home base from here.

As planned we went on to Combe-Tabellion where we stopped for our sandwiches. This is where the line to Glovelier has to make a reverse. There are two tracks and a crossover.

We got out and the train left us completely alone to enjoy our lunch in the quiet of the forest

Of course, precisely on time the train returned from Glovelier and we were able to enjoy the trip back to civilization

We took a break at Le Noirmont to have a look at the Portuguese Mallet without the crowds.

After this the ride back was uneventful. It was the end to a great railfan trip.


Click here to see all pictures taken Jura area narrow gauge