When I was satisfied with my photos on the SBB side of Goeschenen station, I walked over to the Gotthard Matterhorn Bahn side. To my surprise there were two trains ready to depart. I chatted with one of the engineers and learned that the train on the right was R 629, leaving for Andermatt at 10:04, and the other was R 631 leaving for Andermatt at 10:11. I immediately decided to take the later departure and take more photos.
10:04. R 629 was leaving right on time. The shade once again made it difficult to take decent photos of moving objects.
I do like this shot of the R 629 disappearing around the curve with the Gotthard Tunnel in the background.
I hung out a little while longer and then boarded R 631.
10:11. As the cog wheels engage and the train works up the hill, I take one last photo of the Gotthard north portal.
The railroad climbs up a narrow valley right next to the old Gotthard pass road.
As we climb higher the landscape turns white and at 10:21 we arrive in Andermatt.
I wasn't prepared for the flurry of activity here. R 629 from Goeschenen had been moved to a siding. I had just arrived with R 631 on track 3.
R 823 from Disentis arrived a minute later at 10:22 on track 2. Despite the big sticker on the locomotive this is not the Glacier Express.
R 518 had arrived from Visp on track 1 just two minutes before. R 537 is waiting on track 4 for its departure to Visp at 10:37. Every track in this tiny mountain station is in use.
Passengers are transferring between their trains and the crew has a couple minutes for a chat.
10:28. Enough chatting. R 828 leaves from track 1 to Disentis.
Right behind R 828 the locomotive from R 823 runs around its cars still standing on track 2.
10:29. R 626 is returning back to Goeschenen from track 3 on the left, while R 828 has entered the rack rail section and climbs the hill in the background, and the locomotive from R 823 is moving from track 1 to the main track to complete its run-around move.
This will become R 830 to Oberalppass leaving Andermatt at 10:40.
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