This page shows postcards and images of the CEV (later MVR) rack
railway from Vevey to Blonay and Les Pleiades by Lake
Luzern, in Switzerland.
The Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV) built and
operated narrow gauge electric railway lines from Vevey to
Blonay, Chamby, Châtel-St-Denis and Les Pléiades, in
Switzerland. 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 metre gauge of 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 of
the Blonay-Chamby museum railway 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.
(Ref: Wikipedia)
