Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans

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MVR Beh 2/4 72 leaving Lally in MU behind 71 and 224 towards Les Pléiades terminus on 20 May 2007

MVR Beh 2/4 71 and Bt 224 arriving from Les Pléiades in MU behind 72, Sunday, 20 May 2007

MVR BDeh 2/4 73 and Bt 221 on 20 May 2007 in Blonay. 71-75 originally were identical.

MVR Bt 223 and BDeh 2/4 74 in Vevey on 6 May 2005

MVR Gk 35, 36 and 38 in Vevey on 8 October 2006

The Chemins de fer électriques Veveysans (CEV) built and operated narrow gauge lines from Vevey to Blonay–Chamby, Châtel-St-Denis and Les Pléiades. The first section to see service, that from Vevey to Chamby, was opened on 1st October 1902. Next section was the branch line from St-Légier to Châtel–St-Denis that opened on 2nd April 1904. On 8th July 1911 the rack line from Blonay to Les Pléiades was opened.

On 23rd November 1911 Blonay was also reached by an electric tramway from Clarens and Chailly, operated by a separate company (CCB) until the end of 1955. Then, buses took over.

The lines were constructed to a gauge of 1 m. (3ft 3 3/8 inches) and electrified from the outset. Presently it operates on 900 V d.c., overhead contact. Train services were offered from Vevey to Chamby and Châtel-St-Denis, where CEV connected to MOB and GFM (now tpf). The motor coach to Chamby conveyed coaches to Blonay, where they were taken over by a rack locomotive and brought up to Les Pléiades.

On 21st May 1966 the section Blonay–Chamby was closed, followed by St-Légier–Châtel-St-Denis on 31st 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 20th July 1968. On 24th 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 operate in open access.

Of the remaining open sections, the Vevey to Blonay line is 10 km long and from there to Les Pléiades a further 8 km. In that 18 km. the line rises some 962 m. (2982 ft.) reaching 1348 m. (4179 ft.) at Les Pléiades.

In 2001 CEV was merged into the Transports Montreux-Vevey-Riviera (MVR) which is managed and operated by the MOB. Management is now called Golden Pass Services.

[edit] Locomotives, Railcars and Rolling Stock

• Note 1 : This class are labeled Chemin de fer léger de la Riviera and also operate MOB services from Montreux to Sonzier and Les Avents.

[edit] References:

www.blonaychamby.ch (Histoire du chemin de fer Vevey-Blonay-Chamby de 1902 á 2002)

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