One of two historic steam locomotive that were once owned by Vietnam but are now in Switzerland (Photo: kienviet.net) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Two historic steam locomotives that wererepatriated to Switzerland from Da Lat in 1990 became part of the Europeancountry’s celebration of the restored Furka Pass rack railway last week.
The Furka mountain route, which was built in 1925, leads past theimpressive Rhone Glacier and is known as one of the most beautiful inSwitzerland, as well as one of the most challenging. The locomotives weremanufactured by Switzerland’s Furka-Oberwald (FO) company not far from the siteof the celebration.
In Vietnam, the two locomotives chugged along the Rack Railway connecting Da Latto Thap Cham (Cham Tower) in Phan Rang, but they were basically abandoned after1975. Since they returned home to Switzerland, they have beenrestored to pristine working condition.
Nguyen Thi Hien, a member of the World Health Organisation in Geneva, whoworked on a project aiming to restore the North-South railway in Vietnam inthe mid-1990s, recalled with nostalgia those locomotives that once belonged to thecountry.
Her Japanese counterpart on the project was thrilled to hear the stories of twoold steam locomotives and hoped to restore the Rack Railway to attracttourists. As far as Hien knew, the machines were still where they hadbeen left almost two decades before. But they were disappointed when theyarrived at the site.
“What a pity, when we came, nothing left. We only see an old station nestled ina mountain while the rails and locomotives had been demolished and sold at theprice of scrap to a Swiss intermediary company, who re-sold it to a Swiss traincompany [the locomotives’ manufacturer, Furka-Oberwald at a very expensiveprice – about 1.3 million USD in 1990,” she said.
According to the documents left by the French, the 84-km long route from PhanRang to Da Lat is one of the world’s oldest cogwheel railroads. The Frenchspent 30 years building it in the early 20th century.
In 2007, the Government licensed Lam Dong authorities to restore this railwaywith a total investment fund of 320 million USD. The restoration is ongoing.-VNS/VNA
The Furka mountain route, which was built in 1925, leads past theimpressive Rhone Glacier and is known as one of the most beautiful inSwitzerland, as well as one of the most challenging. The locomotives weremanufactured by Switzerland’s Furka-Oberwald (FO) company not far from the siteof the celebration.
In Vietnam, the two locomotives chugged along the Rack Railway connecting Da Latto Thap Cham (Cham Tower) in Phan Rang, but they were basically abandoned after1975. Since they returned home to Switzerland, they have beenrestored to pristine working condition.
Nguyen Thi Hien, a member of the World Health Organisation in Geneva, whoworked on a project aiming to restore the North-South railway in Vietnam inthe mid-1990s, recalled with nostalgia those locomotives that once belonged to thecountry.
Her Japanese counterpart on the project was thrilled to hear the stories of twoold steam locomotives and hoped to restore the Rack Railway to attracttourists. As far as Hien knew, the machines were still where they hadbeen left almost two decades before. But they were disappointed when theyarrived at the site.
“What a pity, when we came, nothing left. We only see an old station nestled ina mountain while the rails and locomotives had been demolished and sold at theprice of scrap to a Swiss intermediary company, who re-sold it to a Swiss traincompany [the locomotives’ manufacturer, Furka-Oberwald at a very expensiveprice – about 1.3 million USD in 1990,” she said.
According to the documents left by the French, the 84-km long route from PhanRang to Da Lat is one of the world’s oldest cogwheel railroads. The Frenchspent 30 years building it in the early 20th century.
In 2007, the Government licensed Lam Dong authorities to restore this railwaywith a total investment fund of 320 million USD. The restoration is ongoing.-VNS/VNA
VNA
