16.02.2014: Extra course in Lucerne

Despite the cloudy weather, several people joined the extra course with the last defrosting trolleybus of Switzerland last Sunday, the 16th February 2014. The vehicle, which transported us through Lucerne, was the NAW/Hess/Siemens BT 5-25 No. 280 of Verkehrsbetriebe Luzern (vbl), built in 1989 and until a few years ago also in regular service. Since it's planned to replace this trolleybus as defrosting vehicle for the next season, we took the chance to organize a course with this vehicle in original paint scheme.

The extra course began at the train station in Lucerne and led us first to Emmenbrücke, where we could cross the Seetalplatz under overhead lines once again. This crossing will be totally rebuilt until 2018, therefore the wires will be taken down between Frohburg and Emmenbrücke Central within the next few days. The line 2 will be completely operated by motor buses until 2016, when trolleybuses should be able to run to Emmenbrücke again. After reversing at Central the journey continued via Luzern Bahnhof (station) to Brüelstrasse and from there on the new trolleybus section to Büttenenhalde, which was only opened in December 2013. Again via the station we headed in direction of Hirtenhof on the other bank of Lake Lucerne, before the event ended at the station. Of course we stopped several times during our trip to allow the participants to take photos of this trolleybus on the current trolleybus network.

Special thank for this event goes to Rolf Habegger, who steered vehicle No. 280 competent through Lucerne, as well as the vbl and the association vbl-historic, which provided us vehicle and driver and of course also all participants of this extra course.

Pictures

Crossing with a regular trolleybus of the line 2 at Kreuzstutz	Overtacking at Seetalplatz, which is the reason for the upcoming motor bus replacement	Photo shooting on the in December 2013 new opened trolleybus section Büttenen
At the terminal loop Hirtenhof	No. 280 on its usual duty as defrosting trolleybus