X4085 goods wagon
As an Alpine railway, BLS was an important rail freight operator. In addition to transalpine freight transport, BLS was also tasked with handling regional goods transport. Contemporary witnesses from this era are exceedingly scarce within the wagon fleet, and the goods wagon described here is a final specimen of its type from this pivotal period in the history of the Bernese State Railway.
Today, this goods wagon is no longer in working order and is parked at the historic train station in Frutigen
- X4085 Designation formerly: Ce 4/6 307 EZB (Erlenbach-Zweisimmen-Bahn)
- 1 Quantity
- 236-1 Number
- 1914 Put into service
History historic rail vehicle
As insufficient refuse pits were available for disposing of household rubbish from the city of Bern, a range of alternative solutions were explored. On 9 March 1913, the municipality of Bern decided to construct a waste loading facility in Fischermätteli to transport refuse by rail to Witzwil. The City of Bern entered into a 20-year contract with the railway companies, Witzwil Prison and the cantonal police department for refuse disposal. Transportation started in January 1914. In 1934, the City of Bern extended the contracts for a further 20 years, as refuse from the neighbouring municipalities of Köniz and Muri was now also being removed.
In 1954, Witzwil Prison cancelled its contract with the City of Bern. This forced the city to build the refuse incineration plant in Warmbächlimulde in 1952, which was state of the art at the time. The agreement between the city and the railways was terminated on 31 July 1954. On 4 August 1954, the last four refuse wagons travelled to Witzwil. The refuse transportation vehicles were then parked together at Erlenbach train station. Efforts to secure a sale were unsuccessful, and the likelihood of further waste transportation was minimal. This meant that all but one of the wagons were converted.
The one that still exists is located at the historic train station in Frutigen. As soon as space can be created in the BLS Foundation's historic depot, the refuse wagon will be on display there as part of guided tours.
Text input: Hans Roth
