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Furka Steam Railway

The Furka Steam Railway is a largely volunteer-operated heritage railway which operates a partially rack and pinion-operated line across the Furka Pass, between Realp in Uri and Oberwald in Valais. Culminating at 2,160 metres (7,087 ft), above sea level, it is an old mountainous section of the Furka Oberalp Bahn (FO) that was abandoned after the construction of the Furka Tunnel. It has been gradually brought back into service by the Verein Furka-Bergstrecke with the use of only steam locomotives, with the entire line completed in 2010. As a result, the nearly 18 kilometre-long Furka Railway is the longest operated unelectrified line in Switzerland. It is also the second highest rail crossing in Europe, after the Bernina Railway. The Uri side of the line also constitutes the highest railway in Central Switzerland.

Current and future plans
The organisation is currently restoring 2 HG 4/4 "D" Steam Locomotives. These 0-8-0 locos were built in Switzerland for use in Vietnam, and were repatriated along with locomotives from the Furka Oberalp Bahn that had been exported to Vietnam after their use in Switzerland. The organisation is currently endeavouring to raise approximately Swiss Fr. 1,700,000, or 1,200,000 Euro or 1,200,000 US Dollars for the work required. The test runs of one of the locomotives are planned for 2013, to assess their suitability for the Furka line. The cost of a new firebox, one of the components the HG 4/4s require, is about Swiss Fr. 110,000, or 80,000 Euro. Another current project is the restoration of a steam-powered rotary snowplough to deal with the heavy snowfall that needs to be cleared from the route before services can commence each year. This may provide a lucrative opportunity as photographers and film-makers from across Europe and the world will be keen to capture such clearances on camera. The fundraising foundation Stiftung Furka - Bergstrecke (Furka Mountain Line Foundation), which is separate to the operating company, is providing for the reconstruction of the 2 HG 4/4 locomotives and to develop the line's depot at Realp. The foundation provides investment for equipment and construction on the line generally. There are videos on YouTube of the line running, with the snowplough. ==See also==
Source: Wikipedia ↗
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