Tag: railroad

Posted on

Lecce, Italy – Trains!

Lecce, Italy – Trains!

Anyone who has ever had an interest in trains, or perhaps would just enjoy a trip down memory lane, the Museo Ferroviario dell Puglia might be the place to stop on a lazy day during vacation or the weekend.

Museo Ferroviario della Puglia

Located in Lecce is the Museo Ferroviario della Puglia, or the Train Museum of Puglia. The museum has an extensive collection of period photographs, models and dioramas which reconstruct the evolution of the carriage compartment and other railroad memorabilia from 1937 onwards. From the first nineteenth century carriages with their steam locomotives, which were very similar to the old stagecoaches, the visitor enjoys a tour through railroad history. With displays on the Trans European Express (TEE), there are not only Italian examples of carriages, locomotives and communication history, but also examples from other European countries. There is also a brief display on the development of public railroads in America, before they were forced to their demise by politicians beholding to the automobile and oil industries, never to recover. The entrance fee is 5€ per person and worth every Euro. It took a little over an hour to complete the tour, stopping for photographs and reading many of the displays.

Warning: The opening and closing times for this museum may vary, so check to make sure you have plenty of time to get there before you try to go. The staff close the doors a little under an hour before the posted closing time and will not entertain any new visitors, so get there early or well within the closing time posted, or you will be turned away!

 

The Building And Sheds

The building where the museum is housed were former workshops of the Squadra Rialzo, or State Railways. These were in full operation until 1992 when their functions were transferred to newer facilities in Surbo Scalo.

In the workshop, customary maintenance was performed on all carriages, locomotives and freight wagons at the time. Its name is derived from the fact that maintenance for the rolling stocks of the trains were actually carried out here for all axles, wheels, in addition to the carriage bodies and their contents. The current facility consists of two sheds, the first erected in the 1930s, the second with the trusses was built later, sometime in the 1970s. Both were used for numerous purposes, including offices, warehouse stocks, carpentry, forge, upholstery and heating systems. The yard had accommodation to raise wheel sets with a hoist, so that they may be reconditioned and maintained.

The Story

There is a long exhibit that details the history promised in the introduction. Taking you through the stages of evolution of the twentieth century train system in Italy. There are numerous boards to read, posters and model carriages to see along the first stage of the exhibits.

The Carriages, Locomotives and other Railcars

There are life size exhibits of some of the carriages, freight cars, locomotives and other vehicles, some of which you can actually enter.

Dioramas and other Models

In the later stages of the exhibits, there are numerous large train models, electrified train sets and other dioramas to enjoy. The scale of some of the train sets is impressive and one can immerse oneself in their activity for quite some time.

Video Player
1. Museo Ferroviario della Puglia - Model Alpine Train - Lecce, Italy
0:17

Railroad Communications, Equipment and Forgery

There is a fairly large display on railroad communications from the mid to later twentieth century. Multiple versions of telephony equipment, switch control rooms and even maintenance shops with an old forge.

The Museo Ferroviario della Puglia, or Railway Museum of Puglia, is located on Via G. Codacci Pisanelli 3 in Lecce. From the entrance of the castle, it is probably a twenty-five to thirty minute walk along Viale Francesco Lo Re under the railroad underpass and to the right; it is located behind the existing train station of Lecce.

Posted on

Grindelwald – Jungfraujoch

Departing from Grindelwald once again, we find ourselves heading through the Kleine Scheidegg to our ultimate destination – Jungfraujoch, the Top Of Europe, or so they say.

KleineScheidegg_Jungfraujoch_Sphinx_15_panorama
Jungfrau Glacier

Jungfraujoch

The Jungfraujoch experience is a collection of tunnels accessed by the Jungfraujoch rack rail directly under the saddle or “Joch” of the Jungfrau. However, most of these tunnels are actually under the south side of Mönch and provide access to the glacier, the observatory, as well as other necessities for people to visit. It all starts with a train ride.

KleineScheidegg_Jungfraujoch_1
Tickets For Two – Jungfraujoch From Grindelwald

As you can see from the price on our tickets, they are not inexpensive, so get a travel pass if traveling by family or small groups. As a couple we probably could have saved some money, but we wanted to remain flexible since we slow travel and never know what we are doing one day to the next.

Video Player

With the exception of the glacier stop, which by the way you can only view going up (so get out if you want to see it), all other exhibits in the Jungfraujoch can be visited in any order.

The Eiger Glacier

The first stop, while on the train, is the Eiger glacier. Since our hiking trip from Kleine Scheidegg showed us the bottom of the glacier, we thought it only fitting to see where it begins as well. It is a five minute stop, so you must hop off and hop back on once you are done.

In the photographs above, you can just see where the glacier drops over the edge and descends rapidly. From there, you can pick up the view of it from below (see our previous post on Kleine Scheidegg).

Jungfraujoch – Glacier

While you are still inside the complex, the first glimpses of the glacier are impressive. Here are some photographs while we were still winding through the corridors trying to find our first tour.

Jungfraujoch – Museum Exhibits

There are a few museum related exhibits on the lower floor the include dioramas and other artifacts in glass enclosures. They all make for interesting reading.

Jungfraujoch – Ice Palace

The ice palace, or palast, is a corridor and rooms with ice carvings in them. It is cold, kept at a constant minus six degrees celsius, so you will need to bring something warm to supplement your apparel.

Here are also some videos of walking through the ice tunnel. The floor is actually not as slippery as one would think, probably due to intense cold temperature they keep it at.

Video Player
Video Player
Video Player

Jungfraujoch – Alpine Sensation

The Alpine Sensation is a mixture of museum and distractions for children. It still offers enough to stop and take a look at some of the interesting exhibits and information they have on the history of the Jungfraujoch. However, if you take the moving walkway they may be more difficult to read.

Jungfraujoch – The Sphinx

Though not completely sure why it’s called The Sphinx, probably a mixture of the astronomy dome and the platforms resembling that form from a distance, it offers outside panoramic views of the glacier and the surrounding peaks. Bundle up though, it’s cold outside!

Here are some remaining still photographs in a slideshow.

This concludes our trip to Grindelwald and the surrounding areas. We really enjoyed the hotel, the town, the hiking, the air and of course the mountains! We hope to return one day with our children. But until then, on to Lucern, our next stop on our trip.