PalenQ

Today's quiz is all about European trains and railways...

1- What Swiss scenic tourist-oriented train has unique VIP seats and what are those?

2- What is the name of Brussels; main train station in French and in Flemish and in English?

3- In Germany, what is the difference between a U-Bahn and an S-Bahn, both of which may run over the same tracks in city centres?

4- What is the name of the overnight trains rolling between various Scottish towns and London?

5- On overnight trains what is the difference betweeen a Sleeping Car and a Couchette Car - what type of accommodations would you typically find in each?

6- In the Haarz Mountains of Germany you can take a steam train - the Haarzerbahn - up to what fmaous mountain summit and look-out point?

7- The Glacier Express runs between what what terminal point on its western-most trip and what three terminal towns on it eastern part?

8- What are Germany's fastest trains called?

9- If you wanted to take a train from London to Southend-on-Sea what London terminus would you depart from?

10 - Old folks in France may still talk about taking a Micheline - a local train that stops everywhere - how did this name evolve?

Winner gets a free ride on the Fodor's Express, first class, for the next year!

Percy

#1
In the VIP you get to be near the driver and you can simulate driving the train yourself.

#2 Bruxelle Midi inFrench
Brussles Zuid in Flemish
Brussels South in English

#3 U is underground
S is above ground.

Percy

#8 ICE
Trains ran on tires by the Micheline Tire Company.

Percy

#10 is the tired train

gertie3751

#9 Fenchurch Street

PalenQ

thanks for bringing this sinking thread back up Percy - all right save # 3 the judges say is not totally correct.

thursdaysd

4. Caledonian

5. Sleeping car is supposed to be more private and more comfortable, but since I've only ever slept in a couchette I can't vouch for that. Varies with the country and the train in any case.

7. Montreux?

PalenQ

4 and 5 are correct but not # 6 - western terminus of the Golden Pass train but not the Glacier Express.

quokka

#3 - U is U-Bahn, short for underground - in most cities part of and operated by the city's local public transport system.
S is Stadtbahn or Schnellbahn, usually with a wider range out into the surroundings and even to neighbouring cities/towns, and in most cities operated by DB (not everywhere, though, for example in Karlsruhe the S-Bahn lines are not in the hands of DB).

#6 - the steam train in the Harz (sp) is named Harzer Schmalspurbahnen runs from Wernigerode up to the Summit of Brocken, another line crosses the Harz to Nordhausen (Harzquerbahn), then there are a few lines within the eastern half of the Harz.

#7 - the western terminus is Zermatt, the eastern one is St Moritz.

thursdaysd

Yes, I couldn't remember which was which. Brain definitely going - I was reading up on them only a couple of days ago.

Couple back at you:

What's the name of the night train from London to Cornwall?

What two routes (maybe more?) still involve loading the train onto a ferry?

gertie3751

Thursday:
Something like 'Cornish Riviera'

And train across the Straits of Messina and....?? somewhere in Scotland?

thursdaysd

@gertie:

- not quite

- yes and no

quokka

thursday: the second one is Sassnitz (Germany) - Trelleborg (Sweden)

PalenQ

Helsingor, Denmark to Helsingborg Sweden still has train cars going on ferries I believe even with the new rail bridge and so does Puttgarden to Denmark I believe. so three with the Straits of Messina.

quokka of course has the three German and Swiss ones nailed down - though there are two more terimi used by the Glacier Express when it splits in Reichenau with part trundling up the fantastic Albula Loops to St Moritz. The other half sometimes ends in Chur and some in Davos - but yes the classic GE is Zermatt to St Moritz, an 8-hour-long marathon ride if taken the whole way.

thursdaysd

I was thinking of PQ's Puttgarten (Germany) to Rødby (Denmark), which I should be doing later this year, so seems that there are still several in northern Europe.

Cowboy1968

3. The only real difference between U- and S-Bahn railway systems is that the U-nderground is a spin-off or an upgrade of the tram - and is operated by tramway standards and regulations. And the S-Bahn is a spin-off or downgrade from the regular railways, and is operated by national railway standards.

PalenQ

S-Bahns are like commuter rail trains and yes run by the state railways except as quokka noted and U-Bahns are like metros - and yes they go over the same tracks in city centres at times. folks with railpasses can use them on S-Bahns (except for Berlin where only S-Bahns between main rail termini are free and ones not operated by the state railways) but passes are not accepted on U-Bahns ever.

Percy

Glad others chimed in as my brain gave out quickly.!!!

PalenQ

About #10 or uh-boot as many say in Northern Michigan as they do in Canuckland not far away I think - a tired train answer from Percy was given credit but the whole story is that when Michelin was hitting its strides selling tires when automobiles became affordable and popular for many it eyed up the train market and yes made a train that ran on tracks with rubber wheels - much like some Paris metro trains do today.

They were dubbed Michelines by folks or maybe called that properly I don't know but the term still lingers on in a few odler in-laws I know what talk about still taking the micheline - meaning local train that stops everywhere!