Railway Herald
The Class Ae4/7 provided the mainstay of electric power on the main lines of Swiss Railways throughout the mid 20th Century and as late as 20th June 1993 they could be seen on local passenger services, as here at Merlischachen by Lake Lucerne. No. 10962 certainly looks as though it has 1920s styling, and the 2-8-4 wheel arrangement speaks of the early days of mainline electric locos. The four driven axles were powered by four electric motors fixed to the loco chassis, and the ingenious Buchli system (mounted on this side only) was used to transfer the drive to the independently sprung wheels.
Tonybee
