Switzerland - tpf - Transports publics Fribourgeois, former Chemins de fer Fribourgeois Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat GFM

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tpf, Transports publics Fribourgeois, formerly Chemins de fer Fribourgeois Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat GFM, also known by the marketing trademark name La Gruyère, is a local train company in the canton of Fribourg (In German Freiburg). The center point of the network is in Bulle. Their metre gauge main line is from Palézieux normal gauge SBB railway station (at Palézieux-Gare), via Châtel-St-Denis and Bulle to Montbovon. Most of tpf's trains run on metre gauge tracks using 900V DC electricity, but tpf runs also normal gauge trains with 15 kV AC on two lines, Fribourg–Murten–Ins and Bulle–Romont now using modern Stadler FLIRT trains and older Domino trains.

Here we see tpf's metre gauge track on the left with a new Stadler ABe 2/4 train and a normal gauge track on the right, with a Domino train which tpf has bought used from SBB.
Picture from Bulle 10.5.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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At the old villge of Montbovon, tpf's metre gauge trains run on the street just like a tram.
Picture from Montbovon 10.5.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Tramlike traffic at Montbovon.
Picture from Montbovon 10.5.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo.

tpf's metre gauge trains

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This motor wagon, Be 4/4 no. 122 named "La Tour-de-Trême" was built in 1992 and is now considered as one of their old trains, used mainly at peak traffic times.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This motor wagon, Be 4/4 no. 123 named "Broc" is similar to the one shown above. It was built in 1996.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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tpf's Be 4/4 no.121 is similar with the ones shown above and it is still in full use. It carries the name "Remaufens". Numbers 121-124 were made by Vevey Technologies and ABB in 1985-1996.
Picture from Bulle 10.5.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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tpf's BDe4/4 no.124 with two coaches is stopping at the station of Palézieux. Note how they use both pantographs up at the same time, because the voltage is just 900V DC. Otherwise there could be so strong currents that there would be a risk of some parts or cables melting. 124 is called "Vuadens" and it was built in 1996.
Picture from Palézieux 3.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Another view of the BDe4/4 no.124 "Vuadens".
Picture from Palézieux 3.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The same train as above, BDe4/4 no.124 "Vuadens", but now at its end station St Denis. Note the very special coupling at the front of the motor wagon. tpf uses the motor wagons 122-124 also for moving normal gauge cargo wagons which have been mounted on narrow gauge so called "Rollschemel" bogies thus transforming them into narrow gauge. But they lift the cargo wagons higher up, so a long coupling rod is needed.
Picture from Châtel St Denis 3.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The steering cab coach Bt 225 is permanently a pair of the BDe4/4 no.124 "Vuadens". It is also from the year 1996.
Picture from Palézieux 3.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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These Stadler trains were brand new at the time when this photo was taken. This three coach train is classed as ABe 2/4 + B + Be 2/4 105. Altogether ten different narrow gauge train operator companies ordered jointly these trains from Stadler, thus getting them by far cheaper as usual. Other users of this type include MOB, Zentralbahn, Chemins de Fer du Jura, Appenzeller Bahnen, Frauenfeld-Wil-Bahn and many others. These trains now take care of the majority of tpf's narrow gauge traffic.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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One of the new Stadler trains no. 102 is ready to leave towards Broc fabrique on S-Bahn line S60.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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One of the new Stadler trains ABe 2/4 + B + Be 2/4 no. 104 is arriving at the station of Palézieux.
Picture from Palézieux 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The new Stadler train ABe 2/4 + B + Be 2/4 no. 104 has just left the small station of Villars-sous-Mont and is now running towards Bulle.
Picture from Villars-sous-Mont 10.5.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This is the place where tpf's and MOB's metre gauge networks meet. This is the station of Montbovon. On the picture the new train of tpf is coming from Palezièux and Bulle on the line which runs like a tram along the streets of the town. The line towards the right is MOB's line and it leads over the hills towards Montreux.
Picture from Montbovon 10.5.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This motor wagon, Be 4/4 no. 152 named "Châtel St. Denis" was built in 1977 and is now one of tpf's oldest motor wagons. It is special in that it has just one driver's cab.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Be 4/4 no. 152 seen from the other side.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The old BDe 4/4 no. 141 "Gruyères" with its old steering cab coach is hardly ever needed anymore now that the new Stadler trains have become available. This motor wagon is already from 1972.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The old electric shunter locomotive Te 4/4 no.13 is from 1901, modernised and rebuilt in 1959. It's still in full use.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Another picture of the oldie Te 4/4 no.13.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The old metre gauge electric shunter locomotive Te 2/2 no.11 is from the year 1913. It was thoroughly renovated in 1991.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The metre gauge electric locomotive Te 2/2 no.12 is from the year 1913. Luckily is has been kept in much the same shape as it originally was and it hasn't been spoiled by too much modernisation.
Picture from Montbovon 6.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This is tpf's new hybrid locomotive Gem 2/2 no.18, here seen with a catenary wire installation wagon. Today tpf needs locomotives only for occasional shunting and for track renewal works.
Picture from Villars-sous-Mont 10.5.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The same new locomotive Gem 2/2 no.18, seen more from the side of its front.
Picture from Villars-sous-Mont 10.5.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This old diesel locomotive is the Gmf 4/4 no.90 of the private company Furrer+Frey from Bern, Switzerland. Furrer+Frey bought two of these machines in 1987-88. Originally they were built by Gmeinder in 1968 for the works to build and extend München's metro network. Furrer+Frey let modify the machines by regauging them from 1435 mm normal gauge to metre gauge. They have mainly been used in track reparation works and hauling other kinds of heavy cargo on metre gauge rails in tunnels. Here the machine had brought to this site extremely heavy and long new rails.
Picture from Villars-sous-Mont 10.5.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The same Gmf 4/4 seen from its front.
Picture from Villars-sous-Mont 10.5.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo.

tpf's normal gauge trains

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RABe 527 no.198 is one of tpf's newest trains. It is a standard gauge Stadler FLIRT. At the time when this picture was taken it was fully covered by edvertisement tapings of the Freiburger Kantonalbank.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Another view of the same FLIRT train RABe 527 no.198 as shown above.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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One of tpf's new Stadler FLIRT RABe 527 trains, no.197 for normal gauge traffic.
Picture from Neuchâtel 5.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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tpf's FLIRT RABe 527 no.195 in Ins in 2023. Its red paint has already started to fade away.
Picture from Ins 12.5.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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RBDe 567 no. 171 "La Sarine" is an example of tpf's older normal gauge trains. It was built in 1983.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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This steering cab coach, here attached to the RBDe 567 no. 171 "La Sarine" is actually an old SBB coach which has been part of a so called NPZ or Neue Pendelzug composition. In between this coach and the motor wagon "La Sarine" there was a new, partly low-floor Stadler made coach so that persons with disablities could easly use even such an old train composition.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The same normal gauge motor wagon "La Sarine" seen from the other side. This picture shows also nicely how tpf has been able to extend old trains' operational life by adding to each composition one new Stadler made low-floor coach in the middle.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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One of tpf's normal gauge trains similar to the "La Sarine" shown above is here stopping at the station of Ins. These trains were built in 1983. Picture from Ins 5.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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tpf's normal gauge network has been extended, for example by extending the line from Freiburg to Bulle on to Broc. But tpf runs now more normal gauge trains also on federal railways' lines. For this extended traffic tpf bought from SBB 14 old trains of the type RBDe 560, also known as NPZ (Neue Pendelzug) or Domino trains. These trains were built 1984-96 for SBB as two coach electric multiple units. They went through a major rehaul in 2009-2011 after which SBB started to call them Domino trains. They got in the rehaul process also new low-floor middle coaches.
Picture of this tpf Domino train is from Bulle 10.5.2023 by Ilkka Siissalo.

Pictures of the predecessor railroad company GFM Chemins de fer Fribourgeois Gruyère-Fribourg-Morat

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This old metre gauge steering cab coach Bt 253 is still in the colours of the predecessor company GFM.
Picture from Bulle 4.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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tpf and its predecessor GFM used to have two large metre gauge locomotives for metre gauge cargo traffic, numbers 101 and 102, but they were sold to MOB, Montreaux - Oberland Bernois and MOB operates now the rarely needed movements of cargo wagons on tfp's network. MOB's and tfp's nets are connected. MOB had already earlier almost similar locomotives. This one was the no.102 still in GFM's colours.
Picture from Bulle 5.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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GFM's locomotive GDe 4/4 no.102.
Picture from Bulle 5.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Metre gauge motor wagon RBDe 4/4 173 still in GFM's colours in 2002.
Picture from Bulle 5.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Normal gauge motor wagon RBDe 4/4 no.173 in GFM's paintings.
Picture from Bulle 6.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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The same normal gauge motor wagon RBDe 4/4 no.173 seen from the other side.
Picture from Bulle 6.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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GFM's motor wagon Be 4/4 no.151 "La Gruyère", built in 1977 with one steering cab coach.
Picture from Montbovon 18.6.1994 by David Othen.

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A GFM train in such a livery which they used to carry in the 1960s. This was the GFM Re 4/4 no.166.
Picture from Bulle 6.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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GFM's motor wagon Be 4/4 no.115 was already from the year 1905 but it was thoroughly rebuilt in 1959 when it also received a totally new metal chassis. It was kept in its 1950s green livery and used for historic special trains.
Picture from Bulle 6.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Metre gauge motor wagon BDe 4/4 no.123 still in GFM's colours. This motor wagon is named "Broc" and it is from 1996.
Picture from Bulle 6.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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Metre gauge motor wagon Be 4/4 no.152 from the year 1977 still in GFM's colours.
Picture from Bulle 6.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.

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After the collapse of communism in East Germany the state DDR needed desperately western money. DR rented and sold many of its best locomotives to western companies such as DB, the Südostbahn, Lokoop and GFM. GFM bought two DDR made so called Holzroller ("wooden scooter") normal gauge locomotives of the East German series E42 (DR Br 242, later Br 142). GFM renamed their locomotives as Ae 417 no.191 and 192. It was a 100 km/h fast machine with a modest power rating of 2920 kW. GFM / tpf used the machines until 2005. In 2006 what remained was sold to the German Erzgebirgsbahn. This one was the Ae 417 192.
Picture from Bulle 6.10.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.
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