Unusual railways

The Landwasser Viaduct (Switzerland)Switzerland has large areas of land that are mountainous. Before the 19th Century, the mountainous terrain meant that it was difficult to travel across the country, and consequently communication was relatively poor. Swiss railway engineers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries had to be extremely innovative, imaginative, and courageous to build a complex and efficient mountain railway system. This not only included planning and building difficult mountain routes, but also constructing the many bridges and tunnels needed to cross and go under mountainous areas. The Swissare still investing heavily in their railway network, making it one of the most efficient and advanced in the world.One of the most impressive feats was the building of the Landwasser Viaduct, built in 1902, which carries a mountain railway track. This is possibly one of the most famous railway viaducts / bridges in the world and is seen in most Swiss travel / holiday brochures.

The Landwasser Viaduct (Switzerland)Switzerland has large areas of land that are mountainous. Before the 19th Century, the mountainous terrain meant that it was difficult to travel across the country, and consequently communication was relatively poor. Swiss railway engineers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries had to be extremely innovative, imaginative, and courageous to build a complex and efficient mountain railway system. This not only included planning and building difficult mountain routes, but also constructing the many bridges and tunnels needed to cross and go under mountainous areas. The Swissare still investing heavily in their railway network, making it one of the most efficient and advanced in the world.One of the most impressive feats was the building of the Landwasser Viaduct, built in 1902, which carries a mountain railway track. This is possibly one of the most famous railway viaducts / bridges in the world and is seen in most Swiss travel / holiday brochures.

Georgetown Loop Railroad (USA)The Georgetown Loop Railroad was one of Colorado's first visitor attractions. Completed in 1884, this spectacular stretch of three-foot narrow gauge track was considered an engineering marvel of its time.The thriving mining towns of Georgetown and Silver Plume lie twomiles apart in a steep, narrow mountain canyon. To connect them, the railroad's builders designed a “corkscrew” route that traveled twice the distance, slowly gaining more than 600 feet in elevation. It included horseshoe curves, grades of up to 4%, and four bridges across Clear Creek, including the massive Devil's Gate High Bridge. The Colorado & Southern Railway operated the line for passengers and freight from 1899 to 1938, whenit was abandoned.In 1973, the Colorado Historical Society began restoring the railroadas part of its 978-acre Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park. A replica of the High Bridge was completed in 1984 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its originalconstruction.