Famous Rössli tram now runs on electricity instead of horsepower
After more than 60 years in service, the Rössli tram at the children’s zoo in Rapperswil has been replaced. The new vehicle was developed and built by apprentices.
The blue-and-white Rössli tram at the children’s zoo in Rapperswil is an institution. True to its name, the tram was pulled by horses along its tracks through the zoo for more than six decades, delighting generations of visitors.
That era has now come to an end. The historic tram has been replaced by a modern electric vehicle. The new tram is the result of a joint project by apprentices from eastern Swiss train manufacturer Stadler and the Schweizerische Südostbahn (SOB). The young trainees designed and built the vehicle entirely themselves and also laid new tracks.
Learning by doing
One of the apprentices involved is Lorenz Schweizer, a third-year automation technician at Stadler. A few weeks before the official launch, he was busy testing the charging system for the tram’s eight batteries. Not everything was running smoothly at first. “Some things turned out to be more complex than expected. Now we’re in the hot phase,” he said while carrying out final tests.
The project involved several professions, from design and construction to sourcing materials and final assembly. Lena Gähwiler, who is training as a polymechanic, also played a key role.
“It’s very cool and makes me proud,” she said, despite the many challenges along the way. At times, design specifications were unclear or she was unsure whether a component she had produced would work. In each case, instructors were on hand to support and guide her.
Apprentices from SOB were responsible for building a new siding with points for the former Rössli tram. Among them was track layer Léon von Janta Lipinski. As with any large project, there were occasional disagreements among the young team members.
Working on site at the zoo, however, proved to be the biggest challenge. “We had very heavy rain and it was also very cold,” he recalls. “And we had elephants next door who regularly threw things at us,” he adds, summing up his time on the project with a smile.
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A smooth launch
The new electric tram was officially inaugurated on Friday and has been running on the 500-metre circuit through the zoo since Saturday. For the first journey, Lorenz Schweizer took his place in the driver’s cab.
“It makes me proud that everything works,” he said, grinning broadly. The new tram can carry around 20 passengers and is now wheelchair accessible. According to the zoo, the change reflects a desire to modernise while preserving tradition.
The old tram has been kept and could be coupled with the new vehicle if needed. The horses that once pulled the Rössli trams have since been retired.
Translated from German using AI/amva/ts
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