Railway barriers, locomotives, dining carriages - Rolf and Roger Wymann pay homage to railway history at a former station master's house in Kerzers. The museum is open from March to the end of November. Visitors are requested to call in advance: +41 (0)31 755 89 04
(Pictures and text: Christoph Balsiger, swissinfo)
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Rolf (63) and his son Roger (33) proudly present the legendary locomotive GE 6/6 406, better known as the "Crocodile", from 1921. "My wife wasn't thrilled about the idea of setting up a museum," recalls Rolf, "but she said the engine had to have pride of place in our garden [because it] was her favourite."
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More rare specimens are kept on a disused stretch of track opposite the Wymann house.
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"I’m fascinated by the amazing variety of rolling stock once used by the railways."
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The Wymanns have acquired several engines and carriages over the past few years, with transportation costs paid by sponsors. "Without them, we wouldn't have a museum."
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"I'm familiar with nearly every engine; I worked as a mechanic for the Swiss Federal Railways in Bern for 40 years."
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"We restore everything ourselves and we still have lots to do!" says son Roger Wymann.
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One of the jewels in the Wymann railway crown is a dining car from the Simplon Orient Express built in 1907.
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Visitors can wander through the carriage where members of high society once dined as they travelled.
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"When we finish restoring it, the Orient Express carriage will once again welcome guests. We intend to hire it out for special events," says Roger Wymann.
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A lot of the fixtures and fittings date back to the Belle Epoque.
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The beautiful teak inlay has lost little of its former brilliance.
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"My grandfather, father and brother all worked for the railways and so did I for 40 years. Even though I’m retired, I can’t leave the railways behind. It’s still my entire life and will probably remain so until I die," says Rolf Wymann.
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