#stoosbahn

Stoosbahn In Switzerland Is The World’s Steepest Funicular Railway

Get ready to pop your ears.

This Was No Rollercoaster Ride of a Chase: A Tom and Jerry Fanfic

Imagine, if you will, Tom chasing Jerry down the Stoosbahn out Switzerland way. As in the World's Steepest Funicular Railway, put into service but last December on a route 1.1 miles long (including three tunnels), gaining 2,441 feet in elevation during its journey of between 3 and 5 minutes between the car-free Swiss Alps village of Stoos and the valley town of Schwyz--a gain of 7.68 feet in elevation for every foot of route-length, translating into a 110% incline on a 47-degree gradient. Hence, explaining a special suspension system for the four-car trains (accomodating 34 passengers each, for a total of 168 passengers/train), as allows the passengers to remain standing normally while taking in the panoramic perspectives on such a thrilling ride (especially downgrade).

(Which, know, did not come cheap, quick or easy: Construction took 14 years and cost a total of CHF52 million, equal to US$55.35 million, C$69.6 million, £40.03 million, €45.15 million, ¥6.03 billion or AUS$70.8 million. One good thing, though: The new Stoosbahn replaces an 80-year-old funicular as was showing signs of age and no longer met current safety requirements.)

In any event, Jerry was bound to take the lead heading downhill out of Stoos on one of those bright Swiss Alps afternoons gliding down on the rail for the train--even more so for the steep section heading downhill from Stoos, thereby giving Tom some disadvantage even as he was hiding in the frontmost freight platform of the funicular train as the train made its descent ... which was enough to send Tom, not exactly accustomed to the Swiss Alps as opposed to, say, Mt. Washington (remember when he chased Jerry up the Mt. Washington Auto Road as the Skatebirds were going downhill on same?), into extreme queasiness during the steep descent as led to the first tunnel downhill.

Which would manifest itself when Tom had to go over the edge of the freight panel at approximately the passing track and vomit unto the ground.

In no way did such impact Jerry's headway approaching the Schwyz base station, where Jerry managed to jump off from the bridge just before the station and blend himself into the local colour. As for Tom ... being unaccustomed to Swiss mountain air was enough to prompt the attention of station attendants as referred him to the local infirmary in Schwyz, to be diagnosed with altitude sickness.