Re: Freight on the seven percent

One reason gasoline and petroleum products are handled by rail in the Graubunden Canton is that such hazmat cargoes are restricted in alpine highway tunnels. I did note, however, that petroleum tank cars weree in the consist of some of the RhB mixed trains, and of course, they go through tunnels too.

There are some other Swiss narrow gauge railroads that handle freight - with grades even steeper than the RhB's seven percent. Wengernalp Bahn, an 800 mm gauge rack railroad near Interlaken, climbs 4,150 feet in 6.5 miles to serve the isolated village of Wengen and the ski area at Kleine Scheidegg (where an interchange is made with the JungfrauBahn.) The WAB brings in all of the supplies for these resorts. It even handles their outbound trash. Similarly, Zermatt gets its supplies by narrow gauge rack and adhesion line that runs up from Visp.