The first section to see service, that from Vevey to Chamby, was opened on 1 October 1902. Next section was the branch line from St-Légier to Châtel–St-Denis that opened on 2 April 1904. On 8 July 1911 the rack line from Blonay to Les Pléiades was opened.
On 23 November 1911, Blonay was also reached by the Clarens - Chailly - Blonay electric tramway operated by a separate company (CCB). This closed at the end of 1955, being replaced by buses.
The lines were constructed to a gauge of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) and electrified from the outset. Presently it operates on 900 V DC, overhead contact. Train services were offered from Vevey to Chamby and Châtel-St-Denis, where the CEV connected to the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line and the GFM (now tpf). The electric motor coach from Vevey to Chamby conveyed coaches to Blonay, where they were taken over by a rack locomotive and brought up to Les Pléiades.
On 22 May 1966, the section Blonay–Chamby was closed, followed by St-Légier–Châtel-St-Denis on 31 May 1969. While the Châtel-St-Denis branch was torn up, track to Chamby remained. Railway enthusiasts formed an association which could set up a weekend museum operation starting on 20 July 1968. On 24 May 1998 CEV reintroduced regular trains but stopped these services again two years later because of low patronage. The infrastructure was always owned by CEV and the museum trains of the Blonay-Chamby museum railway operate in open access.
Of the remaining open sections, the Vevey to Blonay line is 5.72 km (3.55 mi) long and from there to Les Pléiades a further 4.79 km (2.98 mi). In that 10.51 km (6.53 mi), the line rises some 962 m (3,156 ft) reaching 1,348 m (4,423 ft) at Les Pléiades.
The line has its own workshops at Vevey although much work is undertaken at the MOB's Chernex works and also a small depot at Blonay.
In 2001, CEV was merged into the Transports Montreux-Vevey-Riviera (MVR) which is managed and operated by the MOB management under their Golden Pass Services banner.
Rolling stock
MVR Beh 2/4 71 and Bt 224 arriving from Les Pléiades in MU behind 72, Sunday, 20 May 2007MVR BDeh 2/4 73 and Bt 221 on 20 May 2007 in Blonay. 71-75 originally were identical.MVR Bt 223 and BDeh 2/4 74 in Vevey on 6 May 2005MVR Gk 35, 36 and 38 in Vevey on 8 October 2006
No.
Name
Class
Builders details
Date Built
Notes.
1
HGe2/2
SLM/MFO/SIG
1911
Rebuilt 2007, red livery, lettered 'Blonay-Les Pléiades' (Note 5)
2
HGe2/2
SLM/MFO/SIG
1911
Red & White livery, lettered 'Blonay-Les Pléiades'
Nameplates removed and passed to 75 . Sold. Note 1
7002
St Legier La Chiesaz
Be2/6
Stadler/ACMV/Adtranz/SLM
1997
Nameplates removed and passed to 75 . Sold,. Note 1
7003
Blonay
Be2/6
Stadler/ACMV/Adtranz/SLM
1998
Nameplates removed and passed to 7502. Sold. Note 1 / Note 6
7004
Montreux
Be2/6
Stadler/ACMV/Adtranz/SLM
1998
Nameplates removed and passed to 75 . Sold. Note 1
7501
St Legier-La Chiesaz
ABeh2/6
Stadler/Stadler ABB
1.12.2015
Acceptance at Chernex. Note 7
7502
Blonay
ABeh2/6
Stadler/Stadler ABB
1.4.2016
Acceptance at Chernex. Note 7
7503
ABeh2/6
Stadler/Stadler ABB
1.4.2016
Acceptance at Chernex. Note 7
7504
Vevey
ABeh2/6
Stadler/Stadler ABB
1.4.2016
Acceptance at Chernex. Note 7
7505
ABeh2/6
Stadler/Stadler ABB
1.12.2016
Acceptance at Chernex. Note 7
7506
ABeh2/6
Stadler/Stadler ABB
1.10.2016
Acceptance at Chernex. Note 7
7507
ABeh2/6
Stadler/Stadler ABB
Acceptance at Chernex. Note 7
7508
ABeh2/6
Stadler/Stadler ABB
1.2.2017
Acceptance at Chernex. Note 7
Note 1: This class are labeled Chemin de fer Léger de la Riviera, Two of them are usually to be found working on the Vevey - Blonay line whilst the other two are found working from Montreux. The numbering scheme used is that of the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line.
Note 2: Rotary plough blowers by Boschung Schmitten on downhill end, double plough blades in 'V' formation at uphill end, mounted on underframe of L 401.
Note 3: This railcar was the first to be released from works with the new "golden pass" logo. The lower panel, below the main saloon, was repainted in red and the cream coloured logo applied.(First week in May 2010).
Note 4: Motor coaches 101–105 delivered as BCFe 4/4 (2nd and 3rd class plus luggage, adhesion only), became ABFe 4/4 in 1956, ABDe 4/4 in 1963 and BDe 4/4 in 1970, when first class was abolished on CEV.
Note 5: Locomotives 1–3 were delivered as HGe 2/2 for rack & adhesion. 1950/51 they were rebuilt to rack only and became thus He 2/2.
Note 6: This railcar was the first to appear in Golden Pass white/gold livery in October 2011.
Note 7: These eight sets, 7501 - 8, are part of the re-equipment of the CEV, 2017 - 2019, to give a more frequent service from July 2019. No.7501 was released to traffic in December 2015 in the midnight blue and white livery similar to that formally used on the Golden Pass Panorama trains. The set is similar to the Stadler "Flirt" trains used elsewhere in Europe but this in metre gauge format.
Michel Grandguillaume, Gérald Hadorn, Jean Paillard, Jean-Louis Rochaix: Crémaillères et funiculaires vaudois. BVA, Lausanne 1982, ISBN2-88125-002-5
Michel Grandguillaume, Gérald Hadorn, Sébastien Jarne, Jean-Louis Rochaix: Voies étroites de Veveyse et de Gruyère. BVA, Lausanne 1984, ISBN2-88125-003-3
Rochaix et al.: Chemins de fer privés vaudois 1873 - 2000. Editions La Raillère, CH-1092 Belmont 2000, ISBN2-88125-011-4
Rochaix et al.: Chemins de fer privés vaudois 2000 - 2009. Editions La Raillère, CH-1092 Belmont 2009, ISBN978-2-88125-012-5
References
www.blonaychamby.ch
(Histoire du chemin de fer Vevey-Blonay-Chamby de 1902 á 2002)
