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AXALP<br />
Ship's type: GMS (Güter-Motor-Schiff), inland cargo ship<br />
During passage of Mannheim<br />
Photo: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/Archiv<br />
Builder's yard: N.V. Scheepswerfen v/h H. H. Bodewes, Millingen a/d Rijn<br />
Owner: Basler Rheinschiffahrt A.G. (BRAG), Basel<br />
Management: Basler Rheinschiffahrt A.G. (BRAG), Basel<br />
Year of construction: 1949 Hull number: 442<br />
Launching: Delivery to owner: 11.08.1949<br />
Port of registry: Basel IVR / ENI Registry No. 7000427<br />
Date of registry: CH-Registry No: 0427/49<br />
Deletion of registry: Fate: In service<br />
Tonnage<br />
Tonnage, original: 1246 mt<br />
Tonnage, after elongation: 1447 mt<br />
Length: 82.82 / later 91,0 Meter TEU: -<br />
Beam: 9.05 Meter Passengers: 6-16<br />
Draught: 2.63 Meter Crew: 4
Engines<br />
Engine-type: 2 diesel engines, Sulzer Brothers Ltd., Winterthur,<br />
Switzerland, 6-cylinders in line, type: 6TW24<br />
Power / BHP: 2 x 450<br />
Drive: 2 FP-Propellers<br />
All ship's names<br />
Date Ship's name Port of registry<br />
11.08.1949 AXALP Basel<br />
1998 Axalp Thielle<br />
Fate of ship: In service on Lake Neuchatel and Lake Bienne<br />
History<br />
The inland cargo vessel "AXALP" was constructed according to plans from the famous <strong>Swiss</strong> marine<br />
engineer Adolf J. Ryniker at the shipyard of N.V. Scheepswerfen v/h H. H. Bodewes, Millingen a/d Rijn<br />
under the hull number 422 for the Basler Rheinschiffahrt AG (BRAG), Basel. She was delivered to her<br />
owners on 11.08.1949 and registered under <strong>Swiss</strong> flag (No. of registry 427).<br />
Since 1951 an accommodation modul for passengers was installed during summer time in front of the<br />
wheel house, containing 4 double berth cabins, a galley and a living room. This modul was<br />
constructed by Gutehoffnungshütte Oberhausen A.G., Rheinwerft, Walsum, Germany and had a total<br />
weight of 13 tonnes. According to a sketch a few more passenger cabins were also located on the<br />
foreship. However this additional modul was not always used. During winter seasons the vessel was<br />
used from time to time for the company's internal training scheme for deck boys. When not in service,<br />
the moduls were stored on shore.<br />
In the year 1968 the vessel was sold to BRAGTANK and in 1969/70 elongated and converted into a<br />
selfunloading gravel carrier (91,0 m / 1447 mt) at the shipyard Rheinwerft Mainz-Mombach, at Mainz-<br />
Mombach, Germany and used to carry gravel in the region of Basel.<br />
In 19?? sold to Rhein Umschlag AG, Muttenz, home port Basel. Not renamed.<br />
On 04.11.1982 purchased by Fertigbeton AG, Basel, Not renamed.<br />
In the year 1998 the ship was purchased by the construction company Marti AG in Moosseedorf, near<br />
Bern for service on the Lake of Neuchatel. During this time the motorway and new railway tunnels<br />
were constructed along the the lake and a huge amount of excavation material had to be carried<br />
away. To facilitate the road transport from the Rhein river to the Aare river, the vessel had to be cut in<br />
8 sections.<br />
For this purpose the "AXALP" was cut in the shipyard Schiffswerft Josef Braun GmbH & Co. KG,<br />
Speyer, Germany, first longitudinally into into a port and starboard section, then these were cut into<br />
fore, middle and aft sections, giving a total of 8 sections. These sections were brought by push barges<br />
to the Auhafen in Basel, then by road to the construction yard of the Marti AG on the Aare river at<br />
Arch, near Grenchen (see also article in BAZ).
On the construction site in Arch the ship was assembled into 2 sections, the foreship and the stern<br />
part with the propulsion plant. These two sections were towed separately to the Zihl Canal (connection<br />
between the Lake Bienne and the Lake Neuchatel). Due to the insufficent length of the lock at Port,<br />
near Bienne, the ship could not be completed at Arch. In Thielle on the Zihl Canal the two sections<br />
were joined afloat, aligned and welded together (see also article from Urs Vogelbacher, published in<br />
the SVS-Journal of 6/1998).<br />
After the "AXALP" was put into service again, she commenced to transport excavation material from<br />
the various building sites along Lake Neuchatel to the discharge port Thielle, in the Zihl Canal. The<br />
material was suitable for the fabrication of cement in the nearby cement works of Juracime. Since<br />
some time the vessel was loaded at the last building site in Serrière, near Neuchatel.<br />
Today, in January 2011 these large construction works are almost completed and the "AXALP" sails<br />
only occasionally a few days per month. If new transport requirements will come up is very doubtful.<br />
The many years of hard work have left their marks on the ship and major repairs would become<br />
necessary sometimes in the future. However such a huge ship cannot be docked on the Lake<br />
Neuchatel, nor on Lake Bienne. Therefore we assume, that the days of this remarkable ship are<br />
counted soon .<br />
GMS "AXALP“ with Passenger accommodation modul forward of the wheelhouse<br />
Photo: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/Archiv
GMS "AXALP“ with passengers underway up-river, in one of the locks of the Grand Canal d’Alsace<br />
Photo: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/Archiv<br />
Sketch: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/Archiv
Photo: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/Foto-Archiv<br />
Gravel freighter "AXALP“ passing 1972 the German / <strong>Swiss</strong> border at Weil a/Rh.<br />
In the back the Hupfer gravel terminal in the French village of Huningue.<br />
Photo: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/MB-Foto
"AXALP“ during gravel loading (loading time abt. 10-15’) at the terminal „Sutter-Kies“<br />
below the locks of Ottmarsheim<br />
Photo: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/Foto-Archiv<br />
"AXALP“ in 1970, going down-river empty in the locks of Birsfelden. Note,<br />
the wheelhouse has been disassembled to pass the low bridge in Basel<br />
Photo: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/ Foto-Archiv
Gravel freigther "AXALP“ idle on a Sunday in the Auhafen at Basel with the colours of the Fertigbeton AG<br />
Copyright: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/MB-Foto<br />
"AXALP“ sailing up-river above the locks of Birsfelden on a beautiful November evening 1992<br />
Copyright: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/MB-Foto
TRANSPORT AND ASSEMBLY OF "AXALP" AT ARCH AND ON THE ZIHL CANAL<br />
Except fort he first picture, which is from the archiv of <strong>Swiss</strong>-<strong>Ships</strong>, all the following photographs were made<br />
available to us by Fritz Reber and Uwe Mayer of the construction company Marti AG in Moosseedorf near Bern,<br />
many thanks to these gentlemen for their kind assistance.<br />
We are also grateful to Mr. Marcel Münch of the BAZ, Basler Zeitung and to Mr. Urs Vogelbacher and Mrs. Silvie<br />
Pelloux of the SVS, Schweiz. Vereinigung für Schifffahrt und Hafenwirtschaft (<strong>Swiss</strong> Association für Shipping and<br />
Harbour economy) for their kind authorisation to publish their articles.<br />
"AXALP“ in sections on the pusher barge “Waibel 18” in the locks of Birsfelden underway to the<br />
Auhafen<br />
Photo: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/Archiv
Construction yard in Arch. The fore ship is being assembled.<br />
Copyright: Uwe Mayer / Marti AG<br />
The fore ship is nearing completion.<br />
Copyright: Uwe Mayer / Marti AG
The launching place in the construction yard at Arch<br />
Copyright: Uwe Mayer / Marti AG<br />
In the Zihl Canal at Thielle, ready to join the fore ship and the stern part.<br />
Copyright: Uwe Mayer / Marti AG
The joints of the two sections, but not jet aligned for joining.<br />
Copyright: Uwe Mayer / Marti AG<br />
One of the sections, note the conveyor belt tunnel is temporarily closed-up with a steel plate.<br />
Copyright: Uwe Mayer / Marti AG
The two sections have been joined with studs and are aligned, all is ready for the final<br />
joining by welding.<br />
Copyright: Uwe Mayer / Marti AG
Welding in progress. Note from the interior water has to be pumped-off constantly.<br />
Copyright: Uwe Mayer / Marti AG<br />
Nearing completion, one of the cargo hoppers and one of the hatches to the conveyor belt<br />
below.<br />
Copyright: Uwe Mayer / Marti AG
"AXALP“ in Thielle on August 20, 1998, in the background the cement factory Juracim at Cornaux<br />
Copyright: Urs Vogelbacher
"AXALP“ on the Zihl Canal on 13.10.2010<br />
Photo: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/MB-Foto
"AXALP“ on the Zihl Canal on 13.10.2010<br />
Photo: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/HPS-Foto<br />
"AXALP“ during cargo discharge at Cornaux on 13.10.2010<br />
Photos: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/MB-Foto
"AXALP“ on departure at Serrière with a full cargo of excavation material for Cornaux on 1.09.2009<br />
Photo: Werner Vögeli-Foto (ex KFGS „Ursula“ & Boot „Schwyz“)<br />
Main engines of "AXALP“ built by Sulzer Brothers Ltd., Winterthur, in 1948/49, type: 6 TW24<br />
Photo: Werner Vögeli-Foto (ex KFGS „Ursula“ & Boot „Schwyz“)
"AXALP“ at Cornaux after discharge, evening of 13.10.2010, ready for another voyage<br />
Photo: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/HPS-Foto
The "AXALP" on the Lake Neuchatel in the year 2010<br />
Copyright: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/MB-Foto<br />
The "AXALP" in the Zihl Canal near Marin-Epagnier on 14.11. 2010<br />
Copyright: <strong>Swiss</strong><strong>Ships</strong>/MB-Foto
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