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HE newcomer's first glimpse of Wengen comes Tinevitably from the windows of a WAB train, unless he chooses to walk up from Lauterbrunnen, which few care to do these days. Yet less than eighty years ago, the long climb was the only way to get to Wengen and beyond. Not surprisingly, few people wanted to make the journey. Tourism in the high alps is a relatively modern pastime. Even so, the Lauterbrunnen valley seems to have been popular even in the middle ages. There are records going back to the 12th century of religious and secular notables visiting both Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald to attend the dedication of churches. One wonders if it was the churches which drew the dignitaries or if the dignitaries arranged for the churches to be built so that they could have the excuse for a trip to the mountains. Nevertheless, the 16th and 17th centuries saw people come along to study the mountains, but, one gathers, at a distance, However, by the 18th century, guides began to make an appearance, student trips were organized and it became fashionable to attend the 'Gletscherschule'. The tracks across the mountains were, still very poor, and, in fact, there is no written record of the crossing from Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald before 1776. In the 19th century, foreigners began to be seen more and more in the valleys. Some of them would spend months on end in Interlaken, and at popular times, accommodation in Interlaken became hard to find. People had to be put up in places like Bonigen and Lauterbrunnen, and this meant the development of a thriving local transport industry. It is hardly surprising that a plan was first brought out about 1870 to build a railway of sorts up to Wengernalp. The idea was to build a conventional railway to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald, and from those places, a combination of waterpowered funiculars and steam-powered cog railways would climb over the Scheidegg. The idea was dropped, though, because of its high cost. Some twenty years later, however, the BOB was to open up the valleys to Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, and the old idea of the mountain railway came under close scrutiny again. Now, people do not change much. There were loud and numerous protests about the invasion of the mountains. The protests came not only from the local inhabitants, but from mountain and nature lovers all over the world. The local people, however, were more specific in their opposition—and in the fears which led to them. The 'ring of iron' would bring too much change; it would disturb a tranquil life. They preferred life to be quiet and predictable. THE WAB The Editor Tourism was not yet a real industry in the valleys— in 1889, there were only two hotels in Lauterbrunnen, and four in Wengen. The Mayor of Interlaken protested that the plan was premature— nature would be disturbed. Not surprisingly, the organizers of the local transport facilities were, to a man, against the plan, and they sought to claim compensation if the railways did go up into the mountains. The outcome was the usual series of promises people get from the authorities, and which the authorities have no intention of keeping. The Oberlander Zeitung put the matter into a nutshell. 'First of all, they wanted to get the communities to contribute to a railway between the lakes—the Brixnigbahn. The communities said: Yes, as long as no railways are built into the Valleys! And they were given promises about that. Then came the valley railways, at least in concept, and the people of Lauterbrunnen said: Yes, as long as you don't build a railway to Miirren. Then came the plan to build a railway to Mtirren, and the Murreners said: Yes, as long as you don't later want to build one up to the Schilthorn. And they got that promise too.' Well, the promise about the Schilthornbahn at least seems to have lasted longer than the rest! Photo Wengernalpbahn Steamtrain at Wengemalp Station about 1900. Page Forty-five
Loading Luges, about 1913 Photo courtesy of Maj. Gen. R. C de M. Leathes I (BUBI Steam train at the old Wengen Station, i.h ,T about 1900 Photo Wengernalpbahn Excursion at Wengernalp Station (after its ascent from Wengen) in early 1900s. Photo Wengernalpbahn
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Page 20 and 21: BEING THE ANNUAL JOURNAL OF THE DOW
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Page 32 and 33: Des Peters, Kenny Dixon and Christa
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Page 38 and 39: NORWEGIAN TOURING HEN, in March, we
Page 40 and 41: Page Thirty-eight When I was small
Page 42 and 43: HE CB (Calais-Basle Express), when
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Page 46 and 47: I JOHN ALEXANDER JOANNIDES N 1921,
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Page 52 and 53: The well-known racer, Helen Jamieso
Page 54 and 55: I5aumann Prizes Holland Cup Otto Le
Page 56 and 57: EASTER SLALOM 1, L. KING, 112.1; 2,
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Page 60 and 61: 241 CROSSLEY, D. F., '66 242 CROSSL
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Page 64 and 65: 1.283 MILLER-STIRLING, J. D. B., '6
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Page 76 and 77: J. W. HICKS 91, The Parade, SUTTON
Page 78 and 79: Cinema-Theatre, WENGEN Proprietor:
Page 80 and 81: 1/2 3 4/5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
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