Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

Longest narrow gauge passenger train: Rhaetian Railway’s world record attempt has been successful

It has been officially confirmed and accomplished: last Saturday afternoon, Rhaetian Railway (RhB) took the longest narrow gauge passenger train in the world on the UNESCO World Heritage route from the Albula Tunnel in Preda to the world-famous Landwasser Viaduct just outside Filisur. Several thousand guests and railway fans attended the public event in Bergün or positioned themselves along the route men-tioned above to experience this unique journey.

RhB traveled along the Albula Line on Saturday afternoon, October 29, 2022, with 25 four-part Capricorn railcars from leading Swiss manufacturer Stadler. The 1.18-mile-long record train was lined up like a string of pearls in the Albula Tunnel during the night from Friday to Saturday and on Saturday morning. It then set off in Preda at about 2.20 pm. Shortly after 3.30 pm, the record-breaking train reached its destination: the spectacular crossing of the Landwasser Viaduct. “After intensive preparation, we are overjoyed to have achieved this world record. Not only did we have a wonderful railway festival here in Bergün, but we were able to present ourselves around the world as a fascinating and innovative mountain railway thanks to our dedicated partners, sponsors and an incredibly dedicated team,” says Renato Fasciati, Direc-tor of RhB shortly after the world record was set.

The success of the world record was offi-cially confirmed on-site by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™.

A festival site was built outside Bergün where around 3,000 visitors attended the world record attempt. On the festival site, Märklin also presented the world record train in mini format – with 25 Capricorn LGB model trains and a length of 262 feet on a scale of 1:22.5. The world record attempt itself was broadcast on Blick TV with an approximately two-hour program and was included in coverage by numerous TV stations around the world. More than 120 media repre-sentatives from 15 countries followed the world record live.
The RhB partners showed their skills at the station itself. For example, the track construction company SERSA was present with a track construction machine and a locomotive simulator. Expertise partners ABB and Repower provided information about electromobility. Siemens enabled a fantastic rail experience with augmented reality. The Albula Railway Museum was open, while Märklin and BEMO also showed various model railways. The entire railway village of Bergün was on the move.

Facts and figures about the world record attempt
- The train consisted of 25 compositions, each with four carriages of the new Capricorn railcars, and had a total length of 1.18 miles.
- "Capricorn" is the Rhaeto-Romanic term for ibex.
- The world-record route from Preda to Alvaneu is 15.5 miles long.
- The train covered a difference in altitude of 2590 feet.
- The world record-breaking journey crossed 48 bridges and went through 22 tunnels.
- The largest viaduct on the world record route is the world-famous Landwasser Viaduct just after Filisur with a length of 465 miles and a height of 213 miles.
- The longest tunnel on the world record route is the Greifenstein Tunnel just before Filisur which is 2290 feet long.
- The attempt to break the world record generated 4,000 kWh of braking energy (recuperation).
- The world-record train traveled at a speed of 18 to 22 mph.
- The record-breaking journey took around an hour.
- The weight of the record-breaking train was around 2,990 tons.
- Communication within the train was ensured by means of a field telephone almost 1.25 miles long from the Civil Defence.
- In addition, 7 train drivers and 21 technicians were at work on the train to ensure its operability.

PIRELLI NORTH AMERICA CONTINUES SPONSORSHIPS OF REBELLE RALLY, AFTER SUCCESSFUL DEBUT LAST YEAR

THE PIRELLI SCORPION RANGE CONFIRMED AS A PERFECT FIT FOR THE LONGEST WOMEN’S OFF-ROAD RALLY IN THE UNITED STATES

After a successful edition last year, Pirelli North America will once again sponsor the Rebelle Rally, the first women’s off-road navigation rally raid in the United States.

Traversing over 2,500 kilometers through Nevada and California’s iconic terrain, the Rally is an endurance competition for women requiring precision driving and navigation. It is not a race for speed, but a unique and demanding event based on the elements of headings, hidden checkpoints, time, and distance using maps, compasses, and road books. GPS and other electronic devices are strictly prohibited.

The Rebelle Rally is considered a proving ground for people, products, and stock manufacturer vehicles: it is designed for 4×4 and Crossover vehicles, the perfect fit for Pirelli’s Scorpion range. It is not a coincidence that Pirelli confirmed its presence at the Rally as one of the main sponsors this year, as the competition is the ideal proving ground for its Scorpion™ ATR and Scorpion™ All Terrain Plus tires. These two products are Pirelli’s flagship on and off-road tires, developed for drivers of SUVs, pickups, and crossovers who want to strike a balance between on-road performance and off-road capability, all with no compromise.

The Rebelle takes place on the stunning dirt roads, double tracks, trails, and sand dunes of the American West. The route changes every year: for its seventh edition, the event will start on October 6 near Incline Village, Nevada and finish at Imperial Sand Dunes in California on October 15.

The 2022 edition will see 110 women, divided into 55 teams, competing. The participants come from from 94 cities, 24 states and four countries, ranging in age from 23-74 years old. To date, the Rebelle has hosted women from 284 cities, 50 states/provinces, and ten countries.

There are eight manufacturers participating fielding 15 total teams. Over the years, the Rally has truly become a testing ground for OEMs. Rivian, for instance, will once again compete in the Rally, with its R1T fitted with Scorpion tires.

Pirelli and Rebelle Rally share not only a passion for competition and off-roading, but the understanding – and common value – of the importance of giving back. To support this, the two partnered up to create a new challenge for select Rally participants. The top three Rebelle teams that compete using Pirelli SCORPION™ tires in each class will win a donation towards a registered non-profit of their choice. The new element adds a layer of philanthropy so important to the women behind the wheel.

Founded in Milan in 1872, today Pirelli stands as a global brand known for its cutting-edge technology, high-end production excellence and passion for innovation that draws heavily on its Italian roots. The company’s product range consists of innovative tires for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles due to the solid partnerships with the most prestigious manufacturers. These collaborations allow Pirelli to develop tires, depending on the model, which are tailor made to satisfy the specific needs of the most sophisticated consumers.

Pirelli Tire North America (PTNA) includes the Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) facility and research and development center at its Rome, Georgia headquarters, a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Silao, Mexico, sales and marketing offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Detroit, Montreal and Mexico City, and a prestige flagship store in Los Angeles. The company manufactures, distributes and markets original equipment and replacement tires for export and domestic car/motorcycle applications.

The Rebelle Rally is the longest competitive off-road rally in the United States. Traversing over 2,500 kilometers through Nevada and California’s iconic terrain, it is an endurance competition for women consisting of precision driving and navigating - not fastest speed. The competition is innovative and unique, using maps, compass, roadbooks and strategy - known as Rebelle Format. GPS and other electronic devices are strictly prohibited. Remote and off-grid for eight competition days, the Rebelle Rally is considered a providing ground for people, products and stock manufacturer vehicles.

_________________________________________________________________________________