Lake Lucerne Steam Ship Trip to Vitznau-Wissifluh | Switzerland

[@Genius_at_Work]

I don't agtee with KZbin hiding Dislikes, 90 Likes, 1 Dislike, 2022-10-17. Just so you know what to expect from this Video. Regarding the Steam Locomotive at 04:52: That's Locomotive #7 of the Rigi Rack Railway, the only operational Locomotive with a vertical Boiler in the World. I'm planning to make a Video of it too, and to link it with a Card in this Video. Hence I featured it here. Said Video may take a bit of Time though, as the Locomotive only operates occasionally and only makes one Journey up and down the Mountain on such Days, so recording enough Footage may take a bit of Time (and the probably different Weather and maybe even Season will make the Video a bit weird too). It will Steam again on Septmeber 24+25 this Year, and I'm planning to visit there too. With a lot of Luck, I might record enough Footage for a decent Video there, so I might upload it in October, but it will probably take way into next Year to complete that Video. Here are some more unedited Clips of Locomotive #7 though: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZeki3hpeqh6pbM kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaixiqCooKmUpaM Btw. the Locomotive was my true Reason to visit Lake Lucerne this Saturday (2022-09-10), and this Video is just a Byproduct of it. If it wasn't for the Locomotive, I would have visited today (2022-09-11) and have made this Video in much better Weather. That's also the Reason for the sometimes weird Light+Colours, not only was it weird when filming, but I tried to make it look a bit brighter when editing the Video, which is visible (aka I did it badly) sometimes. Perhaps I will re-shoot and re-upload this Unterwalden+Wissifluh Video next Year in better Weather.

[@03vicBlack]

I wait for weeks for you to upload anything. Your content is spectacular. I love machinery from any Era.

[@Genius_at_Work]

I recently had my final Exams in Marine Engineering, then moved House and started working. That's why I couldn't record as many Videos as I'd have liked to. I now have Plans for literally every Weekend for the next 8-12 Weeks, to record at least one Video per Week. I'll yet have to see if these Plans work out. Problem is that I'm currently living without proper Internet Access, so even if I record many Videos, I don't know how to upload them. But I'll try to upload at least every two Weeks.

[@TheSockMonkeyGuy]

😍 Beautiful video! I noticed the sign announcing that the Unterwalden is 120 years old. Amazing! I would love to be one of the "caretakers" of something like that. Some years ago I helped with the restoration of a 1928 pipe organ and it was such a privilege to care for the work of the craftsmen who built it. Don't worry about the weather in the video; no place has perfect weather all the time and I enjoy seeing all the different "faces" of Switzerland. And I'm looking forward to seeing more of Locomotive #7! What is the vertical piston/cylinder at 2:35? I'm guessing that it is a pump of some kind.

[@Genius_at_Work]

The Unterwalden is the second oldest Paddle Steamer on Lake Lucerne, the very similar Uri was built in 1901 and also is the oldest Paddle Steamer in all of Switzerland. There are two slightly older very small Propeller-driven Steam "Ships" too, but I'd rather call them Boats (Boat vs Ship is a pretty difficult Question to answer btw. I might make a Video about that some Time). The youngest Swiss Steam Ship is on Lake Lucerne too, the Stadt Luzern from 1928. A Group of Enthusiasts is raising Money to build a new Paddle Steamer in Schaffhausen, which will sail on the navigable Part of the Rhine there as well as Lake Constance, although IIRC it would only be the lower Part of Lake Constance up to Constance, for some legal Reasons. This Paddle Steamer will have a modern Steam Engine and a Boiler fired by Wood Pellets. The oldest Steam Ship in Switzerland could have been the Rigi from 1848, which was considered to be restored operational and to its original Appearence from 1848 but with the Engine from 1892 (the original one disappeared), but these Plans were dropped because they couldn't be financed. It was visually restored to 1848 Condition and put on static Display in the Lucerne Transportation Museum, but that Restoration was botched and it now is in poor Condition. Just like all Swiss Paddle Steamers, the Crew of the Ships on Lake Lucerne are full-Time Employees, who work every Day on the Ships, sailing during Summer and maintaining during Winter (plus a bit of sailing on the Uri around Christmas). I'd like to work there (either Lucerne or Zürich) when I've had enough of International Seafaring, but The Thing about the Weather is just that it annoys me that I (sort of) had to visit on the one Day with bad Weather, it was great the Days before and will be great in the following Days. I'm planning one or maybe two more Paddle Steamer Videos from Lake Lucerne, in late Autumn or/and Winter, but more on that in a Poll that will follow on Tuesday. The Locomotive #7 Video will come next Year, getting some "acceptable" Video this Year is just a Plan B if I can't visit again next Year. Not postponing everything for wanting to make it perfect is a Lesson that I've learned in 2019. I might book a Ride on Locomotive #7 next Year, but I'm not sure if it's worth it. Perhaps I'll book a Car Ride with another Steam Locomotive instead, as it wouldn't make too much Difference and I don't "waste" a Locomotive #7 Day. The Vertical Cylinder is the Condensate Air Pump. It draws Condensate Water and Exhaust Steam from the Condenser, to maintain Condenser Vacuum. The Vacuum increases the Pressure Difference usable in the Cylinders. As the Steam expands into a Vacuum, it can get much colder than the usual 100°C under atmospheric Pressure, which increases the Temperature Difference. That's where the real Efficiency Increase is. The actual Calculation is about Specific Enthalpy and is much more complicated than simple Temperatures and Pressures, again something that could be an Idea for a future Video. The basic Function of the Condenser and accompanying Pumps is explained in my "Escher-Wyss Steam Engine on the Paddle Steamer Stadt Zürich"-Video; all Swiss Paddle Steamers except for the Stadt Luzern have very similar Engines, just sometimes larger (Simplon), or smaller (Neuchâtel). The Stadt Luzern has a three Cylinder Uniflow Engine with hydraulic Steam Admission Valves (there are no Exhaust Valves, as it is controlled by the Piston itself, similar to Two Stroke Internal Combustion Engines). I'm currently in Contact with the Lake Lucerne Ship Operator to make a Video about it, perhaps in early October. I won't make Steam Engine Videos on other Swiss Paddle Steamers, as they would be too similar to the Stadt Zürich. The Steamer Natchez in New Orleans could be interesting though, if I ever visit America. There are nice Paddle Steamers in Echuca/Australia too, but their Engines essentially are like Steam Rollers.

[@Genius_at_Work]

Little Addition regarding "Botched Restoration and poor State" of the Rigi: The wooden Deck was built like on a normal Ship, and the increased Thermal Expansion from being placed on dry Land was underestimated, resulting in the Deck popping off during a cold Winter Night. And the Superstructures, especially over the Paddle Wheels were "more like Movie Props than actual Shipbuilding", according to the Engineers on the Stadt Zürich. Deck and Superstructures were removed a few Years, and the empty Hull now sits in the Lucerne Transport Museum. I don't know of any Plans to do something with it, but at least its protected against Corrosion, so I don't think they're planning to scrap it either. You can find some Images of the different States it was in over the last 30 Years when searching "DS Rigi" on Google. It was kept as it was retired in 1952 and used as Restaurant until 2005, when a Flash Flood severly damaged it. Following that Damage, the Plans to restore it operational came up but where dropped in Favour of said botched Restoration, which in Terms was destroyed a few Years later.

[@Genius_at_Work]

Update #2, regarding Locomotive #7: I couldn't record it this Weekend, as I my Job called me back to Hamburg on very short Notice, despite already being in Switzerland. The Locomotive is supposed to steam again next Year, but I don't know yet if I can visit then, as I don't have any Idea where I'll be next Year and barely know about the next Months. Unfortunately, that also means that I had to call off my Engine Room Visit on the Paddle Steamer Stadt Luzern. If all goes well, I'll visit mid-October though, but that's literally last Chance this Year as the Stadt Luzern will end the Season two Days later. Here are the two Locomotive #7 Clips that I recorded two Weeks ago, just in Case if I can't make a proper Video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZeki3hpeqh6pbM kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaixiqCooKmUpaM