An old steam locomotive comes back to life

Zug's first railway station, as it was in 1864, is back at its old location next to the Reformed Church – at least as a temporary replica. The multimedia exhibition inside is part of the Zug Fäscht.

Zug historian and writer Michael van Orsouw feels that 1897 is a a year that is not sufficiently present in the local history books. The new Thalwil-Zug-Art-Goldau railway line was opened at that time, 125 years ago, and Zug became an important railway hub with connections to Lucerne and Zurich. "That was the prelude to the modern city of Zug as we know it today," says van Orsouw.

In Zug, you can currently let yourself be transported back to the time before that, namely to 1864, when Zug still had a terminal station (Sackbahnhof) and no transit station. At that time, the original terminal station stood next to the Reformed Church on the corner of the Bundesstrasse and the Alpenstrasse, and has now been rebuilt as a temporary pavilion at the original location.

The past also dominates within the pavilion, where brightly lit panels document the history of the railway from 1864 onwards. The vernissage of the exhibition on Zug's railway history took place last Thursday before a large audience, including Zug political and cultural celebrities – about two weeks before the major Zug Fäscht on 3 September.

Not only was the old railway station temporarily rebuilt, but a model of a locomotive can also be found in the exhibition. In the picture, Philipp Schweiger (co-project leader) and Daniel Christen (communication and scenography) from the organisation committee of the Zug Fäscht.
Large-format pictures guide you through Zug's eventful railway history
An animated journey through a historical landscape              Photos: Stefan Kaiser

The unique large-format pictures allow you to discover a lot from the different eras, and are supported by short explanations. The highlight is the replica, man-sized steam locomotive. Presented all in black, it stands near the entrance.

Locomotive driver Leo Bättig takes visitors on a ride
With the help of state-of-the-art film, animation and projection technology, however, the model comes to life, and the replica locomotive steams through the historic landscape of 1897. Locomotive driver Leo Bättig takes the visitors with him, explains his work and also that of the ‘fireman’ Heinz (also known as a stoker or boilerman) , who has to shovel around one ton of coal into the boiler for the route from Zurich to Lucerne.

The screenplay was written by the Zug author and theatre woman Judith Stadlin. "It's an emotional way of conveying history," says Michael van Orsouw, who was responsible for the historical content. Project manager and designer Daniel Christen also emphasized the central role of the first station in the development of the then rural canton of Zug.

It was not easy to realise this project, according to Daniel Christen. In addition to the financing, which was only possible thanks to the support of various local institutions and companies, the pavilion itself was a major challenge. On the one hand, it had to be darkened sufficiently so that the projection can unfold its effect and, on the other, it had to be waterproof so that the installed technology would not be damaged.

The first, second and third stations
Meanwhile, the "pressure cooker", as Leo Bättig calls his locomotive, continues to snort steam. Leo Bättig tells us that not all Zug residents were happy about the development towards modernity. Many people were afraid of the big machines and the change they brought with them.

This theme is also taken up by the picture panels. Starting with the first plans for a railway connection for Zug, and in a chronological order via the second station, which was inaugurated with the new route in 1897. And the construction of the third, today's railway station and the introduction of the Zug Stadtbahn.

The first station is now in Wollishofen
Incidentally, the original station (Bahnhöfli) designed by Jakob Friedrich Wanner still exists. The building is still in use today as a railway station in Zurich Wollishofen

The exhibition on the forecourt of the Reformed Church Zug is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Friday, 19 August to Friday, 2 September 2022 (with the exception of 23 August when it is open from 2 to 4 p.m., and 30 August, when it will be closed)  The pavilion will then be open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. during the Zug Fäscht from 3 September.