The RhB railway network

Landquart - Davos

The RhB story begins in about 1888 as the Smalspurbahn Landquart Davos (LD) is founded. Some years before in 1866 Willem Jan Holsboer, a dutch business man has moved towards Davos together with his ill wife. He hopes that Dr. Alexander Spengler, who practices medicine in Davos is able to cure his wife. Unfortunately she dies in 1867, but at that time Spengler and Holsboer have become friends. Holsboer marries Ursula Busch and settles in Davos. Together with Spengler they build the first health resort (Schatsalp) in Davos. The resort is good business and after a fire which completely destroys the hotel en even larger hotel is build. Holsboer spend efforts in infrastructure for Davos. In 1888 He founds the Smallspurbahn Landquart Davos. The first train runs on october 9th 1889 from Landquart to Kloosters. On juli 21st 1890 Davos is reached. The station Landquart has an altitude of 523 meter above sealevel. In 32 kilometers the station of Klosters is reached at an altitude of 1191 m. After total 47 km Davos Dorf is reached at 1560 m.
Figure 1: Overview map of the RhB network

Figure 2: Detailed map of the section Landquart-Davos

In the period from 1991 to 1999 in the Klosters area a lot of work was done to make the connection to the Vereina tunnel. For this the Landquart bridge near Klosters had to be replaced by a new one which contains the track towards Davos and the Zugwald tunnel leading to the vereina. The Work started on April 18th 1991 and was finished on November 19th 1999. More on the vereina can be found on the vereina page.

Davos - Filisur



Figure 3: Detailed map of the section Davos-Filisur

From Davos Platz the line moves towards Filisur where it connects to the Albula line. The line moves through the valley of the Landwasser river. This small river that ends up in the Albula is famous because of the Landwasser viaduct which is part of the Albula line. The line from Davos to Filisur crosses the Landwasser several times and the most impressive crossing is in Wiesen. The Wiesener viaduct is 88 meters high and together with the Landwasser viaduct and the Solis brucke the most photographed viaduct of the RhB. The stone bridge at Wiesen is very impressive, and for those who do not have fear of heights there is a wanderweg over the bridge which gives a magnificient view.

Suggestions for further reading:
  1. Eisenbahn Journal - Die RhB Teil 4 Special Ausgabe 3/2000 - Beat Moser
  2. Loki Special - Vereina Tunnel 11-1999.
  3. Paul Caminada - Der bau der Rhatische Bahn - Orell Fussli verlag, Zurich 1982
  4. Klaus Fader - Bernina express + Heidi express - Franckh-Kosmos verlag, Stuttgart 2005
  5. Franz Marti, Walter Trub - Die rhatische bahn - Orell Fussli Verlag, Zurich 1972
To the Albula story
Copyright Lourens Rijniers 2005