BD is a variation of a common theme: when the industrial revolution in Switzerland started in earnest, tens of small private railroads were built as connection lines from "big" railroad´s stations up small river valleys and to connect more distant villages to the main train lines. BD, Bremgarten-Dietikon line was opened 1. July 1876 to connect the marvelously beautiful medieval town of Bremgarten to the main SBB line between Basel and Zürich at Dietikon station.

In the meantime Zürich city has grown. Today the BD line is part of the Zürich S-Bahn network, connecting both typical suburban areas but also pure countryside as well as the old Bremgarten town to the SBB´s main line. It is now operated by low-floor EMU trains which look like a cross between a tram and a metro train. Also many of the BD´s train stations resemble over-ground metro stations. BD´s gauge width is 1 metre. The line is 19 km long and it is electrified tram-style, with 1200V DC.

No train in these two pictures, but it sets the scene: Bremgarten is a small medieval town in the Kanton of Aargau, close to Zürich. The town is like a living piece of centuries old history. Town is linked to the "civilisation" in direction Zürich by a narrow gauge train, much like a tram, operated by a private company BD or Bremgarten-Dietikon Bahn. The connection does not lead all the way to Zürich city, just to the nearest "normal" railroad station in Dietikon, which is a suburb of Zürich.
Nighttime picture of Bremgarten´s medieval bridge over the river Reuss 14.10.2001 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded June 15th, 2002

BD´s old electric motor units built in 1928-32 and 1969 were replaced in 1993 by five modern two coach units of the type Be 4/8. The units are 37,4 m long, weigh 54,5 tons and can at places reach the speed of 80 km/h. Notice the tram like track: at places such as here in downtown Bremgarten, the trains operate directly on roads like normal trams. The units are of a low-floor type, which allows even disabled passengers easy access. Nighttime picture of a train arriving from Dietikon, Bremgarten 14.10.2001 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded June 15th, 2002

Bremgarten-Dietikon Bahn BD two coach EMU of type Be 4/8 no. 23 from behind. Some of the trains are now coloured blue; the original painting from 1993 was orange-grey. The short narrow gauge track is officially a part of Zürich´s suburban train system, S-Bahn; notice the "S17" stickers, showing the line number. Right after this stop the train crosses the Reuss river over a very high, more than a hundred year old stone bridge by a waterfall. Nighttime picture of a train from Dietikon to Wohlen at Bremgarten 14.10.2001 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded June 15th, 2002

Closer to Zürich the BD Bremgarten-Dietikon line looks more like a modern metro, although at some places, especially between Bremgarten and Mutschellen the modern trains look definitely out of place as the narrow gauge track winds tightly back and forth zigzags in a completely rural environment, on very steep, almost alpine hillside slopes.
Nighttime picture of a train from Bremgarten towards Dietikon on top of the steep hillside climb at the metro-like Berikon-Widen station 14.10.2001 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded June 15th, 2002

Side profile view of one of the Be 4/8 electric motor units shows the low-floor urban train in its original orange-grey livery of 1993. Another railroad, RBS, which ordered also these exactly same trains in 1992 has already extended some of its trains by adding a third "middle piece". The BD line is very old - it was opened already in 1876 - and at that time it definitely wasn´t about connecting some suburbs to Zürich, but building a "long haul" line to connect Bremgarten "far away" to the main SBB railroad line at Dietikon, so today´s trains seem like from another planet compared with what the railroad once was. Nighttime picture at Berikon-Widen station 14.10.2001 by Ilkka Siissalo, ilkka.siissalo(at-sign)iki.fi
Uploaded June 15th, 2002