Mt. Pilatus is admired by all travelers in Switzerland. It is really a series of 10 mountain peaks all rising from the same general base. These stretch in an east and west direction. The highest peak is almost 7,000 feet. The Esel is next to the easternmost of the 10 peaks. It is up the Esel that this train is climbing. The railroad was built to take tourists to the top for a fine view over Lake Lucerne and the nearby mountains. It was made ready for use in 1889. A Swiss by the name of Lochern was the chief engineer. The road begins at Alpnachstad on Lake Lucerne. It ends on top of the Esel. Its length is about 3 miles. In going these 3 miles, the train rises over a mile above the starting point. No ordinary train could make such a climb. It was necessary to build a cog railroad. A cog rail with teeth on both sides catches the cogs on the wheels. In this way the train is pushed upward or let downward. The train consists of an engine and one coach, forming a single car with only two axles. There are seats for 32 people. Eight trains run daily. It takes an hour and 25 minutes to go up, and an hour and 20 minutes to go down. The fare up is 10 francs; down 6 francs. You see the train far up on the steep side of the Esel. Here the track appears to hang over a terrible cliff. The train passes through 4 tunnels. One of these you see. It looks like a black hole in a wall. To the left the clouds are playing about a mountain peak. Do you know of any other fine pieces of railroad making or bridge building? How much is a franc worth in this country? Of what great mountain system is Mt. Pilatus a part? Keystone ID: 10770 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.