Wetzikon–Meilen tramway

The Wetzikon–Meilen tramway (German: Wetzikon-Meilen-Bahn, WMB) was a metre gauge rural electric tramway in the Swiss canton of Zürich. It linked the town of Meilen, on the shore of Lake Zürich, with Wetzikon and Kempten in the Zürcher Oberland.[1][2][3]

Wetzikon–Meilen tramway
A WMB tram in Grüningen
Overview
Status	Closed and removed
Locale	Canton of Zürich, Switzerland
Termini	Kempten Meilen
Stations	24
Service
Services	1
Depot(s)	Grüningen, Wetzikon, Meilen
History
Opened	1903
Closed	1950
Technical
Line length	22.5 kilometres (14.0 mi)
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge
Minimum radius	25 metres (82 ft)
Electrification	750 V, DC, overhead
Maximum incline	6.5%
Route map km elev in m 2.4 Kempten Ochsen 566 Kempten SBB Oberwetzikon 0.0 Wetzikon SBB 532 2.1 Grüt 547 4.0 Gossau 500 5.2 Ottikon 504 Grüningen Itzikon Grüningen Städtli 8.3 Grüningen 465 Grüningen Binzikon Grüningen Holzhausen 11.1 Oetwil am See Willikon 558 11.6 Langholz 581 11.1 Uster–Oetwil tramway to Uster 12.3 Stäfa Mühlehölzli 602 15.1 Männedorf Auf Dorf 491 Männedorf Allmend Männedorf Büelen Uetikon Kleindorf 16.9 Uetikon Grossdorf 458 Dollikon 18.7 Obermeilen 414 19.6 Meilen SBB 420 20.1 Meilen ferry terminal 411

The WMB had interchanges with the main line at Meilen station, on the Lake Zürich right bank line, at Wetzikon station, on the Wallisellen to Rapperswil line, and at Kempten station, on the Effretikon to Hinwil line. It also had a track connection with another metre gauge rural tramway, the Uster-Oetwil-Bahn (UOeB), at Langholz. Through the UOeB, the WMB had indirect metre gauge connections to the Forchbahn and the Zürich city tram network.[1][2]

The tramway was opened on 3 January 1903, with termini on the lakeside in Meilen and at Kempten. The section between Meilen lakeside and Meilen station closed on 3 October 1931, followed on 14 May 1939 by the section between Wetzikon and Kempten. The rump of the line survived until 13 May 1950, when it was replaced by a bus service operated by the Verkehrsbetriebe Zürichsee und Oberland (VZO).[1][3]

The line was electrified at 750 V DC. It had a length of 22.5 kilometres (14.0 mi), with 24 stops, a maximum gradient of 6.5% and a minimum radius of 25 metres (82 ft). Of the lines total length, 18.3 kilometres (11.4 mi) ran in the street, with the remainder on its own dedicated right of way. Apart from one small concrete bridge, there were no significant engineering structures.[1][2]

The line's headquarters and workshops were located at Grüningen, with additional depots at Wetzikon and Meilen. The Grüningen site still exists and, with significant rebuilding, is now the headquarters of the VZO. Station buildings also exist at Uetikon, Männedorf, Oetwil am See, Ottikon and Gossau, together with a goods shed at Grüt.[1]

None of the WMB rolling stock has survived. A tram car is displayed at the VZO's Grüningen site, in the colour scheme of the WMB and carrying the markings of car CFe 4/4 2 of 1903. However this is in fact Trogenerbahn BDe 4/4 23, a largely identical car that never actually operated on the WMB.[1]