The 0-8-0 T cogwheel steamlocomotive HG 4/4 # 704 of the Dampfbahn Furka Bergstrecke (DFB) is coming down the 11.0 % grade above Oberwald with train 133 from Realp over the Furka to Oberwald. The HG 4/4, which was built in 1923 for Indochina (Vietnam), and the HG 2/3, which was built for the Visp-Zermatt Railway, have to go down the mountain "backwards", chimney towards the mountain, because of their boiler construction. As you can see, the locomotive has a plate mounted (magnetic attachement) above the number on the side of the coal case. The superimposed initials on the shield-shaped "Việt Nam Railways" emblem are VHX. They stand for "Việt Nam Hỏa Xa" which, literally translated, means the “conveyance which runs by fire.” This is a reminder of the use of the locomotive in Indochina/Vietnam from 1924 to approx. 1975, but is not appropriate to the appearance of the locomotive, which shows more or less this of the delivery in 1924. The locomotive was brought back to Switzerland more or less as scrap in 1990, together with other locomotives and material. Since last year it is operational again after about 50000 men work hours of volunteers, like new when built in 1923.
