Oberweißbacher Bergbahn
The Oberweißbacher Bergbahn is a German railway in the Thuringian Highland, Thuringia. Since 1922 it connects Obstfelderschmiede (Mellenbach-Glasbach) with the village Lichtenhain, Oberweißbach and Cursdorf. The train consists of 1.351 km broad gauge cable railway and connects to a 2.635 km standard gauge electrified adhesion railway.[2]
Oberweißbacher Bergbahn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Route number | 563 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 3.986 km (2.477 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | 1,800 mm (5 ft 10+7⁄8 in) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating speed | 30 km/h (19 mph) max. (standard gauge section). 5.75 km/h (3.57 mph) max. (funicular section). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Maximum incline | 25 %[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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History
Both railways are operationally closely linked. Since January 1982 the Oberweissbacher-Bergbahn is a historical monument.[3] The railway is operated by Deutsche Bahn AG and offers about thirty rides every half-hour from 5:30 am to 8:00 pm.
Operation
This funicular is unusual because instead of using two purpose-built passenger vehicles, it only features one. The other vehicle is a flat wagon that is designed to carry a single standard gauge passenger car, freight wagon or locomotive between the conventional railway systems at the bottom and the top. At the top, both vehicles pull into a passenger halt at Lichtenhain/Bergbahn, but the standard gauge track on the flat wagon can interface with the standard gauge railway.
At the bottom, there is a turnout that sends the two vehicles into separate termini. The passenger vehicle is directed into a conventional funicular passenger halt, but the flat wagon is directed to interface with a turntable on the Schwartzatalbahn adjacent to Obstfelderschmiede station. In normal day-to-day passenger service, the flatbed vehicle is loaded with a dedicated passenger car carrying the Oberweißbacher Bergbahn branding. Passenger access to this car is provided at the terminus.[4]
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References
- DB leaflet Bahnfahren und Wandern im Schwartzatal (in German though the gradient reads the same)
- "Oberweißbacher Berg- und Schwarzatalbahn". www.oberweissbacher-bergbahn.com. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
- "Technical Sheet (German)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-11-23.
- Publication: Bergbahn-Zeiten-eine Reise in Bildern (in German) ISBN 3-935961-03-0
External links
- Oberweißbacher Bergbahn official website
- Oberweißbacher Bergbahn on the DB-Schwarzatalbahn website
- Lichtenhainer Waldeisenbahn