Chiemsee-Bahn

The Chiemsee-Bahn is a meter gauge railway line in Prien am Chiemsee, Germany. It is one of the world's last steam tramways,[3] and the oldest continuously operated steam tramway in regular operation.[4]

Chiemsee-Bahn
Chiemsee railway
A Chiemsee-Bahn train in May 2007
Overview
TerminiPrien am Chiemsee station
Prien-Stock station
History
OpenedJuly 9, 1887[1]
Technical
Line length1.9 km (1 mi)[2]
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3 38 in)
Route map

Line

The 1.9 km (1 mi) long line connects Prien am Chiemsee with Prien-Stock station. Its original terminus was on the west side of the main line railway tracks at Prien am Chiemsee station, which required the Chiemsee-Bahn to cross the tracks. This situation was eliminated in the winter of 1908/1909, when the Chiemsee-Bahn moved its terminus to the east side of the station.[2] The line, along with its steam locomotive and passenger cars, is registered as a historic monument of Bavaria, numbered D-1-87-162-66.[5]

History

After the death of King Ludwig II in 1886, his unfinished palace Herrenchiemsee was opened for visitors by his successor Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria.[2] Horse-drawn carriages transported the visitors from the railway station to the harbour, where they crossed over to the Herreninsel by boat. After an accident involving a horse-drawn carriage, Ludwig Feßler, operator of the Chiemsee-Schifffahrt, decided to contract Munich-based Krauss Locomotive Works with the planning for a local railway between Prien and Stock.[2] The contract for the construction was signed on March 15, 1887. Construction began on May 2, and the line opened on July 9, 1887.[2]

Rolling stock

The rolling stock consists of one steam engine and nine passenger cars,[2] which still are in their original condition from 1887.[1] Since 1982, the Chiemsee-Bahn also has a Deutz diesel engine, which was built in 1962 and was bought from the Halbergerhütte in Saarland.[6]

References

  1. "Dampfend unter Denkmalschutz" [Steam under heritage protection]. ovb-online.de (in German). Oberbayerisches Volksblatt GmbH & Co. Medienhaus KG. January 9, 2016. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  2. "Unverwüstliche "Bockerl"-Bahn" [Indestructible "Bockerl"-Railway]. ovb-online.de (in German). Oberbayerisches Volksblatt GmbH & Co. Medienhaus KG. February 25, 2012. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  3. Schmalhofer, Sabine (October 1, 2017). "Die Zukunft der Chiemsee-Bahn" [The future of the Chiemsee-Bahn]. br.de (in German). Bayerischer Rundfunk. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  4. "Die Chiemseebahn". Eisenbahn-Romantik. Episode 911 (in German). October 13, 2017. ARD. SWR Fernsehen. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  5. "Prien a.Chiemsee - Baudenkmäler" (PDF). geodaten.bayern.de (in German). Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege. July 4, 2018. p. 5. Retrieved February 6, 2019. D-1-87-162-66
  6. Mackinger, Gunter (October 14, 2018). "Chiemseebahn 2018 mit Dieselbetrieb" [Chiemseebahn 2018 with diesel traction]. lok-report.de (in German). LOK Report-Verlag. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
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