Oberweißbacher Bergbahn

The Oberweißbacher Bergbahn is a German railway in the Thuringian Highland, Thuringia. Since 1922 it connects Obstfelderschmiede (Mellenbach-Glasbach) with the village Cursdorf. The train consists of 1.351 km broad gauge cable railway and a connects to 2.635 km standard gauge electrified adhesion railway.[2]

Oberweißbacher Bergbahn
Passenger waggon of cable railway
Service
Route number563
Technical
Line length3.986 km
Track gauge1,800 mm (5 ft 10 7⁄8 in) and 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Operating speed30 km/h max. (standard gauge section).
5.75 km/h max. (funicular section).
Maximum incline25  %[1]
Route map
Schwarzatalbahn from Katzhütte
0,000 Obstfelderschmiede
 339 m
Schwarzatalbahn to Rottenbach
0,676
Passing loop of cable railway
1,351 Lichtenhain/Bergbahn
 662 m
Railway turntable and operating station
Bergbahnstraße
Oberweißbacher Straße (Kreisstraße 26)
Wirtschaftsweg
 3,006 Oberweißbach-Deesbach
 664 m
Wirtschaftsweg
 3,986 Cursdorf
 678 m
Is used to transfer standard gauge vehicles on the goods waggon

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 flatbed truck that is designed to carry a single standard gauge passenger car, freight waggon 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 rails on the flat bed car 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 bed vehicle is directed to interface with a turntable on the Schwartzatalbahn adjacent to Obstfelderschmiede station. In normal day to day passenger service, the flat bed vehicle is loaded with a dedicated passenger car carrying the Oberweißbacher Bergbahn branding. Passenger access to this car is provided at the terminus.[4]

  • Obstfelderschmiede station
  • Lichtenhain station
  • Oberweißbach-Deesbach station
  • Cursdorf station
  • A passenger car being transported on the funicular
  • An alternative cabriolet passenger car
  • View of Obstfeldschmiede termini showing the turntable

References
  1. DB leaflet Bahnfahren und Wandern im Schwartzatal (in German though the gradient reads the same)
  2. "Oberweißbacher Berg- und Schwarzatalbahn". www.oberweissbacher-bergbahn.com. Retrieved 2015-11-22.
  3. "Technical Sheet (German)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-11-23.
  4. Publication: Bergbahn-Zeiten-eine Reise in Bildern (in German) ISBN 3-935961-03-0


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