Pressnitz Valley Railway

The Pressnitz Valley Railway (German: Preßnitztalbahn) was a narrow gauge railway line in Saxony, Germany. It used to climb from Wolkenstein on the standard gauge Annaberg-Buchholz–Flöha railway through the valley of river Preßnitz (Czech: Přísečnice) to Jöhstadt on the border with Bohemia. It was dismantled in the second half of the 1980s, however the Steinbach - Jöhstadt section was rebuilt as a museum railway after the fall of communism in East Germany.

Wolkenstein–Jöhstadt
The former Saxon IV K, no. 99 1542, in
the restored station of Steinbach (2008)
Overview
Line number6975
Service
Route number422 (1984); 12600 (2008);
Technical
Line length24.328 km (15.117 mi)
Track gauge750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in)
Minimum radius80 m (262 ft)
Operating speed30 km/h (18.6 mph) max.
Maximum incline2.5  %
Route map
 0.000 Wolkenstein
 392 m
Three rail track
1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) / 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in)
 ~1.9
Wolkenstein branch-off, Stw 1
2.010
Zschopau Bridge (54 m)
 3.83 Streckewalde
 417 m
 6.04 Großrückerswalde
 442 m
 9.424 Niederschmiedeberg
 481 m
dkk siding
 13.55 Oberschmiedeberg
 525 m
 14.956 Steinbach (bei Jöhstadt)
 543 m
 ~15.5 Wildbach
(since 2000)
 ~16.5 Stolln
(since 1998)
 ~18.3 Forellenhof
(since 1996)
 18.92 Schmalzgrube
 598 m
 ~21.3 Loreleifelsen
(since 1994)
 21.77 Schlössel
 566 m
 22.950 Jöhstadt
 634 m
 24.328 Jöhstadt Ldst.
 702 m
For the narrow-gauge railway on Rügen, also owned by the Eisenbahn-Bau- und Betriebsgesellschaft Pressnitztalbahn mbH, see Rügensche Bäderbahn.

History

Construction started in 1891 and the railway was opened on 1 June 1892. In May 1893 the line was extended to the border with Bohemia. There were several projects to connect the line to Bohemian standard gauge lines, with the aim of enabling the importation of lignite from the Most Basin. However, the proposed link with border station at Reitzenhain on the Chomutov–Reitzenhain and Reitzenhain–Flöha railway lines was rejected, as well as a plans to build an extension to the Chomutov–Vejprty/Reitzenhain railway. From 1911 freight was carried using transporter trailers.

The Pressnitz Valley Railway was the last Saxon narrow gauge railway to be closed by the East German government. Passenger services were terminated in 1984; the transportation of freight for the refrigerator factory in Niederschmiedeberg ceased in 1986. The process of gradually dismantling the line took several years, from January 1984 until the summer 1989. Locomotives and wagons were transferred to other Saxon narrow gauge railways or decommissioned.

Preservation

As early as 1988, a society for the preservation of the railway, the Interessengemeinschaft Preßnitztalbahn, was formed in Großrückerswalde. Its aim was to preserve the remaining fragments that were left after dismantling. After the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, the club turned into a legal entity and presented a bold plan to rebuild at least part of the former narrow gauge line. Reconstruction began as soon as 1990, with the restoration of the locomotive shed in Jöhstadt. In the following years, the track from Jöhstadt station to Steinbach station was gradually laid and a week-long celebration took place in 2000.

The museum railway operates every weekend from May to October, as well as on public holidays (Easter, May Day, Ascension, Pentecost, German Unity Day) and around Christmas and New Year's Day.

Rügen operations

Since 2008, the operating company Eisenbahn-Bau- und Betriebsgesellschaft Pressnitztalbahn operates the Rügen narrow-gauge railway (which uses the same 750 mm gauge) and also the standard-gauge Bergen auf Rügen–Lauterbach Mole railway.

References

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