Münchberg–Zell railway

Called The railway Munchberg cell, also called " Waldstein Express" or popularly known as " Bockela " was a rail link between the city and the community Munchberg cell that ran over white village and Sparneck.

History

Munchberg connection received on the Ludwig South - North Railway early in 1848. The originally planned Tuscan-style station building was carried out due to cost-cutting, greatly simplified. After the completion of the main line began the construction of branch lines and so the route Munchberg helmet Brecht could be opened to traffic already on 1 June 1887. Nine years ago was the planning of the Fichtel mountain railway, which should in addition Wunsiedel, White City, Kornbach and fir Reuth also affect cell and Sparneck before they would have passed in Munchberg in the main line, has been discarded due to high costs and low revenues. Further developments have brought from April 1, 1886 Karriolpostfahrten of Sparneck after Munchberg that enabled the inhabitants of the rural community connection to breakfast and lunch trains in Munchberg. A few years later also taught the town of Zell, a horse-drawn carriage; the carriages were soon replaced by horse-drawn omnibuses. With 70 penny a ride in 1886, but was relatively expensive, so the Karriolkutschen were not suitable for the general passenger transport. Soon the desire stirred in the population according to a railway line from Munchberg about Sparneck, Reinersreuth and cell and as a railway committee in Sparneck was convened on February 24, 1889, the eight representatives from Munchberg, nine from Sparneck, eight from cell and one each from Reinersreuth and Always yew belonged. It was chaired by the then Münchberger mayor, Friedrich Schoedel.

At a meeting on March 10 in the cell, which was attended by the then Member of Parliament Schmidt from Helmbrechts and the Royal District Officer Blass, also requested Weißdorf inclusion in the planning. The request was unanimously met after initial hesitation of Sparnecker mayor, who saw him coming through the necessary extension of higher freight costs to the municipalities. An initial application of the City Magistrate Munchberg and municipalities cell, Sparneck and white village on the Royal Ministry of the Royal Household and of Foreign March 18, 1889, rejected. After even further petitions in the following two years were rejected, you would even have been willing in the meantime, the railway, to carry on the initiative of local businesses as a private project of the communities. Also the time being last petition from October 1, 1895 was unsuccessful. Four years later the route Munchberg cell under reference number 17 (§ § 85-88 ) was added to the local railway bill and a half years later, approved on 10 March 1900 the construction of the line.

On the same day sent the Münchberger town clerk Ludwig Zapf, who had at that time first proposed to build a railway in the Munchberg - Helmbrechtser newspaper, a telegram from Munchberg off after Sparneck, Weißdorf and cell with the words: "Railway approved. Flags out! Music! Moving. " From newspaper articles this time it appears that the message in the communities with gun salvos, torchlight parades, flagging and ringing of church bells was celebrated. In August 1901 the first survey took place before you started the construction on September 10. The substructure was completed in February 1902, it was begun with the laying of the tracks. Less than half a year later, on September 7, 1902, the route was passable for work trains and was released on October 14 for the first test drive. Three days later found first free trips take for the population. On October 18, 1902, the track was officially opened by train at 5:08 clock from cell in operation. Four years later, on December 31, 1906, the project had a net loss of 1985 marks. In the following years, the operation went smoothly except for a few minor faults. So had the winter of 1941, the operation has been stopped because of large snow drifts, as well as the bridge had been blown up on the street Kirchenlamitzer on 14 April 1945. In November 1954 railbuses the VT series were first used 95 on the track, causing the end of the Steam Engine announced. However, only found on 29 September 1962, the last ride instead of a steam locomotive. The locomotive use then 64 239 was replaced by the diesel V 100 series.

On September 25, 1971, nine years later, the history of the local train service ended with the last passenger train that once again, covered by the initiative of the Fraunhofer railway club with a steam locomotive class 86, drove from Zell to Munchberg. Reason for the closure of the track was too high a cost ( about 1 million dollars) for the maintenance of the track. 1971 began with passenger counts to calculate the need for buses to the operational setup. Through the implementation of a 20-ton Verladekrans of Schwarzenbach by Munchberg the loading of granite blocks of Reinersreuth could be transferred to the city's train station, which completely lost the benefit until then further used as Streckenrangiergleis railway line. The tracks were eventually dismantled from 21 August to 8 September 1972.

The efforts of the newly formed local railway working group Fichtelgebirge Franconia forest to get the route as a museum railway, came to nothing. Nevertheless, a short piece of track to 1.7 kilometers remained, which serves as a corporate platform for the substation in Munchberg. 1973 on a transformer in the plant was delivered. In June 1981, the Sparnecker the railway history of their place put an end by deciding the termination of the railway building. From him the former, carved from granite station sign is only left. Today the stretch is in a bad condition. Although the section of track to 1.7 kilometers is still present and is regularly kept free of vegetation, but forfeited the former railway embankment becoming more and is at times almost completely disappeared by land consolidation measures or by private new construction.

The railway stations in the cell and in white village apartments are housed. The breakpoint yews and the carport cottage in Reinersreuth are gone, as is the train station in Sparneck.

Lokomotiv use

From 1902 to at least 1906 was the D XI on the track on the road, which was replaced later by the famous glass box. This built for one-man operation machine mastered until at least 1923 the overall operation on the track. Until 1935 it continued then the GTL 4/4, which were eventually replaced by steam engines of the unit class 64. This type of locomotive was up to the attitude of the Steam Engine in 1962 on the track in use. After setting the steam locomotive operation mastered diesel operation. Until 1972, both the locomotives of the type V 100, as well as copies of the VT 95 series, which were already used during the 50s, traveling on the track.

Buildings of the local railway

Since it has already drawn up plans for an engineered solid construction station building for the same time built route Falls Gefrees, these were taken over by the wayside cell Munchberg for the buildings in the village of White and Sparneck. In addition, each station was still a separate privy. At the terminus in cell comprises a main building with loading hall and waiting room, an outbuilding with toilet facilities were built as well as a Lokremise. The stop Reinersreuth received a wooden shelter, whereas the breakpoint yew only had a bench seat that had been integrated into the Stationssschild. In the years following closure of the route some of the buildings were demolished, so even in the 70s, the toilets in the cell, Sparneck and White village. They were followed by the carport cottage in Reinersreuth. The day ended with the demolition of the station building in Sparneck in 1982.

Lokremise in cell today

Bus shelters in Reinersreuth soon to be demolished

Station in Sparneck 1905

Weissendorfer station, now privately owned

Remains of yew stop in the forest

The Münchberger Station

Reiner Reuther Granitwerke

For the granite works in Reinersreuth the local railway brought a big economic benefits, but before the ground had granite blocks are transported to insufficient constructed tracks by Munchberg. Even if you plan the route tried to get as close as possible to the plants in Reinersreuth, had still a 582 meter long railway tracks are to be scheduled in order to enter the factory premises can. The work itself had to ensure compliance with safety regulations, which meant that the necessary locking bars as well as the two level crossings could be closed and opened only by trained staff. A ringing signal is also provided for security. Even after closure of the route they remained on the entire length, as companies track the granite works. In this way, the plant could be operated until May 1972. But the cars were first pushed onto the siding and pulled there by means of a winch for loading tracks. The locomotive was then able to pick up the loaded wagon and pull towards cell. There was only able to embrace and put the loco on the right side of the train way back to Munchberg. The Munchberg station, then equipped with a total of five drive-through and eight sidings, today has only one head rail to rail transport direction Helmbrechts and two ruts. The sidings on the cell still serve as sidings.