Reutlingen–Schelklingen railway

The railway line Reutlingen - Schelkingen is a former 58.25 km long branch line from Reutlingen to Schelkingen, which crosses the Swabian Alb. The 15.28 km long northern part of section Reutlingen - Kleinengstingen is now closed, this section has largely been rezoned to a railway line cycle path. The section Reutlingen - Honau is also called Echazbahn or Echaztalbahn, the section Kleinengstingen - Schelkingen is now marketed under the name Swabian Albbahn.

• 5.1 locomotives
• 5.2 car

History

The branch line was built between 1891-1901 and opened in the following sections: Reutlingen - Honau on June 2, 1892 Honau - Münsingen (and thus the rack portion ) on October 1, 1893 Münsingen - Schelkingen on August 1, 1901 By. it was the long desired direct connection between Reutlingen and Ulm.

History of railway construction

After Reutlingen in 1859 was connected with today Neckar -Alb -Bahn with Plochingen and from 1861 to Tübingen, sat the already heavily influenced by industrial city to connect the hinterland in the east and south. The ultimate goal was not initially a Swabian Alb crossing route in the direction of Ulm, but the connection to Sigmaringen. Even after the Kingdom of Württemberg had agreed with Prussia in 1865 to build a line from Tübingen Sigmaringen, the city of Reutlingen continued to pursue primary objective of a connection from Reutlingen directly Gammertingen to Sigmaringen; of this route should be followed just another route to Schelkingen to which from 1865 is currently under construction Donautalbahn. 1872 finally rejected only when this project from the Württemberg government as harmful for the railway line Tübingen -Sigmaringen projects, shifted in Reutlingen to the plans on a crossing of the Swabian Alb and so on an axis Reutlingen -Ulm.

Railway construction

The Royal Württemberg State Railways opened on 2 June 1892, the 11.03 km long standard gauge branch line from the main station via Reutlinger Pfullingen to Honau at the foot of the Swabian Alb through the valley of Echaz. On 1 October 1893, the 23.5 km long continuation followed with the steep track that was mastered with the help of a rack, about Kleinengstingen by the Lauter an official district Münsingen. The 23.72 km long connecting to Donautalbahn in Schelkingen was put into operation on 1 August 1901. In Kleinengstingen since November 7, 1901 also branches off a private railroad in the country Hohenzollern railway ( HzL ) away from Gammertingen.

Cog railway Honau Lichtenstein

On the rack portion the web overcame with a maximum gradient of 1:10 over a length of 2.15 km an altitude difference of 179 meters. She was the first rack railway for passenger transport in Württemberg and one of the steepest railways in Germany. To cope with the steep Albaufstiegs a gear drive with a " Riggenbach'schen ladder rack of the type Bissinger - Klose " was used. The locomotives had a lying between the wheels gear engine. Starting point of the steep section was the Honau station in Echaz Valley. Almost in the fall line led the route to the plateau of the Swabian Alb, in part, directly along the main road 312, the so-called Honauer walkways. Endpoint of the steep section was the Lichtenstein station, which owes its name to the nearby nearby Lichtenstein Castle.

The route from Honau was decommissioned on 28 July 1969 the total traffic and degraded to Kleinengstingen. From there they remained for the military traffic to the military training area Münsingen. Passenger Reutlingen - Honau was still served until June 1, 1980 freight transport was limited from 27 May 1983, the section Reutlingen Reutlingen Hbf - South. After setting the freight of 29 September 1994, this last section was shut down and largely dismantled.

Military transport

In 1972, the Oberheutal station was opened, and was mainly used for the loading of tanks that had the military training area Münsingen or the Herzog- Albrecht barracks in Münsingen goal. Initially mastered steam locomotives and later diesel locomotives the Albaufstieg with up to 1,700 tons of heavy military trains. Annually found up to 170 military transports instead of Oberheutal, where the station was sized so that up to ten trains could be loaded and unloaded daily. In practice, a maximum of four coatings were processed in a day. However, the station was approved only for trains and the loading of individual transports ( such as tanks ) was officially permitted only in Münsingen station. Finally took place on 27 April 2004, the year of closure of Duke Albrecht barracks and one year before the closure of the training area Münsingen, the last shipment of a military transport.

Then the Oberheutal station was unused until it took the German railway in 2009 due to the economic crisis in order to put unneeded wagons. Since 2010, the station is a collective point wagonload traffic again and is used for loading logs.

Presence

The rail infrastructure company Erms -Neckar- Bahn AG has the route Kleinengstingen - Schelkingen by Deutsche Bahn leased the entire length since 2004. Since then, one appointed by the State of Baden- Württemberg school transport by DB ZugBus Regional Alb -Bodensee is again operated on school days. Tourist traffic is e of the Swabian Alb- Bahn GmbH and the Schienenbusfreunden Ulm V. performed.

Between Kleinengstingen and Schelkingen run from early May to mid-October Sundays and public holidays historical rail buses ( Ulmer Spatz and MAN Schienenbus the Swabian Albbahn ) with additional bicycle car - partly from or to Ulm. The offer will be used to Schmiech and Lauter especially of excursionists.

Since 2004, go on school days back regional trains for students and commuter transportation between Gammertingen, Offenhausen, Gomadingen and Münsingen and between Münsingen and Schelkingen. These are (in exceptional cases, the Series 650 or Series 218 with n- trolleys) run with diesel railcar class 628. Since 2010, freight traffic will again take place, for example, for the transport of long timber. In 2010 alone, some 5,000 tons of wood were worn. The freight runs the railway company founded by the Association e Swabian Alb -Bahn V. Swabian Alb -Bahn GmbH in cooperation with DB Schenker through.

In autumn 2008, the breakpoint Sondernach was reactivated. Since the timetable change in December 2008 as scheduled trains stop there again. Since October 2011 is available at this breakpoint again a bus shelter in the historical style, built by volunteers from Sondernach, e, with the support of the Association Swabian Alb -Bahn V.

Since the summer of 2009 the club Swabian Alb -Bahn eV conducts regular steam train rides and other predominantly tourist special trips on the route through, often in collaboration with DB ZugBus Regional Alb -Bodensee and the transport company in Baden -Württemberg. For the steam train rides as well as the home of the club and as Eventlokation a new engine shed was built on the basis of the style of the other historic buildings of the railway station in Münsingen well. The association is also working on the project Württemberg train, providing for the permanent stationing of a historic train exclusively of vehicles, the Royal Württemberg State Railways in Münsingen.

In the summer of 2010, the old barrier in Gomadingen which still needed to be cranked down the train crew, replaced by a new light signal system with half- barriers; the crank sensor is located in a museum.

Importance for traffic

The meaning of the web was mainly for passenger transport. On one hand, used the commuters to Reutlingen and Pfullingen the train, on the other hand played the excursion traffic - especially on weekends - a major role. They opened up a very popular tourist area on the escarpment. Attractions were next to Schloss Lichtenstein the mist cave, cave Olga and Charles Cave (now bear cave ), the Echazquelle as well as the viewpoints Traifelberg and Schoenberg.

Freight traffic never reached a special meaning, since the sections of the branch line could be operated below the rack portion of Reutlingen and above from Ulm on this steep and short section. As early as 1951 there was only one general cargo coaches.

With the advent of motorization in the period after the Second World War, the transport numbers decreased more and more, so set in view of the elaborate gear operation of the traffic in 1969, this section was mined, as later the connection between Reutlingen and South Honau. The section between Kleinengstingen and Schelkingen is operated again in the student and tourist transport since 2004.

Planning

For several years, there are considerations to integrate the route Reutlingen Hbf - Schelkingen in and build up the Karlsruhe model tram-train Neckar -Alb. For this purpose, a reactivation or the construction of the new route between Reutlingen and Kleinengstingen would be necessary.

In addition, the club gear train enthusiasts Honau - Lichtenstein ( HPS ) is planning the rack portion Honau Lichtenstein rebuild, it would increase the adhäsionsbetriebene Part Lichtenstein Kleinengstingen go back into service.

Vehicle use

Locomotives

• Steam locomotives class Fz, later class 97.3
• . Steam locomotives class Hz, or 97.5 series from 1922 Of the four machines built have survived three: 97 501 in the HPS in Reutlingen
• 97 502 in the Railway Museum Bochum- Dahlhausen
• 97 504 at the German Technology Museum in Berlin
• 97 503 was cannibalized and scrapped after the Second World War as a source of spare parts.

The locomotive 97 501 is in a large hall at the Reutlinger West Railway Station and is worked up operational; the cab is completed, pressure and oil pipelines have been completed in 2011 mounted. Provided are the trails in and around Reutlingen and on the Swabian Alb. The intended completion date has been significantly exceeded time and again, the machine is worked by voluntary and unpaid helpers.

As of September 1961 took gear railbuses the VT series 97 operating on the total distance from Reutlingen to Ulm. After appropriate adjustments of level crossings and of course they could pass through of Schelkingen on the Danube Valley Railway to Ulm. The VT 97 was derived from the class VT 98 and supplemented by a gear drive. From this series, there were a total of eight pieces, all of which were used on the cog railway Honau Lichtenstein. The last, ordered for the railway line ERLAU Wegscheid two vehicles arrived after a landslide along this route directly to Tübingen.

Car

When cars came primarily in the usual biaxial Württemberg Passenger Coach used. In the baggage car, there was a three-axle Special design with a brake gear on the central axis.

The accelerating and simplifying the side rail operations in the 1950s and 1960s procured railbuses the VT 98 series came between Reutlingen and Ulm used. To overcome the steep route up the mountain, they were pushed by the still in operation gear steam locomotives or downhill braking.