Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry

The ferry Ruhrort -Homberg was a railway ferry across the Rhine between the present districts of Duisburg Ruhr place and Homberg.

History

Simultaneously with the construction of the railway from Cologne to Duisburg to Minden by the Cologne -Minden Railway Company from 1843 to 1847 studied the shareholders of Ruhrort - Crefeld circle Gladbach Railway Company for a way to Ruhr coal cheaply to the industries on the left side of the Rhine to bring.

For the construction of a bridge over the Rhine, the technical conditions were not yet mature. Also, the Prussian military opposed the construction of a fixed bridge over the Rhine. Therefore, the Ruhr place - Crefeld circle Gladbach Railway Company decided to build a Trajektanstalt between its left bank and the right bank terminus Homberg port of Ruhr place.

Construction of the railway lines

On March 29, 1847, the Company entered into railway across a contract for a compound of the routes of both companies and for the transport of people and freight cars across the Rhine with the Cologne -Minden Railway Company.

Then the Ruhr place - Crefeld circle Gladbach Railway Company began in May 1847 the construction of their range of Viersen about Krefeld to Homberg and opened it on 15 October 1849., The Cologne -Minden Railway Company presented its branch line from Oberhausen to Ruhr place on October 14, 1848 ready.

Construction of ramps

Lack experience in Germany, the Ruhr place - Crefeld circle Gladbach Railway Company to begin the Trajektierung of railroad cars with a simple ramp system and other opportunities abroad only decided to check yet. After both banks separate docks were dredged - existing today railway basins - sloping ramps were with a slope of 1 to overcome the high bank: 12 created on rails and moved up into the water. Locomotives were on these tracks, the cars initially on chains, later on ropes down to the Fährponten and pulled them up again on the other side.

The Fährponten could each carry three cars. They were attached to both sides of a small steamer and crossed from November 12, 1852 in free ride to the Rhine. Despite the problems caused by ice and flood and despite many chain and wire rope breaks could be trajektiert in this way initially on a monthly basis up to 700 vehicles. 1855 were driven across the Rhine 32,000 cars. The limit of performance, however, was thus achieved.

Construction of the hydraulic lifting unit

To increase the performance of the railway company decided to build on each shore next to the ramps a lifting tower with a hydraulically operated lift. The plants were supplied and installed by an English company. About a height difference of up to 8.50 meters, two freight cars or passenger cars could be moved on a lift in the tower.

A purpose built for the transport steamer of 52 meters long and 8 meters wide, could carry 12 freight cars or 4 cars on each trip. The ship had four boilers and had on each side of the ship two tall chimneys. In the ship inside there were rooms for passengers who did not stay in the car.

The construction of the lifting systems began in the summer of 1854. On 1 May 1856, the new plant went into operation. In the same year 47,050 cars were transported. By Mitbetrieb the inclined planes, the performance on peak days left to increase. However, it always came back to noticeable service interruptions during storms, ice and flooding.

Takeover by the BME

After the Bergisch- Märkische Railway Company, the Company, which until then had been managed by the Royal Directorate of Aachen- Dusseldorf - Ruhrorter Railway Company adopted on January 1, 1866, began a major repair and improvements to the performance of the Trajektanstalt continue to increase. In this case, the inclined ramps have to 1: 24 is flattened in order to promote longer about vehicles. Through the commissioning of another ferry, the capacity of the plant could be increased to more than 100,000 cars annually trajektierte.

With the opening of new coal train of the Rhenish Railway Company of Osterath at Krefeld on the Rhine Hausen to dinner with the ferry Rheinhausen high-field on August 23, 1866 and especially the high fields Rhine bridge in 1874, the Bergisch- Märkische Railway Company lost until the nationalization of the private railway companies in 1881 gradually transport volume for their Homberger ferry.

1881, the transport capacity stood at about 80,000 trajektierten car. Nevertheless, the railway company built the Ruhrorter hoist the Trajektanstalt 1876 after a fire again.

Setting the Trajektbetriebs

After various types of information in the literature known to the Trajektbetrieb was posted on April 1, 1885 by the Royal Prussian state railways. For passenger transport, she ran from that date until the opening of the Friedrich Ebert bridge between Homberg and Ruhr place in 1907, a simple ferry. Whether, however, the Trajektierung of freight cars was continued until the opening of the house - Knipp - railway bridge in Baerl in 1912, seems doubtful.

The dilapidated elevator tower on the Ruhrorter page was demolished in 1971. His counterpart in Homberg still stands today, and was occasionally used as a youth hostel. He is now part of the Route of Industrial Heritage.