Ammergau Railway

The Ammergaubahn - rare: Ammertalbahn until 1938 local railway Murnau- Oberammergau - is a single-track, electrified branch line in Bavaria. It runs from Murnau to Oberammergau, in the second half of the course it follows the valley of the eponymous Ammer. The spur track to Oberammergau branches in Murnau from the main line from Munich to Garmisch -Partenkirchen.

Operation

To 1999

On January 24, 1897 Actiengesellschaft received power stations, formerly OL Kummer & Co., Dresden, Munich headquarters, obtained from the Bavarian Prince Regent Luitpold the concession for the construction of an electrically operated single-track railway line from Murnau to Oberammergau. In the following years until 1900, the line was then built together with the hydroelectric plant Kammerl, so on January 13, 1900, the first test train could travel the route. A few months later, on 5 April 1900, the opening of the line was finally approved. However, this authorization enrolled only the operation of the railway line, but not the electrical operation. However, the planned operation of trains with three-phase alternating current at 800 volts and 40 Hz failed at the time not yet ruled electrical problems and never came about test rides out. C1'n2t were instead to the Oberammergau Passion Play 1900 from 5 Apri 11 supplied by Krauss Munich steam locomotive wheel arrangement used on the newly built tracks.

After the bankruptcy of the operator, the local railway stock company acquired in November 1903, the railway line and the power plant, which they 350 kVA traction power generators for the production of single-phase with 5500 volts and 16 Hz was converted in the period from March to November 1904 with 280 kW and received the operating license on 31 December 1903. on January 1, 1905, the electrical operating plan with the railcar LAG No. 674-677 was recorded. Was fed to the operation of the 1899 -built and 1904 to 1905 converted water power plant Kammerl. Thus the Ammergaubahn was the first operated with single-phase AC low frequency railway in Germany.

On June 2, 1921 collided between Bad Kohlgrub and Grafenaschau a freight train in the direction of Murnau and a passenger train in the opposite direction head-on. The accident resulted in three serious injuries and about 8 slightly wounded. In addition, a greater damage to the affected locomotives of the E69 series and the cars came.

With effect from August 1, 1938, the LAG was transferred to the German Reichsbahn. While the railroad long ago with 15 000 volts 16 2/ 3 Hz drove the island operation of the power plant Kammerl supplied with 5500 volts 16 Hz Ammergaubahn was maintained up to the alterations in the years 1951-1953, when the line and the power plant to the converted railway power commonly used in the power plant and for each of the three generators, a single-phase transformer and switchgear were installed.

Since 1999

With the increase of private passenger numbers fell to the Ammergaubahn daily on 500 to 1000 passengers. In parallel, the freight disappeared almost completely. Therefore, it was a massive dismantling of the infrastructure.

In 1999 there were negotiations with the passenger association Pro Bahn and DB Regio Bayern AG. Pro Bahn demanded, among other things, obtaining the intersection of possibility in Altenau ( Bay) and the receipt of the second track in Oberammergau. This could have been the travel time shortened by about ten minutes. However the cost of about four million marks were too high, and the project was shelved.

More recently, the track was extensively modernized. However, this modernization was also all no longer needed in the plan operational infrastructure victim to what Deutsche Bahn Pro Bahn earned among other massive criticism from the passenger Association. Thus, there are at the end point Oberammergau since the renovation in the fall of 2005, only one track, the rest of the area was overbuilt among other things, a bus station. In this context the terminal is downgraded from a station to a breakpoint. Similarly, were downgraded to simple breakpoints the stations Grafenaschau and Unterammergau, there may since encounter no more moves. Due to these rationalization measures during the day no more special trips are possible on the route to Oberammergau, because no more crossing options are available. The only remaining possibility intersection in Bad Kohlgrub is required for the operation plan, there cross the trains every hour. Furthermore, can not be implemented at the end point Oberammergau, there can only pull trains or trainsets are used.

In the area of ​​Bad Kohlgrub ten kilometers of about 80 -year-old tracks were replaced, the new rails were welded it endlessly. In addition, the track was in 2005 equipped with a digital train radio system GSM -R. Since 28 November 2008, the section is remotely controlled by the electronic interlocking Garmisch- Partenkirchen. By this measure, the Dispatcher previously used in Bad Kohlgrub can be saved.

The breakpoints Seeleiten Mountain Spirit Hunter's house and bath Kohlgrub Kurhaus be operated as a request stop. A special feature of the trains in Hunter's house at night for security reasons, because there is no platform lighting there.

Electrical System

During the change of the current system 1951/1953 and 1954/1955 to 15,000 Volts / 16 ⅔ Hz is indisputable, there are the first electrical power system and the first system change the then local train different information:

• 5500 volts at 15 Hz then later migration to 5000 volts and increasing the frequency to 16 ⅔ Hz

• 5000 volts at 16 Hz and increase in 1954 to 16 ⅔ Hz

• 5500 volts at 16 Hz

• 5500 volts at 16 ⅔ Hz

If the first, unsuccessful attempt with 800 V 40 Hz is disregarded, the Ammergaubahn drove According to Ralf Specht but from 1905 until the end of island operation 1951/1955 continuous and unchanged at 5500 V and 16 Hz

When converting to 15,000 volts and 16 ⅔ Hz four of the five electric locomotives of the series E were 69 converted accordingly.

Vehicle use

After the original series locomotives were 169 retired beginning of the 1980s due to aging, they were replaced by electric locomotives of the series 141 on used car material thereby changed nothing, n- cars were still used (two cars per train ). A few years ago the locomotive-hauled trains were eventually replaced by modern railcars of series 425 or 426, for the plan operating two rounds were needed. The last pull trains with class 141 wrong in autumn 2004. Since summer 2013 run instead of the vehicles of class 425 and 426 EMUs Bombardier Talent 2 (Series 442) in the forward mode of becoming rock track. In Schedule power two rounds are still needed.