Brienz–Rothorn railway

Mountain station Rothorn Kulm BRB

The Brienz Rothorn Bahn ( BRB ) is a cog railway ( Abt system ) in Switzerland, the only in the summer, every year from early May to late October, from Brienz to Brienz Rothorn.

History

The railway was opened in 1892 after only 16 months of construction, but was soon in financial difficulties. Debt included the 1893 opened Schynige Platte Railway and opened in 1898, the Jungfrau Railway and the First World War. Therefore 1914 has stopped and shut down the web. The train was in September 1916 by the federal government the authorization to cancel the railway facilities. Because the railway administration, the demolition costs would have had to forward angle, the demolition was omitted despite the wartime material shortages.

1931 donors dared to reopen the route, because the tracks were still in good condition despite the long idle period. Later they decided consciously not to electrify the track, which made it a special attraction: the Brienz -Rothorn Railway is now next to the Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway is the only planned circulating steam traction railway in Switzerland.

For several years, the tracks are renewed. Here, rails and racks come with a larger profile to use. The normal sleepers are replaced by new thresholds in Y format.

Route

The length of the track is 7.6 km, and the car climbs up to 25 % slope 1678 meters of altitude. The journey takes approximately one hour at a maximum speed of 9 km / h. The route begins in the BRB Brienz, at 566 m above sea level. M., opposite the train station of the Central Railway. After crossing the " wave crest bridge " the gap ( a hardwood forest ) goes up through the forest to the Burger " Schwarzefluetunnel ", which is 18 m long. Shortly after the train reaches the intersection of money Ried ( 1019 m asl).

After the intersection, it continues through the " Härdtunnel " with 119 meters length. The name of this tunnel indicates that the tunnel was not excavated in the rock, but to a large part by " Härd ", ie earth leads. After the " Härdtunnel " it goes a short distance through the forest before reaching the " Fluhtunnels ". These have a combined length of 290 m, but are interrupted by two large panoramic windows which share a beautiful view of Brienz and Lake Brienz.

After the " Fluhtunnel » one comes in a pine forest, which at the station Planalp to 1341 meters above sea level enough. Here refuel all steam locomotives water for the onward journey to the summit. From Planalp it goes further up in the pastures for Alpstafel " Mittlesten ". At the start of railway operation a fixed iron bridge had been created here, but this was soon swept away by an avalanche in the winter. Then a demountable in autumn bridge was built, which had to be rebuilt every spring again. It was only in the eighties, this time-consuming to maintain construction was replaced by an earth dam.

After crossing the dam to get to " Chüemad » where the ride in the 40 -meter-long " Chüemadgalerie " continues with directly followed by 92 meters long " Chüemadtunnel ". Shortly afterwards you reach the intersection of the upper panel (1819 m asl). From here the railway line goes in a long curve to the left along the mountain up to 100 meters long " Schonegggalerie ". Then follow the two " Schoneggtunnels " with 37 and 133 meters in length. Shortly after the exit of the last tunnel, the train reaches to 2,244 m above sea level the terminus Rothorn Kulm.

Locomotives

The locomotives of the BRB are numbered starting with one and come from three generations:

The brunt of the traffic is handled with the oil-fired steam locomotives, as they are the most economical in operation. In the coal-fired locomotives, a heater is required in addition to the drivers, there is no need for the oil-fired locomotives of this. According to the photo, a coal-fired locomotive for a mountain drive uses 300 kg of coal and 2000 gallons of water. The water can be added in several places in the valley as well as in three other stops.

The modern steam technology by oil firing was developed by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (SLM ), and is now developed and built by the Steam Locomotive and Machine Works DLM. The technique allows the use of control car. The boilers are insulated and can be prepared with additional electric pre-heater unattended at 10 bar boiler pressure. The machines are ready to be used in 10 minutes.

Images ( selection)

View from the Fluhtunnel

Technical data of the railway, photographed at the station in the valley