Bürgenstock railway

The Bürgenstock Railway is a narrow gauge funicular railway in the canton of Nidwalden, Lucerne.

Construction

Initiator of the Bürgenstock Railway was Franz Josef Bucher -Durrer, a hotel pioneer, who owned several hotels on the Bürgenstock. In order to offer its guests an easier ascent to this, he applied for a license for an electric funicular up to the guarantor floor, which was granted to him in December 1886.

In 1887, Bucher received the building permit and immediately began the construction. The building, which was built by the company Bell, barg various difficulties led but the distance from the steamboat station in Kehrsiten to 434 m above sea level. M., on the steep and rocky terrain up to the hotels to 874 m above sea level. M. Therefore, the line, as with funiculars in Switzerland usual single track created with a passing place. The turnout was applied in a curve, and after an additional expertise, which determined the safety of the escape operation, the Federal Office of Transport issued the operating license.

The opening of the 944 -meter long funicular took place on July 8, 1888. To increase the attractiveness further, let Bucher -Durrer 1905 build the Hammetschwand lift, which is located about two kilometers east of the top station.

Technology

The drive station is located at the mountain station guarantor floor. The wire wrapped there over two 4 per meter wide wheels, which are arranged one behind the other and each have three grooves. From 1888 to 1996, the railroad owned a private power plant in Buochs ​​. In 1996, she sold it and since then relates the current from the power plant Nidwalden ( EWN ).

When commissioning in 1888 Bürgenstock train had a rack brake system Dept. The original wooden cars had a width of 1.6 meters and bordered on each 40 travelers, 18 of them sitting in three compartments to six places. The travel speed was 1 m / s

1910, the railway was built from scratch. The new cars now preconceived each 80 travelers plus motorman and were equipped with a pair of pliers brake. With the gain of the electric drive and the speed of 1.6 m / s could be increased, so that the travel time has been reduced from 16 minutes to 10 minutes. The next conversion took place 1928. Revised cars were quick- brake and the drive has been replaced. Now, the driving time was 6.5 minutes at a speed of 2.7 m / s

In 1980, the track has a new electric drive and an automatic control, remote monitoring system, and a new operational and safety brake. The speed could be increased to 3 m / s. In 2002, the cars were revised and given a new wooden wagon structure, in addition security and remote monitoring system were replaced.

Operation

The Bürgenstock train runs every year from mid- April to late October and transported it up to 180,000 people per year of operation. Since December 2011, the track will be closed until the end of 2014. In this time, a restoration to be performed.

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