Dresden Park Railway

The Dresden Park Railway is a miniature railway run by the BOP in the Great Garden in Dresden. It was founded in 1950 as a children's train and was operated at the time of the German Democratic Republic under the name Pioneer Railway Dresden.

As with all former pioneer railways, practice at the Dresden Park Railway Children and young people from most activities. They act as supervisory, lock, dispatcher or train conductors. The Dresden Park Railway operates during the summer months from April to October and on special trips in December and carries around 250,000 passengers.

History

Already in the 1930s reversed the steam locomotives and some cars today Parkeisenbahn at exhibitions in the Great Garden, for example, during the International Hygiene Exhibition 1930/31. The route led past inter alia, the 1938 ball demolished house.

On June 1, 1950 Children's Railway in the Great Garden was opened under the direction of the Dresden Transport, this was initially planned only for a season. The track led by the then single track Stübelplatz to the zoo, was 1.3 km long and was built with assistance from Dresden residents. Only a few items were occupied at that time with children. The train crashed into the population at high interest, so it was decided to keep them in Dresden. It was renamed the Pioneer Railway Dresden and on 1 May 1951, the opening of the second season driving took place. The route was initially extended to 4.4 km and the train stations Carolasee and Palais pond, in the summer of the same year the transfer of a further 1.2 km long, portion, and the railway station Karcherallee. The Pioneer Railway transported in the first year of operation, approximately 295,000 people. Administratively, the establishment was under the Pioneer Palace in Dresden, with a subdivision of Pioneer Railway. The management now was for the Deutsche Reichsbahn, Directorate Dresden. Pate was operating the station Dresden Neustadt. This provided for the seasonal operation service railwaymen. Because of staff shortages, the seasonal staff seconded from Dresden Main Station later until the summer of 1990. The drivers were also made ​​by the end of 1992 by the Deutsche Reichsbahn.

In 1962, a new, third train with a Akkumulatorlokomotive was put into service. The following year, were first transported over half a million passengers. On April 1, 1966, the handover of the new station building zoo took place, and a year later, this station received an additional station roof. 1982, a fourth train with another Akkumulatorlokomotive was put into service. In the winter of 1988 to 1989, he was transferred main track Fucikplatz - Zoo, which had found until then increased to the so-called Zooberg, single storey new.

As a result of the accession of the territory of the GDR to the FRG and the resulting changes in political conditions, the railway in 1990 by Pioneer Railway Dresden was renamed Dresden Park Railway. As more than 90 % of the facility located on the grounds of the Great Garden, took over the Free State of Saxony 1993, the legal ownership. Since then, the park train - like the rest of the Great Garden - managed and operated by the State palaces, castles and gardens Saxony. Simultaneously, a new service was introduced clothing. Authority was and remained the commissioner for railway supervision of the district Dresden / Saxony / EBA.

In the following years, passenger numbers eased and the train had to accept cuts. So go the steam locomotives that were previously in use every day, only on Fridays and weekends. Since 1996, four produced in England closed cars are in bad weather or in the Advent journeys in use.

Since 12 July 1998 there has been the squirrel Parkolino, which occurs especially for the younger visitors of the web as a mascot.

With the construction of the Transparent Factory of Volkswagen Group at the Strasbourg court and the original end point had to be abandoned. The new station Central Station at the Transparent Factory (formerly At Strassburger Platz) was built according to the contract at the expense of a modern Volkswagen, the style of the Transparent Factory fitting station, where there were some inconsistencies in the process of construction. It was opened in the year 2000. Belonging track loop was to be finished it only in the year. In 2006, the platforms of the station were paved and equipped with a signaling system.

2008, the platform of the station Karcherallee was paved and the height of the car adjusted to allow easier entry and exit. In 2010, the 60th anniversary of the founding of the park railway was committed with a week. This took place until June 6, 2010 from June 1. It also reversed a Gastlok the Leipzig Railway Park in the Great Garden.

Route description

The Dresden Park Railway running in a circular route of 5.6 kilometers in length in the direction of operation. Starting point for tours is the main station to the Transparent Factory. Sidings, engine shed and the engine shed (BW ) are located at Bahnhof Zoo; there is also the seat of the enterprise.

The total track length with stabling and service tracks is 7.2 km. The distance between the zoo and the main train station to the Transparent Factory is two-pronged since 1968 to a smoothly running 3 - to facilitate and 4- train operation, although usually only two trains are used. The rest of the route is single track. On Carolasee station there is a turn-off for direct journeys to the palace pond station, the rides are called by the small round. The small round in 1951, the second year of operation, prior to the completion of the line Carolasee - traveled generally on schedule Palais pond - Karcherallee. Between 1962 and the early seventies, it was then used to plan, when the driving operation was carried out simultaneously with two trains running on the route steam locomotive hauled trains and a Zwischenbekohlung or water intake was necessary for the steam locomotives. It was incorporated into the "two- train schedule " at this time, that in such a case for a round trip to save time by the affected train the shorter small round was to travel on the train numbers were - in an otherwise sequential numbering - with around 2000 increased number down .. This mode of operation, which did not exist in the "three- train operation" from the beginning ( he saw it from the beginning, corresponding travel time extensions before and the otherwise strict 12 -minute intervals were adjusted accordingly ), was later than mid- abandoned the seventies. The background was that the fixed points of the branching point " Bf Carolasee " is located about 150 m from the actual residence buildings away and this was operated fixed: This was operationally not cope, especially as the " Small Round " are also accepted by the passengers less been. For special trips as well as an alternate route during construction work or floods on Carolasee the small round undergoes still a use after the damage has been repaired by the Elbe flood 2002, which generally did not permit a use of this drive way for several years.

The signal boxes, with the exception of the station Karcherallee - where the only signal is still manually operated - equipped with track control panels. Are used, the Hl signal system of the former Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR ) with a slightly modified signal umbrellas and semaphore signals. The Zugmeldeverfahren corresponds to the DR The permissible maximum line speed the park train is 20 km / h

Stations

The five stations in the park railway contributed before the German reunification other names with symbolic meaning as construction or friendship. A local feature as Carolasee was the name appended. The present station names only contain the local feature. Although the stations Carolasee and Karcherallee seen railroad technically a stop or a breakpoint, they are called stations.

Central Station to the Transparent Factory:

The main train station to the Transparent Factory is the starting station for most passengers, since it is accessible by public transport, with close to lots of parking there. The route double track to Bahnhof Zoo. The name of the station was to 1990 Merry future ( Fucikplatz ), from 1990 to 1999 the Strasbourg court and from 2000 to 2010 at the Strasbourg court.

End of the 1990s had the existing station building will be demolished in the Strasbourg area for the construction of the Transparent Factory of Volkswagen. As a substitute a new, designed in a modern style of the Transparent Factory station building was opened elsewhere in 2000 and adapted the lines. Since the station was moved a few hundred meters from Strasbourg court towards Lennéplatz, the name was changed to the train station of Strasbourg Place in Am Strasbourg court. For the time between the demolition of the old and building the new station building of the former barriers items was used as a breakpoint Strasbourg court. Since a turning loop was not present, the trains on the track Zoo - Strasbourg court with a locomotive at each end. After the completion of the railway building this operation had to be continued for one year, as the turning loop was not completed until 2001. The station was initially a temporary, hand -operated signal shape, which served as a block signal and now stands outside the station. The two existing points were not used in normal operation. 2005, two light signals were exhibited at the entrance of the station and at the end of the platform two at first, in the summer of 2006, finally, the final signal system was installed. The seven light signals are controlled by a switchboard panel, and have been since the 2006 Santa Claus rides in operation. The two points were fitted ahead of the 2008 season with an electric drive. A route block there as in the entire park railway not secure the train via Zugmeldungen. In order to allow staff shortages and mornings a week operation with a minimum of staff, characteristic light operation is provided. Zugmeldungen omitted in this method, however, because the station as preceding and following station accepts Zoo securing the track.

Zoo Station:

The Zoo station is operationally important station of the route. It is located at the back entrance of the Dresden Zoo and the double-track Zoo - Central Station to the Transparent Factory, as well as the routes Zoo - Carolasee and Palais pond - Zoo. Before German reunification, the station friendship was at the zoo. The station is home to the management of the park railway sidings and houses for cars and a locomotive shed, which also houses the charging devices for the two EA locomotives are. There are two electrically remote controlled and 15 locally operated turnouts. The key of course will be included in a key work, which can only exclude the driveway keys when all points for each route are correct. The driveway keys are then included in a key lock, provided the signals and shunting and replacement signals and electrical points of a switchboard panel. Furthermore, there are at Bahnhof Zoo a hard place for special events - such as organized by the Friends of Children's Festival - and a model track with a switch in order to demonstrate the operation within the framework of guided tours can.

Station Carolasee:

The Carolasee station was called the GDR era station on Carolasee peace. The train station is a branch point, as about 200 m there is a crossover with a branch for direct trips to the palace pond behind the station exit. The station is equipped with a manually operated barrier and an electrically controlled form the main signal and distant signal. These are controlled by a small switchboard console. For journeys by Karcherallee station the signal drive shows ( Hp1 ), when driving through the little round will slow travel ( Hp2 ) appears.

Station Karcherallee:

The Karcherallee station, formerly station unit at the Karcherallee is a breakpoint and has a relatively low ridership. The security technology consists only of a hand-operated shape signal, when the station is unattended, always on tour. This station is the first place where the most recent Park railway workers, since they will be able to apply there the foundations of the knowledge learned in training.

Station Palais pond:

The tour then leads to the palace pond station ( GDR era: building the palace pond ), which is almost in the middle of the Great Garden. This is where the "big" and " small round " back together, which is somewhat more control technology requires. Therefore, there is a manually operated switch, two Entry Signals and exit signal (all light signals). The signals and routes are operated via a switchboard panel in the building, the switch is secured by key. The signaling system is to zoo station from partially remote controlled, that is, the station can be switched from there off and on on and on transit. Since the station building could not be used because of the danger of collapse, or alternatively a wooden house was built. Due to the limited space of this station was often occupied by only one person. Since the beginning of September 2009, the old station building has been completely refurbished and used again since the start of 2010 season.

Rolling stock

Locomotives

Steam locomotives:

Main article: Martens Einheitsliliputlok

• Lisa locomotive 001 ( serial number 8351 )
• Locomotive 003 Moritz ( serial number 8353 )

The two steam locomotives of the Dresden Park Railway was built in 1925 at the company Krauss in Munich. Locomotives of the same kind are in Leipzig (No. 002), at the Killesberg railway Stuttgart and the miniature railway in the Prater in use.

The locomotives were already housed together with the now -propelled locomotive in Leipzig in the 1930s to exhibitions in Dresden in use and during the Second World War in a mine near Kamenz.

Akkumulatorlokomotiven:

The two electric battery locomotives were designed and built at the TU Dresden in Dresden RAW. They are driven by electric motors that are powered by batteries. The batteries are charged at night, the stored electrical energy is enough for a whole day of operation from.

• EA01 (built in 1962) The locomotive EA 01 was passed with the cart for a third train to the former Pioneer Railway. It was originally equipped with two cabs, the second of which, however, was dismantled after a short time and is now taking on additional technology.
• EA02 (built in 1982) The second electric battery locomotive consists of two locomotive parts. Originally painted red, she received a blue color during the last major investigation.

Car

Besides Vehicles

• 2 small cars
• Rail moped ( moped, which has held two tires zugähnliche four wheels with rail spacing )
• Dump Truck
• Snow plow ( use with Advent trips)

Park railwaymen

Since 1951, most of the post will be filled by children and adolescents. Students from Dresden and the surrounding area can sign up if they are in the fourth or fifth grade and are trained in winter park railroad. After passing the examination staff, they make during the driving season about once a week - usually after school - volunteer service. In every winter season the park railway workers are trained. The training prepares the Park railway employees at their use as a train dispatcher, supervisory, barrier, barriers and guard posts. You learn Zugmeldungen perform to provide signals and switches to control ticket and cleared trains. They also gain other knowledge to the railway operation.

Older Park railway workers can apply for training as a wizard. After training, they are employed as manager of a service layer and ticket vendor and can independently at stations Karcherallee and Palais pond do their job.

Prior to 1990, the Park railway workers were called pioneer railroaders, the assistant brigade leader and instead of the brigade leader training, there was further opportunity to work as Loktechniker.

Currently, 115 children make as a park railwaymen service.

Friends of

The Foundation Dresden Park Railway was founded in 1992. Its main task is to promote the Park railroaders and events. Thus, the association organizes stalls and attractions for children's parties on the railway or the purchase of new locomotives and wagons for the model railway.

In addition, field trips are to other park railways, for example, to park railway Cottbus and vacation getaway, like a holiday camp in the park train in Crispendorf or in the Spreewald organized by the Friends. There is an annual exchange with the Budapest Children's Railway by the club commitment. The Foundation has since 2009 support the youth welfare.