Gross-Lichterfelde Tramway

The electric tram -field lights cadet school was the first long-term operated electric streetcar in the world. She led from the station lights field of Anhalt Railway (now the station Lichterfelde East) Prussian Hauptkadettenanstalt in Zehlendorf (today: Finckensteinallee ), was built by Siemens & Halske and operated from 16 May 1881. Werner von Siemens himself referred to the web is not as tram, but as " electric train ". He stated also that she could " no way be viewed as a model of an electrical path to ground level; rather, it is regarded a down taken from their pillars and longitudinal beams and laid on the ground elevated railway ". The Siemens'sche route went after Siemens & Halske had separated from her, ultimately in the tram network of Greater Berlin on so since the beginning of the 20th century, the web is regarded as the first electric tramway in the world.

Prehistory

Siemens, which had presented at the Berlin Trade Fair 1879, the first electric locomotive in the world, he tried to get 1880 and 1881 concessions for electric elevated lines in the Friedrich and the Leipziger Straße. However, this was denied him due to lack of system maturity from Chief of Police. To further develop its electric railway Siemens now sought after option to create a walk-in test track.

Route

The construction of the main military academy in Lichterfelde a 2.4 km long standard gauge railway transport material had been created from the station Lichterfelde the Anhalt railway to the site of the Zehlendorfer road. After the completion of the institution this route lay fallow. Siemens & Halske was able to purchase the track and rebuild for the planned operation. To this end, the track was brought to a gauge of 1000 mm.

The main track was located on a separate line either alongside the roadways or in open terrain. Entering the race body was prohibited by decree of 14 April 1881.

The supply of the car with DC took place over the two rails, which served as the return conductor. The highest voltage occurring between the two rails was 180 volts. Since the distance was bridged by one meter between the two rails on ways transitions of horses, there were accidents. As a consequence of this, the rails were normally done in the area of ​​transitions.

Rolling stock

For operation built by Siemens & Halske three horse-drawn trams. In the so- formed two-axle railcars could be found in each twelve seats up to 26 passengers place. Each car had only a DC motor under the center of the vehicle with a capacity of 5 ½ hp, which got its driving power via sliding contacts of the iron wheel rims fitted with wooden disc wheels. A certain amount of leakage current passing through the wood on the axes and also the direct stray currents between the rails through the floor were accepted.

The car reached herewith an average speed of about 15 km / h The approved in Concession average speed was set at 20 km / h but the car could also have a speed of up to 40 km / h.

The whereabouts of the car is unknown, supposedly they were in 1910 burned "long ago ".

Operation

With the start of operations on May 16, 1881 was a schedule which provided twelve trips in each direction. The rides were so placed that a decrease or shuttle ride took place and from any train on the Anhalt railway. A ride cost 20 Pfennig with more than a then- average hourly wage. In the first three months, the tram carried 12,000 passengers already.

Route extension

In 1890 the line was to the train station Great light field of the Berlin- Potsdam- Magdeburg Railway (now the S-Bahn station Lichterfelde West) extended. The extension was provided with an overhead line, the power supply was at the transition from old to new route automatically switched. In 1893 the old route was partially replaced by a new route, the entire route was now equipped with overhead line, which significantly reduced the susceptibility to interference. The tram network was enlarged in 1895 by the construction of the routes to and from Steglitz Steglitz to the south end. Owner of the now United Electric tram light field - Lankwitz - Steglitz - south end baptized operator remained until the taking effect on April 1, 1906 sale to the district Teltow ( Teltower circular orbits ) the company Siemens. After the formation of Greater Berlin was on the route Berlin territory, it was taken over by the Berlin tram on 16 April 1921 they brought in the Berlin tram -GmbH on 10 September 1923.

Parts of the old route had to give way to the Teltow Canal, so that the former route of today's road image is no longer partially understandable from 1900. On October 9, 1925, the meter gauge line was closed and replaced by a standard gauge track that came to BVG on 1 January 1929. From 1930 gradually buses took over the overall traffic.

Memorials

For the 100th anniversary of the commissioning in 1981 situated at the intersection Morgenstern and Königsbergerstraße a monument in the form of a historic stop. For the 125th anniversary, the monument was restored by the BVG and complemented by a piece of track.

In Lichterfelde Ost train station is located today in the platform tunnel an information panel for electric tram -field lights cadet school whose creation and attachment by the Foundation " Werner-von -Siemens -Ring" was initiated.

Further development

In 1883 went with Siemens technology the local railway Mödling - Hinterbrühl near Vienna Regional tramway in operation. Those used for power supply in a bipolar catenary copper tubes with small diameter and a slot on the underside ( seam pipe catenary ). With the same system was opened in 1884 by the Frankfurt- Offenbach tram company, the first track of an electric tram in commercial transport in Germany. In Munich consisted 1886-1895 Ungererstrasse web. She received the driving current also on the rails.

The first electric tram network was built from 1890 in Halle ( Saale), after the AEG purchased the Halle tram AG and its routes had electrified.