Selke Valley Railway

Selketalbahn, Gernroder - Harzgerode railway and Anhaltische resin sheet were different names for the 1000 -mm narrow gauge lines in the lower resin, which originally belonged to the Gernrode - Harzgerode Railway Company (GHE ).

Today the name Selketalbahn is only used. These include the route Quedlinburg Gernrode (since 2006 ) and continue to Alexisbad and Hasselfelde, the route - Alexisbad Harzgerode and the link stairs Icefields Talmuhle. The route follows between Mägdesprung and Albrechtshaus the river Selke.

• 3.1 passenger
• 3.2 freight Transport
• 3.3 Operating Facilities

History

Opening and early years

On August 7, 1887, the route Gernrode - Mägdesprung the Gernrode - Harzgerode Railway Company (GHE ) after a construction period of 316 days was opened. Thus, the Selketalbahn is the oldest narrow gauge railway of the resin. Because of the terrain and also for reasons of cost, the local railway construction and operating company Wilhelm host Mann & Co. had chosen from Hannover track gauge of 1000 mm. The operation was initially recorded with three powerful steam locomotives, which were given the names GERNRODE, Harzgerode and SELKE. Until 1892, the rail network has been gradually extended until Hasselfelde. After the construction of the track stairs Icefields Talmuhle was from 15 July 1905, a link to the Harzquerbahn the Nordhausen - Wernigerode Railway Company ( NWE ). Because of the increased demand in both the passenger and freight transport three steam locomotives were still before the turn of the century has been put into service, the GÜNTERSBERGE that ALEXISBAD and HASSELFELDE.

Development after the Second World War

In the spring of 1946, the Selketalbahn was Eisfelder Talmuhle - Hasselfelde and Duke bay -Lindenberg stripped back to the sections and virtually completed the vehicle and track material as reparations to the former Soviet Union. The management between ice fields Talmuhle and Hasselfelde passed to the NWE from 15 April 1946.

Because of the importance for the transport of fluorspar began in the fall of 1946 the reconstruction between Gernrode and Lindenberg (now Strassberg ), which dragged on because of lack of material until 1950. The section Lindeberg staircase was initially not rebuilt. 1946, the GHE was expropriated and taken over by the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR ) on 1 April 1949.

In 1983 followed the restoration of the section Strassberg - stairs, especially to the supply of the new cogeneration plant Silberhütte with lignite from Nordhausen from sure. On 3 June 1984, the scheduled travel between Hasselfelde and Gernrode was resumed. Since then, the three Harz narrow gauge lines ( Selketalbahn, Harzquerbahn and Brockenbahn ) are reconnected to a 132 km long route network. On 1 February 1993, the Harz narrow gauge railways GmbH (HSB ) took over from the DR next to the Harz Railway and Brocken Railway also Selketalbahn.

The route extension to Quedlinburg

On the standard gauge railway line Quedlinburg Gernrode - Ballenstedt Frose ended after an interlocking fire in Ballenstedt the trains already in Gernrode. In response, the German Bahn AG saw no longer able to operate the route economically, and it came to a closure procedures and decommissioning of the section Gernrode - Frose. The Harz narrow gauge railways took over the section Quedlinburg Gernrode and began on 18 April 2005 in Gernrode station with the construction of approximately 8.5 -kilometer extension of the Selketalbahn up to Quedlinburg by the reconstruction of the track on 1000 mm track gauge. The on 17 February 2006 approved by the Railway Inspectorate Saxony -Anhalt line was opened on March 4, with a ceremony and special trains. Since the beginning of the summer schedule on 29 April 2006 still perform various works were initially only drove several special trains. The regular passenger traffic was recorded only on 26 June 2006. Since then operate six daily trains between Gernrode and Quedlinburg, which drive two steam covering.

Route

From Quedlinburg main track of Selketalbahn runs a few kilometers parallel to the standard gauge line to the valley, before the newly laid narrow gauge track turns to the south. The following are the 2006 reactivated breakpoints Quedlinburg Quarmbeck and Bad Suderode before the station of Gernrode is achieved. Now the old route of the Magdeburg- Halberstadt Railway Company Frose direction is left and the train continues on the original Selketalbahn. Passing the breakpoint Osterteich, with the same standing water next door, the drive leads through the Easter reason, the first real valley of the resin. Passing The Holy Pond the route rises to the station Sternhaus oat field and on to the station - house star Ramberg sharply. This is like the previous one in the woods. Behind the Star House Ramberg station, the track lowers down into the valley of the Selke. This piece of track is the steepest in the entire Harz narrow gauge railways. When Mägdesprung station the narrow valley of the Selke is achieved. The path now follows the river course up to Alexisbad. Numerous rock breakthroughs that must traverse the web, are evidence of elaborate construction of the line. Past the small breakpoint Drahtzug the village Alexisbad is achieved. The same station, which is also the starting point of the route to Hasselfelde is only at the end of the small town. The following route section, the narrow-gauge railway from the narrow valley of the Selke squeezed out on the plateau of Harzgerode. Here ended the first section of Selketalbahn.

From the train station of Alexisbad, who is known for his double exit of two steam locomotives, the second range of Selketalbahn continues through the Selketal direction Silberhütte. Passing smaller industrial firms is the train on its journey Strassberg, which recently next to the station also has a breakpoint, continue to the city Guentersberge. Not even 1000 inhabitants (as of 2009 ) is one of the place that the reconstruction of the route between Strassberg and stairs again has a rail connection only since 1984. Behind Guentersberge wins the train on to level until about the stations Friedrich Albrecht height and the station house of stairs is reached. Here since 1905 branches off the connection to the Harzquerbahn. After a short ride the train ends in the also located on a plateau place Hasselfelde, the endpoint of the second line of the GHE.

The link to Harzquerbahn staircase leads from the station steadily downwards through the Beretal after the highest point 523 meters above sea level near the breakpoint Birkenmoor has been exceeded. In Beretal, which is surrounded by high mountain walls, crossing the railway on two large bridges, two side valleys before the end point of Selketalbahn, the station Eisfelder Talmuhle, is reached.

Traction

Passenger

In recent years there has been a transfer-free connection on the total distance Quedlinburg Icefields Talmuhle and three links in the opposite direction. Timetables on the Selketalbahn differs significantly between the summer and winter timetable. For some years there is a separate timetable for the period November to Christmas. Here then only railcars are used. The number of driven with a steam train or diesel railcar train pairs is approximately equal to the summer schedule. While the Selketalbahn on the stretch Gernrode - Quedlinburg still has some importance in regional transport, the passengers are on the other sections mostly tourists, day trippers and hikers.

Since April 2010, also go to the link (stair - ice fields Talmuhle ) back steam trains in normal operation. There, since 1996, drove only railcars. In the summer schedule can be in ice fields Talmuhle the double exit of two steam trains observe taking place elsewhere in Alexisbad only on special occasions. Also in the station stairs, it may happen that two trains leave at the same time - but a railcar is here with a steam locomotive involved.

Freight traffic

Today, operate on the Selketalbahn only on the short stretch of Hartsteinwerk Unterberg to the station Eisfelder Talmuhle scheduled freight trains: From Hartsteinwerk Unterberg ( Harzquerbahn ) are regularly standard gauge ballast car on dollies to the transfer station in Nordhausen transported. This, two rebuilt diesel locomotives of Class 199.8 are available that hold train and shock devices for standard gauge freight cars at the appropriate height.

Operating facilities

In Gernrode and Nordhausen are the Lokeinsatzstellen for Selketalbahn. In Nordhausen the DMU Selketalbahn be used. In both Lokbahnhöfen locomotives and railcars to be serviced and fueled the steam engines and purifies.

Repairs and repaired are the vehicles of Selketalbahn like any other of the HSB in Wernigerode - Westerntor. There is the central depot of the HSB. Except main studies - - In this the complete investigations and all repair work is carried out on all vehicles. For the main studies, however, the locomotives are placed in special repair works.

Special

Compared to the resin cross and Brocken Railway, the Selketalbahn some special features:

• The line runs from the northern edge of resin through a very varied landscape right up to the plateau of the central resin.
• On the Selketalbahn are available with a slope ratio of 1:25 (40 ‰), the steepest sections of the Harz narrow gauge railways. Although the Brocken Railway has the larger difference in height, but flatter with 1:30 tendencies.
• The stairs station the smallest turning circle of any public railway in Germany exists.
• While primarily steam engines of the DR unit series are 99.23-24 used on the track Wernigerode chunks in regular traffic, get on the Selketalbahn most other steam locomotives used, all of which are individual pieces (99 6101 and 6102, 99 6001 and 99 5906 ) today. A complete vehicle list can be found at Harz narrow gauge railways.