Stumpfwald Railway

The Stump Forest Railway is a railway museum field with 600 mm gauge, which operates since 1996 in the stump forest located in the north of the Palatinate Forest on the boundary of the municipality Ramsen.

Course

The stump forest path begins in the west at Eiswoog station, which is located on the same reservoir. A few years after commencement of operation for a breakpoint has been set up at the nearby ( standard gauge ) Eistalbahn, which also bears the name Eiswoog. This breakpoint is served on Sundays and public holidays from most trains the Eistalbahn. Weekdays end the trains of Eistalbahn but already in Ramsen.

The previous operating eastern terminus of the stump forest railway was initially Bockbachtal the train station, however, was opened in 2007 as part of the route extension shifted slightly to the east and turned into a passing place, which is now the center until after Ramsen extended distance. Shortly before Ramsen are currently Kleehof the train station and the breakpoint clubhouse. Directly on the railhead Ramsen West is also a small depot of the stump forest path with depot.

About halfway between the train station and the terminus Bockbachtal Eiswoog is the current passing place for Running in digital. On the new stretch direction Ramsen West, there is another alternative location on Kleehof station, but which, as now the old fallback position is used only at very high Zugaufkommen or slow for guest vehicles.

History

In the late 1980s, the club stump Ramsen sat eV, the goal is to build a light railway museum in the stump wood and operate. To this end, a timber-framed building was created as a station house and furnished in the direction Ramsen Rangierstelle Kleehof the parking lot below the Eiswoogs as a starting point of the route. There, at Bockbachtal station was the terminus of the truncated Forest Railway. On 9 September 1996 the route was inaugurated.

In spring 2005, work began to expand the line up to the edge of Ramsen. Closing the gap between old and new stretch took place on 20 May 2007. 's New stretch after Ramsen was opened on 1 September 2007.

In October 2008, the stump forest path, not least because of the now well-known in the heritage railway scene route, chosen to host the International Feldbahn meeting, which is held annually at changing aligners.

In addition to the upcoming construction of the production hall and the associated railway track on the outskirts of Ramsen the focus of activities is now back in the driving operation and the maintenance and refurbishment of other vehicles.

Operation

Much of the internal transport and trips along the stump wood train track is performed on the track itself, both for material handling equipment as well as for maintenance, which are generally mostly done on Saturdays or outside public driving season on weekends.

The scheduled time of the audience - driving operation takes place on the entire route between Ramsen and the Eiswoog with specially built covered cars. The main load is taken over by three large cars that receive a total of 50 passengers; with increased crowds usually come two more slightly smaller car in an additional train to use. In addition, more cars are temporarily available, which are used eg for steam service or for larger events. All cars are equipped with two-axle bogies.

From late May to early October run on all Sundays and public holidays, eight pairs of drive (for steam operation and / or strong rush more), the driving time for one direction of the total distance is less than 20 minutes. As locomotives are some of the operational locomotives used, among other things, at regular intervals, a steam locomotive. Overall, there are three steam and diesel locomotives, about twelve, but of which some still have to be worked and / or are not up to the construction of the new operating plant for reasons of space still to be found along the route. They are predominantly of old railways from mines, gravel pits, quarries and sawmills.

Since 1998, the stump Forest Railway held in the second half of January, a torchlight ride that has become a public attraction with ever-increasing numbers of visitors. Initially, the torch run took place annually, since 2009 it is performed in a two -year distance.