Trolleybuses in Solingen
The trolleybus Solingen, also popularly known rod taxi is next to the trolley and Eberswalde trolleybus Esslingen am Neckar is one of three remaining trolleybus systems in Germany. With a length of 56.6 kilometers, with an overhead line length of 98.7 km and a fleet of 50 articulated cars Solingen has the largest trolleybus system in Germany. Electrically operated the six diameter lines 681 to 686
Is run from the Solingen trolleybus by Stadtwerke Solingen (SWS). The SWS operate in addition to the trolleybus lines still various bus lines. A small portion of the Solingen trolleybus network is also on the boundary of the neighboring city of Wuppertal.
Line overview
The lines 681 and 682 are at the central station operatively linked so to continue driving in the same vehicle is possible. This is a ring road between the city center and the main train station. Located in downtown is the element Town Square Mühleplatz -Graf- Wilhelm-Platz a trunk route, which is served by all six lines. A total of 114 stations are operated, three of them with the auxiliary drive and six on the city of Wuppertal. The four intermediate Wendeschleifen Gräfrath, Forest Church, Höhscheid and Krahenhöhe allow shortened line guides.
History
End of the tram and trolleybus switch to the
The infrastructure of the existing since 1896 in Solingen tram network took as a result of Allied bombing during World War II caused considerable damage. A modern, two-track development of the network would have cost about ten million marks; as the City Council discussed in the first postwar years on alternatives to the tram. First, however, it was provisionally largely reconditioned, so that the public transport system could be ensured again in Solingen.
In the early 1950s, the municipality, the setting of the Solingen tram and the transition to the trolleybus. The main reasons for this decision were the low operating and fuel costs and the long life of trolley buses, despite the high cost of installing the overhead line infrastructure. Thus, the tram tracks were gradually converted within seven and a half years on Oberleitungsbusbetrieb. The last tram line went out of service in November 1959.
Unlike many other Oberleitungsbusbetrieben in Solingen Germany had so changed his entire major road network to operate with trolleybuses, not like other cities, only minor cuts.
The individual sections of the first four catenary bus lines went into operation as follows, listed are the current stops designations:
The operation of the new lines was mainly with vehicles of the type ÜHIIIs. December 2, 1959, the rail network from 1939 was fully converted with the conversion of the last tram route. Simultaneously, the hub lower castle went into operation, now a nationally known curiosity of the Solingen company.
With a length of 38.7 kilometers Solingen had time after the trolleybus trolleybus Moers and wins the third-largest trolleybus network in Germany. With regard to the fleet Solingen was even a leader, all four lines were operated at peak times at five- minute intervals. For Obusnetz the Wuppertal Stadtwerke, it was from 1949 to 1972, however, never existed a connection.
The trolleybus era Solingen (1968-1988)
The vehicles of the first generation achieved partly a life of over 20 years; their phasing was not until the early 1970s, after the second Oberleitungsbusgeneration with a total of 80 vehicles - resulting in the self-made Stadtwerke Solingen trolleybus type cars - was fully operational. The background of this self-made measure was the lack of a suitable, standard vehicle type that was the demands of the Stadtwerke Solingen justice regarding spaciousness and performance.
Since the establishment of the transport association Rhein-Ruhr ( VRR) on 1 January 1980 and the Solingen trolleybus in these is integrated. As a result, changed the line numbers of the lines one through four, the lines were 681 to 684 at the beginning of the 1980s also made two minor enhancements:
In 1988, all vehicles of the second generation were decommissioned and sold to the Oberleitungsbusbetrieb in Mendoza, Argentina, where they still are today partly in the service.
The generation of MAN solo and articulated cars (1984-2003)
Back in the early 1980s created the plans for the procurement of the third generation of vehicles. They opted once again for production cars. In 1984, finally, the first joint coaches of the type MAN SG 200 HO were delivered and put into service. Two years later came the three-axle MAN SL 172 HO solo vehicle. In 1987, the entire fleet was renewed.
In the 1990s the network was extended, so that it reached its current dimensions. In this connection, the number of lines has increased from four to six:
Mid-1990s were Stadtwerke Solingen, the operator of the Oberleitungsbusbetriebes, partially privatized. The new investor struck in 1995 for cost reasons, the task of the O- bus operation. It was intended to replace the now obsolete vehicle fleet of modern diesel buses. From 1996 on, more and more resistance from politicians and the community formed against these plans, new report revealed, among others, by the cost of uninstalling the infrastructure ( overhead lines, poles, substations ) have a much lower cost advantage than first thought. In November of the same year, the city works rejected the plans, new trolleybuses should the turn of the millennium to be purchased using funds from the country.
In 1999, the trolleybus museum founded Solingen eV as an honorary association for the restoration and maintenance of historic trolleybuses.
In connection with the transition to the fourth generation of vehicles MAN articulated cars were gradually decommissioned beginning of the new millennium, the conclusion made carriage 20 in mid-June 2003. Too many solo vehicle went out of service. Only 15 vehicles of this type have been preserved and served until the fall of 2009, mainly the line 683 on the route from Wuppertal- Vohwinkel to Burg.
Much of the decommissioned trolleybuses types of SG 200 HO and 172 HO SL was delivered to the trolleybus Sarajevo. There they are partly still in use today. Exceptions include the two museum carriage 5 and 42 are They belong to the trolleybus museum Solingen, but come occasionally to this day in the scheduled regular services of public utilities for use. This should be avoided in the first place prior damage.
Fourth generation (since 2001)
With the introduction of the fourth generation of vehicles at the same time was accompanied the transition to modern low-floor technology, also since 2009 and operate exclusively articulated cars.
2001 began shipping the first of a total of 15 Berkhof articulated cars, the first of the 20 Van Hool articulated cars followed a year later. Both types of vehicles came from community orders with other Oberleitungsbusbetrieben in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.
In December 2009, the city works, finally, the last remaining high-floor MAN solo vehicle replaced by joint type cars Swisstrolley 3 of Carosserie Hess. In this context took place on 16 November 2009 an extension of the line 683 to the new terminus Burger Station, previously called castle valley road. However, no new overhead lines were installed As a special feature, but there the trains running trolley buses use for a distance of approximately one kilometer for the first time since their auxiliary drive in regular passenger service. This can also be achieved using only diesel a driving speed of 50 km / hr. With the stops Sonne and Burger Station, two new stations were added. Is off and angedrahtet off at Castle funicular, this operation is always performed automatically. The turntable lower castle is since no longer required, but is used for specials ready for operation and is to be retained permanently in museums. The extension of the line 683 for Burger Station increased the attractiveness line significantly. There was a new node with the lines towards Remscheid Public Transport System ( Remscheid ) and Wermelskirchen (Regional traffic Cologne).
However, the number of trolley buses was reduced in the course of the third generation change from 67 to 50 This has a reinforced Dieselbuseinsatz on trolleybus lines result.
Van Hool Gelenkoberleitungsbus, used since 2002
A traffic- forming since 2009 Hess Swiss Trolley
Planned extension to Wuppertal- Vohwinkel Station
At the northern end of the line 683 since 1985, a nearly 800 -meter-long extension to the Wuppertal- Vohwinkel station is already planned. This proved impossible, however, to the necessary transformation of the local station forecourt. On the one hand there is this owned by Deutsche Bahn AG, on the other it is a listed building. Another problem is the high cost for the required construction of a turning loop 160,000 € are estimated. Originally wanted the German Bahn sell the site to the city of Wuppertal, now she is ready to cede it for free. Meanwhile, funding for the renovation of the station forecourt were approved by the VRR; the implementation and subsequent extension of the line to take place in 2013.
The operation of the new section is also provided by means of auxiliary drive. A electrification, however, fails because of the low height of the railway underpass at the train station, it would be necessary a costly Lowering the roadway.
Vehicle table
In the table are not shown the nine trolleybus trailer of Peter Bauer car factory in Cologne. They were used 1952-1962 in the rush hours on lines 1 and 2 of them did not receive a copy. In addition, in the 1990s was the experiment of using a MAN NGE 152 from Eberswalde. Furthermore, the company Kiepe tested from the nearby Dusseldorf in Solingen network various trolley buses that were intended for another organization.
Prototype 83 in Ghent, still with Solinger operation number