Artikutza railway

Artikutza Railway Artikutzako Trena
Track construction on the Artikutza farmhouse
Route length:	28.5 km
Gauge :	From 1894: 500 mm, from 1896: 600 mm
Maximum slope :	Adhesion: 15, 12, 20 and 25 ‰ Funicular: 410, 387 and 310  ‰
Legend Narrow gauge railway (pink) and funicular railway lines (blue) m above sea level NHN 0 Lezo - Errenteria 10 1.5% 9.4 Zorolla 145 Funicular, 600 m, 41% 10.0 Danborre 420 1.2% 14.8 Gogorregi 475 Funicular 400 m, 38.7%          15.2 630 16.2 Bianditz 676 2% 23.5 Planoburu 525 Funicular 680 m, 31% Urgurutz 375 Artikutza 24.2 313 25.5 Olazubieta 310 2.5% 28.5 Elama 400

The Artikutza-Bahn ( Basque Artikutzako Trena ) was a 28.5 km long narrow-gauge and funicular railway at Artikutza and Goizueta in the Spanish Basque Country operated by four steam locomotives from 1905 to 1917 .

history

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, Artikutza had an industrial area with iron and kaolin mines , ironworks and sawmills. From around 1894 a winding Decauville railway led there, which was used by ox-drawn wagons. Initially, at the time of Raimunda Carriquiri , the track had a track width of 500 mm. It probably led from Elama via Artikutza to Urgurutz.

As Cinto and Loubière around 1896 were operating in Artikutza, the distance to 600 mm gauge was umgespurt so a Decauville steam locomotive could be used. However, the transport was still slow and strenuous, so that the original route was replaced by a much shorter route built in 1905 with three funicular sections and four narrow-gauge railway sections. On the double-track funicular sections, which were only operated by gravity, the downhill freight wagons had to be heavier than the uphill ones. Freight wagons loaded with filled water tanks were also used for this.

The difference in altitude between Lezo and Errenteria was 675 meters. There were four steam locomotives and 61 wagons on the entire route. On each trip, 2 wagons, each weighing 2 tons, and up to 12 tons of cargo were transported. There were up to four trips a day in each direction during the heyday. The most important transport goods were iron, coal, kaolin, pallets, railings and lumber. In addition, the railway was occasionally used for passenger transport. Each train was operated by three employees (engine driver, stoker and brakeman). A total of 30 people were employed for rail operations. The train driver earned 5 pesetas a day and the other employees earned 2.50 pesetas each. The freight cost for a trip was 2 pesetas per ton.

The mines were closed from 1917, after which the narrow-gauge railway was dismantled. The city council of San Sebastián acquired the area in order to ensure the drinking water supply for its growing urban population. As a result, all industrial and mining activities were stopped and most of the workers left the valley. Nature has reclaimed the whole valley after it was declared a drinking water protection area, but the attentive hiker can still find tunnels and remains of the route that were laid out in 1905 for rail transport.

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  Funicular at Gogorregi

• 

  At the Planoburu house near Artikutza

• 

  Funicular at San Rafael

Literature and web links

• Anton Mendizábal Cristóbal and Suberri Matelo Mitxelena: Artikutzako Trena

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Anton Mendizabal, Andoni Idiazabal and Pedro María Perez: El ferrocarril de Artikutza
2. ^ ^{A b} Juanjo Olaizola: Historias del tren: Artikutzako Trena.
3. ↑ ^{a b} Antton Mendizabal and Juanjo Olaizola: El ferrocarril de Artikutza (Spanish) and Artikutzako ferrokarrila (Basque).
4. ↑ Mikelarri: Artikutzako trenaren arrastotik.

Coordinates: 43 ° 12 ′ 47 "  N , 1 ° 47 ′ 47"  W.