Mittweida – Drei Werden / Ringethal railway line

Mittweida – turning three
Route number :	6628; sä. MD
Course book range :	163f (1955)
Route length:	5.992 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Maximum slope :	33  ‰
Minimum radius :	180 m
Legend from Riesa -0.431 Mittweida 296 m -0.236 EÜ Bahnhofstrasse 0.000 to Chemnitz 0.325 EÜ farm road (12 m) 1.302 Altmittweidaer Weg (11 m) 1,382 Viaduct Mittweida (Gottesaubachtal viaduct; 99 m) 2.034 Mittweida Karl-Marx-Strasse 292 m 2.199 Instead of metal processing ~ 2.3 Anst Hanko GmbH / BayWa AG 3.364 EÜ farm road (12 m) 3.975 Initially VEB Weberei Mittweida from Ringethal 4,168 Established cotton mill AG 4,315 Mittweida Industriebf 243 m 4,539 Zschopautal Viaduct (134 m) 5.561 Turning three 236 m 5,600 Instead of becoming three paper mill 6.131 (End of route)
Mittweida Industriebf – Ringethal
Route number :	sä. MRl
Course book range :	-
Route length:	4,520 km
Gauge :	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Maximum slope :	20  ‰
Minimum radius :	180 m
Legend of becoming three -0.300 Mittweida Industriebf 243 m to Mittweida 0.302 EÜ Hainichener Strasse (28 m) 0.791 Gottesaubach Bridge (13 m) 1.547 Zschopau Bridge (105 m) 1,768 At Mittweida electricity works 1,845 Instead of the granite works Eims, Müller & Solbrig 1.95 Mittweida power plant 234 m 3.314 Anst Holzschleiferei Weidenmüller AG 4.20 Schmaltz sawmill 4,220 Ringethal 223 m 4.241 (End of route)

The Mittweida – Drei Werden / Ringethal railway was a branch line in Saxony , which was originally built by the Saxon Industrial Railway Company . It was primarily used to transport goods to the factories in the Zschopautal ; Passenger train traffic only took place during the emergency after the Second World War. In 1997 the line was closed.

history

Mittweida had a railway connection with the Riesa – Chemnitz railway since 1852. However, most of the factories were in the Zschopautal, far from the train station on the plateau above the city. The construction of a secondary railway was therefore discussed for a long time, which should lead from Frankenberg through the Zschopau valley in the direction of Waldheim . However, due to the expected unprofitability of such a route, the project was not carried out.

Ultimately, the affected manufacturers and the mayor of Mittweida took the initiative and founded the Sächsische Industriebahnen-Gesellschaft in 1905 to build the rail connection on their own. On May 6, 1906, the concession to build and operate a private freight railway from Mittweida to Drei Werden and Ringethal was granted.

The non-public goods traffic began on October 12, 1906, for public goods traffic the railway was used from May 15, 1907. On January 25, 1909, the branch line to Ringethal was opened. The management took over the Kgl. Saxon State Railways , which also provided the necessary operating resources.

Passenger traffic was initially not planned. During the Second World War , from November 2, 1942, the heavy rush hour traffic was served by non-public passenger trains. At the end of the war, this passenger traffic was initially stopped again.

From November 14, 1949, there was even regular passenger traffic with three pairs of trains every weekday to Mittweida Industriebf. recorded. The route was now included in the timetable under no. 163 f. A stop has been set up on Chemnitzer Strasse. It was not until October 2, 1955 that passenger transport was given up again in favor of bus transport.

Because of the missing superstructure and the threat of rockfalls, the Ringethal loading point was last used on August 31, 1969. Until October 31, 1973, there were occasional handover trains to Mittweida power station, then the section was completely abandoned. The MRI line was officially shut down on January 1, 1974 and dismantled a little later.

The section Mittweida – Mittweida Industriebahnhof, however, was converted in 1971 to the station siding of the Mittweida station. The operation of the Drei Werden paper mill at the end of the route did not end there until 1992. On June 30, 1997, a freight train ran for the last time up to the scrap trade connection on the route. After that, only individual special trips took place.

The track has been closed to train traffic since December 22, 1997. The track has only been partially dismantled to this day.

Route description

course

From Mittweida train station, the route led down in an easterly direction into the deeply cut Zschopau river valley. In front of the bridge at distance kilometer 4.8 was the Mittweida industrial train station, then it went on the right bank 1.2 km further upstream to Drei Werden .

From January 25, 1909, a branch line ran from the Mittweida industrial railway station downriver, first on the left and then on the right bank of the Zschopau and after a 4.5 km journey it reached the end point of Ringethal.

Operating points

Section Mittweida – Mittweida Industriebf – Drei Werden

Mittweida ⊙

→ Main article : Mittweida train station

Mittweida station was opened on September 1, 1852 on the Riesa – Chemnitz railway line. Between 1906 and 1997, the Mittweida – Drei Werden / Ringethal line, mainly used as an industrial line, branched off from the station. Since June 10, 2007, rail operations have been controlled by the B2 interlocking, a GS II DR track diagram interlocking, and Waldheim station has also been remote-controlled from here since October 18, 2010 . The station has three platform tracks, of which track 1 is a stump track, and a freight track. Since 2016, Mittweida station has also been the end point of the Chemnitz-Bahn line C14 Chemnitz – Mittweida of the Chemnitz City Railway .

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  Mittweida station

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  Mittweida station, track side (2016)

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  Mittweida station with City-Bahn (2016)

Mittweida Karl-Marx-Strasse ⊙

Location of the former Mittweida stop on Karl-Marx-Straße behind the level crossing (2016)

The unoccupied Mittweida Karl-Marx-Straße stop was opened as Mittweida Chemnitzer Straße stop on November 14, 1949 with the introduction of passenger transport to Mittweida Industriebf . A platform was raised for this purpose. After the city of Chemnitz was renamed Karl-Marx-Stadt in 1953, Chemnitzer Strasse and the station in Mittweida Karl-Marx-Strasse were also renamed on August 10, 1953. On October 2, 1955, the station was closed with the Passenger traffic on the railway line is already closed again. Coming from the Mittweida train station, it was behind the level crossing on what is now again known as Chemnitzer Strasse. While there are now parking spaces in the direction of Drei Werden on the former area of ​​the station next to the “Zur Feuerwache” road, the route in the direction of Mittweida station can still be seen in a valley cut through the remains of tracks and embankment as well as a whistle board.

Mittweida Industriebf ⊙

Former location of the Mittweida industrial train station (2016)

The Mittweida Industriebf freight yard was opened on May 15, 1907 as the Mittweida loading point . Before the official opening of the railway line to Drei Werden, the station was known as the Neudörfchen loading point . On January 25, 1909, the branch line to Ringethal was opened from Mittweida loading point . On July 1, 1911, the name was changed to Mittweida Ladest and on October 8, 1933 to Mittweida Industriebf . During the Second World War , the Berlin Lorenzwerke outsourced part of their radio equipment production to the Mittweida cotton spinning mill . Between November 2, 1942 and April 13, 1945, non-public passenger transport to the industrial station was set up for employees.

Between November 14, 1949 and October 2, 1955, passenger traffic between the Mittweida railway station and the Mittweida Industriebf freight yard was carried out publicly and with its own course book table, which was based on the shift operation of the factories located around the industrial railway station. In the mid-1960s, extensive construction work was carried out on the freight yard. The sidings at the eastern end of the station were renewed and a workshop was built.

The section Mittweida – Mittweida industrial station was converted in 1971 to the station siding of the Mittweida station. After the line to Ringethal was closed on January 1, 1974, the line to the Drei Werden paper factory remained until 1992. On June 30, 1997, a freight train lasted to the scrap trade connection on the Mittweida – Mittweida industrial station. After that, only individual special trips took place. The track has been closed to train traffic since December 22, 1997. The track has only been partially dismantled to this day.

Becoming three ⊙

Former location of Drei Werden freight station (2018)

The Drei Werden freight yard was opened on May 15, 1907 as a Drei Werden loading point . In 1911 the name was changed to Drei Werden and in 1933 it was upgraded to a freight yard. The tracks of the industrial railway from Mittweida reached almost to the end of the former loading point Drei Werden Silberwasher of the ore railway, which however no longer existed since the mining in Schönborn was discontinued in 1885.

The Drei Werden freight station on the standard-gauge industrial railway, on the other hand, was located north of the “Talstrasse” / “Zum Zschopautal” intersection. After the section Mittweida - Mittweida Industriebahnhof was converted into the station sideline of the Mittweida station in 1971, the Drei Werden paper mill was operated until 1992, which was connected via a siding at the end of the line south of the Drei Werden freight station near "Bergstrasse". In 2002, both locomotives 1 and 2 were still on the paper mill's premises, while the connecting line was dismantled in 1996. Both locomotives and the railway bridge over the Seifersbach at the “Talstraße” / “Zum Zschopautal” level crossing were scrapped in February 2005. Locomotive 3 is now in the Saxon Railway Museum in Chemnitz .

Section Mittweida Industriebf – Ringethal

Mittweida power plant ⊙

Former location of the Mittweida power station freight station (2016)

The Mittweida power station in the Neudörfchen district was opened at the same time as the eponymous power station on the Zschopau on January 25, 1909. In 1928 the power plant was converted into the Mittweida pumped storage plant , which was in operation until 1988. The Mittweida Kraftwerk freight yard was located directly behind the Zschopau Viaduct, which is now used as a pedestrian bridge. After the line in the direction of Ringethal was closed on August 31, 1969, there were still occasional transfer trains to Mittweida Kraftwerk until October 31, 1973 , then the section was completely abandoned and completely shut down on January 1, 1974. Shortly afterwards, the dismantling of the railway line began.

Ringethal ⊙

Ringethal freight yard, freight shed (2016)

The Ringethal freight yard was opened as a loading point at the end of the northern branch on January 25, 1909. On September 1, 1933, it was upgraded to a freight yard. Due to the missing superstructure and the threat of rockfalls on the section Mittweida Kraftwerk - Ringethal , the Ringethal freight yard was serviced for the last time on August 31, 1969. The MRI line was officially shut down on January 1, 1974 and dismantled a little later. At the location in the east of Ringethal on the banks of the Zschopau, the striking timber-framed goods shed has been preserved to this day.

Civil engineering

Mittweida Viaduct ⊙

Viaduct Mittweida (2016)

The Mittweida Viaduct was built in 1905/06. The railway bridge over the Burgstädter Straße and the Altmittweidaer Bach is a pendulum pillar viaduct that characterizes the street and is made of steel framework and solid wall girders, which has been preserved to the present day. The bridge has a length of 99 m, a height of 18 m and a width of 3 m.

Hainichener Strasse railway overpass ⊙

The Hainichener Strasse railway overpass on the northern branch towards Ringethal was located directly behind the northwest exit of the Mittweida Industriebf freight yard . The Allied forces of the US Army and the Red Army met here on May 7, 1945 , as a plaque on the northern abutment commemorates. After the section to Ringethal was closed in 1974, the bridge structure was removed so that today only the two abutments are reminiscent of the bridge.

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  Mittweida railway overpass, Hainichener Straße, abutment

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  Railway overpass Mittweida, Hainichener Straße, information board on the abutment

Zschopautal viaduct ⊙

Viaduct Zschopautal, panorama (2016)

The Zschopautal viaduct was built in 1905/06. The railway bridge over the Zschopau and the road from Neudörfchen to Drei Werden is a steel truss bridge with a solid wall girder segment, which has been preserved to the present day. The bridge has a length of 133.6 m, a height of 11.1 m and a width of 3 m. It consists of three openings over the river or the western bank of the river as a steel truss bridge (riveted, parallel-belted half-timbered box girders made of steel) and the opening over the street as a solid wall girder bridge (also riveted, parallel-belted and made of steel). The tracks were removed after the railway line was closed.

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  Viaduct Zschopautal, street section (2016)

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  Viaduct Zschopautal, abutment of the road section (2016)

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  Viaduct Zschopautal, steel framework (2016)

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  Viaduct Zschopautal, river section (2016)

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  Viaduct Zschopautal, river section (2016)

Zschopau Bridge Neudörfchen ⊙

Zschopau Viaduct at the power station in Neudörfchen (2016)

The Zschopau Bridge on the northern branch in the direction of Ringethal was directly in front of the Mittweida power station , which was reached immediately after passing the bridge. The structure erected in 1908 near the Mittweida power station in Neudörfchen went into operation with the opening of the section to Ringethal in 1909. It should not be confused with the Zschopau Viaduct on the southern branch after Drei Werden. After the suspension of rail traffic to Ringethal, the tracks on the three-arched concrete bridge with natural stone cladding were removed in 1970. Today there is a bike path on the bridge.

Relics

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  Track remnants of the Mittweida industrial railway near the Mittweida water tower (2016)

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  Track remnants of the Mittweida industrial railway near the Mittweida water tower (2016)

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  Whistle board at the former Hp Mittweida Karl-Marx-Straße (2016)

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  Remaining rails at the former Mittweida Hp Karl-Marx-Straße (2016)

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  Remaining rails at the former Mittweida Hp Karl-Marx-Straße (2016)

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  Track remains at the former Mittweida industrial train station (2016)

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  Gottesaubach Viaduct (2019)

literature

• Erich Preuß , Reiner Preuß : Saxon State Railways . 1st edition. transpress Verlagsgesellschaft, Berlin 1991, ISBN 3-344-70700-0 .

Web links

Commons : Mittweida – Drei Werden / Ringethal railway line  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Mittweida – Drei Werden and Mittweida Industriebf – Ringethal on www.sachsenschiene.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Mittweida loading point on www.sachsenschiene.net
2. ↑ Mittweida Industriebf on www.sachsenschiene.net
3. ↑ Historical table sheets of Saxony
4. ↑ Railway history of the Drei Werden paper mill on www.bahn-express.de